Decades of Flipping USB Cables Around We’re talking about the classic USB hardware here—specifically, the “type-A” connector that dates back to USB’s first release in 1996. Modern USB-C connectors don’t have this problem. You can plug them in either way. USB has definitely improved on its design, and the problem is going away. But we’ve still been flipping those USB sticks back and forth for decades now. So let’s look at why that is....

With the release of watchOS 7, the number of modes available on an Apple Watch has become a little silly. There’s now Airplane Mode, Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb Mode, Theater Mode, Schooltime Mode, and Sleep Mode. Here’s what they all do. To toggle any of these modes on or off, swipe up on your Apple Watch to access the “Control Center,” then tap the relevant icon (we’ll cover them as we go)....

Organic light-emitting diodes, abbreviated as OLED, are all the rage for high-end HD televisions. The technology has jumped from phones and tablets to larger screens, and its vibrant colors and “perfect” black levels make for amazing picture quality. But it isn’t the only player in town. At the moment, Sony and LG are pushing OLED technology hard on their top-tier televisions, but Samsung seems to be doubling down on improvements of conventional LED screens instead....

Don’t Delay Automatic Updates All the software applications we use every day are likely riddled with security issues. These security issues are constantly being found — whether we’re talking about Windows, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Adobe’s PDF Reader, Microsoft Office — the list goes on and on. These days, a lot of operating systems and programs come with automatic updates to close these security holes. No longer do you need to click a button or download a file to update your software; it’ll update itself in the background without any input from you....

Why Use a Mesh Network With Your Old Router? Typically when you buy a new router, whether it’s a stand-alone traditional model or a bunch of mesh nodes, you replace the old one altogether. There are, however, situations where you may want or need to keep your old router operational. Your ISP Requires It Sometimes you have a combination router modem, wherein one piece of hardware is the modem that connects you to your ISP, a router, and a Wi-Fi access point all rolled into one....

While private (or “incognito”) mode can shroud your activities to an extent, there are still ways in which your actions can be tracked. And not just by people on your network, but also by your ISP, the government, and even hackers. What Is Private Browsing Mode? Before we get to the meat of things, let’s first define what we mean by “private” or “incognito” mode. This feature first appeared in Apple’s Safari browser in 2005....

Apple AirTags are the best Bluetooth trackers around, as long as you use an iPhone (Android devices have to use one of the alternatives). Now you can get a 4-pack of AirTags for just $74.99. The Apple AirTag is a small device that emits a Bluetooth signal detectable by iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices, which in turn can track and find whatever is carrying the tag. You can make it beep in the Find My app for easier location, and if you have an iPhone with a U1 chip, the Precision Finding feature can point directly to the tag’s location (if it’s within range)....

If you’re running macOS Big Sur and newer, you can access these features right from the Menu Bar or using the Control Center. The Accessibility Shortcuts menu brings many frequently used accessibility features, like grayscale mode, to the forefront so you won’t need to go to System Preferences every time you want to enable or disable a feature. RELATED: What’s New in macOS 11.0 Big Sur, Available Now Accessibility Shortcuts is an extra module that you can add to the end of the Control Center, and it can be added directly to the Menu Bar....

Microsoft Teams is designed to be a “single pane of glass” that allows you to see all of your work in one place. However, this is only possible if you add Microsoft or third-party apps to your teams. If you’ve only skimmed the surface of Teams, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a not particularly great enterprise version of Slack. After all, the first thing you see in Teams is the “Post” channel, where the threading is unintuitive, you’re limited to six emojis for message reactions, and the whole thing is a bit gray and colorless....

People use all sorts of methods for organizing their inbox. One way is to move emails to specific folders, which in Gmail, are called Labels. So here, we’ll show you how to automatically label and move emails. Using labels is especially important if you receive tons of messages daily. You can see those labeled emails in your inbox at a glance. But since they also move to the corresponding “folder,” you can view them there as well....

If you’re not aware, Shortcuts is the built-in automation tool available on the iPhone and iPad (found on iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and higher). Don’t let the automation word scare you. You don’t need to create any automation yourself. You can use automation shortcuts created by someone else, which is exactly what we’re going to be doing today. RELATED: What Are iPhone Shortcuts and How Do I Use Them?...

If you’re tired of seeing sensitive content, receiving unwanted messages, or getting spammed on Instagram, you can block the culprit’s account. By blocking the account, the user won’t be able to contact you and won’t show up in your feed. Here’s how to do it. Blocking vs. Restricting Instagram has several different privacy and security features available for its users. Two of these features include blocking and restricting other accounts....

To find someone or something’s age in Microsoft Excel, you can use a function that displays the age in years, months, and even days. We’ll show you how to use this function in your Excel spreadsheet. RELATED: Why Do You Need Formulas and Functions? How to Calculate Age in Years To calculate someone’s age in years, use Excel’s DATEDIF function. This function takes the date of birth as an input and then generates the age as an output....

Apple One is a handy way to bundle multiple Apple subscription services together for one monthly payment. But if it’s not the right fit for you, it’s easy to cancel Apple One on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Here’s how. How to Cancel Apple One on iPhone or iPad To cancel your Apple One subscription on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to launch Settings. To do so, tap the gray “gear” icon....

When you zoom in and out of Google Maps, the scale of the map changes. You can view the current scale in a ruler bar showing either miles or kilometers, although you can switch between units. Here’s how. How to View the Map Scale in Google Maps If you’re not sure what scale Google Maps is currently using, take a look at the bottom-right corner of the map view in your desktop web browser....

After your AirPods are paired and connected to your iPhone or iPad, you’ll be able to change the settings and customize the behavior from your device’s Bluetooth menu. Change Your AirPods Name Open the “Settings” app, and go to the “Bluetooth” section. Here, tap on the “i” button next to your AirPods. You can tap on the “Name” option to rename your AirPods. From the next screen, type in a new name and then tap on the “Done” button on the keyboard to save it....

Sleep mode is similar to “pausing” your PC. Everything will remain open and in its place while the PMC goes into a low-power state. It’s still technically on, which is how it starts right back up where you left off so quickly. Windows 10 uses sleep mode to automatically save power after your PC has been idle for a while. You can customize this time length to better suit your needs....

Cell Phones have been repeatedly found to be one of the most disgusting things we regularly touch. In many tests, cell phones have tested to contain more germs than a toilet seat. Can you hear me now? You don’t want to put your head on a toilet seat. If you are going to reach out and touch someone your phone, make sure you rethink possibilities and clean your smartphone the right way....

Discord cache files build up with every image, video, and funny GIF you send and receive on the platform, filling up your disk space unnecessarily. You can follow the steps below to easily clear Discord cache files on your Windows 10, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Android device. These steps will only work if you’ve installed the Discord app on your Windows 10 PC, Mac, or on a mobile device. If you’re using Discord through its website, you’ll need to wipe your browser’s cache files instead....

A whiteboard is a great tool for collaborating with others. If you’re working remotely and can’t physically gather around one, though, you’ll need a virtual solution—like Microsoft Whiteboard. Although Whiteboard is available for anyone with a free Microsoft account or any paid Microsoft 365/Office 365 (M365/O365) subscription, the collaboration features currently only work with members of the same organization. So, if you’re using a personal M365/O365 subscription, you can’t collaborate yet; however, Microsoft has said this will change in the future....