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How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
Perfect. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Trust is like love.
You want to believe in it, but then your rational side kicks in and dents your faith.
Here at the Ministry of Failed Relationships, we understand this. There is nothing worse than committing yourself to someone who poses as your soulmate, only to discover that their soul has drunkenly mated with a passing half-sized halfwit.
One company has -- perhaps inadvertently -- stumbled upon a notion that might ease your worried brow. Or confirm your dearest fear. For it is now offering phones that have built-in spyware.
A sample of my chat with Karen, whom I trust completely. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
mSpy created its software with a mind to, say, help parents track their unruly teens. Now, however, with the release of preloaded phones such as the HTC One, Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S, you can merely buy your lover a gift and watch it keep on giving.
So there. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Mind you, mSpy's founder, Andrei Shimanovich, told Forbes it's not actually his business how people will end up using this nifty software.
Or think of it this way: spy software doesn't spy on people, but rather people spy on other people.
Indeed, though the concept of spying has enjoyed some nuanced developments over the last few months, I was reasonably sure that spying on my lover would be illegal.
So for starters I thought I'd IM with an mSpy rep to see how easy this whole thing was. I posed as a troubled lover, and in return got what seemed to be rather canned answers.
Me: Can I really spy on my lover with this? I think she may be cheating on me.
Karen, the sales manager: You can do that once you install mSpy on her phone.
Me: Is it easy to install?
Karen: It is very easy and fast to install mSpy on the target phone.
Me: But how can I do it without her knowing?
Karen: We can walk you through installation after purchase.
I then told Karen which type of phone I'd like to track. An iPhone 5. Yes, I imagine my perfect, imaginary lover has an iPhone 5.
Karen's reply:
Dear Customer, please be advised that an iPhone must be jailbroken before the installation, but the process is very fast and easy - it takes only few minutes to jailbreak an iPhone. You can check on how to jailbreak an iPhone on http://iclarified.com/jailbreak and http://iclarified.com/jailbreak for iOS 7 +. Kindly be advised that we're the only company who assists with jailbreak. Once an iPhone is jailbroken Cydia icon will appear on the Springboard. But you can hide it after you install the app, so there will be no traces left.
I confess that there was a certain side of me that felt excited, although if I was to spy on my imaginary lover there would surely soon be no traces of the relationship left.
Moreover, the legalities were still preying on my conscience. When I asked "But how can I do it without her knowing?" I fear that my IM buddy heard only "how can I do it" and provided merely a practical response, missing the "without her knowing" portion of the question and its deeper foray into the ethics of the situation. Or maybe that was something for later in the discussion, when we got down to brass tacks.
Still curious, I wandered over to the mSpy legal agreement. It reads, in part:
It is a considered federal and/or state violation of the law in most cases to install surveillance software onto a mobile phone or other device for which you do not have proper authorization, and in most cases you are required to notify users of the device that they are being monitored. Failure to do so may result in a violation of federal or state laws, if you install this software onto a device you do not own or if you do not have proper consent to monitor the user of the device.
After these words of warning, in large blue type is, "We absolutely do not endorse the use of our software for illegal purposes."
But I always thought that all was legal in love and war.
Still, was mSpy just ever so slightly encouraging me to spy on my lover?
I've had lovers sneak into my emails and probe my phone. When I discovered them, their reply was always: "What? You thought I wouldn't? Do I look stupid?" Or expressions to that effect.
So perhaps all this spying is, indeed, quite normal. But it won't have mSpy's official seal of approval.
An mSpy spokeswoman told me:
mSpy does advocate notifying users of the device that they are being monitored. During the installation stage (which had yet to be approached), users need to tick off a few boxes confirming that they have informed the monitored party and got his/her consent. As well, customer services representatives are required to share with you this information as you navigate the process. mSpy's disclaimer clearly state that we do not approve of the illegal use of our software and in the case when the legal breach has been identified we will cooperate with relevant authorities, if required.
I leave all this, therefore, to your conscience, just as I leave national security to the consciences of those who direct it.
Most people will admit that they'd dearly wished they had evidence to back up their suspicions, when they thought their lovers were less than faithful.
But those suspicions in themselves surely described the truth of the relationship.
The difficulty, of course, is waiting for that truth to emerge. Some wait for days, months or even years to discover that what they'd feared was true. Or, more painfully, to discover that the truth was even worse than they'd feared.
Spying can never save a relationship. All it can save is time.
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How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way
Perfect. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Trust is like love.
You want to believe in it, but then your rational side kicks in and dents your faith.
Here at the Ministry of Failed Relationships, we understand this. There is nothing worse than committing yourself to someone who poses as your soulmate, only to discover that their soul has drunkenly mated with a passing half-sized halfwit.
One company has -- perhaps inadvertently -- stumbled upon a notion that might ease your worried brow. Or confirm your dearest fear. For it is now offering phones that have built-in spyware.
A sample of my chat with Karen, whom I trust completely. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
mSpy created its software with a mind to, say, help parents track their unruly teens. Now, however, with the release of preloaded phones such as the HTC One, Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S, you can merely buy your lover a gift and watch it keep on giving.
So there. Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
Mind you, mSpy's founder, Andrei Shimanovich, told Forbes it's not actually his business how people will end up using this nifty software.
Or think of it this way: spy software doesn't spy on people, but rather people spy on other people.
Indeed, though the concept of spying has enjoyed some nuanced developments over the last few months, I was reasonably sure that spying on my lover would be illegal.
So for starters I thought I'd IM with an mSpy rep to see how easy this whole thing was. I posed as a troubled lover, and in return got what seemed to be rather canned answers.
Me: Can I really spy on my lover with this? I think she may be cheating on me.
Karen, the sales manager: You can do that once you install mSpy on her phone.
Me: Is it easy to install?
Karen: It is very easy and fast to install mSpy on the target phone.
Me: But how can I do it without her knowing?
Karen: We can walk you through installation after purchase.
I then told Karen which type of phone I'd like to track. An iPhone 5. Yes, I imagine my perfect, imaginary lover has an iPhone 5.
Karen's reply:
Dear Customer, please be advised that an iPhone must be jailbroken before the installation, but the process is very fast and easy - it takes only few minutes to jailbreak an iPhone. You can check on how to jailbreak an iPhone on http://iclarified.com/jailbreak and http://iclarified.com/jailbreak for iOS 7 +. Kindly be advised that we're the only company who assists with jailbreak. Once an iPhone is jailbroken Cydia icon will appear on the Springboard. But you can hide it after you install the app, so there will be no traces left.
I confess that there was a certain side of me that felt excited, although if I was to spy on my imaginary lover there would surely soon be no traces of the relationship left.
Moreover, the legalities were still preying on my conscience. When I asked "But how can I do it without her knowing?" I fear that my IM buddy heard only "how can I do it" and provided merely a practical response, missing the "without her knowing" portion of the question and its deeper foray into the ethics of the situation. Or maybe that was something for later in the discussion, when we got down to brass tacks.
Still curious, I wandered over to the mSpy legal agreement. It reads, in part:
It is a considered federal and/or state violation of the law in most cases to install surveillance software onto a mobile phone or other device for which you do not have proper authorization, and in most cases you are required to notify users of the device that they are being monitored. Failure to do so may result in a violation of federal or state laws, if you install this software onto a device you do not own or if you do not have proper consent to monitor the user of the device.
After these words of warning, in large blue type is, "We absolutely do not endorse the use of our software for illegal purposes."
But I always thought that all was legal in love and war.
Still, was mSpy just ever so slightly encouraging me to spy on my lover?
I've had lovers sneak into my emails and probe my phone. When I discovered them, their reply was always: "What? You thought I wouldn't? Do I look stupid?" Or expressions to that effect.
So perhaps all this spying is, indeed, quite normal. But it won't have mSpy's official seal of approval.
An mSpy spokeswoman told me:
mSpy does advocate notifying users of the device that they are being monitored. During the installation stage (which had yet to be approached), users need to tick off a few boxes confirming that they have informed the monitored party and got his/her consent. As well, customer services representatives are required to share with you this information as you navigate the process. mSpy's disclaimer clearly state that we do not approve of the illegal use of our software and in the case when the legal breach has been identified we will cooperate with relevant authorities, if required.
I leave all this, therefore, to your conscience, just as I leave national security to the consciences of those who direct it.
Most people will admit that they'd dearly wished they had evidence to back up their suspicions, when they thought their lovers were less than faithful.
But those suspicions in themselves surely described the truth of the relationship.
The difficulty, of course, is waiting for that truth to emerge. Some wait for days, months or even years to discover that what they'd feared was true. Or, more painfully, to discover that the truth was even worse than they'd feared.
Spying can never save a relationship. All it can save is time.
How to clean an air purifier in 4 to ft 4 how to clean an air purifier in 4 s how to clean an air purifier in basement how to clean an air purifier filter how to clean an air hockey table how to clean silver how to clean suede shoes how to treat bronchitis
How to Clean an Air Purifier in 4 Easy Steps
How to Clean an Air Purifier in 4 Easy Steps
This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.
Air purifiers are fairly straightforward appliances with minimal installation and upkeep. Still, you want to make sure your unit continues to work correctly -- and lasts as long as possible. That's why we're going to walk through the process of cleaning a plug-in portable air purifier here, so you know how to keep yours in good shape as it takes on the allergens in your home.
Read more:Best Air Purifiers
How to clean an air purifier
I took a look at user guides for Honeywell, Winix and Levoit air purifiers to come up with this cleaning overview. Here are the basic steps to follow to clean your air purifier:
Unplug your air purifier
This is always the first step. Make sure your air purifier is unplugged before you begin.
2. Check the filters
Most air purifiers come with two different filters: a prefilter and a HEPA filter. Some even have a third filter. Each manufacturer's recommendations will vary in terms of cleaning the filters. Honeywell, Winix and Levoit all say not to wash or otherwise clean their HEPA filters, but instead to replace them regularly.
Levoit suggests replacing its HEPA filter every six to eight months, while both Honeywell and Winix say their units last up to one year.
Levoit's prefilter should be cleaned every two to four weeks with a gentle brush or vacuum. You can wash the Winix prefilter every few weeks; just make sure it's completely dry before you put it back. And Honeywell says not to wash it's prefilter at all, but instead to replace it every three months.
3. Wipe off the air purifier
All of the manufacturers I checked suggested wiping off the air purifier with a dry cloth about once every few months. Do not use water or any cleaning solvent to clean off your air purifier.
4. Store the filters when not in use
If the air purifier isn't going to be used for a month or more, Honeywell says it's best to remove and store its filters in tightly sealed bags.
One final note
Keep in mind that the specific cleaning requirements might vary slightly depending on the brand and model of air purifier you purchase. Make sure to check the printed or online user's guide that comes with your air purifier to confirm its maintenance needs. Regardless, your air purifier will need some sort of upkeep and it will likely follow the information detailed above (or very close).
Take a look at our guide on where to install your air purifier to get more information on how to position it in a room so it runs optimally.
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How to Google Without Words: The Coolest Searches You May Not Know
How to Google Without Words: The Coolest Searches You May Not Know
When you think of "Googling," you almost certainly think of entering text and getting millions of results, so much so that the Google search page has become a cultural icon. But some of the most interesting Google results arise from images, live camera views, or the sounds around you, making them not only useful but a taste of what's to come in augmented reality and metaverses. Here's a quick look at ways to Google without words.
Image search
This is also called a reverse image search: Instead of searching for an image you search with an image. On the desktop, go to Google Images. There, you can drag and drop any GIF, PNG, JPG or WEBP image file into the search field. The results will include different sized versions of the image, sites where the image is found and images that are similar but not identical to it. You can use these results to identify what an image depicts, find higher-resolution versions of it or track down places where it's being used.
Google Images reverse image search will find many examples of an image you drag and drop to it.
Screenshot by Brian Cooley/CNET
Live camera search
Also called Google Lens, this is similar to image search above but uses a live image from your phone's camera instead of uploading an image file. The easiest way is to tap the Lens button on your Android home screen then aim your phone's camera at an object or scene. If you don't see the Lens button, you can add it to your phone via the official Lens app.
The Lens button should be right next to the search box and voice icon on most Android phones.
Brian Cooley/CNET
Most of the time Google will figure out what you're aiming it at and return results that include content and shopping links. It's a rudimentary cousin of augmented reality and a technique that's also used in the Amazon and Snapchat apps but Google results tend to be more agnostic than those two. To be fair, I find Lens to be a more brittle tool than image search, but when it works it can give you results you probably won't find any other way.
You can also use Lens to search text that you aim your camera at, or use the Google Translate app, which uses the same core technology to translate printed text into another language.
Google Lens image search is great for searching things you don't know the name or proper description of. Searching for "red power screwdriver" probably wouldn't have nailed it the way this Lens search did.
Brian Cooley/CNET
Background music search
Finding the name of a song that's playing is nothing new -- anyone can holler out, "Hey, Google, what song is this?" But the most elegant way of identifying music is one of the most overlooked tricks in Google's Pixel phones.
On a Pixel 2 or later Pixel with Android 10 or higher go to Settings > Sound and Vibration > Now Playing and activate the Identify songs playing nearby slider. While you're in there, turn on Show search button on lock screen. Now your phone will always be trying to identify the music around you and it'll show the title on your phone's lock screen.
The Android phone on the right automatically ID'd the song playing from the speakers of the phone on the left.
Brian Cooley/CNET
If it fails, you'll find a subtle new button on your lock screen that you can press to ID the music around you. And you'll find a history of all songs that have been detected around you when you click on the song title on the lock screen.
If you don't have a Pixel phone, there's at least one other way to graft it onto other Android devices via the Ambient Music Mod developed by Kieron Quinn and Varun Shanbhag. Installing it is not for the average phone user, however.
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How to Clean an Air Purifier in 4 Easy Steps
How to Clean an Air Purifier in 4 Easy Steps
This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.
Air purifiers are fairly straightforward appliances with minimal installation and upkeep. Still, you want to make sure your unit continues to work correctly -- and lasts as long as possible. That's why we're going to walk through the process of cleaning a plug-in portable air purifier here, so you know how to keep yours in good shape as it takes on the allergens in your home.
Read more:Best Air Purifiers
How to clean an air purifier
I took a look at user guides for Honeywell, Winix and Levoit air purifiers to come up with this cleaning overview. Here are the basic steps to follow to clean your air purifier:
Unplug your air purifier
This is always the first step. Make sure your air purifier is unplugged before you begin.
2. Check the filters
Most air purifiers come with two different filters: a prefilter and a HEPA filter. Some even have a third filter. Each manufacturer's recommendations will vary in terms of cleaning the filters. Honeywell, Winix and Levoit all say not to wash or otherwise clean their HEPA filters, but instead to replace them regularly.
Levoit suggests replacing its HEPA filter every six to eight months, while both Honeywell and Winix say their units last up to one year.
Levoit's prefilter should be cleaned every two to four weeks with a gentle brush or vacuum. You can wash the Winix prefilter every few weeks; just make sure it's completely dry before you put it back. And Honeywell says not to wash it's prefilter at all, but instead to replace it every three months.
3. Wipe off the air purifier
All of the manufacturers I checked suggested wiping off the air purifier with a dry cloth about once every few months. Do not use water or any cleaning solvent to clean off your air purifier.
4. Store the filters when not in use
If the air purifier isn't going to be used for a month or more, Honeywell says it's best to remove and store its filters in tightly sealed bags.
One final note
Keep in mind that the specific cleaning requirements might vary slightly depending on the brand and model of air purifier you purchase. Make sure to check the printed or online user's guide that comes with your air purifier to confirm its maintenance needs. Regardless, your air purifier will need some sort of upkeep and it will likely follow the information detailed above (or very close).
Take a look at our guide on where to install your air purifier to get more information on how to position it in a room so it runs optimally.
This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.
Air purifiers are fairly straightforward appliances with minimal installation and upkeep. Still, you want to make sure your unit continues to work correctly -- and lasts as long as possible. That's why we're going to walk through the process of cleaning a plug-in portable air purifier here, so you know how to keep yours in good shape as it takes on the allergens in your home.
Read more:Best Air Purifiers
How to clean an air purifier
I took a look at user guides for Honeywell, Winix and Levoit air purifiers to come up with this cleaning overview. Here are the basic steps to follow to clean your air purifier:
Unplug your air purifier
This is always the first step. Make sure your air purifier is unplugged before you begin.
2. Check the filters
Most air purifiers come with two different filters: a prefilter and a HEPA filter. Some even have a third filter. Each manufacturer's recommendations will vary in terms of cleaning the filters. Honeywell, Winix and Levoit all say not to wash or otherwise clean their HEPA filters, but instead to replace them regularly.
Levoit suggests replacing its HEPA filter every six to eight months, while both Honeywell and Winix say their units last up to one year.
Levoit's prefilter should be cleaned every two to four weeks with a gentle brush or vacuum. You can wash the Winix prefilter every few weeks; just make sure it's completely dry before you put it back. And Honeywell says not to wash it's prefilter at all, but instead to replace it every three months.
3. Wipe off the air purifier
All of the manufacturers I checked suggested wiping off the air purifier with a dry cloth about once every few months. Do not use water or any cleaning solvent to clean off your air purifier.
4. Store the filters when not in use
If the air purifier isn't going to be used for a month or more, Honeywell says it's best to remove and store its filters in tightly sealed bags.
One final note
Keep in mind that the specific cleaning requirements might vary slightly depending on the brand and model of air purifier you purchase. Make sure to check the printed or online user's guide that comes with your air purifier to confirm its maintenance needs. Regardless, your air purifier will need some sort of upkeep and it will likely follow the information detailed above (or very close).
Take a look at our guide on where to install your air purifier to get more information on how to position it in a room so it runs optimally.
How to make my laptop last longer how long will my laptop last do laptops or desktops last longer do laptops or desktops last longer how many years a laptop should last how many years can a laptop last how long laptop last is my laptop old hold old is my laptop who takes old laptops how to see how old your laptop is
Your Old Laptop Could Last Longer if You Try These Tips
Your Old Laptop Could Last Longer if You Try These Tips
Before you splurge on a shiny, new laptop, you may want to consider giving your current system some TLC. There's a lot you can do to take better care of that old laptop and stretch its lifespan as long as possible.
Brett Pearce/CNET
The longevity horizon of a laptop is analogous to the longevity of a human: It partly comes down to responsible behavior, partly genetics and partly just dumb luck. There's no guarantee that anything you do can save it from dying young or failing to keep up with increasingly demanding tasks.
And there's no guarantee that if you treat it like crap it won't last far longer than expected -- in 10 years you might find yourself cursing it. "Fail already you slow POS so I can justify buying a replacement!" That's the argument I had daily with my 7-year-old iPad. (Which I still use for some things despite having finally bought a new iPad Pro.)
It baffled me, for instance, when I learned that my friend's 7-plus-year-old Lenovo Yoga 2 13 still functions, and actually functions well. It's filthy, it's been knocked off precarious perches by flying cats, it sits baking in hot sunlight, endures summers with 90% humidity indoors, and its operating system hasn't been updated in... I don't think ever. She still hasn't filled up the 128GB drive. Recently she asked if she should upgrade to Windows 11 (from Windows 8.1). After picking my chin up off the floor, I pointed out that she probably couldn't; even if it meets the requirements, it would likely be even slower than it is now.
But I have to report that it has finally gone to that great e-waste bin in the sky. Only because she dropped it one time too many. Time to recycle it.
I kept on using it, thinking the trackpad was just going bad, until it popped out completely and I realized the battery beneath it had swollen. Ah, the joys of the early ultrathin models! (This is a 2013 Samsung ATIV Book 9.)
Lori Grunin/CNET
Yet, in the interim, I've gone through at least two laptops, one with a battery that swelled and another with a wiring and broken plastic issue that rendered the display unusable. They exited this world in close to pristine aesthetic condition. And she had to return a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13-inch after a year of working from home thanks to connectivity failures, though it already looked pretty beaten up.
Bottom line: It's a crapshoot.
Read more: Do I Really Have to Upgrade to Windows 11 From Windows 10? What to Know
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Data backup is on my long, long list of "do as I say, not as I do" advice. But the longer you hold onto a laptop, the more irreplaceable files and information you'll accumulate on it. And the greater the chance it'll crumble into e-waste. So before you touch your laptop to address any issues -- including cleaning -- you should back it up.
The unwritten rule is this: If you don't back up your laptop, it will experience a catastrophic failure. But if you do, then nothing will happen. Because that's the way the universe works.
No. Just no.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Coddle it
I don't mean sing it a lullaby before you put it to sleep every night, or even treat it gingerly. Just use some common sense when it comes to handling and storage. For example, don't think, "Awww, cute. Instagram it!" when your cat curls up on your laptop keyboard seeking attention or warmth. Think, "That cat is going to annihilate my MacBook's butterfly keyboard."
Other simple practices include:
Don't leave it sitting in hot sunlight.
Keep animals and kids away. If you have to leave it unattended for a minute, shove it somewhere a little less accessible, or at least tilt the lid down partially so that the screen and keyboard are protected.
Don't leave it hanging off the edge of a desk, couch, chair, ottoman and so on. This is a good policy for any object, frankly.
Don't eat around it (she says, flicking pistachio shell pieces off the keyboard and digging flakes out from gaps).
Wash or sanitize your hands before using it to minimize dirt and oils transferring. These can build up over the years.
If you only use it sporadically, keep it in the most dust-free location available.
When it's on or in sleep mode, don't cover it with fabric or leave it in any other environment where there's no airflow. (This goes triple for Windows 10 laptops, since Microsoft's default is to wake them to force updates, but not to make sure it goes back to sleep afterwards. Twice I've had laptops come close to overheating in bed with me because having current virus definitions is obviously more important than not setting me on fire.)
Don't leave it charging 24/7. Note that depending upon the vintage or model of your system, leaving it plugged in may not cause any problems, but using it off-power periodically lets you spot-check incipient battery or electrical system issues. You can also use a utility to check how worn your Windows laptop battery is.
Don't smoke around it. Nothing gunks up electronics faster.
You should also check the adapter cable periodically, especially if you've got pets. Run your fingers along it feeling for teeth marks. A chewed-through cable won't ruin your laptop -- they're designed to stop working if the insulation is punctured -- but it can get expensive replacing them. My cat, Iris the Destroyer, earned her name by chewing through two Dell AC adapters at $70 a pop (among other reasons). If you catch it early, you can reroute them for safety. Plus, it's not good for the animals.
If your cat likes to curl up on the keyboard, get a tilting laptop stand -- Felix will likely find an alternative space on your desk that's even less convenient -- or create a space near your desk where your cat can still supervise you and that mimics the radiating warmth of the keyboard.
Clean it
It's easy to ignore basic maintenance, especially if you use your laptop every day. You just stop noticing the crud after a while. But periodically taking a minute to examine entry points around keycaps, the keyboard surface, touchpad surface, speaker grilles, hinge, ports, vents and screen may save you some heartache (and money) in the long run. A filthy touchscreen can make it less responsive as well.
But even if none of it poses a long-term health issue for your system, you don't want to wait until detritus builds up so much that it's almost impossible to get out or off. Keeping the fan vents clear and dust-free is especially important.
Streamline it
Every now and then, take a pass through applications and files, as well as programs and services that run at startup, and jettison anything you don't need. Will doing that extend the life of the system? Probably not, except perhaps by reducing a fractional amount of heat generated by unnecessary processor activity.
But at the very least, periodically weeding it can make it feel faster, just like cleaning out a room can make it feel bigger. And at best you will experience some real performance improvements, including improved battery life. It may also turn out that you don't need the memory or storage upgrades that you thought you did. And if you never bothered to uninstall the bloatware that came with your Windows system, try uninstalling it. A clutter-free Start Menu may improve performance a little.
The best way to make it feel like new is to freshen the operating system, which essentially reinstalls it while leaving your data and files intact, rather than wiping the drive and starting anew. In Mac OS you use Recovery Mode. Windows has a couple options: Refresh to reinstall the operating system while preserving your files; and Fresh Start, which refreshes the operating system but without all the bloatware that might have come with it initially.
At some point, you'll probably feel like the incremental approach isn't working for you anymore. Then it's time to consider wiping it off and starting from scratch: You'll need to reinstall the same version of the operating system and applications. This can be trickier, since it may require repurchasing old programs, recustomizing every aspect of the operating system or application behavior, debugging system glitches again and more. Plus, you run the risk of breaking something that was working fine before.
That's software. What about hardware? Aside from upgrades, a laptop's hardware remains pretty static. There's no magic wand to wave that will make your trackpad feel five years younger. One exception is battery life: Changing your software settings can make a big difference to the battery's longevity.
Here are some more suggestions:
An external hub can greatly expand the usability of an older system as well as reduce wear and tear on the connections.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Accessorize it
Using accessories such as an external keyboard, mouse or monitor -- even cheap ones -- may help save wear and tear on the built-in components and hinge. More important, once those components of a laptop start to get wonky, the system itself will still be usable if you can find external replacements for the devices.
If you're constantly moving between desktop locations, it's worth getting a dock or hub for those external devices. This will save wear and tear on the connections from constant plugging and unplugging. It also adds extra ports, which is another perk that will extend the useful life of your laptop. Here are some more suggestions:
Upgrade it
Because real upgrades always require some expense, this is probably one of the final steps you'll consider. But small, incremental upgrades can make a big difference. Not as many laptops support internal memory or storage upgrades as they used to -- replaceable batteries even less so -- but if you can, you should definitely take advantage of the option as you start to hit limits. That's one of the advantages of hanging onto an older laptop -- it's more likely to be upgradable.
That's as long as you feel comfortable opening it up to stick things in. Before you start down this path, make sure to find an upgrade or maintenance guide for your particular system to verify that it supports your plan. You should also check that it doesn't require expensive nonstandard components, which will cost more than it's worth.
When I bought this inexpensive Asus UL30 in 2009, it was partly for its upgradability and removable battery. The display failed before I even got a chance to take advantage of that. (It was probably fixable, but wasn't worth it given the price.)
Lori Grunin/CNET
External upgrades can be easier and more practical, though in some cases they don't provide as big a boost. Or they may not make as big a difference as you thought they would. I secretly added a Netgear Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) USB dongle to a tech-challenged friend's laptop, which was equipped with pokey Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n). Speedtest showed that throughput doubled. Given how much time she spends online, that seemed to make it worth the money.
She didn't notice any difference.
If you're running short on storage, an external drive is an obvious enhancement. Unless you only plan to use it to offload files you don't use often, you may want to avoid going too cheap. A slow external drive can be more annoying than uplifting. You can also potentially improve performance by booting from an external drive, though that depends on the connection and the drive speed.
Another possible performance upgrade -- only if you've got a newer laptop with a Thunderbolt 3 connection, though -- is to add an external graphics processor, aka eGPU, to boost speed in applications or games with heavy GPU usage. This can be a pricey upgrade, though, and the enclosure and the graphics card are frequently sold separately, which can obscure the true cost.
You may want to consider moving to a newer version of the operating system if you're not on it already. If your laptop supports Trusted Platform Module, or TPM -- it probably does if it's not really old or really low-end -- consider upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 11 adds almost nothing notable in my opinion, but it has a refreshed interface and surfaces features you might not have known were there, which can at least make your laptop feel like it's newer.
I don't think an OS upgrade is a no-brainer, though. If your laptop's crumbling to dust, a newer version of the OS may not unequivocally improve things. And you also run the risk of losing the ability to run some applications.
Case in point: In 2019, Mac OS Catalina (10.15)removed support for 32-bit applications. So if a program hasn't been migrated from 32 to 64 bit -- and there are good reasons why it may not have been -- the upgrade would actually be a step backward for you.
Sticking with an outdated version of an operating system is widely considered to be bad hygiene, though, because you don't get the constant barrage of virus, malware and security updates that up-to-date systems receive.
Convert it
And finally, when you're at the end of your rope, you've got nothing to lose by replacing the operating system with something new altogether. If your laptop powers on and at least most of the keys work, there's a good chance it can be converted into a Chromebook, running Google's Chrome OS, to give it at least a little more useful life before it goes to live upstate on a retired laptop farm.
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Take Control of Your Data: How to Manage Android App Permissions
Take Control of Your Data: How to Manage Android App Permissions
Mobile apps are notorious for asking for permissions they have no business asking for. You've probably noticed some of your Android apps asking for permissions that are excessive and completely unrelated to the app's actual utility -- like if a flashlight app requests access to your camera, microphone or location. When an app asks for permissions beyond what it needs to function, it's usually so the company behind the app can collect as much of your data as possible and sell it off to third parties like advertisers and data brokers.
Look out for permissions like access to your location, camera, microphone, contacts, browsing history and photo library. These can be particularly invasive if not explicitly required for an app to function. An app can collect a lot of extremely sensitive personal information from these permissions, which can pose a major risk to your privacy if that data is mishandled or exposed in a breach. This is why it's important to manage app permissions on your Android devices.
Always make sure to keep app permissions to a minimum. Give your apps permission to access only what they need to access on your device to provide the functionality you require from them. For example, a weather app or navigation app will naturally need access to your location to function properly, but there's no reason it would need access to your camera or your contacts. And in some cases, you might not even need to give a weather app your location data if you can manually enter your ZIP code or city.
Fortunately, it's easy to change app permissions on your Android device -- and you can choose whether you want to manage permissions by app or by permission type.
Note that the steps outlined below apply to devices running Android 11 and up. Here's how to manage app permissions on your Android device.
How to manage Android app permissions by app
If you're concerned about the permissions granted to a certain app on your Android device, you can manage permissions on a per-app basis. Here's what to do:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Scroll down and tap on the app in question (or you can search for the app by tapping the magnifying glass icon).
4. Tap Permissions.
5. Tap on a permission to allow or not allow.
You can also access the Permissions menu from any app by tapping and holding the app's icon on your phone's screen. Tap the Info icon in the top right corner of the window that pops up to access the App info menu and tap Permissions from there.
From the App info menu, you can also enable the Remove permissions if app is unused feature, which removes permissions for the app if you haven't used it for three months.
How to manage Android app permissions by permission type
If you'd like to see which apps you've denied or allowed access to a certain permission -- like your microphone or location -- you can manage your app permissions by permission type. Here's how:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Privacy.
3. Tap Permission manager.
4. Tap the permission type to see which apps allow the selected permission.
5. Tap on an app and select Allow or Don't allow.
How to universally manage camera and microphone access for all apps
You can even universally deny all apps from accessing your camera and/or microphone with a single toggle switch if you want to take a hard line with those two permissions. Here's how you can toggle camera and microphone permissions across all apps on your Android device:
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Privacy.
3. Toggle Camera access and Microphone access on or off.
Going this route can be a great way to guarantee that no app has access to your camera or microphone. However, keep in mind that video communication apps like Zoom or Skype, which rely on your camera and microphone to operate will not work properly if you have these permissions set to the "off" position.
For more advice, check out five tips to make your Android phone feel like new again, how to erase your Android device's cookies and cache and get rid of excess junk files and how to disinfect and remove fingerprints from your filthy phone screen.
