Hands-On Tech (Video)

By TWiTTechnology

Hands-On Tech (Video) episodes

March 02, 2025 HOT 205: Malware Prevention on Mac - Do You Need Malware Protection For Your Mac?
In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a classic question for viewers: Do I really need malware protection for my Mac computer? Also, Glenn writes in to follow up on his concerns about Siri being activated in different rooms within his house!

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
15 min
February 23, 2025 HOT 204: iTunes on Windows - iTunes Not Recognizing iPhone on Windows PC!
On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent helps Jerry, who is experiencing issues getting iTunes to recognize their iPhone 16 on their Windows PC.

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
13 min
February 16, 2025 HOT 203: Voice Acting Setup & Gear - Getting Started With Voice Acting
In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent addresses a question from listener Faye about the setup they should go with to start with voice acting, covering how one should approach getting into voice acting and providing some resources for Faye to look into.

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer at [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
15 min
February 09, 2025 HOT 202: Stop Devices from Listening for Keyword Activations - Halt Devices From Listening In
On Hands-On Tech, host Mikah Sargent addresses a listener's concern about their Apple devices seemingly listening to conversations in their office and offers a few way to disable this functionality.

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
11 min
February 02, 2025 HOT 201: "Hey Siri" Activations - Managing Siri On Your Devices
On Hands-On Tech, Mikah helps Mark rein in Siri after a recent update caused Mark's Siri to start having activation issues and responding inconsistently to voice commands.

Send in your questions for Mikah to answer at [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
13 min
January 26, 2025 HOT 200: Duplicate Photos In My Folders! - External Devices & Gmail Storage
On Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent helps Richard figure out why there are duplicate photos of the same picture in his photo folders! Plus, Mikah answers Lance's question about Windows 11 and some devices being labeled as removable external storage devices. And Mikah shares a follow-up from Jack about his problem with his Gmail storage space.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
26 min
January 19, 2025HOT 199: Managing Spam Emails - Filtering Out Spam Emails in Your Email Acocunts
On Hands-On Tech, Mikah helps Lars, who is seeking help for a friend who is being flooded with spam emails and is looking for a way to filter out the spam emails!
Mikah strongly recommends transitioning away from ISP-provided email addresses, as they often get shuffled between companies and can face service disruptions

There are also some options to consider when moving from an old email account, such as setting up auto-responses directing to the new address or configuring your new email account to pull from your old account.

Mikah suggests two things to do. The first is to create a Gmail account to leverage its excellent spam filtering capabilities, then configure it to pull mail from the Cox address and connect it to Outlook.

The second option is to use local spam filtering software like Mailwasher, which offers Bayesian filtering that learns from user input to improve spam detection over time.

Other software options to consider are Spambully, Spamfighter, and clean.io, though some may not work without MX record access.

Read the official blog post about the change to Hands-On Tech.

Send in your questions for Mikah to answer! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
23 min
January 12, 2025HOT 198: Connecting An iPad to an Android Smart Home - A Unified Smart Home Experience
In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent tackles a unique smart home dilemma from a viewer named John, who runs his home automation through Android while his wife uses Apple devices. John wants to know if he can use an old iPad as a home hub to give his wife easier access to their home's smart features, like thermostats, greenhouse controls, and outlets, without having to go through his phone.
Android-first setup is actually advantageous, as it means devices are already configured independently rather than being locked into Apple's HomeKit ecosystem

For HomeKit-compatible devices, adding them to the wife's iPhone/iPad is as simple as scanning the HomeKit codes in Apple's Home app
Some suggested approaches for the iPad hub:
Use as a portable control panel that can move between rooms

Mount it permanently as a dedicated control center using a device such as elago's Home Hub Mount, which allows for clean cable management.

Mikah recommends using Home Assistant (home-assistant.io) as a powerful third-party solution that works with more devices than just HomeKit or Google Home, has robust automation capabilities, and has apps for multiple platforms, making it accessible to both users.

Mikah also emphasizes the importance of "smart," which means proactive automation, giving examples like automatic fan control based on humidity sensor readings, proximity-based lighting control, and custom scenes triggered by pressure sensors.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
11 min
January 05, 2025HOT 197: Stop Your TV from Turning On by Itself - How to Fix Automatic Power-Ons with HDMI-CEC
Mikah addresses a listener question about why their TCL TV and cable box sometimes turn on automatically after a power outage. He explains the likely causes and offers troubleshooting tips. Mikah also shares an important follow-up from a previous episode about internet speeds and the limitations of the Apple TV 4K's Ethernet port.
Main Topic:
Richard asks why his TCL TV and cable box sometimes turn on by themselves after brief power outages

Mikah explains that TCL TVs have a "Fast TV Start" feature that keeps the TV in a powered-on state to maintain network connections, causing it to turn back on when power is restored

HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) allows devices to communicate and control each other, which may cause the cable box to turn on when the TV powers on

Mikah advises checking the TV and cable box settings for features like Fast TV Start, sleep/hibernation modes, and HDMI-CEC to adjust the behavior

Many smart home devices, such as lights and robot vacuums, also have auto-on features that should be configured to prevent unexpected behavior after power outages
Follow-up:
Thomas points out that in a previous episode (195), the Apple TV 4K used to test internet speeds has a maximum throughput of about 990 Mbps due to its Gigabit Ethernet port

For the listener (Ross) to accurately test their 2.5 Gbps internet speed, they should ensure their Mac supports the full 2.5 Gbps that the adapter provides

The Apple TV 4K's Wi-Fi 6 support may allow for faster speeds than its Ethernet port, depending on the router and environment

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
20 min
December 22, 2024HOT 196: Understanding iCloud Shared Albums - Terminal, Captive Portal, Apple 2FA
On Hands-On Tech, Mikah helps Omar schedule his daughter's Mac to shut down at a specific time, Jed disables his children's iPads as the two-factor authentication points, and Ben has several questions related to iCloud Shared Albums, along with other viewers' questions!
Omar is looking for a way to shut down his daughter's Mac at a specific time.
For Omar:

Type the following: sudo pmset repeat shutdown MTWRFSU 11:00:00

Type the following to confirm the schedule has been set: sudo pmset -g sched

To cancel the repeating shutdown, type the following: sudo pmset repeat cancel

Wayne is wondering why he is unable to use a public Wi-Fi network on his phone, even though his phone shows that he is connected to that network.

Jed is trying to find a way to remove his children's iPads from being used as the primary two-factor authentication points.

Ben has several questions about iCloud Shares Albums and asks Mikah for as much help as possible.

And Vernon follows up with Mikah after getting help from a few episodes ago!

Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

Host: Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
47 min

About Hands-On Tech (Video)

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Hands-On Tech, where host Mikah Sargent turns tech troubles into tech triumphs. Each episode zooms in on a specific theme, unpacking listener questions with expert analysis and easy-to-follow advice. From decoding the latest gadgets to simplifying everyday tech, Mikah's got you covered.

Submit your tech queries through email at [email protected] or via TWiT's social media. You might hear your question answered on air!

Whether you're puzzled by privacy settings or curious about cutting-edge innovations, Hands-On Tech is your weekly dose of tech insight and inspiration. Join Mikah every Sunday to hear the show that turns tech confusion into tech confidence!

You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month.