New year, same you. And that’s OK! You don’t need to makeover your entire life to have a good 2024.
But I can tell you firsthand it’s totally worth it to spend a few minutes cleaning up your tech life. Keep reading for steps to banish junk mail, make your phone less annoying and improve your cybersecurity. You got this!
I share tips like this every day in my free newsletter, The Current. Join 500K smart people who read it. You’ll be glad you did!
TWO MINUTE TECH TRICKS: START THE YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX
1. Automate a no-brainer security step
You forget to lock your computer when you get up. Welcome to the club. Be smart and tell your Windows or Mac to do it for you! You can set your computer to auto-lock if you’ve been inactive for a certain amount of time.
On Windows:
You can also set up your PC to lock based on where your phone is. Think about it: If your phone’s nearby, so are you — and so your computer stays open. You walk away, it locks.
2. Say goodbye to group chats that drive you up the wall
Group chats are fun when you’re happy to be there and awful when you don’t care about the convo. The adult move is to ask whoever added you to remove you …
YOUR SMART ASSISTANT IS LISTENING, BUT DOES THAT IMPACT THE ADS YOU SEE?
On Android, muting is your best option — unless you’re up to telling Aunt Kathy you’re out.
3. Fix the home security mistake even I was making
Back in the day, I turned off all my home security alerts because they were annoying — bad move. What you want to do is adjust your camera’s sensitivity (or upgrade to better cams) if yours are always going off accidentally.
You can usually find controls to adjust motion sensitivity in your security system app. Systems go by different names, so I’ll cover the steps for two.
Adjust your camera sensitivity with SimpliSafe
FIVE DUMB TECH SECURITY MISTAKES YOU’RE MAKING
Adjust your camera sensitivity with Ring
4. Organize your cords and cables the way pros do
When everything’s jumbled up, it’s impossible to tell what goes where. Try this super-smart trick.
5. Less junk mail to deal with
Is your mailbox overflowing with unsolicited credit card and insurance offers? You can thank the big four credit reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Innovis.
Each bureau provides lists of consumers, based on specific criteria, to credit and insurance companies for prescreened offers. Yes, it’s completely legal. But don’t worry, there’s a solution: Opt Out Prescreen, a tool developed by these very credit bureaus.
Keep your tech-know going
My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.
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Plus, my 2024 tech resolutions and ways to have AI help you craft yours. California bans this ultra-weird product from Amazon — and yes, it involves donkeys. Peloton tablet goes obsolete, and I’ve got five tech road trip tips.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”
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