Android Archives

Use AI to recreate a loved one’s voice

ChatGPT

Mark in Washington, D.C., wrote in with a question that absolutely pulled at my heartstrings:

“Kim, I love your newsletter and shows on WTOP 103.5 FM. My dad passed away recently, but I have all his voicemails on my phone. Is there any way to recreate his voice so my two young kids can hear him read their favorite bedtime stories?”

Mark, what a beautiful idea. And yes, you can absolutely do this with a little bit of AI magic and some tech know-how.

🗂 Save and organize the audio

Start by pulling those voicemails off your phone.

iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap Voicemail. Select the message and tap the Share icon. Save to Files, Messages, or Email it to yourself.
Android: In your carrier’s app, there is usually a way to save voicemails.

No save option?

🎙️ Record with another phone. Play the voicemail on speaker. Use a second phone with a free app like:

Easy Voice Recorder (Android)
Voice Memos (iPhone)

Once saved, keep those files backed up somewhere like Google Drive or Dropbox, so they’re ready for the next step.

🧽 Clean up the sound

Those recordings may need a little TLC.

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Duct tape fixes for the digital age

ChatGPT

Tech doesn’t always play nice. Your laptop heats up, your Wi-Fi fizzles, and sometimes you’re just standing there, squinting at your screen, wondering where the mouse pointer disappeared to.

Don’t panic. Just try these fast fixes. Each takes under a minute and requires zero tech degree … although if you pull these off in front of someone else, you may get a slow clap, and maybe even a mozzarella stick.

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Driving this Independence Day?

🇺🇲 Before you hit the road, make sure your car is road-trip ready.

📱 Team Android or iPhone? Either way, this phone mount (14% off) doesn’t let go. 4.4 stars and 31,000+ reviews.

🔒 Thief repellent: A solid steering wheel lock (20% off) says “not today” to would-be carjackers.

😎 Your visor’s BFF: These magnetic suede holders ($9.99, three-pack) keep your shades in reach.

👍 Thumb lifesaver: Got arthritis or long nails? This seat buckle tool (17% off) pops child car seats in a pinch.

🚗 Oldie but goodie: No batteries. No screen glare. Just an analog tire pressure gauge (31% off) that’s reliable.

🧽 All in the details: Soft but tough, these microfiber towels (32% off) kick hitchhiking dirt to the curb.

📅 Prime Day’s not waiting: The big day starts July 8, but early deals are already rolling in. Check ’em out and more on my storefront.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Your own mobile phone company

Open/download audio

President Trump is diving into the mobile service game with a flashy, gold-plated Android deal for just $47 a month. But how?

Trump Org sells phones: This is not politics, so don’t even think of writing me a note about it. This is tech news. It’s a presidential first you need to be in the know about. Coming soon is a $499 gold Android phone and a $47.45/month plan called “The 47 Plan.” It includes unlimited data, roadside help and presidential branding galore. It’s all licensing, with no actual tech building involved. Customer support is reportedly Eric Trump with a headset. Just kidding.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Let’s turn off ad tracking on your phone. On iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. For Android, go to Settings > Google > All services > Ads > Ads privacy.

📱 Find anything on Android: Stop looking through all those menus. Swipe up on your home screen and use the search bar at the top. You can instantly find apps, files, settings or contacts with just a few letters. Bonus: Long-press an app result to turn it into a home screen shortcut for even faster access.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Turn your phone into a level: On iPhone, open the Measure app > tap Level. On Android, Google “bubble level” and one pops up.

Play any file: Next time you hit a “can’t open file” error, try VLC media player. It’s free, open-source and plays just about every media format from DVDs to weird file types. Best part? It works across all your tech: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, you name it. No ads, just press play.

🆘 Lifesaving tip: Here’s how to trigger Emergency SOS, fast. On Android, press the power button five times or more. For iPhones, press and hold the side button and either volume button until the slider pops up. Know this before you need it.

Android 16 is officially rolling out: Only for Pixel phones. But the biggest glow-up, the visual facelift of the Material 3 Expressive design, is delayed until later this year. So yes, security’s tighter. Battery’s better. But your lock screen still looks like 2021.

🙈 No peeking: Disabling message previews keeps prying off your texts. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages. For Android, it’s Settings > Notifications > App Notifications > Messages > Lock screen. Now that “urgent code” from your bank won’t show up while your phone’s unattended at a café.

It’s a ruff life: Need a trusted pet sitter or dog walker while you’re away? Download the Rover app (Android, iOS) to connect with verified, reviewed pet lovers who’ll take care of your furry friend like family.

Speed up your Android: If your phone feels sluggish, your home screen might be the problem. Too many widgets, like weather or news feeds, can put extra stress on the system each time you wake it up. Ditch the ones you don’t need: Long-press a widget and tap Remove.

📚 Books to bucks: Got shelves of old novels, DVDs or video games? Free apps like BookBuddy (iOS) and Libib (Android) make it easy to sell them. Scan the barcode, and the app stores it in a catalog. From there, create a listing on eBay, Facebook Marketplace or wherever you flip.

🎨 Photoshop is finally on Android: And yes, it’s free (for now). You can grab it on Google Play and mess with layers, masks, selection tools and AI Generative Fill. The fine print: After the beta, it’s $7.99/month.

🎧 Spotify sounding flat? On mobile, it might default to lower audio quality to save data. On iOS, go to Settings and privacy > Audio Quality and set it to High. On Android, go to Settings and privacy > Media Quality and set it to High. If you have Premium, there’s also a Very High option. One great option that always sounds great is my show, IMHO.

📱 Android app fix: If an app keeps crashing or acting up, try clearing its cache. Go to Settings > Apps, pick the app, then tap Storage & cache (or Storage) and hit Clear cache. Very important: Don’t select Clear data. It will delete your settings, log you out and reset the app to default.

📱 Reels made easy: Meet Edits (Android, iOS), Meta’s new video editing app for short-form content. It’s Instagram Reels’ answer to TikTok’s CapCut. And it’s packed with tools like green screen effects, auto-captions, AI animations and more. Best part? It’s totally free. Score.

“Oh sheet,” says Google: Perplexity AI is now doing spreadsheets, presentations and websites, all from a $20/month subscription. You can use it on iOS, Android and soon Mac and Windows.