Gavin Phillips
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Tech Explained, Security, Internet & Entertainment Editor @MUO_official. Product Reviewer. Tweets on tech, football, Spurs, & F1.
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Articles by Gavin Phillips
I ran Have I Been Pwned and realized I had far more forgotten accounts than I thought
How many email addresses have you owned over the years? I've been online for more than 25 years at this point, and during that time, I've amassed numerous email addresses, many of which have fallen by the wayside, caught up in enormous data breaches over the years. I figured that my accounts would've been involved in a few breaches over the years, but a few minutes with Have I Been Pwned showed exactly how wrong I was, and just how many times my details have been exposed over the years.
Even Windows 11’s right-click menu has AI in it now
The Windows right-click context menu is one of the most powerful tools every Windows user has access to. So of course it makes sense that in Microsoft's never-ending drive to push AI into every aspect of its operating system, we now find AI actions to help speed us along. Currently, the AI actions are limited to a few default Windows apps, with other integrations for certain apps you might have installed, like Zoom, Manus, and similar, apparently arriving in a future update.
Our next SSD upgrade should be a software update
SSD prices are bad right now. Storage drive prices rose alongside memory and other hardware during the AI boom, and they show no sign of coming down anytime soon. If 2026 is anything to go by, anyone requiring new storage is going to be forking out some serious cash in 2027 and beyond. But what if there was another way? Storage prices aren't the only problem with the hardware shortages.
There's a reason expensive motherboards still have this 39-year-old port
For all the modern tech we know and love, old tech still keeps everything running. Your motherboard with USB4, Wi-Fi 7, multi-gig Ethernet, and all the other mod-cons is a wonderful piece of technology, but you might not have ever had use for the small, round, six-pin port that IBM introduced in 1987. The PS/2 port is 39 years old, and while it's not on every high-end motherboard these days, some keep it around for vital reasons.
Your TP-Link router has an official expiry date
TP-Link is the most popular router brand nationwide, with its routers sitting in more than a third of every house and office across the country. Yet it's coming under considerable pressure as the US ban on foreign-made routers continues to take hold and push networking manufacturers to move operations stateside. Some major router manufacturers, like Netgear, Asus, and Nokia, have already received exemptions from the ban.
Please stop storing passwords in your browser
For a long time, I saved every password in my browser. It's effortless: log in once, click Save, and your browser does the rest. It syncs across devices, remembers every login, and makes sign-ins practically invisible. But that convenience comes with a catch. Browser password managers aren’t designed for serious security. Once you understand how they actually work, you’ll see why it’s time to stop trusting your browser password manager with the keys to your world.
Find Hub found my phone, but the feature I needed never warned me it failed
I recently had the pleasure of borrowing a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for a month or so, just after launch — thank you, Samsung! But when the time came to send it back, I'd made a fatal error. The courier arrived hours before I was expecting, and in my absolute rush, I didn't complete a full factory reset. Problematic, yes, but not an absolutely awful situation as it may seem at first glance, as I thought I could remote factory reset the device, and all would be well.
My Wi-Fi calls dropped every 25 minutes on cue until I tweaked one router setting
I never had trouble with Wi-Fi calling at home until I changed my router. I swapped out my trusty Nokia Wi-Fi Beacon G6 for a TP-Link Deco BE65, and everything has, frankly, been terrible since then, overshadowing my upgrade to Wi-Fi 7. I find more issues the longer I use the router, the latest of which is that my Wi-Fi calls dropped, without fail, after around 25 minutes.
Google Chrome was using 30GB RAM until I made this tweak
Google Chrome is a memory hog. It's a well-known problem with the world's leading browser, largely due to how Chrome handles each tab you open. But recently, on my desktop, Chrome took on a life of its own. I'd open Chrome in the morning when I sat down to work with everything running normally. But within an hour or two, it would consume nearly all of the memory on my machine. As said, Chrome eats up the memory.
I changed one Wi-Fi 7 setting and my older devices stopped disconnecting
I bought a Wi-Fi 7 router, and it's been a decent, if mixed bag, of network improvements so far. I've had some faster Wi-Fi speeds, but I've also found some dead zones where there previously were none. One issue I encountered on top of this was my smartphone and laptop sliding between the Wi-Fi bands during standard band-steering movement, but never returning once the Wi-Fi situation improved.
Your Wi-Fi is slow because everyone on your street picked the same channel, and one free scan proves it
Rebooting your router. Unplugging the cable. Moving the router around your home... sort of. These are all fixes people try when Wi-Fi speeds slow to a crawl. But the real answer is probably one you've not heard of before: it's your Wi-Fi channels, and everyone on your street is using the same one. That adds up to a big old pile of congestion, making yours and your neighbors' Wi-Fi feel slow, sluggish, and like you're not getting what you pay for.
I did everything to hide my browsing from my ISP, and it could still see most of where I went
The big issue with online privacy is that it's constantly evolving, and the big tech companies will always find new ways to get into your data. You can fix — or at least, try to fix — many of the problems from home: toggling encrypted DNS for your whole home, forcing HTTPS everywhere, locking down your browser configuration or using a privacy-focused browser, and so on, to boost your privacy above and beyond most folks.
Wi-Fi 7 is great, but I'm still battling these 3 network problems
It took a while, but I finally upgraded my home to Wi-Fi 7, hoping that all of my networking would be taken care of for the foreseeable future. Now, there are always bedding-in glitches when you switch your router and update your network. Everything needs a minute to get accustomed to the new configuration and so on. But I wasn't prepared for a host of issues forced directly onto my plate after swapping to Wi-Fi 7 — some of which I'm still trying to get to the bottom of.
Anker measured 2,000 ears to prove the AeroClip 2 sound like real earbuds, and I'm sold
Open-ear earbuds weren't my favorite audio choice for a long time. Most options I tried didn't feel right, and the audio was often awful. The trade-offs between open-ear and regular in-ear buds didn't exist, as there was only one winner. Then I tried Anker Soundcore's AeroClip, which changed my view completely. I could actually hear my music; they weren't a huge pain to slot into place, and I could finally see what others liked about clip-on earbuds.
Your ISP’s DNS is the bare minimum while these 3 free alternatives actually do something useful
Your ISP's DNS probably works absolutely fine. Your internet works at roughly the advertised speed, you don't encounter many content blocks, and it turns domain names into IP addresses just as it should. But that's also the problem. It works, but it could be better: faster, encrypted, more private, and able to block malware and phishing before it takes hold. That's why even if your default DNS is doing the job, you should consider swapping to one of these three alternative DNS providers.
I get these emails every week, but they're actually a scam
My inbox is a regular mish-mash of the useful, the pointless, and absolute bona fide scams. What surprises me is that I keep getting the same scams on repeat, even after marking them as spam. It's also interesting that there is a range of tolerance for the spam that lands. Some are clearly phishing emails waiting to snag my data, while others look less dangerous but have hidden threats.
I disabled DFS channels, and my Wi-Fi stopped dropping without warning
5GHz Wi-Fi is fast, but it has a persistent disconnection issue you may not realize affects your connection. That's right: your 5GHz Wi-Fi is delivering the wireless internet goods, but it's also responsible for some of those random dropouts you can't really explain. You know when your Wi-Fi drops mid-call or mid-stream without warning? The 5GHz DFS channels could well be what's causing them, which is why switching them off or blocking them could instantly stabilize your Wi-Fi connection.
I switched DNS providers and finally escaped US surveillance law
Everyone's biggest question about the Domain Name System concerns speed. What is the fastest DNS provider? They're often asking the wrong question. Moving your DNS provider is often about bigger questions and issues than speed. Most DNS providers will deliver speeds within milliseconds of each other, regardless, depending on your location. Two things matter more when it comes to DNS: location and privacy.
I added Android Auto to my old car for $20 without replacing the stereo
Whenever I drive a hire car, one of my favorite bits of the process is having Android Auto. My regular car is old and doesn't support Android Auto, which is a pain — and something I'd really love; my next car will definitely have it! Turns out, I don't actually need to spend tens of thousands on a new car. I paired the open-source project, Open Headunit, with an old Android smartphone and a $20 Bluetooth-to-3.5 mm audio dongle, and solved my Android Auto problems for good.
I tested lossless audio on a Galaxy, Razr, Nothing, and Tecno, and only one got it right
Your Android is lying to you about your audio. Android's underlying audio tech, AudioFlinger, doesn't do what you think, and it rarely tells you what's really happening. But the result is that whenever you think you're listening to hi-res audio, there is a strong chance it's nothing like that, with AudioFlinger actively downsampling hi-res files to hit a 48kHz sample rate and destroying your audio quality in the process.
The removable phone battery is making a comeback after a decade of bad decisions
Removable smartphone batteries were once the norm. Every single smartphone had one, until a period between 2012 and 2016 when it was suddenly decided that no one wanted removable batteries anymore. Of course, folks like you and I didn't specifically decide that we didn't want them. But our desires and demands for phones that can repel water and dust with enormous batteries pushed non-removable cells into the forefront of design. But times are changing.
Asus' new Zenbook 14 looks the part, but it has a couple of issues holding it back
Asus' long-running Zenbook lineup moves from strength to strength, but the newest model, the Zenbook 14 UX3480QA, is lacking the same strong identity that keeps me coming back to these devices. This Zenbook 14 UX3480QA is a little different to the Zenbook 14 S14 UX5406 I daily drive, pushing into the upper-budget, lower-midrange laptop band, and a little beyond.
I switched from Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 to Quad9 9.9.9.9, and speed wasn't the reason
Nearly every guide that tells you to change your DNS leads with the same premise: switch up those digits, and you'll receive faster internet speeds. Often, it's not wrong. Most folks are chugging along reasonably happy on their ISP's default DNS — but it could be much better. I've run enough DNS tests in the past few years to know the difference it makes to speed. That said, I've run enough DNS tests to know that speed isn't the only consideration when it comes to choosing a new DNS provider.
Wireless earbuds all break over the same thing, and almost nobody sells the fix
Earbuds always die. No matter how much you take care of them, they're going to give out on you at some point, and it's often the same thing: the battery. Around the two- or three-year mark, your battery just stops responding to charging, and just like that, your earbuds are dead, and you have very little recourse to fix them. There is no easy-to-remove cover or flip-open slot to reveal the hardware you need to change. You'd think that in 2026, this wouldn't be an issue anymore.
The best of IFA 2026: exoskeletons, ultralight laptops, and weird new tech
Every year, the world's tech journalists descend on the wonderful sights and sounds of Berlin, Germany, for a week exploring the cavernous halls of the Messe Berlin. And that means one thing: it's time for IFA. The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) is the world's biggest tech show (yes, bigger than CES), and each year, it wows us with the latest and greatest in tech, with this year's edition no different.
The harmless logo your PC shows at startup has a terrifying security problem
I'm sure you've seen a logo flash onto your screen during your computer's boot process. It's the friendly embrace of the manufacturer's logo, come to remind you who built your hardware. Except for when a UEFI vulnerability called LogoFAIL transforms that friendly logo flash into a huge security issue just waiting to happen.
A new browser feature hides which website you're visiting from your ISP, and it has nothing to do with a VPN
HTTPS arrived and drastically altered the internet. Our data was more private than ever, and all it took was the major browsers forcing compliance, and Google Under the hood, Encrypted Client Hello is actually closing a gap present throughout the entire HTTPS era: even on a fully encrypted connection, your internet provider could always see which website you were visiting, just not what you did there.
DNS has a new encrypted version that isn't DoH or DoT, and almost nobody's adopted it yet
I've spent the past few months testing all types of DNS. I've tested Quad9 against Cloudflare, Cloudflare WARP against my default ISP DNS, encrypted DNS against regular DNS from a coffee shop, and much more. Throughout all of that time, one acronym kept popping up that I'd never encountered: DoQ. DNS over QUIC is a new Domain Name System protocol that will be a game changer for online security and privacy — but almost no one has started using it so far.
Your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi has 11 channels, but you should only use 3 of them
Open your router's 2.4GHz settings, and you'll find a channel dropdown with 11 options, sitting there like 11 real choices that will make a difference to your signal. Well, they're not lying. Each channel will give you different outcomes when it comes to interference, but the picker makes it appear that each channel delivers the same experience. The truth is that when it comes to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, only three channels are worth using, and even then, it's a tricky business depending where you live.
This $20 adapter gave my old car the audio upgrade it needed
My aging 2015 car has one big problem: it doesn't have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. I didn't really mind, as I could always connect my smartphone to the in-car audio using a cheap USB-C to 3.5mm adapter to keep the music playing, no matter what. That is, until I noticed that more and more of my smartphones were failing to work with my good old adapter. Everything worked fine when I used a Nothing Phone 1, but with the Samsung Z Fold 8? It doesn't want to know.
7 tiny icons next to your USB-C port, and what they actually mean
If you've ever noticed the symbols next to your USB-C port and wondered what these hieroglyphs mean, you're not alone. That's exactly what I just did, and I realized I didn't fully understand what I was looking at. Turns out, there are quite a few different USB-C symbols that can appear alongside your trusty port, and what they mean can differ depending on the device manufacturer.
I can’t go back to other foldables after using the Galaxy Z Fold 8
Throughout 2026, I've used the fantastic Motorola Razr Fold, one of the best new smartphones of the year, and easily one of the best new foldables from any company. But then Samsung showed up with its Galaxy Z Fold 8, with its fantastic wide-body design, lightweight build, and almost imperceptible fold crease, and I have to say, I'm hooked. It's my first Samsung in nearly a decade, and I won't be moving on any time soon.
I can’t go back to other foldables after using the Galaxy Z Fold 8
MacBook Neo 1 hour ago MacBook Lock aims to keep your laptop safe in coffee shops 9to5Mac - Ben Lovejoy • 1h Years ago, MacBooks incorporated a slot for using a cable lock to secure the device to a table leg or similar. They were most useful in coffee shops when you wanted to return to the counter to order another drink without having to carry your laptop with you.
Your Android phone is mangling lossless audio before it even reaches your headphones
Your Android device might be making your audio sound worse without ever letting you know — even if you pay for hi-res audio. Android's audio mixer, AudioFlinger, resamples pretty much everything to one fixed internal rate before it ever leaves the phone, disregarding your FLAC or WAV files, meaning your lossless file isn't necessarily what you're hearing. How Android handles every audio file the same Android AudioFlinger is designed to manage all of the audio across your device, all at once.
I stopped judging my Wi-Fi by the signal bars — this number tells me much more
I, like the vast majority of people, judge my Wi-Fi signal by how many bars are on my screen. Whether it's my smartphone, tablet, laptop, or otherwise, those trusty bars are always there to tell you just how good the Wi-Fi you're using is. Except that's not actually telling you the whole story. We're conditioned to believe that five bars is perfection and a single bar is the apocalypse dawning, but those Wi-Fi signal bars and measurements aren't doing what you think.
I returned to Samsung phones after a decade, and now I finally understand why people love it
I'm currently using my first Samsung in nearly a decade. My last full-time Samsung was the fantastic Galaxy S8, launched in early 2017, with a 5.8-inch curved Super AMOLED Infinity Display, a 12MP rear camera, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,000mAh battery. I loved that phone. But for some reason, since then, I've eschewed Samsung's smartphones, bar using them on showfloors, for a bit of light testing here and there, and some camera work. That is, until now.
Phone makers gave up on speakers — these are the 5 that still slap
Every smartphone promises a better camera, faster chip, and these days, an even slimmer body. One piece of tech has fallen by the wayside for most smartphones: speakers. Most smartphones sound fine. But that's precisely part of the problem for anyone that wants to use their smartphone for audio without headphones, earbuds, or a Bluetooth speaker.
Phone makers gave up on speakers — these are the 5 that still slap
Mobile 7 hours ago Thinking of buying the base Pixel 11? Here are 6 Pro camera features you'll miss Android Authority - Hadlee Simons • 7h If you're a camera buff, the regular Pixel 11 may not be the best choice. Follow us on Google DiscoverAdd us as preferred source The Google Pixel 11 series is finally here, and there’s a lot to be excited about.
I tested 20MHz versus 80MHz on my router, and one was clearly wrong for my neighborhood
I can't count how many times I've heard "Widen your Wi-Fi channel and get free extra speed." It's one of those router tweaks that sounds too good to be true. One toggle, no new hardware, and supposedly more throughput on the other end. The fun thing is that it's basically true. Switching my 5GHz band from 20MHz to 80MHz delivered enough of a speed increase that the marketing might just be as good as everyone says — and I might just be convinced.
The coverage map your carrier shows you isn’t the real-world map — but these ones are
Carrier coverage maps are typically a dizzying array of colors overlaid in different geographic areas, hopefully indicating that you'll be able to pick up that premium, ultra-fast 5G signal. Except when it's not showing what you think, because carrier maps are largely built from predicted area coverage rather than specific measurements — and US regulators let it stay that way, even if it means you might end up without proper reception.
Every major free DNS service has a hidden second mode
Changing your DNS address comes with a host of benefits, especially if you switch to a provider with additional encryption, malware protection, and so on. What most folks don't realize is that most DNS providers also provide a second configuration that offers a different set of features. Quad9, Cloudflare, OpenDNS, CleanBrowsing, and many others all provide a secondary address that isn't just a backup to the primary DNS — it can provide a whole different level of protection.
The DNS speed test everyone uses is measuring the wrong thing
"Switch your DNS to Cloudflare or Quad9 for a faster internet" shows up in enough forum threads and comment sections that most folks go looking for proof. The next step is a DNS speed test. You fire up a tool like DNS Speed Test, watch the numbers tick down and sort themselves, and head for the resolver on top.
Windows has two different power plan controls, and they don't do what you think
The Windows Power Mode dropdown controls your CPU power and boost behavior, aiming to give you more juice without cooking your laptop in the process. But there is another setting behind the scenes that means the Power Mode dropdowns aren't in complete control. Enter the venerable old Control Panel's Power Options, which ultimately decide just how far you can really crank the dial.
Your speed test is hiding what actually makes your internet feel slow
Your last speed test probably told you your internet is fast. It might even be right. Big download and upload numbers are easy to trust, mostly because they're the only numbers on the results page, and they look nice and shiny. But 600Mbps down and a stuttering connection aren't mutually exclusive.
My laptop was plugged in, but Windows was still holding it back until I switched this setting
When I sit at home, I have my laptop plugged into the wall outlet. That should mean that my laptop is giving me full power at all times, and in many ways, it is. But Windows has three different Power Mode settings, and depending on their settings, you'll struggle to get the performance your laptop can really give. Related Head to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Power Mode and you'll find the power settings for your laptop.
HDMI 2.2 is here to sell you a cable your TV can’t use
Right now, you can head to your favorite online retailer and find a mystical cable: certified Ultra96 HDMI. It's real, it's licensed, and it supports up to 96Gbps — double what HDMI 2.1 ever managed. Why is it mystical? Because at the time of writing, there are no devices that support HDMI 2.2, which means there are zero devices that can make use of this incredible 96Gbps throughput, no matter how shiny and alluring the marketing is.
The best headphone upgrade I got this year cost absolutely nothing
I'm always looking to find ways to make my headphones and earbuds sound better. Better still, I find ways to make them sound better for free. And this time out, I've found the golden ticket: AutoEQ. It's a database filled with detailed frequency responses for popular headphone and earbud models compiled by leading sources such as oratory1990, Crinacle, Innerfidelity, and Rtings, all leading voices in EQ design.
Alternate DNS is one of the most misleading labels in networking
Every router and network settings page has the same two boxes: Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS. The naming tells you that the second address is the backup, sitting and waiting if the first DNS doesn't do its job. It's a fair description. But what actually happens when your spare DNS gets involved isn't always as clear-cut as you may think, and depends heavily on what ends up handling that request.
I changed my Wi-Fi channel width from 20MHz to 80MHz and got instant speed gains
I've long heard tales about adjusting your Wi-Fi channel width to receive a speed boost. It seems like an easy enough change to make on most routers, and if you get faster Wi-Fi as the outcome, what's not to love? So, I gave it a go, and while I didn't experience an enormous uptick in speeds, it was a consistent improvement that I'm happy to receive for free.
There are two Motorolas, and the one you know is the small one
Say "Motorola" to most folks, and they picture a Razr flip phone, or the bat-wing logo on a Moto G box at Walmart. For me, I look to my Razr Fold, my favorite smartphone of 2026 so far (that I've tried!). Interestingly, it's the smaller of two companies using the Motorola name. The one you know is owned by Lenovo and deals with smartphones. The one you don't sells communication tech to other businesses, and keeps the world moving.
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