Quick tech cleanup: Do this every 3 months

When was the last time you cleaned up your digital life? It’s not fun, but just a few minutes of physical and digital decluttering can work wonders. It boosts productivity, clears mental clutter and leaves you feeling like you’ve done something great. Ready? Let’s do this!

📲 Start with your phone

Quick fix: Look through your apps and delete any you’re not using anymore. If it’s been months, you’re not going to use it. While you’re at it, move apps you want to spend less time using from your phone’s home screen.

On iPhone: Swipe left to get past all your app screens and open the App Library. To delete an app, touch and hold the app’s icon > Delete App, then tap Delete to confirm.

On Android: Open the Google Play Store app, and tap your profile icon. Tap Manage apps & devices > Manage. Select the name of the app you want to delete, then tap Uninstall.

If you have more time: Tackle your photo collection or contacts. Do whichever is the messiest or most aggravating. Neither task is particularly pleasant, but you’ll feel enough satisfaction when you’re done to make up for that. Put in a good podcast (ahem, mine!) and get it done.

Bonus points: Sanitize your phone. You take it to the bathroom with you. Enough said.

📺 Tackle the TV

Quick fix: Dust! Too much junk in all those vents and ports can reduce your TV’s life, so give it a good wipe-down. Clean the back with your vacuum’s brush attachment or an air blower (on sale!). Be prepared to vacuum or sweep up all the dust after you’re done.

Bonus points: Clean the screen. Dust with a microfiber rag first, then very lightly buff away fingerprints. I take the easy route with TV wipes, but a rag with electronics cleaner works, too. It’s easy to use too much pressure standing directly in front of the TV cleaning, so go from the side for a lighter touch.

If you have more time: I once signed up for a free trial of an add-on channel to watch a movie I couldn’t find anywhere else. You can guess what happened. I never watched the movie, but I did pay for six months of Sundance. Time to take inventory of your streaming apps. I use the Rocket Money app* to do it for me.

💻 Finish up with your computer

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Hand cramps? These vertical PC mice change everything

Using a PC mouse can cramp your hand and put your wrist in an unnatural position. Vertical mice help your hand stay in a more natural position, scroll easier and require less strain on your wrist. You’ll use your mouse with your arm and better control the cursor. These are our top picks to help your hands and make using the PC easier.

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Don’t run out of juice

⚡ These gadgets keep you going all day.

  • Sweet, a mouse pad ($22) that doubles as a wireless phone charger. Click the coupon box!
  • Snag a docking station (22% off) to charge the family’s phones, tablets and smartwatches all in one spot.
  • Everyone needs a portable charger. I found cordless options for Lightning ($19) and USB-C ports (37% off).
  • I love this Bluetooth speaker ($15) that’s small enough to take anywhere.
  • Make your showers more relaxing with a waterproof speaker (43% off) that can come with you to the pool once it gets hot.

🥶 Feeling chilly? It’s warm in Phoenix and cold everywhere else! Grab hand warmers (32% off) that heat up in seconds if you’re over winter.

Can IT detect your mouse jiggler?

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Employees are using keyboard simulators and mouse jigglers to appear busy, but workplaces are catching on.

🧟 Walt Disney returns … kinda: For Disneyland’s 70th, Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney to “remind fans he was an actual person” and not a mouse. Some family members aren’t thrilled, calling it a robotic grandpa impostor. But Disney swears it’s what Walt would have wanted, right down to the animatronic charm. Spoiler: No cigarettes. It was reported Walt smoked three packs a day.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Lost your cursor? On Mac, shake your mouse. The pointer temporarily enlarges so you can find it.

Need a new keyboard and mouse? Best options available

It’s time to buy a new keyboard and mouse, but with so many on the market, which ones are right for you?

Do you need a mousse that’s compatible with an Apple device? Are you interested in the classic sound of a mechanical keyboard? What about colorful backlights and ergonomic designs?

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It's back to school time! Save on tech for you, the kids or the grandkids

It doesn’t matter if you’re preparing your child for distance learning or if you’re taking college courses — it’s just fun to go back-to-school shopping.

What makes school shopping exceptionally fun is perusing technology that can be used for scholastic, business or entertainment purposes. No one gets excited about purchasing erasers and glue sticks, but everyone pays attention when buying a new laptop or choosing the right wireless keyboard and mouse combo.

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Losing your cursor on Windows 11? Make it bigger or change the color so it’s easier to spot. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. Slide the Size bar to make it bigger, then pick a pointer style. Try the inverted option to have it adjust to any background, or pick a custom color you like.

Mouse moves: Move text around with just your mouse. Just highlight the words you want, hold Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac), then click and drag them to a new spot. Let go, and boom, your text will be right there. No need to copy and paste.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Press the space bar in Chrome to scroll down a web page. Hit Shift + space bar to scroll back up. No mouse needed!

🖱️ Need an app fast? Don’t sweat it. On a PC, press Windows + T to highlight the first icon on your task bar. On Mac, hold Command + Tab for a list of your open apps. Zip through them using your arrow keys. Handy trick when your Bluetooth mouse runs out of juice. 

10-second shortcut: You don’t need your mouse to rewind or fast-forward on YouTube. Press K to pause or play, J to rewind 10 seconds, and L to fast-forward 10 seconds. Be sure to subscribe to my channel so you never miss my podcast or radio show.

Need to sign a document on your Mac? Open a PDF in Preview, click the Markup icon (a little pencil), and select Sign. You can sign using your trackpad, your mouse or even hold up a piece of paper to your Mac’s camera. Easy peasy!

Wells Fargo fires employees for faking work

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Over a dozen workers were caught faking keyboard activity and using mouse jigglers to look busy. Plus, CVS recalls 133 medications, the controversial Windows Recall faces a delay, and a must-know site for those wary of flying Boeing planes.

The best way to clean all the dirt and grime off your tech

Maybe you’ve set aside your stash of pandemic disinfectant wipes, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your tech. Germs, dirt, grime, and dust settle into every nook and cranny. If you don’t do something about it, you’ll shorten your gadget’s useful life.

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This gadget turns your tabletop into a phone charger - Is it worth it?

Your desk is a mess. OK, maybe not your desk specifically, but think about all the things you’ll find in the average workspace. Tap or click here to give your home office a high-tech makeover.

Start with your computer and then there’s a monitor or two (or three?) along with a keyboard and mouse. You might have a set of speakers, wireless earbuds and of course, the all-important phone charger.

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Working from home: The tech you need to get the job done

As the news director for Komando.com, I spend a lot of time researching topics and staying on top of current events. That part of the job description has only increased since our staff began working from home two months ago.

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