It’s cold out there, but don’t worry, I’ve got some tips to help you stay toasty.
How to wrangle all your cords and cables
It’s surprisingly easy to ruin your expensive devices’ screens and internal workings. Here’s my cheat sheet for cleaning electronics. (Hint: Put down the paper towels!)
Don’t forget the TV remote, the hidden germ carrier everyone touches.
What about the organizational side of things? Let’s tackle the biggest problem for most people: cords and cables.
Where does this cable thing go?
How often have you approached a tangle of cords, wondering which is the one you’re looking for? Once you find it, you must determine which port to plug into. Here’s an easy fix you can use next time you need to unplug everything to do a major clean.
- Get some stickers: These can be labels you write on or simply color-coded dots. One of my readers, Tony, suggests using colored foil star stickers.
- Create a system that works for you. Write on the labels, use color to represent a type of cord (red dot for USB-C, blue dot for HDMI), or whatever else you’d like.
- Once you’ve decided on a system, affix the same label or colored sticker to the cable and the port on the device.
- When you re-plug the cord, match the sticker on the cable to the port’s sticker.
- Make sure to place the sticker in the same position on each cable. Try putting it on the top of the cord to quickly find the correct orientation into the port.
You will quickly see where the cable fits, even in the dark reaches behind the TV. If you misplace a cable, the sticker you used will also tell you what device it belongs to if it’s not stamped on the cord. Love that.
Another trick to get your USB cord in the right way
Plugging in a USB cable the right way feels like a no-brainer. Then why do we get it wrong on the first try so often?
Here’s the secret: Grab any USB cable sitting around your house. See that symbol on one side? It’s not just branding or decoration. That symbol will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally; if you’re plugging a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face you.
Psst, I have lots more helpful tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner.
Cheap fixes to make life easier
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Upgrading your iPhone? 5 steps to take with your old phone before you sell it or give it away
There are lots of reasons you might want to sell your old phone. Perhaps you’ve upgraded early and still have a newer model phone worth a bit of money. Are you looking to switch from Android to iPhone? Tap or click here for a list of Androids you can trade in.
Windows and Mac tricks you'll use all the time
There are some tech tricks that you only know if someone clues you in.
Take the humble USB cord. If you’re constantly plugging in the wrong way, here’s the secret: The symbol on one isn’t just branding or decoration. That symbol will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally. If you plug a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face you.
Take this online test to find the font that will help you read faster and retain more
Most of us spend a lot of time reading from social media to news sites online. But research from the University of Oregon found that it’s harder to recall what we read online. If you struggle to retain information from online articles, e-Books and forums, we’ve found a tool that can help.
How tech pros use a hotel room TV
Traveling this holiday season? Your hotel room’s TV holds some hidden tech tricks. Here’s how it can help you, in one minute.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
These 5 tech tricks will make your life easier
It’s easy to be drawn into buying the latest and greatest tech. One of my goals is to give you ways to get more out of the tech you already own. Take Amazon Prime.
If you signed up to shop for this year’s Prime Day sales, don’t miss out on all the perks that come with your membership. Here are my favorite hidden Prime benefits.
Opt-Out Tuesday: How to remove your info from Private Eye
People search sites collect and sell every detail they can get their digital hands on: Your name, address, past and present phone numbers, birthday, education and employment histories, property records, financial details, police records and more.
15 tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
Most gadgets don’t come with a user manual that spells out every feature. We learn them by doing, when someone spills the beans or asking, “How’d you do that?”
For example, no one thinks to dive into a new router’s settings. The more connected devices you have, the more critical is this step. Tap or click here for a few essential steps to ensure your files, data, and network are safe from hackers and snoops.
5 major tech annoyances and how to fix them
If you’ve ever wandered around a hot parking lot searching for your car, you’ll love me for this tip.
These little tech tricks might make you think, “Why didn’t someone tell me that sooner?” I did! Tap or click for 10 incredibly useful iPhone and Android tricks that make your life easier.
Don’t do it - This viral trick can damage your AirPods or Mac
TikTok has quickly become a driving force as far as social media platforms go, bringing you everything from realtors selling homes to hacks from popular online authorities. Tap or click here for five TikTok appliance cleaning hacks you have to see.
This life-changing app gives a voice to those who can't speak
We have so many comforts in our life, from microwaves to cars to air conditioning, that we forget how difficult life can be if we can’t take advantage of the world around us. Tap or click here for 15 tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner.
Looking for a lazy way to brush your teeth? Check these out
Inventors have come up with many wacky solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had. Tap or click here for 15 tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner. A new one is a lazy way to brush your teeth.
While brushing your teeth may be time-consuming, it is necessary. Dentists recommend you brush your teeth and entire mouth for at least two minutes, but what if you could cut that down to just seconds?
Good news: Your home internet might get a huge speed boost (at no extra cost)
The pandemic has moved many of our lives online. Some of us have been lucky enough to stay safe by working from home during these strange times. But we don’t log off when the shift is over.
We then turn to Netflix or whatever your streaming service of choice is to stay entertained. All this online activity has probably put your internet connection front and center. If you’re not getting the speeds that you’re paying for, that’s a problem. Tap or click here to report slow internet to the FCC.
Get paid $2,400 to ditch your tech for 24 hours
The pandemic has reinforced the importance of technology in our lives. Remote work enables us to keep our jobs while maintaining social distance. Some children are doing the same with remote learning. We can attend weddings, birthdays and conferences without having to leave home.
10 smart tech tricks you’ll wish you knew sooner
Developers put all kinds of secrets, shortcuts and hidden tricks into the gadgets you use every day. Here’s one I bet you didn’t know before now.
Grab any USB cable sitting around your house. That symbol on one side isn’t just branding or decoration. It will point up if you’re plugging in horizontally; if you’re plugging a cable vertically, the USB symbol will face right. Nice.
Fix life’s little annoyances with these 20 products under $20
Imagine all the annoyances you used to deal with as a kid that have disappeared thanks to new technology. For example, you don’t have to struggle with long phone wires when talking to someone. Portable smartphones made that little annoyance disappear like mist in the sun.
10 tech tricks you're not using now but you should
How well do you know the phone in your pocket? How about the computer you’re using or the browser you’re reading this article with? Despite the best efforts, many people don’t know the gadgets and software they use half as well as they should.
Miss the look of Windows 7? Change these settings
It’s official. Microsoft is no longer offering any support for Windows 7. Support ended on Jan. 14, 2020.
This means Windows 7 will no longer have support specialists backing it up or updating, and in order to have a safe computer, you’ll need to upgrade your OS to Windows 10. Tap or click here to learn how to get Windows 10 for free.