• 13 minutes 30 seconds
    HOT 277: Battery Overcharging Myths - Is Keeping Your Devices Plugged In Bad?

    On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah settles a household debate about whether it's harmful to keep a laptop plugged in all the time, and whether battery charge limit settings are worth using.

    Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode!

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    26 July 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 18 minutes 49 seconds
    HOT 276: Smart TV's ACR Tracking - Stop Your TV From Spying!

    In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Denise's question about whether her smart TV is tracking what she watches and how to stop it.

    Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode!

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsors:

    19 July 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 16 minutes 56 seconds
    HOT 275: USB-C Cable Confusion - Decode Your USB-C Cable Mess

    In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Doug's question about why identical-looking USB-C cables can have wildly different charging and data speeds, and how to tell them apart.

    Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode!

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsor:

    12 July 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 15 minutes 4 seconds
    HOT 274: Smart Home Recommendations - Matter & Thread Explained

    On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Marcus asks Mikah whether Matter and Thread are the real solution to smart home ecosystem lock-in, or just more marketing hype.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsors:

    5 July 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 7 seconds
    HOT 273: ISP Email - Switch Email Providers Safely

    On Hands-On Tech, Eleanor asks Mikah how to transition away from her long-standing ISP email address without losing access to the important accounts tied to it.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsor:

    28 June 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 16 minutes 31 seconds
    HOT 272: Robocalls - Stopping Robocallers

    In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Jim asks Mikah how to effectively reduce the overwhelming volume of spam texts and robocalls he's been receiving on his iPhone, and for advice to help his wife with the same issue, who uses Android.

    Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them during the show!

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsor:

    21 June 2026, 11:30 pm
  • 20 minutes 27 seconds
    HOT 271: Telegram & Security - Is Telegram Secure?

    In this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Clint wants to know whether Telegram is truly safe to use or not.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsor:

    14 June 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 23 minutes 41 seconds
    HOT 270: Troubleshooting External Storage - Optimizing Your External Drive's Performance

    On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, listener Lenny asks Mikah for advice on how to get the best performance out of an external SSD connected to his MacBook Pro.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsor:

    7 June 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 14 minutes 28 seconds
    HOT 269: Windows Home Server - Reviving an Old Windows Home Server

    On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, David asks Mikah whether his old, out-of-service Windows Home Server is worth bringing back online now that he has a fast fiber internet connection, and what the best way to set it up would be.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    31 May 2026, 9:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 54 seconds
    HOT 268: Laptop Recommendations - The Right Laptop For Your Photography Needs

    In this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Robert asks Mikah for help choosing a new Windows laptop suited for heavy photo and video editing work, including guidance on GPU and VRAM requirements for his specific software stack, as well as advice on whether switching to a Mac is a viable option after a disastrous previous migration experience.

    Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected]

    Host: Mikah Sargent

    Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech

    Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
    Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

    Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

    Sponsors:

    25 May 2026, 12:00 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App