15 things you didn’t know you can get for free

Internet advertisers are master manipulators, and they want you to feel excited about their products when you browse the web.

They want you to feel dazzled when you look at targeted ads. These emotions inspire you to whip out your credit card and buy the cool tech gadgets and services lighting up your screen. Tap or click here for a few ways to avoid personalized ads on social media.

Here’s a wake-up call: Almost every expensive thing you see online comes with an affordable alternative that works just as well. You just need to know where to look or find a resource like this guide that researches you. Here are 15 ways to save money online, from free internet to free concert tickets.

1. You don’t have to pay to send email newsletters

If you’re into online marketing, you know how influential email marketing campaigns can be. Research from the Data and Marketing Association suggests this technique has a higher return on investment than other digital marketing channels. You may think to yourself, “That’s all fine and dandy, but email marketing is only for people with deep pockets.”

Good news: You don’t have to cough up big bucks to start your own email newsletter. Mailchimp offers a free plan for email marketers — and it works for up to 2,000 contacts. You can send 10,000 monthly emails.

You may wonder what Mailchimp gets out of this. Customers have to pay a 2% transaction fee per order when they make a sale. In other words, you only pay when you succeed; you don’t have to worry about spending an arm and a leg when your marketing campaign is still in its infancy.

SPEAKING OF WHICH: Tap or click here to get Kim’s new tech tips and how-tos straight to your inbox!

2. Create and send surveys cost-free

This is another excellent money-saving hack for anyone who wants to reach out to customers. A way to get an idea of how your audience thinks is to send out surveys. It’s an easy way to connect with people and figure out if you’re giving them what they want.

Google Surveys is super easy to use. You can:

  • Separate submissions by each responder.
  • Easily share the surveys with others.
  • View the data on a spreadsheet.
  • See all the answers to one single question or prompt at a time.
  • Limit access so only your audience can respond.

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What are Amazon mystery boxes? Are they worth the money?

Imagine working without the tools you need to get the job done. Unfortunately, this is a common problem that teachers have to deal with. Some post wish lists full of classroom supplies to Twitter or Facebook with the tag #ClearTheList, hoping a generous netizen will lend a helping hand.

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Nerd alert: OpenAI’s Codex (the engine behind GitHub Copilot) provides AI-powered assistance for coding and can help you write, debug and optimize code across various programming languages.

Kids shouldn't learn computer coding

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Coding was once hailed as essential for future careers, but AI advancements are quickly changing that. 

Attn., writers and coders: OpenAI just launched Canvas, a new tool that lets you highlight specific text or code and make direct edits instead of starting from scratch each time. It’s available for ChatGPT Plus and Teams users. Try it out under the Model dropdown menu. Spoiler: I didn’t see much difference between it and GPT-4o.

This malware steals your passwords and is on sale for anyone who wants to use it

Using a Password Manager is the best way to protect your authentication details for websites and services. Unfortunately, some people take the easy route by letting their internet browser do all the critical remembering.

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Use Firefox? Update now to patch 2 critical flaws

Your internet browser isn’t just the vehicle you use to get around the internet. It also serves as your first line of defense against hackers, malware and malicious websites.

If your browser isn’t regularly updated to the latest version, it won’t protect against new threats. For example, a new update to Mozilla’s Firefox patches two vulnerabilities hackers can exploit to steal your details.

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You can’t spell cache without ache: (That was for my coders in the crowd!) In a leaked recording, the Amazon Web Services CEO said because of AI, programmers and developers won’t be coding much in one to two years. A great developer’s role will focus on the “most innovative work.”

If you connected your bank account to Venmo, Robinhood or another financial app, you may be entitled to a settlement

App users are often blissfully unaware of just how much technology is involved in making an application work correctly. For every function, there are heaps of coding. Want to know more? This hands-on training can help.

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Mozilla just blocked dangerous extensions used by 450K Firefox users

It is hard to imagine a time before internet browsers had extensions. Tap or click here for the 10 best Chrome extensions to use with Google Drive. These powerful add-ons are downloaded and used within the browser and can help with translations, conversions or many other tasks.

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Billions at risk after 'high-level' Google Chrome hacks

Software updates happen all the time. It can be challenging to keep track of which are new updates and which ones are from a few weeks ago. But that is a good thing. It means that developers are actively trying to plug ongoing security issues.

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Learn how to code in your free time

Everyone’s saying it, from the ads on TV to the kid next door: Coding is the hottest thing on the planet. Stories abound of people taking a few months of classes, then walking right into a six-figure job that pays more in a month than some people make in a lifetime. Now that you know how important it is, let’s dive into how you can learn how to code in no time.

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Easily create your own Amazon Alexa skills in minutes

If you’ve been trying to create Alexa skills from scratch but have found yourself struggling with the more difficult coding concepts, we have good news: Alexa Skill Blueprints exist, and they will take you from struggling skill creator to expert skill master in a matter of minutes.

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Work faster and smarter by adding this feature to your computer

If you have ever tried to do a lot of repetitive work on your computer, you find that you quickly run into some limits. Luckily, there’s is a solution that can help boost a procedure you’ve been using for years and can add some new features. This will help you work faster and smarter.

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