You’ve probably never wondered what King Tut’s 3,400-year-old grandmother looked like. But now that I’ve said it, I’m sure you want to know! Such a cool video and perfect to share with the photo-editing nerd in your life.
Time-saving tricks using your keyboard
I spend hours and hours (and hours) online every week looking for the latest in tech for my national radio show, podcasts and, of course, newsletter.
I rounded up eight browser keyboard shortcuts I use so you can spend less time clicking around for the right button, too.
4 if you’re always in Word or Google Docs
These tricks make work (or writing the novel you always wanted to get to) so much faster and easier.
- Just the text: Drop in text from somewhere else — without all the formatting coming with it. Use Ctrl + Shift + V to paste in whatever text you’ve copied, stripped completely of the source formatting.
- Swift selections: Make sure your cursor is before (or after) the text you’d like to select, then hold down Shift and use the left or right arrows to expand your selection, one character at a time. Ctrl + Shift + the left or right arrows will allow you to select the remainder of a line.
- Get in the mode: Need to track your changes? Switch between editing modes by holding down Ctrl + Shift + Alt, then tap X to suggest changes, Z to edit directly or C to just view the document, not edit it.
- Do it in style: Easily change your text formatting by holding down Ctrl + B for bold, Ctrl + I for italics and Ctrl + U for underlining. You already knew that? OK, but what about holding down Shift + X for strikethrough text, Shift + . (period) to superscript something and Shift + , (comma) for subscripting? I thought so!
3 tricks for tabs
These genuine timesavers work in most popular browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
- Closing time: Hit Ctrl + W (Windows) or Cmd + W (macOS) to shut down the browser tab you’re currently looking at. If you close a tab by accident, use Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + T (macOS) to bring it back.
- Tab cycling: On Windows and macOS, you can use Ctrl + Tab to scroll through open tabs (yeah, all 200 of them). Hold down Shift as well to go in the opposite direction.
- Turn over a new tab: Hit Ctrl + T (Windows) or Cmd + T (macOS) on your keyboard to open a new tab and jump straight to it. If you want a new window, use Ctrl + N (Windows) or Cmd + N (macOS).
2 ways to stay in the flow
- Keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling: Engrossed in something online? Tap the spacebar to scroll down the page and keep reading without looking away. Shift + spacebar takes you back in the other direction.
- Eyes on the prize: Follow an interesting link without losing focus while reading. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (macOS) when you click on a web link to open it in a new tab while you stay on your current tab. Add the Shift key to open a link in a new tab and jump straight to it.
2 ways to re-trace your steps
- Follow the breadcrumbs: You know those “back” and “forward” buttons in your browser? You can do the same with your keyboard, no clicking required — hold down Alt (Windows) or Cmd (macOS), then tap the left or right arrow button to explore your browsing history in the current tab.
- Save your page: Press Ctrl + D (Windows) or Cmd + D (macOS) to bookmark the current webpage so you can get back to it later. Your browser will throw up a dialog box you can use to sort the bookmark into a folder.
Android tip: 7 surefire ways to take better photos every time
There’s an amateur photographer inside each of us. For years, iOS devices constantly outperformed many Android devices regarding camera quality and built-in camera modes. But that’s changing.
Now that Android phone cameras are punching up with better hardware and software, you can take stunning photographs like a DSLR camera. This guide will teach you how to unlock the features in your Android phone, frame your shots and make share-worthy photographs that look highly professional.
🕵️ The case of the missing Edit button: The Edit button in your iPhone Photos app was last seen in the upper-right corner before a recent iOS 18 update. Now, it’s at the bottom of the screen between the Info (i) and Trash icons. The icon looks like three stacked sliders. Apple probably thinks this is more user-friendly, but I beg to differ.
Free video editing software
Just back from vacation and ready to create a family movie? You don’t need expensive editing software — these free tools will do the trick!
🚘 Side hustle black market: A woman was busted renting out Uber, Lyft and DoorDash accounts to immigrants. She gamed the system by using stolen licenses and editing in her “customer’s” faces to bypass security checks. She was pulling in $10,000 a month until the FBI came knocking. Read the whole crazy story here.
In our age of filters and photo-editing apps, what is the percentage of truly unedited, unaltered photos posted to social media? Is it … A.) 5%, B.) 12.5%, C.) 20% or D.) 27%?
Free PDF editing software can hide malware - Try this trustworthy option
Plenty of free browser-based solutions exist, but these convenient tools don’t always live up to the industry’s best. Of course, we’re talking about Adobe Acrobat Pro, Photoshop and others that come at a steep premium.
5 easy iPhone video editing tips to make your footage stand out
Let’s talk video. Whether filming something for school, work or a cute little clip to send to friends and family, you have plenty of tools to get the footage you want. Best of all, they are built right into your iPhone.
Rip those cassette tapes a new one: Time to bring those tapes into the digital age. You can use this USB-based converter ($25.99, 26% off now!) and my favorite free audio-editing software. Nice!
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🪟 Three shortcuts for PCs:
- Windows key + . (period) or ; (semicolon): Opens the emoji picker.
- Windows key + Shift + S: Opens the Snip & Sketch tool for capturing (and editing) screenshots.
- Alt + F6: Allows you to switch between multiple windows of the same application (e.g., different browser windows).
📸 iPhone editing trick: Use this next time a pic is almost perfect. Select an image and zoom in using two fingers. The option to crop your photo will appear on the top right of your device. Tap it, crop or adjust your pic using the editing tools, then tap Done.
Like Photoshop but free: Try Generative Erase in the Windows Photos app. It uses AI to remove something you don’t like in a pic (a rando in the background) and fill it in with something you want (the sunset). Open a pic in Photos, then click the editing icon on the far left. Select Erase, “paint” whatever you want to get rid of, and then click Erase again.
In 2019, an app surpassed a huge milestone of 400 million downloads worldwide, offering features like daily to-do’s and audio tips. Was it an app for … A.) Fitness, B.) Video editing, C.) Reading the Bible or D.) Learning a new language?
My fave price is free: Pro video-editing software usually comes with a pro-level price — unless you know the best freebies. Kdenlive is free and open-source, and it gets new updates all the time. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux.
Because you’re mine, I walk the line: You just sang that, didn’t you? Say you’re editing with a group and need to reference line by line. Google Docs can save you the headache. Go to Tools > Line numbers > check Show Line Numbers, and you’re all set. Sweet!
How come it’s OK for Kim K to edit a photo? Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, showed up in a public photo and … what a mess. Eagle-eyed folks pointed out some weirdness in the pic: Strange cuffs, misaligned zippers and twisted fingers. The photo’s metadata revealed it was saved in Photoshop twice. Kate apologized for her bad editing job.
Best hidden iPhone messaging tips and tricks you should be using
Apple’s Messages app has undergone many changes over the years, and why not? Text messaging is one of the core components of any smartphone.
One thing that sets iPhone messaging apart is its higher file size limit. If you’ve ever tried sending a picture from an iPhone to an Android, you’ve probably noticed the degradation in quality. Tap or click here for one way to get around this annoying issue.
There's a hidden trackpad on your iPhone - Here's how to use it
Your smartphone comes with enough cool features to keep you entertained for hours at a time. But there are probably hidden features built into your device that you don’t even know about. Tap or click for 10 new iPhone tricks you’ll use all the time.
Here are all the ways to block someone from your iPhone or iPad
Fall means one thing to Apple fans: the launch of a new iPhone and iOS. The iPhone 14 gets better crash detection and satellite communication for emergencies, and the Pro models add an always-on screen.
You don’t need the latest iPhone to enjoy the perks that come with iOS 16, however. And the big news is that you can finally edit and unsend text messages. Before you get too excited, there are some things you should know. Tap or click here for what happens when you unsend, edit or delete a text in iOS 16.