Samsung Archives

'Forever chemicals' are everywhere in our tech and almost impossible to avoid

The term “forever chemicals” is floating around more than ever. If you’re wondering why folks are so worried about them, the clue’s in the name.

These substances stick around for a long, long time, and it’s not clear how safe they are. They’re also everywhere, from your phone and smartwatch tech to carpets to nail polish.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, are synthetic chemicals, so they’re not found in nature. And now, both Apple and Samsung are being sued for wearables that release high levels of PFAS.

So, what’s the deal and how worried should you be? I’ve got the intel.

Why PFAS get used so much

In gadgets, they waterproof circuits, keep down the heat levels and add durability. They make your cooking pans nonstick, strengthen cardboard and keep mascara from running. In factories, they keep equipment running smoothly and corrosion-free, and in firefighting foam, they suppress and cool flames.

We’re talking about thousands of chemicals here, made on demand to do specific (and valuable) jobs. No wonder it took so long for us to start asking about the health and safety trade-offs of using PFAS. (Ahem, anyone else thinking about asbestos?)

The health risks of PFAS

There’s no direct link between PFAS and disease, but there are a lot of warning signs. I did some digging, and scientific studies associate these forever chemicals with cancer risks, kidney disease and fertility problems. Something’s not right.

Scientists are still figuring out how PFAS damage the body and what level of exposure is dangerous. Until then, what are you supposed to do?

Take it into your own hands

Know the big offenders: Smartwatches, fitness trackers and water-resistant phones use PFAS for durability and waterproofing. Letting a PFAS-loaded band sit on your wrist all day probably isn’t the best idea. A recent study showed cheaper bands contained fewer “forever chemicals” than the expensive name-brand bands. All the under-$15 bands were cleared. Here are safe options for Apple Watch and Fitbit.

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Size matters

🔎 Great things come in small packages.

No more baggage fees. Grab a pair of portable scales ($20.39), and give one to a pal.
These rule. Connect wireless earbuds to any headphone jack with a Bluetooth adapter ($60).
A travel-friendly hair dryer (32% off) is better than the one at the hotel.
This tiny repellent ($29.75) keeps mosquitoes at bay.
Wipe away fingerprints with a screen cleaner kit (31% off).

⌚Power o’clock: Oooh, portable smartwatch chargers for Apple (28% off) and Samsung (15% off) that clip onto your key chain, so you’ll always be ready.

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

How to hide apps on your phone

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Whether it’s for work or something personal, some apps are better off hidden. Here’s how to make them invisible on iPhone, Samsung, and Android.

📅 RIP, Samsung accounts: Samsung says inactive accounts will get deleted starting July 31. If you haven’t logged in for two years, it’s over: data gone, account gone, possibly your Galaxy brain, too. Exceptions made if you bought something or used reward points. Congrats on ghosting Samsung so hard they took it personally.

$2,100 to $2,300

The price tag of the long-rumored iPhone Fold. That’s well above most foldable phones like the $1,899 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. And it’s almost triple the cost of a regular $799 iPhone 16. At those prices, it’s also going to fold your bank account, too. You have a couple of years to save up.

Swipe for screenshots: On a Samsung Galaxy, there’s a quicker way to capture your screen without pressing buttons. Go to Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures > Palm swipe to capture. Turn it on, and now swiping your hand left or right across the screen will take a screenshot instantly.

It ain’t over till it’s clover.

☘️ St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner. You’ve lucked out with these finds.

Add a pop of festive green with these phone cases for Apple and Samsung (7% off).
Keep track of your lucky charms with four Apple AirTags (35% off) or Tile Bluetooth trackers (30% off).
Looking for a gift? These monogrammed gold hand towels are made with Turkish cotton.
Forget a gold rush. These chocolate coins will give you a sugar rush.
Snuggle up with a green throw blanket (59% off) to stay toasty.

💰 You don’t need a pot of gold: Check out my list of hidden gems that are all under $10.

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Set digital boundaries: Create a Samsung account for your child, so you can watch and manage what they see on their phone. Go to Settings > [your name] > Family > Add family member > Create child account and follow the prompts. Once you’re set up, your child will be added to your Family Group.

Reel look: Want to bring movie magic home? Turn on your TV’s Filmmaker Mode to tweak the color, contrast and frame rate to match the director’s vision. You can find it on Hisense, LG, Philips, Samsung and Vizio. Head to your picture settings and select picture mode. Don’t forget the popcorn.

⌚ Watch these moves: Control your smartwatch with just a flick of your wrist. On an Apple Watch, head to Settings > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch. For a Samsung Galaxy Watch, go to Settings > Accessibility > toggle on Universal Gestures. When you’re done setting up, both offer a tutorial on the hands-free moves you can do. Neat.

Hungry, thin and expensive: Samsung’s new featherlight S25 Edge is 30% thinner, ditching the telephoto lens and battery capacity. It’s $1,099, which buys a titanium frame and crippling battery anxiety. Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 is also trimming down, ditching a second camera in the process. Looks like the Ozempic craze has hit smartphones, too.

For group shots: Use your phone’s self-timer. On iPhone, open the Camera app, tap the down arrow at the top, then swipe the bottom slider and press the clock icon. For Samsung, go to Camera > Options (four dots) > Timer (clock). On other Androids, just swipe down in the Camera app and turn it On.

📱 Need a tough phone or tablet? Samsung just announced the rugged Galaxy XCover7 Pro and Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro. They’re water- and dust-resistant and can survive drops from up to 1.5 meters (that’s 5 feet for people like me who never understood the metric system). As for performance, both run the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 with 6GB RAM. Oh, and the batteries are removable. Pricing is still TBA.

64 hours

That’s how long the workweek just got for some Samsung employees in South Korea. The legal limit is actually 52 hours, but the company got special government approval for staff in its chip-making division. Why? To stay ahead of competitors. Hopefully they’re getting overtime pay and unlimited coffee.

His dream girl stole $80K– April 5th, Hour 2

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Sam from Austin thought he’d found love online. Instead, he lost $80,000 in a fake gold investment scam. Plus, find out why guys are suing OnlyFans, and meet Samsung’s new vacuum: it can answer your calls and texts

🔮 Dream of taking a phone call from your vacuum cleaner? No? Samsung did it anyway. Their new cordless vacuum, the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, lets you text and call, and so does their new washer/dryer. What’s next, the fridge? “Hey, handsome, you need eggs, and your kid is calling.”

📺 Lost the remote again? If you own a new 2025 Samsung TV and a Galaxy Watch 7 or Watch Ultra, control your TV with a flick of your wrist. Literally. Move the cursor by waving your arm, pinch your fingers to select apps, make a fist to exit or swipe the watch bezel to scroll. Neato!

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Samsung broke your soundbar: And they know it. A bad software update they pushed last week left a bunch of soundbars unresponsive and inaccessible. It gets worse: It’s so severe, it can only be fixed with a physical repair. Samsung’s offering to fix it for free, even if you’re out of warranty. The least they can do.

Lease on life: If you buy a new Android phone, it could last up to eight years. The catch? Only pricey phones like the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 with upgraded chips get this long life. The iPhone 16 may be supported until 2036, and the almost 7-year-old iPhone XS is still getting security updates.

Is that a computer in your pocket? Samsung DeX connects a Galaxy phone or tablet to a monitor or TV. Plug a USB-C to HDMI adapter into your phone and, voila, mini computer! Add a mouse and keyboard to make it even better!

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