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10 things to do INSTEAD of fighting with “friends” on social media today:

  Jennifer Jolly · November 4, 2020

The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was read ALL the news, then scan ALL the social media. Then, I shared a post along with this personal comment: "It’s hard to believe. What now? Where do we go from here?" I had 56 comments in less than 30 minutes. With the floodgates to politics open, both sides started going at each other. Sigh. Rather than getting into it all over again, I sent thoughts of "love and light and peace" into the page and turned here to write this post instead. Here are ten great things to do right now that don't have anything to do with fighting on Facebook. TURN OFF THE NOISE: Use an app like Freedom or LeechBlock to "turn off" social media ... Read more

Videos, Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well

HOW TO: Spot fake election news

  Jennifer Jolly · November 4, 2020

I’ve had a ton of conversations on my personal Facebook feed recently where people are genuinely confused about which news outlet to trust. I — and many of my colleagues — have offered several fact-checking and news bias-rating sites, including the Associated Press AP Fact Check, FactCheck.org, Politifact, and AdFontesMedia. USA Today even has its own fact-checking pages and election fact-checking site. Other great go-to’s here include the U.S. Cybersecurity Agency’s rumor control site, web browser plug-in NewsGuard —  which rates more than 4,000 news websites based on their records of publishing accurate information, and Ground News, which shows you how many top outlets have covered a ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, Win it!

HOW TO: use tele therapy and other online tools to handle #Election2020

  Jennifer Jolly · November 4, 2020

Experts recommend talking with a professional, which is easier than ever these days thanks to “teletherapy.” Online therapy sites such as BetterHealth, Doctor on Demand, Wellnite, Larkr, Real, ReGain, AbleTo and MDLive are affordable, often take insurance, and easy to schedule appointments on. Apps HearMe, Wisdom, and Lyf (iOS and Android) hook you up with a person, or group of people, ready to lend a sympathetic ear and help you talk things through without waiting for an appointment. HearMe lets you chat via anonymous text with a stranger within a minute or two of logging in. Lyf is similar but lets you connect with — and follow — hundreds of other people using the app. Wisdo hooks you up ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, Win it!

HOW TO: Mute Election Stress

  Jennifer Jolly · November 4, 2020

**This is part 5 of our series on "Election Stress Disorder"** A whole lot of people are turning-off and tuning-out. Some took the day off of work to head outside and stay far away from all things electronic. My 19-year old daughter deleted the top social media apps off of her phone for the week, while my husband turned off all social media and news outlet notifications. Others are simply drowning distractions by hitting the “mute” button on every social media outlet and for all notifications in the settings on their devices. Since that can take a bit of time, other people opt for apps like Freedom, Dewo, FocusMe, and LeechBlock. Each of these work in similar ways — letting you turn ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well

Do you have “Election Stress Disorder?”

  Jennifer Jolly · November 4, 2020

Election Day is finally here and most of us are either stressing out about it — or trying not to.  In a year we’ve dealt with banner blows to every aspect of our wellbeing, this is the week of peak anxiety, according to experts. There’s even a term for it — “election stress disorder.”  A recent report by the American Psychological Association shows more than two-thirds — nearly 70% — of American adults say the 2020 U.S. presidential election is a significant source of stress in their lives. The survey shows that anxiety is even worse for people of color.  “It’s a lot of fearfulness, a number of mixed emotions ― people with fear and hypervigilance — constantly searching the news and ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well

HOW TO: Use your smartphone to fight skin cancer

  Jennifer Jolly · November 2, 2020

**This story originally posted/aired in USA Today** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKpD3_3BNdY&t=12s   It wasn’t long ago that cell phones were accused of potentially causing cancer. But times have changed, and the National Cancer Institute put many of our cell phone fears to rest. Now, with routine exams and trips to the doctor hampered by a pandemic, new technology and app advances on our very own smartphones may very well be the most important tools we have on hand for screening and early detection. "I'm going to paint a wild picture," Deloitte’s Life Sciences and Health Care, Neal Batra told me over the phone. "Imagine a magical technology that allows you to detect ... Read more

Videos, Home & Family, Wired Well, What to buy

WORD OF THE WEEK: “Sadfishing” – Parents, here’s what you need to know!

  Techish Staff · November 2, 2020

Cue the virtual violins. Sadfishing's a new term for a not-so-new trend on social media — and there's a good chance your teens are doing it. Here's what you need to know:   Sadfishing is a play off of the term catfishing — which is all about luring people with fake images or profiles — usually to get information or money (or both). This version is similar, but with a more psychological focus: Posts may look like a video of a teen crying along with a cryptic caption, or a slideshow of a family tragedy. What isn't clear is whether they are true cries for help, or exaggerated stories for attention. Essentially, sadfishing is when people "fish" for sympathy, attention, or followers by posting ... Read more

Covid-19, Home & Family, Wired Well

HOW TO: Save money on your cell phone service

  Christina X. Wood · October 26, 2020

By Christina X Wood Apple is pelting us right now with a marketing assault designed to create an irresistible urge to buy a new iPhone. Samsung, too, has just released some wildly tempting new phones and a marketing frenzy designed to whip Android fans into a buying impulse. And it’s working. Even though this is happening at a time when most of us are eyeing at our monthly budget for places to cut, one in three people in a recent survey planned to buy a new iPhone anyway. Sure, I get it. Your cell phone is your lifeline. That rectangle is always in your hand or within reach. It’s your most valuable possession. You don’t want an underpowered one. Most of us think it’s worth going into ... Read more

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HOW TO: Sanitize your germ-riddled Smartphone

  Christina X. Wood · October 23, 2020

Every time I walk in the house, I set my phone down and wash my hands for two minutes. Then I pick my phone up, pocket it, or respond to a text and go about my life at home. Sound familiar? Now think like an epidemiologist. Where’s the flaw in that system? Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of disease, according to the CDC. But that phone has become like a third hand. It goes everywhere with me. I probably touched it a thousand times while I was out. So, failing to wash my phone is an enormous flaw in an otherwise solid infection-prevention scheme. It’s so big a flaw, in fact, that it might be undermining much of my effort. But how do you wash a phone? You can’t ... Read more

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Political text messages blowing up your phone? Here’s how to stop them:

  Jennifer Jolly · October 22, 2020

*This story first ran in USA Today.* Set your message notifications to silent, and get ready to ignore a whole bunch of texts. Unless you want a lot of extra reading on your smartphone, that is. Americans are expected to get hit by more than three billion political texts between now and Election Day, and it’s already driving some people (aka, me...) crazy. Here's an unsolicited text -- with an obviously threatening tone -- that my friend Matt received last week: Call and text blocking app RoboKiller put out a new Political Insights Tracker that gives us some pretty keen insight into national data around political text messages and robocalls. What they’ve found is that the sheer ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, Cybersecurity

HOW TO: Spot, avoid, and report imposter scams

  Techish Staff · October 22, 2020

by Colleen Tressler Consumer Education Specialist, FTC Imposter scams often begin with a call, text message, or email. The scams may vary, but work the same way – a scammer pretends to be someone you trust to convince you to send them money or share personal information. Scammers may ask you to transfer money from your bank, wire money using a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, put money on a gift card, or send cryptocurrency, because they know these types of payments can be hard to reverse. Scammers call, email, or text and claim to be: A family member (or someone acting for them), saying your relative is sick, has been arrested, or is in serious trouble and needs ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, Cybersecurity

7 ways to keep bored kids from turning into screen zombies

  Christina X. Wood · October 12, 2020

How’s your pandemic going? If you are anything like the 2,000 parents of school-aged children recently surveyed by Fat Brain Toys, your kids have announced, “I’m bored” an average of six times a day, had five temper tantrums a day, and created six "career-best" messes in the past few months. The result, for many households, is that the kids have turned into “screen zombies.” Because what else are you supposed to do? This hardly seems like the best the time to limit screen time. Also, it’s gotten hard to know anymore how much screen time is too much. School, reading, research, entertainment, and socializing all comes in via screen. This doesn’t change the reality that too much screen time, ... Read more

Gift Guides, Videos, Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, What to buy

7 genius ways to turn your old iPhone into an awesome new gadget!

  Jennifer Jolly · October 12, 2020

It’s not you, it’s me. I love you, I’m just not in love with you.  Just because you’re swooning over the newest smartphone doesn’t mean you have to just ditch the old one. I mean, it’s been pressed to your face or cradled in the palm of your hand for a few years now, surely you don’t want to just throw out your old handset like yesterday’s soggy coffee cup.  Here are seven fantastic ways to repurpose that trusty gadget so it can go on faithfully serving you for many years to come. 1. Turn it into a VR headset You don't need a spend a small fortune to dabble in the magical world of virtual reality. If your smartphone is less than five years old, it likely has a decent, high-resolution ... Read more

Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, What to buy

HOW TO: Use high tech/low stress ways to score amazing Amazon Prime Deals

  Jennifer Jolly · October 12, 2020

After the year we've had, who doesn't need a crazy-awesome online shopping sale right about now?! Here are answers to your top questions -- and amazing insider tips to get everything you want -- minus the stress. BUY NOW OR WAIT?  Buy early this year. The pandemic is still disrupting supply chains — which slows down new shipments of the most sought-after products. Online sales are through the roof, adding strain on delivery networks… and shopping analysts predict more supply shortages in high-demand items like electronics and work-from-home gear come November.  Also — the minute Amazon announced the dates of Prime Day, Walmart, Target, Overstock — and many others — announced sales, ... Read more

Gift Guides, Hacks, Home & Family, Wired Well, What to buy, Cybersecurity

Here are all the Amazon Prime Day Deals you need to know about:

  Jennifer Jolly · October 12, 2020

Shhhh, don't tell anyone ... A little birdie over at Amazon sent us a list of Prime Day Deals ahead of time. Check out what to expect, and read Christina's story about how to snag these amazing deals before anyone else! When it comes to incredible deals on amazing products, Prime Day 2020 is expected to deliver in a big way. Retail analysts predict Prime Day will generate a record-breaking $10 billion in ales this year. (That's around 3-billion more than last year's Prime Day.) Watch for deals on Nintendo Switch Titles, Barbie & Hot Wheels toys, iRobot Roomba vacuums, Panasonic Cameras and Premium Beauty brands this Prime Day. These offers could sell out quickly, so it's best to be ... Read more

Gift Guides, Home & Family, Wired Well, What to buy

HOW TO: Clean up your smoky, germy, dusty, or smelly indoor air

  Jennifer Jolly · September 29, 2020

Thousands of people have asked me about portable air purifier recommendations in the past few weeks, but the most urgent inquiry came from one of my own lifelong friends, 49-year old Patrick Bryson. Bryson and his family live in Portland, Oregon, where nearby wildfires created some of the worst air quality in the world. The smoke triggered his allergies and caused his teenage daughter to break out in hives. He had five high-end Molekule air purifiers loaded into a virtual shopping cart, but before he spent thousands of dollars on devices with a couple notably poor reviews online, he wanted my advice. “I really like the two models I’ve reviewed,” I texted back right away. “They’re so much ... Read more

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