Too hot to handle

What temperature is too hot for an iPhone to work well? In Fahrenheit, is it … 77 degrees, 95 degrees, 113 degrees or 131 degrees?

The answer: 95 degrees. That’s the highest temperature Apple and Samsung say your phone can work without acting quirky. Pro tips: In the car, put your phone in the shade. If it feels extra hot, take off the case so it can “breathe” (and don’t drop it, OK?).

Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone, car, phone, temperature, tips and tricks


PayPal, Venmo and Cash App don’t want you to know this

Sometimes, digital payment apps feel like the equivalent of finding $20 in a jacket pocket. I have $34 sitting in Venmo, $215 in Apple Pay and …

This isn’t a big deal if you keep a few bucks around to pay back a friend for a drink. But this is huge if you get paid directly to PayPal or Venmo for anything. Unlike the money at your FDIC-insured bank or credit union, you can lose your money sitting in these apps.

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My first job was at Target

If you think about it, I was doing live YouTube reviews in Target back in the day.

Try and try again: If you’re a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, you can now edit images, too. Just click on an image to give follow-up instructions, like removing or adding objects. If the results stink, give some feedback and try again.

🖼️ Color me impressed: Mark Zuckerberg announced the other day Meta’s AI model will be open-sourced, unlike Google’s version or OpenAI. I’ve been playing with Meta AI’s image tools. Use the prompt, “Imagine a photo (cartoon, watercolor or whatever)” and what you want it to create. Now, there are six fingers on some hands and other anomalies, but for version 1.0, it’s darn good. Try it here.

3 times a week

How often you should snack on baby carrots. Researchers found that frequency “significantly increased” skin carotenoids, which are associated with less inflammation and lower risk of heart disease. Crunch on!

Nifty way to wake your phone: With Samsung’s “Lift to wake” feature, all you have to do is pick up your phone or take it out of your pocket and the screen turns on. Open Settings, tap Advanced features > Motions and gestures. Tap the switch next to Lift to wake to enable it. Magic!

🍕 Pizza or sushi? Let your iPhone decide what to get for dinner — or anything else when you’re stuck in a stalemate. Just say, “Hey, Siri, flip a coin.” Works with Google Assistant and Alexa, too.

Finders keepers: Looking for a file? Hit the Windows key and start typing its name. That’s it. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar and start typin’. So simple and saves so much time.

Keep ’em focused: On Google’s Family Link app, the new “School time” feature restricts access to certain contacts and messages and limits app usage during specific hours. It’s rolling out on Android devices throughout the year.

🖨️ Streaky pages? You’re getting that “Low ink” warning. Before you swap the cartridge, shake it. Really! Remove the cartridge and shake it. This trick helps you use those last drops of ink.