Flex your creative muscles

Flex your creative muscles: Try the free, open-source digital painting program Krita. It’s got a clean interface and is super-easy to use, especially considering how much it can do. If you’re brand-new to digital art, check out the tutorials. Hello, new hobby.

Tags: art, tutorials


Smart tips for enjoying the sun's total eclipse safely

Turn around, bright eyes — a total eclipse of the sun is coming on April 8 (they played that song at my high school prom! 💃). This is your last chance to see a full eclipse from the lower 48 states until 2044

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Shop safer online with virtual cards

Scammers love to dupe you with fake deals, get you to pay for subscriptions you don’t need, or grab your payment info on a spoof checkout page that looks just like the real deal.

On the other hand, I want to keep you safe and save you money. One of my go-to tricks for secure online shopping might be one you’ve never even heard of. 

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Nvidia is close to replacing some human nurses with AI, all for a mere $9 an hour. Yep, you read that right. These AI nurses will do things like guide you through colonoscopies, help manage your breast cancer care and, of course, keep your doc in the loop. Check out the video. With the current nursing shortage, this could def take off.

Crappy Wi-Fi is the worst

Your walls, furniture, baby monitor and microwave might be making your connection worse. Let’s fix that for you with a few tricks of the well-connected trade. 

  • Choose the path of least resistance. Ceilings, furniture and other physical obstacles can weaken your signal. Instead of putting your router in a cluttered room, go for an open space.
  • Get it away from metal, brick and concrete; they’re notorious for blocking Wi-Fi signals.
  • Put your router up high, like on a shelf or mounted near the ceiling if you can.
  • If your router has antennas, move them around so they’re all pointing in different directions.
  • Keep your router around three feet away from other devices, especially baby monitors, kitchen appliances, cordless phones and Bluetooth-enabled gadgets.

Is Apple’s new Journal app a major privacy nightmare?

Apple’s new Journal feature is all about capturing those little moments in life right on your iPhone. But posts started blowing up on social media that (oh no!) because of it, anyone can find your full name and location as well as read your deepest thoughts. Yikes.

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When to book a flight for summer vacation

There’s no getting around it: Seeing the world is expensive. I just went to Japan (you should totally go if you ever have the chance), and the costs add up. Sushi was one thing, but the flights? Oof.

My biggest mistake was waiting too late to iron out my plans. Hey, consider this my good deed of the week: I made the mistake so you can save a bunch of money. Let’s look at when to book and what flight to go for to make sure you make it to your destination.

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7 Mac and Windows tricks only the pros know

Think of all your good habits. You brush your teeth twice daily (and maybe even floss, right). Perhaps you make it a point to get in your steps every day or at least get some Vitamin D.

What about a little bit of tech hygiene to keep your computer happy? When you’re done browsing a webpage, press Ctrl + W on Windows or Cmd + W on Mac to close the tab you’re in.

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I’m a tech expert and you need to make these tech changes now before it’s too late

Sometimes in life, you just can’t go back. I’m thinking of all the folks I’ve talked to who lost crazy amounts of money to scammers pretending to be in love.

We can’t go back to our old devices, either — as much as I miss that hot-pink Razr. On second thought, the iPhone it is. The same goes for certain steps in our digital lives. Follow the steps below, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

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Would you pay $2,565 for a good night’s sleep?

I feel like crap if I don’t get a good night’s sleep. I bet you do, too. We’re not alone. The National Sleep Foundation says one in three of us isn’t getting enough ZZZs.

Shorting yourself on shut-eye can cause big problems, everything from less creativity and heart issues to increasing your risk of depression. And that means some folks are shelling out major cash on luxury sleep retreats, aka “sleep tourism.” Just when you think you’ve seen it all.

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Sick of QuickBooks? 3 accounting and budgeting software options

You shouldn’t do some things alone as a business owner, like managing your budget. Sure, you could try, and you very well may succeed. But it can take a lot of time and might cause a huge mess later on.

That’s why tons of people use QuickBooks to help with their budgeting. If you haven’t heard of it, QuickBooks is a popular small business accounting software. Most people utilize it because it’s versatile and easy on the wallet — but so are a lot of other programs you could be using.

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