August 9, 2023 |
In partnership with Daily Tech Update |
Hey, hey, Wednesday! Alice asked, “How long should I stay with Windows 10? Has Windows 11 gotten all the bugs out?” You’re good to go. At this point, it’s really just preference. You will need to update by October 2025, so might as well get used to it now. ⌛ Quick tip: There’s an easy way to open a web link in a new browser tab: Click it with your mouse’s scroll button. That’s it. Bonus tip: Click an open tab with that same button to close it instantly. Share that with someone and you’ll look super smart. — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE
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TODAY'S TECH HACKFeeling sluggish? Might be your background appsNothing is more frustrating than having to wait (and wait and wait) for pages to load. Sometimes, it's a momentary glitch, but more often than not, a sluggish browsing experience means something is amiss behind the scenes. It might be apps running in the background that eat up a ton of resources and slow your entire system. Let's take a look at the usual suspects. Syncing with the cloud: Constantly transferring files (especially large ones) can suck up a lot of resources and, yes, slow your speed. 🛠️ The fix: Customize your cloud settings to prioritize what kinds of documents are worth backing up and which aren't. You might be surprised what you're automatically syncing. You can also set your backups to happen overnight. CPU and RAM hogs: Sometimes, your system runs background apps that can tax your device's CPU and RAM. That, in turn, can affect the internet and browsing speed. We're talking video-editing software, virtual machines and other resource-sucking applications. 🛠️ The fix: If you’re on a Mac, check the Activity Monitor and turn off any CPU-sucking apps. On a PC, check Task Manager. Get in-depth steps here. Streaming issues: Ah, the ol' stop, start, stop, start. Streaming taxes your bandwidth like (almost) nothing else. 🛠️ The fix: Make sure you aren’t streaming in more than one window. Change your video settings to a lower resolution to free up some bandwidth. Still choppy? Consider downloading your movie or show instead. I wish you speedy browsing! (P.S. While looking into your bandwidth issues, make sure you also know all the signs your phone or computer is infected with a virus or keylogger.) I’ll leave you with these wise words: “The main problem with the internet is that there is no way to validate most facts.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1865. |
DEAL OF THE DAY
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YOU SHOULD KNOWWhatsUp: Meta’s WhatsApp has a handy, new video-calling feature: Document, photo and even shopping cart sharing. Look for the Share icon and display a specific app or your entire phone. Good for business calls? No, but I can see some smart uses, like helping an older relative with a tech issue. ☕ Add a latte: Target is luring people into using curbside order pick-up with caffeine — and I bet it’s going to work. At more than 1,700 locations, you can add a Starbucks drink to your order. Yep, you stay in the car, and someone will bring out your toilet paper and a frappuccino. About time: Apple Music just introduced a killer feature Spotify’s had for years: The Discovery Station. Think of this as curated music the algorithm predicts you’ll like based on what you listen to most. To try it: Open Apple Music > Listen now > Stations for You > Discovery Station. It’s not just you: Reddit is full of people complaining the YouTube TV app for iOS and iPadOS keeps freezing. If the loading icon is driving you up the wall, you're not alone. YouTube says it knows things are busted, and it's working on a fix. 🛋️ AR shopping: Walmart’s augmented reality (AR) app lets you (digitally) place furniture in your home. Now, it’s even more useful — you can add multiple products (there are over 7,000 to choose from) and get recs for what works well together. Try it now in the Walmart app for iPhone. Sorry, Android folks — it’s not ready for you yet. |
🎙️ Stay tech-savvy in just 2 minutes!I turn tech complexity into simplicity with my Daily Tech Update podcast. I’ll give you the top tech news and a useful digital life hack, all in under two minutes. It's the perfect match for your daily routine — no tech expertise required. |
TECH LIFE UPGRADESSpaced out: You can navigate websites with just your keyboard. I like this when I’m reading something long. Tap the spacebar to scroll down and spacebar + Shift to scroll back up. Speaking of space, I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down. 🔕 Respectfully, shut up: You’re in a meeting and your phone rings. Instead of hitting “Ignore,” press the volume down button to mute the ringer. Bonus: The person calling won’t get immediately sent to voicemail and think you’re ignoring them. Storage saver: Use Excel often? Save big files as .XLSB format instead of .XLS. The file size will shrink up to 75%. Yep, size matters. 🔋 Forgot the charger?: No worries if you’re at a hotel and all you have is a USB cable and not the wall adapter. Most hotel TVs have a USB plugin you can use. More ways to use a hotel and Airbnb TV here. Listen carefully: As one smart reader pointed out, hearing your written words out loud makes it easier to spot mistakes or sentences that sound off. It’s easy to correct errors subconsciously when you read your own work. Solution: Paste it into Google Translate and hit the speaker icon. |
The smartest way to start your dayOK, that’s AFTER you’ve read this newsletter. But you’re here so you’re doing that! 🦷🥚🚽 While you’re brushing your teeth, cooking eggs or, uh, using the bathroom, update yourself with my Daily Tech Update podcast. In just 60 seconds, I’ll catch you up on the big tech news story of the day. Use the link below to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. |
ASK ME YOUR QUESTIONSI need a UPS for my router
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BYTES OF HUMOR: LOADING LAUGHSWhy do Adam and Eve use Android? ☀️ Another issue in the books. See you in your inbox bright and early with tomorrow’s tech news! Subscribe here if you haven't already. I’m sharing important stuff this week. — Kim |
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