New 12 months, similar you. And that’s OK! You don’t have to makeover your complete life to have a good 2024.

However I can let you know firsthand it’s completely price it to spend a couple of minutes cleansing up your tech life. Maintain studying for steps to banish spam, make your telephone much less annoying and improve your cybersecurity. You bought this!

I share suggestions like this on daily basis in my free publication, The Present. Join 500K smart people who read it. You’ll be glad you probably did!

TWO MINUTE TECH TRICKS: START THE YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX

1. Automate a no brainer safety step

You overlook to lock your computer while you stand up. Welcome to the membership. Be sensible and inform your Home windows or Mac to do it for you! You’ll be able to set your laptop to auto-lock in the event you’ve been inactive for a sure period of time.

On Home windows:

Open Settings and go to Personalization, then Lock Display.
Click on Display saver settings and choose any choice (besides “None”) from the Display saver dropdown menu.
Set a time for Home windows to attend earlier than locking. Verify the field for On resume, show logon display. Hit OK.

On a Mac:

Click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Desktop & Display Save > Display Saver. Use the slider to decide on a time.
Click on Present All to return to the primary System Preferences window.
Click on Safety, then Require password to wake this laptop from sleep or display saver.

Man appears to be like onto his laptop (Cyberguy.com)

You may as well set up your PC to lock based mostly on the place your telephone is. Give it some thought: In case your telephone’s close by, so are you — and so your laptop stays open. You stroll away, it locks.

2. Say goodbye to group chats that drive you up the wall

Group chats are enjoyable while you’re completely happy to be there and terrible while you don’t care in regards to the convo. The grownup transfer is to ask whoever added you to take away you …

Or do the ol’ Irish exit when you’ve got an iPhone. Faucet the thread, then choose the group icon on the prime. Scroll and faucet Go away this Dialog. Save this for while you’re determined.
You may as well go the delicate route and mute the convo. (That is what I normally do.) Faucet the group textual content message, choose the group icon on the prime of the thread, then scroll and toggle on Cover Alerts.

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On Android, muting is your only option — except you’re as much as telling Aunt Kathy you’re out.

For those who use Google Messages, open the group textual content, then faucet the three-dot menu > Group Particulars > Notifications. Choose Silent. Ahh, higher.
For different Android apps, look by way of your messaging menu choices for an choice to mute the dialog.

3. Repair the house safety mistake even I used to be making

Again within the day, I turned off all my house safety alerts as a result of they have been annoying — unhealthy transfer. What you need to do is alter your digicam’s sensitivity (or improve to raised cams) if yours are at all times going off unintentionally.

Ring cameras are utilized by most individuals to seize footage round their houses. (CyberGuy.com)

You’ll be able to normally discover controls to regulate movement sensitivity in your safety system app. Programs go by completely different names, so I’ll cowl the steps for 2.

Alter your digicam sensitivity with SimpliSafe

Open the SimpliSafe app and faucet Cameras on the backside of the display.
Faucet the gear icon on the prime proper of the display.
Select the digicam you want to change.
Select Movement Detection and make your changes to the sensitivity.

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Alter your digicam sensitivity with Ring

Open the Ring app and faucet the gear icon for a digicam.
Faucet Movement Settings > Movement Sensitivity. Alter the slider.

4. Set up your cords and cables the best way execs do

When all the things’s jumbled up, it’s not possible to inform what goes the place. Do that super-smart trick.

Get some stickers. These will be labels you write on or color-coded dots. Considered one of my readers, Tony, suggests utilizing coloured foil stars.
Create a system that works for you. Write on the labels or use colours to signify the wire kind (e.g., crimson for USB-C, blue for HDMI).
Affix the identical label or coloured sticker to the cable and the port on the machine. Whenever you plug within the wire, merely match the cable’s sticker to the port.
Place the sticker in the identical place on every cable. Strive placing it on the highest of the wire to rapidly discover the proper orientation into the port.

5. Much less spam to take care of

Is your mailbox overflowing with unsolicited bank card and insurance coverage affords? You’ll be able to thank the big four credit score reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Innovis.

Closeup of two modern black and brown metal red flag mailboxes at single family home in residential suburbs with nobody and house in background

Closeup of two trendy black and brown metallic crimson flag mailboxes at single household house in residential suburbs with no one and home in background (iStock)

Every bureau gives lists of shoppers, based mostly on particular standards, to credit score and insurance coverage corporations for prescreened affords. Sure, it is utterly authorized. However don’t be concerned, there is a answer: Decide Out Prescreen, a software developed by these very credit score bureaus.

Go to optoutprescreen.com. You’ll be able to select to decide out for 5 years or ceaselessly, then fill within the kind.
Opting out completely? You’ll have to make use of snail mail, however it’s price it. Print, signal and mail a affirmation kind.

Maintain your tech-know going

My in style podcast is known as “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a strong half-hour of tech information, suggestions, and callers with tech questions such as you from all around the nation. Seek for it wherever you get your podcasts. In your comfort, hit the hyperlink beneath for a latest episode.

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Plus, my 2024 tech resolutions and methods to have AI allow you to craft yours. California bans this ultra-weird product from Amazon — and sure, it entails donkeys. Peloton pill goes out of date, and I’ve received 5 tech street journey suggestions.

Try my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast participant.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Simply seek for my final identify, “Komando.”

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