filters Archives

Grime’s going down

🧽 Only tools that don’t mess around … unless it’s to clean one up.

Poof! An expandable wand (10% off) makes windshields shine.
Stick on these ceiling fan filters ($22) to catch dust for you.
Toss in some dryer balls (13% off) for softer, fresher laundry.
Scrub your cup’s crusty crevices with a brush set (17% off).
Keep your gear handy in this cleaning apron (8% off).

🐱 Fur be gone: Snag a steam brush ($26) to comb and de-shed your furry friend in one go. Your couch will thank you.

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

Lies, but with filters: Misinformation is mutating harder than Chernobyl deer. AI-made photos, videos and text are now scary good, blurring reality at scale. Nobody knows what’s real … except that picture of aliens in the White House your uncle reposted, saying he told you so.

$20,000

What some folks are dropping on hand-painted portraits. In an age where AI can remix your face in 0.5 seconds, more Americans are actually paying real humans to immortalize them the analog way. It’s slower, pricier and way more intimate. Also, no filters, just your raw, regal essence (and maybe your dog).

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Set your phone to gray scale to use it less. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters (iPhone) or Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion > Color correction (Android). Seriously, it works.

Hop and shop

🐣 Easter Sunday is just two weeks away. Now’s the perfect time to add these to your basket, I mean cart.

Spring into breakfast with this cute bunny-shaped mini waffle maker (33% off).
These colorful Play-Doh eggs (32% off) are great for keeping little hands busy.
Shh … I won’t tell if you keep a four-pack of Peeps marshmallows ($12) all to yourself.
Have everyone enjoy your holiday feast with these ergonomic utensils (29% off).
Wine lovers, this aerator funnel (38% off) filters out sediment but keeps every drop of flavor.
Stumped? Check out this Easter basket idea extravaganza.

🔥 Bring the heat: Cozy up next to this 7-inch portable firepit (13% off) on your patio to end your night on the right note.

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

Trying to figure out who called you? Drop the digits into Facebook’s search bar and see what shows up. Use filters like Posts and Date Posted to narrow it down.

🛡️ Protect your kids on YouTube: Restricted Mode filters out videos flagged as mature (drugs, alcohol … stuff you don’t want them seeing). Click their Profile (top right) > scroll to Restricted Mode > toggle Activate Restricted Mode. Then hit Lock Restricted Mode on this browser. Bonus: It also hides comments.

🩺 AI at your next doctor visit: I told you about this six months ago, and mainstream media is catching up. Doctors are starting to use ambient listening tech that records your conversations. It filters out small talk, then writes notes and updates medical records. Pretty handy, since paperwork can drop from 90 minutes to under 30 (paywall link). But uh, imagine if that data gets breached.

🔞 Forget the days of finding Dad’s Playboy under the bed: If you have teens, talk to them about this. Teens are romancing bots and AI on apps. Some bots have filters, others barely try. The risk isn’t just sexting, it’s warping emotional development in a world where your “girlfriend” never says no and always texts back. Speaking of … Years ago, a monk was selling flowers on the Playboy Mansion grounds, and no one but Hef could get him to leave. Turns out, only Hugh would prevent florist friars. (I saw you shake your head!)

🔞 Sick social media trend: Awful accounts are using AI filters to make the women in overly sexual TikTok and IG gym videos look as if they have Down syndrome. They’re adding captions like “Syndrome is down but your d is up.” Why? It goes viral, and they try to redirect people to adult sites. And yes, the original clips are stolen.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Got kids? Set up YouTube Kids with age filters and disable the search bar to avoid sketchy content.

Browse control: Google’s SafeSearch filters out explicit content from search results. But it’s not on by default for anyone over 13. Open Search Settings, click SafeSearch and check the setting you want to turn on. Pro tip: If your teen uses Chrome, you can manage it through Google Family Link.

🛍️ Don’t pay full price: When stores clear out their inventory at the end of each season, that’s your chance to save. Type “end of season clearance” into Amazon’s search bar and use the filters on the left to find what you need. And check out Amazon Outlet for overstocked and off-season deals.

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

🛡️ 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.

94% to 100%

That’s the success rate for robot-assisted surgeries. Doctors often use 3D glasses and chopstick-like hand tools, which the robot mimics using tiny instruments. The tech filters out hand tremors and makes less invasive cuts, meaning patients heal faster with fewer complications. Pretty amazing. If R2-D2 tells me to count backward, I’m trusting the process.

100,000 iMessages

Sent by scammers each day. They’re using iPhone farms (aka groups of phones with rotating Apple IDs) to slip past security filters. If you’ve gotten a text saying you need to act fast about an unpaid road toll, shipping fees or taxes, that’s likely where it came from. Barry texted me, “Call me.” So I called him and said, “Text me” and hung up. I thought it was hilarious! Him not so much.

Find an AI tool: OpenTools has over 10,000 tools for AI assistants, editing, travel and more. Its visitors and AI consultant Mackenzie Ferguson curate and rank the tools. There are filters for free options, too. No cost to use it, but extra features like AI workflows are $20 a month.

A snap decision: Remember when Snapchat dog ear and cat filters were the rage? One mom used those filters for every baby photo of her daughter. Now the girl is 8 asking for baby pics showing her face and there are none. Such a shame.

Weapons of mess destruction

🧽 Let’s get your stuff looking spotless. Here are my top picks:

Power through grease and grime with a multi-surface steam cleaner (22% off).
Your skin will thank you after this makeup brush cleaner (15% off) removes old gunk.
On the go? Freshen up your clothes with a travel-size Downy Wrinkle Releaser.
From sneakers to suede leather, this shoe cleaner kit has you covered.
Free up some space with a wall mount (41% off) for your mops, brooms and more.

😌 Breathe easy: Grab a 3-pack of air ionizers to zap away odors — no air filters needed.

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

📈 What’s hot? Google Trends knows. If you run a business, search for keywords related to what you do to see what’s popular. Use the filters at the top to search by region, time and category to make your content or products match the buzz.