Tech trick: Boost the quality of your streaming audio
At any given time, thereās music playing in my house. I have my organizing music, sitting-by-the-pool jams, dinner playlists depending on how weāre feeling, tunes for getting ready ā¦ The list goes on.
If youāre a music lover, too, letās get the bad news out of the way: The tunes you’re jamming to in your favorite streaming app are sub-par quality. The good news? It’s easy to fix that, and I can walk you through it.
60-second privacy fix, Google edition
In today’s episode of “I always feel like somebody’s watchin’ me,” our āclose friendā Google is recording our voices. And, of course, they’re being sneaky about it.
Yep, a hidden feature in your Google account is snatching up audio recordings from your web and app activity, interactions with digital assistants, and more.
I didn't realize I pronounced this wrong
Basil, bazil, basl … Who cares? All I know is it’s delish.
Help me organize the pantry
Our family has a large food storage pantry, and we often shop at Costco and Walmart (bulk items) to provide meals for our growing household. We need suggestions for an app that we can use to inventory food. ā Cameron in Utah
Smart idea. It stinks to realize something has expired ā or that you just bought a fifth case of canned tomatoes. A couple options for you:
- Pantry Check scans barcodes and uploads everything for you. Itāll even remind you to use things before they go bad. Sweet.Ā
- Home Food Storage for iPhone is geared more toward preppers. It does many of the same things as Pantry Check, but it takes it a step further if you want to have a plan in place for months or years. This one is $2.99, FYI.
š It’s annoying Costco has the best prices on funeral plans. The service is great and all, but I don’t need three caskets.
Kim, does hitting āunsubscribeā work?
Here’s the lowdown on how to stop getting emails you don’t want ā without opening yourself up to more junk.
With reputable companies, clicking unsubscribe should do the trick. If you’re receiving newsletters or promotional emails from brands you know, they generally follow email marketing regulations.
For unsolicited spam from unknown senders, unsubscribing may indeed make things worse. By clicking that link, you inadvertently confirm your email address is active, which could lead to even more spam.
āHow do I know what to pick?ā
Stick to familiar ground. If the emailās from a trusted source (think brands you’ve shopped with or newsletters you’ve signed up for), go ahead and hit āUnsubscribe.ā
If it’s a random email about a long-lost prince or a miracle cure, steer clear of clicking the unsubscribe link. Mark the email as spam in your email client.
- For Outlook: Select the messages you want to report as junk, then, from the top toolbar, select Report > Report Junk.
- For Apple Mail: On your iPhone or iPad, swipe left on the message, tap More, then Move to Junk.
- For Gmail: Select one or more emails, then click Report spam.
š¶ļø And donāt forget to use your providerās built-in features to keep your real email address private. Appleās Hide My Email is sweet, and Gmail lets you create unlimited aliases. Hereās how to use both.
How to find hidden GPS trackers
Nervous that there might be someone following you? Here are five ways to spot sneaky GPS trackers in your car.
What NOT to tell AI
AI is a great tool if you know how to use it … But there are some things you shouldn’t say to a bot. Kim has the lowdown on info to keep to yourself.
Guard your heart against love scammers
Clever uses for your old phone: Security camera, alarm clock, emergency callingĀ
Most of us have a drawer full of old gadgets lying around. Letting them pile up and collect dust isnāt just a waste of money but also a missed opportunity. Youād be surprised by how many useful things your old phone is capable of. In this Komando DIY, we’ve got four things you can do with your old smartphones after you upgrade.