In a world of e-signatures and PIN numbers: Kids can’t sign their own names anymore, and traditional signatures are becoming a thing of the past. Only one-fifth of young adults ages 18 to 24 have a personal signature. Some can’t even produce the same one consistently. Yessiree, writing my name in cursive is no longer a signature move. (Did I just see you shake your head?)
Tags: e-signatures, PINs, signatures
There are countless threats on the internet, from scams to malware-infested websites. Then there are unsecured websites, which your browser warns you about. If you get a message that says, “Your connection is not private,” you might jolt in alarm.
I talk a lot about how most apps default to automatically sharing your data with advertisers and marketing companies. But some apps share your personal info with other people by default.
Yeah, no, thank you. Let’s end this today. Here are the most common app oversharers on your phone and how to get them to stop.
🌇 Riding off into the sunset: Verizon’s Message+ is shutting down in November. The suggested replacement is Google Messages, which really is your best bet. It supports RCS texting, the new standard that makes it easier to send pics and videos.
Quick-close your window: On Windows and Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + W to close your current window and any open tabs in it. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + Shift + W. Easy!
👨💻 Learn these if you have a Mac: Hit Cmd + W to close a window and Cmd + Q to quit an app. Now, use all that time I just saved you to tell someone how much Kim Komando helps you. (Shameless, I know.)
Go deeper: On Windows, you can get detailed information about your hardware, software and components. Hold down Windows key + R, type msinfo32 and hit Enter to open your System Information panel.
🫧 Green chat bubbles aren’t going away: When you text from an iPhone to someone on an Android device, there’s a setting you can enable for better image and video quality — plus, no more “Kim liked a photo” responses to emoji reactions. On iPhone (iOS 18 only), go to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. On Android, open Google Messages, then tap your profile pic > Messaging settings > RCS chats.
Calling all gamers: If you’re on an Android device and spend a lot of money on apps and games, you should know about Google Play Pass. For $5 a month, you’ll get access to more than 1,000 paid apps and games — no ads or in-app purchase pop-ups, either.
🍎 For the Apple household: You can switch your music (or podcast or whatever) from your iPhone to your HomePod. Just hold your phone near the top of the speaker. If it doesn’t work, open your iPhone’s Settings, then pick General > AirPlay & Handoff and enable Transfer to HomePod.
No service? No problem: Spotify’s new Offline Backup kicks in when you don’t have a stable connection. It’s a playlist made up of songs you’ve listened to recently since they’re downloaded to your account. This feature is just for paying users right now.
