Stittsville News

If you’re new to gaming, the price of games can be pretty shocking. Yes, $80 for a piece of entertainment you play for ten to a hundred hours breaks down pretty well on a per-hour basis, but $80 is still a lot of money. So, how do gamers save and get an $80 game for $20 . . . in order to […]

Back in 2006, Apple stuck a magnet on their power cable and everyone, even Apple skeptics, had a wish-I’d-thought-of-that moment. MagSafe went away for a while with the introduction of USB-C, but then it came back—and now lots of third-party companies offer magnetic charging cables for […]

You probably know that Canada tends to be good—but not great—at the Olympics. We win a bit during the Summer Games, we win a lot at the Winter Games, and overall we field great delegations that are a joy to watch. What you might not know is that when it comes to the […]

So, you want a lighting system that can be controlled from your phone or by your voice. A smart lighting system is very achievable, but there are some choices to consider. Here’s what you need to know. Smart Bulbs A smart bulb is a light bulb, typically LED. Many are white light, […]

Women have been creating, developing, designing, and writing games since the Atari and arcade days. Here are a few names you should know. Carol Shaw Carol Shaw is famous as one of the first women to design and program video games. She’s best known for River Raid, a vertical-scrolling […]

ChatGPT is revolutionizing the digital world. But what can you use it for, and what is a bad idea? DO Use ChatGPT for Summarizing Lengthy Articles Want to know what an article (or white paper, report, ebook, etc.) says but aren’t excited about a 60-minute read time? ChatGPT can […]

AirTags are great and inexpensive ways to track stuff. They provide the functionality of Find My iPhone (or tablet, or laptop) with basically anything you can think to stick an AirTag on. And if you have a newer iPhone, you can track them to a metre. They’ll even make a noise when prompted […]

There are a lot of false beliefs and misapprehensions floating around out there about how the internet works. Here are six myths we’d like to put to rest. Myth 1: Nobody Would Bother Hacking My Home Internet Thinking that hackers only target big companies is a bit like thinking that […]

It’s hockey time! Here’s what we think will happen this year in the greatest game on earth. The Leafs Win a Second Playoff Round We know, we know. When pigs fly, when hell freezes over, when Peter Pocklington apologizes for The Trade. But seriously, the Leafs can push through and […]

There’ve been plenty of NHL teams over the years that have folded or moved. Here are the Canadian teams we miss. The Montreal Wanderers Four-time Stanley Cup winners, the Montreal Wanderers played in a number of amateur and professional leagues before joining the NHL in 1917. In a run […]

If you have a smartphone-wielding grade-schooler, no doubt you’re up to your eyeballs in TikTok songs, dances, and memes, so we’ll skip the explanation of what TikTok is and how it works. Here are a few tools and safety tips that will give you peace of mind when your child is using […]

Want to avoid an expensive mistake? Then be sure to avoid these ways of accidentally ruining your gadgets and electronics. Careless Plug-Ins Isn’t it the worst how you always plug in a USB the wrong way, turn it around, then it’s somehow still the wrong way, so you have to turn […]

A laptop is valuable not just because of the actual price tag but because it contains so much sensitive information – not to mention all the things it allows you to do (work, study, connect with people). So make sure to protect your laptop and yourself with these tips. Get a Case […]

The vast majority of TVs sold in the North American market are now smart TVs. In fact, it’s becoming sort of pointless to say smart TV, since it can be fairly assumed that when you say TV, you mean a smart TV. But TVs without any of the smart TV functionality -- dumb TVs -- still exist, and […]

Do you find yourself turning on subtitles or reaching for headphones when you’re trying to watch your latest flick? Here’s what’s going on. It’s In the Mix A movie or TV show’s sound “mix” refers to how a sound mixer adjusts the levels of various […]

So, you’re moving to a new place and want new internet services, either because you can’t transfer via your old ISP (internet service provider) or you just want new services. What do you do? Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting new internet services in your new home. Step […]

Your phone is one of the most valuable things you travel with, not only for the actual value of the device, but also for the ways you use it. Here’s how to protect your phone while travelling. Physical Protection Get a screen protector, get a case. Without these, a three-foot drop can […]

If you’ve never gone out of your way to access router settings, you may not know they exist. But router settings have a lot of very useful features, such as seeing which devices are on your network, setting up guest networks, privileging certain devices over others, and more. Here are some of […]

Are you an Instagram fanatic? Here are a few tips and tricks to make your Instagram experience even better. Make a Close Friends List Want to share a fun Instagram post, but not with all your followers? Teenage you might have made two Instagram accounts, one for close friends and one for the […]

It’s hot and electronics get hotter. How can you keep them cool—or, at least, not so hot? Airflow Is Your Friend Many printers, computers, gaming consoles, routers, and other electronics have vents on the backs or sides that allow for airflow. These vents need to be free of any […]

Considering getting a gaming platform for yourself or your family? Here are a few things to consider. Cost (Upfront) Your costs for a console are mostly one and done. A Nintendo Switch runs about $400, a Sony PS5 about $650, and an Xbox Series X about $600—although at times you can get […]

AI art is here and boy oh boy, is it strange . . . sometimes. Here’s some of our favourite AI art that isn’t what we’d call good. The Impossible Countertop Wouldn’t you love a reclaimed pallet wood countertop in your home? No? What if we told you that it came out into […]

Let’s say you do a speed test and your internet looks super fast—but you still have a hard time streaming a TV show or playing an online game. Well, there could be a number of problems, including low latency, jitter, and packet loss. In this post, we’re going to go over packet […]

They’ve released two studio albums, four soundtrack albums, and two compilation albums. Yep, no doubt that The Simpsons is one of the most musical shows out there. Here are some of our favourite musical moments from our favourite Springfield family. “Those Were the Days” […]

Sure, all playoffs are history-making, but there are a few we remember way better than the rest. Chicago Bulls, 1991 Everyone knows the name Michael Jordan. But back in 1991, he was just an upstart basketball player, and the Bulls were just a team struggling to gain some recognition. After […]

It’s been a while since a Canadian team took home the Stanley Cup. The year 1993 was the last time a Canadian team won, so the drought is approaching thirty years. Hopefully we won’t get there though; the Leafs, the Jets, and maybe the Oilers are looking like contenders. Here’s […]

A VPN is a virtual private network. You’ve probably seen and heard them advertised quite a bit on YouTube and podcasts. But what are they, why do people use them, and should you get one? Read on. What Is a VPN? Virtual private networks hide your IP address—that is, the specific […]

The Women’s World Cup is coming up in July, so why not revisit one of the biggest rivalries in the sport: Canada versus the US. The US team is easily the best team in the game. They’re the current title holders at the World Cup, and they have four of them. But the Americans have long […]

In our opinion, using constant nineties quotes makes someone even cooler than they’d otherwise be. “You can’t handle the truth!” You didn’t even need to see A Few Good Men (or the play it’s based on) to know this one. In fact, you probably heard it from its […]

Your router is the access point for your devices to the entire wider internet. Therefore, it’s vitally important to protect it as best you can. Here’s what you should do. Change Your Password from the Default and Make It Good Every article on internet security recommends good […]

We can’t get every movie we want on a streaming platform for free (looking at you, Everything Everywhere All at Once), but a bunch of great stuff is out now. Here’s what we’re watching snuggled under blankets while it’s cold outside. I Want You Back Stream It On: Amazon […]

Who needs original content when you can just remake old stuff we’ve forgotten about, right? Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey If you were a kid in the early nineties, you probably cried a whole lot at the end of Homeward Bound when it looked like the aging golden retriever Shadow […]

So, you get why speed is important for your internet. Faster internet equals better streaming, right? And you get that unlimited internet means never worrying about things like 4K streaming, video game downloads, or missing an overage notice. And you get that you can fix things like Wi-Fi dead […]

We’re pretty excited about going to the theatre more this year, and this release schedule is absolutely stacked. Here’s what we’re most excited about. Shazam! Fury of the Gods Release Date: March 17 The most fun character in the DCEU is back and he’s brought his whole […]

You’ll never be the best player on your CoD team without truly excellent internet. Here are the factors you need to consider when shopping for an internet plan ideal for gaming. Download Speed Playing a game doesn’t require a huge amount of data to go back and forth—but […]

Are you shopping for a new TV plan and seeing the term “cloud PVR” everywhere? Here’s what it is, how it works, and why it’s pretty great. Firstly, What Is PVR? PVR is a personal video recorder. They’ve been out for more than a decade. Usually called a local PVR, […]

It’s the festive season, and when we’re not marathoning classic holiday specials like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas, we’re watching these potential new favourites. Mickey Saves Christmas Mickey Mouse and his friends need to help Santa save […]

Worried about what your kids are watching but don’t want to hang around to police their screen time? Read on. What Is a Smart TV? A smart TV is a TV with internet connectivity that acts a bit like a smartphone. It has apps that let you surf the web and do typical web stuff like browse […]

Are there parts of your house where you can’t get any Wi-Fi? Sounds like you have a dead zone. Here’s how to identify dead zones and what to do about them. What Is a Dead Zone? A dead zone is an area of your home where the Wi-Fi signal gets weak, cuts in and out, or just […]

Scammers love Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it’s the busiest shopping time of the year. People are on the lookout for deals, and they may be more motivated to save a dollar than to consider whether they’re being scammed. Here’s how to protect yourself. Phishing […]

The World Cup is back, and we’re only a couple of weeks away from Canada’s return to soccer’s biggest competition. Here’s how to watch and what to expect. Wait, Is Canada in This One? Yes! For the first time in 36 years, the Canadian men’s team will be playing in […]

Chances are your household uses Wi-Fi 5. But you should be using Wi-Fi 6. Before we get into all the reasons Wi-Fi 6 is better than Wi-Fi 5, let’s get a few things sorted out. First of All, Let’s Break It Down We promise not to get too technical, but yes, there are different types […]

Ready to relive 1997 in movies? Men in Black This was an absolute monster of a summer blockbuster, and it made us wish we had one of those mind-wiping pens . . . which the elementary school versions of us would have almost certainly used for evil. Good Burger If you grew up with All […]

Confused about set-top boxes and wireless TV? We’re here to help. What Is a Set-Top Box? A set-top box is an electronic device that converts the signals from your TV or internet provider to video you can screen on your TV. They used to literally sit on top of TV sets. Now with […]

We’re quite partial to kids’ TV from the nineties, but as much as we like exposing our rugrats to Rugrats, sometimes it’s good to meet them on their level and watch what they’re watching. So here’s some of the best current family and kids’ TV going. Good Witch […]

You couldn’t go into a grocery store in the ’90s without seeing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles staring back at you from a box of cereal or a pudding package. Sure, you remember the show and the toys, but what about the various musicals? The Oprah appearance? The original comic? Here […]

The online world can be a dangerous place. Offline, phones are expensive. There are plenty of reasons to insist on rigorous safety rules when you give your kid a phone. Keep Control of Passwords Your kid will need an Apple ID or Google ID if they’re using an iOS or Android device, […]

Your phone’s lock screen is more than a place for a decorative wallpaper. You can place essential information, such as an emergency contact or your medication, on this screen. Here’s how. Why You Should Put Emergency Information on Your Phone’s Lock Screen Let’s say […]

Sometimes it’s worth it to switch. If it’s painless and there’s more than one company offering a service, why not do a little research, see who offers the best inexpensive service, and shop around? Often, switching from a big brand to a smaller one can save you money because the […]

If you’re anything like us, your 47 household electronic devices come with approximately 270 cables and they’re all cramping your style. Okay, we’re exaggerating—but not by much. Here’s how to better sort and organize cables. Cable Ties Cable ties are either […]