Technology
Helpful hack: Customize your home screen by adding widgets on your iPhone
Have you ever wished for a way to access your favorite apps and information without the hassle of digging through your iPhone’s home screen? Well, you’re in luck. Widgets are here to transform your iPhone experience. Think of them as mini apps that bring key information right to your fingertips, allowing you to stay updated at a glance. Whether it’s checking the weather, tracking your fitness goals or keeping an eye on your calendar, widgets make it all possible without needing to open each app individually. Let’s get started on making your home screen not just functional but uniquely yours.
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What are widgets?
Widgets are mini applications that display at-a-glance information from your favorite apps directly on your home screen. They provide quick access to key features and updates without the need to open the full app, saving you time and streamlining your iPhone experience.
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How to update your iPhone to the latest software
Not sure if you’re running the latest iOS? No worries. Here are some quick steps to update your iPhone:
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Select Software Update
- If available, tap Update Now and begin downloading and installing iOS 18.1
HOW TO SECURELY LOCK YOUR IPHONE AND IPAD FROM PRYING EYES
Adding widgets to your home screen
Follow these simple steps to add widgets to your home screen and make your iPhone even handier:
- Touch and hold an empty area on your home screen until the apps start to jiggle.
- Look for the Edit icon in the top-left corner of your screen and tap it.
- Click Add Widget
- Scroll through the available widgets or use the search bar to find a specific one.
- Tap on your chosen widget, then swipe left or right to view different options.
- Once you’ve selected the size, tap Add Widget to place it on your home screen.
LET YOUR IPHONE READ ALOUD WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE
Arranging and resizing widgets
After adding a widget, you can easily adjust its position and size. Here’s how:
- Touch and hold the widget until it floats, then drag it to your desired location. You can place it anywhere on the current page or even drag it to the edge of the screen to move it to a different page. Then, tap an empty area on the home screen.
- Next, long-press on a widget to see available size options. Tap on the size you’d like the widget to be.
- Now, tap on the empty area on the home screen, and if available, you can grab the corner of the widget where you see a small handle to make it larger.
- To finalize the changes, tap Done.
Customizing widget appearance
iOS 18 introduced new ways to customize the look of your widgets:
Change icon size: Press the empty area on your home screen. Tap Edit at the top of the screen, then choose Customize to access options for making icons larger.
Adjust appearance: Select Light or Dark mode for your icons and widgets or choose Automatic to switch based on the time of day.
Add color tint: Use the Tinted option to add a color overlay to your icons and widgets, adjusting the hue and saturation to your liking. Press the empty area on your home screen to save your changes.
Removing widgets
If you want to remove a widget from your home screen:
- Touch and hold an empty area on the home screen until the apps jiggle.
- Look for the “-” icon on the widget you want to remove.
- Tap Remove to confirm your decision.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Customizing your iPhone’s home screen with widgets is a great way to personalize your device and improve your productivity. With the ability to add, resize and arrange widgets, you can create a home screen that perfectly suits your needs and preferences. Remember to experiment with different layouts and widget combinations to find what works best for you.
What new widgets do you plan to add to your iPhone home screen to enhance your daily productivity and access to information? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Netflix adds Beyoncé to live entertainment juggernaut
Netflix is trying to carve a slice of the live entertainment market, and it’s enlisting help from Beyoncé to do so. The Houston-born singer will perform in her hometown on December 25th, headlining the halftime show for the Texans-Ravens NFL matchup as part of Netflix’s Christmas Gameday live show.
Beyoncé’s performance will take place in the second of two NFL games that Netflix is streaming on Christmas Day, the first being between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The star is set to perform songs from Cowboy Carter live for the first time, and “is expected to bring along some special guests” that featured on the album, according to Netflix’s announcement. The games mark Netflix’s NFL streaming debut, having secured a three-year deal in May that also includes “at least one holiday game each year” in 2025 and 2026.
The streaming giant is investing heavily to expand into live sports and major events — entertainment industries that attract some of the largest audiences and attention from advertisers. Its latest announcement comes two days after Netflix streamed a live boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul that attracted 65 million viewers. If we’re comparing with 2023 TV viewership, that would place the fight second only to the 115 million people who watched the Super Bowl telecast last year. For some, the Tyson vs Paul match was disrupted by buffering and connectivity issues that raised questions about the streamer’s capability to host live event coverage in the future.
Technology
Trump names Brendan Carr as his FCC leader
President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that intends to name Brendan Carr as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Carr, a commissioner at the FCC since 2017, has made a name for himself by threatening to use the commission’s powers to regulate speech online and over the airwaves.
Carr authored Project 2025’s section on the FCC, using it to propose restrictions on social media platforms meant to bolster conservative speech. He proposed limiting the legal shield that gives websites wide latitude to host and moderate user-generated content. He also suggested putting regulations on tech companies that would limit their ability to block and prioritize that content as they choose.
In the lead up to the election, Carr threatened to use the commission’s powers to punish companies for speech he doesn’t like. Just this month, he floated revoking NBC’s broadcast license after SNL featured Kamala Harris. As commissioner, he voted to repeal net neutrality rules in 2017 and later voted against restoring net neutrality earlier this year.
In an exceptionally vague statement, Trump says Carr will “end the regulatory onslaught crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators.” He also says that Carr will “ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”
Technology
A study found that X’s algorithm now loves two things: Republicans and Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X may have tweaked its algorithm to boost his account, along with those of other conservative-leaning users, starting around the time he announced his support of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. That’s according to a new study published by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which found that Musk’s posts in particular were suddenly much more popular.
The study’s authors — QUT associate professor in digital media Timothy Graham and Monash University communications and media studies professor Mark Andrejevic — first looked at Musk’s engagement before and after his July endorsement of Trump. They report that starting around July 13th, Musks’ posts received 138 percent more views and 238 percent more retweets than before that date.
Musk’s numbers “outpaced the general engagement trends observed across the platform,” they concluded. (This paper isn’t the first time it’s been suggested that X adjusted its algorithm to specifically boost Musk’s account.) The researchers also found that other Republican-leaning accounts they examined saw similar boosts that started in July, albeit to a lesser degree.
The study’s results are similar to other recently reported findings by The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post of potential right-wing bias in X’s algorithms. However, the researchers say they were limited by the “relatively small amount of data” that could be collected since the platform cut off access to its Academic API. They add that although they don’t see indications of missing data, there’s “no guarantee that 100% of posts have been collected.”
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