Don’t just hope for the best: AI can help you stay on track. Just prompt your bot of choice with something like, “Help me create a daily habit that’ll help me reach my resolution of [your goal] with a 30-day tracker. Include tasks for weekly milestones and small rewards for consistency.” Be one of the 10% of people who stick to their 2025 goals!
Free VPN risk: Check this list of 9 infected apps
I’m cheap and try to save a buck wherever I can. I use all my credit card perks, always click the coupon boxes on Amazon, and, to my husband’s great annoyance, cancel streaming services the minute we stop watching them.
There’s one place where free will harm you: Your online privacy and security. Let’s take a deeper look at what happens if you trust the freebies, sponsored by the virtual private network (VPN) I’ve used for years.
The numbers paint a scary picture
One of the main benefits of a VPN is anonymity. With the click of a button, you can cloak your browsing history and pretend you’re somewhere else in the world.
Use a free VPN, though, and you’re essentially agreeing to some kind of shady behavior. At best, the app that promises to keep your online activity “private” is selling it off to anyone willing to pay. At worst, it’s a front for malware that steals everything from your bank login to your phone contacts.
👉 It’s not just a few sketchy VPN apps, either. Data shows about 80% of free VPNs embed tracking features and 60% sell data to third parties. Free Android VPNs are an especially big target, with an estimated 39% hiding malware.
Use one of these? Get it off your phone
Some free VPNs are built primarily to serve malware. Others become infected when hackers target them. Either way, it’s bad news for you.
- MaskVPN, DewVPN, PaladinVPN, ProxyGate, ShieldVPN and ShineVPN: All infected with the same strain of malware that compromised 19 million IP addresses in 190 countries.
- Big Mama VPN: It’s just a front for selling access to your home internet and network.
- LetsVPN: A target for hackers using SEO poisoning and phishing to lead people to fake download pages. It’s a dangerous option to search for right now.
- Connect Secure VPN: This is another hacker target, and it’s actively spreading malware.
When it comes to a VPN, it’s all about trust
I’ve tried so many VPNs over the years and ditched most after a few days. My pick, ExpressVPN, won’t slow you down, and it’s so easy to use.
ExpressVPN encrypts your online activity so no one — not even your ISP — can see which sites you visit or what apps you use. It’s a must if you’re using public Wi-Fi, and it masks your IP address to prevent tracking.
📈 Facebook ad tip for small-biz owners: Use Engagement Custom Audiences to target people who’ve already interacted with your content (e.g., someone who has liked one of your posts or watched a video). This cuts the cost of getting a qualified lead. Love that! To get started, go to Ads Manager > Audiences > Create a custom audience. <a href=”https://www.komando.com/getsmallbiz/” trigger-id=”4779805″>Then, be sure to try my upcoming small-biz newsletter</a> for more smarts like this.
Screenshot with ease: On iPhone, press the side button + volume-up button. On Android, it’s usually the power + volume-down buttons.
Fear of the unknown: On a Mac, preview files instantly with Quick Look. Just select a file and hit your spacebar. This works for docs, images, videos — whatever. Windows pals, there’s a QuickLook app in the Microsoft Store so you can do the same. Nice.
If you don’t innovate, you’ll evaporate: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Find out how AI can streamline your operations. Take a free test drive of Oracle’s Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.
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!
📊 Time travel … sorta: If you use Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive, you can go back to earlier versions of your work (or someone else’s). In Google Docs, head to File > Version History > See Version History. In OneDrive, it’s under File > Info > Version History.
What do you mean, “only 7,203 steps”? If your smartwatch data seems way off, it might be a sizing issue. Most accuracy problems are caused by loose-fitting watches that slip around on your arm. Buy one with straps you can adjust. I like these for Apple Watches.
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🔐 5 tools to lock down your cybersecurity: I work with brands I trust to keep you secure. Hit this page to see the tools I recommend.
Look extra tech-savvy: You’re showing a pal something on your computer and need to switch to a different open program. Instead of using your mouse, use your keyboard. Alt + Tab (Windows) or Cmd + Tab (Mac) will quickly cycle through everything you have open. Smart.
🎨 AI tip of the day: Use quotation marks to separate complex ideas in your prompts. For a piece of art, you could say “clouds in soft hues of purples and oranges” over a “lush forest with tall trees.” Without the quotes, your prompt might generate a jumbled mess; this way, you’re telling the bot the clouds are one thing and the forest is another. You can use this for anything, btw, not just art.
Don’t settle for less: The Horizon IX hearing aids pack two state-of-the-art computer chips for the clearest possible sound, even in busy, loud places. See if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial.
Buzz off: Your Amazon Echo will store your voice recordings for analysis — unless you tell it not to. From the app on your phone, choose More > Settings > Alexa Privacy > Review Voice History.
✋ One handy tip: Your phone has a one-handed setting built in … good if you have small hands or you’re always multitasking. On Android, go to Settings > System > Gestures > One-handed Mode. To shrink only the keyboard, hit the four-box icon above it and choose One-handed. On iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch, and turn on Reachability. Now, hold the globe button below the keyboard, then tap the keyboard icon with an arrow.
“I’ve never seen anything like this”: That’s what I said to the CEO of EndpointLock when he came to my studios to tell me about his software. It stops hackers from capturing your keystrokes. If you bank on your phone or do anything else confidential, you need this. Hit this link for 10% off.
Someone always thanks me for this: You want to print the content on a site but not the ads and junk. Drop the URL into PrintFriendly.com. You’ll get a clean, print-ready PDF. Sweet.
Wait, what? Ever see a meme and you just can’t figure out why it’s funny? Post it on Reddit to the PeterExplainsTheJoke subreddit, and someone will come to your rescue. I scrolled through and had a lot of “Oh-h-h, I get it now” moments.
🥳 Plan less, party more: Here’s an AI prompt for the next time you’re planning a party: “Create a party checklist that includes invitations, decorations, food and entertainment for a [type of party] with [number of guests], along with [special requests].” Have fun.
🚀 Growing your team in 2025? Post your next job for free on LinkedIn and use their tools that make sorting through the pile of resumes that come in so easy.