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You’re trying to do some reading when you hear it: a video playing somewhere off-screen. You curse under your breath, scroll down to find the offending media, then try to find back your place in the article. It doesn’t have to be like this, and Safari 11—one of the new features in High Sierra that’s also available to Sierra and El Capitan users—solves the problem. Safari, which Mac users should be using instead of Chrome anyway, now blocks almost all auto-playing videos with sound by default....

The Galaxy S9 is here, and it’s better than the S8 (even if only marginally). It’s not perfect, though, and there are a handful of things you can do right out of the box to make it better. Disable Bixby Real talk: Bixby…isn’t good. Google Assistant is a far better (and more powerful) assistant, and it’s a core part of Android. That means it’s already part of the S9, whether Samsung likes it or not....

Google is changing how Gmail looks and works. They launched the new Gmail back in April, but until now it’s been optional. That changes in July, when the new Gmail starts rolling out to all users. Everyone will be switched over 12 weeks after the transition starts. If you’re seeing the new Gmail for the first time you might be a little overwhelmed. To help you feel a little more at home, here’s a quick roundup of the new features and how to use them....

There are many Dungeon and Dragons purists who—even in the digital age—still rely on using old-fashioned tools from earlier decades. However, there are now a ton of digital resources that can enhance D&D greatly, both for players and dungeon masters alike. RELATED: Download the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Basic Rules Set for Free Don’t get me wrong: I think the fact that you don’t need a whole lot to play Dungeons and Dragons is what made the tabletop RPG so great to begin with....

There are many ways to take screenshots on Windows. Windows 10 itself has quite a few built-in screenshot tools, and there are some excellent free options out there if you want more features. Here are all the best ones screen capture utilities. Here’s the truth: Most of these screenshot programs are pretty capable. Which you will prefer comes down to which features you want and which interface you like best....

Encryption 101 Encryption, at its most basic, involves obfuscating information so that it cannot be read by anyone other than an intended recipient. An extremely basic example of encryption is assigning every letter of the alphabet a number — like a = 1, b = 2, c = 3, et cetera. You can then represent words as strings of numbers, and someone who didn’t know what you’d done wouldn’t be able to read your message!...

Most memory card models come in several storage options, but some max out at 256GB or even smaller sizes. That said, the maximum capacity SD card your device is compatible with is very important to keep in mind. There’s no use spending on a higher capacity if your device can’t use it! Check your device’s manual before going ahead with your purchase. But what’s the use of a 1TB memory card if everything reads and writes slowly?...

Considering read and write speeds are also key to a good flash drive. If you’ll be handling large files on a regular basis, you’ll want to explore models that have at least 100Mbps read speeds. Most flash drives on the market today come with 150Mbps read speeds and write speeds that hover around 75-100Mbps. Some cheaper flash drives may not hit those speeds, so be sure to check. Security is also an important factor....

The best camera is the one you have with you, and most of the time that’s going to be your smartphone. You probably capture lots of important moments with your phone, so you also need to make sure you’re keeping those moments backed up. Google Photos/Drive When it comes to all-encompassing picture backups, it’s hard to beat Google Photos. It’s available on both Android and iOS, and offers unlimited photo storage....

Making your own playlists undoubtedly gives you the most control, but it’s not always easy to find the right songs to match the vibe you’re going for. You don’t want to use a pre-made playlist, but you need a little help. That’s where the “Enhance” button comes in. What Does the Spotify “Enhance” Button Do? As the name suggests, the “Enhance” button is a tool you can use to enhance playlists....

If you’ve used a recent iPhone, iPad Pro, or 2018 MacBook Pro, you might have come across a new switch in your display settings. True Tone is intended to make the color of the display appear more natural, and it works. True Tone first made an appearance in the 2017 iPad Pro lineup, but Apple has since brought the feature to the iPhone, starting with the 2017 iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X....

Streaming television is getting more and more popular, allowing users to get away from standard cable packages and into something that fits their lifestyle. DirecTV is one of the first traditional “cable” companies to get in on the action with DirecTV Now. What Is DirecTV Now? Basically, this is DirecTV’s all-in bet on live streaming television. It’s kind of like their more traditional satellite service, but geared for the streaming market (think Sling TV, but from DirecTV instead)....

This search engine is getting bigger and more widely recognized. For example, starting with Apple’s iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, Ecosia is one of the few options you can use as your default search engine in Safari. Google Chrome also includes it as a built-in option. Ecosia’s Main Mission Is to Plant Trees Ecosia is a not-for-profit search engine that aims to help the environment by planting trees. The search engine’s mission is to absorb as much CO2 as possible by planting trees to try and reduce the impact of climate change....

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new European Union law that takes effect today, and it’s the reason you’ve been receiving non-stop emails and notices about privacy policy updates. So how does this affect you? Here’s what you need to know. The new GDPR law takes effect today, May 25th, 2018, and it covers data protection and privacy for EU citizens, but it also applies to a lot of other countries in various ways, and since all the tech giants are huge multi-national corporations, it affects a lot of the stuff that you use on a daily basis....

ZSH, also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with plenty of new features, and support for plugins and themes. Since it’s based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze. So Why Use It? ZSH has too many features to list here, some just minor improvements to Bash, but here are some of the major ones:...

No More SIM Card Slot (in the US) Apple has made headlines in the past with its decision to drop features like optical drives, headphone jacks, and USB-A ports. The company is at it again with US versions of the iPhone 14 lacking a physical SIM card slot. In order to connect the iPhone 14 or 14 Pro to a cellular network, you will have to rely on an eSIM instead....

If you recently replaced your iPhone’s battery (or had it done by an authorized Apple technician) and you’re still experiencing battery life problems, there are a few fixes you can try that might help. RELATED: How Difficult Is It to Replace an iPhone Battery? If you haven’t heard, Apple recently began throttling iPhones that have old, degraded batteries. The one fix (without buying a new iPhone) has been to replace the battery with a new one, which can be done by Apple for $30, but it’s also not terribly difficult to do it yourself....

Treat Internet Access Like a Utility Service In discussions about the internet, especially political debates about funding infrastructure, you’ll often hear people talk about how the internet should be considered a utility like electricity, water, and other staples of modern life. That comparison holds up not just in national broadband debates but when looking at how to get the most from your internet service, too. Upgrading Your Internet Is Like Upgrading Other Utilities If we take a moment to look at home internet access in the same light as we would look at electrical service or water service, it becomes very clear why upgrading your internet package to the highest speed tier isn’t usually the best way to get a better experience....

On Oct. 8, 1990, Microsoft put a dent in global productivity when it released Minesweeper as part of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows. It was aimed at those who used Windows 3.0. For the last 30 years, Minesweeper has thrilled millions with its simple, but deep, strategic gameplay. Here’s why people love it. The Secret? Strategic, Addictive Gameplay Minesweeper is a logic puzzle game set in a grid-based minefield....

A few months ago, Google launched a new design for Google Calendar—and frankly, it was long overdue. Google Calendar has been using the same interface for ages, and the new one is nice and modern…except it’s missing Google Calendar’s best feature: adding events with natural language, like “Dinner with Mom at 6pm”. There’s a tendency on the internet for everyone to scream “This is awful!” every time a website or service changes their design....