11 minutes

October 26, 2024

Of brisk walking each day can add years to your life and lower your chances of cardiovascular disease. It also improves your mood, increases energy levels and burns calories. Stuck inside? You can use a walking pad while watching TV. (This one’s 45% off!). Pro tip: You’ll have more fun walking if you take me with you — just tune into my podcast on your next stroll!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Tags: cardiovascular disease, Health, Podcasts, walking

Printer friendly

You’re being tracked secretly by 3 settings on your phone

When mobile apps first hit the scene, many were designed to make our phones more useful. This included new tools for productivity, as well as apps for entertainment. Many of today’s apps, though, are packed with sneaky permission requests and hidden trackers.

Continue reading →

How to choose a UPS to keep your computer (and files) safe

Today’s topic isn’t the most exciting — you might call it downright boring. If you don’t care about damaging your computer and losing your work because of a power outage, keep scrolling for the tech news you need to know. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Continue reading →

🛜 Use your iPhone as a webcam: Your iPhone probably has a better camera than the one built into your Mac. As long as both your iPhone and Mac are linked to the same Apple account and on the same Wi-Fi network, you’ll see your iPhone show up as a camera option in any desktop video-calling app.

Kids can report nudes in texts: It’s a new feature in iOS 18.2. If they report it, the images, messages and contact details of both the sender and the recipient will go straight to Apple for review. Apple might restrict the sender’s messaging and alert the authorities. About time!

Locked up tight: Fun privacy trick next time you use Gmail on the web: Click the little padlock icon at the bottom when creating a new email to put your message in “confidential mode.” You can set an expiration date and a passcode for your recipient to open the email.

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.

📚 If you read on a Kindle: Install the Kindle app on your phone, too. It syncs directly with your reading progress on your e-reader, so you can get through a few pages even when your Kindle isn’t with you. Use these links for iPhone and Android.

🎶 Update your AirPods: Too many models to list just got a firmware update. Apple says your AirPods will update when they connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth. To make sure, charge ‘em both for 30 minutes.

They have feelings, too: Being polite to a chatbot can get you better results. AI mimics human reactions, so if you’re rude, it might hit you with short or wrong answers. Next time, throw in a “please” and follow up with a “Great job” or “That’s perfect.”

Check your permissions: Certain websites may have access to your webcam and microphone. To check in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox, click the icon to the left of the address bar. In Safari on a Mac, open the Safari menu and pick Settings for …