Bacteria Turner Overdrive

February 12, 2024

🦠 Bacteria Turner Overdrive: Scientists swabbed smartwatch bands, and the results are nasty — everything from E. coli to staph. A crazy 95% of bands tested positive for bacteria. The dirtiest bands belonged to healthcare workers. So many sources of ick! Grab the wipes.

Tags: healthcare, scientists

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It’s not just you: Social media notifications are out of control

Here’s something social media companies don’t want you to know: They’ve been making changes so they can make more money. One way is by amping up the number of notifications pushed out to users.

For example, your Instagram account received up to 12 more notifications this past January than last July. Fortunately, you can opt-out. I’ve got you covered.

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Stop your devices from listening in

What’s the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? It’s just that — they’re always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don’t want them to hear.

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137 crypto mining facilities use 2.3% of our country's power

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is finally cracking down. First step: They’ll now have to report their power usage.

Do this tech step before it’s too late

Someone you love has passed away and you want to save a voicemail to listen to when the grief wave hits. Don’t bet on your phone to keep it for you — I’ve heard from so many people devastated their old messages are gone. Don’t let it be you.

Saving voicemails on iPhone

Go to the Phone app and tap Voicemail in the bottom right.
Tap on the voicemail you want to save, then tap the share button. (It looks like a box with an arrow pointing out of it.) You can now share this voicemail via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Messenger or WhatsApp.
To save the voicemail on your phone, select Add to New Quick Note or Save to Files. You can access the saved message again in either app — Notes or Files — and play it back at your leisure. Both apps also back up your files automatically to iCloud if enabled.
To save the voicemail to your computer, select AirDrop, then tap on your computer’s name. Both your phone and computer must be connected to the same network. On your computer, accept the AirDrop and save the message wherever you want.

Saving voicemails on Android

These steps will vary depending on your phone’s model, but you can still follow them for a general idea of how to keep those messages.

Open your Voicemail app or go to the Voicemail section in your Phone app.
Tap or tap and hold the message you want to save.
In the menu that appears, look for options like Save, Export or Archive.
Select where you’d like the message to be saved on your phone, and tap OK or Save.

$450,000 to go to space

That’s on Richard Branson’s first Virgin Galactic space tourism flight. The rocket was forced to ground after a pin used to hold the two halves of the spaceship together fell off. Yikes! Do you think the passengers got a refund?

$8 to call Elon

He’s really trying to make money with video and audio calls on X — so much so that he’s ditching his regular phone number soon. I find this PR move hard to believe.

200-foot Alabama radio tower disappeared

No, really. WJLX station general manager Brett Elmore says he’s seen it all now. The station’s radio tower just vanished.

1.3 million users canceled Disney+ 

That’s from September 2023 to December 2023. They blame the “substantial price increase.” Ya think? It’s now double the original cost.

194 pounds the average traveler weighs

That’s with their carry-ons on a plane. How do we know? Finnair started weighing passengers. It’s not about your airport snacks or waistline. It’s to check if the plane is heavier in winter or summer.

Rescue blurry pictures

🤳🏼 Ever had one of those “oops” moments taking pictures? You know, when your hand wobbles and your photo becomes as elusive as a Bigfoot sighting (or, in my case, my dog, Abby, doing something super cute)?

Before you rush to delete it, hang tight! Most phones have a built-in “sharpness” feature. If you’re looking for the quickest fix, this is probably it.

For iPhone:

Open the Photos app and select the blurry photo.
Tap Edit in the top right corner. Scroll through the Adjust menu until you find Sharpness.
Slide your finger left or right on the bar to make the photo sharper. Hit Done to finish up.

For Android:

Open the Gallery app and choose the blurry photo.
Tap the Edit icon in the bottom row.
Tap the Brightness icon and scroll until you find Sharpness.
Slide your finger left or right on the bar to make the photo sharper. Hit Save.

Note: Steps may vary. Newer Android phones may also have an Unblur feature under Gallery Tools. Adjust the slider to improve your image.