Gmail has a hidden mode that makes your messages vanish. Here’s how to use it.
Tech we thought was the future
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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 see if there are any you miss.
AOL Instant Messenger
AIM was where friendships, gossip and teenage drama lived. Setting the perfect away message was an art form. “Out grabbing pizza. BRB.” Bonus points if you threw in a moody song lyric.
T9 texting
Before touch screens, texting meant using a numeric keypad where each button represented three or four letters. You had to tap multiple times to get the right one. Sending a simple “Hi” could feel like typing a novel. Mastering T9 predictive text was a real skill, and if you could do it without looking, you were a wizard.
Car phones
Not Bluetooth, not speakerphones, actual phones bolted into your car. If you had one, you were big-time. Even if the service cut out every time you left the city limits.
Floppy disks
Saving a school or work project onto a floppy felt like high-tech magic. Too bad you could only fit about one blurry photo on it. 1.44 MB sounded like a lot back then.
Digital cameras
Before smartphones ruled the world, you carried a chunky digital camera everywhere. You snapped 40 photos, crossed your fingers and hoped one wasn’t blurry when you uploaded them hours later.
BlackBerrys
If you had a BlackBerry, you meant business. That tiny keyboard gave you the power to email, text and survive boring meetings long before iPhones took over. You were never in a jam. Fun fact: I never owned one.
The original iPod
A thousand songs in your pocket sounded like pure science fiction. That click wheel was addictive, and you felt unstoppable with your whole music library at your fingertips.
It’s crazy how fast tech moves. What once felt like the future now feels prehistoric. Makes you wonder what we’ll be laughing about 10 years from now. I bet carrying a phone will seem ridiculous.
🥳 For fun: If you could bring back one old-school gadget just for the memories, what would it be? Hit reply or let me know when you rate this newsletter at the end. I read every note.
Gadget or gimmick? The truth behind viral tech products
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Oh, it’s Friday. Let’s lighten our tech brains and hearts.
Every week, some new gadget promises to make your life easier. There’s a fine line though between “tech that improves your life” and “tech that ends up in a junk drawer next to the USB lava lamp.”
Apple owes you money: Owned an iPhone or iPad between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024? You might be eligible for part of a $95 million settlement. Why? A lawsuit says Siri recorded private convos by accident. Oopsie. If you got an email or think it happened to you, submit your claim by July 2. You can file for up to five devices and get up to $20 each.
📱 Seeing double: Need to check your notes while writing an email? Android lets you use two apps at once. Go to Recent Apps, press and hold the first app you want, then choose Split screen. Tap your second app, and a black bar will separate them. Done? Drag the black bar to the app you want to close.
LinkedIn secrets for success
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LinkedIn isn’t just a digital résumé graveyard full of corporate buzzwords and “Let’s circle back” types. This is the one social platform where being smart actually works in your favor. Over 250 million folks in the United States use LinkedIn. You probably do, too, but you’re not using it right.
📬 Tired of spam and snooping? Bob from Illinois said it best: “I switched to StartMail, and I get no more junk email. Plus, no big tech snoops and trackers!” You can move your whole inbox without missing a beat, too. No downtime, no data lost and total privacy. Right now, snag 60% off your first year — a smart switch at a smart price.
✍️ ABC = Always Be Selling: I know that’s not a C. Adding a call to action turns your email signature into marketing gold. It can be a link, a special offer or anything else you want to promote. Here’s how to change them. But don’t stop there. Put CTAs in your social media bio, website footer and even your store’s Wi-Fi name.
🔒 Keep this between us: Need to send a private message on Gmail? Click Compose and select Confidential Mode (padlock icon with a tiny clock) at the bottom. This way, your recipient can’t forward, print or download your email or any attachments. You can even set an expiration date and a passcode.
📧 Google phishing scam: If you get an email saying there’s a legal subpoena tied to your Google account, don’t panic and don’t click. It’ll send you to a fake support page to steal your login info. Google says they’re working on a fix. Imagine getting sued by Fake Google, and losing.
How to find anyone’s email
Looking for a way to get in touch with someone online? Try these pro tips.
Scam on the line: Phone buzzing with job offers? You’re not alone. Fake posts scammed folks out of $61 million last year, up from $14.8 million in 2023. When money’s tight, scammers know you might take a job you’d usually think twice about. Jobs where the CEO’s email ends in .biz.ru? Pass.
🎓 AI free ride: My college readers, you’re in luck. Google is giving away a year of Gemini Advanced for free. It’s part of the Google One AI Premium plan, which means you also get tools like Veo 2 for video, NotebookLM, 2TB of cloud storage and more. This runs until June 30. Just use your .edu email to sign up.
🛡️ Google scrambles to fix Gmail phishing mess: I told you about this on Saturday, but it’s still going in full force. Don’t fall for spoofed emails claiming your Gmail account is about to be closed down. These are passing Gmail’s scam filters, slipping into inboxes looking squeaky-clean. You know it’s bad when the scammer gets better deliverability than your friend’s birthday email.
Switching to StartMail is easier than you think. You can transfer your inbox and contacts in just a few clicks — no hassle, no headaches. Unlike big tech email providers, StartMail puts your privacy first. No more scanning your messages to target you with ads. Just secure, private email that puts you in control. Check it out now.
What’s the #1 email pet peeve?
A new survey ranked the most annoying thing you can do in a work email. Plus, a tip to save 10+ hours a week writing them.
From Lisa in Texas: “Kim, I’m done with Big Tech snooping. Is StartMail really private?” You bet! StartMail is built for privacy — no tracking, no ads, just secure email. You can even import all your old messages and contacts, hassle-free. Save 60% now with my exclusive link!
Gmail’s getting more secure: Google’s making it way easier for businesses to send encrypted emails. Before, you had to deal with something called S/MIME, which was a pain to set up. Now? Just turn on the Additional encryption option when drafting an email. FYI: It only works within your company, so yes, your boss can finally encrypt that calendar invite you’ll ignore.
Better than email: Need to transfer photos, videos and docs from your Android phone to a Windows PC? Forget email. Use Google Share. It’s free and it works great!