Stop losing your car at the mall: Open the Google Maps app, tap the blue dot that shows your location, then select Save parking.
6 ways tech can solve life's little annoyances
Minor tech annoyances can seem small at the moment. But in the grand scheme of things, they can cause stress and wasted time. If you don’t want tech issues to have a significant impact, cut them off with these tech life hacks.
They can even help you when you’re away from your computer. Read on for a few easy ways to make your life easier.
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1. Stop missing important emails
Most email providers let you turn on alerts. This way, you know immediately whenever an email comes in. You may read this and think, “I get too many emails. If I turned on alerts, my phone would constantly blow up!”
Hold on a second. You can turn on alerts for specific email addresses. This way, you’ll never miss an email from an important contact.
Using Gmail as an example, here’s how to use this feature:
Follow these steps on your iPhone, iPad or Android:
- First, open the Gmail app.
- Tap Menu > Settings.
- Select your account.
- Then, tap Email notifications > High priority only.
2. Stop forgetting what you need at the store
Always forgetting that one thing at the store? Have your phone remind you to pick it up when you walk through the door. Make a shopping list in the notes section of the Reminders app on your iPhone. Here’s how:
For iPhone:
From self-parking to color-changing, what’s new in cars
If you’ve listened to my show or read my newsletter for a while, you know I’m a car gal. There really isn’t much rhyme or reason to my car collection; you might see me rolling around in my 1946 Chevy truck, 1964-1/2 Mustang or 2015 gull-wing SLS Mercedes. My daily ride is my G-Wagon.
Google Maps upgrade: You can now chat with the app to find things to do, restaurants to visit and nearby attractions, all with reviews. You’ll see detailed parking info near your destination and walking directions when you exit your car, too.
Neighbors bashing you online? Check Nextdoor's top trending discussions
The web is chock full of hilarious snippets and screenshots of neighbors gone wild across the country, all documented in the Nextdoor app.
Like the house blasting “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for three days straight. Hey, there are worse songs. Or how about those friendly people around the corner offering free (already cut open) avocados and expired salad dressing? Umm, pass.
10 hidden Google Maps tips and tricks
Google Maps is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. It’s also a way to learn more about the world around you and even play games. For instance, Smarty Pins is a trivia game within Google Maps. It asks you geography-based questions, and you move your pin around the map to answer.
Human-trafficking scammers: What a sad story. A Ugandan man was lured to Thailand with the promise of a $2,500-a-month data entry job. In reality, he was trafficked into working as a pig-butchering scammer. He made $400 a month working 17-hour shifts, seven days a week (paywall link). If his productivity dropped, he was punished with hundreds of push-ups and forced runs around a parking lot. After seven long months, he escaped and is now telling his story to warn others.
Witch parking – All others will be toad: Scammers are leaving fake parking tickets on windshields. They look like the real deal but have a bogus payment website at the bottom ready and waiting for your credit card details. Always go directly to your city’s or town’s website to pay a parking ticket.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a cop! Police in California used a drone to nab a burglar near the Santa Monica Pier. The little guy spotted a car thief using a screwdriver to punch open locks in a parking lot, and it called in officers and directed them to the exact location. Here’s the video.
Didn’t want you to hear that: When you use Bluetooth to take a phone call in the car, the sound leaks like crazy. Before you say something really embarrassing while sitting in a parking lot (“Doctor, this rash is all over my …”), turn the volume way down.
PSA: When you use Bluetooth to take a phone call in the car, the sound leaks like crazy. Before you say something really embarrassing while sitting in a parking lot (“Doctor, this rash is all over my …”), turn the volume way down.
Scammers have a new money-stealing trick: Fraudulent QR codes on parking meters
In many cities around the country, finding a parking spot can be a nightmare. When you manage to get one, you also have to contend with the parking meter. Never lose your car in a parking lot again with this clever trick.