Posts

If you’re receiving more spam now—you’re not alone. According to a report by spam blocking app Truecaller, spam calls in the US increased by 56% in 2020. Experts say scammers are thriving off the pandemic, but there are still things we can do to stop the incessant spam. “Not one person can say they haven’t been impacted in one way or another due to the pandemic, giving scammers the opportunity to prey on an unprecedented number of unsuspecting consumers,” wrote Kerry Sherin, a consumer advocate at BeenVerified, to Lifewire in an email....

What many people don’t realize is that using a pirated copy of Photoshop is incredibly illegal. Not only that, but there are also several other reasons why it’s not worth your time or effort to use a pirated copy of Photoshop. Here is why you should never use a pirated copy of Photoshop. 1. You Could Be Putting Your Computer at Risk When you download pirated software from the internet, there’s no telling what else might come along for the ride—viruses, malware, and spyware....

The dirty little secret of the two operating systems, however, is that Windows 7 is really just a tuned-up version of Vista that improves on the earlier operating system’s deficits. Regardless, there’s no denying that Windows 7 rocks. Here are five ways it’s superior to Vista. Increased Speed Windows 7, unlike previous versions of Windows, didn’t demand increased hardware requirements to run smoothly—a trend that Microsoft has held onto with Windows 8 and 10....

Saying D3D Error: Please contact Kudos site for tech display support details [Setupdisplaymode] Why does it keep coming up and how do I fix this

Considering how strained our eyes can be from all the screens, it’s a surprise that so many of us don’t invest in enough lighting. Here’s why that’s a problem. The Effects of Poor Lighting & Screen Glare on Eyes For those of us who work and play with screens, the constant shifting of pixels and glare can do a number on our eyes. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), there are several symptoms of computer vision syndrome—eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck pain....

Google has added useful features to the built-in password manager in Chrome and Android that make it a real alternative to dedicated password managers. However, this isn’t enough to convince security experts to trust browsers to store passwords. “I am not a fan of storing passwords in any web browser,” Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy, told Lifewire over email. “However, this is especially true of a browser like Chrome, which has suffered numerous security and privacy breaches in the past....

When companies tie our accounts and devices to our physical bodies, does this pose a security risk? Does that mean they won’t replace traditional passwords? Exploring the science behind biometric technology helps us understand how it works and whether or not we should trust it. What Is Biometric Technology? As the name suggests, biometric technology refers to tech that identifies you through biology in some way. It almost sounds like some mad science experiment, but it’s much simpler than you think....

Here’s the thing: not all accidents show up on these reports. One DIY solution? Get the tool the pros use: a paint meter. It’s time to learn how to use a paint meter, why it works, and what it can (and can’t) tell you. It could help you to avoid a costly mistake. What Is a Paint Meter? A paint meter is a handheld device that uses a magnet to detect the thickness of paint....

Not only does this fail to help battery life as many people claim, but it also actively works against how your iPhone is supposed to run. Let’s break down why you shouldn’t constantly close apps on your iPhone. The Basics of Closing Apps on iPhone Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s quickly define what swiping to close apps means. To close apps on an iPhone, you first need to open the App Switcher, which shows previews of recent apps you can tap to switch between....

Twitter says that an edit button is its most requested feature to date, adding that some Twitter Blue subscribers might already see the edit button appear beside their tweets. But experts say that being able to edit messages will fundamentally change how people use Twitter, and they are concerned about the unintended consequences of such a feature. “There is some fear that this feature will lead to gaslighting, spreading of false information, or even promotional spam added onto tweets that have been retweeted or shared,” Kami Huyse, social media strategist and CEO of Zoetica, told Lifewire via email....

The biggest mindblower about the Lumia 940 series is that the pair will also come loaded with the latest version of Windows touted as being the maiden phones that will come with 2,560 x 1,440 pixel quad high definition display, the Lumia 940 will come in a 5.2 incher size while the XLwill come about 0.5 inches more at 5.7 incher of screen size. Powering both devices, the octa-core Snapdragon 810 system-on-a-chip (SoC) stands at its prime from Qualcomm....

The percentage of US adults who say they use their smartphones “too much” has increased in recent years, rising from 39 percent in 2015 to 58 percent today, according to a new Gallup study. Experts say it’s because our brains are wired to like mobile devices. Smartphones “have the same chemical reaction in the brain as drugs and alcohol. Getting “likes” and notifications from your phone release dopamine, which makes us feel good, and in turn, we want to repeat these feel-good behaviors,” Melissa Huey, a professor of behavioral sciences at New York Institute of Technology who studies the impact of smartphones on young adults, told Lifewire in an email interview....

Blend, which is still in beta mode, is a new type of evolving playlist based on two listeners’ musical tastes. Unlike Spotify’s existing shared playlists, Blend automatically picks and updates songs instead of requiring each user to manually add tracks. While I found Blend to be far from perfect, I still think everyone should try it. What Is Spotify Blend? Blend analyzes two Spotify users’ musical tastes to create a mix....

The ExpressVPN Digital Security Lab found that trackers released by X-Mode, a data broker involved in multiple privacy scandals, are in many more apps than previously reported. X-Mode trackers appeared in apps that have been downloaded at least 1 billion times. The trackers, which can reveal your location, are raising privacy concerns. “A person’s location information reveals a lot of them,” Sean O’Brien, a principal researcher at cybersecurity firm ExpressVPN, said in an email interview....

To get an answer to all these questions, we did some digging, and here’s what we found. Why iMessage? Bill Marczak, the researcher at Citizen Lab, told Forbes that in certain cases Apple’s iOS automatically runs data within iMessage and attachments. This puts users at risk because even when they are from strangers they run. To change this behavior, he suggested that Apple should try applying something like Facebook where DMs from strangers are slightly hidden and by default filtered into a separate pane....

Whether you’re a gardening newbie or you’ve been mowing for years, understanding why you shouldn’t be mowing wet grass with either the best gas lawn mowers (opens in new tab) or the best electric lawn mowers (opens in new tab) can help you make an informed decision about whether to risk it. Regardless of whether your lawn is damp from the morning dew or rainstorms, you’ll want to arm yourself with knowledge about how wet conditions affect mowing....