Help Desk Blogger

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I argued Apple should let Time Machine back up online so that Mac users could stop relying on cables and external drives. Apple has not added cloud Time Machine, so I have rewritten this around the closest thing that works today: backing up over your home network.

My 2021 wish was a Time Machine that backed up to the cloud, with no dongles to carry and no hard drive to damage. That still does not exist. What does exist, and is under-used, is Time Machine over Wi-Fi to a drive elsewhere in your home. It removes most of the hassle I was complaining about.

Can Time Machine back up without a cable?

Yes. Time Machine can back up to a shared network folder, as long as the device sharing it supports Time Machine over the SMB protocol. Once set up, backups run automatically whenever your Mac is on the same network, just as they would with a plugged-in drive. Apple's own wireless option, the AirPort Time Capsule, was discontinued in 2018, so today this means a network drive or another Mac.

What can you back up to?

• A NAS: network storage boxes from makers such as Synology and QNAP offer a Time Machine option in their settings. This is the most common route.
• Another Mac: a Mac that stays at home can share a folder as a Time Machine destination from its File Sharing settings.
• Some routers: certain routers with a USB port can share an attached drive for Time Machine. Check that the router explicitly supports it.

How do you set it up?

On the NAS or sharing Mac, create a shared folder and turn on the option to use it as a Time Machine backup destination. On your Mac, open System Settings, go to General, then Time Machine, click Add Backup Disk and pick the network share. Give it a size limit on shared storage so it does not fill the device. The first backup is slow over Wi-Fi, so run it overnight or over a cable if you can.

Is a network backup enough on its own?

No. It fixes the cable problem, but a backup in the same house is still exposed to theft, fire or a power surge. For the files that matter most, add an offsite copy: a cloud backup service, or cloud sync of your Documents folder with version history. Remember that sync alone is not a backup, because deleting a file on the Mac can delete it in the cloud too.

What should Apple still add?

An encrypted Time Machine target in iCloud, even as a paid add-on, would complete the picture for people who travel. Until then, a network drive at home plus one offsite copy delivers most of what I was asking for in 2021, without carrying a hard drive around.

Keep reading

• Microsoft 365 Family vs Google One for Photo Backup
• Apple Must Fix Its Insulting 5GB iCloud Limit Now
• RAM And SSD Prices In 2026: Upgrade Now Or Wait

Updated September 2026: this 2021 post told the story of replacing my wife's broken phone screen with a cheap duplicate during the Covid lockdown, and the problems that followed. I have rewritten it as a guide to choosing between original and duplicate screen replacements.

My wife's phone screen broke shortly before the lockdown restrictions in 2021. With service centres hard to reach, I went to a local shop. The technician offered a cheap replacement and warned upfront that the fingerprint sensor would stop working with it. We agreed. Soon the screen was flickering and locking on its own, and when our child dropped the phone a few weeks later, it broke again.

That experience is common enough that it is worth explaining what a duplicate screen actually is.

What is a duplicate or copy screen?

It is an aftermarket display built by a third party to fit your phone, not the part the manufacturer uses. Quality ranges widely. Many phones today use OLED panels, and the cheapest replacements for them are often LCD panels instead, which is where most of the problems start.

Why does the fingerprint sensor stop working?

Many phones read your fingerprint through the screen, using a sensor that needs light to pass through an OLED panel. An LCD replacement has a backlight layer that blocks it, so the in-display fingerprint sensor cannot work. That is what our technician was warning us about. Phones with a fingerprint sensor on the side or back are not affected in the same way.

What other problems are common?

• Flicker and ghost touches: lower-quality touch layers can register taps you did not make or lock the screen unexpectedly, as ours did.
• Worse picture: duller colours, lower brightness outdoors and thicker borders.
• Battery drain: LCD panels generally draw more power than the OLED they replace.
• Fragility: cheaper glass and fitting can crack more easily.
• Warranty and resale: a non-genuine part usually ends any remaining warranty and lowers resale value.

When does a duplicate screen make sense?

On an old phone you plan to replace soon, or a backup device, where saving money matters more than features. Ask the shop plainly whether the part is OLED or LCD, whether fingerprint and touch will work fully, and what warranty they give on the part.

When should you pay for an original?

On any phone you intend to keep for more than a few months, and always on phones with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Get a quote from the brand's authorised service centre first. If the original screen costs close to the phone's current value, that is the point to compare it with buying a new phone rather than repairing.

After two broken screens in quick succession, the cheap option had cost us a fingerprint sensor, weeks of flicker and a second repair. For a phone in daily use, the original part is usually the cheaper choice over its life.

Keep reading

• Frustrations of Owning an iPhone, iPad and Mac
• Windows 10 ESU Runs To October 2027: Check Your Enrollment
• Matter Smart Home In 2026: What Works, What Still Breaks

• Pre-defined brightness levels and lock unnecessary apps: In current iPadOS, when my kid opens the iPad, at once after few minutes the brightness level is increased to the fullest and there is no possibility to lock the brightness levels. Additionally, when my kid opens the iPad, all applications are available to explore and there is no choice to restrict the viewing of kids-only applications. 
• Protection from unwanted advertisements: Additionally, when my kid was using the gaming applications or learning applications, mostly the app interface is interrupted with unnecessary and irritating advertising videos or banners. There should have been possibility to restrict advertisements in kids’ applications and limit only few advertisements in a day. 
• In-app purchases: When kid uses gaming applications, they often tend to click buy option or they were always notified of buying added benefits for a certain price. Kids unaware of pricing factor, often requests parents to either buy those things or accidently approves purchases while playing games. There should have been possibility to restrict in-app purchases for kids and can be enabled only if parents approve those in-app visibility possibility. 
• Restrict Kids user mode for specific time limit: When my kid was using the iPad, I was not able to set time limit for using the iPad and post that time limit, the iPad should be locked and should not open for any activities. Now, when the iPad is locked, my kid gets furious and wants the adult to enter the passcode to bypass the time limit restrictions. 

Keep reading

• How latest iWork update impacts old Mac users
• Frustrations of Owning an iPhone, iPad and Mac
• Impact of Parental Eyeglasses on Children's Vision

• A front zipper that keeps a tight fit around your waist to achieve the long-lasting waist-cinching effect as you lose weight.
• A layer of the belt attached to form waist control, stomach flattening, and to slim your tummy.
• Adjustable sticker straps for easy adjustment and secure closure that ensures the belt is fastened tightly around the abdominal muscles.
• Eco-friendly latex helps with weight loss and to waist shaping.
• Enhance your shape with this smoothing waist cincher.

Updated September 2026: I wrote this in July 2021 while deciding whether Apple Music was worth paying for over the music I already had with Amazon Prime. I have rewritten it with how Apple Music has changed since and how I would decide today. Prices change often in India, so check current plans before subscribing.

In mid-2021 I could not decide between paying for Apple Music and sticking with the music included in my Amazon Prime membership. Apple had just announced lossless audio and Dolby Atmos at no extra cost, but its regional catalogue felt thin and there was no bundle to sweeten the price. This is how the picture looks now.

What does Apple Music do well?

• Sound quality at no extra cost: lossless audio and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio arrived in June 2021 and are included in the standard subscription.
• Classical music: Apple Music Classical, a separate app included with the subscription since 2023, is far better for classical listening than a general music app.
• Apple device integration: it works best with AirPods, HomePod and Apple TV, with Siri control and quick device switching.
• Lyrics and editorial playlists: real-time lyrics and curated playlists are consistently good.

Where does Apple Music still fall short in India?

Regional music remains the gap I noticed in 2021. Big Bollywood and Tamil releases are present, but older and smaller regional catalogues are often better covered by JioSaavn and Spotify. There is no free tier; after any trial, you pay or you stop listening. And outside Apple's own devices, the experience is fine but no better than competitors.

How does it compare with Amazon Music and Spotify?

Amazon Music comes with a Prime membership in India, which also covers delivery and Prime Video, so for many households it is the default "free" option. Spotify has the best recommendations and playlists for discovering new music, a free tier with ads, and apps on almost every device. Apple Music wins on audio quality and classical music, and on convenience if you are already fully on Apple devices.

Which should you choose?

• You own an iPhone and AirPods and care about sound quality: Apple Music.
• You already pay for Prime and listen casually: use Amazon Music first and see if you miss anything.
• You want the best discovery, or you use Android and Windows: Spotify.
• You mostly listen to regional music: try JioSaavn alongside whichever you pick.

Is Apple Music worth it now?

For many Prime households, the included Amazon Music is enough for everyday listening. My 2021 complaint that Apple Music offered nothing beyond songs has softened since the classical app and spatial audio arrived, but for a mixed-device household the extra monthly cost is still hard to justify.

Keep reading

• Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio on Indian Streaming Apps
• YouTube Music Still Lacks Dolby Atmos and Lossless
• Apple Must Fix Its Insulting 5GB iCloud Limit Now

Updated September 2026: my 2021 post listed stress monitoring and stand reminders as the features that made me want a smartwatch. I have rewritten it with what these features actually do, which watches offer them, and how useful they turn out to be.

In 2021, working from home, I noticed I could sit for three hours without standing up and end the day wound tight without realising it. Two smartwatch features appealed to me for exactly that reason: stress tracking and reminders to move. This is what each one actually does, and how much it helps.

How does a smartwatch measure stress?

Indirectly. Most watches estimate stress from heart rate and heart rate variability, the small changes in time between heartbeats, which tend to fall when your body is under strain. Garmin shows a stress score and a "Body Battery" energy estimate. Fitbit offers a stress management score, and some of its models add a skin sensor for a spot check. Samsung's Galaxy Watch shows a stress reading too. Apple Watch has leaned on the Mindfulness app and breathing sessions rather than a stress score.

These are estimates, not medical measurements. Exercise, caffeine and poor sleep move the same numbers, so a single reading means little.

Are stress readings useful for desk workers?

The trend is useful; the individual number is not. If readings are consistently higher on days with back-to-back evening calls, that is a pattern you can act on, for example by protecting one evening a week. If a watch's stress alerts make you more anxious rather than less, turn them off and look at the weekly view instead.

Do reminders to stand and move actually help?

Yes, and for most desk workers they are the more useful of the two features. Apple Watch's stand reminder, and similar move alerts on Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung watches, nudge you after long periods of sitting. The value is simply the interruption. Most people know they should get up every hour; almost nobody notices the hour passing during focused work.

Pair the reminder with something small to do: refill water, walk to a window, stretch for a minute. The reminder alone is easy to dismiss.

Which watch should you pick for this?

• iPhone users: Apple Watch, for the reminders and fitness tracking, accepting the lack of a stress score.
• Android users who want stress data: Garmin, Fitbit or Samsung, all of which show stress trends.
• On a budget: a basic fitness band with move reminders covers most of the benefit for a fraction of the price.

Which feature matters more?

In 2021 I expected stress monitoring to be the headline feature. For desk work, the humble reminder to get up is the one that changes the day, and it is available on almost every watch at every price.

Keep reading

• Back Pain From Desk Work: Fix Your Setup Before Buying
• How to Plan Leave in IT and Return to a Clear Desk
• Matter Smart Home In 2026: What Works, What Still Breaks

Updated September 2026: in 2021 I vented here about a manager who kept inventing extra work and checking on me every hour. I have rewritten it as a practical guide to working under micromanagement, which is more useful than the complaint was.

In 2021 I was assigned to a large opportunity with my manager, and it went wrong from the first day. He produced ten ideas where the onsite team wanted three simple tasks, and he called every hour to check progress, adding a new task each time. By the end of the first week I was doing twice the work for none of the credit.

Why do managers micromanage?

Usually because they are anxious about an outcome they will be judged on and do not yet trust the information reaching them. Some also want to be seen as the source of ideas. Neither is about you personally, which matters, because the fixes that work target the anxiety and the visibility, not the person.

How do you reduce the hourly check-ins?

Give updates before they are asked for. A short message at fixed times, say late morning and end of day, listing what is done, what is next and anything blocked, answers the question the manager keeps calling to ask. Most micromanagers relax once status reaches them predictably. If they still call, refer back to the last update: "Nothing has changed since my 12 pm note; next update at 5."

What do you do about pointless extra tasks?

• Tie every task back to the client's ask. When a new idea arrives, ask which of the onsite team's requirements it serves.
• Make trade-offs explicit. "I can do this, but it pushes the pricing sheet to tomorrow. Which comes first?"
• Park good ideas instead of rejecting them. A "later" list keeps the manager's ideas visible without letting them take over the week.

In my case, the onsite team kept acknowledging the extras and then asking for the plain tasks they had wanted all along. That pattern, pointed out politely with the emails attached, is a stronger argument than any complaint about workload.

When should you take it further?

If the behaviour continues for weeks, affects your health, or starts showing up in how your work is rated, keep a short record of dates, requests and hours. Then raise it with your manager directly first, and with a skip-level or HR if nothing changes. Stay factual: the hours and the redundant work, not his character.

What I learned from that opportunity

Reacting to each call and each new idea is exhausting. Scheduled updates and asking "which comes first" take less effort than the resentment does. And when a manager does not change after a fair attempt, that is useful information about whether the team is the right place to stay.

Keep reading

• When Your Manager Replaces Your Work at the Last Minute
• Handling Escalations on a Difficult Client Account
• Keeping a Work Journal in IT: Why and How to Restart

Updated September 2026: I wrote this in April 2021, right after Google announced that Photos backups would start counting against storage, and explained why I chose the Microsoft 365 Family plan. Prices and bundles have changed since, so I have rewritten it around how to choose, and whether my choice still holds.

From 1 June 2021, new photos backed up to Google Photos in the old "high quality" setting began counting against each account's free 15 GB. For my family, that meant the free ride was over. I compared the paid options and moved everyone to Microsoft 365 Family. Five years later, this is how I would make the same decision.

What does a family actually need from cloud storage?

Three things, in this order. Automatic photo backup from every phone without anyone having to remember. Enough space per person that nobody hits a limit and quietly stops backing up. And separate accounts, so one person's full storage does not stop another's backups. Price matters, but only once those three are met.

How do the main family plans compare?

• Microsoft 365 Family: up to six people, each with their own 1 TB of OneDrive, plus Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The per-person storage is the strongest part of the deal. Microsoft added Copilot AI features to its consumer plans in 2025 and raised prices in many markets at the same time, so check the current price in your region.
• Google One: one pool of storage shared with up to five family members. Photos backup is the most polished of the three on Android. Because the pool is shared, one heavy user can fill it for everyone.
• iCloud+: also a shared pool with Family Sharing for up to six people. It is the natural choice if everyone uses iPhones, and the weakest if the family is mixed.

Is OneDrive good for photo backup?

It is good enough. The OneDrive app backs up camera photos and videos automatically on both Android and iPhone. Browsing and searching photos is less polished than Google Photos, and sharing albums with relatives outside the plan takes a few more taps. For backup, which is the main job, it does what it needs to.

Does the same choice still make sense today?

Yes, for a family of four to six people who also need Office apps. The per-person terabyte is still hard to beat, and the Office licences are something we would otherwise pay for separately. For a couple who only need photo backup, a mid-sized Google One plan is often cheaper and simpler. For an all-Apple household, iCloud+ avoids juggling another app.

What is the one mistake to avoid?

Treating cloud sync as your only copy. If a photo is deleted on the phone, sync can delete it from the cloud too, and recycle bins only hold items for a limited time. Keep a second copy of the photos that matter, on an external drive or a second service, and check once a year that you can actually open it.

My 2021 post ended with a promise to keep updating my views. This is that update: the choice has held up, but it is a choice for families who need space per person, not a default for everyone.

Keep reading

• Apple Must Fix Its Insulting 5GB iCloud Limit Now
• Time Machine Over Wi-Fi: Back Up Your Mac to a NAS
• Windows 10 ESU Runs To October 2027: Check Your Enrollment

Updated September 2026: this 2021 post suggested massage chairs for back pain in IT professionals working from home. I have rewritten it to put the cheaper, better-supported fixes first, and to be clearer about when to see a professional. This is general information, not medical advice.

When most of us moved to working from home in 2020, many worked from dining chairs, sofas and beds for months. Back and neck pain followed for a lot of people. My original post pointed readers towards massage chairs. A massage can feel good, but it is the last thing to buy, not the first.

What causes back pain from desk work?

For most people it is not one bad posture but long stretches in any posture without moving. Screens that are too low pull the head forward; chairs without support let the lower back slump; laptops on the lap combine both. Hours of that, every day, is what builds up discomfort.

What should you fix first?

• Screen height: the top of the screen roughly at eye level. With a laptop, that means a stand plus a separate keyboard and mouse.
• Chair support: feet flat on the floor, knees near hip height, and something supporting the lower back. A rolled towel works if the chair has no lumbar support.
• Desk height: elbows close to a right angle when typing, shoulders relaxed rather than hunched.
• Movement: stand up and walk for a few minutes every half hour to an hour. This does more than any single piece of equipment.

A laptop stand, keyboard and mouse together cost far less than any massage chair, and they address the cause rather than the symptom.

Are massage chairs worth buying?

For some people, as a comfort item once the basics are in place. They can help muscles feel looser after a long day. They do not correct a poor setup, and they are expensive, heavy and hard to return. If you are already seeing a physiotherapist, ask them before buying one, because some massage modes are not suitable for certain back problems.

When should you see a doctor or physiotherapist?

If pain lasts more than a few weeks despite fixing your setup, if it spreads down a leg, if you feel numbness or weakness, or if it follows an injury, see a professional rather than trying equipment. A physiotherapist can also give you specific exercises for your job, which tend to outlast any gadget.

The order to spend money in

A supportive chair, a laptop stand with a separate keyboard, and an hourly reminder to get up address the cause. Physiotherapy addresses pain that persists. A massage chair, if you still want one, comes after all of those.

Keep reading

• Smartwatch Stress Tracking and Stand Reminders Explained
• How to Plan Leave in IT and Return to a Clear Desk
• RAM And SSD Prices In 2026: Upgrade Now Or Wait