Taking care of aging parents? Here's a simple way to keep an eye on what's happening
Independence, safety and peace of mind. These are the most important elements for seniors living at home and their loved ones. Parents who wish to maintain their independence by living alone can be a double-edged sword. You’re happy they’re still self-sufficient, but you’re nervous about what can happen in an emergency.
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.
11M shares worth $2B
Jeff Bezos cashed in 11,997,698 shares of Amazon stock last week. Nah, not to upgrade the 460-foot yacht. The move saves him about $140 million in capital gains taxes.
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.
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.
704% more face-swap attacks
That’s when someone uses an AI tool to copy your face. These tools are free or cheap to access. Why? It’s an easy way to get past facial recognition checks on your devices.
706,900 matchsticks to create a 23.6-foot model of the Eiffel Tower
Frenchman Richard Palud spent 8 years on this masterpiece — and Guinness says no world record because he used the wrong kind of matchsticks. Ouch.
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.
$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.