One man’s trash

February 26, 2024

💲 One man’s trash: Microsoft’s Trade-in Program turns old gadgets into green. Head to its site, pick what you’ve got (laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, whatever), and receive up to $500. Amazon has the same program, so check to see which offers you more moolah.

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

Tags: Amazon, gadgets, gaming, gaming consoles, green, laptops, old gadgets, site, tablets, trade-in program

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Tech that’s changing the world (not just AI!)

“Kim, what’s coming soon that will change the world?” I get this question a lot. “AI” is a definite answer. But what about life changers that have nothing to do with AI?

Like this one. Infection after surgery occurs in one of every 10 patients. A genius high-schooler created a special suture that changes color when an infection is present. Amazing, right? Here are some others that I bet you’ll want to tell your family and friends about. Shout out to Reader’s Digest for compiling a great list.

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Tech hack: Make your computer more useful with widgets

I’ve been writing this newsletter for almost a year, and somehow, some way, we’ve never talked about widgets. “Whoa, Kim! Too exciting for a Wednesday!” I know, I know. But trust me, you’ll be glad you spent a few minutes fiddling with your computer to set these up.

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Tyler Perry stopped his $800 million Atlanta studio build after seeing OpenAI’s text-to-video tool Sora. He would’ve added 12 soundstages to his 330-acre property. Perry says he’s shocked he “would no longer have to travel to locations. If [he] wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text.”

They get ya when you’re in a rush

You don’t want to miss the last available spot for dinner tonight, so you let a reservation-booking app access your Google Calendar. Harmless, right? Wrong.

The more apps you give access to your account, the more you’re exposed. And if an app suffers a data breach, that puts you at risk.

The good news is it’s easy to revoke third-party app permissions. Here’s how:

Log in at myaccount.google.com and tap Security.
Scroll to Your connections to third-party apps & services > See all connections.
Select the app or service you want to review, then choose See details.
Click Stop using Sign in with Google and confirm your selection.

NOTE: This does not delete your account with that app. It may request access to your Google account again the next time you open it, so be on the lookout.

🤣 Where’s the best place to hide a body? Page 2 of the Google search results.

7 things you should never ask Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa

You’re suddenly thrown into a situation where you must perform CPR to save a life. Oh, no — you don’t remember anything from that course 15 years ago.

You might think a quick “Hey, Siri” would pull up the instructions clearly, but that’s absolutely the worst thing to do. In a recent study, researchers asked voice assistants about cardiac arrest emergencies. Yep, it was a complete disaster.

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3 secrets to building a successful business

Chasing your passions can be scary because it comes with many risks. When I was 25, I left behind a job that paid $150,000 a year so I could help people understand media and technology. Since then, I’ve flourished — and I’d like to teach you three essential tips for starting a business.

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Remember when your mom nagged about toys and games everywhere? That old stash could be worth a fortune. That mint Pikachu card? A cool $6 million. Pristine SNES games and special-edition Barbies? Thousands. Even an old Nintendo 64 is worth a pretty penny.

No Photoshop skills? No prob. Use AI to edit your photos

All right, let’s dive into the digital realm where your photos hold the power to amaze, inspire, and tell stories that words alone can’t capture.

But here’s the kicker — getting those images to shine and share your vision can often feel like you’re navigating a minefield of technical jargon and complex software. It’s enough to make anyone feel like throwing in the towel.

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Have a Facebook account? Here's who is watching

Yes, we know why those shoes we clicked on yesterday are now in our Facebook feed. That’s old news. But just how deep is Meta’s surveillance rabbit hole? And how much of our data comes from other companies? It’s unbelievable.

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Instagram, chill out

Instagram recently got some privacy tech Facebook’s had for years. You can now block the platforms’ parent company, Meta, from watching what you do once you close Instagram and move on to other apps and sites.

Open Instagram, then tap the silhouette (profile icon) in the bottom right corner.
Select the three-line More menu > Settings and privacy > Accounts Center.
Select Your information and permissions.
Tap Your activity off Meta technologies. Here, you can see what info IG is getting.
For each one, you need to choose Disconnect specific activity.
You should also remove your history. Tap the Clear previous activity button to do that.

“Kim, I feel like they could’ve made it easier.” Yes, you’re right. It’s almost like they don’t want you to go through all those steps.