TWiT

Hands-On Tech (Audio)

#89 in Technology · 🇺🇸 #124 in Technology · 🇨🇦

About the show

Welcome to Hands-On Tech, where host Mikah Sargent turns tech troubles into tech triumphs. Each episode zooms in on a specific theme, unpacking listener questions with expert analysis and easy-to-follow advice. From decoding the latest gadgets to simplifying everyday tech, Mikah's got you covered. Submit your tech queries through email at HOT@twit.tv or via TWiT's social media. You might hear your question answered on air! Whether you're puzzled by privacy settings or curious about cutting-edge innovations, Hands-On Tech is your weekly dose of tech insight and inspiration. Join Mikah every Sunday to hear the show that turns tech confusion into tech confidence! You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month. New episodes every Sunday.

Newest episodes

Home Network Setup Advice - Intergrating Two Wi-Fi Systems in Home Network

Nov 8, 2026 31 min

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a question from Bruce, who has just moved into a new home with an ASUS AX6600 XT8 AiMesh system on wired Ethernet backhaul plus two pre-installed Araknis access points, and wants to know how to combine them under a single Wi-Fi network name and manage device handoff between the two brands, or whether switching the ASUS nodes to access point mode would be the better approach. 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: NetSuite.AI/HOT

Hands-On AI Turns AI Confusion Into AI Confidence

Nov 8, 2026 2 min

Hands-On AI is the show that turns AI confusion into AI confidence. In this trailer, Mikah Sargent lays out what the show is and isn't: short, focused episodes — most 10 to 15 minutes — that take one question, one tool, or one technique at a time. Some weeks go under the hood on what a large language model is actually doing. Some weeks get practical: the AI already in your pocket, or a model running entirely on your own computer. And some weeks are honest verdicts on the tools everyone's talking about. Subscribe now!

Internet Cookies - Browser Cookies & Online Privacy

Nov 1, 2026 26 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Bill writes in to ask what cookies actually do, whether rejecting them on every site's banner accomplishes anything real, and whether there's a way to stop being asked dozens of times a day. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: joindeleteme.com/twit-biz

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All episodes

The newest 21 of 260 episodes

Home Network Setup Advice - Intergrating Two Wi-Fi Systems in Home Network

Nov 8, 2026 31 min

Hands-On AI Turns AI Confusion Into AI Confidence

Nov 8, 2026 2 min

Internet Cookies - Browser Cookies & Online Privacy

Nov 1, 2026 26 min

Protecting Yourself From Sim Swapping - Are Text Message Codes Safe?

Oct 25, 2026 21 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a question from Otis, who relies on the 6-digit text-message codes his bank sends at sign-in but has started to worry about SIM swap attacks, and wants to know whether those codes are still worth anything and whether he can lock down his number at the carrier. 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.

Understanding Email Tracking Pixels - Are Tracking Pixels in Emails Real?

Oct 18, 2026 17 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a question from Lyle who wants to know whether a coworker can really tell when he has opened her emails. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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.

Understanding What IP68 Means - Is Your Device Truly Water Resistant?

Oct 11, 2026 21 min

On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Clyde, who is shopping for a new phone after his last one died in a sink full of dishwater, asks what an IP68 water resistance rating actually promises, whether it wears off as a phone ages, and what to do in the first few minutes after a phone gets wet. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: scribe.how/hot

Are There Risks to Scanning QR Codes? - The Security Concerns Behind Scanning a QR Code

Oct 4, 2026 15 min

On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Barry asks whether anything inside a QR code can actually hurt you, or whether the real danger lies somewhere else, and what a person should check before scanning one out in the wild. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: NetSuite.AI/HOT

Shutting Down vs. Restarting Your Windows PC - Windows Fast Startup

Sep 27, 2026 24 min

On this week's Hands-On Tech, Lorraine asks Mikah whether her husband or her daughter is right about the difference between shutting down and restarting a Windows PC, and how often she should be restarting her computer and phone. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: trustedtech.team/twit joindeleteme.com/twit-biz

Are My AI Chatbot Conversations Private? - The Risks Of Sharing Information with AI Chatbots

Sep 20, 2026 17 min

In this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Wendell asks Mikah whether his wife is right that typing into an AI chatbot is no different from a Google search, and wants to know where those conversations go, who can see them, whether they're used for training, and if any settings can turn that off in both ChatGPT and Gemini. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: trustedtech.team/twit

Understanding How to Recover Deleted Files - Can You Recover Deleted Files?

Sep 13, 2026 16 min

On this week's Hands-On Tech, Mikah helps Harriett understand whether deleted files are truly gone when the recycle bin is emptied, and whether accidentally deleted files can still be recovered. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: scribe.how/hot

Is Airplane Mode Necessary? - The Truth About Airplane Mode

Sep 6, 2026 13 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Gene's question about whether airplane mode still serves a real engineering purpose in 2026 and what the smartest phone setup is for flying. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: outsystems.com/twit NetSuite.AI/HOT

Why Does Every Gadget Need an App and an Account Now? - Why Your Appliance Wants Your Email

Aug 30, 2026 13 min

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Joyce's question about why so many everyday smart devices now require downloading an app & creating an account, and how to opt out of sharing personal data without giving up the products' functionality Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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.

Incognito Browsing - The Truth About Private Browsing

Aug 23, 2026 11 min

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Rosemary's question about what private browsing actually hides, from whom, and what it's really for. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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.

Am I Getting True Gigabit Internet? - Gigabit Promises

Aug 16, 2026 18 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers Al's question about why their gigabit internet plan isn't delivering the promised speeds during a Wi-Fi speed test, and who's really to blame: the ISP, the router, or the device. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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: shopify.com/hot

Safely Ejecting USB Drives - USB Removal Myths

Aug 9, 2026 8 min

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether safely ejecting a USB flash drive is still necessary or just an outdated habit. Send in your questions for Mikah to hot@twit.tv, 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.

Understanding Battery Percentages - Why the Battery Percentage Shown Isn't Always Accurate

Aug 3, 2026 21 min

In this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah answers a listener's question about whether his phone's battery percentage is an accurate measurement, why it seems to stay at 100% for a long time before suddenly dropping to dead, and whether battery recalibration is a real fix. Send in your questions for Mikah to answer, and any products you'd like Mikah to take a look at, to hot@twit.tv! 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: NetSuite.AI/HOT

Battery Overcharging Myths - Is Keeping Your Devices Plugged In Bad?

Jul 26, 2026 13 min

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 hot@twit.tv, 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.

Smart TV's ACR Tracking - Stop Your TV From Spying!

Jul 19, 2026 18 min

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 hot@twit.tv, 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: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT shopify.com/hot

USB-C Cable Confusion - Decode Your USB-C Cable Mess

Jul 12, 2026 16 min

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 hot@twit.tv, 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: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT

Smart Home Recommendations - Matter & Thread Explained

Jul 5, 2026 15 min

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! hot@twit.tv 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: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT NetSuite.AI/HOT

ISP Email - Switch Email Providers Safely

Jun 28, 2026 13 min

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! hot@twit.tv 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: joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

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Home Network Setup Advice - Intergrating Two Wi-Fi Systems in Home Network

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🇺🇸 Technology Best #69

🇨🇦 Technology Best #124

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Podcast details

Created by: TWiT
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 8, 2026
Episodes: 260
Release period: Weekly
Avg. episode length: 17 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

Links

Official website ↗ Apple Podcasts ↗ RSS feed ↗

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