If your house is on the market: Take a good look at what’s posted online. One study reviewed 44 virtual tours, and every single home had at least one piece of private information — a diploma, a photo, a letter — on display. Steps here to remove photos from the major real estate sites.
5-minute phone privacy check
In just five minutes, you can secure your phone from unwanted snooping. Follow these quick steps to stay safe.
🧹 This doesn’t suck: Roborock’s new Qrevo Curv is the closest thing to a vacuum that can handle stairs. Its industry-first auto-lift chassis can raise itself a little over an inch and a half. It’s not climbing steps yet, but it can get over fluffy rugs and bumps. Just one small hiccup — it’s priced around $1,660 in Europe. U.S. prices are still TBD.
Up to 11 years
Added to your life with a daily walk. The correlation between physical activity and mortality for folks over 40 is about twice as strong as we once thought. OK, time to go get my steps.
Remove your home on Google Maps
Burglars use Google Maps to scout homes without getting close — until they strike. This is why you should blur your house, and I’ve got the steps.
Lock your credit files immediately
Another huge data breach — 2.9 billion records exposed, including Social Security numbers. Here are the quick steps you need to take right now to protect yourself.
40,000 steps
Reported by Target workers on a single day. That was during an especially busy time: Target Circle Week. The typical store is about 125,000 square feet, and workers took to Reddit to share how far they walked each day.
🤬 Crap as far as the eye can see: Only 45 bot accounts on X have racked up over 4 billion views. It’s not for puppy videos; they’re spreading racism, sexual abuse, conspiracy theories and climate disinformation. If you see this crap, report it (steps here).
Was your PC hit by the CrowdStrike fiasco? Microsoft just released a recovery tool to help. You’ll need admin privileges and a $7 USB stick to run it (steps here). The tool will walk you through creating a bootable USB drive. FYI: It’ll wipe anything already saved on the USB, so make sure it’s empty first!
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A phone reset is not good enough
Trying to sell your old phone? Remember to take these privacy steps before you hand it off.
Please leave me alone: You can stop pesky political texts if you know the steps. Here’s what not to do: Reply “STOP.” You’ll just get more junk.
Say when: The battery-saver mode on your Android kicks in at a certain battery level. You can set this up under Settings. Steps vary based on the model, but look for Battery > Battery Saver > Manage when Battery Saver turns on.
See why insurance denied your claim: This free tool from ProPublica walks you through the steps to see every scrap of info your insurance company legally has to provide.
🔖 Easier than bookmarks: Set all your tabs to open when you start your browser. In Chrome, click the three vertical dots, then Settings. Click On startup > Continue where you left off. Steps for Safari, Firefox and Edge here. Power move!
Child ID theft is on the rise: If you’re not on the lookout, you might not catch it for years. When your kid goes to rent their first apartment or get a student loan, they could find they’re already thousands of dollars in debt. Protect your kid’s credit now — I’ve got steps on how to do it on my site.
I’m leavin’ on a jet plane: Don’t wait in line for a bad passport pic. Head to Passport Photo Online and follow a few steps to take the perfect shot. It’s easy, and the site tells you exactly what to do. That means you won’t get rejected once you submit the pic.
4 steps
To fall asleep on a plane. The “going-over-the-alpha-bridge” method is going viral on Instagram thanks to psychologist Erica Terblanche. Think it’d work for you? Watch the vid!
⏸️ Cheapskate pro tip: You can pause your internet and/or cable package if you’re going to be out of town for a while. So much better than paying full price. Get steps for your provider here. Bonus: You don’t need to turn in your cable boxes.
Your eyes only: Make sure someone can’t open a doc on your PC. In MS Office and Google Docs, click the Help button in the menu bar. Click Help again, then type in Encrypt with Password. Your program of choice will walk you through the steps.