⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On Android, double press the power button to instantly launch the Camera. On iPhone (15/16), set the Action button to open the Camera in Settings > Action Button. “Say yoga!” 🧘♀️ That makes your mouth look more relaxed.
Adpocalypse survival guide
ChatGPT
“Kim, I am so sick and tired of all the ads on websites. It feels like they’ve gotten worse since ChatGPT is taking away site traffic from Google. How do I block the annoying ads?” — Terry in Ohio
Terry, you’re right. Websites are loading up with more ads than ever.
Pop-ups, auto-playing videos, banners that dance around while you’re just trying to read a recipe or check the news. It’s digital chaos.
Why? Because many sites are losing tremendous ad revenue in the 60% range from fewer clicks and fewer visitors. So they’re cramming in even more ads, hoping to squeeze out one more buck before you give up and close the tab.
But you don’t have to live like this. Here’s how to shut down the noise.
🔧 Start with your browser
Fight back, one browser setting at a time.
Chrome:
- Click the three dots (top right) > Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings
- Scroll down and block pop-ups and redirects
Safari (Mac):
- Safari > Settings > Websites > Content Blockers
- It tries to get rid of pop-ups, trackers, auto-play videos and more
Firefox:
Your phone is spying on you
ChatGPT
Your phone keeps all your secrets. Where you’ve been. What you’ve typed. Even which sketchy Wi-Fi you used in 2017. It’s got the memory of an elephant and the self-restraint of a toddler with a drum set.
Let’s just call your phone “Sir Veillance.”
🔄 Hang on, Microsoft: Don’t want a big update interrupting your work or restarting your computer mid-task? You can pause updates temporarily. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates. When you’re ready, go back and click Resume updates to keep your system secure and up to date.
Keep your iPad battery healthy: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and toggle on 80% Limit. This caps charging at 80%, which helps reduce wear and extend battery life. Pro tip: If Maximum Capacity is under 100%, it’s already aging.
Miss the old Start menu? With Windows 10 support ending in October, you might not love that Windows 11 centers the taskbar icons by default. Good news: You can switch back to the classic look. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set Taskbar alignment to Left.
Custom Chromebook keys: Change how your touchpad and keyboard behave. Go to Settings > Device > Touchpad or Keyboard. Some cool options: Turn on tap-to-click, change what a right-click does or set the top row to function keys.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Print black-and-white even when your color ink is empty. In print settings, choose “Print in grayscale using black ink only.” Works on most printers and saves you mid-print rage.
📱 Android app fix: If an app is constantly crashing or bugging out, try clearing its cache. Go to Settings > Apps > App Name > Storage & cache (or just Storage) and select Clear cache. FYI: Don’t tap Clear data, because that erases your settings, login details and resets the app to default.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Lost a file? On Windows, press the Windows key and start typing the name. On Mac, hit Command + Space bar and do the same. It’s the fastest way to find documents, apps or settings.
👁️ Look ’em in the eye: On iPhone video calls, eye contact’s tricky since you’re looking at the screen, not the camera. Apple’s Eye Contact feature uses AI to adjust your gaze automatically. Turn it on in Settings > FaceTime > Eye Contact. Cue the staring contest.
✍🏻 Need to concentrate? Windows 11 has a focus mode that hides notifications and those red dots on your task bar. Go to Settings > System > Focus, choose how long you want, then click Start focus session. A timer from the Clock app will pop up. Taking a break? Hit Pause.
📚 Lock your Kindle: Want to keep your reading private? From the Home screen, tap the three dots in the top right > Settings > Device Options > Device Passcode. Because hey, some books are strictly for after dark.
🍏 Fix your Mac display: Screen looking too dark, too bright or just a bit off? Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Displays. Under Color profile, click Customize, then hit the + to launch Display Calibrator Assistant. You’ll be guided through adjustments like gamma and white point.
🌐 Clear out old extensions: Unused browser extensions can slow things down or quietly collect your data. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu > Extensions > Manage Extensions. On Safari, go to Settings > Extensions. Remove anything you don’t need.
⚡️ 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.
🍏 Stop your iPad from locking too fast: Your screen turning off too quickly can get annoying when you’re reading. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, then scroll to Auto-Lock. Pick a time that works for you (like 5 minutes), or choose Never to keep the screen on. PSA: Leaving it unlocked means anyone can snoop.
🔥 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.
🌐 Share Wi-Fi from your laptop: On some networks or on an airplane, you can only connect one device. Quick fix? Turn your laptop into a hotspot. On Windows, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Hotspot. On Mac, head to System Settings > General > Sharing > Internet Sharing and switch it on.
🍏 Auto-launch apps on your Mac: Always opening the same app? Do yourself a favor and set it to open on startup. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login, click the (+) button and choose your app. Bonus: To remove one you’re not using, select it and hit the (–) button.