Circuit City, the once-dominant electronics retailer, really struggled to keep up with the rapid changes in the industry. From its humble beginnings in the 1950s to its eventual bankruptcy in the late 2000s, this is the story of Circuit City’s decline and fall.
7 tips and tricks to make Windows 11 more useful
You may want to check out a few changes in Windows 11. They can help you maintain focus or provide faster ways to get things done. You can even play around with some settings to make the new Windows feel like past versions. We’ll go through some of them to help you get started.
This tip is brought to you by our sponsor, Dell. Read to the end to see how Dell can help you find the right tech to get the job done.
1. Customize quick settings
The notification center in Windows 11 contains quick settings, which gives you easy access to commonly used settings and apps. You can add or remove quick settings to your liking:
- Press Win + A to open quick settings.
- Select the Edit quick settings icon.
- Select the Add button to add a quick setting or press the pin icon on the quick setting you want to remove.
- Select Done.
Third-party developers are adding features to Windows 11. We’ve compiled a list of applications that should interest Windows power users. Tap or click here to check out these five utilities.
2. Focus assist
Focus assist lets you choose which notifications you want to see or hear and when. The ones you don’t choose go to the notification center, where you can view them whenever you want:
- Select Start > Settings > System > Focus assist.
- To see and hear fewer notifications, select either Priority only or Alarms only.
3. Title bar window shake
You can grab a title bar and shake it to minimize all but that one window, helping to improve focus. It comes disabled by default, but you can enable it.
Go to Settings > Multitasking and toggle on Title bar window shake.
Saying goodbye to the year that wasn't - A New Year's message from Kim
I’ll not start by talking about how 2020 was not the roaring 20s we all hoped. We know it. We lived it. The past year was a dumpster fire on so many levels.
On the upside, I got to spend real quality time with my family. I went on walks with Ian, who has been Zooming his college classes. I had time to just sit and talk with my Mom. I also realized parts of my life that needed a change. I made time for myself every day. I cooked new recipes, and wow, I can make sourdough bread like a master! Last night, I beat Barry at chess. I just picked up the game a few months ago! And my faith in God grew stronger.
📊 Secret you need to know: If you use Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive, you can go back in time to see earlier versions of your work (or someone else’s). In Google Docs, head to File > Version History > See Version History. In OneDrive, it’s under File > Info > Version History. Bonus tip: If you want to know who does what in real time in a Google Doc, turn on the Track Changes option.
Nvidia's big bet on AI
A Silicon Valley success story no one saw coming — Nvidia’s now the world’s top company, worth $3.42 trillion, thanks to its AI chips. They power everything from gaming to your car. Plus, employees sue over returning to work, iPhone 16 changes, and catching creepy Airbnb hosts.
Prison changes a man: About two weeks after his arrest in France, Telegram’s CEO says it’s not fair he was held responsible for others’ criminal activity on his app. Still, he calls it his “personal goal” to fix the problems. Step 1: Telegram’s updated FAQ page says users’ private chats are no longer protected from moderation. Cry me a river. Way too little, way too late.
2 in 3 Americans
Experience cognitive decline by age 70. Good news: Eating more eggs could help fight that. Choline, found in egg yolks, is linked to healthy cognition. Talk to your doc before making any major dietary changes. Why should you be careful what you say around egg whites? They can’t take a yolk.
Sneaky changes to Google search results being rolled back
Have you been on Google lately? If so, you probably noticed a strange difference in your search results: big icons next to every result on the page. It was part of Google’s brand new look, but not everyone was prepared for the change.
Copycat: Before you share a file in Google Drive, make a copy. Hit File > Make a copy, then rename it and share that. If you don’t, anyone with access to the original doc can review all your edits, changes and versions.
✈️ I download the official app for every airline I fly: Here’s a pro tip. Look for the live activities feature in your app of choice. This generally gives you a countdown until boarding time and a real-time view of your gate and seat info in case anything changes at the last minute. Nice.
Big moves for accessibility: Apple’s new assistive features include built-in eye tracking (navigate apps and select items just by looking at them), vocal shortcuts, music haptics and CarPlay changes, such as larger text and sound recognition for honks.
👊 Close the Windows: There are pros to having your Microsoft and Windows 11 accounts tied together, but if you want to stop Microsoft from sharing your data with advertisers, disconnect from the cloud. Move to a local account with these steps: Open Settings, then Account > Your Info > Sign In. Log into a local account, then confirm your changes.
🤖 OpenAI’s GPT‑4o is here: The new model responds to spoken words in real time (kinda like a human) and can “sense” changes in your tone and mood. Show it a photo and it’ll describe what’s happening in that image. GPT‑4o is available in the free tier of ChatGPT, but if you pay $20 per month, you get five times the message limit. Today, Google will announce its new AI products. The web as we know it will never be the same.
Before you share a Google Doc, make a copy. Rename it (by default, it’ll be called “Copy of” and your original file name) and share that. If you don’t, anyone with access to the original doc can review all your edits, changes and versions. Hit File > Make a copy. Ahem, reverse this idea to see someone else’s edits and changes.