🤔 Lyft’s up to something: This is crazy. A Toronto woman took a ride with her roommates and later got a text with a transcript of their private convo from inside the car. She called Lyft, and first they said it was a pilot program. Then Lyft blamed the driver. Now, it’s saying it might’ve been a pocket dial. Next update lets your driver live-tweet your breakup in real time.
Mouse moves: Move text around with just your mouse. Just highlight the words you want, hold Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac), then click and drag them to a new spot. Let go, and boom, your text will be right there. No need to copy and paste.
⌨️ iPad typing trick: Did you know you can use the space bar as a trackpad? Just tap and hold the space bar, wait for the keys to fade out and you’ll be able to move the cursor through text easily. Trying to select text? While still holding down, tap once on the keyboard with another finger, then let go. You can now highlight the text you want.
📳 Who’s texting you? Set custom vibrations so you know without even checking your screen. For iPhones, go to Contacts > contact name > Edit > Text Tone > Haptics. On Android, open your Contacts > name > More (three dots) > Change ringtone/vibration > Call vibration. These may vary depending on your Android.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Snap a photo of handwritten notes and upload it to Notion AI or ChatGPT with Vision. It’ll convert it into text or a to-do list. Finally, your chicken scratch notes get their PhD.
📝 No scanner? No worries. On your iPhone, go to the Notes app > create a new note > Attachment button (paper clip icon) > Scan Documents to open your camera. Tap Insert to grab the text. For Androids, open Google Drive > (+) icon > Scan document > Save > Upload, and you’re good to go. Congrats, your phone is now a scanner/copier/fax from 2002.
💬 Text yourself: Set up a contact called “Me” with your own phone number. Send yourself reminders, photos or anything else important. Just open your Contacts app and tap (+) to create it. That way it’s always at your fingertips. Smart!
🖼️ Midjourney V7 is here: It’s the first big update for the image generator in nearly a year, and apparently the AI is much smarter at understanding text prompts, sharper and slightly less cursed when it comes to hands. FYI: It’s an early release, so features like upscaling and retexturing are still missing but should roll out in about two months.
Stop squinting: Just make your text bigger! On an iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Next, tap Larger Text and enable Larger Accessibility Sizes. A slider at the bottom of the screen lets you increase or decrease the text size. On Android, open Settings > Accessibility > Text and display > Select font size, then adjust the slider. (Note: These steps may vary for Android, so if you can’t find ’em immediately, just poke around under Accessibility.)
You can’t touch this: Say you want to share a Google Doc but you don’t want other people messing around in your file. Click Share, then change the link settings to Anyone with the link and choose Editor. Before you hit “Send,” replace the text in the URL that says “edit” with “template/preview.” It’ll force recipients to make their own copies. So smart!
📄 Scan text into Notes on your iPhone: Open the Notes app, tap the Paperclip icon above the keyboard and select Scan Text. Now, point your camera at the text you want to capture. Once it’s detected, tap Insert to drop it right into your note. Quick, easy and no typing needed!
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Save time in Microsoft Word with Quick Parts. It stores things like text, graphics or whole paragraphs to use them again in future docs. Just highlight it and go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
✍️ Why type when you can write? With Scribble and an Apple Pencil ($99.99, 23% off), your iPad running iPadOS 14 or higher converts your handwriting into typed text. It recognizes cursive and messy handwriting. It’s fast, natural and feels like magic. Go to Settings > Tap Apple Pencil >
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Google’s new AI video tool: I’ve been playing around with it and wow, it’s something. It can take text and create a full-blown video. Try it out. I think you’ll be amazed.
I 🩵 the free image editor GIMP: After seven years, GIMP 3.0 is here with a fresh look and new features. Now you can make changes without messing with the original file, add text more easily and a lot more, so check ’em out here.
💬 Forget to text back? Mark a text as unread, just like an email. This helps you remember to reply. On iPhone, just swipe right on a conversation to mark it as unread. For Androids, tap and hold the message, and then select Mark as unread from the menu.
📱 Your iCloud’s will: Setting up a Legacy Contact lets a loved one access your Apple ID after you pass. If you don’t name a contact, everything will be locked forever. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign-in & Security > Legacy Contact > Add Legacy Contact. Choose a contact and press Continue. Send an Access Key via text or print it out. Keep it safe.
💸 Scammers are posing as Fidelity, Morgan Stanley and other financial giants: Remember, they’ll never call or text asking for your password, one-time code, money transfers or remote access to your computer. If something feels off, stop and contact them directly. Stay sharp!
👮 Need help but can’t speak? In many areas of the USA, you can text 911 instead of calling. It’s not available everywhere, so it’s best to check ahead. Visit text911.info to see if it works in your area. It could literally save your life.