3 quick and easy ways to speed up your browser
Gotta be honest. I don’t have a lot of patience for spinning wheels and loading progress bars. I’m busy! I know you are, too, so let’s fix your slow browser.
Whether you’re a Chrome lover or a Firefox fan, you’ve got options. These tips are fast and easy, too. You can thank me later — and use all your saved time to do something else … like forwarding this email to a friend!
Is the Amazon Influencer Program worth it?
Want to make extra money while the kids are at school? Need to save for an upcoming vacation? Say hello to the Amazon Influencer Program. Today, 37% of Amazon’s traffic is driven by influencers. That’s a lot of eyes and ears!
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Heads up, Windows 11 users: The “Moment 5” update is rolling out for versions 23H2 and 22H2. It brings an expansion for Microsoft Copilot, AI-boosted ClipChamp and Photos editing, better Snap suggestions and Widgets, and improved accessibility with Voice Access and Narrator. Go to Settings and hit Check for Updates.
$10B down the drain
Total spend on the now-scrapped Apple Car. Apple told employees last week the project is dead after 10 years. The internal code name for the car was “Titan” — but employees are calling it the “Titanic disaster.”
Quick cybersecurity step to take now
Spyware is malicious software that works quietly in the background, tracking almost everything you do. These sneaky downloads leave digital clues if you know what to look for.
FYI: If you see a name you don’t recognize, search for it online to see what turns up. Sometimes, these programs and background processes are legitimate and of no concern, even if you don’t know the name.
If you use a PC:
- Open the Task Manager by holding down Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Under the Processes tab, you’ll see the apps and background processes running on your PC.
- To close an app or process, right-click and hit End task. Check again later to see if it’s running again.
If you use a Mac:
- Hit Cmd + spacebar to open Spotlight Search. Then, type Activity Monitor and press Enter. Check over the list for anything you don’t recognize.
- Double-click to close out a program or process, then hit Quit.
No loans, no monthly payments: An easier way to tap your home equity
We’ve all been there — you’re watching HGTV and suddenly you’re deleting walls and installing Moroccan tile in your mind. But unless you’re cash-ready for that reno, you’re considering tapping your home equity.
1-minute tech changes for more privacy
You’re shopping for a gift or doing something personal, and oops! Someone waltzes into the room. No problem — just hit Command + M on a Mac or Windows + M on a Windows PC to instantly minimize the program you have open.
Guests staying with you? Keep ‘em from prying
A spouse, roommate or friend can’t snoop on your phone if there’s no opportunity to do so. Here are a couple of simple precautions you can take.
Lock it down — Just like with your computer, you need to set a password. You may choose to use a passcode, a fingerprint, a pattern or your Face ID. The key is to actually use them. Touch and Face ID are great ways to boost security, as they can’t be guessed. They’re easy to enable, too, so you won’t feel like you’re stuck entering a code all day long.
Hide your notifications — Notifications are tempting to read and can reveal a whole lot. You can hide them from your lock screen.
- For Android: Head to Settings > Notifications, then tap on the gear icon and select On the lock screen. You’ll have the options here to not show any notifications, show all notifications or hide just sensitive notifications.
- For iPhone: Open Settings > Notifications, and select Show Previews. Here, you can choose to show them always, when the phone is unlocked or never.
You could be sitting on a goldmine of old tech and toys
Gadgets have a set shelf life — which is why we’re not all still using huge, bulging monitors and portable CD players. You might have cupboards or even an entire basement packed with outdated tech you keep meaning to get rid of. Hang on, though, before you send it all to the trash. Vintage tech — and even toys — can make you some serious cash as collectors’ items.
Get it together: Microsoft’s beefing up its Copilot AI chatbot for Excel and Outlook. They say it’ll make life easier for finance pros, but hold the applause. The latest version of Outlook sends unencrypted passwords, emails, contacts, calendar details and even passwords straight to Microsoft’s servers when you add a new email account. No fix yet, so stick to using Outlook’s web version for now, not the desktop client.