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December 18, 2024

📦 Christmas gift dashboard: AfterShip tracks packages from 1,205 carriers all around the world. Put in up to 50 tracking numbers to see where each package is. It even tracks shipping to Antarctica — you know, just in case.

Crap, you forgot the Christmas cards: It’s not too late to spread some holiday cheer with a heartfelt message. Hit up Canva, Adobe Express or Paperless Post online. Choose a template, whip up a greeting and send it in just a few minutes — no printing or trip to the post office.

There’s still time to get it before Christmas! I like classy clothes you can dress up or down. If you need a gift that feels like quality for your spouse or adult children, check out the bestsellers at Quince.* They have washable cashmere, silks and more that all look great and last.

So your kid started a YouTube channel: Get access so you know who’s leaving comments and messaging them. Open the YouTube app on your phone, tap your profile picture (bottom right) > gear icon (top right) > Family Center. Tap Invite a teen to ask to supervise your kid’s account.

Make your app icons useful: On an iPhone running iOS 18, press and hold an app icon. At the top, you’ll see a few icons. Choose the second one to transform that app into a widget. Long-press again to change what that widget does. Apple’s Weather app widget, for example, can display the forecast. Neat!

Smartphone shortcut: On a Samsung, go to your Contacts and choose a person you want to talk to. Swipe left to begin a text message to them or swipe right to call them — no extra tapping required. Cool.

💊 Who’s in your doc’s pocket? Worried your doctor might not be giving you impartial advice because they’re getting paid by Big Pharma? Look up your doc in this government database (U.S. only) and see which companies are giving them money. That includes celebrity docs, too!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

10 privacy-friendly Big Tech alternatives

Amazon uses your Alexa voice commands to train its AI, Dropbox had a breach in April that exposed customers’ passwords, and apps like Facebook and Google make billions of dollars gathering and sharing every little detail about you. I could go on (and on).

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How to install antivirus and scan your computer

If you’re online, you’re at risk, plain and simple. There’s more out there after your info and wallet than you realize, from phishing scams to ransomware and malicious apps to malware.

That’s why it’s critical to protect your personal and business devices correctly. When it comes to your computer, tablet and phone, you need a robust security suite.

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There’s still time to get it before Christmas! I like classy clothes you can dress up or down. If you need a gift that feels like quality for your spouse or adult children, check out the bestsellers at Quince. They have washable cashmere, silks and more that all look great and last.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Mac magic: Hit the Apple menu > System Settings > Mouse (if you have one) or Trackpad (on a MacBook). You’ll find all kinds of settings you can adjust to your heart’s desire, including cursor speed and how hard you have to tap your trackpad to click.

🐭 Zoom-zoom! You can change how fast your cursor moves around your screen. On a Windows PC, click on the Start menu icon in your taskbar and type mouse. Click on Mouse settings, and use the Mouse pointer speed slider to adjust your cursor speed. You can also change the number of lines your mouse wheel scrolls at a time, too.

🦺 Junior mode: That’s the kid-friendly version of Disney+. To enable it for your little one, create a new profile, then tap Add profile. To do this with an existing profile, tap Edit profile. Toggle on Junior mode to limit streaming options to kid-appropriate content, all with a simpler, easier-to-navigate interface.

Windows users, take note: Mike in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, wrote in to ask if it’s safe to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2, which rolled out in October. I’m glad you held off, Mike, because there were a lot of bugs. The major kinks have been worked out now, so you’re good to go.

🛃 Oman, I Kuwait to Rome around: Download the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Global Entry app for iOS or Android. Snap a selfie while in the security line, and you won’t have to do it at the kiosk when returning to the U.S. The catch: You must be registered with the Global Entry program, which costs $100 for five years.