The devices don’t record or transmit any data until the digital assistant is activated by the wake word first – in theory anyway. However, convenience and ease of use will trump security and privacy. After all, the selling point is the how simple it is to get things done — hands-free. However, you might want to have more control and kill the active listening on these devices when not in use....

Having Spotify (and other apps) launch during the startup process will significantly increase the bootup time. Even if you’re not concerned about the startup time on your PC, you might be annoyed that Spotify opens immediately. To help you, we’ll show you how to stop Spotify from opening on startup on Windows 10 and 11 using the steps below. How to Stop Spotify from Opening on Startup One of the ways to stop Spotify from opening on Startup is to tweak Spotify’s in-app preferences....

In Windows Phone 7 and 7.5 the ability to take screenshots easily was a glaring omission. You are able to do it with an unlocked phone and a homebrew tool — Screen Capturer from the XDA Developer Forums. All you have to do is to keep the power button pressed and then press the Windows symbol touch key on your phone. Once that’s done, it’s easy to find the shots....

How Much Time You’ve Spent on YouTube Google announced it is rolling out the feature today, so if you don’t see it now, you should soon. If you have it, the next time you launch YouTube, you should see a notification pop up. Just tap the “Show Me” button and you’ll see the “Time Watched” section. You can also get to it later by tapping your profile icon and choosing “Time Watched” from the menu....

Disable Facebook’s Facial Recognition Feature First, launch a browser on your computer and log in to your Facebook account if you aren’t already. Then click the Account dropdown button on the upper-right corner of the page. Then click Settings & Privacy. Next, click on Settings from the menu. Now on the Settings page click on Face Recognition from the left-hand pane. Now under the Face Recognition Settings section click on the Edit button on the right of “Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos?...

It’s also possible that your work or school administrators have switched Restricted Mode on for YouTube You might want to turn it off to watch the more mature podcasts and other content you are used to, however. If your organization has it enabled, you’ll need to contact the IT department to turn it off. If you’re the admin of your own device, you can turn off Restricted Mode on YouTube using these steps....

iPhone and iPad On two of Apple’s most popular products, iPhone and iPad, Siri has a gigantic presence. Despite this, it’s relatively painless to turn the assistant off. To get started: When you want to use Siri again on your iPhone or iPad: Mac To disable Siri on your macOS device: To restore Siri on your Mac: Apple Watch Here are the steps to deactivate Siri on your wearable device:...

We’ve all done it, and most email and social media services include the ability to recall or unsend the message. Luckily, if you’re running iOS 16 or above on your iPhone or iPad, you can unsend the message via the built-in Mail app. Whatever the reason you need to unsend a message, here’s a look at how to unsend emails on an iPhone or iPad. Setting Up Email on iPhone or iPad Before you begin learning how to use the feature, there are a few things to point out....

You can use BitLocker to Go on Windows 11 to encrypt data on removable USB drives. If you want to use BitLocker to encrypt a fixed drive (such as your local C: drive), you’ll need to follow this guide instead. How to Use BitLocker Encryption in Windows 11 You can use BitLocker to encrypt any drive on a Windows 11 PC, but there is a catch. BitLocker is only available to Windows 11 users running Windows 11 Pro, Education, or Enterprise....

Note: This was written using Word 2016 but the instructions should be similar on modern versions of Word in Microsoft 365 (formerly O365). Using the Mail Merge Feature in Microsoft Word For this example, I will create a document inviting friends to an event. There are two components to a mail merge letter; the main document and the data source, such as the names and addresses of the individuals invited to the event....

How to Use Multiple Signatures in Gmail If you’re short on time, here’s what you’ll need to do to use multiple signatures in Gmail: If a message is already inserted, you’ll need to delete it first manually before you insert another one. Multiple Signatures A lot of people use Gmail in various professional capacities. You could be an engineer that moonlights as a freelance designer, using Gmail for both of them....

The feature isn’t new—Nearby Sharing was introduced in Windows 10 version 1803 back in 2018. Windows 11 builds on this feature, making it easier to send items to different devices across your network. You might find it useful to share files from your PC to your laptop, for instance. If you want to use Nearby Sharing on your Windows 11 PC, here’s what you’ll need to do. Use Nearby Sharing on Windows 11 To use this feature, both devices need both Bluetooth and Nearby Sharing features enabled....

A free iCloud account comes with 5GB of free storage. That’s not enough for most people since that’s all you get, regardless of how many Apple devices you own. Apple currently offers three subscription plans to increase your available iCloud storage space. How much do you need? It’s not necessarily a simple question to answer, as you’ll see in the words below. What is iCloud Storage? Before iCloud, Apple offered another remote backup service to users....

Join Facebook News Feed Waiting List To get on the list, head to the Facebook News Feed page. Here you can scroll through the page and check out how the new feed will look. If it’s something you think you’d like sooner than later, click the Join Waiting List button (there’s a button at the top and bottom of the page). The revamped News Feed will be available to all users over the next few weeks across you Computer, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices....

Or perhaps you work in a high traffic area where people are walking around and always kicking your power supply and ripping the power cord out of your system. , or you’re not paying attention and accidentally kick it, and the power becomes disconnected. Believe it or not, a rubber band might be your solution. Use a Rubber Band as a Slip Guard Wrap the rubber band around two opposing corners, and presto, the power brick is now slip-resistant and won’t slip off your desk....

I’m (obviously) a big fan of stranger gadgets, but this is one that I could find quite useful. How many times have you spilled juice, soda, beer, food, ketchup or whatever else on your keyboard? Didn’t it annoy you because it was ruined or you could never clean it up properly and your keys would be forever sticky? Here’s your solution. The Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 has got you covered (unless you spill acid on it)....

The band announced details of the last leg of their 2015 final tour on its official website. As part of the celebration, Mötley Crüe is making its Greatest hits album free on Google Play for this week only. The Greatest Hits on Google Play Whether you’re a huge fan or just a casual fan, there are some great classic songs on this album (regularly $12.99) that you’ll want to add to your collection....

Windows 8 Photo and PDF Reader Apps Pictures open in the new Photos app, which in itself isn’t a terrible way to view them. It’s basic, and works fine on a tablet or smartphone. But it can be cumbersome and clunky on a traditional PC when you’re trying to get work done in the Desktop. Windows 8 Reader is also simple and basic PDF app best suited for a mobile device....

Windows App Preview Program The new Windows App Preview Program is available to Insiders in the Slow, Fast, Release Preview rings. It’s an opt-in program and will let insiders try out the latest Windows app features first. Unlike the Windows 10 Insider program, it’s not an “all or nothing” deal. Not all the apps will be the latest preview versions. Instead, you can choose the specific app you want to be in the program for....

Note: This March’s Patch Tuesday created a printing issue for some users. If you are having problems check out our article: How to Fix APC_INDEX_MISMATCH Printer Error on Windows 10. Cumulative Update KB50000842 for Windows 10 20H2 and 2004 This update includes improvements for OneDrive sync, multiple monitor rigs, and more. After installing the update version 2004 will be bumped to build 19041.906 and version 20H2 bumped to build 19042....