MakeUseOf

After years of fighting file formats, I switched to VLC and never looked back

Varun Krishan — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:00:14 GMT

One of the first apps I think to install on a new device is a video player, since the default one is usually subpar. But you rarely find an app that works smoothly across devices and ecosystems without glitches. Enter VLC.

5 Windows emergency shortcuts I hope I never need but have absolutely memorized

Oluwademilade Afolabi — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:00:13 GMT

Most keyboard shortcuts exist to save a few seconds on something you already know how to do. Then there are the ones you learn for the moment Windows stops cooperating, and the normal route to fixing it disappears along with your taskbar, mouse cursor, or entire screen.

I tested Samsung's hidden repair mode and was shocked by how much stayed private

Judy Sanhz — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:00:18 GMT

I have to admit I’m not too happy about handing over my phone for repair, with all the pictures and files on it. Sure, I could wipe it clean, but that sounds like too much, and something I wouldn’t do anyway. I’d heard about Samsung’s Maintenance Mode, but assumed it was a basic feature, even though I never really checked it out.

Windows still has a filename quirk straight out of the DOS era

Isaac Akinleye — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:00:14 GMT

Have you ever renamed a file or folder and had it come out different from what you typed? Recently, while pasting a document title into a rename box, I hit Enter, and the period at the end just disappeared. There was no warning or error message; Windows just removed the character without explaining why.

Here's why I'll never use my ISP's Wi-Fi router

Oliver Haslam — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:31:13 GMT

When you sign up for home internet, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) usually sends you a brand-new router to plug in. It handles everything, doing double duty as the modem that connects to your internet and the device that provides Wi-Fi and a routing firewall. It's a one-stop-shop solution, designed to make it quick and easy for novices to get up and running. But ISP-provided routers generally suck, and that's why I prefer to buy my own router instead.

The biggest Linux migration happening right now is a 30,000-PC escape from Microsoft

Afam Onyimadu — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:01:13 GMT

When I hear a government talk about ditching Microsoft for Linux, I'm usually prepared for the same sequence: a press conference, a few years elapse, and then somehow things get reversed without anyone really covering it. This was the pattern in Munich with LiMux.

My Pixel wasn't fully updated until I discovered this buried settings page

Varun Krishan — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:00:13 GMT

Google Pixel smartphones are renowned for a clean software experience and cutting edge AI capabilities, making it important to keep the fully updated. I was recently poking around my Pixel 8's settings and discovered that Google has taken a modular approach to updates.

ChatGPT Voice Mode helps me finish ideas when I don't know what comes next

Judy Sanhz — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:30:14 GMT

Sometimes I have the start of an idea and then just…nothing. I know there’s more to it, but the next part won’t come. That’s usually where I have to stop and research the missing part, and by then I might forget where I was going with this idea.

Hundreds of free historical fiction books are yours for 48 hours, no Kindle Unlimited needed

Sara Heritage — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:05:37 GMT

If your virtual bookshelf seems a bit sparse, and you, like me, are a bit of a history buff, then clear your schedule. Stuff Your Kindle Day is a special event where hundreds of ebooks are made available for free across various genres, giving readers the perfect chance to stock up on new titles for their digital library. The well-known Stuff Your Kindle Day is back with its beloved Historical Fiction & Period Dramas event, running from September 15 to 16, 2026.

Your hard drive warns you it's about to fail, and the warning is already on your PC

Afam Onyimadu — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:00:14 GMT

Let me start by saying that I don't back up half as often as I think I should. I often push it to the next deadline, but end up not doing it, mainly because my device doesn't make backups feel urgent.