Hidden Windows features

April 28, 2024

Hidden Windows features live in the Accessibility menu. We’re talking about the magnifier tool, text size settings, color contrast levels, voice-typing and narration features, caption settings, voice recognition and more. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Ease of Access. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Accessibility. So handy!

Tags: accessibility, features, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Windows 11, settings, text, Typing, voice recognition, voice typing

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ChatGPT prompts you’ll wish you knew sooner

ChatGPT has changed my life — and yours, even if you don’t use it as much as I do.

You’ve probably noticed the new AI search bar in all the Meta apps, including Facebook and Instagram. It won’t be long before all your most-used apps and services integrate chatbots. (Yes, I’m sure the folks at Google are quaking in their search boots.)

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Wearable tech for long-distance loved ones

Bond Touch keeps you close to the ones you love with wearables that let you share physical touch

It sounds like futuristic science fiction – people who are physically apart, but able to send a “touch.” But it’s real.

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Tech on a budget: You don’t have to spend $200 or more for high-quality earbuds. Raycons have studio-quality sound and a whopping 32 hours of battery life, and they fit comfortably in every ear with precise fittings. Grab ‘em for 20% off (and free shipping!) at BuyRaycon.com/kim.

$1,600/year per car

In subscription fees, if automakers have their way. Yup, soon you’ll be forking over cash for subscriptions and on-demand features like autonomous driving (paywall link). Vroom, cha-ching!

An Airbnb host got the shock of his life when his guests used 15,000 gallons of water during their stay. Why? They were running a full-blown laundry business from his property. The water bill was around $375. They paid about $1,000 for their weeklong stay.

AI on duty: Taser-maker Axon just launched (paywall link) an AI tool that automatically transcribes body cam audio into police reports. Less paperwork, sure, but we all know AI is notorious for skipping or even inventing details. Doubt this one is ready for primetime.

AI can now tell if your political leanings are conservative or liberal using just your face. Algorithm VGGFace2 can suss you out with over 70% accuracy. Apparently, liberals have smaller lower faces, while conservatives’ faces are typically larger and wider. And independent voters? Theirs go straight down the middle. OK, I made that one up.

35M locations compromised through the popular iShare app

Bugs meant anyone could see the precise location of any other user — creepy. The company fixed the vulnerability only after the researcher who discovered it reached out to TechCrunch.

Here VR: Apple is cutting production on the augmented reality Vision Pro headset. An analyst says Apple only expects to sell half of its original estimate of 700,000 to 800,000 units this year. Here’s hoping this flop leads to a cheaper model or at least a price drop. Not many people can spend $3,500.

Get off my PC: The latest Windows 11 update crams ads for apps into the “recommended” section of the Start Menu. Yes, it’s on by default. I’ve got the fix: Go into Settings and select Personalization > Start. Then, toggle off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more.”