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11 insider tricks for the tech you use every day

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11 insider tricks for the tech you use every day

If you’re the person skipping updates on your devices … knock that off. You’re missing out on important security enhancements—like iOS 17.4, which adds better Stolen Device Protection and Android’s new Find My feature to locate your lost phone.

🎉 Win an iPhone 15 worth $799! I’m giving it to one person who tries my free daily tech newsletter. Enter to win now!

It’s nearly impossible to keep up with every update and added feature. That’s what I’m here for. I hope you find a tech tip below that makes life better for you!

Shop open-box deals

US AIRPORTS ADAPT TO TRAVEL SURGE BY EXPANDING USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO PROCESS PASSENGERS

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Most sites use grades or ratings, so you know the condition. For example, a “Grade A” smartphone has just a bit of wear. Amazon open-box products are always fully functional and in one of four conditions: “Used/Like New,” “Very Good,” “Good” or “Acceptable.” Here’s a link to Amazon’s open-box deals.

Know what apps are listening

Buried within all the legal mumbo jumbo you said “yes” to when downloading an app, you may have given the app permission to listen using your phone’s microphone and collect data.

(Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

  • Have an iPhone? Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Disable apps you don’t want picking up on your conversations.
  • On Android, go to Settings > Apps Permission Manager. Disable the microphone for any apps you don’t want eavesdropping.

Your Google Doc holds secrets you shouldn’t share

It’ll be called “Copy of” and your original file name by default. Rename it, then share that. Why? Anyone accessing the original doc can review all your edits, changes and versions. Hit File > Make a copy. Pro tip: Reverse this idea to see someone else’s edits and changes.

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Make your iPad more useful

SEE WHAT THE HOME YOU GREW UP IN LOOKS LIKE NOW AND OTHER MAPS TRICKS

This is a pro move if you spend time with your Apple tablet on the couch. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard, then enable Split Keyboard. Long-press the keyboard key at the bottom right, slide your finger to Split, then release. Now you can type with your thumbs! To return to normal, long-press the keyboard key, slide your finger to Merge and release.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you

Take off your phone’s case and you’ll see all the grime collected inside. Gross. For plastic, rubber and silicone cases, use an old toothbrush and a bit of warm, soapy water. For leather cases, very lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with water and mild soap.

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Stay safe on the road

Get the free NHTS SaferCar app. Enter your car’s VIN and receive automatic alerts about recalls. There have been a lot lately, and it’s easy to miss notifications from your dealership.

For your eyes only

If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos. Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up. Note: Anything stored there isn’t backed up to the cloud. Wouldn’t be very private that way.

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Have an iPhone?

CAN YOU SPOT ELECTION DEEPFAKES? HERE’S HOW NOT TO BE DUPED

You can store secret pics in the Notes app. Open the pic in the Photos app, tap the share icon and select Notes. Go into the note you want to protect, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner, then choose Lock.

You made a bad call

And streamed a terrible rom-com. Get it off your Netflix history so it doesn’t influence your future suggestions. On a computer, click your profile, then Viewing activity. By each show or movie, you’ll see a small icon of a circle with a line through it. Click on that to hide it.

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(Photographer: Noah Berger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

I’d rather be safe than sorry

For every study that shows your phone is perfectly safe, there’s another about the impacts of even low-level radiation. I rarely bring my phone to my head or put it in my pocket. AirPods are my favorite way to take a call (I’m an iPhone gal). Go with AirPods Pro if you can. On an Android, here’s a budget earbuds option and the fancy ones. Men, don’t store your phones in your pants pockets. It can hurt your fertility.

Too many tabs and too much noise? 

Right-click on a tab in your browser and select Mute Tab or Mute Site. In some browsers, you can also click the microphone on a tab playing noise to stop it.

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”

Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.

This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”

Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”

Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

 

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’

– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age

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– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member

TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.

A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)

BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.

TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.

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EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.

FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.

ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.

BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

 

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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.

In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.

Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.

You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.

Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”

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