How to stop political texts

Tired of getting texts from unknown numbers talking about the upcoming election? Here are a few great tips to help keep your sanity until November is over.

Take a break: By default, YouTube will load a new video for you to watch after the one you’re viewing ends. The setting to change it isn’t very easy to spot. It’s the small toggle switch down in the right corner. You’re welcome.

Hackers steal $285M in Bitcoin

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$285 million in crypto — gone. Two hackers stole over 4,100 Bitcoin from a billionaire, but they didn’t get away with it. Plus, tips for using Perplexity AI, a shocking Titan submersible update, and a fantasy football fan caught sending fake threats.

🧠 WHO knows? The World Health Organization says there’s no link between cellphone use and brain cancer. Their experts looked at 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022, drilling down further into 63. Conclusion: Phones are safe even for people who spend all day with ‘em glued to their heads. I don’t buy it. Check this list to see how much radiation your phone is giving off and my tips to make sure you don’t get sick.

Trivia

It’s the classic IT line: “I gotta debug your computer” But did you know it originated with an actual bug? Engineers troubleshooting a computer malfunction found a dead bug on the circuit board. Was it a … A.) Cockroach, B.) Fly, C.) Moth or D.) Silverfish?

Find the answer here!

Wheelie having a good time: On the web version of Google Maps, click Layers, then Biking. You’ll see all the smaller paths and dirt trails on the map alongside the main roads.

New in Google Docs: Tabs. They’re in the left sidebar and take the place of the old header system, which wasn’t all that good. Click the + (plus sign) next to the document tabs to make a new one. Think of it like a digital table of contents. Here’s a list of tips and tricks.

Enter your “Pa$$word!”: I’ve done this for years — abbreviate a sentence into a password. So, “I ate three peanut butter sandwiches today!” could become “I83pbsammies2day!” Whatever you do, just promise me you won’t use “123456” or “password1.”

⏸️ Cheapskate pro tip: When you’re out of town for an extended period, pause your internet and/or cable package. This is so much better than paying full price for those services when you’re not even using them. Get specific steps for your provider here.

🙏 Please be cautious about falling for heartbreaking, AI-generated images like this one circulating on social media after Hurricane Helene. Use this site to detect AI-generated images: https://hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection

Make your Mac’s mouse pointer larger: Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). In the settings window, select Accessibility, click on Display and then choose Pointer. You’ll see a Pointer Size slider. Adjust it to make the pointer larger. Tomorrow, how to do this on Windows.

Don’t get lost: Here’s a fast, easy tip if you use a Mac. Quickly jiggle your mouse (or swipe across your trackpad) to increase your cursor size. It’s so very handy when you lose sight of it.

🎞️ Don’t face the camera straight on: Instead, position your body at a far more flattering 45-degree angle. Put your weight on your back foot and lean your torso slightly forward. This tip was brought to you by 20 years of broadcasting and looking fabulous each time … well, most of the time!

Too long, won’t read: Eight sentences or longer, and 57% of people skim or ignore parts of your email. Pro tip: Put the most important info in the first line or write in bullet points to save time.

Traveling soon? Install the TSA app on your phone. With it, you can view real-time security wait times, get tips on what you can and can’t bring on board, check your delay info, and report security issues. Download it on Android or Apple.

Small-biz tip: Getting the right domain is an important part of settling on your business name. Check for a site name across different top-level domains (think .com, .net. and .biz), and see how much they cost at iwantmyname.com.

3 easy eBay tips for beginners

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Got stuff you don’t need? Turn it into cash by selling it online. Here’s how to make your listing stand out!

Waiting, waiting, waiting: If your Windows PC takes forever to start up, you’re not alone. Microsoft just released a new support page to help you spot the issue and fix it. Pro tip: The fewer programs that open on startup, the speedier your machine will be.

Share your Wi-Fi password the easy way

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It’s always a pain to share your home internet password. I’ve got a tip to make it easier: all you have to do is create a QR code.

U.S. states are holding onto $70 billion in unclaimed assets: Visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property online to find the link for your state’s treasury website. Pro tip: If you have a frequently misspelled name, go by a nickname or have any former names, check those, too. You never know — I helped one listener find $25,000. No, I didn’t get a cut.