Tech life upgrade: Quick hide your browser

December 19, 2024

Hide-and-seek: You’re shopping online when your gift recipient walks in. Quick! Hide your open browser windows. On a PC, press the Windows key + M. (Use the Windows key + Shift + M to reopen your closed windows.) On a Mac, it’s Cmd + Option + H + M. Phew, no Santa spoilers.

“Give me 10 more examples”: That’s a prompt I use with ChatGPT all the time to make the chatbot a better brainstorming buddy. Some of its “ideas” are downright bad, but it might spark something creative in your brain, too.

👂 Alexa, can you hear me? Struggling to get your smart speaker to hear you? Keep it at least 8 inches away from walls and other objects to reduce echo and interference. Psst, look how cheap this Echo is.

So you’ve spotted a scammer on Facebook: Do your good deed and report them. Go to the scammer’s profile, and, in the top right corner, click the three dots. Select Find support or report, then follow the on-screen prompts.

🇷🇺 So long and farewell, comrade: The U.S. government banned Kaspersky Lab and its cybersecurity products over the company’s ties to the Kremlin. If you’re using Kaspersky for your antivirus protection, try my antivirus pick instead.*

🤳 Look your best: Ever been caught checking your hair in a video call? Kind of embarrassing. Adjust yourself and the lighting before the meeting. On a Windows PC, open your Start menu and search for the Camera app; on a Mac, open Photo Booth.

If your health claim gets denied: FightHealthInsurance.com is a free AI tool that helps you untangle why your claim was denied and quickly draft a custom appeal letter. It was made by someone who had to fight their own insurer. Pro tip: Make sure you include the word “appeal” in your letter or it may not be considered one.

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Scammers are targeting teens – Warn your Gen Zer about these tricks

I told you about the 14-year-old who committed suicide after following the advice of an AI chatbot. Another family is suing the same one — Character AI — after it told an autistic 14-year-old to kill his parents. It also exposed an 11-year-old to sexual content.

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Your IP address: What it is and why you need to protect yours if you care about privacy

Using the internet is a complicated affair. It may not feel like that to you as a user. You click on your browser and get on with your day — it’s as easy as pie.

Behind the scenes, though, is a whole different story. It’s full of numbers like your Internet Protocol (IP) address, basically your digital home address. This numeric label distinguishes your phone or computer from other devices worldwide.

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

💊 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!

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.

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!

Ideal number of bank accounts: Is one bank account enough? Probably not. My pal, Clark Howard, recommends at least two bank accounts, but you may need more if you’re married or use payment apps. Subscribe to Clark’s free newsletter to receive more must-have money tips every day.