Hello, friends! Tech know-how looks good on you this Tuesday! Your clicks help keep this newsletter free to you, so be sure to check out today’s sponsor, Bark. They make the best phone for tweens and teens, letting you monitor everything your little cherubs do.

⌛ Quick tip: If you live in a home larger than 2,000 square feet, or if you just have a lot of devices, mesh networks are your Wi‑Fi's secret sauce. Instead of a single router struggling to send a signal to every nook and cranny, you've got multiple "nodes" working like a tag team. The result? Goodbye, annoying Wi‑Fi dead zones. — Kim

Does it bother you when you’re talking face to face with someone and they get a notification on their phone, look down and read it? It’s like your convo with them wasn’t as important as knowing the exact moment someone liked a tweet or posted a new vacation photo. So rude.

As you probably know, I write a lot and get much more done without alerts clogging my brain. My solution: I only let notifications come through at specific times. This way, I stay focused on what matters, not every buzz and beep. It’s so liberating because you have the control.

Apple iPhone:

• Go to Settings > Notifications and scroll to select the app for which you want to receive notifications. (NOTE: You’ll need to enable Allow Notifications for this to work.)
• Tap Notification Grouping. Here, you can choose from Automatic, By App or Off. To batch your notifications, select By App.
• In iOS 15 and later, you can also receive a summary of notifications at specific times. To set this up, go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary.

Android devices:

• Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications (or similar, depending on your phone’s make and model).
• Tap to see a list of all your apps. Pick the app you want batch notifications for, then tap Notifications.
• On the next window, look for an option called Notification Grouping or Bundled Notifications. Turn on this feature or select how you want your app’s notifications grouped.

You can also go app by app

Some social media apps like X and messaging software like Slack have built-in notification settings that allow you to customize how and when you receive alerts. You can often batch notifications directly through the app’s settings. Pop in and take a look.

And that's it! A few tweaks here and there, and you're well on your way to a less distracting digital environment. Thank me later when you realize how much more you're getting done!

😂 I got an email notification about a joke posted to Reddit. I tried to delete it, but Gmail wouldn't let me. Apparently, jokes can only be recycled. (OK, this joke is a bit dumpy.)

My passwords are protected by amnesia: Amazon just jumped on the passkey bandwagon, meaning you can use your fingerprint or face scan to sign into your account. Look under your login settings. Heads-up: You’ll still need your text password for the app and Prime Video. Want to use passkeys for Google? That’s actually ready for prime time.

On point: Add a new Apple Pencil to the iPhone 15, iPads and new AirPods getting a USB‑C charging port. Shocker: The Pencil is $40 cheaper than the last gen, at $79. Order yours from Apple and get free engraving. They’ll ship starting in November.

The Netflix Cup: Not a joke. It’s the streaming giant’s first live sporting event — a pro-am golf tournament featuring Formula 1 drivers. Talk birdie to me. You can stream it starting at 6 a.m. EST on Nov. 14. Here’s the trailer.

📦 Handy or creepy? The PayPal app will now tell you where your online orders are located … even if you pay another way. It works through a Google integration, pulling shopping details. Yup, more of your data is being collected and sold.

YouTube app getting new features: I’m most excited about stable volume, so no more super loud or quiet videos in the app. Also, look for a new screen lock so you don’t click away when playing a vid and search for a song by humming, singing or playing music. That never works for me. I’m a treble maker.

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Breathing room: Most of the time, laptops heat up due to poor ventilation. Avoid using it on soft surfaces like a bed or pillow. They’ll block your laptop’s vents and can keep it from fully cooling down. A desk, table or book are all better options.

🥸 It’s not just emails: You can mark texts as unread, too, so you don’t forget to reply later. On iPhone, swipe right on a conversation and tap the Mark as Unread button (it looks like a thought bubble). On Android, hold down on the convo, click the three-dot icon in the corner, then select Mark as unread.

Secret (hand)shake: Try this next time you mistype something. Shake your phone quickly and it’ll undo your most recently entered text. Works on Android and iPhone.

“Bark is the best decision my husband and I made. We have a 15-year-old and although that may sound a bit old for monitoring, it is the best thing for us and our teen because it alerts us on potentially dangerous situations and it holds her accountable for how she conducts herself online.” — Jenna R.

Bark uses built-in tools kids can’t tamper with or change, so you know they’re always protected. It’s my pick if you have a kid or teen in the family. I wish this existed when my son was young!

The Bark Phone scans texts, social media apps and searches (and tells you if there’s anything going on), and tracks their location in real time. Set screen time limits, too, that they can’t get around.

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

I've got the inside scoop on free treats and eerie-sistible deals to celebrate the spooky season. From wicked wings to chillingly sweet ice cream, your Halloween cravings are covered.

Check the list for your faves →

Hope you’re closing out this email with a smile on your face. Be sure to check out the Bark Phone now while you’re thinking about it. Kids are smart and can get around parental controls. I hear about it all the time! The Bark Phone is tamper-proof.

🫡 Rate this issue below so I know how things are appealing to you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning with the top tech news. I visit at least 35 websites every day to bring you the best tech information. Sign up here now so you’re on that path to tech stardom! — Kim