Search cannibalism: I called it three years ago. As the once search giant Google morphs into a chat-style (paywall link) “answer engine,” clicks are drying up and traffic is cratering all over. The Atlantic’s CEO said to assume “Google traffic drops to zero.” Google once said, “Don’t be evil.” Today, it reminds me of Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son.”
▶️ Test for success: Compare up to three thumbnails in YouTube Studio to see which gets the most engagement. Pick a video, click Test & compare under Thumbnail and hit Done. The test starts when your video is public. Wait up to two weeks to see the result: Winner (your best thumbnail), Preferred (good but just by a little) or None (no difference).
📚 Keep their brains busy: Want your kids to stay sharp in math or science this summer? Check out Khan Academy. Free lessons include short videos, practice exercises and hints. There’s even an AI tutor they can chat with when they’re stuck (it’s $4/month). Pro tip: Track their progress with a parent account.
Alexa, turn it up: Fine-tune your Echo’s sound for higher (treble) or lower (bass) frequencies. Just say “Alexa, reset the equalizer,” or “Alexa, turn up the treble.” Or open the Alexa app and go to Devices (lightbulb icon) > [your Echo] > Device Settings (gear icon) > Audio Controls, then use the sliders to adjust.
Record your screen: OBS Studio is a free app that works on Windows and Mac. It’s easy to use: Just go to Add Source > Display Capture, choose Automatic as your Capture Method and hit OK. Now click Start Recording, and Stop Recording when you’re done. Pro tip: Use this guide for the best video settings.
Facebook on mute: Whether you’re sneaking a scroll at work or just want things silenced, it’s easy to stop videos from auto-playing with sound. On your phone, go to Menu > Settings & privacy > Settings > Media and toggle Videos Start with Sound off. Ah, much better.
Taking a group shot? Don’t just snap one photo (someone’s always blinking or looking away). Hold down your phone’s camera button to use Burst mode, which takes a bunch of pics in seconds. This gives you a better chance of capturing everyone at their best. Neat.
Look under the hood: In Chrome, type chrome://flags in the address bar and hit Enter to unlock a hidden menu of beta features. Scroll through and enable what catches your eye. Remember, these are experiments, so proceed with a little caution.
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Alexa’s on the case: Wondering where your Amazon package is? You could hit this link or just say, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” or “Alexa, track my order.” She’ll give you a quick update on your delivery status. Hands-free and hassle-free.
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💯 Keep The Current front and center: Don’t let my emails disappear into the black hole of spam or promo tabs. Add me to your favorites in just a click or two:
📺 Watching YouTube at night? Turn on dark mode for some eye comfort. On Desktop, click your profile picture (top right), scroll to Appearance and select Dark theme. On the mobile app, go to Settings > General > Appearance, then tap Dark theme.
Uber senior accounts: Larger text, fewer buttons and clearer instructions. Perks include saved destinations and pay with a Medicare flex card. FYI: It’s part of Uber’s family profile, but anyone can try this by turning on Simple Mode in the app’s Account section.
Ditch the copy-paste: The free Chrome extension Add to Sheets lets you send info from any website straight into a Google Sheet. Planning a trip? Just right-click on location details, booking links or prices to drop them right into a column. Pretty slick.
📚 Kindle stats: Want to see how much reading you’ve got left? Tap the page number in the bottom-left corner to switch between time left in the chapter, time left in the book or your progress percentage (%). Kindle learns your reading speed, so those time estimates are based on you. Want free Kindle books? Check these out.
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⚡️ 3-second tech genius: YouTube shortcuts: K to pause, J to rewind 10 sec, L to skip forward.