A buck is a buck: If you stream music on Spotify, you’re most likely on the $11.99-a-month plan that includes 15 hours of audiobooks a month, too. Don’t use ‘em? Go into your account and downgrade to “Basic” ($10.99 per month). Hey, it all adds up!
Money tight? 14 great things you can get for free
There’s always something new to spend money on regarding tech. Here’s a secret some companies don’t want you to know: You can get a lot without spending a dime.
Speaking of money, I hear from people all the time who want to cut Netflix, Hulu, and other expensive streaming services. Did you know that mobile carriers offer free streaming service subscriptions as part of their plans? Here’s what T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are offering.
Movies aren’t the only things you’ll get for free. Here are freebies you can thank me for later.
1. Photo editing software
Photoshop is generally synonymous with photo editing, but the software subscription is expensive. Here are a few free ways to crop, brighten and otherwise adjust your photos:
- Canva: This user-friendly browser and app-based editing software is ideal for creating presentations, social media graphics, marketing materials, posters, and anything else you can dream up.
- Pixlr X: This tool runs in your browser; no download is required. It has advanced features like photo filters and drawing options, but it really shines with simple-to-use cropping and resizing tools.
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): This professional-grade photo editor works similarly to Photoshop. Unlike Photoshop, GIMP is free to download.
- Adobe Express: This cloud-based platform from the makers of Photoshop offers a library of stock photos, illustrations, and fonts for your designs. You can also create a project from scratch.
2. Video editing software
This is one of those things you don’t need until you really need it. Maybe you were tasked with creating a video for a wedding or class reunion, or you finally want to start a YouTube channel.
Most dependable video editing programs cost an arm and a leg. Notice I said most. When it comes to free options, DaVinci Resolve takes the cake.
If you have a Mac or iPhone, you’ll be glad to know Apple iMovie is a surprisingly good video editor. Tap or click to see how to turn your clips and photos into a masterpiece with iMovie.
3. Word processing software
When it comes to productivity software, Microsoft Office is the gold standard. Of course, it’s pricey. I have recommended LibreOffice for years. It’s an open-source software suite that works much like the apps in Microsoft Office.
3 apps that let you borrow eBooks from your local library
Reading is an excellent way to relax and expand your mind through distant worlds, a suspenseful thriller or a thought-provoking autobiography. Tap or click for ways to get Kim’s eBooks.
That’s why your neighborhood library is more popular than ever. You might even be shocked that more than half of the U.S. population has a library card.
Get free eBooks, movies and more
When’s the last time you got something for free? Your local library offers tons of free eBooks, audiobooks, movies, and more — all online!
🤖 No truckin’ around: Late musician Jerry Garcia’s voice has been cloned by AI company Eleven Labs. Grateful Dead fans using the ElevenReader app (on iOS and Android) can now listen to the legendary guitarist read audiobooks, articles, poetry, PDFs and more in 32 languages. His daughter says it’s all about continuing his legacy as a tech enthusiast. Uh-huh … I’m seeing dollar signs all over this.
It just got a lot easier for music to follow you around the house using Alexa
Amazon recently unleashed Multi-room audio for compatible Echo devices to the public. It makes everything from chores to party time that much more awesome.
Read on to find out how this handy feature works and how to use it.
How to find thousands of free eBooks aside from the library
If you’ve run out of things to watch and are tired of scrolling through social media, how about reading a book? Sure, you can buy actual paper books online and have them shipped. But what if you want to save some money?
📚 Parenting win: Swap videos for audiobooks. Audiobooks encourage kids to visualize stories, in effect training their voluntary imagination, improving their problem-solving skills, boosting their attention spans and listening skills, and enhancing their vocabularies.
Audible now has over 40,000 AI-voiced audiobooks. Good way for self-published authors to save on costs and add a voiceover to their books. Humans are watching their gigs disappear, and I’m really not a fan of that AI monotone.
Tech freebies: 15 upgrades you get for free
You’ve spent so much money already — on a laptop, tablet, computer, router, network extender, printer, and smartphone. You’ve signed up for the internet, and you’re paying monthly fees. You’ll be relieved to know that a lot of tech is free.
Best sites to download free audiobooks
A few years ago, multitasking used to be next to impossible when it came to reading books. You either had to read through a chapter of your favorite book first then do an errand or put down the book, do your chores and come back later to continue reading.
10 insanely useful Spotify tips and tricks
Spotify is one of the biggest names in music streaming services. It’s both easy to use and works across all devices. Like its competitors, Spotify offers a few subscription options, free or premium.
Both choices come with an extensive library of podcasts, videos, and audiobooks, along with customized playlists just for you. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Tap or click for our streaming music comparison.
6 useful tech hacks to help you save money
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across the world. In its wake are lives ruined and countries with stalled economies, failing businesses and skyrocketing unemployment rates.
This scenario is fully playing out here in the U.S. as financial experts continue to sound the alarms that it’ll most likely be a long recovery, meaning many months to several years before we are back on solid ground. If you or someone you know has lost your job, there may be a solution. Tap or click here for companies hiring despite the coronavirus.
Handy app: Listen to long-form news and magazine articles
Nothing like a pandemic to make you reflect on how you spend your time. With families holed up for weeks, activities and projects are a welcome, and downright necessary, distraction.
But as the weeks pass, it’s becoming more clear that there are only so many 5,000 piece puzzles or games of Monopoly we can power through. You’re probably already taking on more productive projects, like these 10 tech spring cleaning tasks.