Plus, got a spy in your backseat? I list the top spots for hidden cams in your car. ChatGPT had it’s bias exposed, Allie’s got a neat trick on how to restart your phone with just your voice. And jumpstart your reselling business online with our pro guide. Get a headstart at Komando.com/makemoney.
Panic fast, fix faster
ChatGPT
You’ve got 13 seconds to undo, unplug, swipe or save your digital dignity. That’s your window to salvage your glitchy app, that accidental “Reply All” email or your phone freezing mid-sentence.
Don’t scream, at least not yet.
☕ 1. Spilled something on your laptop? Flip it upside down. Immediately. Don’t sit there staring at the mess like it’s a Greek tragedy: “Oh, Zeus! How could I have done this to me?”
Unplug, flip and do not power it on to “check.” That’s how things get fried.
✉️ 2. Sent the wrong email? Hit “Undo” in Gmail, you’ve got five to 30 seconds.
Set your undo window to the max in Settings > See all settings > Undo Send > Save changes (you’re welcome).
Now, when you accidentally write “Hey, dummy” instead of “Hi, Debbie,” you’ve got time to recover.
💻 3. Closed the wrong browser tab? Know the magic keys. Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Command + Shift + T (Mac). This miracle combo reopens your last closed tab like nothing ever happened. A true tech time machine.
📱 4. Phone glitching? Hard restart. Hold the buttons like your digital life depends on it.
- Android: Press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds. Easy, right?
- iPhone: Press the volume up button, then the volume down button. Do this quickly, one after the other. Now, press and hold the side power button until you see the Apple logo pop up.
🗑️ 5. Deleted a file you actually needed? Check the trash. It’s almost always there unless you shift-deleted. In which case … yikes. For Android, open Google Photos > Collections > Trash to recover any photo or video. On iPhone, look in Photos > Recently Deleted under “Utilities.” Remember, you have 30 days before they disappear forever.
🎯 The moral of the story is that you’ve got a tiny window to save yourself from disaster. When tech goes sideways, don’t freeze. Act fast.
Fitness trackers to track your steps that aren’t tied to Big Tech
Photo © Andrew Haddon | Dreamstime
A pedometer suits you if you want something basic that counts steps. They’re versatile, so you can clip them to your belt or waistband instead of wearing them on your wrist. All pedometers do is count your steps, differentiating them from fitness trackers, which can monitor sleep, count calories and more.
Turn it off and on again like a boss: There’s a better way to reboot your grumpy PC that shuts down all the background processes. Before you click to restart, hold down the Shift key. Keep holding until the machine powers up, then click Continue.
ChatGPT's bias exposed, creeper cams in the men's room & CEO's sham medical implants
Plus, got a spy in your backseat? I list the top spots for hidden cams in your car. Dust off the record player – Matt shares why vinyl outsold CDs for 1st time in 36 years. Allie’s got a neat trick on how to restart your phone with just your voice. And jumpstart your reselling business online with our pro guide. Get a headstart here komando.com/makemoney.
☠️ Windows update gone wild: Microsoft confirmed this week that updates since March have been crashing some Windows 11 devices with a terrifying 0x18B SECURE_KERNEL_ERROR. For those not versed in digital Hogwarts spells, that’s a full stop blue screen of death. And yes, it kicks in right after the update + restart combo. Oof.
🔥 Fire stick buffering? Your device doesn’t actually turn off, it just goes to sleep. A quick restart might help performance issues. Go to Settings > My Fire TV (or Device & Software) and hit Restart. Or hold the Select and Play/Pause buttons on your remote for a few seconds to reboot it.
5 ways to increase your PC's download speed
You may have a poor internet connection if downloads take forever to reach 100%. Outages or poorly-constructed websites could also be to blame. Whatever the cause is, try these tricks to increase the download speed on your PC.
📶 Wi-Fi not showing up on your phone? First, move closer to your router. Thick walls and appliances can mess with the signal. Still nothing? Unplug the router for 30 seconds and restart it. Still no go? Toggle Wi-Fi off and on.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Chrome user? Type chrome://restart in the address bar to refresh the browser with all tabs intact. Lovely.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Netflix buffering on Fire Stick? Hold the center and play/pause buttons together to restart it — like a mini reboot.
⚠️ Your browser is a big honkin’ target: Reading this on Chrome? Hackers are sending phishing links via email that infect your system with malware as soon as you click. A fix is coming soon, so restart your browser when you see the update icon near the URL bar. Sigh, just one more reason you need solid antivirus protection.
One of the worst phishing scams: It’s coming for Mac owners, with hackers trying to steal your Apple ID. While you’re browsing in Safari, a fake pop-up appears pretending to be a security alert. What makes it extra sneaky? The page you’re on actually freezes, making it feel like your computer’s locked up. If it happens, don’t click anything. Just restart your browser.
Better than holding down the power button: Windows PCs have a hidden emergency restart when nothing will respond. Hold down Ctrl and click the power icon in the Start menu. You’ll get a dramatic-looking message warning you’ll lose any unsaved data. Click OK to restart immediately.
♻️ Restart your phone: The National Security Agency says you should restart it once a week at the minimum. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it works to combat zero-click exploits where a hacker can get in simply by sending you the right code.
🆕 Sweet Windows 11 upgrade: A new optional update lets you pass files between your PC and Android phone faster and more easily using Microsoft’s Phone Link app. Bonus upgrade: Windows Narrator (the screen reader function) can scan more text. To update: Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Make sure you download KB5041587 and then Restart your PC.
Tech Refresh: Facebook hack, goodbye cookies, new Alexa uses
This week, a ruling on whether iPhone’s MagSafe chargers and medical devices mix, Facebook in hot water yet again and Google’s plan to replace internet cookies. In the tech tip, Ben has the answer on just how often you should restart your computer. And can Allie win again in Brand New or Not True?