First Time Here?

Welcome. Pacific Bay publishes practical guides on technology, retail, money, property, legal basics, cars, energy, travel and the garden. If you arrived on one article and wondered what else is here, this page gives you a short way in.

Six guides to start with

Each one comes from a different desk, so together they show how the site works: a short answer at the top, then the detail, then the cautions.

1. SVG vs PNG: Which Image Format Should You Use? A quick decision rule for logos, icons, screenshots and photos, useful for anyone who touches a website or a slide deck.
2. APY vs APR The two rates that appear on every bank page, what each one includes and why compounding matters.
3. How to Read Tire Size One example decoded piece by piece, plus a tread check you can do in the car park.
4. What Is Visual Merchandising? Windows, layouts and displays for a small shop, explained without the trade jargon.
5. What Is a Smart Meter and How Does It Work? What the box on the wall records, where the readings go and how time-of-use tariffs depend on it.
6. How to Build a Raised Garden Bed in a Weekend A two-day project with ordinary tools, from choosing the spot to filling the frame.

How the site is organised

Articles are grouped into desks, and every desk has its own page listing its guides with the newest first. The menu at the top of each page links to all of them. If you want to know what each desk covers and why they share a home, read The Beat We Cover, Explained.

Inside an article, a short panel lists the sections it contains, so you can jump to the part you need. At the end, you will find related guides from the same desk.

A few things worth knowing

• Everything is free to read. There is no account, sign-up or paywall.
• Dates matter. Each article shows when it was published or last revised. Products and rules change, so check the date against anything you know has changed recently.
• General guidance only. Money, property and legal pieces explain how things generally work. For your own decisions, speak to a qualified professional.
• Safety notes are there for a reason. Guides that involve electricity, fuel or vehicles mark the steps where a professional should take over.

Who writes the guides

Three writers under pen names, each with a few beats. They read the sources, draft the guides and check each other's work. You can meet them on The Pacific Bay Desk, and see the routine every article passes through on our checklist for every article.

Spotted a problem or have a question?

Corrections, updates and topic ideas all go to the same inbox. The contact page explains what to include. For anything about data and cookies, see Privacy at Pacific Bay.