Gadgets

Phones, audio, watches, drones and the small stuff that quietly runs your day.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

The pop-up with a phone number is always a scam

What to change on your parents' computer this weekend, what to say so they'll actually call you, and what to do in order if the money's already gone.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Doing your own screen and battery swap without wrecking the phone

The battery is a forty-minute job with a hair dryer and the right screwdriver. The screen is harder, and the reasons why are worth knowing first.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

When your phone camera is enough, and when it isn't

Two things decide it: how much light you have and how far away the subject is. Everything else is marketing.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

$The power station math nobody does before buying one$

6 min read

The power station math nobody does before buying one

Two numbers decide whether that box under the stairs gets you through a three-day outage or just charges your phone.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

The router settings that filter every screen in the house

Twenty minutes at the router covers the tablet, the console, the smart TV and the phone that keeps ending up under a pillow.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Which chargers and cables to keep, and which to bin

Tip the drawer onto the table, sort it in twenty minutes, and end up with a set that actually charges everything in the house.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Which numbers on your fitness tracker are worth believing

Your watch reports about a dozen metrics every day. Roughly three of them can carry a decision. Learn which, and stop arguing with the rest.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Why an e-reader beats the tablet you already own

E Ink, a month between charges, and no notifications. Plus the two situations where a tablet still wins, and what to check before you buy.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

What you can safely paste into an AI tool at work

The risk isn't science fiction. It's a retention setting, a client NDA clause, and a chat history nobody remembers exists.

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Buy the memory card before you buy the dash cam

The camera is the easy part. Mounting, power and what happens to the footage are where most people get it wrong.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Getting a Message Out When There's No Signal

Your phone's GPS still works with zero bars. Its maps don't. That gap is where people get into trouble, and here's what actually fixes it.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Stop paying more for ink than you paid for the printer

Most home printers are sold at a loss and earn it back on cartridges. Pick the right machine once and that stops happening.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Set up a family password manager in one evening

Two hours at the kitchen table, about forty dollars a year, and your household stops running on one reused password.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Why the text message code is the weakest lock on your accounts

Six-digit texts feel secure and aren't. A practical ladder from SMS to hardware keys, plus the backup step almost everyone skips.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

5 min

What to buy when your kid needs a phone, not a smartphone

6 min

The tools to buy first when you buy a house

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Buy the siren before you buy the fourth camera

Most home security money goes to cameras that record a crime nobody stops. Here's the order to spend it in, and where to put each piece.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

5 min read

Make Your Next Phone Last Five Years

Most phones get replaced long before they stop working. A few decisions at purchase, and a few habits after, change that completely.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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