Big online dating mistake: Stop giving away too much info to anyone who sees your profile. Skip the links to your social media profiles, especially. You don’t want a date gone wrong to stalk your pictures after you’ve blocked them.
Quick tech cleanup: Do this every 3 months
When was the last time you cleaned up your digital life? It’s not fun, but just a few minutes of physical and digital decluttering can work wonders. It boosts productivity, clears mental clutter and leaves you feeling like you’ve done something great. Ready? Let’s do this!
📲 Start with your phone
Quick fix: Look through your apps and delete any you’re not using anymore. If it’s been months, you’re not going to use it. While you’re at it, move apps you want to spend less time using from your phone’s home screen.
On iPhone: Swipe left to get past all your app screens and open the App Library. To delete an app, touch and hold the app’s icon > Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm.
On Android: Open the Google Play Store app, and tap your profile icon. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage. Select the name of the app you want to delete, then tap Uninstall.
If you have more time: Tackle your photo collection or contacts. Do whichever is the messiest or most aggravating. Neither task is particularly pleasant, but you’ll feel enough satisfaction when you’re done to make up for that. Put in a good podcast (ahem, mine!) and get it done.
Bonus points: Sanitize your phone. You take it to the bathroom with you. Enough said.
📺 Tackle the TV
Quick fix: Dust! Too much junk in all those vents and ports can reduce your TV’s life, so give it a good wipe-down. Clean the back with your vacuum’s brush attachment or an air blower (on sale!). Be prepared to vacuum or sweep up all the dust after you’re done.
Bonus points: Clean the screen. Dust with a microfiber rag first, then very lightly buff away fingerprints. I take the easy route with TV wipes, but a rag with electronics cleaner works, too. It’s easy to use too much pressure standing directly in front of the TV cleaning, so go from the side for a lighter touch.
If you have more time: I once signed up for a free trial of an add-on channel to watch a movie I couldn’t find anywhere else. You can guess what happened. I never watched the movie, but I did pay for six months of Sundance. Time to take inventory of your streaming apps. I use the Rocket Money app* to do it for me.
💻 Finish up with your computer
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5 cool ways to use your home network (beyond getting online)
When you connect your gadgets to the same Wi-Fi network, you’re not just getting them online; you’re building a system so they can communicate with each other. You don’t need to be a tech wizard — just follow the steps below:
Wait, are public phone chargers dangerous?
Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls are so tempting when you’re out and about with a dying phone. Their owners promise they’re safe. The government disagrees, and so do I. Groan, I know.
Welcome to the newest phase of juice jacking. The phenomenon has been around for more than 10 years. Hackers use public phone-charging stations to upload malware to your devices. Then, they ransom your device or steal your passwords. Super-duper.
Carmakers will charge for anything, including your safety
New cars are basically snazzy computers on wheels, packing 1,000 to 3,000 processors. That means we get all kinds of great features, but that’s not all — the more complex our cars get, the more at risk we are. I’m not talking about theft; I mean remote carjacking … or worse.
😴 YouSleep: New to the YouTube app is a handy-dandy sleep timer. Tap the cog icon (top right corner) on any video. Press Sleep timer in the dropdown menu. Set it for 10 minutes or End of video. This is perfect for white noise without draining your phone’s battery all night.
❗ Lock down your cybersecurity: I work with brands I trust to keep you secure. Hit this page to see the five must-have tools I recommend.
🔍 Zoomed in? In all kinds of programs, you may have zoomed in by accident and you need to get back to normal. On a Mac, press Cmd + 0 (zero). On a PC, it’s Ctrl + 0. (Bonus: Zoom in and out with Cmd/Ctrl and the plus and minus keys.)
There are two main ways to prompt AI: Mega-prompts are detailed, all-in-one requests that generate a complete response in one go. Chain prompting breaks tasks into smaller steps so you have more control. For example, a mega-prompt asks for a full business plan, while chain prompting starts with an outline, adjusts the scope, refines the plan and ends with action steps. I use chain prompting for bigger projects!
🤝 I want to be your secret helper and mentor: I’ve been around tech forever. My business has thrived for over 20 years without debt or investors. If you have an issue, problem or question about your life or business, I’d love to help you. Ask me here on my site. I read every single note.
Stay a step ahead: I’m surprised how many people don’t know you can preview directions in Google Maps. Open the navigation screen on Android Auto or Apple CarPlay (while you’re parked, please). Swipe left on the direction card in the top right corner. Google Maps skips ahead, turning the card from green to gray, to show you all the twists and turns coming.
Hey, Louis, this is for you: He wrote to ask me for help with a Pixel Watch because there’s no manual online. I found ya the link. If you need it, Samsung Watch manual here and hit this link for Apple Watch.
♻️ 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.
Delete programs you don’t use: On a Windows PC, click the Start menu button and look for the app or program. Press and hold (or right-click) on it and select Uninstall. On a Mac, click the Finder icon in your dock, then Applications. Drag the program you’re done with to the Trash.
New LinkedIn AI: Job hunters will now see whether applying to a position is worth the time. If you’re hiring, LinkedIn acts as your free recruiter to send along candidates who’d rock it at your company. Use my link to post a job for free.
🔬 AI tool to try: Consensus is an AI-powered search engine trained on over 200 million research papers. Want to know more about a study? Search by keywords like “vitamin C and health,” or ask questions like, “How long should I walk every day?” With a free account, you’ll get unlimited searches and 10 AI reports per month. This isn’t an ad; I just think it’s neat!
Strikethrough made simple: Need to cross out something in a Google Doc? On a PC, press Alt + Shift + 5. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + Shift + X. If you don’t like saving time, it’s in the Format menu under Text.
Be the smart one at work: Download NetSuite’s free knowledge e-book, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. It’s not going anywhere.
📶 No bars: When your cell service is wonky, switch your phone to Airplane mode, wait a few seconds, then change it back. This will reconnect you to the nearest cell tower. Share that with a friend and they’ll think you’re a tech genius.