Don’t want to drop $1K on a new phone? Do this instead
It was a little anticlimactic when I went from the iPhone 14 Pro Max to the 15 Pro Max. Side-by-side, they look an awful lot like the same phone. The one thing that stood out was how shiny and clean the 15 looked.
You don’t have to shell out a lot of money — jump into the settings and use a little elbow grease to make your current phone sparkle.
Wipe it out
No kidding, one IT genius at Komando HQ wipes his phone once a year. It seems like a pain (and it is a bit), but it can keep yours running fast and smooth. Think about it — there’s so much less junk piled up if you clear it all out regularly.
Be sure to back your phone up first, then a factory reset makes it easy to on-board all your important info.
On iPhone:
- Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
- Select Erase All Content and Settings.
On Samsung:
- Open Settings > General management.
- Swipe to and tap Reset, then Factory data reset > Reset.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm, then tap Delete all.
On Google Pixel:
- Open Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset).
- To erase all data from your phone’s internal storage, tap Erase all data.
Your texts are an inbox, too
10 tech freebies everyone should know about
The iPhone 15 Pro Max with tons of storage costs $1,599. The Razor Blade 18 gaming laptop starts at $2,899.99. Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay H95 over-the-ear headphones? $999.
You get the point. Tech can set you back a whole lot of money. That’s why you should take every freebie you can get — with one caveat. Security programs, antivirus and VPNs are common honeypots for scammers. This list, though, you can trust.
What’s cheaper, Airbnb or a hotel? The shocking answer
When Airbnb and Vrbo first hit the scene, they were terrific. It was so much cheaper than staying at a hotel. Now? Hotels are coming back. But why?
For one, there are all the Airbnb horror stories — from hidden cameras to a host secretly living in a rental’s attic. Seriously, it happened. And did you hear about the women renting an old Victorian to celebrate their 50th high school reunion? Instead of a fun time, they got bats. Some of the women were even bitten.
16 state's tax-free holidays will save you money on tech purchases
The new school year is quickly approaching, and for many, this is a very exciting time of year. It’s time to stock up on school supplies and all of your tech gear. All these purchases can add up rather quickly unless you can get everything you need during your state’s tax-free weekend. Tap or click here for 15 summer tech gadgets you didn’t know you needed.