🔎 NotebookLM is getting an upgrade this week: Until now, you had to manually upload files and links for the AI research assistant. Well, not anymore. A new Discover button (look for the magnifying glass) is coming to the Sources panel. Click it, type in a topic or question and the AI will search the web and return up to 10 links with summaries. Pretty neat.
Easy ways to tidy up your tech
ChatGPT
We all love a clean house, but what about your digital life? Clutter builds up fast: old contacts, forgotten files, 127 versions of the same photo and a desktop that’s basically an overflowing junk drawer.
That doesn’t just hog storage, it slows down your tech and drains your focus.
Let’s tackle it, step-by-step. I’m here for you.
📸 Delete duplicate photos
You love your pet. I get it. But do you really need all 15 blurry attempts to get the perfect tail wag?
Here’s how to clean it up:
- On iPhone: Go to Photos > Utilities > Duplicates and tap Merge.
- For Android: Open Google Photos > Storage > Review and delete.
📌 Pro tip: Use CleanMyPhone (iOS) or Remo Duplicate Photos Remover (Android) for deeper cleanups.
📇 Declutter your contacts
If your contact list includes “Tina from that one happy hour” or someone labeled “maybe Brad??”, it’s time to let go.
- On iPhone, open the Contacts and tap on one you don’t need. Press Edit > Delete Contact.
- For Android, use Google Contacts. Check the box next to the contact name > More > Delete.
📌 Pro tip: Search for blank or “no name” and get rid of those, too.
Tech how-to: Delete apps the right way
I just swiped through my apps and found, uh, six I’ve never used or haven’t opened in months. Yep, it even happens to me. You have grand plans to meditate, organize your to-dos, fix your pics, whatever, and you download an app for the job. But then, the romance ends.
⏰ Take a rest: BreakTimer is a free app that reminds you to take a breather. Because apparently just blinking isn’t enough, now they want you to breathe? You can set how often and how long breaks should last. If you’re busy, just skip or snooze it. The countdown resets if you’re away from your computer.
🤔 Is that surface flat? Your iPhone can check. Just open the Measure app. If you can’t find it, swipe down from your home screen and search for it. Tap Level and place your phone down to see if it’s even. On Android, there are free third-party apps like Bubble level.
👨👩👧👦 Eyes on your teens: If your kid is between 13 and 17, set up Supervision on Instagram. You or your teen can send the invite by going to your profile, tapping Menu (three lines) > Family Center > Invite your teen. Find their name and hit Invite. Then, open their account and tap the invite > Next > Allow. Simple.
🎶 Binge-worthy tunes: Stream music from your favorite shows on Spotify and Apple Music’s hubs for Netflix, Disney+, Max and more. Just tap Search > TV & Movies (Spotify) or Film, TV & Stage (Apple Music) for playlists filled with hits from those iconic moments.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Made a mistake in the iPhone Calculator app? Simply swipe left on the numbers to delete the last digit. Still not gonna help you with taxes, but it’s handy.
📝 No scanner? No worries. On your iPhone, go to the Notes app > create a new note > Attachment button (paper clip icon) > Scan Documents to open your camera. Tap Insert to grab the text. For Androids, open Google Drive > (+) icon > Scan document > Save > Upload, and you’re good to go. Congrats, your phone is now a scanner/copier/fax from 2002.
💬 From basic to bold: Want your YouTube comments to pop? To write in bold, put an asterisk ( ) before and after the word: like this. For italics, put underscores on both sides: _for example_. Head over to my channel and give it a shot. I’ll see you in the comments.
🖥️ Unfreeze that screen: Stuck computer? Close those unresponsive apps. For Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. On a Mac, hit Cmd + Option + Esc to get to the Force Quit menu. And no, shaking your monitor won’t help. It’s the digital equivalent of “pull yourself together.”
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Quickly mute and unmute on Zoom by holding down the space bar.
🎬 Put “cut” in shortcut: Need to record your screen? On a Mac, press Shift + Cmd + 5. You can grab your entire screen or select just a part of it to leave something out. For Windows 11, hit the Windows logo key + Shift + R to open the Snipping Tool and start recording.
Freeze frame: In Excel, it helps to keep your column and row headings stuck in place while you scroll around big spreadsheets. Select the cell where the actual data starts, and then click the View menu > Freeze Panes.
🗑️ Trash your big files: Running out of space on Google Drive? On the web, click Storage on the left to see your files from largest to smallest. On the Google Drive app, go to Files and tap on Name under My Drive near the top left. Then tap Storage used to sort it by file size. Delete what you don’t need. Ah, space.
👋 Please go away: When you see an ad you don’t want to see again on Facebook, look in the top right corner of the ad itself. Find the three-dot icon and tap Hide Ad. If only it was that easy to get rid of annoying people.
From zero to hero: Microsoft’s Clipchamp free video editor is perfect for beginners. Plus, it has advanced features for cutting, cropping, resizing, screen and webcam recording, green-screen editing and even AI voiceovers. Give it a whirl.
🍕 Serving up files: Try File.pizza to send large files from your computer without using up your cloud’s storage space. Just drag and drop it into your browser, set a password if you’d like (yes) and hit Start. You’ll get a link and a QR code to share. Keep the site open until whoever you send it to downloads it. Once you click out, the file is gone.
I 🩵 the free image editor GIMP: After seven years, GIMP 3.0 is here with a fresh look and new features. Now you can make changes without messing with the original file, add text more easily and a lot more, so check ’em out here.