Friyay! I was reading the reviews for this newsletter (yes, I look at them all!) and noticed something funny. Most of you like my eye-roller jokes, but some say, "Stop it, Kim Komando!" Listen, if we can't have some fun in life, what's the point?

⌛ Quick tip: Avoid overcharging your phone, and try not to let it drain completely before recharging. Keep your phone's battery between 20% and 80% to prolong its lifespan. Now you know! — Kim

I bet you’re already using voice to text on your phone, but what about in Microsoft Word or Google Docs? It can be a real timesaver if you need to get some ideas out on “paper,” if you think better out loud than in writing or when your wrist is grumbling from too much time at the computer.

Voice typing is part of the accessibility features built into most operating systems. I’ve got pro tips, too, so you don’t end up with a word salad.

Use Microsoft Word?

All you need is a microphone and network connection to use dictation in Word. (It works with Word for Microsoft 365 on PC and Mac.)

• Sign in to Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device.
• Open a new or existing document and go to Home > Dictate. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. Speak clearly, and you’re all set.

Here are some helpful voice commands:

• Insert punctuation by saying them explicitly, like “Kim exclamation point” for “Kim!” To insert a word that’s also punctuation, such as “comma” or “period,” say “literal comma” or “literal period.”
• “New line” or “New paragraph” will start a new thought or section. Say “Go to” or “Go after” and a word to move the cursor before or after that word.
• To correct the last thing you said, say “Correct that.”
• “Select that” will select the last thing you said.
• Say “Caps” and a word to capitalize the first letter of that word.

Type with your voice in Google Docs

You’ll need a Chrome browser and a microphone to type with your voice in Google Docs. Then:

• Click Tools, then Voice typing. A microphone box appears.
• When you’re ready to speak, click the microphone. When you’re done, click the microphone again.

Try these commands:

• Say “Select” and a word or phrase to select it, or say “Cut,” “Copy” or “Paste” to edit your doc.
• To format your text, say “Bold,” “Italicize,” “Decrease font size” or “Increase font size,” for instance. Saying “Highlight” plus a color will highlight your text in that color.
• Create lists by saying “Create a bulleted list” or “Create a numbered list.”

Pro tip: I won’t name names, but someone in my life (OK, fine, it’s my husband, Barry) gets super frustrated with smart assistants and talks too loudly to them. That just makes it worse! Use your “inside voice” for the best results.

Update your Surface: Microsoft just shipped out firmware updates for the Surface Go 2, Surface Pro 8 and Surface Pro X. No cool new features, but there are bug fixes that improve performance and stabilize Wi-Fi.

📋 Keep it forever: Keep is Google’s notetaking app (it’s great, btw), and it just got a big upgrade: Version history. From a computer, go to keep.google.com, and click a note. At the bottom, click the three dots > Version history. Choose a version and Download. It’s rolling out, so don’t panic if it doesn’t work for you yet.

Skip the mall: You need help picking a new iPhone, but the thought of going to the Apple Store makes you shudder. No prob, book a video appointment online. Here’s a direct link to shop with a specialist. You won’t be on cam — only the specialist will.

⛽ Running on empty: A new Google Maps update stopped showing gas stations for electric vehicle (EV) owners. Nice to see EV charging stations first, but what if you need a Big Gulp?

Treat yourself: The latest Apple AirPods are at the lowest price I’ve seen. I know $140 seems expensive, but they’re worth it. I love mine. These deals never last long. Get ‘em now, folks.

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Listen to my podcast, Kim Komando Today, here.

No bars: When your cell service is wonky, switch your phone to Airplane mode, wait a few seconds, then change it back. This will reconnect you to the nearest cell tower. Sweet!

🍿 Before movie night: Turn off your TV’s Motion Smoothing feature. It’s a setting made for sports that makes everything else look … weird. Look for it in your TV’s picture settings. Get more steps here if you need help.

COME ON: The feeling when you close the wrong tab. Get it back faster than navigating the history menu. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen your last tab. On a Mac, Cmd + Shift + T. (You can use it multiple times to get back old tabs.)

Light it up: Your iPhone’s flashlight has more brightness levels than the default “like the sun” mode. Hold down the flashlight button, then drag the slider up or down. Sweet.

🤲 Palm reader: Here’s a cool shortcut to take screenshots on a Samsung phone. Go to Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures, and enable Palm swipe to capture. Now, just swipe your hand across the screen to take a screenshot.

It’s not enough to have strong passwords and watch what you click. Malware is harder than ever to spot. Antivirus software isn’t optional. You need it.

My pick is TotalAV. It’s simple to install and use, and they’ve received the VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row.

Best part: You get an entire year of protection on five devices for just $19!

❓ Have a question for me? Drop it right here, or leave me a voicemail at 602‑381‑8200 ext. 290.

There are free sample sites for people, but what about pets? Yep, they exist, and you can score treats, food and other goodies that might make your pet actually like the mailman. Check out The Pet Pantry, Peekage (cat treats) and Fur Buddies.

😂 What do you call a singing desktop computer? A Dell.

What did Adele say when asked where her dog was? Groomer has it. (Sorry, I had to.) Wow, two jokes for the price of one? Only the best for you. 

Tune in: Be sure to listen to my national radio show this weekend. Find the station nearest you using our super-duper station locator map. You’re gonna love it, I promise!

I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday with the weekend version of my free newsletter. This week’s top story explains a trend I’ve seen online that blew my mind. Until then, stay your amazing self! — Kim