May 4, 2025

Your phone has a death date

Your phone is dying as you’re reading this. Many people don’t realize that, like milk, condoms or your favorite hot sauce that’s been in the fridge since 2018, your phone has an expiration date.   Here are the average lifespans for some of today’s most popular phone brands and makes: To be clear: These are averages. […]

May 3, 2025

Digital self-destruction for fun and paranoia

How to make any USB drive self-destruct  “Kim, I’m paranoid about losing my USB drive. Is there any way to make it so if someone steals it, they can’t see or open anything?” — Dave in Denver Dave, losing a USB drive isn’t just annoying. It’s the secret nightmare of anyone who’s ever stored files […]

May 2, 2025

Tech we thought was the future

It’s Friday, and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. Let’s take a fun walk down memory lane back when our gadgets were clunky, slow and somehow magical. Remember when flipping your phone shut made you feel like a movie star? Or hearing the sound of a modem? Good times. Take a look at this list and […]

April 6, 2025

What’s replacing your smartphone? Here’s what’s coming next

Let’s be real: Smartphones are getting out of hand, literally.  We traded pocket space for bigger screens, better cameras and more power. Some of these glass bricks are the size of a paperback novel and about as easy to use one-handed.  Even Marty Cooper, the man who invented the cell phone, told me directly that […]

March 29, 2025

Cheap ways to make your old tech better

Reading this on a 6-year-old iPhone 11? It’s well past the average smartphone lifespan of 2.5 years … and I’m impressed you’ve hung onto it this long. Btw, Apple typically provides iOS updates for five to six years after a model’s release.  Upgrading your laptop or smartphone is inevitable. But wait before you throw out […]

March 23, 2025

5 cool tricks for your router

You never hear anyone say, “This router is amazing. It changed my life!” It’s sad because that little guy controls your entire home’s internet.

March 14, 2025

The future of laptops

My job is to keep you ahead of the curve, so you know what’s worth your hard-earned money and what’s just hype. One reader recently asked me: Where are laptops going next? Let’s break it down. 🤖 AI is baked in As AI gets better, imagine a bot that automates boring laptop tasks like booking […]

March 11, 2025
phishing text messages

What really happens when you delete a text?

We’ve all had those texts we want to delete — from bad jokes and typos, to (gulp) sending something sensitive to the wrong contact. Can you really ever remove a text from your life? Is a deleted text really deleted for good? It’s complicated. 🍎 Team Apple Press and hold on a text in a […]

February 14, 2025

Your Wi-Fi was part of 2.7 billion records leaked

The records, including IP addresses, were just leaked by some random Chinese company. I’ll tell you all about it, with steps you can take to protect yourself.

January 12, 2025
CES 2025: AI everything, waterless coffee maker, wearable for your face

CES 2025: AI everything, waterless coffee maker, wearable for your face

My takes on this year’s winners and losers from CES 2025

January 5, 2025
CES 2025: What’s coming at this year’s tech show

CES 2025: What’s coming at this year’s tech show

The latest and greatest in appliances, cars, AI and lots more

August 6, 2023

Find out who’s calling you from an unknown or blocked number

See who’s calling from unknown or blocked numbers. Sniff out scam calls with a few of these tricks, starting with tracing techniques.

July 19, 2021

Smartphone security: Do you need a VPN on your phone?

We’re constantly connecting to Wi-Fi networks we don’t control, and an added layer of protection is important. Here’s your best option.

June 15, 2021

5 ways to block or hide your number when making calls

5 clever ways to hide your phone number when making calls.