5 ways to limit screen time

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Kids logging 9 hours on screens? Let’s find easy ways to reduce that.

Tags: kids, screen, screen time, screens, time


Trivia

What percent of e-waste — old computers, phones and other tech — gets recycled? Is it … A.) 50%, B.) 90%, C.) 20% or D.) 10%?

Find the answer here

Oy, original Oculus owners: If you have an Oculus VR headset you haven’t used in the past year, you may lose all your games, data and purchases unless you act ASAP. Create a Meta account by March 29 to keep your heirloom VR headset kicking.

Measure your heart rate with your phone

Fun fact: You don’t need a smartwatch to measure your heart rate. You can check your ticker with just an app.

It’s neat how these work. Put your index finger on the back camera, and the app measures your heart rate by detecting color changes. Be sure to hold your phone steady and keep still.

Just remember, apps aren’t a replacement for seeing a medical professional or talking to your doctor, especially if you’re not feeling well.

❤️ Some people say a rapid, irregular heartbeat isn’t a big deal. Sorry, but that’s a-fib.

1,000% increase in online searches for Airbnbs

From people looking for places to stay in the path of the solar eclipse. Dallas, Waco, Fredericksburg and Austin are a few trending cities in the path of totality for the April 8 eclipse.

Math, the final frontier: Spock and Kirk can out-calculate your high school math teacher. A VMware study found AI chatbots turn into math whizzes when you use the prompt, “Think like a ‘Star Trek’ character.” Just don’t go asking it for help in finances channeling its inner Jordan Belfort.

Hot and fresh: Apple’s latest gadgets are the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models, complete with the speedy, new M3 chip (beefy enough to support two external monitors), 1080p webcams and a reported 18 hours of battery life. The cost? $1,099 and $1,299, respectively. Frankly, that’s not crazy for Apple.

Plot twist: Spotify wants to win over Audible subscribers, but its offer must be fiction. The Audiobooks Access Tier is $9.99 per month for 15 hours of audiobook-listening and ad-supported music. Compare that to Spotify Premium, at $10.99 a month, 15 hours of audiobook listening and ad-free music. Do they think we can’t read?

ScamU: Scammers are targeting parents with fake SAT/ACT prep offers. They know your kid’s name and school, and they’re promising “free” materials for a “refundable” deposit. Spoiler: You’re out $249.95 and get zilch. Don’t get duped: Places like the College Board never call to ask for a credit card over the phone.

$10K for baby photos

That’s what some parents pay for over-the-top newborn photoshoots. From Disney-themed to “Game of Thrones,” no vision is too wild. Photographers report (paywall link) making custom-made props, importing tiny furniture and creating elaborate costumes.

$22M payment sent to hackers

For the Change Healthcare ransomware attack. For 10 days and counting, pharmacies and hospitals haven’t been able to get people their prescriptions. Turns out all it took was an enormous bitcoin payment to stop them.