screen Archives

🦟 Bug off, bloodsucker!

I found some deals to keep skeeters and ticks at bay:

This self-sealing magnetic screen door is on sale for $26.99. Great for keeping out bugs (and allowing pets in and out).
A two-pack of this lemon eucalyptus oil spray prevents deer ticks, Lone Star ticks and brown dog ticks without DEET, and it’s under $20.
Hate being sticky from a spray? This portable device diffuses repellent to keep the biters back up to 20 feet (25% off).
These cute foldable table fans will keep the black flies away from your burgers. Get a two-pack for 20% off.
Trap gnats and other annoying flying insects with a plug-in blue-light flytrap. It’s satisfying (but a little gross) and only $12.99 right now.

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

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.

Gemini Live is free to Android users: Google’s AI assistant chats in real time and you can interrupt it with new info or directions. To try it, open the Gemini app and tap the circular waveform with a sparkle icon in the bottom right. You’ll enter full-screen chat mode.

Not only do you blink less when looking at a screen, but science proves most people read more slowly on a screen than on paper. Is it slower by … A.) 5%, B.) 10% or C.) 20%?

Find the answer here! →

🍎 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.

⌛ Podcast magic: You can listen to a podcast more quickly to save time or more slowly when you want to catch every word. There’s usually a “1x” on the now-playing screen. It’s your playback speed. You can increase it (e.g., by 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x) or decrease it (e.g., by 0.75x).

Stop embarrassing yourself: My friend’s phone was sitting in the kitchen. I looked over, and her boyfriend was sending some spicy messages. Notifications like those can be tempting for others to read and can reveal a whole lot about you that you may not want to share. Fortunately, you can hide them from your lock screen. Here’s how:

For Android: Head to Settings > Notifications, tap on the gear icon and select On the lock screen. You’ll have options here to not show any notifications, show all notifications or hide just sensitive notifications.
For iPhone: Open Settings > Notifications and select Show Previews. Here, you can choose to show them always, when the phone is unlocked or never.

🕺 Speaking of twisting: Lenovo’s new laptop, the Auto Twist PC, opens and closes with a voice command. Say “Open lid” and yep, it does. The screen rotates almost 180 degrees, too, and it can put itself into tablet mode. Neat? Yes. Gimmicky? Absolutely.

You’re too close: Holding your phone too close to your face puts extra strain on your eyes. On iPhones, you can get a friendly warning. Open Settings > Screen time and toggle on Screen distance. Pro tip: If your text is too small, fix that under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

Find what you want: Google Photos has a slick, new, Gemini AI-powered tool: Ask Photos. Open your app to see if you have early access. If so, you’ll find an Ask button at the bottom of your screen. Type in searches in regular language, like, “On the boat with Barry” or “Playing ball with Abby.”

Click-clack: The physical buttons on your phone can become less responsive over time. On an Android, skip the side button and double-tap the screen with your finger to wake it. Neat!

They blue it! LG is cooking up a PHOLED screen to sell next year. Blue phosphor OLED is more efficient, brighter and longer-lasting. The catch? OLEDs are already expensive to produce, so these may cost a fortune.

Take a picture – it’ll last longer: On Windows, hold down the Windows key + Shift + S to activate the Snip & Sketch tool. Select a specific area of your screen to capture as a screenshot. On a Mac, the comparable keyboard shortcut for taking screenshots is Cmd + Shift + 4.

👁️📢 Your eyes only: If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos. Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up.

What percentage of divorces are blamed on people reconnecting or finding new loves on Facebook? Is it … A.) 7.5%, B.) 14.29%, C.) 22.43% or D.) 33.91%?

Find the answer here! →

Nifty way to wake your phone: With Samsung’s “Lift to wake” feature, all you have to do is pick up your phone or take it out of your pocket and the screen turns on. Open Settings, tap Advanced features > Motions and gestures. Tap the switch next to Lift to wake to enable it. Magic!

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!

“Magical teleprompter”: That’s how startup Final Round AI markets its Interview Copilot app for job seekers. Their tech listens in while you complete a job interview from home and feeds you the perfect answers on screen in real time. Whether or not you think it’s “cheating,” the person interviewing for the job you want might be using it.

💉 No butts about it: The FDA approved a new blood test to screen for colon cancer. With FDA approval, Medicare and insurance companies are more likely to cover the $895 Shield test. It won’t mean the end for colonoscopies, but it’s a way less invasive way to see if cancer is present.

🦍 Please don’t stream the apes: Gorillas in zoos like seeing pics and watching videos of themselves on your phone. When a visitor shows them their screen, they’ll even flick or tap on the glass to “scroll” to the next vid (paywall link). Now, even the gorillas are addicted to screens.