👀 For your eyes only

February 6, 2024

If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos.

Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up.

Note: Anything stored there isn’t backed up to the cloud. Wouldn’t be very private that way.

Have an iPhone? You can store secret pics in the Notes app. Open the pic in the Photos app, tap the share icon and select Notes. Go into the note you want to protect, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner, then choose Lock.

Tags: Apple iPhone, Google

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Scammers are coming after your kids and teens

What comes to mind when you think of someone getting scammed? A grandma on the phone with some jerk? If so, this will probably surprise you.

The total money lost by teens in online scams grew by nearly 2,500% between 2017 and 2022. Victims under the age of 20 lost a staggering $210 million in 2022 alone.

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A travel money mistake way too many people make

I’m going to Japan in March and have looked up flights on a few different sites. Roundtrip prices vary as much as $900 depending on where you look. Oof!

One place I checked was my credit card rewards site. I get points and perks, so total no-brainer, right? Not so fast. Do a little digging and you may find that it’s not the bigger, better deal.

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🫁 Need a minute? Type “breathing exercise” into Google and you’ll get a one-minute winddown that walks you through when to breathe in and out. It’s a little calm with no extra apps required!

🚀 We’re toast: In tests using war game simulations, OpenAI’s highest-powered tool chose nuclear weapons. Why? When asked, the AI replied, “We have it! Let’s use it” and, in another test, “I just want to make the world peaceful.” Send this link to your favorite political person and urge them to push for greater controls on AI.

Sneaky ways shopping sites get you to pay more

Retailers are getting really creative in how they get us to fill our carts. When I say creative, I don’t necessarily mean in a good way.

An estimated 79% of us shop online at least once a month, and 91% make purchases from our smartphones. Yes, me too. But how many of those purchases were manipulated?

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Nope, they can make a comeback using special software. If you want files truly gone, you have to overwrite them using software like Eraser. Now, you know the truth!

When you need to do a quick crop, edit or resize, try Pixlr X. It works in your browser and runs on almost every operating system.

⌛ Quick podcast tip: Want to listen to a podcast more quickly (to save time) or more slowly (to understand every word)? There’s usually a “1x” on the now-playing screen. It’s your playback speed. You can increase it (e.g., by 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x) or decrease it (e.g., by 0.75x).

Ever had a million-dollar idea while in the shower or walking the dog? Instead of letting it slip away, record it. Voice Memos (a built-in app on Apple and Android) has your back. Bonus: You can say, “Hey, Siri, take a voice memo” or “OK, Google, take a voice memo.” So sweet!

⌚ Keep those health goals: Fitbit’s Charge 6 fitness band is a great way to stay on track. It monitors your heart rate, cardio level and temperature around you. Gets up to a week of battery life, too. The catch: You need a Google account to use it.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.