The Really Useful Podcast

If you're buying a new computer, there is always the temptation to open it up, plug it in, and start using it. But what you should actually do is spend time installing the apps you'll need and setting up the hardware and peripherals.

This week we talked about:

• Dell G5 5505 Gaming Laptop Review
• 15 Must-Have Windows Apps and Software for Any New PC
• Build a Raspberry Pi Cloud Drive With NextCloud
• 11 Things You Must Do With a Brand New Laptop

This week, Christian Cawley and Ben Stegner are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @stegnersaurus with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

You've heard of the Nintendo Switch, but what is the Nintendo Switch OLED? And why is Valve launching the Steam Deck portable gaming PC?

Ths week's show looks at these two very different developments in mobile gaming, considers the rationale behind both, their potential strengths and weaknesses, and asks: which one would you buy?

This week we discuss:

• Why the New Nintendo Switch (OLED) Is a Huge Disappointment
• Valve Finally Reveals the Steam Deck, Its $400 Nintendo Switch Competitor
• What Is SteamOS? How to Start Gaming on Linux
• Other handheld gaming consoles:
  • SMACHZ
  • GPD Handheld Windows Gaming PC

Christian Cawley and Megan Ellis are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @Megg_Ellis with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows - subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

When open-source software projects are bought by profit-driven software publishers, it's never an easy ride. With the introduction of telemtry to digital audio workstation Audacity, recently, its new owners have discovered just how tenuous a grip on their audience they really have.

But what is all the fuss about? What is telemetry, anyway?

This week's relevant links

• Audacity Introduces Controversial Privacy Policy
• Audacity Denies It Is Spying on Users
• Windows 10 Privacy Guide
• Audacity Fork Maintainer Quits
• Alternatives to Audacity

Christian Cawley and James Frew are this week's hosts. Follow them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @jimjamfroo.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Ransomware is huge in 2021, taking down businesses, government departments, gas pipelines, and worse to come. Now is the time to familiarise yourself with ransomware, the risks, how it gets onto your system, what happens to your data if you don't pay, and the risks of actually paying the ransomware.

These are the links we used for this week's Really Useful Podcast.

• What Is Ransomware?
• What Is Babuk Locker Ransomware Gang?
• US Pipeline Ransomware Attack
• Darkside Ransomware Behind Pipeline Attack
• Ransomware Taskforce Formed by DOJ
• What You Should Know About Cognizant Ransomware
• What You Need to Know About Ransomware in 2021
• Top Security Trends in 2021

Christian Cawley and Gavin Philips host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter: @thegadgetmonkey and @gavinspavin.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

This week we take a look at some of the best DIY tech builds and fixes featured so far on the Really Useful Podcast. Featuring contributions from Christian Cawley, Ian Buckley, Gavin Phillips, and Ben Stegner

Here are those all-important reference links for this week's show.

• Build Your Own HDTV Antenna
• DIY Computer Desk Projects to Save Money
• Fix a Scratched DVD
• How to Remove a Broken Headphone Jack

Christian Cawley is your host this week. You can contact him on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Are you safe online? Security software is expensive, but you don't have to spend money on it if you follow some straightforward, simple, computer and internet usage tips.

This week's Really Useful Podcast looks at link checkers and other easy, "soft" online security tips that you can use to develop safer habits and behaviors online.

In this week's show we used the following articles:

• How to Spot a Phishing Email
• Sites to Help You Check if Links Are Safe
• How to Safely Use Your Pet's Name as a Secure Password

Christian Cawley and Ian Buckley host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @ianmbuckley with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Windows 11 is coming - but what can you expect from it? Is there really any need to replace Windows 10?

This podcast looks at the coming Windows 11, what we know, what we can guess at, and what probably won't happen.

This week's podcast features these stories:

• Windows 10 Support Ends in 2025
• Windows Start Up Sounds Slo-fi Remix
  • Eduard Khill Trololol 10 Hour Version
• Windows 11 - Is It Real?
• Windows 11 Has Been Leaked

Christian Cawley and Gavin Philips host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter: @thegadgetmonkey and @gavinspavin.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Most new cars feature integration with a smartphone. While Apple iPhones are typically compatible, it's more than likely that you're using an Android phone.

Android Auto is a useful handsfree in-car app from Google, designed to integrate your phone's apps with your automobile's entertainment system. You can also make calls using the digital assistant and generally enjoy safe use of mobile apps while driving.

These are your links for this week's discussion.

• Android Auto updated to v6.6
• What Android Auto Can Do
• The Best Android Auto Apps
• Android Auto Tips
• Android Auto Tweaks
• Android Auto Not Working? Try These Fixes
• Best Android Auto Alternatives
• What Is Apple Carplay?
• Connect an Android Phone to Your Car

This week, Christian Cawley and Ben Stegner are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @stegnersaurus with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.
(Image Credit: Maurizio Pesce/Wikimedia Commons)

Using technology daily means that the keyboard, mouse, computer screen, earphones, etc., are going to get dirty. Knowing how to clean them doesn't just protect you from infections, it helps to prolong your tech's usable lifespan.

In this week's show, we take a look at some of our best tech cleaning tips.

This week you'll need to refer to the following links:

• Ways to Use Cleaning Slime or Putty
• Learn How to Clean Your Keyboard Thoroughly
• How to Safely Clean Airpods
• How to Clean an LCD Computer Screen

Christian Cawley is your host this week. You can contact him on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

The age old question: do Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft produce the best console? Well, we're bypassing that and declaring the Nintendo Switch the winner. 

After all, it's lightweight, flexible, and designed with multiplayer in mind from the ground up. You might not get to enjoy intense single player or some AAA online multiplayer titles, but it is impossible to use the Nintendo Switch without having a whole bunch of fun.

Shownotes

Some useful links to help you with this week's show:

• Nintendo Handheld Sales Over 500 million
• Gaming Retro UK
• Is Nintendo Releasing a New Nintendo Switch?
• Nintendo Switch vs Nintendo Switch Lite
• The Best Nintendo Switch Controllers
• Connect Nintendo Switch to a TV Without the Dock
• Nintendo Switch Online - What You Need to Know
• Evercade Review

Christian Cawley and Ben Stegner are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @stegnersaurus with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.