If you’re looking for quick, ready-to-post AI video, YouTube might have just launched the perfect solution. While YouTube’s Shorts section hasn’t gained too much traction in its quest to compete with TikTok as the go-to short-form video platform, its new AI background generator might actually be worth checking out.

YouTube Launched an AI Green Screen Feature for Easy Video Generation

As announced by YouTube on X, AI backgrounds are coming to YouTube, allowing you to easily create quick videos with AI-generated visuals behind you. The feature is called Dream Screen, and it supports text-to-image prompts, similar to the TikTok effect known as AI Greenscreen.

You might be thinking that this is yet another example of YouTube chasing TikTok’s tail, and being behind the curve in doing so. To some extent, you’d be right. However, this feature does come out on top of TikTok’s in a couple of areas.

Dream Screen can apply motion to its AI-generated visuals. So, in addition to being able to produce a still background, you can have a generated video playing behind you. And, these visuals don’t come in just one look, like the classic AI magical realism-type art you see with TikTok’s existing greenscreen feature. Dream Screen has an option to Choose style, including but not limited to “Vintage,” made to look like retro photographs, and “Clay,” designed to give that claymation appearance.

How to Use Dream Screen on YouTube Shorts

Upon release, YouTube’s Dream Screen feature is available to users in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. And, it’s actually a little easier to access compared to using TikTok’s AI Greenscreen feature, which requires you to search for the feature in the app’s effects.

When you open the YouTube app, simply navigate to the Shorts tab and hit the + icon to add a post. From there, select the Greenscreen icon on the right-hand panel, and the Dream Screen icon will be first on the list. Type in what you want to create, and once the platform generates images in the style of your choosing, you’ll have the option to make it a still or video background.

For now, Dream Screen will have the term “Experiment” visible throughout the process to remind you to forgive its mistakes. That said, I was fairly impressed by its motion generation. I asked it to create a simple video of coffee being poured into a mug. The image it generated had a warm, vintage film look to it and appeared very realistic, without the ubiquitous weird hands or other common AI identifiers. The motion was nearly perfect—until the very end, when the stream of coffee appeared to defy physics.

Still, the tool seems useful, especially for someone who might lack resources—like the ability to design and film a teaser for a startup coffee brand. As a film nerd, I’ll always say that AI generation doesn’t (and probably never will) compare to actual filmmaking. But, I can see its merit for entrepreneurs or creatives who need to create a concept video with little time, money, or amateur video skills. Plus, with YouTube extending its Shorts duration cap to three minutes, you have more room to play with your AI world.

Scammers are targeting you right now with fake Black Friday deals. But with almost every online retailer offering discounts before the holidays, how can you spot when something is a scam, and what about when products are real but the offer isn’t as good as it appears?

Scammers Ask for Personal Info for Free Gifts

Nothing is ever really free. By falling for a simple phishing scam, you may end up handing over your private data to scammers and maybe downloading malware, too.

Phishing often takes the form of fraudulent emails. You can frequently tell these from the genuine ones, as some elements, including logos, will be pixelated. However, scammers are smart, and the telltale signs of a phishing scam are becoming harder to spot. Instead, check the email address to see whether it looks real, comparing it to previous messages from the real company in question.

Don’t submit personal details or click on links you’re not 100 percent sure about. You can normally verify a message on a retailer’s real site or ask customer services for confirmation.

Fake Shipping Companies Send Scam Links to Arrange Delivery

Black Friday is the busiest time of year for delivery companies. Think of the huge number of parcels being sent out ready for Christmas. It’s an obvious thing for scammers to exploit.

That’s why you get messages from fraudsters purporting to be DHL, FedEx, or similar. These can tell you that you’ve missed a delivery and need to click on a link to reschedule.

Don’t click on links in emails, SMS, WhatsApp, iMessage, or otherwise. You can’t trust them. You’ll not only be giving them your personally identifiable information (PII), but you could also allow them access to your device. Reputable businesses like FedEx, DPD, or UPS won’t use WhatsApp or iMessage anyway, and in most cases, these firms will simply try redelivering later.

If you’re unsure, contact the company independently via official sources.

Scammers Ask You to Wait Longer for Products That’ll Never Arrive

Sometimes, parcels just won’t turn up. Around the festivities, that’s particularly troubling as you might not get your presents in time. If you’ve fallen for a scam, those gifts won’t turn up at all.

In such a case, you’ll try to contact the sellers. Some will simply blame delivery services and ask you to wait longer. Ultimately, it’s up to the retailer to ensure you get what you’ve bought; otherwise, you’ll need advice from the platform you used to pay, i.e., PayPal or your credit card company.

Trust your gut. If the seller is being evasive or difficult to contact, that’s a red flag.

Watch Out for Dubious Returns Policies

Before you buy, look at returns policies. Many retailers will extend theirs or give gift receipts to accommodate the holidays, but other shops make things purposely difficult.

Let’s say you’ve bought something from eBay. Many sellers are genuine and want to do right by their customers. Others, however, might not even accept returns at all.

That’s why you need to stay vigilant. Sometimes, if you’re buying from a third party but via a reputable name like Amazon, you can turn to the parent company for help if something arrives damaged, faulty, or not as advertised. Money-back guarantees from card companies and similar payment platforms can help. Your best bet, however, is to check a store’s returns before paying for your shopping basket.

Retailers Bump Prices Up to Make Black Friday Deals Look Better

Scammers don’t use this tactic, but it is a classic way for retailers to tempt customers into purchasing items.

You know how this works: a shop advertises a discounted rate, and you quickly buy a product before the offer ends. But actually, the shop rarely charges RRP, so this isn’t the best rate they’ve had. Shops increase prices for a short time (or appear to) and then lower them again around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so the price difference looks greater.

How can you tell? Try using a price-tracking website like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel. These specialize in Amazon items, but sometimes track pricing across other sites too. Give it a go by copying a URL into one or both of them.

Deals That Are Too Good to Be True

Here’s what it all boils down to: if an offer looks too good to be true, it is.

Be skeptical and vigilant. Retailers want your money, yes, but the really good shops also want to please customers, so they become returning ones. That means striking a balance between profit and quality. It’s why you won’t find the deal of the century on Black Friday. Nonetheless, you will find some decent offers. The key is to keep a cool head. It’s the main way you can avoid a scammer ruining your Christmas.

Came across a video with a song you’d love to use for your Instagram Reel? Whatever the reason may be, there are plenty of times when you might want just the audio from a video file. Here’s how to extract audio from videos on your smartphone.

One of the simplest ways to extract audio from a video on your smartphone is by using a third-party app. There are plenty of free options on both the App Store and Play Store, but I’ll walk you through using one of the highest-rated apps for both Android and iPhone.

For iOS users, MP3 Converter is a great choice. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open MP3 Converter and tap the plus (+) icon located at the bottom of the screen.
2. Choose where you’d like to import the video from: WiFi Transfer, Camera Roll, iCloud, or Import From Other. I’ve imported a video from my camera roll. If you do so, you’ll need to grant the app permission to access to your camera roll. Simply tap Allow Full Access when prompted.
3. Once the video is added, tap it and select Convert from the menu.
4. Choose Default Mode (MP3) to convert the video into an MP3 file.

Your video will be converted to an MP3 file within seconds. You may need to watch an ad during this process. After the conversion, you’ll find your file in the Converted Media tab. Tap it, then select Export. From there, you can either save it to the Files app on your iPhone or export it to a third-party app of your choice.

To convert videos to audio on an Android device, you can use the Video to MP3 app by InShot Inc. Here’s how to do so:

1. Open the Video to MP3 app, tap Video to Audio, and grant the app permission to access your device’s music, audio, photos, and videos. Just tap Allow when prompted.
2. Select the file you’d like to extract audio from.
3. You’ll now see two different dropdowns: Format and Bitrate. Under Format, you can pick from options like MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AC3, and OGG. While they’re all different audio formats, MP3 is the most widely recognized and universally compatible audio format.
4. Finally, hit the Convert button.

Your video will now be converted into your chosen audio format. From there, you can tap Open with to play it in a media player, Share to export it to Google Drive, Gmail, or another app, or Set as to use it as a ringtone.

Use an Online Video to MP3 Converter

You might not want to download an entire app, especially if extracting audio from a video is just a one-time thing. While I’ll walk you through a specific converter for this example, the steps are generally the same for most. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Head to a converter of your choice, like FreeConvert.
2. Tap Choose Files.
3. Choose where you’d like to import the video from: From Device, From Dropbox, From Google Drive, From OneDrive, or From URL.
4. Once you’ve uploaded your file, hit Convert and wait a few seconds for the process to complete.
5. After the conversion is done, tap Download to save your MP3.

As simple as that! Whether you want to extract audio from a video to set a custom alarm or turn one of your favorite movie scenes into an audio file, you can use either of the methods above to get it done in seconds. If you want to do the same on devices other than iOS or Android, make sure to check out our detailed guide on how to extract audio from videos across all platforms!

Google Drive is packed with features that make organizing, sharing, and accessing your files easier than ever. Yet, some of its best tools often go unnoticed. From bookmarking important files to accessing them offline, here are 9 essential Google Drive tips that will enhance your workflow.

1 Star Important Files and Folders

Finding a specific file in Google Drive can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if there are numerous files and folders. However, if you need to access certain files or folders more frequently, you can “star” them for quick access. This will save you the hassle of searching for the same files repeatedly.

To star a file or folder in Google Drive, simply right-click on it, and choose Organize > Add to Starred. Once starred, these items will appear in the Starred section, located in the left sidebar of Google Drive. This feature is quite useful for keeping priority documents, frequently used files, or active project files organized and at your fingertips.

2 Use Advanced Search to Locate Your Files

You may already use the search function in Google Drive to find your files and folders. However, for faster and more precise results, you can use the Advanced search option next to the search box.

This will allow you to filter results by file type, owner, location, or even the date modified. This option is especially useful when you have a large number of documents and need to find something specific.

Additionally, Google Drive also supports Boolean operators, similar to Gmail. You can use commands like to:, from:, type:, AND, OR, owner:, before:, title:, and more, to refine your search and find files more quickly. For example, typing type:pdf owner:me before:2023 in Google Drive search will allow you to locate all the PDF files created before 2023.

3 Setup Offline Access for Your Files

If you don’t always have access to the internet, setting up offline access for your Google Drive files can be a lifesaver. This lets you view and edit your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations without an internet connection. The best part? Any changes you make are synced automatically once you’re back online.

To enable offline access, go to Google Drive’s settings menu and check the box under the Offline section. This will make your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files available offline. You can also make an old file available for offline editing by clicking the three-dot icon next to it and selecting Make available offline.

The Activity sidebar in Google Drive is a handy feature for staying on top of your files, especially in collaborative settings. It helps you monitor edits and quickly review a file’s revision history.

Simply select a file or folder in Google Drive, click the info icon in the top right corner, and switch to the Activity tab. This will display a timeline of activities, such as comments, edits, and sharing events, making it easy to stay informed about all changes and interactions with a file or folder.

5 Get the Save to Google Drive Extension

If you frequently download files from the internet only to re-upload them to Google Drive, you’ll find the Save to Google Drive browser extension helpful. This simple tool lets you save documents, images, videos, and even entire web pages directly to your Google Drive. When you come across a file or webpage you want to save, all you need to do is right-click it and select Save to Google Drive.

This extension is free and a must-have tool for anyone who wants to quickly save online content without the extra hassle.

6 Access Google Drive via File Explorer

You don’t need to open a browser every time you want to access your Google Drive files. By adding Google Drive to Windows File Explorer, you can seamlessly access and upload files directly from your desktop. Doing so will create a folder on your computer that acts as a virtual drive. You can then interact with Google Drive just like any other folder.

If you prefer having offline access, you can enable the Mirror files option. This will store your Google Drive files on your computer, ensuring they are always available, even when you’re not connected to the internet.

7 Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Like any other service, Google Drive supports keyboard shortcuts to enhance your experience and improve efficiency. While you may already use common shortcuts like Ctrl + A to select all or Ctrl + Z to undo, there are others that can boost your productivity. For example, pressing the / (forward slash) key brings you directly to the search bar, and Alt + N opens the New menu.

You can press Ctrl + / to view all the keyboard shortcuts Google Drive supports. Memorizing some, if not all, of these can help you navigate faster and save time.

8 Share Google Drive Files With Non-Gmail Accounts

Sharing Google Drive files with Gmail users is straightforward, but did you know you can also share them with people who don’t have a Google account?

To do this, right-click the file or folder you want to share and select Share > Share. In the following menu, change the access from Restricted to Anyone with the link. Finally, click the Copy link button. You can then share this link with anyone, and they will be able to access the file without needing a Google account.

9 Block Spammers on Drive

Spam isn’t just a problem in Gmail. Scammers often exploit Google Drive’s sharing feature to send malicious files that may appear in your Drive. While dealing with such scammers can be frustrating, blocking them is a quick and effective solution.

So, if someone shares files or folders with you that you don’t want, you can block them on Google Drive to prevent future disruptions. Simply locate the file shared by the user you want to block. Right-click on the file and select Report or block > Block [email/username].

Blocking someone not only prevents them from sharing anything with you in the future but also removes any files they’ve already shared with you.

Integrating these tips into your daily routine should help you make the most of what Google Drive has to offer. So, make sure you try them out for yourself. Remember, the more you explore, the more you’ll discover to make Google Drive work smarter for you.

If you’re using an older version of D-Link’s VPN router, you may want to think twice before keeping it connected to the internet. The manufacturer has confirmed that a severe exploit has been found in several devices that are no longer officially supported. As such, if you own one, you’ll want to change it ASAP.

D-Link Sends Out a Warning to Owners of Its VPN Routers

As reported by The Register, D-Link has detected a serious flaw in its routers. This exploit allows hackers to perform remote code execution, one of the more devastating cybersecurity flaws a device can have.

Usually, D-Link would publish a patch for the affected devices and everything would be fine. However, all of the routers suffering from this problem have passed their end-of-life date, which means D-Link cannot publish a fix. As such, your best bet is to stop using the router altogether and replace it with a supported one.

Here’s a list of all the routers D-Link sent out a warning over, plus the date they lost support:

DSR-150 (EOL May 2024)

DSR-150N (EOL May 2024)

DSR-250 (EOL May 2024)

DSR-250N (EOL May 2024)

DSR-500N (EOL September 2015)

DSR-1000N (EOL October 2015)

The exploit is so severe that D-Link refuses to give details as to what it does or what part of the router it affects, in fear that malicious agents will use the knowledge to attack people’s devices.

Fortunately, D-Link is offering affected US users a 20 percent discount on a new, unaffected DSR-250v2 router, which should make the upgrade a lot more palatable. You can read about how to claim the discount on the D-Link security announcement concerning the flaw. On the other hand, if you feel that this is the right time to shop around, check out the best Wi-Fi routers of 2024.

Unlike other Android devices, Galaxy phones come with Samsung’s own Internet browser as the default option. While it offers a reliable experience and some unique features, I replaced it with Google Chrome for the reasons below.

1 Cross-Platform Syncing

One of the main reasons I switched from Samsung Internet was the seamless cross-platform syncing that Chrome offers. Since I use Chrome on my PC and tablet, using the same browser on my Galaxy phone allows me to effortlessly sync my bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and open tabs in real time. This means I can always pick up right where I left off, regardless of the device I’m on.

This level of integration is incredibly convenient, especially since I frequently switch between my phone and computer for both work and personal tasks. Such seamless syncing isn’t possible when using Samsung Internet on my Galaxy phone.

2 Enhanced Search and Better Integration With Google Apps

Another thing that made me prefer Chrome on my Galaxy phone is its enhanced search capabilities and seamless integration with other Google apps. For example, when I search for a restaurant, Chrome provides convenient shortcuts directly in the search results, enabling me to call, get directions, or read reviews with a single tap.

Similarly, when I copy an email, phone number, or address, Chrome automatically offers the option to open them in relevant apps like Gmail, Phone, or Google Maps. This is incredibly convenient, as it eliminates the need to copy and paste information repeatedly. While Samsung Internet offers a similar feature, it’s often hit or miss. This makes Chrome the clear winner for me.

3 Google Lens Integration

While browsing on my phone, I often rely on Google Lens to quickly identify products, discover where to buy something I see, or even translate text within an image. All I have to do is long-press on the image and select Search with Google Lens. It’s fast, intuitive, and incredibly useful.

On Samsung Internet, though, the process isn’t as smooth. To use Google Lens, I have to manually open the Google Lens page and upload the picture, which feels much less efficient. The direct Google Lens integration in Chrome makes my browsing experience far more convenient.

4 Superior Performance and Browsing Speed

When I first tried Google Chrome on my Galaxy phone, the difference in performance was immediately noticeable. Chrome’s browsing speed is faster, especially when loading heavy websites or complex pages. The smoothness of scrolling and quicker rendering made a huge impact on my overall experience.

Samsung’s Internet browser, while competent, often felt sluggish in comparison. We’ve also previously compared Google Chrome and Samsung Internet in terms of browsing speed and performance using benchmarks, and Google Chrome consistently came out on top—so you don’t just have to take my word for it.

5 I Can Translate Webpages Seamlessly

From time to time, I need to translate web pages on my phone. In Chrome, I can do this effortlessly by tapping the three-dot menu, selecting Translate, and choosing my preferred language. It’s quick, and the translation is immediate.

Samsung Internet, on the other hand, offers translation but with an added hassle. It requires me to download a separate language pack to translate pages. For instance, when I tried to translate a page into Hindi, it forced me to download a 400MB language pack, which was not only inconvenient but also consumed my precious cellular data while traveling.

All in all, switching to Google Chrome on my Galaxy phone is a decision I don’t regret. While Samsung Internet has its strengths, Chrome offers the reliability and convenience I need in a mobile browser. If you haven’t already made the switch, I highly recommend giving it a try—it might just become your preferred mobile browser too!

When you’re watching for digital scams, the last place you’d expect them is in your physical mail. However, some crafty scammers have found a way to trick people into installing malicious apps that steal their bank details, and it all begins with a hand-delivered letter. But how are they doing it, and how can you stay safe?

Scammers Are Impersonating Official Bodies to Spread Bank-Stealing Malware

As reported by The Register, Switzerland is under attack by malware that “spreads” through physical mail. The attack starts with a fake letter claiming to be from the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, which asks the recipient to download an app. The app is a malicious clone of Alertswiss, a legitimate app that warns people of extreme weather patterns.

The letter provides the victim with a QR code, through which they can download the fake app. Once the code is scanned, it won’t open Google Play to download the app; instead, it will take the user to a third-party website. If the target proceeds to download the app, it will begin intercepting two-factor authentication codes and attempt to break into the victim’s bank account via their banking app. From here, the scammer can then move money into their account.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to keep yourself safe from this scam. First of all, remember that there are plenty of security risks when scanning a QR code. Only scan one if you’re certain it’s from an official, trusted source.

Also, the best way to stay safe when downloading Android apps is to use the Google Play Store. Trusted companies will often publish their apps through official channels, so if one asks you to download it via a third-party website, treat it with caution. And if you do download and install the malicious app, factory reset your Android phone.

IPTV allows you to watch live TV and on-demand content over the internet. With a few simple steps, you can stream the channels using a smart device or over your PC. However, choosing the right IPTV provider and software is important for a smooth experience.

What Is IPTV?

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television and is a modern way of streaming television content over the internet. Unlike traditional cable or satellite television, which relies on broadcast signals and has a fixed schedule, IPTV uses your internet connection to deliver content. It also differs from some regular streaming sites and video on demand (VOD) sites, like Netflix, in that it uses a private network to broadcast shows rather than streaming them over the public internet.

You can watch channels in real-time, similar to live television, or choose from an extensive on-demand library. IPTV can also include features like pause, rewind, and fast-forward on live TV, and catch-up TV.

This technology allows you to access a wide range of channels, movies, and shows, with more flexibility than conventional methods. IPTV services typically come with a user-friendly interface that allows for easy navigation and searching, and can be accessed via set-top boxes, smart TVs, or devices like Roku or Apple TV. However, it’s also possible to access IPTV on your PC with a few simple steps.

Choosing an IPTV Provider

With so many IPTV providers available, it can be a little overwhelming making a choice. First, be aware of the legal considerations surrounding IPTV services in your region. It’s wise to stick to a legal and safe streaming service, since these companies comply with copyright laws and avoid potential legal issues. If a provider is free or has a very low subscription fee, it’s likely that they don’t possess the correct licensing.

While there are literally thousands of channels to choose from, it’s important to think about the channel selection offered by different providers. I found that some services focus on specific regions or genres, so it’s important to choose one that suits your viewing preferences. If you have specific channels you want to watch, ensure the provider includes them.

Next, consider content quality. Look for providers that offer high-definition (HD) and 4K content, as streaming quality can vary significantly. In addition, reliability and stability are also essential, so be sure to read reviews. Some IPTV providers offer a free trial period, so you can test the service before committing.

Finally, pricing and customer support are vital as well. IPTV services vary in cost, with some offering monthly subscriptions while others provide yearly plans or pay-per-view options. Moreover, look for providers with accessible support options, including live chat, email, and phone support.

Setting Up IPTV on Your PC

I found setting up IPTV on my PC to be a straightforward process. First, you’ll need to download a compatible, free media player. I used VLC Media Player, which is an open-source multimedia player that supports a variety of formats and protocols, making it a good choice for accessing most IPTV services.

After downloading your chosen media player, you’ll need to obtain your IPTV subscription by signing up with an IPTV provider. You’ll receive the necessary information via email, typically including a URL for the M3U playlist, shortly after setting up your subscription.

In VLC Media Player, start by opening the application. Click on Media in the top menu, then select Open Network Stream. In the URL field, enter the M3U playlist link provided by your IPTV provider. Finally, click on Play, and you should be able to explore different channels and stream them through the media player. I found the playback to be high quality and without any noticeable lag.

Watching IPTV on your PC is an excellent way to enjoy a diverse range of content. By choosing the right provider and following the setup steps, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your favorite shows and channels from the comfort of your computer.

Legally sourcing music for your YouTube videos doesn’t have to be a minefield of copyrights and licenses. If you stick to these websites, you’re free to use any of these music tracks, so long as you attribute the creator.

Navigating Copyright

Don’t post a video on YouTube with background music from a copyrighted source, it’s probably going to be taken down. It doesn’t matter if you’re hoping to be a viral sensation or just posting something for family and friends to see.

If it’s free for the public to see, the copyright owner of that music can make a claim and remove your video. And yes, YouTube is notorious for making your favorite videos disappear because of this.

A better option is to use copyright-free or royalty-free music. It saves you from violating copyright restrictions. These free music download sites will give you great music choices. You just need to add a link to the source in your description.

There’s always a place for classical music today, whether it’s used to underscore a serious topic or in a comedy skit. MusOpen targets this genre especially well, giving you the ability to download up to five tracks a day under the free plan.

A nice addition to the site is the option to save tracks for later. You can explore the categories by mood using tags like Romantic, Tragic, Celebratory and more, with famous composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart readily available.

As many tracks are well past their copyright period, they’re available royalty-free and can be used however you like.

What seems like a rare gem from the old days of the internet, Audionautix is a site run entirely by one guy in the spirit of open sharing. His name is Jason Shaw, and we can all thank him for the incredible number of hours he has put into creating royalty-free music that anyone can use.

You can search by mood, genre, tempo or keyword, and simply hit the download button on something you like. No sign-up required. All he asks is that you attribute him where appropriate. This is a fantastic resource for free music. If you see fit, consider donating!

Since you’re looking for free copyright-safe music for your YouTube video, the YouTube Audio Library is one of the best places to start. You just need to have a YouTube account to access the library, which stores more than 1,000 tracks and 300 sound effects.

All music from the Audio Library can be used for non-commercial YouTube videos as well as monetized ones. Some music requires attribution, while others do not.

Thematic is the service that most YouTube creators should be looking at for free songs from established artists and musicians. To get access, you’ll need to become a member of Thematic, but you don’t even need a credit card to sign up.

After you’ve become a member, you’ll get to see the full Thematic music catalog, which includes music from several unique artists. It also provides access to tracks from some fairly popular musicians.

Of course, there are some rules for the platform. Thematic members have to follow a particular attribution link and style to use the songs on YouTube and other platforms. Also, take note that as a free user, you’re only allowed a maximum of five downloads per month.

Unminus is another website for free music downloads. This site is different from all the others here because the tracks come with a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.

In case you don’t know about Creative Commons licenses, the CC0 license lets you use any work for free, for personal or commercial causes, edit it as you see fit, and without attribution. This means you can do whatever you want with the music on Unminus, and you don’t have to add a link for it in the YouTube description or include it in any credits roll.

New tracks are added to Unminus only once in a while. If you want to know the next time new material is available, subscribe to the newsletter for alerts. You can also check out sites to download free music legally to find a track that suits your taste.

Icons8 is a well-known resource for free stock icons and photos, and it also offers a great selection of royalty-free music and audio tracks. Each track can be downloaded as a free MP3. However, you can only use the free music for non-commercial projects.

The music collection is divided into two sections: categories and genres. Each section has its sub-categories to further refine your choices and quickly find what you’re looking for. You can stream any song in full before downloading it, and get information like runtime, visualizer, and so on.

Of course, there’s a search function as well. But you’re probably better off using the large number of tags on the site to browse and find free music to download for your YouTube video.

For many years now, musician and YouTuber TeknoAXE has been making songs and scores, becoming a great source to download free music because anyone on the internet can use it for free. The majority of these tracks are electronic dance music, rock, and metal, but there are plenty of thematic compositions too.

The CC 4.0 license means you need to attribute the original link, and note if you made any changes. In exchange, you get a collection of almost 1,500 songs spread across several genres, and even moods like comedy, drama, horror, and so on.

Listen to a few tracks, and you might think, “Hey, I’ve heard this before”. That’s because TeknoAXE’s music has been used widely on YouTube already. For his latest music, you can follow TeknoAXE’s YouTube channel. He usually uploads a new track every week, and this is a good way to find a new sound for your video before it becomes popular.

Pixabay is a popular site for free stock photos, but you can get free royalty-free music here as well. Pixabay Music launched in 2020, making the site a convenient one-stop place for you to source material you need for your YouTube video project.

Search by genre, mood, and tag to get the perfect background music for free for your YouTube video. Besides free royalty-free music, you can find stock video and sound effects here too.

Under the Pixabay License, you can download free, copyright-free music for commercial and non-commercial use as well as modify it. According to the site, attribution isn’t a requirement, but doing so is a nice expression of appreciation to the artist who created the free music you’re using.

Bensound has a variety of royalty-free music you can download. The categories are given vivid names, such as Acoustic, Cinematic, Urban, and so on. This way, you already have a feel of how each category of music will suit your style.

Bensound allows you to use its royalty-free music for free on YouTube videos. However, you’re limited to the list of free music on the site, and remember that you need to attribute. To have access to all tracks, you’ll need to subscribe to a paid plan, which starts from $9.99 per month.

dig.ccMixter is subsite of ccMixter, an online community where you can download a variety of remixes and samples for free. On dig.ccMixter, you can search for music for your YouTube video using the three tag categories: genre, instrument, and style. There are more than 5,000 tracks on the site.

The licenses of the tracks might differ, but overall the majority of them can be used in either commercial or non-commercial video projects, as long as you provide the correct attribution. Licensing information about each track will be provided before you actually download it.

Finding the right music and using it legally will ensure that your video stays up for as long as you want. Sticking to these sites will offer you a massive choice of music tracks without giving you a copyright headache.

The unfortunate truth is that getting scammed on eBay is just as easy as actually selling something. As easy as selling on eBay is, you can learn some of the most common scams that sellers specifically encounter to avoid losing money when selling.

1 Accepting Payment Outside of eBay

Scammers love to ask you to take payment outside of eBay in a DM about the item, or they will otherwise try to move the transaction away from eBay. They do this to avoid all of eBay’s built-in protection for sellers. You have no recourse with Venmo or Zelle; once the money is gone, it’s gone. If a scammer does any of those things, block and report immediately.

2 The Refund Shakedown

You sell an item, and the buyer receives it, but they claim to be displeased and demand a direct refund outside of eBay’s official refund process. They’ll ask you to use Venmo, Paypal, Zelle, or maybe send a check, and if you don’t, they’ll give you a bad review or otherwise make your eBay life difficult, not unlike the mob extorting small shop owners for “protection.”

This works by scaring you, the seller, into giving them money. It’s a classic shakedown, but the simple answer is, “No, go through eBay’s refund process.” A bad review is no big deal, and you can appeal it. You’ll have the scammer’s communication with you as proof, and then they’re on the hook for trying to shake you down. Chances are, they’ll take the loss here and move on to bother someone else.

3 The Switch-Up

This scam is similar to the previous one but more devious. After making a legitimate purchase, the scammer will go through the proper refund process on eBay—they might even provide photos of damaged goods to you and eBay to prove their point—and ship an item back to you that is indeed damaged.

The trick is that what they return is not the item you shipped them. Smarter thieves will send back a damaged identical model item they bought for cheap; however, lesser thieves will simply send back a box with a brick in it. Either way, they get their money, at least at first.

The seller, in this case, is not without recourse, though. If you have documentation or evidence to prove that you didn’t receive the original item you sold, eBay will give you your money back, and the scammer will be permanently banned.

4 The Alternate Address

This scam is less devious than the previous one but more clever. Once the scammer pays, they DM you and ask you to ship the item to a different address than the one they listed in the official transaction. You play along to be nice, ship the item to the new address, get paid, and then go on with your life.

A week or so later, you get an email from eBay with a complaint from the buyer that they never received the item and want their money back. You will quickly discover when you appeal with your tracking information that you’re, uh… hosed. If the item wasn’t shipped to the transaction address, you’re out of your money, and the scammer got a free item.

You have no recourse in this case, as I learned a few years ago when I fell prey to this scam.

5 How to Avoid Getting Scammed as an eBay Seller

Thankfully, there are a few ways eBay sellers can protect themselves.

Photograph Everything, Including Serial Numbers

Before you ship the item, take several photographs of it next to the shipping label, preferably with the serial number in view. This way, if you get hit with the Switch-Up Return & Refund scam, you can prove that you sent the item and that it was indeed received by the buyer as described. If they return a different but damaged identical item to you, you have proof that the serial numbers are different.

Check the Buyer’s History

If a buyer is messaging you, but the situation feels scammy, look at their eBay profile. How old is it, and what kind of feedback do they have? If the account was recently created or they don’t have much feedback (you won’t see bad feedback because eBay doesn’t display bad reviews), block and report them immediately. Certainly, don’t sell anything to them.

Track All of Your Shipping With Delivery Confirmation

Do yourself a favor and make sure you buy tracking for the item, and use postage that requires a signature for high-priced items. This will protect you and ensure you did everything you were supposed to regarding shipping.

Only Complete Transactions Through eBay

This is listed last because it’s the most important, and we remember most of what we read last. If a buyer asks you to circumvent any part of the official eBay process, block and report them ASAP. While eBay weights its protections towards buyers, its system provides many protections to sellers, and those protections are voided if you do anything outside of eBay’s official processes.

Do you want to find out exactly when you joined Facebook or how old your Facebook account is? Here’s a look at how to find out when you created your Facebook account.

How to Find the Exact Date That You Joined Facebook

The easiest way to find out when you joined Facebook is to use the Personal information section on the Facebook website or app.

This section is buried in your Facebook settings and Account Centre. The easiest way to get to it is to open the Facebook website and type “your information” in the search bar. Facebook will then provide a search result that says Access your information. Click on this.

In the left panel of the page that opens, select Personal information. This opens a new page with a variety of information. You can find the day you joined Facebook under Your account creation date.

The steps for finding out your Facebook account creation date on mobile are slightly different.

To find out when you joined Facebook on the mobile app, follow these steps:

1. Tap your profile picture to open a dropdown menu and then select the cog icon.
2. On the Settings & privacy menu, scroll down to Your information and select Access your information.
3. Select Continue. On the Access your information page select Personal information.
4. Under Profile information, you will see Your account creation date.

Doing this on the Facebook website or app is the best way to find out your account creation date. But what if you don’t have access to your account?

Using Facebook’s Welcome Email to Find Your Join Date

Another way to check how many years you’ve had Facebook is by using your welcome email.

When you sign up for an account on Facebook, the site sends you a confirmation email, as well as a welcome email. If you have access to the email account you used to make the Facebook account, you can find the welcome email and that should tell you your join date.

To use this method, open your email account’s inbox. Search for keywords like ” Welcome to Facebook”, “Facebook Registration Confirmation”, and so on.

When you find the Facebook email that either asks you to confirm your email address or offers instructions on getting started with Facebook, that email’s date should be your Facebook account creation date.

This is the best method if you no longer have access to your Facebook account or you recently created your account—meaning the welcome email is easily accessible. But if you regularly delete your emails, you won’t be able to check your Facebook account creation date via this method.

Find Out How Old Your Facebook Account Is Using a Profile Picture

Facebook usually asks you to upload a profile picture as soon as you’ve finished creating an account. This means the upload date of your first profile picture should be your Facebook account creation date.

This isn’t always the case, though. Some people prefer not to upload a profile picture, so this method won’t work for them. However, if you’re still interested in getting a rough idea of when you made your Facebook account, you can open your profile page and select Photos.

On the Photos screen, find and click the Albums option. This lets you view your Facebook photo albums.

Click Profile pictures on the album screen to open your profile photos album. Find the oldest profile picture in this album. Unless you’ve uploaded loads of profile pictures, you shouldn’t have any issues getting to the oldest picture.

When your oldest profile picture opens in full-screen, check the date of the upload on the right of the photo.

That date should be the day you made your Facebook profile or very close to that date. In my case, my account creation date was 24 July 2007 while my first profile picture was 25 July 2007.

You could also technically try using your old posts to try to figure out when you created your Facebook account, but that’s not a very accurate way to figure out the right date. When I tried that method, there were no posts in the first month that I created my account.

These methods can help you easily figure out when you created your Facebook account. Of course, if you end up deleting your Facebook account, only the email method will work. If you have a habit of cleaning up your Facebook account, the account creation date on your personal information page will still give an accurate date.

With the holiday shopping season here, you may be excited to add some Apple products to your shopping or gifting list. However, there are some Apple products I wouldn’t recommend buying since Apple will likely refresh them in the near future.

1 iPhone SE

The iPhone SE is by far the most cost-effective way to enjoy everything an iPhone has to offer. However, Apple last updated in early 2022, and the device features a small 4.7-inch screen and Touch ID. Compared to modern iPhone models, it’s very outdated. But that’s set to change soon.

According to recent reports, the next-generation iPhone SE should launch as early as March 2025, and it’s expected to pack some significant upgrades. Besides a larger screen, expect the new iPhone model to feature Face ID with a body similar to the iPhone 14. The phone should also have a much faster chip and more RAM to support Apple Intelligence features.

2 iPad (10th Generation)

Like the iPhone SE, the iPad (10th generation) is the least expensive way to jump into Apple’s iconic tablet lineup. However, Apple introduced this model in late 2022 with a Touch ID power button and a 10.9-inch display. As of 2024, Apple dropped the starting price from $449 to $349.

We’re expecting to see an updated model arrive as soon as spring 2025. While the tablet should keep the same design and other features, expect a big speed boost with an A17 chip or later. That will help it run Apple Intelligence features like the latest iPad mini, which is actually worth buying right now. Currently, it’s the only iPad Apple sells that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence.

3 Mac Studio

The Mac Studio is a high-end desktop Mac designed for professionals and other Apple power users. Starting at $1,999, you can select from a model that packs the fast M2 Max or M2 Ultra chip. The base model also starts with 32GB of memory. A new version of the Mac will likely arrive in 2025 with faster M4 Max and Ultra chips.

If you can’t wait until then, consider the recently updated Mac mini. The higher-end models pack the M4 Pro chip and feature Thunderbolt 5 ports. It also offers an HDMI port and comes with 16GB of RAM. A built-in SD card slot is the only thing missing compared to the Mac Studio.

4 HomePod mini

It might be hard to believe, but Apple released the HomePod mini four years ago in 2020 to bring a lower-cost version of the HomePod to Apple fans. It’s still a great way to enjoy Siri and boasts strong audio quality in a small form factor. But there have been no real reports of a second-generation model in the pipeline anytime soon.

If you can wait, the HomePod mini could likely be replaced by the reported Apple smart home controller and home hub. Recent reports say the device could arrive as early as March 2025. It will apparently look like a square iPad and focus on smart home control and security.

Apple will also offer attachments for the device, including a base with speakers that can be placed in the kitchen or nightstand. If you aren’t interested in waiting and want to spend a bit more for a bigger audio punch, the larger, second-generation HomePod is also an excellent choice.

5 AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 remain one of the most popular AirPods models available thanks to active noise cancellation and tons of great features, including the recently added suite of hearing health features and the ability to act as hearing aids.

If you’re willing to wait, 2025 will likely usher in the next generation of earbuds. Reports say the new earbuds will offer additional health-tracking features, like heart rate monitoring. Both the charging case and earbuds might also get a new design.

6 Apple TV 4K

In a sea of low-cost streaming devices, the Apple TV 4K stands out from the crowd, and not in a good way. It starts at $129 for a Wi-Fi-only version or $149 for a 128GB with Ethernet. That’s easily twice as much as many competitors on the market.

Apple last updated it in 2022, and it features the aging A15 processor. There are no strong rumors about the next model, but it’s widely expected to feature a faster processor and even a drop in price to make it more competitive. If you can’t wait, consider choosing another great streaming box for your home.

While these Apple products are still great to use, you’re better off saving your cash and waiting for the updated models that offer the latest and greatest features. After all, nobody wants to waste money on an aging Apple device that’s due for a hardware refresh.

Facebook Marketplace has become a go-to platform for buying and selling locally. It offers easy access and a large audience of potential buyers and sellers. But is it the right platform for you?

The Pros of Using Facebook Marketplace

Not sure about using Facebook Marketplace? There are plenty of reasons why this is a Facebook feature you might want to use.

Ease of Use

Facebook Marketplace is incredibly easy to navigate. It’s built into the existing Facebook app, so there’s no need to download anything extra. The user interface is intuitive, making it easy to post items, browse listings, and message buyers or sellers directly. I personally had no problem picking it up and selling on it, even when I had never done so before.

It is even easy to add multiple listings on a single screen—no having to open up multiple tabs here! This was especially helpful when I had to sell a lot of baby stuff. Instead of going one by one, I was able to upload all twenty items and get them sold in no time.

Location Flexibility

Facebook Marketplace allows you to target specific locations without needing to join local community groups, though I would recommend you do so as a way to help boost your chance at selling your items. This makes it simple to find or list items for sale in various regions, whether nearby or in a specific city.

No Fees

One of the biggest advantages of Facebook Marketplace is that there are no fees to post an item, buy something, or sell something. This makes it a budget-friendly option if you compare it to other platforms that take a percentage of your sale or require listing fees. In fact, I prefer it to selling on Ebay, which does take a portion of your sale.

Wide Audience Reach

With Facebook’s massive global user base, your items are exposed to a pretty big audience. Better yet, you can “aim” where you want that content to be sold, be it your local community or to those from further away.

Whether you’re selling a piece of furniture or searching for second-hand electronics, the platform’s large user base can help connect you with the right buyer or seller quickly.

Boost Ability

Want your item to appear to more people? Are you willing to pay for the privilege? Marketplace has the ability to “boost” your ad with campaigns of various lengths to help make sure your item sells.

I’ve never personally boosted sales, as my local area is small enough to get seen easily, but I can see where it would be helpful in larger cities.

The Cons of Facebook Marketplace

Like any other app, Facebook Marketplace also has its fair share of limitations that might cause some individuals to decide to skip it in favor of other apps.

Limited Protections

Unlike platforms like Amazon and eBay, Facebook Marketplace doesn’t offer much in the way of buyer or seller protection. This means if something goes wrong, like a bad payment or an item not being as described, there’s no official way for you to get your money or item back. There is also no way to verify the condition of items being sold.

Items that are purchased face-to-face, vehicles, and gemstones are just some of the items not covered under their purchase protection, and even those that are covered are still subject to Facebook deciding whether you get your money back or not.

I was once buying a laptop from someone in my city on Facebook Marketplace. We met up in person, but the seller seemed in a rush. I should have known something was wrong then, but by the time I got home and tested it, guess what—it didn’t so much as turn on. I learned a valuable lesson that day, including the above fact that face-to-face purchases aren’t covered and that people will often make profiles for the Marketplace only, which they’ll delete after they get your money.

Scams

Because of the limited protection mentioned above, Facebook Marketplace is a breeding ground for scammers. It’s important to be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true or sellers asking for unusual payment methods.

If it feels too good to be true, it probably is.

It Lacks Advanced Features

Facebook Marketplace doesn’t offer the sophisticated features you might find on other e-commerce platforms. There’s no built-in analytics for sellers to track performance, and seller profiles are minimal, making it harder for you to assess credibility.

No Anonymity

Since Facebook Marketplace is connected to your personal Facebook profile, buyers and sellers can view your name and potentially message you outside of the platform. This can raise privacy concerns for those who don’t want their personal profiles exposed.

Limited Categories

While Facebook Marketplace covers a wide range of categories, some niche categories may be underrepresented. This limits your options if you’re trying to buy or sell something in a less common category.

No Customer Support

If you run into any issues on Facebook Marketplace, there’s no dedicated customer service to help resolve disputes or problems with transactions. While this isn’t a problem if your transaction goes smoothly, the lack of support becomes apparent as soon as there’s a problem.

Buy and Sell on Facebook Marketplace Safely

To make the most out of the platform, your best bet to keep yourself safe when using Facebook Marketplace and get the most out of your experience is to implement the following tips:

• Meet in public, well-lit places, preferably during day time.
• Verify profiles independently before committing to transactions.
• Use secure payment methods and avoid upfront payments via untraceable means. Try accepting cash only or a system like PayPal, which offers fraud protection.
• Trust your intuition; if something feels off, walk away.
• Document your purchase with photos and messages for reference in disputes.
• Communicate quickly and clearly with potential buyers/sellers.

Ultimately, while Facebook Marketplace presents an accessible and no-cost option to buy and sell, being aware of its limitations and using it safely and smartly makes for a more positive experience!

Creating a presentation from scratch can be a time-consuming challenge, especially when you’re starting with a detailed document full of notes, research, or data. But what if there was an AI trick that could take any document and transform it into a polished presentation in just a few clicks?

Why Use AI for Presentations

Creating presentations can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Designing slides, organizing content, and ensuring a professional appearance often eat up hours that could be better spent refining ideas and practicing delivery. This is where AI comes in.

Gamma simplifies presentation creation by using AI to turn your ideas into polished slides in seconds, without requiring design skills. Its AI-driven platform generates outlines, offers flexible presentation templates, and lets you edit effortlessly.

Gamma’s unique card-based system keeps your content organized by allowing sections to expand or collapse, so slides remain visually appealing and uncluttered even with complex information. You can also embed interactive media like GIFs and videos to keep your audience engaged.

Gamma offers flexible pricing: the Free plan includes 400 AI credits and basic analytics, which I found to be more than sufficient for my use cases. You can export to PowerPoint or Google Slides or share your presentation directly.

Preparing Your Document With ChatGPT and Google Docs

I’ve been really enjoying the search feature integrated into ChatGPT, it’s made research easier than ever. Now, I can type in a prompt and have a polished presentation template ready in seconds, saving tons of time on prep.

Once I have a solid outline, I transfer it over to Google Docs for a more thorough, hands-on review and final edits. While I personally like going over the document manually, ChatGPT can also export it as a PDF if you want to skip that step and go straight to the final version.

Gamma further enhances this workflow by allowing you to import your Google Docs directly, making it easy to edit and perfect your content all in one place.

Creating a Presentation With Gamma

Creating a presentation in Gamma is straightforward. Start by uploading your document or PDF, and Gamma’s AI will automatically arrange your content into flexible cards. You can easily split, edit, and rearrange these cards to ensure everything flows smoothly.

Once you’re happy with the structure, select a theme that fits your style or brand, and Gamma will apply it across your slides. In moments, you’ll have a cohesive, professional-looking presentation that’s ready to go. I went from idea creation in ChatGPT to a presentation being created in Gamma in less than five minutes. That kind of time savings is invaluable.

Finalizing and Sharing Your Presentation

Once your presentation is ready, Gamma makes it easy to share and present. You can export your slides in formats compatible with PowerPoint or Google Slides if you need additional customization.

For a more seamless experience, you can also share your presentation directly through Gamma by sending a link, allowing your audience to view it online without needing any extra software. This flexibility lets you choose between in-app presenting, sharing online, or further editing on other platforms, whatever best suits your needs.

The workflow from using ChatGPT for research to creating and exporting presentations in Gamma has transformed how I approach presentation tasks. Breaking down complex topics and turning them into a slide deck used to be a time-consuming chore. Now, with the help of AI, I can be more efficient and productive without sacrificing creativity.

One of the most heart-stopping moments is watching your smartphone tumble to the ground. You quickly flip it over, praying it hasn’t cracked. However, besides accidental drops, there are other reasons why you should never use your phone without a case.

1 Accidental Damage Coverage Doesn’t Cover Everyday Wear and Tear

No matter how careful you are with your phone, you never know when bad luck strikes. Accidental damage coverage, like AppleCare+ or Samsung Care+, protects your device against unexpected incidents like drops, spills, or cracked screens. However, it doesn’t cover cosmetic damage, such as minor scratches, scuffs, or wear and tear, like battery degradation, that naturally occurs from regular use.

While accidental damage coverage will come in handy if you crack your device’s screen after it slips from your hands, it will be of no help if the screen gets scratched by your keys or if there are scuff marks on your phone. So, the best way to protect your device against everyday wear and tear is to never use it without a case.

2 Cases Shield Your Phone From Accidental Water Exposure

One thing tech giants haven’t quite nailed is creating fully waterproof devices. At the time of writing, most high-end smartphones feature an IP68 rating, but that doesn’t make them waterproof.

As per the Ingress Protection code, these phones can survive being submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. But, that’s just how water-resistant these devices are—not waterproof. This means that unexpected spills or exposure to other liquids, like coffee or soda, could still cause damage.

There are waterproof cases designed for swimming and other water-based activities, but they’re typically not designed for everyday use. While a regular silicone or hard shell case can’t make your phone waterproof, it provides a solid layer of protection against accidental splashes, spills, and even light rain. They keep water from immediately reaching your device’s openings, like the charging or the SIM card slot.

3 Your Phone’s Resale Value Could Take a Hit

Whether you upgrade your phone every year or you prefer to hold onto it longer, you typically have two options when it’s time to part with your old phone: sell it or trade it in to save money on your new phone.

While you may not care too much about slight scratches and scuffs on your device’s front and back screens, it may impact your device’s resale value. Buyers typically expect devices to be in near-mint condition, and minor cosmetic damage or even the fact that you got your phone repaired could potentially affect its resale value.

For instance, I tried using Apple’s Trade In tool to get an estimate, and after selecting my iPhone model, I was asked if it was in good condition. When I clicked No, a follow-up question appeared: “Is the body of your iPhone in good shape?” After selecting No again, Apple informed me that my device didn’t qualify for a gift card but could instead be recycled. Essentially, this meant that my trade-in value would be $0!

While Apple may accept your device if you had it repaired at an official store, it’s clear that cosmetic damage can potentially affect your phone’s trade-in potential. In some cases, it could even disqualify your phone from certain buyback programs, leaving you with even fewer options to cash in on your device.

4 A Case Provides a Better Grip

I’ve lost count of how many times my iPhone slipped right out of my hands and onto the floor. While the front screen has survived many of those falls, the internal components haven’t been as lucky. For example, after a fall, my iPhone X’s antenna was damaged, and it refused to connect to Wi-Fi unless I was sitting right next to the router.

Take my experience as a lesson: one of the top reasons you should never use your phone without a case is the enhanced grip it provides. With how sleek smartphones are nowadays, a firmer grip makes it much less likely to slip out of your hand and feel more secure during everyday use. This can be especially helpful when you’re texting while walking or taking a selfie with one hand.

While tech companies are consistently directing their efforts toward improving the durability of their devices, a drop from the right angle or even a small bump can still cause serious damage. So, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Prime Video is getting over 150 free channels with its partnership with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). PBS is known for its high-quality and educational programs, and you can now watch its shows and channels on Prime Video under its ‘Watch for Free’ section. This is also the first time that PBS has partnered with a major streaming service, extending its reach to more users and devices across the country.

PBS Is Now Available on Prime Video for Free

As long as you have an Amazon account, you can enjoy PBS’ over 150 local stations by streaming it to your device via the Prime Video app. Aside from those local PBS channels, the PBS KIDS Channel will also be available for free — no Prime Video subscription needed. All these channels will slowly become available in the coming months, so you can soon watch your favorite PBS shows like Sesame Street, Frontline, and Masterpiece anywhere as long as you have a smartphone or compatible device and an internet connection.

Prime Video also gets two new PBS channels that will initially be only available on the platform — PBS Drama and PBS Documentaries. These will be available starting November 26, alongside a “pop-up” channel that runs classic PBS shows starting with Reading Rainbow.

“PBS member stations will be able to tap into a leading streaming service to offer quality local programming viewers know and love for free,” say PBS Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Ira Rubenstein. “It’s part of the PBS commitment to make trusted content available to all households across as many platforms as possible. We thank Amazon for giving PBS Member Stations a new and exciting way to grow their digital footprint while engaging with audiences old and new.”

Aside from getting access to your PBS favorite, it also adds several more channels to Amazon’s free offerings. This comes at a crucial time, especially as Amazon is closing down Freevee, it’s free streaming service. Meaning you’ll still get a lot of value out of Prime Video even if you don’t pay a dime to Amazon for the privilege.

Other Ways to Watch PBS

Aside from streaming PBS on Prime Video, there are several ways you can enjoy its content for free on your smartphone, tablet, smart TV, and other smart devices. You could visit its website, pbs.org and pbskids.org, to stream its shows to your device. This makes it one of the free internet TV channels you can watch online. Alternatively, you can download the PBS app and PBS Kids app on Android or iPhone to make it easier to catch your favorite shows.

PBS also recently launched a free channel on Roku called PBS Retro, which features shows from the 80s and 90s for those looking for some nostalgia. So, if you’re looking for quality content to watch when you’re relaxing, PBS should be one of the free channels you should look for.

Download: PBS for Android | iPhone

Download: PBS Kids for Android | iPhone

Streaming platforms were initially seen as a revolutionary alternative to cable TV, but in my opinion, they’ve gotten progressively worse over the past five years or so. Paid plans with ads, declining show quality, and in-app experiences are some of the many reasons why.

1 Paid Plans With Ads

Many apps and websites use ad-supported free tiers, and I have no problem with this whatsoever. Businesses ultimately need to make money, and I also think that a lot of people don’t understand how expensive content that’s free for them is to make.

However, if you pay for a premium subscription, you can often get rid of these ads. Streaming services still let you do this but at a higher price than before. When Netflix introduced a paid ad-supported tier in November 2022, many people were unhappy about this.

I think those people have every reason to be upset, too. Besides having ads, the cheapest Netflix subscription also doesn’t give you access to every TV show and movie. While I can understand why Netflix introduced an ad-supported tier, I also think it has worsened the experience.

Max and Disney+ are other streaming services with ad-supported subscriptions.

2 Declining Quality in Shows Available

I’ll happily pay for any subscription that adds value to my life, but I’m also quick to cancel anything that doesn’t. One reason why I no longer watch most streaming services is because the quality of shows has declined.

Some shows and movies are picked up by other streaming services. For example, Rick and Morty is now on Max rather than Netflix. However, this isn’t always the case.

I’d be happy to consider signing up for a streaming service if the show quality was anywhere near the same as in the late 2010s, but until then, I’m happy without them.

3 Password-Sharing Crackdowns

Password-sharing crackdowns have been one of the most talked about topics in recent years. Disney+ has started to take password-sharing more seriously, for example, and Netflix has also gotten stricter with sharing passwords.

I understand why streaming services are cracking down on passwords; theoretically, it results in lost revenue from those people signing up for accounts. However, while some people watch streaming services consistently, I believe that many are only interested in a small selection of shows.

Rather than getting a subscription, it makes sense for them to borrow someone else’s password. For the casual user, who doesn’t want to watch lots of shows, I’d argue that these crackdowns are more harmful than good. I think that Max charging more for shared subscriptions is the right alternative approach.

4 Price Increases

I think that people can’t expect subscription prices to remain the same forever. Inflation is a reality for businesses and not just ordinary users. But beyond inflation and operating costs, I do think that greed sometimes falls into the picture.

In 2023, for example, Netflix increased its prices twice. This is one of many reasons that some users think you should avoid subscribing to Netflix. Disney+, meanwhile, raised the cost of its ad-free and ad-supported tiers.

Again, I don’t have a problem with price increases if the product quality increases. But from what I’ve seen when browsing these apps, that is not the case. I also think that constantly raising prices gets exhausting for users, especially those who want to budget their month accordingly.

5 Focusing on Quantity Over Quality

I honestly think that the “more = better” equation is flawed in many cases, especially when it comes to products and offerings. Right now, it feels like many streaming services are focusing on quantity over quality—and if you ask me, it’s leading to a worse overall product.

Sure, users want some diversity in what they can watch. However, I think almost everyone would agree that we also want high-quality content. This is the same way I look at independent creators; I’d rather watch (and produce) one high-quality video per month than multiple low-quality posts per week.

All of these productions cost money, so the budget is clearly there. I would rather that these streaming services didn’t spread themselves so thin and instead invested more in a handful of high-quality projects.

6 A Worse In-App Experience

More often than not, I’ll choose an intuitive and user-friendly app over something that’s difficult to navigate. This is the precise reason why I switched from Spotify to Apple Music. So, unsurprisingly, I’ve stopped using a lot of streaming services because their in-app experience has gotten worse.

Many users have complained about the search filtering on different streaming services, for example. With so much content out there now, it’s vital that users can easily navigate to what they need. While you can improve your Netflix searches with secret codes (likewise on other platforms), but paying customers should have easier access without these.

I’ve also noticed that many apps encounter bugs far more frequently than they used to. There are only so many times you can endure your app crashing mid-show before it starts to get tiresome. Moreover, some streaming services have changed their user interfaces to the detriment of users.

7 Being Too Fast With Show Cancelations

Streaming services are absolutely right to pull shows that nobody watches; keeping them on there is pointless. However, I also think that some show cancelations have been far too quick.

My Lady Jane, Dead Boy Detectives, and Archive 81 are just three examples of canceled programs. I understand being experimental and think it’s a good thing for innovation, but it’s a bit tiresome when programs you start watching are canceled.

It’d be nice if streaming platforms gave programs more of a chance; perhaps keeping them up for a certain timescale would be a good idea.

8 Too Much Fragmentation

Competition is good, but I also think that the number of streaming services has become exhausting. This is especially true for people who sign up for certain platforms because they have a show they like and then switch to another. I also think that shows and movies are spread too thin across multiple services now.

I don’t think there’s any reasonable solution at this point other than to consider streaming bundles. Luckily, some streaming bundles will actually save you money.

Streaming platforms are far from dead, but I do think they’ve declined significantly since around 2020. Unfortunately, some services have focused too much on quantity instead of quality. I also believe that many prices aren’t entirely justified. These, combined with worse in-app experiences, make it difficult to deem paying a subscription as worthwhile.

As great as WhatsApp is for keeping in touch with people, you shouldn’t get complacent when using the app. Keeping yourself safe is also paramount, and you can tweak multiple in-app settings to achieve this. Avoid these WhatsApp mistakes to improve your experience.

1 Letting Anyone Add You to a Group

WhatsApp group chats are a fantastic place to keep up with friends and family members, but it’s vital that you know how to stay safe in WhatsApp groups. One of the best ways to do this is by controlling who can add you to one in the first place.

Follow these steps to control who can add you to a WhatsApp group:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Privacy.
2. Select the Groups tab.
3. Choose My contacts or My contacts except… to control who adds you to a group. If you pick the latter, you can tick everyone you want to stop from adding you to a group.

2 Responding to People and Numbers You Don’t Recognize

One of the easiest ways that I avoid phishing scams and other cybersecurity threats is by not responding to any people I don’t know. I do this not only on WhatsApp, but also in my other instant messaging apps. With so many WhatsApp scams, threats, and security risks about, you need to take extra precautions to keep yourself safe.

Each time I receive a message from someone I don’t know, I simply delete the message. If the person persists, and they haven’t made it clear who they are, I block them. Unknown numbers can’t contact me because I’ve stopped them from having the option to do this.

When you receive scam messages on WhatsApp, it’s also important that you don’t click on any links. These are often malicious and can lead to bigger problems, such as identity theft.

3 Forwarding Scams and Unverified Messages

You might forward messages within WhatsApp, but before doing so, you should make sure that they’re safe. This is essential for people that you don’t know, but it’s also a good idea to verify whether someone you know has sent a legitimate message. You never know whether they accidentally clicked on some kind of suspicious link.

I’ve received multiple forwarded messages on WhatsApp that weren’t legitimate, and while I knew this, someone else might not have been so lucky. For this reason, I suggest taking a step back and confirming whether the message is safe. Don’t forward anything from strangers full stop. If it’s a loved one, double-check that they meant to send you the text.

4 Making Profile Information Public

While it’s not the same level of social media as Facebook or Instagram, knowing how to make WhatsApp more secure and private will help keep your identity safe. Not many people know that you don’t have to make your profile information public, but changing your privacy settings in this respect is an excellent idea.

You can adjust each of the following:

• Your profile picture visibility.
• Your About section.
• Who can see when you’re online.

With each of these, you can pick whether you want all contacts to see this information or just a small selection. Some settings, such as your profile picture visibility, let you turn this off for everyone. You’ll find all of these tabs within the Settings > Privacy section.

When you first sign up for WhatsApp, your device will automatically save any media you receive. It took me around two weeks before I found this annoying and I sought to stop this from happening. Thankfully, WhatsApp lets you stop photos and videos from automatically saving.

To verify that everything is working as it should, get a friend to send you something and see if it saves to your camera roll. This is especially handy when you’re part of groups that send lots of media and memes that can hog your phone’s storage.

6 Not Silencing Unknown Calls

While you can ignore unknown calls, I think that silencing them on WhatsApp is a much better alternative. You stop the issue from constantly bugging you by turning on this feature, which will instantly limit the number of scams you can potentially fall victim to.

WhatsApp lets you automatically silence unknown callers to avoid spam callers. The main drawback is that you may miss calls from delivery drivers if you order items or groceries online often. Besides silencing unknown callers, you might want to do other things to keep annoying WhatsApp notifications under control.

7 Not Enabling Backups

You can’t control what happens to your phone beyond a certain point. It might break, you might lose it, or you might simply want to upgrade your device. Backing up your conversations is important, but you also want to ensure that everything is encrypted.

By default, your WhatsApp backups are not encrypted. However, you can change this setting by following the steps below.

1. Go to Settings > Chats.
2. Select the Chat backup tab.
3. Tap End-to-end encrypted backup.
4. Select Turn on.
5. WhatsApp will then ask you to create a password. Select Create password to do this. Alternatively, you can tap Use 64-digit encryption key instead (I recommend setting up the password).

Besides encrypting your chat backups, you can also create encrypted lists, reminders, and files in WhatsApp.

Adjusting your privacy settings, improving your WhatsApp quality of life features, and encrypting your chat backups mean nothing if a hacker can still get into your account. For this reason, I suggest adding extra verification to your account.

I recommend adding two forms of verification. The first is some kind of biometric identification (i.e. Touch ID or Face ID).

You should also set up a PIN code to access your account. This works in the same way to accessing your phone in the first place. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to Privacy > Account and select Two-step verification.
2. Press Turn on to begin the process of creating your WhatsApp PIN.
3. Enter your PIN code.

Making your WhatsApp experience better is very straightforward, and a couple of simple adjustments will help you do this. Fine-tuning your privacy is essential, and switching on your PIN code is a good idea. However, you should also think about how to restrict what information strangers can see about you. Meanwhile, switching off automatic content downloads is ideal for saving space and keeping your camera roll organized.

Google’s Gemini AI model is great to use as a chatbot, but the company aims to roll it out to other devices to perform different jobs. Now, the tech giant is rolling out its powerful AI tool to Google Home, where the assistant can help you get even more out of your devices.

Google Adds AI Camera Search to the Home App

Beforehand, Google Home cameras could only identify people, motion, and packages left on doorsteps. While this was pretty impressive by itself, the new Gemini integration allows your cameras to understand better what it’s seeing. Google gives an example where it can tell “whether your dog is napping peacefully or digging up your prize-winning petunias.”

Because Gemini understands what’s going on, you can ask it questions about what happened during the day. The given examples include “Did the kids play in the backyard this afternoon?” and “Was a delivery truck here today?” Google Gemini’s LLM can understand what you’re saying, get the context, then search its database for anything that matches your query.

If setting up smart devices puts your head in a spin, Google wants to use the power of Gemini to make it a lot easier. Using “Help Me Create,” you can ask Google Gemini to build a smart home automation by describing what you want it to do using natural language. Google Gemini will then parse your request and create something to match it.

Here are some examples Google gave as Help Me Create commands:

Security:

Remember to lock up at night

Make it seem like someone’s home

Health and Wellness:

Help me sleep better

Set up morning workouts

Convenience at Home:

Announce dinner time

Getting Things Done:

Remind me to take out the trash

Help me remember to pick up packages

If you want to give these new AI features a spin, sign up for the Google Home Public Preview and download the latest update.

I’ve owned quite a few tablets but never an iPad. I’ve seen the reviews, and I won’t argue that Android tablets are better (though, in some ways, they are). However, I have other reasons for exclusively buying Android tablets. So, let’s take a look.

1 Android Tablets Are (Usually) Cheaper

Not all Android tablets are cheap. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, which has a gorgeous 14.6-inch screen, costs over $1,000, and that’s well in the iPad Pro territory. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you can buy an Android tablet for under $100.

I don’t recommend getting a bottom-of-the-barrel tablet. They’re often slow and janky on day one (and only go downhill from there). But if you extend your budget slightly, you’ll find plenty of tablets for around $200 that are more than adequate.

Consider the Lenovo P11, for example, which has a place on our list of the best tablets for note-taking. Your money can snag you an 11-inch screen with solid storage and a stylus. For comparison, the cheapest iPad starts at $349, and an Apple Pencil sets you back another $79.

2 I Just Want a Bigger Screen for Watching Videos

When I was in college, I bought a Toshiba Thrive tablet and used it as a laptop replacement. By the time I got my hands on a Nexus 7, I knew I would instead use a tablet primarily for entertainment (even though there are far more creative ways to use a tablet). Tablets are great for watching YouTube videos while cooking or cuddling up in bed to watch Disney+.

I don’t need a powerful tablet stacked with RAM to watch videos. I don’t need much storage space either, especially if I use streaming services. All I want is a large screen. Would I prefer that display to be high-resolution and super bright? Sure, but that’s not motivation enough to skip the cheaper model.

3 Android Tablets Are Better for My Kids

The most recent tablets I purchased weren’t for me but for my kids. Cheap Android tablets are something I can slap a case on and hand to my kids without worrying too much as they bumble throughout the house, leaving the tablet on the floor to be stepped on or hanging off the edge of a table to be knocked over.

Android tablets don’t have the broad range of tablet-specific apps that iPads have, but that isn’t a big deal for my kids. I can install the streaming apps they want and a handful of games, and that’s enough. I can get two new Android tablets, cases for both, and some spare chargers for the price of an iPad.

4 I’m Invested in the Android Ecosystem

I have never owned an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook. My last Apple product was the adorable candy-colored iMac G3 from the Mac OS X days. In other words, I am not at all keen on Apple’s ecosystem.

I primarily use an Android phone, but that’s not because it’s cheap. I could’ve purchased an iPhone for the amount of money I dropped on the foldable phone I now use as my daily driver. I’m familiar with Android the way most people are familiar with Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS. Plus, I heavily rely on Samsung DeX, which lets me use my Android phone as a PC.

As a result, it’s beneficial for me to stick with Android tablets. I know which apps are available. I can manage my kids’ screen time from my Google account. My family can share our purchased apps and books. I don’t need to create a new Apple account to buy apps or make in-app purchases for them.

On the flip side, if I were an Apple user, the convenience factor alone would be a reason to regret buying an Android tablet instead of an iPad.

Still, even if I can’t recommend an Android tablet as the best option for everyone, I find them more interesting to follow. New Android tablets come out all the time, with options as wildly different as the E-Ink Boox Tab Ultra C Pro we reviewed and the gaming-oriented Razer Edge handheld. An iPad may be the best option for most people most of the time, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for you.

While some might prefer smartphones with razor-thin bezels for their sleek and modern aesthetic, such devices are not without compromise. Bezels serve different purposes, and with this in mind, I wouldn’t buy any smartphone with razor-thin bezels. Let me explain why.

1 Increased Risk of Damage

One of the biggest drawbacks of razor-thin bezels is that they leave the screen’s edges more exposed, making the phone more vulnerable to damage. Although bezels make your phone less aesthetic, they serve an important purpose: protecting the screen. They can absorb impact when you accidentally drop your device, reducing the likelihood of screen damage.

With razor-thin bezels, your phone’s display has less protective material; therefore, even a minor drop can mess it up. Mind you, smartphone screens are expensive to replace. For instance, according to Samsung, replacing a damaged Galaxy S24 Ultra screen will cost you $259. It gets worse if you own an iPhone 16 Pro Max, as that’ll cost you about $379, according to Apple.

These high repair costs are one of the major reasons to purchase a premium warranty for your phone. And that’s a premium you’ll have to be willing to pay upfront or on a monthly basis.

2 Increased Risk of Accidental Touches

Another downside that makes phones with razor-thin bezels a no for me is the increased likelihood of accidental touches. If a phone has sizeable bezels around it, there’s ample space for holding the device. Consequently, it’s much less likely that you’ll accidentally touch the screen.

However, if the bezels are thin, you’ll experience the opposite. With narrow bezels, you get less surface area for holding the device. Therefore, it’s highly likely that you’ll unintentionally touch the screen’s edges.

That will happen anytime you interact with the device. For instance, while typing, your palms may occasionally touch the screen, adding or removing characters from your messages. And if you’re into gaming, it will be hard to avoid accidental touches.

Samsung encountered this issue when making phones with curved displays (like the Galaxy Note Edge and S6 Edge+). To fix it, the company had to allow users to adjust the sensitivity of the edges around the display with a dedicated app called EdgeTouch​​​​​​.

3 Limited Hand Grip

Bezels provide a buffer area around a phone’s screen that can be used to comfortably hold the device for a firm grip without touching the display. It’s why the size of screen bezels matters. A phone with narrow bezels offers limited space to grip, which can make the device feel slippery and fragile overall.

I much prefer a phone with slightly larger bezels, as they provide enough room for a comfortable hand grip. Considering how smartphones have grown in size because of the general consumer preference for large phones, having enough bezels gives you a more secure hold.

4 Repairability Concerns

Smartphone makers have to make the device’s internal design complex and compact to achieve razor-thin bezels. This makes the device much harder and often more expensive to repair.

With a compact design, there’s less space for working on the device, which leaves little room for maneuvering without risking further damage. This is especially true for screen replacements, which is one of the most common phone repairs.

I’m not a DIY enthusiast by any means, but if you’re one, you probably already know that compact electronic designs make it hard to self-repair any device.

5 You’ll Notice More Glare and Reflections

Razor-thin bezels can also lead to more glare and reflections. This is because bezels on phones help reduce glare, especially while using the phone outdoors. They achieve this by blocking external light, thus minimizing reflections. Light can easily hit and reflect off the screen’s edges without sufficient bezels around the display, resulting in poor screen visibility, especially in bright environments.

Phones with razor-thin bezels are more impressive aesthetically. However, this aesthetic has practical drawbacks that make it a no-go for me. From limited hand grip to increased risk of accidental touches and damage, repairability concerns, and a high risk of glare and reflections, I don’t see myself buying a phone with razor-thin bezels.

Excel makes managing complex data easier, but a few common mistakes can turn that ease into frustration. These mistakes can lead to inaccurate results, make debugging errors difficult, or even cost you hours of work. So, what are some of these pitfalls you must avoid when working in Excel?

1 Relying on Hard-Coded Values

As a beginner, one common mistake I made was using hard-coded values in formulas, which means directly typing numbers or values into a formula instead of referencing cells. This practice makes spreadsheets less flexible and harder to update because each instance has to be manually adjusted if you change the data.

Updating formulas manually can be tedious and increases the chances of errors. Instead, you must reference cells in your formulas. This way, you only need to update a value in one location, and all related formulas will automatically adjust, making the spreadsheet much easier to manage and maintain.

2 Making Formulas Too Complex

I avoid using overly complex formulas to keep my spreadsheets easy to manage, debug, and modify. While Excel lets us use nested functions, I avoid stacking too much into a single cell. This makes my spreadsheets easier to understand and simplifies things for others who may need to work with them.

I create a few extra columns for intermediate calculations that I can reference in my main formula later. Breaking down complex logic this way makes my formulas less error-prone. Also, I can update data or formulas with minimal effort whenever adjustments are needed. So, always keep your formulas simple from the beginning to avoid future frustration.

3 Printing Without a Preview Check

When I first started using Excel, I used to print spreadsheets without previewing them, resulting in cut-off data, blank pages, or misaligned content. Since Excel doesn’t automatically format data perfectly for printing, I had to reprint multiple times, wasting ink, time, and money—not to mention the frustration.

Now, I always preview my spreadsheet before printing, which allows me to catch formatting issues and adjust margins, orientation, and scaling to get a perfect print. This way, I ensure all essential data fits on the page and is easy to read. If your printouts often turn out poorly, take a moment to preview them first—it’ll save you time, effort, and resources.

4 Creating Too Many Worksheets

I used to create too many worksheets in a single workbook, making it difficult to locate data or calculations for myself and others. This habit also complicated referencing data across multiple sheets in formulas and made auditing a challenge. Plus, each additional sheet increased the file size, slowing down performance.

To avoid these issues, I always consolidate related data into a single sheet and organize it with tables. Instead of creating separate sheets, I use filters or pivot tables for specific subsets and keep worksheet names clear and consistent. If my workbook grows, I add a summary or index sheet with hyperlinks for easy navigation.

5 Missing Out on Time-Saving Excel Formulas

Many users, unfamiliar with advanced Excel functions and formulas, handle tasks manually that could easily be automated. This slows down data processing and increases the chances of mistakes. Also, it makes it difficult to maintain consistency, with manual updates becoming a hassle later on.

I always check if Excel has a function to automate repetitive tasks that would otherwise take time. You can explore free resources or consult Excel forums. Microsoft Copilot is also a helpful tool for finding the right formula. If you’re hesitant about using a formula to avoid disrupting your data, try it on a sample set first to build confidence.

6 Forgetting to Enable Auto-Save

I used to lose hours of work whenever Excel crashed unexpectedly or when I accidentally closed a file without saving it. Because of this, I had to start over from scratch, miss deadlines, and deal with unnecessary stress. To prevent this, I now rely on Excel’s Auto-Save and AutoRecover features.

Auto-Save saves my data in real-time; if connected to OneDrive, it also creates a backup copy. Auto-Recover saves my files at regular intervals so I can recover unsaved files in case of a crash. Knowing my work is safe, I no longer worry about power outages, crashes, or forgetting to save. It’s good to have peace of mind!

7 Not Securing Sensitive Information

Like many Excel users, I used to overlook basic security practices and shared my spreadsheets without password protection. This increased the risk of unauthorized access to my files, whether on my device or the recipient’s. When using public Wi-Fi, my sensitive documents could have easily been intercepted by cybercriminals, though it never happened.

Now, I always password-protect my Excel files before sharing them and only provide the password to specific recipients. This ensures that even if someone intercepts my documents, they won’t be able to access the content. I also use Excel’s feature to lock specific cells, keeping certain data hidden from others without locking the entire file.

8 Ignoring Proper Data Formatting

I underestimated the importance of proper data formatting in my early days of using Excel. This used to make my spreadsheets hard to read, analyze, and update. When shared, they often confuse recipients, leading to misinterpretation of data. Also, the poor formatting used to make my spreadsheets look unprofessional.

Now, I use the correct formats for currencies, percentages, dates, and more. I choose simple fonts, highlight important data with eye-friendly colors, and align numbers to the right, text to the left, and headings to the center. To ensure sorting and filtering work correctly, I avoid merging cells and instead use alignment options to manage wider data.

9 Skipping Regular File Backups

While Excel features like Auto-Save and Auto-Recover help protect against accidental data loss in a crash or power outage, there’s always the risk of original file corruption, losing the device that contains it, or accidentally deleting it. Without a backup, you could end up recreating lost work, which used to be very frustrating for me.

I always back up my documents in multiple locations to avoid the hassle and missing deadlines. I’ve connected OneDrive to automatically save a copy of my data and the version history, which is extremely helpful when referencing different versions of my file. Also, I back up my files to an external drive to ensure my data is safe and accessible from multiple places.

The upfront—or recurring—cost of a premium warranty plan for smartphones can feel excessive. However, if you look at the larger picture, they make a lot of sense. Here are the top reasons why I recommend purchasing a premium warranty plan.

1 Your Device Will Be Covered for More Than a Year

Most smartphone manufacturers cover hardware defects in phones for 12 months under a limited warranty plan. However, problems that arise beyond this period almost always require a paid service. And with how fragile electronic devices can be, in my opinion, this one-year guarantee just isn’t enough.

Purchasing a premium warranty plan—which often provides extended coverage—means you’re guaranteed to be covered against problems like a malfunctioning motherboard, green lines on your smartphone’s display, or a significantly degraded battery at no cost or a minor service charge.

2 Guaranteed Cost-Effective Repairs Against Accidental or Water Damage

Circling back to the limited warranty that comes with your device, a big limiting factor here is that it’s restricted to manufacturing or component failures, particularly those that don’t involve physical or water damage.

So, if you have a broken screen—or back glass—or dropped your phone in a pool, you’ll have to pay a hefty sum to get it fixed. However, if you have a premium warranty plan, these damages are covered for a nominal fee.

For example, look at the repair estimates for an iPhone 16 Pro—Apple’s 2024 flagship. According to Apple, if you have an AppleCare+ plan—which costs $10 a month or a lump sum of $199 for two years of cover (from the time of purchase)—a screen replacement will only cost $29. Otherwise, it’ll cost you $329. That’s $300 more, almost a third of the phone’s cost for just fixing a broken screen.

It only gets worse if there’s water damage. In this case, the standard repair fee is $649, but only $99 with an AppleCare+ plan. Google and Samsung also offer premium warranty plans, and their pricing is similar to Apple’s for the most part.

3 Priority Access to Support Teams

Calls with support teams are a significant part of the repair experience, and premium warranty plans often come in handy here, too. In the age of automated responses (or IVRs), you can get through to a person on the other side of the line or a more experienced representative who can respond to your queries quickly.

I have an AppleCare+ plan, and when I wanted to get my iPad Pro with a failed Face ID module replaced, I was directly put in touch with a senior escalation team member and was able to get a new unit within a week.

Your preferred warranty plan can also include perks like 24/7 access to technical experts, so if you have a software-related problem, you can expect to quickly find a resolution.

4 Onsite Services or Express Replacements to Save Time

Lastly, premium warranty plans can come with time-saving perks like onsite services or express replacements. These are especially useful if you’ve found it difficult to visit a local service center or need a replacement device in your hands before you ship your current one for repairs. However, remember that customer services vary from region to region.

Onsite services can range from repairs and diagnostics at your doorstep to pick-up and drop-off services via couriers. On the other hand, express replacements can have you up and running quickly with a new device, skipping the wait for a repaired phone to come back to you.

With these advantages, I think premium warranties make a lot of sense. Be it the ease of setting up repairs, the lower cost of getting fixes, or reduced timelines, especially for expensive flagship phones that you may keep for at least three years.

The iPhone 16 models come with a new button—the Camera Control. As the name implies, it revolves around the camera and aims to improve the user experience while allowing for new features. I’ll show you how you can make the most of it.

Open Apps With Camera Control

Out of the box, a single press of the Camera Control button will launch the Camera app on your iPhone. But like with the customizable Action button on your iPhone, there are a couple of ways to personalize this new button.

To do this, head into Settings > Camera > Camera Control. Here, you can choose between Single Click and Double Click to launch the camera and pick which app works with the button.

Remember that apps like Instagram and Snapchat directly launch the in-app camera when accessed with the Camera Control button. So, it’s a great way to quickly snap an image or video and post it if you’re active on those platforms.

Master the Gestures for Camera Control

If you’re sticking with using the Camera Control button to launch your iPhone’s camera, the next thing to do would be to master its control scheme (or gestures) for the Camera app.

You can use four actions: a single light-press, a double light-press, a swipe action, and a physical press (as you do for the Power button). Plus, there are six settings that you can adjust: Exposure, Depth, Zoom, Cameras, Style, and Tone.

As of iOS 18.1, here’s what each action will do:

• Single light-press: Bring up controls to adjust the last selected setting.
• Double light-press: Bring up a carousel to choose from the six settings.
• Swipe: Scroll between the six settings or adjust values that will impact the image.
• Physical press: Capture a photo or start a video recording.

Experiment With Third-Party Camera Apps

Lastly, Apple has opened up the Camera Control button to third-party app developers. This means many of the best third-party camera apps can incorporate new tools, ways to control the camera, and more to improve the user experience.

During the “It’s Glowtime” iPhone event, Apple showcased Camera Control’s capabilities with Kino. This pro video camera app allows you to control the grid on-screen during recording, letting you frame your content to match a specific recording format, social media app, or even your own creative aesthetic.

The Camera Control button can be useful if you’re a video creator like me. I’m still figuring out the finer details of using this new button in my workflow, but it has been useful when I need to capture a photo or get a clip quickly. Not to forget, Visual Intelligence—a significant AI feature coming to supported iPhones—revolves around this button. You’ll be the first to know if it changes how I use the Camera Control.

Google Sheets is great for analyzing data, but sometimes you need to include charts in a Google Docs document. Luckily, there are easy ways to import charts from Google Sheets.

How to Import a Google Sheets Chart Into Google Docs

Using Google Sheets as your data source comes with a significant benefit—the ability to update charts across multiple documents easily. By linking your charts to a single spreadsheet, any changes you make to the data can be reflected in all linked charts, saving you time and effort.

Importing charts from Google Sheets into your Google Docs is a straightforward process. You can either copy the chart directly from the spreadsheet or use the built-in Import feature in Google Docs.

Import a Chart by Copying from Google Sheets

To add a chart from Google Sheets to your Google Docs document by copying it, follow these steps.

1. Open the Google Sheets spreadsheet containing the chart you want to import.
2. Click on the chart to select it. If the chart is in edit mode, you may need to double-click.
3. Use the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the chart and select Copy chart.
4. Navigate to your Google Docs document where you want to insert the chart.
5. Click where you want to place the chart and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac) to paste the chart.
6. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to link the chart to the spreadsheet. Linking allows for updates in the document when the source data changes.

Insert a Chart Directly from Google Sheets

You can also use the following alternative method to insert charts from Google Sheets into your Google Docs document.

1. Open your Google Docs document where you want to insert the chart.
2. Go to the Insert menu in the toolbar and hover over the Chart.
3. In the sub-menu that appears, click From Sheets.
4. A new window will open, displaying your Google Sheets spreadsheets. Select the spreadsheet containing the chart you want to insert.
5. Select the desired chart from the list of available charts and click Import.

Updating and Synchronizing the Chart

When you import a chart from Google Sheets into your Google Docs document, you have the option to link it to the source spreadsheet. This allows the chart to be updated whenever changes are made to the data in the linked spreadsheet.

To update a linked chart, click on it and select Update from the menu that appears. But if you want to unlink the chart from its source data, click on the three dots and select Unlink instead.

Customizing the Imported Chart in Google Docs

Once you’ve imported a chart from Google Sheets into your Google Docs document, you may want to customize its appearance to better fit your document’s style and layout. While there are basic options to edit images in Google Docs, most of the changes need to be made to the original Google Sheets spreadsheet.

To resize the chart within your document, simply click on it and drag the handles that appear on the corners. This allows you to make the chart larger or smaller to suit your needs without affecting the chart’s proportions or data.

If you want to try other different chart types—for example, from a bar chart to a line chart—you’ll need to make this change in the original Google Sheets spreadsheet. Open the spreadsheet, click the chart > three dots > Edit chart and use the Chart editor sidebar to modify the chart type and other settings.

In Google Sheets, you can edit the chart title and add an axis and legend to better describe your data. However, keep in mind that these customizations will only affect the chart in the spreadsheet. You’ll need to manually update the linked chart as described earlier to see these changes reflected in your Google Docs document.

Using a VPN alone won’t fully protect you online. Understanding how VPNs and firewalls differ and why using them together offers better security will help keep you safe.

What’s the Difference Between a VPN and a Firewall?

VPNs and firewalls both enhance security, but they do so in different ways. A VPN encrypts your internet connection, masking your IP address and shielding your online activity from prying eyes like Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Think of it as adding a layer of privacy, especially when using public Wi-Fi.

In contrast, a firewall acts as a gatekeeper for incoming and outgoing traffic on your network, deciding what gets in and out. While VPNs protect data in transit, firewalls actively monitor and block potentially harmful traffic, defending your device from malware, phishing attacks, and other threats that VPNs alone can’t address.

Why a VPN Alone Isn’t Enough for Complete Security

Think a VPN alone makes you invisible? Think again. Although VPNs provide valuable protection by encrypting your data, they don’t offer complete anonymity or guard against all threats. Websites can still track you through cookies, browser fingerprinting, and other methods, even if your IP is hidden. And if your VPN provider logs any of your activity, that data could still be at risk if accessed or subpoenaed.

VPNs also cannot protect against malware or phishing attacks, among the most common cybersecurity threats. While a VPN can secure data on a public network, it lacks the functionality to identify or block malicious links and downloads.

How Firewalls Protect You Where VPNs Can’t

Ever wonder how firewalls keep you safe online? While a VPN is all about privacy, a firewall takes a more active role; it’s constantly on the lookout for any suspicious data trying to get through. By blocking unauthorized access, a firewall can keep malware, phishing attempts, and other cyber threats at bay before they even reach your system.

Personally, I use Norton 360, which includes both a VPN and a Smart Firewall. The VPN encrypts my internet connection, keeping my data private, while Norton’s Smart Firewall actively monitors and blocks any unwanted or suspicious traffic. Together, they create a stronger shield, protecting my online activity from prying eyes and defending against potential cyber threats. For most users, this combination offers a convenient and effective way to enhance privacy and security.

Why You Need Both a VPN and a Firewall

The truth is, for the best security, it’s smart to use both a VPN and a firewall. A VPN hides your online activity and protects data as it’s transmitted, while a firewall actively filters what enters and exits your network. Together, they cover more ground, giving you a stronger shield against a range of threats.

I can often easily spot phishing scams, but around a month before penning this piece, I very nearly fell victim to one. It was one of the most legitimate-looking emails I’ve received, which made it even scarier. Fortunately, I acted fast to reduce the damage.

What Did the Scam Look Like?

One afternoon, I was innocently checking my Gmail inbox. Most of the messages weren’t anything to shout home about, but one in particular.

Its subject line?

“Your Invoice for $999” from an account claiming to be PayPal. According to this email, I had purchased something from eBay. For context, I’m based in Denmark, and we don’t have eBay here. I haven’t used the website for over four years when I was living in the UK.

While I’ve heard of common eBay scams, this was the first time I thought someone had used my account. So, as anyone would, alarm bells started ringing in my head. Had someone stolen my payment details? If so, how did they get them?

Why Did I Almost Fall for the Scam?

While I know the most common phishing attacks, this scam initially felt legitimate for several reasons. First, Gmail didn’t mark it as dangerous, and it ended up in my main inbox folder. Gmail is often very good at determining when someone’s trying to scam you. Usually, I see a message like this:

Another reason why this scam attempt initially looked legitimate is because it used the same formatting as you’d expect from a PayPal invoice. I use PayPal quite frequently, and its branding is pretty familiar. To their credit (I guess), the scammer did a good job of mimicking a PayPal invoice. Clearly, someone had spent a lot of time learning how to use design software.

Thirdly, the email featured good spelling and grammar. One of the easiest ways to spot phishing emails is poor use of English, but that wasn’t the case this time.

Why I Realized I Was Being Scammed

I always adopt a zero-trust policy with my emails if I know I haven’t bought a product or service. Since I was on high alert, I started looking for signs of being scammed; I usually receive a notification when money goes out of my PayPal account, so I initially checked my phone. But I saw nothing, so I started digging deeper.

Secondly, I noticed no verified tick next to the email. Every PayPal email address I’ve noticed in Gmail has a blue checkmark, but that wasn’t the case with this scam email. For example, when I contacted PayPal about the issue, you can see the verified tick next to their official account:

I also realized that the email address wasn’t associated with PayPal. Although quite similar, it didn’t use an official PayPal domain.

How I Minimized the Damage

Unfortunately, there are numerous PayPal scams, and while prevention is the best option, you’ll sometimes need to enter damage limitation mode. I took some essential actions to minimize the potential impact, which I’ve listed them below.

1. I Did Not Reply to the Email

It was vital to take a step back and not do anything I may have regretted, such as responding to the email. A scammer isn’t going to admit that they’re trying to take money from you, and I would have gotten nothing from doing so.

Instead of responding to the email I received, I later sought official customer support. While I initially deleted the message, I reversed it so I could forward it to the authorities.

2. I Didn’t Hand Over Any Important Details

You’ll sometimes receive scam attempt emails that ask for sensitive information, such as your bank details. Under no circumstances should you ever give these details. No company will ask you to submit such information via email, so you’re putting yourself in needless danger.

I made sure that the scammer didn’t have access to anything important. They clearly knew my PayPal email address because otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to send me a message. So, I changed my password. This experience also reminded me that it’s so important to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your PayPal account.

3. I Checked My Bank Statements to See if Money Had Gone Out

Besides securing my PayPal account, I also wanted to confirm that someone couldn’t access my account. My next step was to check my linked bank accounts and statements to ensure there weren’t any strange invoices. Thankfully, there weren’t.

I’ve been scammed once before, and when this happened, I immediately canceled my bank cards. Because I acted fast, the bank could also cancel the transaction. So, I adopted the same principles this time.

4. I Reported the Fake Invoice to PayPal

It would’ve been very easy to sit back and relax after confirming that I hadn’t fallen victim to a phishing scam. However, I also did not want others to experience what I had. PayPal has an email address that deals with phishing attempts, and I forwarded the fake invoice to this.

I don’t know if that did anything, but I at least did everything that I could. You can do several other things to determine if a PayPal email is genuine or phishing before sending it to the company.

5. I Deleted the Email and Didn’t Click on Any Links

You should never click on links from emails that you don’t recognize, and I applied the same logic in this situation. Even if these links looked like they were from PayPal or eBay, I didn’t want to risk infecting my computer with malware.

Once I sent the invoice to PayPal, I deleted the email and blocked the sender’s address. At the very most, any future scam attempts should appear in my Spam folder rather than the main inbox.

My Advice for Anyone Who Might Fall Victim to This Scam

If you receive a phishing email, I suggest doing everything I did here. Always look for intricate details that could be red flags, such as illegitimate email addresses and no verification checkmark. Never reply to the message or click on any links, either.

You should also check your bank account and contact them so they know what’s happened. If you use eBay, I suggest contacting its customer support team to ensure nobody has bought something from your account. Moreover, you should check your purchase history.

It’s also vital that you don’t give any sensitive information to the scammer. If you want to go a step further, your email client should let you report a message as phishing.

Android

Pinning windows is one of the most useful ways to keep the things you’re working on front and center so you never lose focus. Luckily, you can easily pin windows two different ways in Windows 11.

Pin Windows With a Keyboard Shortcut

While not the most effective, the easiest way to pin a window in Windows 11 is to select the app you want to pin and then press Ctrl + F11 on your keyboard.

This activates the built-in “always on top” feature for that app. You can unpin a window anytime by pressing Ctrl + F12. It’s handy, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work as intended.

Some apps won’t become pinned at all. Others, like File Explorer, tend to get wonky, with bits of the window displaying off the screen. This makes it almost impossible to use the app, requiring you to unpin and repin it.

I’ve also noticed using this method tends to sometimes send the window into fullscreen mode. While that can be handy, it doesn’t always help your workflow. Thankfully, there’s another method.

Use PowerToys Always On Top for More Precise Pinning

The best way to take advantage of window pinning in Windows 11 is by downloading PowerToys. This suite of handy Windows tools is provided free by Microsoft, and is one of the best ways to be more productive in Windows.

The tool you want to take advantage of here is called Always On Top. When enabled, all you have to do is press Ctrl + Win + T to pin any window to the front of your desktop. This activates a glowing outline around the window, showing you it has been pinned.

With a window pinned, you can quickly move other windows around without worrying about losing the one you need to focus on. This makes it exceptionally easy to keep your work focused while also giving you the freedom to move through other apps.

There are a multitude of reasons you may want to take advantage of Windows 11 window pinning. Students will find it handy for writing research papers or working on homework. You can pin important documents that have data you need to refer to often so you never lose them.

Others may find it useful for pinning applications like the calculator, a to-do list, or even sticky notes you don’t want to lose track of. PowerToys also comes with other useful tools, like Peek, which lets you quickly preview files in File Explorer. You can combine multiple of these tools together can help you improve your workflow significantly.

Like many people who write for a living, I’m notoriously anti-AI. However, a new tool from Perplexity is forcing me to reconsider the benefits of using AI as part of my productivity workflow.

What Is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is billed as the “Swiss Army Knife of information discovery and curiosity.” Really, that’s a fancy way of saying you can ask it questions, and, using its magic artificial intelligence superpowers, it will scour a seemingly infinite database to help you find the answers.

Perplexity offers a two-tiered service, with both a paid and a free version. If you’ve used something like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, you’re likely familiar with this type of interface. On the other hand, if you’re not familiar, we’ve put together a guide to help you better understand how artificial intelligence works.

The free tier of Perplexity AI allows for basic questioning, email and article summaries, and code creation. Perplexity also provides up-to-date source information so you can avoid the dreaded AI hallucination issue.

However, when you subscribe to the $20/month or $200/year Pro tier, things get more interesting. For example, a pro subscription means you can switch AI models from Perplexity’s default to something like Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Sonar Large, GPT-4o, or Grok-2.

Pro Searches are also more detailed and precise than the free Quick Searches. Pro also entitles you to upgraded support, an exclusive Discord, and the ability to upload unlimited documents for analysis.

How Perplexity Is Different from Other Desktop AI

There are heaps of generative AI chatbots, all with different pros and cons. However, a few things set Perplexity AI apart from some other desktop AI assistants—at least for me. First is its built-in citation functionality.

Perplexity lists several references at the top of each query when it provides an answer for you. As someone who does extensive research, I appreciate the ability to keep track of any source material Perplexity finds so I can vet it before using it.

Second, Perplexity also updates its information in real time, which means you’ll get relevant answers to your questions and answers populated with the most up-to-date information.

Finally, there’s the Copilot feature—an interactive search assistant that asks clarifying questions to help personalize the answers to your search queries. It’s like having someone personally invested in finding the right answer for you.

Overall, the feature set is pretty rich. However, these few features are just the most prominent. Honestly, the quickest way to learn everything Perplexity can do is to try it for yourself.

How Do I Use Perplexity AI?

I use Perplexity in a few ways that might offer you some insight.

Product Research

Recently, I was looking for a new harness for one of my dogs. Instead of trying to comb through several sites, I asked Perplexity to recommend the best dog harness in the US at the time. Perplexity not only found a great harness backed by various publications, but it also suggested a harness that I probably wouldn’t have purchased had I just searched Amazon.

Distilling Evidence-Based Information

Last week, I asked Perplexity to help design a science-backed, evidence-based workout program. It came back with a pretty comprehensive list of suggestions. Could I have compiled all the science and eventually found best practices myself? Maybe. No doubt that would have taken me a significant chunk of time, though.

I asked Perplexity to assist, instead focusing on the information I needed and giving me a targeted list of credible sources I could review. By doing so, I saved myself countless hours I might have wasted just reading and analyzing extraneous information that didn’t fit my science-backed criterion.

Website Analysis

Because Perplexity is primarily a predictive tool, it’s great for textual analysis. This means it can find all manner of commonalities on the web if you ask it the right questions. I frequently ask Perplexity to generate a list of common SEO keywords on a topic, for example. Doing so helps me optimize my content to reach readers like you a bit more easily.

Other Ways to Use Perplexity

Ideally, Perplexity is best at sorting and organizing information in a way that allows for easy digestion. If you need to buy a new couch or do academic research on the best breakfast foods, the tool is an impeccable help. It doesn’t do the work for you, per se, but it does cut some fluff and some of the time it takes to sort through information.

If you’re going to use it, I’d suggest you replace your standard Google search with the tool for a week and see if the answers you get are more or less helpful. Moreover, Perplexity works better when you provide specific qualifiers in your queries.

Qualifiers such as “You’re an AKC certified dog trainer” or “Help me find evidence-based research” are exceptionally useful. We’ve previously compiled a list of effective generative AI prompting techniques to maximize tools like Perplexity.

Why Perplexity Has Me Changing My Mind About AI

So we’re clear: Perplexity isn’t sponsoring this post. I just really like its AI tool. I’ve even purchased a year of the Pro subscription because I like it so much. You may not feel the same way I do.

Before encountering this AI assistant, I was horrified at the prospect of installing AI into my workflows. This is mainly because, as someone who writes for the web, I get a little bristly when it’s suggested that AI will eventually replace me and the craft I’ve spent decades honing.

However, in holding to that bias against AI tools, I failed to see I’m not making myself more obsolete by using them. Instead, I’ve found Perplexity AI makes me more efficient and better informed. That means I get to do more of the work I want while avoiding some of the more time-consuming tasks I don’t.

Many music streaming services are currently available, from the most popular ones like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music to the less well-known options like Qobuz and Deezer. If you don’t know which one to pick, here are key factors to consider the best option for your needs.

1 Regional Availability

Despite the vast number of services on the market, not all of them are available in all regions. Similar to video-on-demand services like Netflix, this is due to licensing restrictions. So before you settle for a given service, make sure it’s available in your region. If your region is supported, you can access the service without any hiccups and won’t need to hide behind VPNs.

Mainstream music streaming services are typically available in more regions, so they’re likely to be accessible in your region as well. Spotify, for example, is available in over 180 countries, according to Spotify’s About page. In comparison, according to a Qobuz support page, Qobuz is only available in 26 countries.

However, the number of countries supported shouldn’t be an issue. The key consideration is whether the service is available in your region. Visiting a service’s website is enough to let you know whether the platform is available in your current region.

2 Music Streaming Quality

Music quality is one of the key factors you need to look out for when selecting a music streaming service. While it would be best if all services offered the highest quality as a standard, that’s unfortunately not the case. Different music streaming services offer different audio playback qualities.

If we take Spotify as an example, the service allows you to stream audio at a maximum bitrate of 320kbit/s on its desktop and mobile apps, but only up to 256kbit/s using its web player. Apple Music, on the other hand, has its lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), which allows users to stream audio at different resolutions, ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

Audio quality is just one of the many differences between Spotify and Apple Music. So, if you care about streaming quality, pick a service that offers higher quality. You can also look at high-resolution music streaming services that prioritize audio quality.

3 Pricing Tiers and Bundling Options

Most music streaming services have a monthly subscription price, which allows users to access and play millions of songs. Most paid music streaming services have plans around or slightly above $10. Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music Unlimited cost $10.99 a month, while Spotify and Deezer cost a dollar more. With most priced are priced similarly, you should consider whether they are bundling options that could make one service cheaper than the other.

For example, Amazon Music Unlimited costs $10.99 per month, but Amazon has a separate plan called Amazon Music Prime, which is free if you have an Amazon Prime subscription. Subscribing to YouTube Premium also unlocks YouTube Music for free.

If you don’t want to pay for music, you should check whether the service in question offers a free tier. Spotify and Deezer do offer free plans, although Deezer only offers the free tier in certain regions. Alternatively, instead of hunting for services with free tiers, you can check out free music streaming services.

4 Catalog Size and Exclusivity

This is another area that sets music streaming services apart, and you should consider it when picking one. You may want to pick a service with a bigger catalog as a larger catalog size means a broader selection of songs, albums, and genres.

If you enjoy discovering new music or listening to diverse styles, opting for a service with a vast library is essential. Spotify, for example, boasts a library of over 100 million tracks while Tidal says it has over 110 million tracks.

While exclusivity is no longer standard in the music streaming industry, there are some songs and artists you won’t find on certain platforms. You should therefore check the availability of your favorite artists, albums, or songs on the given platform before committing. A free trial or free tier should help you figure this out.

5 Ease of Music Discovery

Another critical factor to consider when choosing a music streaming service is the ease of music discovery. Music streaming services have tens of millions of songs in their catalog. With countless tracks available at your fingertips, having an intuitive and effective way to find new music can significantly enhance the listening experience. Using the service will be tedious without a proper system for music discovery.

There are different aspects to consider as far as music discovery is concerned. The first aspect is the availability of personalized recommendations. Thankfully, most music streaming services have machine-learning algorithms in place for this purpose.

Secondly, the service should have a user-friendly interface to make searching and navigation easier. Finally, the service should have curated playlists based on different aspects, like genres, mood, activity, season, and more. All three play a key role in making music discovery easier. Additionally, you can still use music discovery apps to find new songs.

To gauge a platform’s user-friendliness and ease of music discovery, you should try the free tier if it’s available, or if not, use the free trial option.

6 Cross Platform Support

Before selecting a given service, ensure it’s available across multiple platforms. You probably have more than just a smartphone, so it’s important to evaluate the devices you use and check if the service is available across those platforms. For example, if you have an Android smartphone, a Google TV, and an iPad, ensure that you can access and stream music across these devices.

By prioritizing cross-platform compatibility, you’ll ensure your music is always within reach, no matter where you are or what device you use.

7 Availability of Other Content

Some music streaming services offer more than just music, so considering the availability of other content, such as podcasts and audiobooks, is crucial for convenience. If a platform offers podcasts, you won’t need a separate app, enabling seamless transitions between music and podcasts.

Spotify, Pandora, and Deezer offer podcasts, some of which are exclusive. Additionally, Spotify also offers audiobooks in certain regions.

However, if you don’t want your music streaming app to include more than music, you can trim down your options by only considering platforms that offer music.

Choosing the right music streaming service comes down to your preferences and availability. These factors are essential when selecting a music streaming platform, no matter where you are. By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and pick a service that suits your needs.

As an audiophile, I’m super picky about headphones. I usually don’t want to drop cash on them unless I know they can deliver. Over the years, I’ve refined a checklist of quick tests you can do in-store or even at home that help me get a true sense of what a pair of headphones can do. These tests also apply to other audio devices like earbuds or earphones.

1 Sound Quality and Frequency Range

Most human ears can hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. In simple terms, the lower the number, the deeper the bass; the higher the number, the clearer the treble. I’m more interested in how well the headphones handle the frequencies in between because I believe that’s where most music lives.

To test this, I usually fire up a few of my favorite tracks from different genres. I’ll start with something bass-heavy, like funk or dubstep, to see if the headphones can deliver those low-end thumps without drowning out everything else. If the bass overwhelms the mids and highs, I will likely drop it. I don’t want the vocals or instruments to sound like a subwoofer is suffocating them.

Next, I’ll switch to something more balanced to check how the headphones deal with mids and highs. One trick I always use is playing a classical piece with a full orchestra. There’s no better way to see how headphones handle a broad range of frequencies than listening to all those instruments working together. If I can pick out the violins, drums, horns, and the subtle low hum of the cellos without any one part dominating, that’s a good sign the sound is well-balanced.

Of course, everyone’s taste in sound is different. Some people love bass-heavy headphones, while others prefer a more neutral, studio-quality sound. That’s why I recommend testing with the music you listen to.

2 Comfort and Fit

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Everyone’s head is shaped differently, and what might feel fine for one person can be a total nightmare for someone else. That’s why I always test my headphones out for 10 minutes or more to see how my head and ears feel afterward. This is especially important with over-ear and on-ear styles, where clamping force can make or break comfort. I want them snug enough to stay in place but not so tight that I feel like my skull’s in a vice. If I start feeling pain around my temples or the top of my head, it’s not good for me.

A good pair of headphones should disappear on your head and not make you constantly aware of their presence. They should also have some adjustability. I like it when the ear cups swivel, and the headband has a decent range of extensions. That way, I can fine-tune the fit to avoid any awkward pressure points.

I also pay attention to the ear cushions. Are they soft, plush, and breathable, or do they feel like someone glued cardboard to the ear cups? The material and thickness of the padding can make a big difference, especially if you wear glasses. If the cushions are too stiff, your frames will dig into the sides of your head, making you want to rip them off after a few minutes. If you don’t wear glasses, you can still test this by wearing thick sunglasses or anything that sits on your ears just to simulate the effect.

3 Noise Isolation and Cancellation

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Before we dive into testing, know that noise isolation and noise cancellation are not the same thing. For noise isolation, I prefer to keep it simple. I pop on the headphones and play some music or a podcast at a comfortable volume. Then, I simulate the real world. I’ll walk into a louder area or stand by a window with traffic going by. If I can still focus on my audio without cranking the volume, the isolation is doing its job.

A word of advice: if you’re testing in-ear headphones and the ear tips don’t create a proper seal, even the best isolating headphones will feel like they’re letting in half the noise around you. Don’t be afraid to try different sizes or materials.

Now for the fun part—testing the noise cancellation. This is where I get a little creative. One of my favorite tricks is going near something loud and obnoxious, like a running vacuum. I’ll switch the cancellation feature on and off while standing near it to compare how much noise is reduced. If the roar fades into a dull hum or disappears altogether, that’s a solid pass for me.

I also make a point of testing noise cancellation in different environments. For example, I’ll take the headphones outside where there’s a mix of noises, like cars driving by or people chatting. If it can tone down the chaos without making the audio sound weird or muffled, I’m impressed.

4 Control Buttons Accessibility

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If I’m out for a run or commuting on a crowded train, I need my headphones’ buttons or touch controls to be intuitive and responsive, which is why I check their placement. Are they in a spot that’s easy to reach? Some headphones have the buttons tucked away in places that are impossible to find without taking them off entirely.

Ideally, the buttons should be positioned in a way that feels natural when you’re wearing the headphones. If you can’t find them without looking, that’s a red flag. I’ve also encountered headphones whose buttons are too close together, making it too easy to hit the wrong one accidentally. I don’t want to crank up the volume when I mean to pause my podcast.

Next, I check for tactile feedback. Some headphones have buttons that feel mushy, such that pressing them doesn’t give you any indication that you’ve done something. On the flip side, others give a satisfying click that lets you know you’ve pressed the right thing. I always prefer the latter. It’s especially important if you’re planning to use your headphones while exercising or multitasking. You want to control your music without thinking about it, and that’s only possible if the buttons are responsive and give clear feedback.

5 Microphone Quality

​​​​I always pay close attention to the microphone quality on headphones—especially if I plan on using them for calls, gaming, or recording voice notes. The first thing I do is make a call to a trusted friend. I ask for feedback on how I sound compared to my usual setup. If they say I sound muffled or like I’m standing in a wind tunnel, that’s a big no. A good microphone should pick up your voice clearly without too much background noise or distortion. If you’re hearing complaints about echoes or weird metallic sounds, that’s another dealbreaker.

Next, I make a quick voice recording on my phone or computer. Most devices have built-in apps for this (like Voice Memos), and it’s an easy way to hear how you’ll sound to others. I listen for clarity—can I hear every word distinctly? Or do I sound like I’m speaking through a layer of cotton? I also check for background noise. If the mic is picking up every little sound in the room—my keyboard clacking, the fan whirring, or my neighbor’s dog barking two houses down—they’re not the right headphones for me.

6 Connection Options

Whether you’re Team Wireless or prefer the simplicity of a wired headphone, each connection type has its unique strengths (and potential headaches).

Wired headphones are the classic option, and I prefer them over wireless headphones for many reasons. One thing I always test here is the cable itself. Do they use a standard 3.5mm jack, or is it some proprietary plug that’ll drive me bonkers trying to replace it if it breaks? Also, is the cable detachable? Because if it is, you can swap it out easily if it gets damaged over time, which is a huge bonus.

Now, for wireless, I usually want to see how the headphones handle pairing. I test how easy it is to switch between devices—say, from my phone to my laptop. If I have to dig through settings whenever I want to swap devices, I won’t buy those headphones.

There’s also latency to check out. Wired headphones have no latency, whereas some wireless ones have a noticeable lag, which can be unbelievably frustrating. I’ll usually test this by watching a movie scene with a lot of dialogue or action. If the sound doesn’t line up with the visuals, it’s a no-go for me.

Some headphones give you the best of both worlds, offering both wired and wireless options. If you’re the kind of person who likes the flexibility of switching between the two, this is something to look out for. One thing I test with hybrid headphones is how they sound in wired versus wireless mode. Sometimes, there’s a noticeable difference in audio quality, and you’ll want to know before you commit.

Also, I double-check how they handle using the mic during calls. Some headphones will only let you use the mic in wireless mode, and this can be frustrating if you need to take a call while plugged in.

I’ve been using Windows 11 since its beta release. While it’s a solid operating system on its own, I almost can’t use it without installing three apps that give me better customization and features.

1 Rainmeter

One of the best things about Rainmeter is the amount of freedom you get to customize your Windows 11 desktop. You only get a few simple skins to start. However, the community has thousands of free skins available across sources like Deviant Art and the Rainmeter website.

If you want to get extra fancy, you can also create your own custom desktop icons or skins from scratch. This process is a bit more involved and requires coding, as Rainmeter skins are made in a text editor like Notepad++.

But you don’t have to create your own skins to get plenty of use out of Rainmeter. There are thousands of free skins out there, and you can mix and match elements from them to make your perfect desktop.

Rainmeter is free to download, though some creators may charge for their skins.

Download: Rainmeter (Free)

2 Startallback

The second must-have app I always turn to is Startallback. There are a lot of great Start menu replacements out there, but Startallback has become my go-to in recent years.

The main reason for this is the extensive customization it offers. You can configure the Start Menu, Taskbar, and Tray Icons. This app is a great way to get more out of Windows 11’s Start Menu.

Another great thing about Startallback is that you can customize File Explorer to change its user interface and bring back classic context menus. There are other ways to customize File Explorer, including some directly in Windows 11.

However, those options don’t offer as many options as Startallback. The only downside to this app is you only get 100 days of free use before you have to purchase a license to continue using it.

Download: Startallback (Free Trial, $4.99)

3 Minibin

The final app I can’t use Windows 11 without is less of an overhaul and more a quality of life addition. But, it’s still an important addition.

MiniBin is exactly what it sounds like: a mini Recycle Bin for your taskbar. I spend a lot of time on my computer with multiple windows open, so reaching the Recycle Bin isn’t always easy.

Luckily, MiniBin makes it easy, as all I have to do is interact with an icon on the taskbar to clean up old trash files. The icon also updates as the bin fills, which is handy for keeping an eye on things and cleaning up after a big project.

Once installed, you can clean out your Recycle Bin anytime by double-clicking on the icon. You can also customize the icon if you want to add a little more flair.

Download: MiniBin (Free)

None of these apps fundamentally change how Windows 11 works, which is a big part of why I love them. You still get to customize a lot about the operating system. However, it never stops feeling like the Windows you already know.

Using MagSafe on Android might seem impossible since the technology is exclusive to Apple devices. However, I’ll share a workaround that involves using stickers to get your Android devices working with MagSafe chargers and accessories in no time.

What Are “MagSafe Stickers”?

MagSafe is essentially a combination of a wireless charging coil and some magnets. iPhones come with these magnets built in, but if you buy an Android device, you’re only getting half the package, assuming your phone supports wireless charging.

So, while your Android phone might be able to use MagSafe chargers to charge wirelessly, it’ll definitely not snap into place like an iPhone does. This is where “MagSafe stickers” come into play.

These stickers are made of small magnetic rings with adhesive on the back. All you have to do is line them up with your phone’s wireless charging coil and stick them either to the back of your phone or case, and that’s it. The magnets in the sticker keep your phone stuck to the MagSafe charger you’re using, and wireless charging works as expected.

I’m using the PopSockets Adapter Ring for MagSafe, which costs around $7 on Amazon. You can find cheaper alternatives from other sellers, and some MagSafe chargers even bundle these as extras. In theory, all such stickers should work fine, but I’d recommend sticking to reputed sellers. The PopSockets ring has quite a lot of magnetic strength and doesn’t seem to affect the charging speed of my Pixel 7a.

The stickers work with just about any phone that supports wireless charging, including older iPhones that don’t support MagSafe. In case your phone doesn’t support wireless charging, you can use these stickers to use the many MagSafe accessories, like phone mounts for desks, cars, and everything else.

What Phones Do These Stickers Work With?

The good thing about using these stickers is that they’ll work with any phone that supports wireless charging. Additionally, you can also stick them directly on the back of your phone if you don’t like putting on a case. Even if your phone doesn’t support wireless charging, these stickers allow you to use the hundreds of MagSafe-compatible phone mounts on the market.

For example, if the phone mount in your car is a headache to get your phone hooked up to (which it generally is), these stickers allow you to upgrade to a magnetic one where you pretty much snap your phone onto the mount.

You can also use a magnetic case, but unless you have an iPhone or a flagship Android, you have limited case options. These stickers, on the other hand, let you use any phone, and pretty much any case, with MagSafe-compatible chargers and stands without having to spend an unreasonable amount. MagSafe cases also cost more than these stickers.

Some case considerations must be made when using stickers, though. The stickers I bought aren’t officially compatible with silicone, textured, or anti-fingerprint-coated cases. From my experience, they should work on most cases as long as they’re not too thick or made of fabric. The adhesive strip on the back of the stickers I got is strong enough to stick on a silicone case so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

Are MagSafe Stickers Safe to Use?

These stickers are totally safe to use, but since they’re an aftermarket solution, there are a few things you should be mindful of.

Sticker placement is the most important thing here. While you don’t have to get the alignment perfectly right, it’s best to be as close as possible, as a misaligned sticker may not charge your device properly or cause overheating issues.

I placed mine slightly off-axis, and my phone sometimes sits on the charger and fluctuates between charging and non-charging states. Most of these stickers aren’t reusable either, so if you end up sticking them in the wrong spot, you’ll have to use a fresh one.

You also need to keep an eye out for the charger you use. This isn’t a big issue because most MagSafe-compatible chargers work fine, but I still recommend getting a charger that matches your phone’s wireless charging speed. In case you’re confused, we have a list of the best MagSafe chargers you can pick from.

With a few careful considerations, you can use these stickers to make any phone MagSafe compatible and enjoy all the benefits. Wireless charging is great, but it’s even better when your phone snaps into place instead of you having to fiddle around to find the right spot.

WhatsApp isn’t just about connecting with others—sometimes, the most valuable conversation is with yourself. While the platform excels at bringing people together, here are some tips on how I use the Message Yourself feature to stay organized.

Why My Phone’s Most Important Chat Is With Myself

Like many other messaging apps, you can send yourself a message on WhatsApp. That’s why one of the most valuable conversations on my WhatsApp is with myself. It’s not about being self-absorbed—it’s about staying organized.

Just like jotting down a quick note or setting a reminder, messaging myself on WhatsApp has become an easy way to keep track of important thoughts and tasks. And the best part? It’s always with me, right in my pocket.

My Online Sticky Notes That Never Get Lost

We all have those bright, colorful sticky notes that always seem to vanish when we need them most. Well, using WhatsApp’s Message Yourself feature as my personal information hub puts an end to lost notes.

Just like how I’d write down a quick reminder or an idea, I now send myself text messages or voice notes on WhatsApp. The difference? These notes never get lost in the shuffle of papers on my desk. And by pinning my chat to the top of WhatsApp, I can refer back to my notes with just a tap.

I’ve created a repository for all my important information by using WhatsApp as my go-to note-taking tool. Everything, from work-related tasks, shopping lists, interesting articles, and funny memes I want to save for later, is just a few taps away.

The best part about this is the convenience factor. WhatsApp is already my most-used messaging app, so incorporating it into my note-taking workflow was a snap. Plus, with its powerful search function, I can easily find specific notes or links whenever needed.

Temporarily Holding Files Until I Need Them

Sometimes, we come across a file or document we know we’ll need later, but we don’t want to clutter up our phone’s storage. WhatsApp’s self-chat feature is perfect for this—it temporarily holds all your digital stuff.

Whether it’s a PDF, a screenshot, or a funny meme, I send it to myself on WhatsApp. WhatsApp stores all media files on its servers, so I can access them whenever needed without bogging down my device. And when I’m done with a file, I can simply delete it from the chat.

However, it’s important to note that WhatsApp automatically deletes files from its servers after a certain period. Media within a message is stored for up to 30 days in encrypted form on WhatsApp’s servers. You should download your files before they get deleted.

While WhatsApp’s self-chat is great for temporary file storage, it’s not a permanent solution. For files I need to keep long-term, I save them to my phone or a free cloud storage service.

You can also use this chat as a way to highlight important files for easy access. For example, if you have a flight boarding pass that isn’t supported by Google Wallet, you can save the PDF in your WhatsApp chat for easy access.

Using It for Cross-Device Accessibility

WhatsApp has multi-device support. So it allows me to access all my messages and files with just a few taps or clicks on my phone, tablet, or computer. I can start typing a note on my phone and finish it on my laptop without missing a beat.

So, if I need to access a file I sent myself earlier, I don’t have to worry about which device I used to send it. All my chat history is available on any device linked to my WhatsApp account.

WhatsApp’s Message Yourself feature is handy for staying organized and productive. However, it’s important to be mindful of what information you store there. With the rise of WhatsApp scams, it’s best to keep sensitive data, like passwords or financial details, in a secure, private space.

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New title: Feeling Down? The Top 10 Good News Websites to Cheer You Up

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Most news stories are overwhelmingly negative, and constantly exposing yourself to all the world’s problems can harm your mental health over time. I’ve cut down my consumption to the point that I almost never watch normal news, and instead, I recommend sites that focus specifically on good stories.

One of the most prominent good news websites is Positive News. Founded in 1993, the organization aims to produce independent positive news stories. Positive News is a quarterly magazine and an online publication.

In 2015, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign titled #OwnTheMedia. This turned Positive News into a cooperative, essentially making each of the 1,500 backers a co-owner of Positive News. This is an unusual model for journalism, and it keeps the publication accountable for its vision.

The site publishes stories on a wide range of topics, including society, the environment, lifestyle, science, and economics. Positive News is a UK-based organization, so some stories have a more British slant, but it also covers the US and other countries. You can support Positive News by making a donation.

A common theme among positive news websites is their longevity, which in itself, is good news. The Good News Network has been operational since 1997 and has amassed an archive of over 21,000 positive news stories.

The so-called Good News Guru, Geri Weis-Corbley, has been at the helm since founding the site. Like Positive News, which primarily covers good news in the UK, Good News Network has its own regional slant, covering some of the best positive news in the US.

If you want to support the site, you can become a member by donating. Good News Network is also an excellent choice for those on the go, thanks to the site’s mobile apps for Android and iOS. So, if you want to stop doomscrolling, open the Good News Network app in place of your regular news provider or social network.

For those who prefer their news in podcast form, it also produces the Good News Gurus Podcast. It acknowledges that good news doesn’t end at the US border, so the site has an entire section dedicated to positive world news. There’s even a Spanish-language section of the site.

Unlike some positive news websites, Good News Network is not a non-profit organization. This is because it wants to show that it is possible to be profitable while still focusing on the positive things in life.

While other positive news websites tend to take a slower approach to journalism, The Optimist Daily is focused on the here and now. The site aims “to accelerate the shift in human consciousness by catalyzing 100 million people to start each day with a positive solutions mindset”.

The site doesn’t aim to be an alternative to mainstream news. Rather, it wants to be a positive outlet for happy news, where people can get the good news of the day.

Some of the phrases used to describe the site sound like they were taken from a new-age self-help guide. But beneath the flowery language, its mission is the same as that of other positive news websites: to spread good news today and minimize negativity.

The Optimist Daily doesn’t just focus on good news or positive news, though. It also has a substantial archive of personal development tips and techniques.

Reddit isn’t a website that people normally associate with good news or happy news. The site is more commonly linked with controversy for its more infamous Subreddits. However, the Uplifting News subreddit is “a place to read and share positive and uplifting feel-good news stories.” Since launching in 2012, the community has now grown to 18 million+ strong.

The moderators do an excellent job of keeping the discussion focused and, for the most part, good-natured. When things do veer off into less desirable territory, other users encourage each other to stay focused on the positive and not descend into squabbling.

However, if you want to read only good news, you can ignore the discussions and use the subreddit to discover positive news stories instead. With such a diverse membership, the site is also a great resource for positive news worldwide.

If you’re new to the site, you may want to check out the best Reddit sites and apps for beginners as well. And despite its negativity, some think that Reddit is the best social media platform around.

The Happy Newspaper is a quarterly newspaper by British writer and illustrator Emily Coxhead; it launched in 2015 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. The magazine is available on a subscription basis and provides an offline good news alternative for when you want to switch off from your screens.

News items are arranged chronologically by month, and each issue is centered around a specific happy news theme. There is even a section called Everyday Heroes, which looks at some of the most inspirational people and organizations, as nominated by The Happy Newspaper readers.

The newspaper is available as a subscription or gift subscription and can be shipped worldwide to lovers of positive news.

Upworthy can sometimes take a more negative approach than the other websites listed so far, but these are intended to be thought-provoking rather than bad. The overwhelming majority of articles speculate on how we can change societal issues, such as teenagers’ mental health, and they take a hopeful and pragmatic approach.

Upworthy also identifies funny stories but from a place of legitimate amusement and being wholesome, instead of putting others down. You can find a list of trending stories on the right-hand side.

Today.com’s Good News section features positive news stories from everyday life, and I felt better just by scrolling down the homepage and skimming its headlines. You’ll find wholesome stories about couples revisiting their first date spot, along with plenty of articles about people doing good things in the world.

If you’re looking for positive news stories with less of a political tinge and you want some relief from worrying about everyday issues, Today.com is an excellent source. Coupling this website with podcasts for positivity and inspiration could make a significant positive impact.

Do you have an interest in science and a passion for learning how the world works? Happy Daze is the website for you. Here, you’ll find plenty of non-conventional stories about a broad range of topics. For example, you can learn how plants get calcium.

The website is updated less frequently than many others on this list; nonetheless, it’s worth checking every few weeks to see if anything new has been uploaded.

While some of the posts on r/goodnews are also published on r/UpliftingNews, you’ll find several other fresh stories that weren’t covered. These stories are a mixture of articles from mainstream outlets and more niche websites, and the subreddit is typically updated daily.

Besides finding stories covered online, others will share their own success stories. It’s an ideal place to get inspiration, and you might want to couple what you see with online communities for personal growth.

Only Good News Daily is a mixture of stories and fun articles that’ll undoubtedly make your day better. The website has daily good news roundups, meaning you can get an idea of what’s going well in the world before doing your usual tasks.

I particularly like Only Good News Daily when I’m short on time; it’s very easy to digest. You’ll also find plenty of videos, many of which showcase the wonders of our planet.

While the world has problems, it’s also much more positive than you think. For all the bad stories you see each day, plenty of things go well. Unfortunately, these often aren’t covered by big publications because they don’t sell as well. So, if you’re ready to change your information diet, these websites are a great starting point.

iOS 18 tries to override app icons with dark versions if they don’t have Dark Mode-compatible icons. However, it doesn’t always work. Hence, I use a workaround to create dark icons for apps on my iPhone that don’t have one.

Get the Shortcut to Obtain the Dark App Icon

First, you need the original icon for the app that isn’t Dark Mode-compatible. It’s easy to get this icon with the Get App Icon shortcut, which pulls app icons for a slew of iPhone apps.

Go to the Get App Icon shortcut page and tap Get Shortcut. Then, tap Open to open it in the built-in Shortcuts app and hit Add Shortcut to add it to your library.

Tap the Get App Icon shortcut to run it. Now, type the name of the unsupported app in the input prompt and hit Done to look it up. Then, tap the matching app, and the shortcut will save the app’s original icon to your Photos app.

Save the iOS 18 Dark Icon Background to Your iPhone

Next, you need a dark background. This is what we’ll replace the original background of our unsupported app icon with. Since we want all the dark app icons on the Home Screen to have the same tone, it’s best to use the iOS dark icon background.

Simply access the dark icon background page, long-tap the image, and select Save to Photos to save it to the Photos app.

Create the Dark Mode Icon for the App

Now that we have the original app icon and the dark background, creating the Dark Mode icon for your app is easy. We’ll use Remove.bg’s Change Image Background tool to do this, which lets us remove the white background from the original app icon and replace it with our dark background image.

Head to Remove.bg’s Change Image Background tool on your iPhone. Tap Upload Image, choose Photo Library, and select the original app icon you saved to the Photos app above.

Similarly, tap the Select File button under Background Image and select Photo Library. Then, choose the dark icon background you saved previously.

As soon as you do this, the tool will generate a new app icon with a dark background. Tap Download and hit View on the confirmation prompt. This will open the icon in a new tab. Long-press the image and select Save to Photos to save it to your Photos app library.

Create an App Shortcut to Open the App

With everything done, the final step is to create an app shortcut for the Home Screen that uses the dark icon you just createdd as its icon.

Open the Shortcuts app and tap the + button in the top-right corner to create a new shortcut.

Next, tap the Search Actions bar, look up Open App, and tap the matching action to add it to the shortcut. Tap the App text on this action and select the app whose dark icon you just created on the following screen.

Now, tap the Open App text at the top and select Rename. Type the name of the app for which you’ve created the dark icon here and hit Done.

Hit the name again and select Add to Home Screen. On the following screen, tap the photo icon and select Choose Photo. Now, locate and select the dark app icon in your Photos library, and hit Choose to use it.

Finally, tap Add in the top-right corner to save the shortcut to your iPhone’s Home Screen.

After you do this, you can remove the original app from the Home Screen. Tap and hold the app’s icon on the Home Screen, then select Remove App, followed by Remove from Home Screen on the confirmation prompt.

Using the workaround above, you can easily create a dark icon for any iPhone app that doesn’t natively offer a dark app icon to match. Besides making app icons dark, you can customize your iPhone’s Home Screen to make them large and label-free or apply a custom color tint to match the wallpaper.

I love Google Chrome for its intuitive UI and versatility. However, it’s a notorious memory hog, and you might notice that it becomes sluggish after extended use. Thankfully, there are several simple ways to enhance Chrome’s performance.

Update Your Chrome Browser

One of the first things I check when Chrome’s performance is lagging is whether my browser is updated. Google regularly releases updates that introduce new features, fix bugs, and enhance security. Chrome should update automatically by default, but it’s worth checking, as an outdated version of Chrome can lead to slow performance and cause compatibility and security issues.

How to Update Chrome

1. Launch the browser on your device.
2. Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner to open the Chrome menu.
3. Hover over Help, then click About Google Chrome.
4. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install any available ones.

Close All Unused Tabs and Extensions

I am terrible at closing unused browser tabs while I work. Each open tab consumes memory and resources, leading to sluggish performance. The same goes for browser extensions. While they do enhance functionality, too many can strain Chrome’s efficiency.

Tips for Managing Tabs and Extensions

1. Review your open tabs regularly and close any that you no longer need. You can also use bookmarks to save important pages to access later.
2. Chrome allows you to group tabs, which can help you organize your workflow without having dozens of tabs cluttering your interface.
3. Go to the Chrome menu in the upper right corner, hover over Extensions, then select Manage Extensions. Disable or remove any extensions you don’t frequently use.

You might also consider using lightweight alternatives for a faster browsing experience.

Activate the Memory Saver Function

As an automated assistant for tab management, Chrome offers a Memory Saver function that improves its performance by reducing the memory usage of inactive tabs. When enabled, this feature automatically frees up memory from tabs you’re not currently using, allowing your active tabs to run more smoothly.

How to Activate Memory Saver

1. Open the Chrome menu and select Settings.
2. Scroll down to find the Performance section.
3. Toggle the Memory Saver option to switch it on.

I have mine set to Balanced, which deactivates my tabs after an optimal period.

Configure Your Preload Settings

Chrome uses a preloading feature that anticipates browsing behavior and preloads pages you might visit next. By optimizing your preload settings, you can speed up Chrome for a better browsing experience.

It’s worth experimenting with preload to see what works best for you. Turning it off can sometimes improve performance, especially if your browsing habits don’t align with the preloading predictions.

Attend to Unwanted Processes

Chrome is notorious for using a significant amount of memory and CPU. This is often due to unwanted processes running in the background, leading to sluggish performance. Regularly checking and managing these processes can noticeably increase your browser’s speed.

Managing Processes in Chrome

1. Open the Chrome menu and hover over More Tools.
2. Select Task Manager to display all active processes.
3. Look for processes that are using excessive CPU or memory.

If you identify any unwanted or unnecessary processes, select them and click End Process to close them.

Start Again From Scratch

If you’ve tried all the previous methods and your Chrome browser is still dragging its heels, it might be time for a more drastic measure—resetting Chrome. This will restore your browser to its original settings while removing any custom configurations that may be causing issues. Remember that resetting Chrome will remove pinned tabs, startup pages, and other personalized settings. However, bookmarks and saved passwords will remain intact.

How to Reset Chrome

1. Open the Chrome menu and click on Settings.
2. Scroll down and click on Reset settings.
3. Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. A confirmation window will appear. Click Reset settings to proceed.

Chrome is quite deservedly the most popular browser by some margin, with well over 60% of the global market share. As with most of Google’s lifestyle and productivity tools, I am a big fan of Chrome, although it’s not without its faults and can be very CPU-heavy.

Ensuring I run through this list of simple fixes whenever Chrome starts to lag significantly enhances my browsing experience, improving productivity and making my sessions more enjoyable. Each fix can be performed from within Chrome and takes seconds, potentially saving hours of frustration in the long run.

You can finally select from multiple window layouts on macOS without having to use a third-party program. But Windows 11 still does it better.

1 Windows Offers More Layouts to Choose From

Window Tiling in macOS is a game-changer. There’s no doubt about it. However, one thing Apple hasn’t done is give you as many ways to snap your windows into different positions.

macOS lets you put windows side by side, stack them on top of each other, and place one in each corner—for a total of four. You can also set one vertical window next to two smaller windows, giving you three windows on the screen at the same time.

Windows gives you all those options, plus a few more. You can set up three windows side-by-side in equal columns or take two windows and make one take up 75% of the screen while the other only takes up 25%.

There’s also an option to place one smaller column on either side of a larger center window, which I’ve found helpful while working on research-heavy projects. However, the number of options you have can change based on your display size and resolution.

Where Windows really shines is in its ability to create custom Windows Snap layouts using Fancy Zones. This feature is found in PowerToys, a free suite of tools Microsoft offers all Windows users.

Another place Windows Snap Layouts excels over Window Tiling in macOS is in its popup selector. Both Windows and macOS offer a popup that appears when you hover over the maximize button for a window. While handy, the popup can also take a moment to appear.

However, Windows has a much faster popup you can take advantage of. This one appears anytime you drag a window to the top center of your screen. It allows you to drop the window into any of the configurations Windows Snap Layouts offers for quicker snapping, and it’s how I use Snap Layouts the most.

This should be turned on by default. If you’ve somehow disabled it, here’s how to turn it back on:

Open Settings > System > Multitasking to find the Snap windows options. Press the downward-facing arrow to see all the different options. Click the checkbox beside Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen.

3 Snap windows with fewer keypresses in Windows

Another handy way to use Windows Snap Layouts and Window Tiling is through keyboard shortcuts. These are also easier to use on Windows, as you don’t have to press as many buttons to move your windows around.

On macOS you need to interact with three different keys to move windows into different snapping positions: Fn + Control + an arrow key. With Windows 11, you only have to press the Windows key and then an arrow key.

The keyboard shortcuts offer fewer snapping positions, but they are an excellent option if you’re trying to stack windows side-by-side quickly.

I’m happy Apple finally brought Window Tiling to macOS, and I no longer have to install a third-party app to take advantage of this great feature. However, Windows still offers more functionality, especially when you consider the customized layouts you can make with Fancy Zones. I hope Apple continues to expand Window Tiling in macOS with more layouts and customization. Until then, Windows gets my vote.

Smart homes have gotten more intelligent over the years, but we still haven’t quite reached the same level as old sci-fi movies where people could talk directly to a house AI. Fortunately, if Google plays its cards right, this technology may come sooner than you think. The company is working on letting Gemini interact with your smart home devices and tweak their settings based on your natural language prompts.

Google Gemini’s Home Integration Is Currently in the Testing Phase

As announced on Google Nest Help, the newest Public Preview build for the Google Home app features a new extension for Gemini:

With the Google Home extension, you can control your smart home devices with your Gemini mobile app.

For example, you can write or say:

• ‘Turn on/off all of the lights.’
• ‘Help me clean up the kitchen’ (to start the vacuum cleaner).
• ‘Turn the thermostat to heat-cool mode.’

At first glance, this may sound like commands you’d give a regular Google Home device. However, because Gemini runs off of an LLM, it can understand natural language prompts. This means it can take context from what you’re saying and figure out the best course of action.

For example, in Google’s guide on controlling your smart home with Gemini, the company states that you can say “The sun is too bright in the living room” and Gemini will know to close the window coverings. Or you can say “Set the dining room for a romantic date night” and Gemini will do its best to set the scene.

There are a few caveats with this new feature. For the time being, Gemini can only process English prompts, and it’s not allowed to influence any smart security devices. If that sounds alright with you, check out how to join the Google Home Preview Program if you want to give this feature a try early.

The Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors intrigued me as I rely on a Windows laptop for most of my daily tasks. However, after weighing the pros and cons, I won’t be making the switch—at least not yet. Here’s why.

1 Limited Gaming Capabilities

While the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips excel in productivity tasks, gaming performance leaves much to be desired. Many popular titles fail to launch on these ARM processors, leaving gamers unable to enjoy their favorite games on the go.

Even when games manage to start, they often suffer from crashes and poor performance, as showcased in the video above. Demonstrations of certain games running smoothly on this processor are likely due to game-specific optimizations rather than the processor’s inherent capabilities.

The compatibility issues and subpar performance of the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors plague most gaming experiences on laptops. Tweaking settings does little to improve frame rates, as the underlying problem lies in the chip’s functionality.

These limitations are concerning for someone who values gaming on the go. Not everyone prioritizes PC gaming on the go, but those who do may want to consider alternative CPUs with better integrated graphics performance for games.

2 Slow Emulation Hinders Productivity With Non-Native Apps

These CPUs handle native ARM applications with ease, but the story changes when it comes to non-native apps. Microsoft’s Prism emulator, built into Windows on ARM machines, attempts to bridge the gap. However, the results are mixed at best.

When installing traditional x64 programs, Prism works in the background to enable compatibility, but emulation comes at a cost: performance. Therefore, you should always check the compatibility of the software you wish to install—the site Windows 11 on ARM is a great resource.

Apps running through Prism, including productivity tools such as Asana and media players like Plex, often suffer noticeable slowdowns compared to their performance on x64 CPUs. The sluggish UI navigation and delayed response times can be frustrating, especially for someone like me who relies on these applications for daily work.

Both Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus struggle with non-native apps, which is a major red flag, making me hesitant about having these chips in my primary work machine. The performance hit is not just a minor inconvenience; it can significantly hinder productivity.

3 Performance and Compatibility Issues With Specialized Software

I often rely on specialized software for my projects. Unfortunately, the Snapdragon X Elite (as well as the X Plus) struggles to keep up with these applications’ demands, making it a less-than-ideal choice for professionals.

CAD software like SolidWorks runs on this CPU, but only through emulation. Performance is usable for occasional on-the-go adjustments to parts, but it falls short of the smooth desktop experience I’ve grown accustomed to. Other CAD software faces similar emulation-related performance issues.

It’s no better when it comes to video editing. Adobe Premiere Pro is plagued by crashes and poor performance on Snapdragon’s X Elite and X Plus chips. When it does work, the experience is far from enjoyable. Qualcomm’s promise of support for the Adobe Creative Suite seems limited to Photoshop and graphic design applications, leaving video editors in the lurch, as programs like Adobe After Effects aren’t even available on the processor yet.

While the Snapdragon’s ARM processors may be suitable for basic tasks, their performance and compatibility issues with specialized software make them a tough sell for professionals.

4 Future-Proofing Concerns Due to Uncertain Ecosystem Development

When investing in a new laptop, I want to ensure it will remain relevant and capable for the next few years. However, Qualcomm’s ARM-based ecosystem leaves me with doubts about its long-term viability.

While these chips show promise, the limited number of native ARM applications and the reliance on emulation for x64 programs raise concerns about future support. As developers focus on x64 and Apple’s M-series chips, the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips may struggle to keep pace.

The Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors show promise in certain areas, but their limitations in gaming, emulation, and specialized software make it a hard sell for power users seeking the best Windows laptops for their needs.

When deciding to step back from Facebook, it’s important to understand the difference between deactivating and deleting your account. Both options allow you to remove your online presence, but they cater to different needs and circumstances. Let’s delve into the differences between the two.

Deactivating vs. Deleting Your Facebook Account: Key Differences

Deactivating and deleting your Facebook account mainly differ in terms of what happens to your data and whether you can reverse your decision. Here are some key differences you need to be aware of.

Account Accessibility

Deactivating your Facebook account is a temporary action that allows you to take a break from the platform without permanently losing access. Think of it as pausing your account; you can reactivate it at any time.

Conversely, deleting your Facebook account is a permanent decision. Once you do this, all data associated with your profile, including messages, photos, and connections, is scheduled for deletion after a 30-day grace period. Once this period is over, your account and all associated data are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Messenger Access

When you deactivate your Facebook account, you retain access to Facebook Messenger, which means you can still chat with friends even without an active Facebook profile. Your name will still appear in your friends’ Messenger contacts.

Unlike deactivation, deleting your account fully removes your access to Messenger. All your chat history on Messenger is erased, and friends can no longer reach you through the platform. Messages you previously sent will appear as coming from “Facebook User”, and your account will be inaccessible for any future messages or replies.

Data Retention

Whether you choose to deactivate your account or delete it, Facebook hides your profile, posts, and content from other users, meaning others can’t search for your profile or interact with your posts as they will be invisible.

However, when you deactivate your account, Facebook retains all your data for easy reactivation. If you decide to return, your posts, photos, and connections will be restored exactly as they were.

On the other hand, deleting your account is a more permanent measure. Facebook begins deleting your data completely after the 30-day grace period, and the deletion process may take up to 90 days to complete. After the 30-day period, your information becomes inaccessible and you cannot recover it.

Deactivating vs. Deleting Your Facebook Account: Which One Should You Use?

Now that you understand the implications of deactivating or deleting your Facebook account, let’s discuss which option is best for you.

Deactivating your account is the better choice if you want to step back temporarily—perhaps to achieve a digital detox—or if you’re unsure about leaving Facebook for good. Deactivation is also useful if you don’t want to use Facebook but still wish to connect with your friends through Messenger.

If you are determined to leave Facebook and want no connection to the platform, deleting your account is the appropriate course of action. Additionally, deleting your account guarantees that most of your data is permanently removed from Facebook’s servers, freeing you from any lingering digital footprint or privacy issues associated with Facebook.

How to Reactivate Your Facebook Account After Deactivation or Deletion

If you have only deactivated your Facebook account, the process for reactivating it is straightforward. All you need to do is visit Facebook’s login page on any device and enter your login details (email or phone number and password).

If you opted to delete your Facebook account, you must log in to your Facebook account within 30 days of deleting your account. Once done, click the Cancel Deletion button that appears to confirm the decision.

Deciding between deactivating and deleting your Facebook account largely depends on what you want to achieve. If you’re unsure, deactivating first gives you the time and space to consider whether leaving Facebook is the right decision for you. If you decide it is, you can make your choice permanent by deleting your account.

Your productivity system needs regular review to ensure you are on track and progressing towards your goals. Implementing weekly reviews can help you crush your to-do list and stay organized.

What Is a Weekly Review and Why Should You Do It

A weekly review is an effective productivity habit designed to help you look back on the previous week, reflect on your progress, and use the insights you’ve gained to plan for the upcoming week. It entails setting aside a specific length of time each week to review your goals, tasks, and priorities and improve your workflow. Although popularized by David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) method, a weekly review can fit seamlessly into any productivity system.

Here are some of the benefits of adopting weekly reviews as part of your routine:

• Weekly reviews help you analyze your week and spot recurring patterns.
• Weekly reviews help you recognize and celebrate accomplishments.
• Weekly reviews provide an objective view of the upcoming week, allowing you to make better decisions on prioritizing tasks and addressing potential conflicts early.
• Identifying bottlenecks or inefficient practices can help you improve your workflow, making each week smoother than the last.

Weekly reviews are highly customizable, as you can adapt them to suit your productivity system as well as your personal and professional goals. Here’s my step-by-step weekly review process:

Choose a Consistent Day and Time

Consistency is key when it comes to successfully implementing weekly reviews. Choosing a specific day and time ensures that it becomes a habit and a seamless part of your routine. However, what matters more is that it fits your schedule, allowing you to maintain consistency. Here are some suggestions to help you decide which day may work best for you:

Over the Weekend: Sunday Night

I do my weekly review every Sunday at 6 PM. Sunday offers a natural transition between rest from the previous week and preparation for the upcoming week. In addition, with the week behind me, I have all the information I need to approach Monday with clarity.

End of the Work Week: Friday Afternoon

Friday afternoon can be ideal if your weekly review primarily revolves around work-related tasks or goals. Wrapping up the work week with a review lets you reflect on what’s been accomplished and look forward to what’s next, effectively closing out the week. Plus, it provides a psychological end to the workweek, allowing you to fully disconnect over the weekend, knowing you’ve already planned ahead.

Whatever your preference, make it a priority to perform your weekly review on the same day and time each week. You can set a recurring reminder for your weekly review on your preferred task management app. I organize my to-do lists and set up my review process in the Reminders app.

Tidy Up Your Digital Workspaces

Digital workspaces (or inboxes) can quickly become chaotic without a regular review process, and one of the most valuable parts of my weekly review is tidying up these areas. My weekly review lets me sweep through all my digital workspaces and organize them to start the week with a clear mind.

Here’s how I review my digital workspaces:

Emails

I start with my email inbox. I go through my messages from the past week to see if any can be turned into actionable tasks. This also includes responding to emails I may have missed during the week. In addition, if you use internal communication tools like Slack, you can apply this same process to your messages there.

Calendar

Next, I review my calendar, paying attention to follow-up actions for past events, rescheduling where necessary, and scanning upcoming appointments to ensure I’m prepared. Having a bird’s-eye view of my schedule helps me anticipate what’s ahead and leaves fewer surprises during the week.

Notes

My note-taking app holds everything from meeting notes to article highlights. I’m often in a rush when I create these notes, so they can end up unorganized. My weekly review may include sorting action items from meeting agendas, organizing quotes from articles and books, and reviewing notes I created through interstitial journaling.

Review Project Lists, Backlogs, and Long-Term Goals

A project is a set of related subtasks that work toward a specific goal. For example, a marketing campaign for a new product typically includes several subtasks, such as creating social media posts, designing graphics, and scheduling email campaigns.

During this part of my weekly review, I confirm that each project has at least one immediate next action, so there’s always a clear path forward. If a project is stalled—perhaps because a task depends on someone else—I’ll set a reminder to follow up at a specific time. This exercise ensures that my current projects support my long-term goals.

A Someday/Maybe list or backlog is where I capture ideas, projects, or goals that I’d like to pursue but I’m not yet ready to commit to. This includes any aspirations, interests, or potential projects that don’t require immediate action, for example, visiting a specific location or learning a new language.

During my weekly review, I scan my Someday/Maybe list to see if anything feels relevant enough to move into active status. On the other hand, some items may no longer be relevant. Deleting them helps me focus on what’s actionable now while ensuring I don’t lose track of potential future opportunities.

Process Your Task Inbox or Task List

By this stage, my task inbox (my trusted space where I capture all my tasks before organizing them) is filled with to-dos gathered from various digital spaces—email, calendar, Slack, and more. This step in my weekly review process helps me organize and schedule these tasks effectively.

What’s the Next Action?

I make sure each task is clear and actionable. If the task is vague, I clarify what the next specific step is to avoid confusion. If the task is large or complex, I break it down into smaller, manageable tasks.

What’s the Priority Level?

I use priority tags in the Reminders app to distinguish between urgent, important, and non-urgent tasks. This helps me prioritize my workload and ensure I am focusing on the most critical tasks first.

Which Project or Area Does This Task Belong To?

I move each task into the most relevant project or area of responsibility, so everything is organized by context and purpose. For example, my school assignments would go into the Education project, while any work-related tasks would go into the Work project

What’s the Due Date?

I add due dates and set reminders for each task, ensuring I don’t miss any deadlines. If a task is better suited for someone else, I delegate it and set a reminder to follow up.

Once I’ve sorted everything, I use Smart Lists in the Reminders app to create Today and This Week lists for filtering tasks for that specific day and week, respectively.

This part of the weekly review is flexible. You can use a similar process or your preferred productivity system to organize your tasks.

Reflect on What When Wrong or Right

A core part of my weekly review is reflecting on what went well and what didn’t. This step allows me to assess my productivity and find ways to improve.

I start by asking myself: What worked well? This reflection helps me celebrate my accomplishments during the previous week and recognize any productive habits I can keep using. Next, I look at what didn’t work—tasks I couldn’t complete or projects that stalled. What can I do differently next week to improve?

One potential solution is to schedule the specific task for a different period of the day when I’m more focused or energized. This is why finding your sleep chronotype and using it to your advantage is critical. Another option is to delegate the task to someone else if possible. Sometimes, the task itself may not be the issue. Trying a different approach can help me complete it more efficiently.

A weekly review process is an excellent way to improve your productivity and stay organized. By taking the time to review you r tasks, goals, and processes, you gain valuable insights that you can use to improve and streamline your workflow.

Google Chrome has a long and well-deserved reputation for hogging resources. However, its new and improved performance controls should help you keep Chrome under more control.

That is as long as you’re not determined to keep hundreds of tabs open at once and then wonder why Chrome is hogging so many system resources.

Google Launches New and Improved Performance Controls

As outlined in an announcement post on The Keyword, Google is rolling out new performance controls to help users manage the way Chrome uses system resources. There are three main elements involved here…

First, there’s a new Performance Detection tool which “identifies potential performance and offers solutions”. This could include deactivating any tabs that are using extra resources, helping you speed up the tab you’re currently using.

If enabled, you’ll see a performance issue alert notification identifying the problem and suggesting a solution. If you agree with the suggested action, you just need to click Fix Now to have Google resolve the issue.

Secondly, Google has improved the existing Memory Saver feature first introduced in 2022. This frees up memory from inactive tabs, allowing you to use the resources where they’re actually needed. You can now choose between Moderate, Balanced, and Maximum modes, depending on your preferences.

Last but not least, Google has added more ways to customize Chrome’s performance controls so that they suit your specific needs. This includes specifying sites which should always remain active, and the option to change the appearance of inactive tabs and tab hover preview cards. Which are both minor ways to personalize Chrome.

Helping You Make Google Chrome Work Better for You

With two-thirds of internet users now using Chrome, it’s crucial that Google keeps improving the way it uses resources. And these new and improved performance controls are a very welcome addition to the world’s most popular web browser.

Google hasn’t announced exactly when these new and improved performance controls will be available, but once live, they’ll be accessible under Settings > Performance from the three dot menu in the upper-right corner. Performance issue alerts can be toggled on or off under General, while the updated Memory Saver options will be available under Memory.

Have you noticed that your VPN is detected more than it once was? Unfortunately for VPN users, websites, companies, and governments have more techniques than ever to uncover VPN use, so they’re no longer as invisible as they once were.

1 Suspicious Login Patterns

One of the common ways websites detect VPN usage is by tracking user login locations. If a single user logs in from wildly different locations within a short period using the same device, websites may recognize this as an indication of VPN use to mask location. For example, if you log in from the U.S. one moment and from Australia shortly afterward, that could raise red flags.

Also, if multiple users connect to the same website or service through a shared IP address from a VPN server, this pattern can signal VPN use. To minimize detection, connect to VPN servers close to your location and consider using dedicated IPs, which provide a unique address just for you, avoiding noticeable location shifts.

2 Connecting With a Blacklisted IP Address

Companies often keep lists of blacklisted IP addresses associated with VPNs and proxies, which allows them to block unwanted traffic. If you’re using a free VPN with shared IP addresses among numerous users, there’s a chance you may connect via one of these blacklisted IPs, letting the website detect and flag your session as a VPN connection.

To avoid this issue, consider using a dedicated IP unique to one user that is less likely to be flagged. If you can’t spend on a dedicated IP address and prefer a free VPN connection, I recommend opting for a service with a large, regularly updated pool of IP addresses to minimize detection.

Avoid using VPN servers in countries like China, Russia, Syria, Iran, and so on, as your traffic is likely to be blocked by default.

3 Advanced Detection Technologies

Companies use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect VPN traffic. Tools like Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) analyze metadata in transmitted data packets, which helps identify typical VPN parameters such as encrypted headers or unusual protocols. This makes it easier to spot VPN traffic patterns.

While complete anonymity may not be possible, VPNs with features like “stealth mode” or “obfuscation” can help disguise VPN traffic as regular internet data, reducing the chance of detection. However, this is not foolproof as AI technology and machine learning techniques rapidly evolve.

4 Device and TLS Fingerprinting

Similar to deep packet inspection, device and TLS (Transport Layer Security) fingerprinting are techniques websites use to detect VPN usage. Device fingerprinting creates a unique “fingerprint” by collecting specific device details, so connecting from varying locations with the same fingerprint often signals that you’re using a VPN.

VPN providers often use unique TLS configurations, and websites can block connections if a TLS fingerprint matches known VPN profiles. While you can’t fully bypass such detection, using the same server and a dedicated IP can help. You can also use VPN providers that don’t frequently reuse TLS profiles across users to reduce the chance of detection.

5 ​Stricter Content Licensing Agreements

Content licensing agreements often limit where media can be accessed legally. To enforce these restrictions, platforms must use robust VPN detection to ensure viewers can only access content from approved regions. Companies invest heavily in VPN detection tools to avoid violating agreements with content creators and distributors.

If a service detects your VPN and restricts your access, there’s generally little you can do. You can use a VPN connection with premium servers in the best regions to bypass detection. Still, you must avoid doing so to access content that the streaming platform or service doesn’t have permission to show in your region.

This is why websites and services are now much more capable of detecting VPN usage than they used to be. If a service or platform disallows VPNs, respect that rule to avoid account suspension, especially for financial services. One of my friends had his Australian bank account temporarily blocked after accessing it through a VPN while overseas.

When browsing Amazon, it’s easy to jump straight to the five-star praise or the one-star warnings. But what if I told you you’re skipping over the most valuable insights in three-star reviews?

Why 5-Star Reviews Are Often Overly Positive

While it may seem natural to focus on five-star reviews first, it’s important to understand that they don’t necessarily depict a product in the most realistic light. These extreme reviews are often influenced by the user’s emotions and biased opinions—feelings like joy and excitement about a product.

For example, in a state of excitement, a user only writes about features that impressed them while ignoring its flaws, and most of these reviews are written shortly after receiving a product based on first impressions instead of providing a more neutral long-term experience. You must have come across several reviews like these on Amazon: “I just unboxed the product, and it looks great!”. Also, emotions are subjective and vary significantly from person to person. One person might give the product five stars, while another could give it one star, although the product is the same.

Additionally, individual experiences with specific types of products also differ. For instance, someone purchasing a mechanical keyboard for the first time might be amazed by its tactile feel and RGB lighting because they are experiencing these things for the first time and write an overly positive review filled with praise. In contrast, a person who has owned several mechanical keyboards may not find these features as impressive and expect more from the keyboard.

Biased reviews also arise from loyalty to a particular brand or company. This is commonly observed among Android and iPhone users. For instance, a long-time iPhone user might be biased in evaluating a new iPhone just because it’s from Apple.

One final problem with five-star reviews is that many are often fake, written solely to boost sales, with companies or manufacturers giving incentives to users in exchange for a positive review.

The Problem With 1-Star Reviews

When a product doesn’t live up to buyers’ expectations, they tend to be emotionally driven and write excessively negative reviews. Such reviews don’t mention any pros the product might have and depict the product in a more negative light than it deserves to be.

Often, these low-star reviews are outliers related to uncommon issues such as slow shipping or damaged packaging. Although these are real problems, they are less likely to occur and don’t directly relate to the product.

Also, we can’t ignore that a one-star review can be an attempt to tarnish a company or product’s image.

Why 3-Star Reviews Lead to Better Buying Decisions

To start, fewer people rate a product with two, three, or four stars compared to the more common five and one-star reviews. And since five-star ratings are often overly optimistic or fake, and one-star reviews frequently focus on issues unrelated to the product and don’t mention any pros, three-star reviews are the sweet spot for a balanced perspective.

Also, you will find three-star reviews are in-depth, highlighting both the pros and cons of the product, with phrases like “I’m taking a star off for XYZ reason,” that provide a more neutral and realistic evaluation of the product and explain what issues a user faced while using the product and things they liked about it. This comparison is what helps with making a better buying decision. You can read about the product’s downsides while also making sure it has the features you are looking for.

Finally, three-star reviews are the least likely to be fake. If someone wants to manipulate a product’s rating, five and one-star reviews are the most obvious choices, as they have the greatest impact on the overall score. For these reasons, it’s important not to be carried away by star ratings. A product always has good and bad sides, and a neutral review should mention both.

You can see this idea implemented on services such as YouTube and Netflix, where they have moved to a thumbs up and thumbs down button from star-based ratings, with YouTube going further and hiding the dislike count. With star ratings, people’s interpretations of what each star means to them vary, often leading to extreme ratings. With likes and dislikes, skewed ratings are reduced, and it’s outright straightforward. Either you like the product, or you don’t.

Footnotes are a handy way to provide extra information or cite sources without cluttering up the main body of your text. Whether you’re working on a research paper, an academic essay, or want to add additional context to your document, Google Docs makes it easy to insert and manage footnotes.

If you’ve used word processors like Microsoft Word, adding footnotes in Google Docs follows a similar process. Here’s how to add them in just a few steps:

1. Place your cursor where you want the footnote number to appear in the text.
2. Go to the Insert menu at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll down and select Footnote from the dropdown.
4. A number will appear where your cursor is, and a corresponding space will open at the bottom of the page for you to type your footnote.
5. Type in your footnote.

Once you’ve added your footnote text, Google Docs automatically numbers it and positions it correctly, saving you from formatting headaches.

If you need to change the content of a footnote, scroll to the bottom of the page where the footnotes are listed and click on the text. You can edit it just like any other part of your document.

To remove a footnote, delete the superscript number in the main text. Google Docs will automatically remove the footnote from the bottom of the page and renumber the remaining ones to keep everything in order.

Tips for Consistent Document Styling

Consistency is key to keeping your document looking polished. Use the same font for footnotes as your main text but consider a slightly smaller size, like 10 pt, to avoid distracting from the content.

Stick to single-spacing for footnotes unless a specific style guide requires otherwise. If you use bold or italics in the main text, applying the same style to footnotes keeps everything cohesive.

Finally, if you’re writing for a professional or academic audience, follow a citation style guide like APA or Chicago to ensure your footnotes are formatted correctly. If your document contains numerous citations, it’s better to create a references page instead of using footnotes.

Footnotes are a useful tool for adding extra information or citations to your document without disrupting the flow of your main content. With Google Docs, inserting and managing them is straightforward, and with a few simple styling tips, you can ensure they blend seamlessly into your document.

A PC build kit lets you build a computer with training wheels on. These kits ship with all the components included, as well as the tools and support you’ll need, making building a custom PC simple for first-timers.

• Price: $999 to $3,699
• Build Tools: Video instructions and toolkit included
• Support: FAQ, Web chat
• Ships to: USA, Canada, Europe
• Warranty: 2-year parts

If you’re looking for something in between buying a pre-built PC or speccing a fully custom PC yourself, check out Corsair’s build kits.

Corsair nailed making decisions easy for first-time builders. Five kits are available across different budget ranges; each build comes with pre-chosen parts. That way, you don’t have to check if your PC parts are compatible and won’t make a mistake like choosing the wrong cooler.

I love their simple chart showing each build’s performance at different resolutions. Whether you need frame rates for competitive first-person shooters or expansive 4K for a flight sim, it’s a simple way to compare what you want and what you’re getting.

There are a few things to be aware of before you buy. The site removes the Add to Cart button if a kit is sold out without telling you why. The case, CPU cooler, memory, storage, and power supply are all Corsair branded, but that does help keep prices reasonable. Lastly, it wasn’t immediately clear what level of build support the company provides if you get stuck.

When all is said and done, Corsair’s build kits provide simple choices with only powerful components—it’s the right approach for gamers building their first PC.

• Price: $770 to $4,400
• Build Tools: Field manual with videos and toolkit included
• Support: Build-day chat, Phone and video support, Discord server
• Ships to: USA only
• Warranty: 2-year parts

PC CRATE specializes in build kits, and it’s primarily what the company sells.

Other build kits make it easy by selling prepackaged components, but what’s neat about PC CRATE is that you can swap out components to your liking. It’s a great option for those who know a little bit more about building and have specific components in mind for their kit.

I like how customizing takes place on one simple page of drop-down menus. It was a smart decision to make the motherboard fixed, so you don’t have to worry about choosing a new motherboard—a decision that’s often intimidating for first-time builders. There’s even a discreet shipping option if you intend to give the kit as a gift.

The site’s kit builder does have a few oddities. The current default choices are budget-oriented to a fault (e.g., no GPU), so you might want to up the specs. And if you opt for a more powerful GPU like the RTX 4080, the builder doesn’t automatically switch your power supply to the proper recommendation.

Minor complaints aside, PC CRATE is generous with build-day support for beginners. If you want to pick and choose your parts, PC CRATE has a kit for you.

• Price: $1,100 to $2,800
• Build Tools: Step-by-step instructions and PC Build Tool Kit included
• Support: Phone and email support
• Ships to: USA, Canada, Europe (select countries only)
• Warranty: 2-year parts

Sirius Power PC is worth checking out for options you can’t get from other PC build kits.

For one, the kit offerings are diverse: the company offers packages with Intel or AMD processors paired with Nvidia or Radeon graphics cards. Each package already has the parts chosen for you, so you can be sure you’re buying a well-rounded PC. Every kit also comes with a generous box of tools every PC Builder needs.

The kits from Sirius Power PC also stand out in terms of aesthetics. They come with full-window cases resembling the venerable O11 Dynamic, with many extra RGB fans included.

That being said, the site is rough around the edges. I had trouble finding the build kit section, and the site loading behaved a little wonky. The only other thing I’d watch out for is their lowest-budget kit, which I feel needs a processor update to make more sense. Nevertheless, the components chosen for all of their other kits seem like solid values to me.

If aesthetics and having more brand selection matter to you, Sirius Power PC sells some great kits.

If you’re not yet ready to build your own PC, you can always turn to the best custom PC builder websites to ship you one pre-assembled. But if you’re a tinkerer or love DIY, a PC build kit removes the stress of shopping and lets you get straight to the fun of working on your build.

Another day, another social media fad. Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and their ilk are full of social media challenges and trends, but I won’t take part in any of them. And there are so many reasons you should avoid them too.

1 Challenges Can Be Dangerous

A cursory glance at news items will tell you how dangerous some of these social media challenges can be. Yes, some purport solely to be fun or even raising money for charity, but the actual consequences of these trends can be serious.

The sunburn challenge saw people creating “body art” on their bodies by drawing an image using suntan lotion and leaving the rest of their bodies to burn in the sun. Obviously, repeated exposure to the sun in such a way can lead to skin cancer.

Other challenges, however, seem harmless at first. These challenges often involve eating something to either prank someone or even induce effects similar to taking drugs. Notable examples include the salt trend and nutmeg challenge, both of which show the consumption of these food stuffs. When consumed in large quantities, though, they can cause nausea, diarrhea, seizures, and, in extreme cases, death.

That’s not to mention the corn on the cob, dragon’s breath, TidePod, and so many other challenges. These risks simply aren’t worth taking.

2 They Can Hinder Future Employment

What you share online stays online. You can delete content, but nothing is completely gone. We’ve all seen posts coming back to haunt people years later. The everyday person might not be likely to get cancelled, but what we share online can still stop future employment.

Take, as an example, the trend of people putting videos of them getting fired on TikTok. This trend saw those being laid off by employers via video calls then streaming their being let go from a company.

That might seem like a revolt against authority, but it’s a bad move. If any future employers see that you’ve done that, they might get a bad impression of you. What’s more, by sharing these videos, you might be in contravention of privacy clauses. It’s just one example of TikTok challenges that go too far.

3 Trends Can Affect Other People

I hate people being inconsiderate and that’s what a lot of these challenges involve. There’s the trend of people sharing videos of themselves working out at the gym only to be interrupted when someone else dares to walk in front of the camera or wants to use the same equipment.

Then there are pointless videos you think don’t affect anyone but actually have unseen consequences. The toilet roll challenge involved emptying a full roll into an airplane toilet while flushing: the effect is admittedly cool to see as the suction continues until the roll is finished.

Nonetheless, this ignores the lack of provisions on flights, impacting anyone going in afterwards. Similarly, at the end of each flight, the airplane’s waste tanks have to be emptied. On LinkedIn, aeronautical professional, Renish C., warns that “flushing rolls and rolls of toilet paper does cause serious blockages and an external force may be required to release the contents into the dump truck. This can cause a serious risk to the health of the employee as the contents can dump right over them.”

4 They Can Result In Getting Scammed

We’re all so attuned to sharing private details online that it becomes second nature. I do it too. But if you think you’re unlikely to get scammed, guess again. Everyone is a potential victim of cybercrime.

Trends can lead to getting tricked by a fraudster. These can include simple quizzes and personality tests. Because everyone seems to be doing them, you’ll think you’re safe to do so too. What’s the harm, right? But some of these quizzes will ask for access to your profile simply so you can take part.

That might seem straightforward, but scammers can learn a lot from your profile. Granting them access can mean they skip past your privacy settings, and can see exactly who you are, who you’re friends with, and what you’re interested in. Such information can lead to pyramid schemes, phishing attempts, and even identity theft.

5 You Might Reveal Too Much About Yourself

Giving away even basic Personally Identifiable Information (PII) can have a serious impact on you. I often see posts on X, aka Twitter, that solely exist to find out answers to security questions. This might be through your “drag queen name” or similar, which scammers posing as normal users say is “your mother’s maiden name and the name of your first pet combined”.

If any of your private information has ever ended up on the dark web, replying to these posts can give cybercriminals enough information to pass security questions and reset your online accounts.

6 They’re Largely Driven by Consumerism

Social media trends have been hijacked by big brands. Simply taking part means you’re either wasting money and time on a passing fad or acting as an unknowing publicist for a massive company.

TikTok is a perfect place to find trends pushed by consumerism. While some are somewhat altruistic, like those encouraging people to buy books, others are purely to drive sales to specific products you don’t really need.

The popularity of Stanley cups is a prime example of this. They’re simply tumblers with straws and massive handles. Once made for construction workers, social media rebranded them as for women solely based on interest on TikTok and Instagram. It’s a canny move, but one which leaves me feeling hollow and cynical about how trends can be created just for marketing purposes.

Stanley cups might be useful sometimes, but they’re only popular because social media tells people they’re the latest cool product you have to own to fit in.

7 They Lack Creativity and Originality

Ultimately these challenges and trends are pedestrian and boring. They’re a complete waste of time.

I’m all for creativity, but things like the gallon challenge—which involves drinking that amount of milk without throwing up—are both dumb and unoriginal. They’re not adding anything significant or thought-provoking to the world. They’re just content for content’s sake.

There are influencers who entertain their fans by doing something productive or by informing them of something interesting. These don’t tend to become trends, however. The stuff that generally becomes social media phenomenons are things that people can replicate. Typically, that’s not something mentally stimulating. It’s something nonsensical, like filming yourself committing a crime, as with the “kia boyz” trend that made headlines.

Challenges on Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, and the like simply aren’t worth taking part in.

If you need a productivity device with an all-day battery life and solid performance, MacBooks are a popular choice. But if you prefer Windows to macOS, these Snapdragon X Elite laptops offer the performance and portability to rival Apple’s lineup.

1 Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9)

At just 12.8mm thick and weighing 2.8 pounds, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is as light and thin as a 13-inch MacBook Air. However, the beautiful 14.5″ 3K (2944×1840) OLED touch display offers more screen real estate and a faster 90Hz refresh rate. With its powerful Snapdragon X Elite 12-core (X1E-78-100) processor, the 70Wh battery pack can last a full day while remaining cool and quiet under regular use. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x starts at $999 for the cheapest model, though that price can change greatly depending on the configuration you choose.

Like other Copilot+ PCs, the Yoga Slim 7x also gets the standard 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory and an upgradable 512GB of Gen4 SSD storage. However, you can opt for a higher-capacity 32GB and 1TB variant if you need more RAM and storage.

Lenovo offers some of the best laptop keyboards, and the Yoga Slim 7x is no different. The spacious keyboard deck features a large, smooth touchpad and tactile keys, making for an excellent typing experience. It also gets an IR camera for biometric sign-in with Windows Hello, three USB-C ports, and all the usual connectivity features, except for a headphone jack.

Buy: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (from $999)

2 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition

The 7th edition of the Microsoft Surface Laptop retains most of the things that Surface laptops are known for: a premium build, an unconventional squarish design, and a stunning 13.8” 120Hz IPS touchscreen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. If you need more real estate, you can also opt for the 15” model. The 13.8″ model typically starts at $999, but you can also find an assortment of 10-core and 12-core models on third-party websites like Amazon.

The real upgrade, however, comes in its performance and efficiency. Powered by a more powerful Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) 12-core CPU, 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory, and a swappable 512GB SSD, the new Surface Laptop offers stellar performance and lasts a long time on a single charge at 15 hours of mixed usage. These specs are more than enough for your entertainment and work needs, including some gaming on the go, especially when using Microsoft Auto Super Resolution. It also consistently scores well on benchmarking sites like Geekbench 6 and Cinebench, inching closer to the M3 MacBook Air’s performance.

Along with an excellent haptic touchpad and a good keyboard, it also features all the usual connectivity features, including two USB-4 and one USB-A port, Windows Hello-compatible biometric hardware, and a headphone jack.

Buy: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition (from $999)

3 ASUS Vivobook S15

The ASUS Vivobook S15 is a conventional laptop with a big display, excellent port selection, and a premium Harman-Kardon-certified audio setup. But the highlight of the laptop is its gorgeous 15.6″ 3K OLED 120Hz color-accurate display with a peak brightness of 600 nits. It typically starts at $1,299.99, though you can also sometimes buy some models on Amazon for a discount.

Under the hood, it’s powered by a standard Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor. ASUS has paired it with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and a generous 1TB of storage that can chew through most productivity tasks without a sweat.

Despite its slim 0.58-inch unibody design, it features a full-sized HDMI 2.1, two USB 3.2 Type-A, and two USB-C 4 ports. It also ships with a microSD card reader and headphone jack. While ASUS claims 18 hours of usage from its 70Wh battery pack, it can typically last up to 14 hours with mixed usage in real-life scenarios.

Buy: ASUS Vivobook S15 (from $1,299.99)

4 Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is essentially a 13″ tablet that runs a full-blown version of Windows 11. The Surface Pro’s greater flexibility makes it better than the M4 iPad Pro as you can use it as a tablet to take notes with the Surface Slim Pen or turn it into a laptop using the optional Flex Keyboard, which now works wirelessly via Bluetooth.

The 13″ OLED PixelSense 120Hz touchscreen display, which reaches a peak brightness level of 900 nits, and the premium speakers make it a great option for media consumption and productivity alike. The Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) variant can be customized with 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 512GB or 1TB Gen 4 SSD.

Another distinct feature of the 11th Edition of the Surface Pro is the optional 5G support for cellular connectivity on the go. The two USB-C 4 ports on the device support data transfer, charging, and connections for up to three 4K displays at 60Hz for a full-fledged desktop experience. The 52Wh battery pack is also impressive and will net you up to 12 hours of usage on the recommended power plan.

Buy: Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (from $999)

5 Dell XPS 13 (9345)

If you want the thinnest and lightest Windows laptop, the Dell XPS 13 might be the answer. This nimble 13.4″ device offers multiple display options. You can choose from an FHD+ 120Hz non-touch or a stunning 3K OLED 120Hz color-accurate touchscreen screen.

Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100), the base variant offers 16GB of LPDDR5X integrated memory and 512GB of swappable SSD storage for snappy performance. With a 55Wh battery pack, it can last up to 15 hours of mixed usage, including photo editing, video streaming, and browsing.

While the XPS 13 is highly portable at just 2.6 lbs and measuring 0.6″ thick, it suffers from some of the same issues we noted in our review of the Dell XPS 16 9640. This lightweight chassis comes at the cost of a shabby keyboard and poor port selection, with only two USB-C 4 ports for charging, data transfer, and display output.

Buy:Dell XPS 13 9345 (from $1,299.99)

6 HP OmniBook X

The HP OmniBook X is a no-nonsense productivity device with an excellent keyboard, impressive all-day battery life, and a fairly colorful 14″ 2.2K touchscreen LCD, all packed in a relatively light 2.9 lbs chassis. Unfortunately, the peak brightness of 400 nits may make it difficult to use outdoors, and the 60Hz refresh rate can detract from the overall experience. Still, for a laptop that starts at $1,089.99, which can often be found cheaper on Amazon, it holds up pretty well during everyday use.

It comes equipped with a Snapdragon X Elite processor (X1E-78-100), 16GB LPDDR5X onboard memory, and a 512GB swappable SSD, which are more than strong enough to get you through the day. While the speakers and trackpad leave plenty to be desired the OmniBook X stands out as one of the most affordable Snapdragon X Elite laptops currently available when it’s available at a discount.

Buy: HP OmniBook X (from $1,089.99)

These are the best Snapdragon X Elite laptops you can buy today. If you prefer full-fledged Windows computers with flexibility and portability, I recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition since it can function as both a tablet and a laptop. Because Copilot+ computers use a different architecture than standard Windows 11 PCs, there have been reports that Copilot+ PCs are a bit of a disaster for average users, but as more developers start to support the Windows on Arm system, those issues will be ironed out.

If you’re still uncertain about whether to stick with conventional x86 chips or transition to the new-generation ARM-powered devices from Apple and Qualcomm, I recommend checking out our comparison guide on the Snapdragon X Elite, Apple M3, and Intel Core Ultra. It provides an in-depth look at what each of these SoCs offers.

Buying a phone for your child can be daunting, especially when you’re on a budget. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the market to find the best affordable phones that are perfect for kids and packed with features.

1 Google Pixel 7A

If you’re looking for a phone that offers the perfect blend of affordability and performance, the Google Pixel 7A is a top contender at $329 on Amazon. The Pixel 7A shares many similarities with its pricier sibling, the Pixel 7, including Google’s Tensor G2 chip.

The Pixel 7A boasts a vibrant display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. It means your child can enjoy a smooth performance while scrolling through social media or playing games.

If your child likes to take selfies often, the 13MP front camera on the Pixel 7A should be more than adequate. The rear camera setup is also pretty solid for its price, and the 64MP wide and 13MP ultrawide cameras should exceed your child’s expectations.

The Pixel 7A shines in its parental controls. Setting up age-appropriate boundaries is easy with Google’s Family Link app. You can manage screen time, restrict content access, and keep tabs on your child’s digital activities without hassle.

2 Pinwheel Slim 6

The Pinwheel Slim 6 is something you should consider, as it puts parental control at the forefront. This sleek Motorola device, priced at $199 on Amazon, is designed with your child’s safety and your peace of mind as top priorities.

The phone features a vibrant 6.5″ HD+ display, which is big enough for your child’s favorite apps and games. The 50MP rear camera with Quad Pixel technology ensures your child can capture great photos, day or night. And with up to 46 hours of rated battery life, you won’t have to worry about constant recharging.

The Pinwheel Caregiver app gives you complete remote access to your child’s phone. Want to restrict social media access? No problem. Need to set time limits on apps? That’s easy too. You can even track your child’s location and review their text messages and call history.

The Pinwheel subscription starts at just $14.99 monthly, with additional phones costing only $4.99 monthly. This makes it an affordable option for families with multiple children. Moreover, the Pinwheel Slim 6 comes with a curated selection of apps that have been vetted by child wellness experts. You can add more apps as you see fit, but you’ll always have the final say on what your child can access.

3 Bark Phone

The Bark Phone is built on the reliable Samsung Galaxy A14 model and costs $199 on Amazon. It comes with Bark’s comprehensive parental control software, which is pre-installed.

What sets the Bark Phone apart is its advanced monitoring features. The software runs in the background, constantly scanning your child’s activities for potential dangers. This includes analyzing texts, social media posts, app usage, and even the photos and videos your child saves. Bark alerts you immediately if anything concerning is detected, such as signs of bullying or mental health issues.

Bark offers two service tiers tailored to different age groups. For younger children, the $29/month plan includes unlimited talk and text, location tracking, contact management, and text and photo monitoring. It also disables apps, browsers, and voicemails, creating a walled garden for your little one.

For teens, Bark offers more granular control. Plans range from $49/month for Wi-Fi only to $89/month for unlimited data. In addition to the basic features, you can block specific websites and apps, remotely lock the device, and prevent text deletion without your permission. You also get 24/7 GPS location tracking, giving you peace of mind about your child’s whereabouts.

One potential drawback of the Bark Phone is the level of surveillance involved. All of your child’s communications are stored and monitored on Bark’s servers. While Bark promises to delete this data after 30 days, some parents may find it a bit too intrusive. However, the Bark Phone is a good choice for those who prioritize digital safety above all else.

4 Apple iPhone SE (2022)

If your family is firmly in the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone SE (2022) is a fantastic choice for your child. Starting at $198 on Amazon, this compact powerhouse packs the same A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone 13 for smooth performance in apps, games, and more.

The 4.7-inch Retina HD display may be on the smaller side, but it’s bright, colorful, and sharp. Plus, its compact size makes it perfect for smaller hands. While not as advanced as the pricier iPhones Apple sells today, the camera still takes great photos, thanks to Smart HDR.

One of the standout features for parents is the iPhone SE’s parental controls. With the native Screen Time feature on iOS, you can set app limits, restrict content, and monitor your child’s usage. Just keep in mind that you’ll need an iPhone yourself to make the most of these features.

The iPhone SE also boasts an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, making it a durable device for kids. With Touch ID built into the Home button, your child can securely unlock their phone, sign into apps, and even use Apple Pay.

5 Gabb Phone 4

Looking for a phone that keeps your child connected without internet distractions? The Gabb Phone 4, available on Amazon at $149, might be just what you need. It boasts a durable 6.1-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 3GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage.

With the Gabb Phone 4, your child can enjoy essential features like texting, calling, music, and photos without the risks that come with unrestricted internet access. Gabb offers a list of safe apps that you can choose to add to your child’s phone.

You can use the MyGabb and Gabb Messenger Parent apps to monitor your child’s communications, manage their contact list, and even track their location with GPS and geofencing. Need to manage multiple Gabb devices? No problem–the MyGabb app has you covered.

Gabb offers three subscription plans. The starter plan, which includes unlimited messaging and calls, essential apps, and cloud backup, costs $24.99 monthly. Higher-tier plans add features like Gabb Music, group texting, and optional mobile data.

While the multi-app approach to parental controls may not be as streamlined as some other options, the Gabb Phone 4 remains a strong contender for parents seeking a safe, feature-rich device for their kids.

6 HMD Vibe

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly phone for your child that doesn’t skimp on the essentials, the HMD Vibe is definitely worth considering. At just $119 on Amazon, this phone offers a lot of value for its price point.

Don’t let the plastic build fool you–the textured back provides a good grip and can handle the occasional drop. However, if your child is particularly accident-prone, you may want to invest in a case. Under the hood, the Vibe packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. While this isn’t top-of-the-line hardware, it’s sufficient for everyday tasks and even some light gaming.

The Vibe’s display is a pleasant surprise, with a 90Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations feel smooth. The screen is also quite bright, making it easy to use outdoors. And with a battery that can last up to two days, your child won’t be constantly tethered to a charger.

Remember that the Vibe is a general-purpose phone, not a device specifically designed for kids. It doesn’t come with built-in parental controls like some other options on this list. However, you can easily set up Google’s Family Link app to manage your child’s usage and access.

You have to balance affordability, features, and safety when choosing the right phone for your kids. Whether you opt for the feature-rich Pixel 7A, the parental control powerhouse Bark Phone, or the budget-friendly HMD Vibe, make sure you protect your kids from cyberbullying.

Choosing the right presentation tool can be crucial for how effectively you deliver your message. With so many opinions surrounding Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides, it’s easy to feel torn between the two. But once you’ve considered the strengths and limitations of each, you’ll have a clearer picture of which one aligns with your needs.

1 Availability

In terms of accessibility across different devices, both PowerPoint and Google Slides offer flexible options. You can access Google Slides through a web browser on any computer regardless of its operating system. Plus, with dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android, you can edit and view presentations on the go.

PowerPoint matches this level of accessibility but with a heavier reliance on its desktop application, available for both Windows and macOS. While you can also use PowerPoint in a browser, most users prefer the desktop app for its fuller feature set. Mobile apps are available too, but PowerPoint doesn’t perform natively on Linux, except via browser, or if you install Microsoft Office on Linux via PlayOnLinux or an alternative.

Although Google Slides may seem more versatile because of its entirely browser-based functionality, its lack of desktop apps is a significant disadvantage. So, PowerPoint gets an early lead here.

Winner: PowerPoint

2 Customization

The best way to deliver an excellent presentation is by customizing it exactly how you want. Here, PowerPoint shines. With a vast selection of templates, it accommodates nearly every type of presentation, from corporate updates to academic theses.

PowerPoint has a comprehensive selection of templates, and you’ll find some for almost every type of presentation. When you go to the in-app homepage, you can search for templates related to all kinds of themes.

You can also use different styles—go full minimalistic or use loud and brave colors. Besides templates, PowerPoint’s array of infographics helps you visually communicate complex ideas more effectively. However, if infographics are a priority, you should try dedicated tools to create infographics online.

Google Slides offers a modest collection of 26 templates, and while they are customizable, the options feel limited when compared to PowerPoint’s extensive library. However, Google Slides does include a theme builder, making it easier to manage multiple elements at once. You can also import custom themes, but the overall experience still leaves PowerPoint ahead in terms of variety and depth.

Winner: PowerPoint

3 Special Effects

When it comes to adding flair and making a presentation visually captivating, PowerPoint is a clear winner. PowerPoint has hundreds of fonts, including the ones you’ve installed locally. You’ll find many of these in Microsoft Word, too, meaning that you can keep branding consistent across all of your documents.

While you can choose from 26 fonts in Google Slides to begin with, it’s also possible to add more if you select More fonts and browse through the catalog.

Beyond fonts, PowerPoint also provides an arsenal of special effects for your slides. You can customize your slides with a wide array of transitions, animations, and sounds. I used some of these when presenting my thesis at university, and in my opinion, it helped keep my lecturers engaged (and helped me get a good grade!).

Google Slides, by contrast, is more limited in this area. It offers basic transitions and a handful of animations like fade and zoom, but it doesn’t provide the same range of effects that PowerPoint does. For anyone needing advanced visual effects, PowerPoint is the better choice.

Winner: PowerPoint

4 AI Features

Both Google Slides and PowerPoint have embraced AI integration, but in different ways. Microsoft’s Copilot, available to those with a premium Microsoft 365 subscription, can assist with creating presentations through text prompts and can even suggest edits and insert slides into existing presentations. However, it’s a premium feature, and you’ll have to decide whether Microsoft 365 is worth the additional cost.

Google Slides uses Gemini, and in my opinion, it’s much better than Copilot for presentations. You can use Gemini to create slides and insert AI-generated images within your slides. The tool can also help you brainstorm ideas and celebrate with your team; just some of the many things you can do with Google Slides.

Winner: Google Slides

5 Collaboration

Collaborating with others in Google Slides is very easy; you can either invite users via email or grant them access. The integration with other Google Workspace tools makes it easy to collaborate, comment, and assign tasks within the presentation itself.

PowerPoint also lets you collaborate in real-time—you can chat, comment, assign tasks, and resolve conflicts directly within the app. While it offers more comprehensive features than Google Slides, PowerPoint is less intuitive—you’ll need a quick search or two to figure out its collaborative functions. If the file is on your device, you’ll need to wait for it to upload first, which can slow things down—especially with image-heavy presentations.

Google Slides is better if you want to collaborate more quickly; it’s my preferred option if I’m going to share a presentation on any computer that isn’t my own.

Winner: Google Slides

6 Presentation Performance

PowerPoint truly comes into its own during live presentations. The ability to rehearse timings, control the slideshow setup, and hide or reveal slides at will make it an ideal tool for delivering professional presentations. PowerPoint also provides options for kiosk-style presentations and lets you add spontaneous notes or adjust content on the fly.

Google Slides gives you the essential presentation tools—you can use speaker notes and track the progress of your presentation—but it lacks the depth of customization and control that PowerPoint provides.

Winner: PowerPoint

7 Offline Accessibility

Google Slides might seem like an online-only tool, but you can actually make files available for offline use—just like any Google Drive file. To do this, you’ll need to enable offline access while you’re still connected to the internet. It’s a great option if you plan ahead and know you’ll be without a connection. However, if you forget to set it up in advance, you’re out of luck—you won’t be able to access or edit your slides.

This is where PowerPoint has a clear advantage. With files stored locally on your device, PowerPoint is ready to go even if your internet goes down unexpectedly. So, while Google Slides offers offline capabilities with a bit of prep, PowerPoint’s always-available nature gives it an easy win here for uninterrupted access.

Winner: PowerPoint

8 Pricing

Google Slides is completely free. PowerPoint’s pricing is more complex. While you can use the web-based version of PowerPoint for free, the desktop app requires a subscription to Microsoft 365, which ranges from $6.99 per month for personal use to $9.99 per month for family plans.

Though PowerPoint offers more advanced features, Google Slides is the more affordable option unless you need the full Microsoft 365 suite.

Winner: Google Slides

While PowerPoint takes the win in most categories, Google Slides is best for versatility and collaboration, with seamless, real-time editing and integration with Google Workspace. PowerPoint, however, excels in professional presentations, offering advanced customization and reliable offline access.

TikTok is packed to the gills with short videos of all kinds, and if you go looking, you can find something that interests you. However, a feed that’s newly being opened up to everyone is much more worthy of your time and attention than the usual garbage you’ll find on the app.

TikTok Turns Its STEM Feed On for Adults

TikTok initially launched the STEM feed in March 2023 as “a dedicated space to explore a wide range of inspiring, entertaining, and enriching videos related to science, technology, engineering, and math.” However, it was only turned on by default for users under 18. Adults had to go looking for STEM content with hashtags.

Now, all TikTok users, regardless of age, will see the STEM feed unless they actively choose to turn it off. This only applies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. However, earlier this month, the feed was also opened up to everyone in Canada.

As you probably already know, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and it’s seen as an increasingly important set of fields for children (and adults) to be educated in. Thankfully, there are plenty of STEM-focused websites worth exploring.

While there have always been STEM-related videos available on TikTok, this dedicated feed makes it a lot easier to find. It also helps that before appearing on the STEM feed, the videos are all vetted for their suitability and accuracy by Common Sense Networks and Poynter.

A dedicated STEM feed is a welcome addition to an app more renowned for dumb comedy skits, even dumber cats just being cats, and “influencers” producing unnecessary and unfulfilling content that is very likely to be rotting our brains. Which is why it exists in the first place.

Alongside other social media companies, TikTok has been accused of being harmful to your mental health and wellbeing. So, having a dedicated feed full of actually useful content is one way to counter those accusations.

To find the STEM feed, scroll across to the left, past the Explore feed. If you want to carry on watching pointless videos rather than spend at least a little time getting educated, tap Profile > Menu > Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences > STEM Feed, and toggle it off.

We’ve all been there—settling down to work on an important document, only to find out the Wi-Fi is down. Or maybe you’re on a plane, and suddenly realize you need to make a quick edit. Google Docs claims to have an offline mode for moments like these, but how reliable is it? Can you really work on your documents without a hitch when there’s no internet?

How Google Docs Offline Mode Really Works

Google Docs’ offline mode essentially allows you to access and edit documents without an internet connection. This feature works by syncing your Google Drive files to your device and storing them locally, so you can view, edit, and create documents even offline.

When you revisit Google Docs without internet access, Google Chrome intercepts the request and serves the locally cached version of the page. This gives the impression of loading the Google Docs interface and previously synced documents, even when the network is unavailable. Once you’re back online, the changes you’ve made are automatically synced to the cloud, ensuring that your documents are up-to-date.

To use offline mode, you need to set it up ahead of time in your Google Drive settings. To do so, go to Settings (the gear icon) in your Google Drive, scroll, and then select the checkbox below Offline. This will sync your recent and frequently accessed files so they are available when you’re offline.

If you’d rather enable Offline mode for a single document instead of all your recent files, you can do so as well. When you’re in the document, click on the File menu and select the Make available offline option from the dropdown.

When working offline, Google Docs provides a robust set of features that mirror much of its online functionality. You’ll have access to any documents you’ve previously opened while connected to the internet, assuming they were saved for offline access.

It allows you to continue your work seamlessly, whether you’re editing existing documents or creating new ones from scratch. You can make all the usual changes to your documents—from basic edits to formatting adjustments and even adding comments.

However, there is one obvious limitation: you won’t be able to see real-time changes from your collaborators or update shared documents until you reconnect to the internet. While this might not affect solo work, it does impact collaborative projects. All your modifications stay on your local device until you’re back online, at which point they’ll sync with the cloud version.

So, Is Google Docs Offline Mode Really Offline?

Mostly, yes. Google Docs offline mode works well for editing and creating documents, and the experience is similar to working online. However, there are some limitations.

First, you need to enable offline access while online. Forget to do so, and you’ll be stuck until you’re reconnected. Second, you can only access files that were previously synced for offline use. Other files in Google Drive will remain inaccessible.

Lastly, while offline mode is most reliable on Chrome (even though it’s supported on most other Chromium-based browsers), other browsers or mobile devices may not support it as well. The Google Docs app for Android and iOS supports offline mode, but it isn’t as seamless as the desktop experience.

Google Docs’ offline mode is a reliable tool for individual work when internet access is unpredictable. But it’s not a true “offline-first” solution, especially when you compare Google Docs to Microsoft Word.

While it’s fine to write down all the places you plan to visit on your next trip, plotting your itinerary on a map can help you optimize your routes, coordinate with your travel buddies, and navigate in real time.

Fortunately, mapping your itinerary is now easier than ever with these travel planning apps.

1. Scout (Web): Best Travel Planner for Cities With Detailed Map

When you’re planning a trip to a new city, either alone or as a group, you will usually list many places you want to visit. With Scout, you can add these in different sections and see them on a live map, thus making it easier to figure out which places are within close distance and create an itinerary.

When you start a new trip in Scout, you’ll first have to pick a city you’re visiting and set your arrival and departure dates. By default, you get sections for attractions, food, and accommodations. But you can always add more custom sections. Each section gets its colored pin marker (for example, all food places will show as blue pins). You can add a place by searching for it or typing the full address. It’s powered by Google Maps, so it’ll be easy to find any place.

Once you’ve added the points of interest, open the itinerary view to see your dates. Drag-and-drop places from the first bar to any day’s itinerary. Once you add multiple places to a day, the map will automatically create a route for that day, linking all the places. You can rearrange them to find the best route to take.

You can also share your Scout trip with others so that they can add their own points of interest and update the itinerary to create a group plan. It’s also a helpful way to get tips from locals, as they’ll be able to add recommendations directly to your map.

Scout also lets you publish your map or itinerary to its directory so others can discover your helpful recommendations. And, of course, you can browse the directory to find what others have recommended.

2. Wanderlog (Web, iOS, Android): Comprehensive Travel Planning App With Map

Wanderlog is a feature-rich app for creating detailed itineraries. You can start planning a trip by selecting a destination, choosing dates, and inviting friends.

Once you’ve created a trip, Wanderlog will show you various places to visit in your selected city. You can add these to your trip or search for more places. Likewise, you can add a section for restaurants or other activities and color code all these places.

If you want to note down any details, Wanderlog provides an option to create notes and checklists, so you won’t need a separate note-taking app for your trip.

Wanderlog lets you create a day-wise itinerary as well. You can add places manually or let Wanderlog autofill your day. There’s a separate travel-planning chatbot within Wanderlog to help you plan a perfect trip.

The map on the right side of the screen shows all the places you’ve added to your trip, along with route lines/directions. If you’ve subscribed to Wanderlog Pro, it can even optimize your route and export the map to Google Maps.

Moreover, Wanderlog has an expense tracker that keeps a log of all your expenditures and can split the costs between your travel partners. Within Wanderlog, you can save details about your flights, lodgings, rental cars, or other reservations.

Download: Wanderlog for iOS | Android (Free, Paid)

3. Sygic Maps (Web, iOS, Android): Maps Made for Travelers

Made specifically for travelers, Sygic Maps can help you plan your perfect trip. Powered by OpenStreetMap, it highlights restaurants, markets, parks, cinemas, and other tourist attractions around you.

To create a trip, you’ll have to create an account and sign in. Click the profile icon in the top right corner and select My Trips > Plan a new trip. Select the destination, dates, and your trip name.

Once you’ve created your trip, you can add places to your itinerary. Either search for the sites you want to visit and add them to your trip, or explore Sygic Maps to find and save tourist spots. Based on your selected destinations, Sygic Maps will show a route and traveling time. You can rearrange places to optimize your route and set the time you’ll spend at each place.

Sygic Maps also lets you invite participants and share the trip itinerary. If you are willing to pay for Sygic Premium, you can download offline maps on the mobile app and export your trips.

Though it doesn’t offer as many features as Wanderlog, Sygic Maps is a great option if you’re looking for a simple, intuitive app to plot your itinerary on a map.

Download: Sygic Maps for iOS | Android (Free, Paid)

4. Travel Mapper (Web): Google Sheets Travel Itinerary With Live Map

When planning the itinerary for your next trip, you usually want to visualize it on Google Maps, too. Travel Mapper is a custom Google Sheets template that lets you create your travel itinerary, share it with friends, and instantly add the locations to Google Maps.

Travel Mapper is simple to use. Once you download the add-on, open a new Google Sheet and go to Extensions > Travel Mapper > Start Here > Generate Template. Add the date, time, activity, location, links, costs, and any additional notes in the sheet. The sidebar shows the Google Map for your itinerary, which you can update when you make any changes.

The map is customizable. You can add color codes for different elements and filter activities to see your map differently. The Google Maps in the sidebar can also be used to discover other places of interest near any location. It’s one of the best Google Maps hacks for travel trips.

Travel Mapper also includes a to-do list, a packing checklist, and a favorites list to ensure you don’t forget anything. You can also share your newly created sheet with friends, who can add their own locations to the map.

5. Plip (Web, Android, iOS): Mobile-First Collaborative Trip Planner With Maps

Plip is a mobile-first travel planning app that you can use to plan your entire trip on your phone or tablet. It also has a web app for use on your laptop.

Register for an account once you create a new trip; otherwise, your travels won’t be saved. You can keep the trip private or share it with a group by adding others’ emails.

When you want to add a new entry, there are eight types of plans to choose from: plan (generic), flight, reservation, lodging, restaurant, event, vehicle rental, and transit. The default details to fill for any entry are the title, the location, the start and end date and time, and any notes if necessary. Certain plans have additional entries, like “Provider” in events or “Confirmation number” in lodgings.

You can quickly filter your entries by the type of plan to view them in a list. Otherwise, switch to the Map view to view all your places of interest marked on the map and scroll through a pane at the bottom.

Download: Plip for Android | iOS (Free)

These apps will help you plan your entire trip, giving you a clear idea of when and where you will be. But don’t rush to book everything.

The travel and hospitality industry offers many last-minute deals on flights, hotels, and tourist attractions. You should try to check different travel apps to save money and take advantage of the deals where you can.

One of the highlighting features of the iPhone 16 Pro models is their ability to shoot 4K videos at 120FPS. However, they only shoot at 60FPS out of the box. I’ll show you how to switch to the higher frame rate mode below, but know that comes with a catch.

How to Shoot at 4K/120FPS on iPhone 16 Pro

It’s pretty easy to start using the 120FPS recording mode in Apple’s Camera app. While you can tap the frame rate toggle in the top-right corner of the Camera app to quickly switch to 120FPS, the app reverts to 60FPS every time you relaunch it.

Therefore, if you always want to make sure the Camera app defaults to the 120FPS mode, follow these steps: