Quick Links Wildcards in Microsoft Excel let you search for partial matches, broaden your filters, and create formulas that reference cells containing certain strings. They represent non-specified characters to help you locate text values with “fuzzy” matches. The Wildcards: Asterisk (*) and Question Mark (?) There are two wildcards in Excel, and knowing their purpose is crucial to understanding how wildcards work overall. The Asterisk Wildcard: Any Number of Characters The first of the two wildcards in Microsoft Excel is an asterisk, which represents any number of characters, including no characters....

Quick Links It’s not only multiplayer games that are fun with friends, some single-player titles are engaging even if you don’t have a controller in your hands. You can even pass and play to keep everyone engaged. Puzzle Games LikeMystandBotany Manor Two (or more) heads are usually better than one. That’s especially true when you’re trying to solve the sort of abstract puzzles you’ll find in a game likeMyst. This 1993 classic received a full remake in 2020 and can now be played on modern Windows, Mac, and Xbox platforms (plus the iPhone and iPad)....

Summary The low cost of Amazon Fire Tablets always sounds a little too good to be true, but that’s especially the case onPrime Day—when they drop even lower. The big question is, are these tablets good enough to be worth your time, even when it seems like you’d be foolish not to buy one? You Get What You Pay For This probably goes without saying, but Amazon doesn’t make Fire Tablets so affordable out of the goodness of their hearts....

​ Summary When you’re buying a new phone, you may hear mention of how bright the screen gets, but is this really all that important? When you take your phone outside, how readable it is in sunlight becomes the single most important thing about it. That means, for some of us, the answer is obvious. Do You Have Enough Nits? For the vast majority of smartphones packing a backlit screen, how readable a phone is in sunlight depends on how bright the screen can get....

Quick Links Summary TheLenovo Flex 5i14" (2023)offers a unique blend of the 3Ts: Versatility, Productivity, and Flexibility. Unfortunately, the laptop ends up feeling like a case of too many teas spoiling the brew. With the sheer number of laptops available online, finding a mid-range option that delivers on both affordability and performance can feel like hunting for a hidden treasure. Lenovo’s Flex 5 series has long aimed to cater to that demand, offeringconvertible 2-in-1 laptopswith a promise of solid productivity at an appealing price....

Pebble is back with a pair of new smartwatches—the $150 Core 2 Duo and $225 Core Time 2. Unfortunately, iPhone owners who buy these smartwatches will miss out on a lot of important functionality. The new PebbleOS watches are explicitly designed for both Android and iOS, just as they were a decade ago. However, as founderEric Migicovsky explainsin a blog post, “there is no way for us to support all the functionality that Apple Watch has access to....

Summary Apple’s AirTag has become my go-to Bluetooth tracker, with one attached to my car keys and all of my bags, including my backpack, camera bag, and suitcase. The small, coin-sized accessory fits almost everywhere except my wallet. TheNomad Tracking Cardfixes that problem, and only takes up the space of two credit cards. Nomad Tracking Card The Nomad Tracking Card is similar to an AirTag in that it works on Apple’s Find My network but is in the shape of a credit card....

New products almost always mean older versions go on sale. Take advantage of that now with the Apple Pencil 2 at its lowest price. The new iPad Air and iPad Pro models look great (andwe especially love the Pro), as does the brand-newApple Pencil Pro. But that doesn’t mean you want to upgrade to these new iPads! In fact, iPads have a pretty long shelf-life compared to other tablets, so unless you’re a professional or hobbyist who wants some of the features the new models and Apple Pencil Pro have to offer, you may be more than happy to stick with your current iPad....

Quick Links For many years, I used the SUBTOTAL function in Microsoft Excel to create easily visible subtotals at the top of my worksheets. However, when I encountered AGGREGATE, this became my go-to function for achieving the same result but with more flexibility. Before I explain further, let’s remind ourselves how the SUBTOTAL function works. The SUBTOTAL Function Microsoft Excel’s SUBTOTAL function is quite simple to use. It lets you perform subtotal calculations for ranges of cells, and you may decide whether you want to include manually hidden rows in the result....

Quick Links I’ve been an avid aquarist for more than a decade, but after my last cross-country move I haven’t gotten around to establishing a new tank for a few years. Looking at what’s going on in the aquarium hobby these days, I’ve been blown away by the tech on offer. When I’m ready to install my next tank, these gadgets might very well be on my wish list. 1Smart Aquarium Lights When I started out with my first aquariums, they all used fluorescent tube lights, but eventually I moved to LED lights, ending with a few nice daylight-simulating LED clusters for my planted tank....

The best budget Bluetooth speakers let you enjoy music on the go without spending a fortune. They’re portable, convenient, and perfect for any occasion. However, with so many options, choosing the right one can be tricky. Besign BK06 Car Bluetooth Speaker What to Look for in a Budget Bluetooth Speaker Just because you’re looking for a budget Bluetooth speaker doesn’t mean you need to compromise on most features. There are some things you’ll want to keep in mind during your search!...

Quick Links Using a phone or watch to pay at a terminal is not new. iPhones and Android devices have both been able to do it for a long time. So why is the U.S. still lagging behind with mobile payments? In other parts of the world, such as China,nearly 90%of people use mobile payments. That’s more than double the U.S., but adoption is not the only problem. The infrastructure for mobile payments in the U....

Mini PCs are a popular alternative to full-sized desktops if you just need something for basic tasks like browsing the web, writing, or tweaking a simple spreadsheet. Their small form factor has also made them extremely popular with self-hosting enthusiasts, since they don’t take up space, have a low cost of entry, and consume almost no electricity. They also make fantastic little PCs if you want to start hosting your own game servers, which is probably my favorite self-hosting activity....