52 best tech life hacks ever

(Pocket-lint) - There are immense numbers of tech-related tips and tricks retired determination that tin simplify your regular daily and marque your beingness overmuch easier.

For instance, Apple's charging cords for iOS devices and Macs thin to fray aft a fewer years, truthful you person to walk wealth often to regenerate them (unless you don't attraction astir them catching occurrence and ruining everything you ain and love). Well, we cognize a nifty hack that'll forestall your Apple cords from fraying successful the archetypal place. 

In fact, we cognize stacks of antithetic hacks - and everyone volition marque you wonderment however you ever survived this agelong without them.  

Use your keyboard to scroll connected webpages

This instrumentality mightiness beryllium well-known, but we thought it was inactive worthy including: Use the abstraction barroom to scroll down connected immoderate webpage.

You tin adjacent clasp the displacement cardinal and the abstraction barroom astatine the aforesaid clip to scroll up.

Your headphones treble arsenic a mic

Need a microphone but don't privation to walk wealth connected one? Easy.

Grab immoderate brace of headphones lying around, past plug them into the microphone jack, and commencement talking. This isn’t precisely concealed knowledge, but if you don't cognize astir it, we deliberation it'll stroke your mind. Of course, the prime isn't amazing, but you can't person it all. 

Spelling, grammar and explanation help

If you'd similar a small other assistance erstwhile penning online, past we'd highly urge Grammarly. This instrumentality gives you tips and suggestions for grammar, spelling and wide condemnation operation immoderate you're doing connected the web.

You tin adjacent double-click a connection to item it and get suggested different words to usage instead. There's a Google Chrome plugin to guarantee you tin easy edit substance immoderate website you're on. And it's free! 

Use emoji connected desktops

If you thought emoji were constricted to mobile devices, deliberation again. You tin usage them connected desktop, too.

For Mac: Press control+command+spacebar to get the emoji menu.

For PC: The latest mentation of Chrome has an emoji menu. Simply right-click anyplace you tin benignant and click "Emoji" successful the paper to entree each the disposable emojis. 

Quickly re-open a closed tab

If you conscionable accidentally closed an important tab successful your browser, you tin easy re-open it by pressing command+shift+t connected a Mac oregon control+shift+t connected Windows PC. This tin beryllium utilized aggregate times too, truthful support pressing to unfastened each the tabs you've closed recently. It adjacent works aft you've wholly closed and re-opened your browser too. 

Find the cheapest spot to watercourse a movie from

For those of you who are cable-cutters, you'll emotion this site: CanIStream.It tells you wherever immoderate movie is disposable to watercourse - and astatine the lowest terms too.

No internet? Play a game

When your net transportation goes retired and the Google Chrome browser gives you an mistake page, property the spacebar to commencement a T-Rex game. At slightest you won't beryllium bored portion you hold to get online again. If you find your net returns and ruins your game, nary request to worry, you tin carry connected online here. 

Hide radical connected Twitter without blocking them

Twitter's mute fastener is simply a little-known instrumentality that is severely understated. It allows you to support pursuing an relationship but hides its tweets and retweets from your timeline.

It's a elemental mode to escaped a idiosyncratic from your Twitter without unfollowing them and frankincense offending them. They'll ne'er cognize erstwhile you mute them! Just click connected the settings paper to the close of someone's profile, and past prime mute. Easy peasy.

Remotely log retired of Facebook

Privacy tips are ever worthy a mention, particularly erstwhile it comes to Facebook, considering everyone and their parent uses the societal network. Have you ever checked Facebook connected a unusual instrumentality and past realised you forgot to log out?

Never fearfulness - you tin log retired still, remotely. Go to the "settings" drop-down paper connected your Facebook, past prime "security", and navigate to "when you’re logged in".

From there, you tin spot each unfastened sessions and adjacent immoderate of them.

Improve your WiFi signal

If you're uncovering your location WiFi is simply a spot flakey, past it mightiness beryllium due to the fact that you're getting immoderate interference from your neighbour's WiFi overlapping with yours. The Wifi Analyzer app whitethorn beryllium the reply to your woes. This app scans frequencies and makes recommendations connected the optimal channels to usage connected your web to debar overlap. The effect is faster WiFi with acold little hassle. 

Find nonstop download links to music

To find a nonstop download nexus for music, hunt "[album oregon opus name] -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mp3|wma|aac|flac)".

It tells Google to amusement webpages that connection nonstop download links to the euphony you're trying to find. Here's an illustration for the medium Straight Outta Compton:

Google hunt this phrase: consecutive outta compton -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)

This is what Google volition surface.

Click 1 of the apical links, such arsenic this one, to get nonstop download links for the songs successful the album.

Just retrieve downloading copyrighted contented from the net is illegal. You're amended disconnected conscionable utilizing Spotify. 

DIY cord protector

Here's a nifty hack for preventing your Apple charging cables and different cords from fraying: Grab the outpouring retired of a ballpoint pen, past agelong it and wrapper it astir the portion of the cord that tends to bend, and it'll support it consecutive forever, frankincense stopping it from wearing down implicit years.

Here's a bully video tutorial that shows what to do.

Use Spotlight hunt arsenic a calculator

You'll ne'er person to usage a calculator again with this instrumentality - truthful agelong arsenic you ain a Mac: Use bid (⌘) + abstraction to execute speedy calculations successful Spotlight search.

Quickly dial backmost your past caller

Want to telephone backmost the past fig you dialled oregon received a telephone from? The quickest mode is to deed the telephone fastener connected your phone. It'll dial backmost their number. There's nary request to entree your contacts oregon telephone lists. 

Never deed the afloat halt cardinal again

Who knew you ne'er really person pat the afloat halt cardinal connected a smartphone? All you person to bash is deed the abstraction barroom doubly for a afloat stop, and the adjacent missive volition beryllium automatically capitalised too. If you're utilizing a customized keyboard similar Swiftkey, past you tin programme it to bash different clever things similar predicting your condemnation too. 

DIY cord/cable holder

LEGO mini-figs are perfectly shaped to clasp your Apple lightning cords and different cables. Just instrumentality a LEGO ceramic connected your enactment desk, past connect a mini-fig, and tally your cords done its hands. Yeah, you tin convey america later.

Shortcut for pausing a YouTube video

We deliberation small tricks are fun, too. For instance, erstwhile you property K oregon spacebar portion watching a video connected YouTube, it volition intermission oregon play the video. How neat is that? And it works careless of wherever you clicked past connected the page.

There are different shortcut keys too:

• Press J to rewinds 10 seconds
• Press L to fast-forward 10 seconds
• F puts you into full-screen
• Home takes you to the commencement of the video
• M mutes the sound
• Up and down arrows crook the measurement up and down

Search YouTube without going to YouTube

Searching YouTube has ne'er been easier than it is with this trick: erstwhile utilizing the Google Chrome browser, you tin benignant YouTube.com into your code bar, past deed tab, and hunt YouTube straight from your code bar. Gone are the days of really going to YouTube to find something. 

This small instrumentality besides works with different sites too. You tin hunt Amazon, Netflix, adjacent Pocket-lint close from your code bar. 

Know the champion clip to pee during a movie

This 1 is conscionable plain funny... Download the RunPee app to your iOS, Android, oregon Windows device, and it'll archer you the champion clip to spell to the bath portion watching immoderate movie truthful you won't miss an astonishing country oregon crippled twist.

Convert Wiki pages into books

You tin render immoderate Wikipedia leafage electronically successful PDF, ZIM oregon OpenDocument format, oregon ordered arsenic a printed book. This leafage shows you however to make a publication from Wikipedia articles successful 4 steps.

Use Google to find your Android

Google offers an Android instrumentality manager that lets you find a mislaid oregon stolen device, but you tin besides Google "find my phone" to find your Android device. Just retrieve you indispensable beryllium logged into the Google relationship associated with your Android.

Google tin assistance you study

Whenever you request to survey for an important exam successful assemblage oregon precocious school, conscionable google "site:edu [subject] exam", and past you'll get links to tonnes of illustration exams with solutions and everything.

Here's an example:

Google hunt this nonstop phrase: site:edu python exam

This is what Google volition surface.

Get coupon codes with Honey

Download the Honey add-on extension to your Chrome browser to instantly statesman redeeming money. It automatically applies coupon codes during checkout astatine immoderate online retailer. Woohoo!

See if your email is progressive successful a information breach

Again, we emotion privateness tips. We're definite you bash too. There's a superb website known as HaveIBeenPwned.com. This tract simply monitors your email code to alert you if and erstwhile it is compromised successful a information breach. This works retrospectively too.

Any publically revealed hack that includes your email code volition beryllium highlighted with this tool. If you cheque it and find your email successful immoderate of the lists, we'd highly urge changing your passwords and using a password manager to support things unafraid successful future. 

Easily adjacent immoderate online account

It's sometimes ace annoying to adjacent online accounts, arsenic services volition hide the enactment nether settings and assistance menus. Well, accidental hullo to a website called AccountKiller.com. It gives step-by-step guides connected however to delete online accounts from fashionable websites with ease. 

Turn an aged telephone into a dashcam

If you've got an aged telephone conscionable lying astir gathering dust, past you could enactment it to amended usage by utilizing it arsenic a dashcam. With a bully charging cable, surface equine and a dedicated dashcam app you tin make a superb dashcam instrumentality for precise small money. See a large usher here.

TP rotation cablegram organiser

Every tech enthusiast has a draw, container oregon container afloat of cables determination successful the house. But however often bash these cables conscionable get tanged up and go an unbearable mess? Instructables has a guide connected utilizing bare toilet rolls to clasp your cables and support them separate. 

Keyboard cleaning with Post-its

If your keyboard is simply a tad filthy, afloat of particulate and fluff, past a fewer Post-it notes should benignant you close out. Rub the sticky extremity done the gaps to springiness it a speedy and casual clean. 

Microwaving much than 1 thing

Cooking meal for 2 but haven't got capable country successful the microwave? You tin usage this instrumentality to navigator 2 meals astatine once. You volition person to permission them successful for longer though arsenic the instructions volition lone beryllium intended for 1 repast and they wouldn't beryllium cooked done decently different but astatine slightest some meals volition beryllium acceptable astatine the aforesaid time. 

Fix conscionable astir everything with Sugru

If you person a fraying powerfulness cablegram that needs immoderate emotion and care, past Sugru is the answer. This Play-Doh-esque mouldable glue that tin beryllium utilized for a assortment of fixes including covering wires. There are plentifulness of different uses for Sugru too, whether fixing oregon improving household items. We'd highly urge having a look astatine the database of ideas. 

Turn your aged telephone into a information camera

Much similar the hack for turning disused phones into Dashcams, you tin besides usage an aged telephone arsenic a smart location camera alternative. With a elemental app called Manything, you tin enactment the aged instrumentality to caller use. CNET has a afloat tutorial connected however to bash this. 

Find your password

If you've asked Google Chrome to prevention your passwords astatine immoderate point, past you tin entree that password via the browser's settings. The easiest mode to get to the mounting is by typing this into your browser's code barroom - chrome://settings/passwords. Then you tin uncover the password for immoderate tract to usage elsewhere. 

Watch age-restricted YouTube videos without logging in

• There is simply a mode to ticker immoderate age-restricted YouTube video without signing into your account. Just adhd "nsfw" earlier "youtube" successful the URL nexus successful your code bar.

  Here's an example:

  Original video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LZM3_wp2ps

  Non-restricted version: www.nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=6LZM3_wp2ps

Determine however agelong a publication volition instrumentality to read

Those of you who are ace businesslike would astir apt similar to cognize however agelong it'll instrumentality you to get done a circumstantial publication earlier you beryllium down to commencement speechmaking it.

Well, a website called HowLongToReadThis.com really estimates the clip required to work immoderate book. And it's precise close too, successful our tests anyway.

Go to furniture astatine the perfect time

If you're an insomniac, you'll emotion a website called sleepyti.me. It helps you to cipher the champion clip to spell to furniture and aftermath up for optimal sleep. The thought is that waking up successful the mediate of a slumber rhythm leaves you feeling bushed and groggy, but waking up successful betwixt cycles keeps you refreshed and alert.

This tract works it each retired for you - truthful you tin aftermath up betwixt cycles.

Use WhatsApp connected the web

WhatsApp isn't constricted to your mobile phone.

There's a web app that syncs everything from your phone. If you person the Chrome browser installed connected your computer, spell to the WhatsApp Web page, scan the QR code, and travel the instructions for your phone. 

Use Google to acceptable a timer

If you request to support way of the timer oregon person an alarm spell disconnected successful a portion to punctual you to bash something, the Google's determination to help. Simply benignant "start a timer" into the hunt motor to bash conscionable that. 

Edit an online representation successful MS Paint

If you privation to edit an representation successful paint, you tin transcript it oregon prevention it from the web. But did you cognize you tin conscionable transcript the representation URL and "open" it successful Paint by pasting the URL straight into the filename container successful the unfastened window? This volition prevention a fewer seconds of tweaking for sure. 

Boost your tunes

If your smartphone's speakers aren't up to scratch oregon you request a small much measurement to your greeting alarm to assistance you get retired of bed, past here's an casual solution. Pop your telephone successful a cupful and that'll enactment to heighten the dependable giving you the content of much volume.  

Create a WiFi QR codification for your guests

This hack is simply a two-step process, but it's worthy doing. By the end, you'll ne'er person to springiness retired your WiFi password again. First, visit this site and usage it to make a unsocial QR codification based connected your web details. Then visit Etsy for a QR codification transverse stitch to truly adhd a interaction of people to the full thing. Mounted successful a frame, it'll beryllium thing peculiar for sure. 

Save wealth connected Amazon with CamelCamelCamel

Here's different money-saving tip: If you usage Amazon a lot, marque definite you commencement taking vantage of a website called camelcamelcamel.com. It tracks products for you and alerts you erstwhile prices drop. It's besides a large mode to cheque whether thing that's connected merchantability is really a bully terms oregon whether it's been cheaper before. 

Convert YouTube videos to GIFs

Want to person immoderate YouTube video into a GIF? Just adhd gif earlier youtube successful the URL nexus successful your code bar. Here's an example:

Original video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OVg8uov78I

GIF download - www.gifyoutube.com/watch?v=_OVg8uov78I

Use Preview to make a integer signature

If you person a integer papers you person to sign, present is the clip to yet usage the Preview app connected Mac. Instead of printing disconnected the documenting to sign, you tin unfastened the Tools paper successful Preview, past take Annotate > Signature > Manage Signatures, and a Signature Capture dialog container volition appear. Simply usage your rodent to gully a signature you tin save/insert into immoderate document.

Here's a bully tutorial for much details.

Find 'nearby' Wikipedia pages

Ever privation to cognize much astir your neighbourhood? Wikipedia has a Nearby instrumentality that surfaces a big of antithetic pages astir places and things adjacent you. Just spell to this site, springiness your support for it to entree your location, past you’ll spot a database of Wikipedia articles based connected wherever you are located. Amazeballs.

Easily look up connection definitions connected your Mac

Macs person a useful shortcut that'll fto you look up connection definitions successful a divided second. To look up a definition, item immoderate connection you see, past property command+control+D, and a dialog container with the info volition appear.

Find nonstop download links to movies

To find a nonstop download nexus to a movie, hunt "[movie name] -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)".

It tells Google to amusement webpages that connection nonstop download links to the movie you're trying to find. Here's an illustration for A Clockwork Orange:

Google hunt this phrase: A Clockwork Orange -inurl:(htm|html|php|pls|txt) intitle:index.of "last modified" (mkv|mp4|avi)

This is what Google volition surface.

Click 1 of the apical links, such arsenic this one, to get nonstop download links for the movie.

Just retrieve that downloading copyrighted contented from the net is illegal. You're amended disconnected utilizing Netflix, Amazon Prime oregon different video streaming service. 

Find the cleanable username

Want to cheque whether a username is taken oregon disposable connected fashionable sites? Just usage Namechk.com. It adjacent checks domain names.

Browse safely by checking sites first

Before visiting a suspicious site, Google "safebrowsing: [website name]", and past prime the link to this site to spot a 90-day past of malware attempts connected the site. Here's an example:

Google hunt this nonstop phrase: safebrowsing: Pocket-lint

Google volition past aboveground these results.

Click the 1 for Google's Safe Browsing tool, and you should spot this.

Remote somesthesia watching

Smoking nutrient is simply a fantastic mode to support that takes ages and requires regular somesthesia measurement. 

This clever bod has employed a video babe monitor to support a distant oculus connected the somesthesia gauge truthful they don't person to support going extracurricular to cheque connected the BBQ. Genius. 

Pizza stand

Fed up with holding your phone? Cut 1 limb disconnected a pizza topper and it becomes a neat small stool to prop your smartphone up on. Just don't get pizza grease connected it portion you're doing it. 

Cheap headphone stand

Looking for determination to bent your headphones oregon gaming headset erstwhile you're not utilizing them? A inexpensive banana hanger whitethorn beryllium the answer. It doesn't person RGB but it's a bully hack to store your gear. 

Free learnings

This prof has shared immoderate neat nuggets for those looking to prevention wealth connected absorbing reading. 

Writing by Maggie Tillman and Adrian Willings. Originally published connected 23 October 2015.