screen Archives

💯 OK, that’s a bargain

The early Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales continue! To score these deals, you’ll need a Prime membership. Use this link for a 30-day free trial.

Mesh routers are the answer for larger homes with dead zones. The latest eero model is 36% off.
Treat yourself to a cozy new blanket to welcome fall. Tons of sizes and colors — and 58% off. Some colors of the throw version are under $9!
Always wanted a nice robo vac? The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO is 32% off.
Gals, these leggings look and feel just like Lululemons for a fraction of the price.
These are the screen protectors I use on my iPhone. At the top, use the menu to choose your model. Sweet.
A fan-favorite set of rustproof shower caddies, 76% off right now!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

So embarrassing: You don’t want your coworker asking why you googled “Can my plants hear me crying?” Lock your Mac’s screen quickly with Ctrl + Cmd + Q (Windows key + L in Windows). Be smart about cybersecurity and get in the habit of doing this every time you walk away.

AI brings dead celebs back to life

Open/download audio

Well, kinda… Hollywood is spending millions to resurrect the likeness of screen legends like Judy Garland with AI. Creepy or fine? Plus, YouTube’s new pause ads, why to skip the blue light filter, and a warning for iPad Pro owners: iOS 18 is bricking devices!

🚨 PSA: Slow down: A 65-year-old woman in Maine lost $23,000 to a scammer posing as Bank of America. The thief tricked her by saying they needed her to share her screen to stop an unauthorized transaction, then they had her complete a wire transfer to “protect” her money. If you get one of these “act now” calls, don’t bite. Hang up and call your bank.

740 million children

Will be nearsighted by 2050. Blame less time spent outside and more screen time for youngsters. An estimated four in 10 kids will need prescription glasses. Girls are more likely than boys to develop myopia (the fancy name for objects far away looking blurry).

😶 Secret button in your Windows 10 and 11 taskbar: Clicking it will minimize everything you have open. It’s located in the bottom right corner of your screen, past the time and notification icon — a tiny sliver. Click it again to bring your stuff back. Good one!

Microsoft Quick Assist: I’ll bet you don’t know this tool’s built right into Windows 10 and 11. It makes it easy to share your screen with someone remotely, aka no installations needed (love that!). This is perfect in case you ever need to help someone — or get help from someone — on your PC. Steps here!

🖱️ Click-clack: Hover over a hyperlink and click the wheel of your mouse. This automatically opens that link in a new tab, keeping you on your current screen. I use this shortcut all the time.

Hands off my Kindle: You can set a passcode. Go to the home screen and tap the three dots in the upper right. Now, tap Settings > Device Options > Device Passcode. Sweet.

⏳ When your kid (or someone else) is using your iPad: Lock an app to keep them off limits. Open Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode. Follow the instructions to set it up. Now, go to App Limits > Add Limit, choose the app, then tap Next > 1 min > Add. Use the app for one minute, then hit Ask for More Time > One More Minute. After the time runs out, the app is locked.

📧 “Email apnea”: That’s a new term for the moment when you open your inbox, get overwhelmed by all the messages and unknowingly hold your breath to focus. A study found 80% of us do this. The fix is simple: Breathe naturally and take screen time breaks.

📺 A TV is a watching machine: LG smart TVs now show ads before the screensaver kicks in. No word yet if it’s limited to specific models, but they’re live on the new flagship G4 T showing LG products and third-party promos. Fortunately, you can turn it off. If you have an LG, go to TV Settings > Additional Settings and disable Screen Saver Promotion.

That’s refreshing: Refresh rates (found in your computer’s display settings) control how things look on your screen. For regular work and browsing, go with 60Hz. For gaming or video editing, try 120Hz or 144Hz. Competitive gamers use 240Hz or higher. Now you know!

iPad modes to get more done: Split view lets you open two apps side by side. To try it, drag an app to the left or right side of the screen. Watching a video? Tap the PiP icon (two small rectangles) to minimize it into a corner of your screen.

👓 Skip the blue-light glasses: They don’t really protect your eyes from screen strain (paywall link). The real issue is looking at your device too closely for too long and forgetting to blink. We normally blink 15 times per minute, but that drops to six times per minute when staring at screens. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.

Talk to the hand: You can use Alexa without vocal controls or needing to touch the screen if you have an Echo Show. Open your Alexa app and tap More > Settings. Select Device Options and tap Gestures. Now, just lift your hand to stop a timer.

I can’t leave you out, Android pals: Scan with Google Drive. Hit the plus sign in the bottom right > Scan. Follow the on-screen instructions, then save it to your account. So easy.

Read to me: Robert from Mooresville, North Carolina, called my show to ask how to make his time in the car more productive by listening to documents he’d otherwise need to read during his drive. Easy-peasy — your phone can read a PDF aloud if you set up text-to-speech.

On an iPhone: Head to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. Turn on Speak Screen and Speak Selection. Now open the doc you want to listen to, and swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to activate Speak Screen.
On an Android phone: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Select to Speak. Turn it on. To use it, tap the Accessibility icon, then select the text you want to hear.

No need to buy a thing. Seriously, where else can you get this great intel?

Swiper no swiping: This hidden Samsung trick will make you feel a little like a magician. Swipe the edge of your hand across the screen to take a screenshot. Here’s how to set it up.

🍎 Three shortcuts for Macs:

Ctrl + Cmd + spacebar: Opens the emoji picker.
Cmd + Shift + 5: Opens the screenshot tool for capturing the entire screen, a window or a selected portion. You can also record your screen from this menu.
Cmd + Opt + Esc: Opens the force-quit menu.