5 to 7 feet off the ground

5 to 7 feet off the ground: That’s the ideal height to place your router. Routers emit radio waves that spread outward and downward, and any objects in the way can disrupt those signals. Get yours off the floor!

Tags: routers, signal strength


You’re being tracked secretly by 3 settings on your phone

When mobile apps first hit the scene, many were designed to make our phones more useful. This included new tools for productivity, as well as apps for entertainment. Many of today’s apps, though, are packed with sneaky permission requests and hidden trackers.

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How to choose a UPS to keep your computer (and files) safe

Today’s topic isn’t the most exciting — you might call it downright boring. If you don’t care about damaging your computer and losing your work because of a power outage, keep scrolling for the tech news you need to know. You won’t hurt my feelings.

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🏰 Vacation tip: A guy traveling in Italy used ChatGPT as his tour guide, but he got creative and prompted the bot to play a more engaging role. Instead of outputting boring, dry facts, at the Pantheon, ChatGPT told him, “When you enter, look up,” then added a little history. I had ChatGPT do a travel itinerary for me for when I visited Berlin, Vienna and Paris, and it was great. You might want to try that, too!

11 minutes

Of brisk walking each day can add years to your life and lower your chances of cardiovascular disease. It also improves your mood, increases energy levels and burns calories. Stuck inside? You can use a walking pad while watching TV. (This one’s 45% off!). Pro tip: You’ll have more fun walking if you take me with you — just tune into my podcast on your next stroll!

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ExpressVPN amps up security with game-changing features

The VPN game has been seriously upgraded! My sponsor, ExpressVPN, recently rolled out a slew of feature-packed updates. ExpressVPN pushes the envelope to keep your digital life locked down, from ad-blockers to a beefed-up server network.

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Kids can report nudes in texts: It’s a new feature in iOS 18.2. If they report it, the images, messages and contact details of both the sender and the recipient will go straight to Apple for review. Apple might restrict the sender’s messaging and alert the authorities. About time!

Up to 23%

That’s the discount you can get on houses listed as “priced to sell.” Sellers, don’t forget buyers are also drawn to the term “energy-efficient.” Those green features can boost your listing’s value by around $8,200. So smart to know.

5 seconds

If you can’t balance on one foot for that long, you have a higher fall risk. Falls are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths in older adults (paywall link). One easy way to improve your balance is to stand on your nondominant leg while brushing your teeth. If you can last for 30 seconds, you’re doing great. Hold onto something if you’re wobbly, though, OK?

They have feelings, too: Being polite to a chatbot can get you better results. AI mimics human reactions, so if you’re rude, it might hit you with short or wrong answers. Next time, throw in a “please” and follow up with a “Great job” or “That’s perfect.”

😸 The purr-fect translator? Computer scientists have developed MeowTalk, an AI app that can apparently tell you what your cat is saying. The free app records your feline’s meows and gives you phrases like “I’m annoyed” or “Feed me!” You can then rate how accurate it is, helping to refine the model. Will it work? Well, with over a billion meows analyzed … you’ve gotta be kitten me!