Fraud and identity warning: Protect your info in one simple step
What do these things have in common: A data breach, a credit card offer in the mail, a form at the doctor’s office and a Dark Web marketplace?
If you guessed anything to do with your identity, you nailed it. All are ways someone can get their hands on your Social Security number. With just a handful of digits, they can do a lot of harm.
It’s not just your phone snooping: Check your computer, too. On a Mac: Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings > Privacy & Security. On Windows: Go to Start > Settings > Privacy, and under App permissions, select an option like microphone or location.
🚀 Houston, pass the popcorn: NASA’s free streaming app, NASA+, is awesome. Watch it for free on NASA’s website or download the app on your phone, TV or favorite streaming device. All programs are family-friendly and ad-free.
Type with your voice: In Word, sign into Microsoft 365. Open a new or existing doc and go to Home > Dictate. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. In Google Docs, click Tools > Voice typing. Click the microphone that appears.
Be the James Bond of Windows: There’s a secret version of the Start menu. Hold down the Windows key and click the letter X, and you’ll access an advanced menu with Device Manager, Task Manager and Disk Management options. You can also right-click on the Start button to access this menu.
✈️ Cheap flight cheat code: Go to Google Flights, select your departure location for a round-trip flight, then choose Anywhere as your destination. Leave the dates blank, and watch a map populate with the cheapest round-trip tickets available. From Phoenix, I could vacay in Cancún for $229, Seattle for $38 and Bora Bora for $1,341. I know what you’re thinking: “Kim, I’ve always wanted to go Bora Bora, but I’m poor’a-poor’a!”
Biometric bandwagon: Unlock your Amazon app on your iPhone with your fingerprint or face. On the web, open Amazon account settings, click Login & security, then click Set up next to Passkey. Once it’s ready, you can use your passkey with the iOS app. Sorry, Android peeps, but you’ll have to wait.
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Better than holding the power button: Your Windows PC has a hidden emergency restart when nothing will respond. Hold down Ctrl and click the power icon in the Start menu. You’ll get a dramatic-looking message warning you’ll lose any unsaved data. Click OK to restart immediately.
🖨️ Give your printer some love: Soak a piece of paper with rubbing alcohol (not too much and leave the edges dry), and run that through your printer’s roller. It’ll clean it right up.