How-to

There are many tweaks and system upgrades that will help your PC perform better and seem more responsive. One of the overlooked ways you can boost performance is through faster Wi-Fi. Here’s how upgrading to 802.11ac can make your computer faster than ever.

This past week our country turned 147 years old, and although it’s a relative youngster in terms of countries, (after all, our neighbor to the south is ripe, old 238 today) I think it’s established itself very well. When you think of Canada you think of polite people, wide, open spaces, 4 very definite seasons of weather, and last but not least, hockey.   But let’s not forget that we’re also a culture based on a wide variety of delicious dishes too, and because of those definite weather cycles, there are some uniquely Canadian recipes that are only really available to be made in the summer.

One of the reasons why I struggle with bad food choices is because I always wait until the last minute to start cooking, and then I’m completely starving before I finally get to eat. But I’ve found the solution to this issue, and it’s all thanks to my slow cooker.

Buying a tablet for someone is one of those functional gifts that should get great mileage and plenty of use. There are more than a few to choose from, so weaving through the 150 models and options available at Best Buy requires thought and research to get the right fit. This isn’t as hard as it sounds, and you can look like a genius once the gift-giving starts.

I’ve been experimenting with brain food lately, and found a recipe that takes all of those nutrients and combines them into one delicious energy bar. Although they’re chock full of healthy ingredients, they taste almost like a chocolate bar. The local coffee shop sells them and calls them ‘Brain Bites,’ but I just call them delicious.   I whipped up a batch of these little gems today – check out the recipe and my photos for the steps to make them.

When your little one’s close to arriving and it’s time to think about buying a baby monitor, you have a few different ways to go. In this edition of the Smarten Up series, we take a look at whether to go video and audio (or just audio) and taking a modernized look at the the traditional baby monitor. Not only can you use monitors to peer in on whether your baby’s ok, but some even offer Air Quality and Room Temperature real time readouts. Read on to find out more. 

We’re in a golden age of home movies thanks to the built-in video shooting capability of most mobile phones and there are people making big bucks posting professional looking videos on sites like YouTube —that are shot on their smartphone. How do you go from shaky, raw smartphone footage to polished looking results with subtitles, special effects and animated overlays? It’s actually pretty easy and the best part is, you can pump up your phone footage with movie effects for next to nothing and sometimes even for free.

Eggs benedict, maple bacon pancakes, and monkey bread – these are just a few of my favourite breakfast foods. But if you’re eating healthy, having a big and heavy breakfast might not be in the game plan. You don’t have to miss your favourites too much though, because there are substitutions you can make for your favourite recipes to make them into healthy breakfasts. Here are a few of my healthy breakfast recipes:  

Welcome to 2016. If you’re like a lot of people out there (present company included!) you’re probably looking in the mirror saying “eh…this could be better”. Instead of making a resolution to “get fit” this year, it’s time to come up with a plan of action that you can stick to. I have three tips here that can help you make fitness an integral part of your 2016. Stick with ‘em and you’ll find a better, fitter you throughout the year.

The air outside is crisp and cool, so if you’re in the mood to warm up in the kitchen with some fall recipes, here are a few great comfort foods you can try this weekend.