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Get a free second phone number

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Here’s something smart to start your week. Get a free, private second phone number you can use from your smartphone. It’s perfect for keeping your personal number personal.

With Google Voice, you get a real U.S. phone number that rings to your cell, computer or tablet. You can call, text, screen calls and get your voicemails transcribed to text, all without revealing your main number.

💡 Why you’d want one

Selling something online? Don’t give strangers your real number.
Want a business line without paying for another phone? Done.
Dating? A second number lets you keep control.
Sick of spam? Change the Google Voice number anytime, not your real one.
Traveling abroad? Call and text for free over Wi-Fi.

⚙️ How to set it up

Go to voice.google.com on your phone or computer.
Sign in with your Google account.
Pick a phone number, you can search by area code or city.
Link it to your mobile number (or any number you want it to ring).
Download the Google Voice app for iPhone or Android.

Now, when someone calls your Google Voice number, it’ll ring your real phone.

📞 Features you’ll love

Voicemail transcriptions: Read your messages like texts.
Call forwarding: Route calls to multiple devices.
Custom greetings: Set different ones for different callers.
Do Not Disturb: Silence calls when you need space.
Call screening: Hear who’s calling before you pick up.

For personal use, Google Voice is totally free. Calls and texts to the U.S. and Canada cost nothing. You only pay for international calls, and rates are low. The business version starts at $10/month. It adds auto-attendants, call routing for teams and admin tools.

Bottom line? If you don’t already have a second number, it’s free and easy to use. And get ready to groan. What are the first three digits of an opera singer’s phone number? The aria code. (You can’t say I didn’t warn you!)

🤝 Share this great insider tech tip with your family and friends using the handy-dandy icons below. They need a free number and just don’t know it, yet.

Up your kitchen game for under $50

Proof you don’t need to splurge to snag the right tools.

🔪 Bamboo cutting boards (40% off, three-piece): Built for daily chopping and classy enough to double as party platters.

✂️ Kitchen scissors (23% off): Cut your prep time, literally. Psst … use promo code QMXI6Y6E for an extra 15% off.

🧊 Ice cube tray (38% off): Silicone trays pop cubes out without a fight. Comes with a bin and scoop to keep it all neat.

💦 Under-sink mat (25% off): Leaks happen, but ruined cabinets don’t have to. This grippy liner is your safety net.

✅ Cheat sheet magnet (30% off): Stick it on your fridge and never Google “air fryer time for chicken wings” again.

👩‍🍳 From messy to master chef: There are more handpicked kitchen gadgets right here.

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

Did MrBeast finally go too far?

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Viral thrills or reckless danger? MrBeast’s latest video is both literally and figuratively sparking outrage. Then, Google admits it caved to daily White House pressure to censor opinions. Plus, kids aren’t passing notes in the hallway anymore, instead, they’re using Google Docs.

⚡ Gemini’s got the mic now: Google Assistant is NLWTF (no longer with the firm). Every Google smart speaker’s voice assistant is Gemini, its new AI brain. Yup, even your dusty 2016 Google Home. Gemini gets real context, better natural language and can actually answer “When’s a good day for a barbecue?” instead of pleading, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” The catch? The cool stuff is locked behind a $10/month “premium” account, because of course it is.

🥊 Google Drive fights ransomware: Using Drive for desktop? A new AI security feature senses ransomware tampering with your files and pauses syncing to stop the damage. You get alerts on your PC and email, and your cloud files stay safe until you restore them. The catch: It only works on certain Google Workspace plans.

AI has ears everywhere

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Today on The Current AI Podcast, George takes you inside the hidden world of ultrasonic tracking, the creepy tech that links your devices through sounds you can’t even hear. Then it’s off to the Web Water Cooler, where we talk Samsung’s swollen Galaxy Ring, Alexa’s new paywall, AI-powered scams, and even China’s pay-to-wipe toilets. In Device Advice, learn how AI now fights ransomware in Google Drive, the fastest way to cancel sneaky app subscriptions, and smart tricks for Google Docs, YouTube, and Fire TV. From smart speakers to smart scams, this episode is packed with AI, security, and gadget hacks you don’t want to miss.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Don’t feel like typing? In Google Docs, press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + S on Mac to start voice typing. Works in Chrome, Safari and Edge and most programs, too.

💻 Revive that old laptop for free: Got a dusty Mac or PC lying around? Install ChromeOS Flex and turn it into a Chromebook-like machine that runs smoothly on minimal resources. Perfect for email, browsing, calls and streaming. Bonus: Google Docs works offline, too. All it takes is a USB. Here’s how to do it. Yea, this tip alone was worth the price of this newsletter.

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

🌐 Stop overpaying for internet: Run a speed test and check if it matches what you’re paying for. Then Google other ISPs and compare. Call your provider, drop the “I might switch” line and watch them magically lower your bill or bump your speed. Gotta love a little competition.

Make $80K a year renting out your yard

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I talk to a guy who makes big money with his unused space through the Neighbor app. Here’s how you can do it, too. Plus, the demise of Google, Apple vs. p*rn, and the first foldable iPhone. Also, how sending out a smiley face could save your relationship.

📚 Since phones were banned in schools: Kids are turning Google Docs into live chat rooms. They invite friends as collaborators and chat in real time, sometimes sneakily in white text on white background. It’s note-passing for the 2025 school year. Teachers don’t notice. Parents don’t know. But is it kind of genius? Yeah. You’ve got to respect the hustle.

🚨 Gmail scam spreading: This is frightening. Watch out for fake Gmail account recovery request notifications that look like the real deal. Hackers try to convince you to sign in through a phony login page, where they can then capture your password. Ignore or decline the request, and they’ll follow up with an AI-generated Google support call in which the caller claims someone has accessed your account and stolen your data. Ignore that, too. Pass this on, so everyone knows this is happening.

Secret messages through Google Docs

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Forget phones. Students are turning Google Docs into secret chat rooms. With invisible text and shared files, it looks like homework but it is really the new way to pass notes in class.

Chrome’s hungry upgrade: With Gemini baked in, Chrome grabs more mobile info than any other browser: name, location, purchases, your search history, etc. If you don’t like Google snooping, go to Activity controls and turn off “Web & App Activity.” Then, in Chrome Settings (three-dot menu) > You and Google > Sync and Google services, and disable the “Help improve Chrome’s features and performance” switch. I did.

Pay up or get buried in fake reviews

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Small businesses are under attack with fake Google Reviews demanding cash. Here’s how scammers target contractors, movers, and repair shops and what you can do to protect your reputation.

Search goes live: Google just dropped Search Live in the U.S. You point your camera, talk out loud, and it feeds you answers plus links in real time. Ask which munchies to grab or how to fix your busted fan, and boom, Google talks back. Free, no sign-up required. At this point, even my snacks are getting SEO’d.

🦠 Fake downloads scam: Hackers rigged Google and Bing with fake GitHub pages for Mac apps like LastPass, Robinhood, 1Password, Audacity and Davinci Resolve. Instead of software, users got “Atomic” malware stealing passwords and crypto. The pages redirected to macprograms-pro[.]com before being pulled, but one still lingers. Pro tip: Only download apps from official sites or the App Store.

You were right all along

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YouTube admitted it suppressed COVID dissent after daily pressure from the White House. Google says it will reinstate suspended accounts but offers no apology. Here is the proof and what it means for free speech online.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Why pay for Microsoft Office when you can use Google Docs, Slides and Sheets for free? They’re cloud-based, so you can work in your browser from anywhere. So smart.

How to find your lost documents with AI

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Stop wasting hours hunting for files. Learn how AI in Google Workspace and Microsoft Copilot can find your documents in seconds and boost your productivity.