Quick Links Not all Android apps are created equal, and it’s not only about usefulness. Sadly, the Google Play Store is littered with apps that are just copies of others. The Play Store is getting a purge, but the apps you use most probably aren’t going anywhere. Why’s There a Purge? The Google Play Store is where you get your apps when you use an Android device. You caneven install it on other devices, like an Amazon Fire Tablet....

Summary Google Maps Timeline is a handy feature (with some privacy compromises) that lets you relive your past travels. However, it’s currently experiencing a pretty major hiccup. Some users are reporting that their Timeline history has vanished without a trace. The issue is pretty straightforward. An increasing number of Google Maps users have noticed that their Timeline history is completely gone. With Timeline enabled, Google Maps displays an ominous “No visits for this day” message....

Google’s link shortener used to be an incredibly popular service, but the ability to create links was turned off in 2018. Google said all links would stop working this year, and even though the company is partially reversing course, many links across the web will still become broken. Google confirmedearlier this yearthat it was completely shutting down its goo.gl service, which would have permanently deleted all links created with the service....

Summary Govee’s Christmas String Lightsmay masquerade as a holiday item, only suitable for a tree in December, but make no mistake these Wi-Fi-connected lights can be used throughout the year. In fact, if the company hadn’t used Christmas in the name, I might not have even thought to put them on my tree. Govee Christmas String Lights Govee Christmas String Lights transform your space into a stunning festive scene. This set of lights has adjustable colors and brightness levels to create the most cheerful ambiance for any occasion....

Quick Links Summary Are you usingAccess Control Lists (ACLs)but are confused about the concept of masks? You’re not alone. Let’s dive into this important concept by taking a look at what they are and how they interact with Linux file system permissions. What Are ACL Masks? ACL masks are a way to ensure permissions interoperability with programs and utilities that aren’t ACL-aware. An ACL mask on a file or directory equates to themaximumpermissions allowed to any user or group object that isn’t the owning user, group, or “other” class of theuser/group/other class paradigm....

Quick Links Summary Travel planning is a major pain. You’re constantly jumping between airline sites and emails to keep track of departure times, layovers, and gates—not to mention all those hotel reservation details like check-in and check-out. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed trying to wrangle it all. But there’s a simpler way to organize it all. You can add your full flight itinerary and hotel reservations to Google Calendar. Automatically Add Your Flight and Hotel Reservation Details to Google Calendar Gmail automatically adds events to your Google Calendar based on the emails you receive....

Quick Links Apple’s Photos app for iPhone and iPad is perfect for making quick changes or in-depth edits to your photos and videos. You can even use it to copy edits from one photo or video to an entire batch, cutting down on your editing workload. We’ll show you how. Copy Edits From One Photo or Video to Another Batch editing on iPhone works using a copy-and-paste approach. To apply edits to a batch of photos or videos, you must first make edits to one....

Whether it’sfake images, deepfake videos, or ChatGPT, AI is upending the way we interact with the world — and our ability to determine truth. There’s no foolproof method for detecting bad information, but there are a few tools you can use to figure out if what you’re reading is real. AI Can Detect Fake News — It Can Also Write It Fake news is hard to fight. Inflammatory lies or misinformation that plays to people’s emotions and biases spread much, much faster than the truth....

Quick Links Summary To find the process ID of a Linux process, use the pidof command, like this: “pidof examplename”. If you only know part of the PID name, you can use “pgrep examplenamefragment” instead. Replace “examplename” and “examplenamefragment” with the terms you want to search for. Working with a Linux process often means knowing its process ID, or PID. It’s a unique number given to each piece of running software....

Quick Links Summary To ensure maximum transfer speeds between your PC and NAS, connect each device to your router or networking switch via a wired Ethernet connection. A 2.5 GbE networking switch can further improve transfer rates, but beyond that point, speed improvements are a money pit. You’ve finally set up a fancy NAS device, but you’re disappointed by its slow file transfer rate. This is a common problem among NAS users, and in most cases, it may be reminded by following a few simple steps....

Quick Links I was happy with my choice of Hulu + Live TV until I saw the YouTube TV channel guide at my parents' house. They’re rearranging the channels in their live guide and removing unused networks. Meanwhile, I was scrolling for 30 seconds to find TLC. I have since found ways to improve the experience. Create a Shortlist of Favorite Channels By default, all channels in the Hulu guide are alphabetical....

Quick Links Summary Don’t want people finding out more about you on Reddit? Want to make your Reddit profile private so people don’t have access to your personal information? If so, we have a few ways to help you make your profile more private on this platform. Let us show you what those ways are. Can You Turn Your Reddit Account Private? Platforms likeFacebook,Instagram,Twitter, andSteamlet you make your account private, which means only your followers can see the content you post....

Summary Your iPhone, iPad, and Mac have a new dedicated app for storing online credentials called Passwords. This freebie has many of the features found in popular third-party password managers. Before you can use it, you’ll need to import all of your login information. Here’s how. What Is the Passwords App? The Passwords app, a new addition to the Apple ecosystem introduced in the iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia updates, is designed to improve the security of your digital life....