AI on duty

Smart speakers are great: But if you’re worried about accidental (or intentional) eavesdropping, find and use the mic mute and camera shutter buttons on your devices. On an Echo, the light will turn red to indicate the mic is off.

Bugs meant anyone could see the precise location of any other user — creepy. The company fixed the vulnerability only after the researcher who discovered it reached out to TechCrunch.

Shocking electric bills? Use a thermal leak detector or an infrared camera attachment for your smartphone to identify where heat is escaping. You can fix these energy wasters with insulation or draft stoppers. Not sure how? Head to YouTube for how-to videos. Figure this out before summer hits!

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Looking for a file? Hit the Windows key and start typing its name. That’s it. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar and start typin’. So simple and saves so much time.

💸 Use YouTube Premium? You might be paying more than you have to. Buy through an iPhone or iPad to block all those YouTube ads, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s only $13.99. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.

WFH to WFP (work from phone): Google Meet’s new “Switch here” feature lets you switch from your phone to your desktop without dropping the call. If you’re on a live meeting, just click to Join the meeting on your other device and you’ll see Switch here. Sweet.

Try this on your Kindle: If you ever find yourself wondering, “Who’s that character again?” use the X-Ray tool. It provides a quick overview of characters, terms and even locations mentioned in the book so you’re never lost within a complex plot. Just hold down on the word(s) you want to know about.

The USB rechargeable kind is so much better. No flame, no lighter fluid to mess with and no burnt fingers!