⌛ Quick tip! Today's smartphones have intelligent circuits that prevent overcharging. Once your battery hits 100%, the phone will stop charging. So, while it's good practice to unplug once fully charged, leaving it overnight occasionally won't do much harm. The more you know! — Kim

It’s happened to me and I’m sure you, too. You’re at the perfect location for a family photo. It’s just you, the fam and a beautiful background — and no one’s there to take the picture.

Sure, it’s easy to snap a selfie, but your phone’s front camera isn’t as high quality as the rear one. The front-facing cam won’t capture the full scope of your vacation spot, and it’s hard to fit everyone in the frame.

Well, dear friends, there’s a simple solution you’re going to want to remember.

🙌🏻 Both iPhone and Android cams have built-in photo timers. By using a timer, you don’t have to ask a stranger to take your pic — or worse. My friend handed her phone to someone to take a photo of her and her daughter, but the guy ran away and stole it.

For iPhone:

• You can prop your phone against something stable like a rock, or maybe you’re a smarty-pants and brought a tripod. This one is affordable and small enough to tuck anywhere.
• Once your phone is steadied, open your Camera app and tap the up-facing arrow at the top of your screen to display the app’s secondary menu. Scroll right in this menu to the option that looks like a clock, then tap it.
• Choose between a three- or 10-second delay. For more time to get everyone positioned, pick 10 seconds.

On Android:

• Head to your phone’s camera app, select Timer and turn it on.
• Select from a delay of two, five or 10 seconds. Time to shine!

🧀 Why do vegans often look miserable in photos? They don’t like to say, “Cheese!”

“Say cheese” is the classic photo prompt, but it can result in fake-looking smiles. Your best bet is to make a joke about eight seconds into that 10-second timer to get everyone to smile. I like this one: “I love to go Komando!” Otherwise, try a word that ends in the “uh” sound — like “Duh!”

🎩 It’s not Monopoly money: Apple’s Pay Later is live. You can make a purchase using your Apple Wallet and pay it off in four payments over six weeks. No interest or late fees, but don’t let this sucker you into buying stuff you can’t afford. Btw, it’s available for purchases between $75 to $1,000.

u-Fixit: You can now repair (or trick out) your Microsoft Surface at home. DIY repair company iFixit sells genuine SSDs, batteries, screens, kickstands and more. Worth a peek if you have a Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, Surface Go 4 or Surface Studio 2 Plus.

📮 Snail-mail spam: A fake letter about the Corporate Transparency Act compliance is going around. If you get an official-looking piece of mail from the (deep breath) United States Business Regulations Department, Corporate Transparency Act Division, Process and Filing Center, watch out. Scammers use personal info exposed in data breaches to make the letters feel real. Don’t visit the site listed or scan the QR code. Right into the shredder!

Every morning, brush your teeth to my Daily Tech Update. You get fresh breath and fresh tech know-how in a minute.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Your remote is dirtier than your toilet: Remove the batteries, blast it with compressed air and clean it with a disinfectant wipe. Cotton swabs and toothpicks are great for removing stubborn gunk. Remember: Don't put the batteries back in until it’s fully dry.

🌞 Smile for the camera: The sweet spot to mount your video doorbell is 48 inches from the ground. Most doorbell cams have a wide scope, so you don't need to put them any higher. If you do, you might get notifications every time the sun crosses your porch. Not great for Halloween.

Save data: Chat apps like WhatsApp are excellent for keeping in touch but can eat up a ton of data. If you use one, open its settings and customize how media is downloaded. If you pick Wi‑Fi, you won’t download videos and pics until you’re on a recognized network. Nice.

Bring smiles to all when shopping online with Dell Technologies’ Gift Guide. Whether it’s for the artist, the entrepreneur, the student or the streamer, find the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

Dell's Gift Guide makes gifting easy, with a carefully curated selection of our best tech. Shop now to explore our innovative PCs, like the XPS 13 laptop, powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors, plus this season’s top accessories.

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

Swagbucks rewards you for easy online activities, like shopping, playing games and answering surveys. No, you won’t earn a boatload, but you will earn points toward gift cards to Amazon or Walmart or cash in PayPal.

It’s a classic for a reason →

Froot Loops is adding marshmallows to its cereal like Lucky Charms. I guess “toucan” play that game!

Thanks for being here, friend. I hope you learned something new. And don't forget — you can always reply to this email if there's something specific you'd like me to delve into. I go through each message myself! — Kim