Quick Links It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I wanted to get my iPhone in on the action as well. This is the device I use most often, so these festive tweaks made me feel even more Christmassy after I took a moment to set them up. 1Swap to a Festive Wallpaper I started with a new iPhone wallpaper. By tapping and holding on the Lock Screen, you may tap the Plus button tocreate a new wallpaper selectionwithout losing your existing one, letting you switch back to your original when the Christmas decs go down....

Want to try an Arch-based distro but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve already been distro-hopping and still haven’t found the perfect fit? Here’s my personal ranking of the nine Arch-based distros I think are worth your time—based on real-world testing and my own preferences. Arch Linuxhas earned the love of power users for its cutting-edge updates and minimal base, letting you build a personalized operating system from the ground up....

Summary Proton Docs is thelatest feature of Proton Driveand the first collaborative document editing tool to feature default end-to-end encryption. Not only does this give you privacy down to the keystroke, but your documents will also be protected against data breaches and third-party access. What is Proton? For those unfamiliar with them, Proton is a privacy-first tech company that began in 2014 with the launch of its private email service,Proton Mail....

Quick Links Summary One way to make your Instagram stories and posts more engaging is by adding background music. But what if the Instagram music feature only displays a few songs, or worse, isn’t showing any songs at all? If you’re having trouble with Instagram music, here are some ways to fix this issue. Log Out and Back Into Your Instagram Account Logging out of Instagram and back in can sometimes fix small issues, and it can be done by going to “Settings and Privacy” and tapping “Log Out....

Intel released the first 13th gen CPUs last year, but they were limited to high-end models for desktops. The company has now revealed the CPUs for everything else, including laptops and budget desktop PCs. Intel took to CES 2022 to unveil the rest of its 13th gen range, including laptop chips (for gaming laptops, performant work laptops, and thin and light machines) as well as its non-K (non-enthusiast) desktop chips. While Intel had the gaming PC segment covered, these new chips are perfect for nearly every other market segment....

Following a testing period throughout the summer, has now released macOS Sequoia, the next major iteration of the operating system powering its Mac computers. To install an over-the-air update, click the Apple menu and choose “System Settings,” then navigate to General > Software Update and follow the onscreen instructions. As part of the update process, your Mac’s screen will go blank, and the computer may restart a few times. Compared to last year’s macOS Sonoma update, Sequoia supports all the same Mac models except the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air laptops using Intel chips....

Microsoft Edge has so many “features” unrelated to browsing that it’s not a stretch to call the browser bloatware. There’s some functionality that can be useful, like theBing Chat sidebarandDrop file sharing, and then there are integrated MSN games andloans. Microsoft is now trimming a few features from Edge, starting with the next major release. Microsoft published a changelog for Microsoft Edge 117, which is now available in the Microsoft Edge Beta Channel, and should roll out to everyone roughly two weeks from now (the most specifictimelineright now is the week of September 14)....

Quick Links Summary Since it’s inception, MidJourney has used the Discord chat platform as an interface for its AI image generation technology. It’s not the most elegant solution, but most users have adapted and learned the commands you type in to get the pictures you want. Those times might soon be behind us, as MidJourney now has a web interface in the alpha stages of development. What Is MidJourney’s Web Interface?...

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass has received a big upgrade that affects the gaming experiences on all platforms. There are a lot of features that are getting improvements, and subscirbers will see bigger libraries and perks in free games. Microsoft did not reveal when these perks reset or change, but it may take longer than a month to see changes. Perks can take a while to get because Microsoft needs to make deals with developers, and contracts may take a lot of time to sign....

Quick Links Many people have taken the leap over to Bluesky, the hot new social media platform. Unfortunately, when you get there, one of the most glaring problems is that your follower count is nearly zero. Luckily, the platform has a very easy solution for newcomers. Where Are All the Cool People to Follow? Signing up to Bluesky is easy, and it even gives you a few broad categories to create beginner feeds for your account....

Thunderbird just gave an update about the company’s previously announced new services, including Thundermail, Appointment, and Send. These new services are supposed to offer scheduling, file sharing, and email hosting, but they still need more time in the oven. The company is stillmaking progress on Thundermail, their new email service. It’s going to support IMAP, SMTP, and JMAP right out of the box, which should make it compatible with the Thunderbird app and other email clients....

Quick Links Over the past year, most of the music I’ve listened to has come from two labels:Lo-Fi GirlandChillhop. I find this music so calming, but my wife isn’t a fan. This got me wondering why, and I think our childhoods may have something to do with it. I Grew Up on Video Games I received my first game console, a Sega Genesis, when I was five years old. I would go on to receive a Nintendo Entertainment System, a Nintendo 64, a PlayStation 2, an Xbox, and a Gamecube over the course of my adolescent and teenage years....

Summary My wife’s as much a tech geek as I am, and she was instantly sold on the Apple Watch Ultra when she first laid eyes on it. However, just over a year later, she ditched the Ultra (and all smartwatches) for a classic Casio watch instead. I tried to understand why, and she had some pretty interesting reasoning. The Ultra Is True Overkill At the time she decided she wanted theWatch Ultra, we were both rocking Apple Watch 6 models, but Apple’s marketing was pretty convincing....