Dragon Medical One is the latest dictation solution from Nuance. There are a lot of changes since Dragon Medical Practice Edition, so it’s a good thing to look at the pros and cons before deciding to upgrade.
Dragon Medical Software
The biggest change they made when creating Dragon Medical One is that it is now hosted on the cloud. This is a huge improvement over Dragon Medical Practice Edition because it means any Windows computer can run Dragon at high speeds. The Cloud allows increased dictation speed and accuracy while leaving a smaller footprint on your computer processing unit.
The next major pro of using Dragon Medical One is the ability to use the included Powermic Mobile App. Many existing Dragon Medical Software customers are familiar with the Powermic, a Nuance microphone with buttons directly integrated with Dragon Medical. The Powermic can be expensive, and there is not a wireless version available, so you will need to keep an eye on the cord, which can be a hassle if you dictate on multiple computers. Powermic Mobile solves all these issues. Powermic Mobile is an app that allows you to turn your smartphone into a mobile Powermic so you can dictate remotely with ease, and you will not need to purchase any additional equipment or worry about a cord. Powermic Mobile is included free with Dragon Medical One.
One of the other benefits of using Dragon Medical One, is you can install it on as many computers as you want. The Practice Edition of Dragon could only be installed on up to 4 computers, but with Dragon Medical One, there are no restrictions. When you create your account you will have a username and password that only you can use to sign in. You can use that to sign in to multiple computers so you never have to worry about running out of installations.Dragon Medical Oneis the latest and greatest version of Dragon. It includes a lot of upgrades over the previous version and is more available than ever. Unlike previous versions if you want to try Dragon Medical One, we can start your free trial today. Contact us to schedule a time and we will be happy to set up your trial so you can begin using dragon immediately.
There’s no need to worry that your secret ChatGPT conversations were obtained in a recently reported breach of OpenAI’s systems. The hack itself, while troubling, appears to have been superficial — but it’s reminder that AI companies have in short order made themselves into one of the juiciest targets out there for hackers.
The New York Times reported the hack in more detail after former OpenAI employee Leopold Aschenbrenner hinted at it recently in a podcast. He called it a “major security incident,” but unnamed company sources told the Times the hacker only got access to an employee discussion forum. (I reached out to OpenAI for confirmation and comment.)
No security breach should really be treated as trivial, and eavesdropping on internal OpenAI development talk certainly has its value. But it’s far from a hacker getting access to internal systems, models in progress, secret roadmaps, and so on.
But it should scare us anyway, and not necessarily because of the threat of China or other adversaries overtaking us in the AI arms race. The simple fact is that these AI companies have become gatekeepers to a tremendous amount of very valuable data.
Let’s talk about three kinds of data OpenAI and, to a lesser extent, other AI companies created or have access to: high-quality training data, bulk user interactions, and customer data.
It’s uncertain what training data exactly they have, because the companies are incredibly secretive about their hoards. But it’s a mistake to think that they are just big piles of scraped web data. Yes, they do use web scrapers or datasets like the Pile, but it’s a gargantuan task shaping that raw data into something that can be used to train a model like GPT-4o. A huge amount of human work hours are required to do this — it can only be partially automated.
Some machine learning engineers have speculated that of all the factors going into the creation of a large language model (or, perhaps, any transformer-based system), the single most important one is dataset quality. That’s why a model trained on Twitter and Reddit will never be as eloquent as one trained on every published work of the last century. (And probably why OpenAI reportedly used questionably legal sources like copyrighted books in their training data, a practice they claim to have given up.)
So the training datasets OpenAI has built are of tremendous value to competitors, from other companies to adversary states to regulators here in the U.S. Wouldn’t the FTC or courts like to know exactly what data was being used, and whether OpenAI has been truthful about that?
But perhaps even more valuable is OpenAI’s enormous trove of user data — probably billions of conversations with ChatGPT on hundreds of thousands of topics. Just as search data was once the key to understanding the collective psyche of the web, ChatGPT has its finger on the pulse of a population that may not be as broad as the universe of Google users, but provides far more depth. (In case you weren’t aware, unless you opt out, your conversations are being used for training data.)
In the case of Google, an uptick in searches for “air conditioners” tells you the market is heating up a bit. But those users don’t then have a whole conversation about what they want, how much money they’re willing to spend, what their home is like, manufacturers they want to avoid, and so on. You know this is valuable because Google is itself trying to convert its users to provide this very information by substituting AI interactions for searches!
Think of how many conversations people have had with ChatGPT, and how useful that information is, not just to developers of AIs, but to marketing teams, consultants, analysts… it’s a gold mine.
The last category of data is perhaps of the highest value on the open market: how customers are actually using AI, and the data they have themselves fed to the models.
Hundreds of major companies and countless smaller ones use tools like OpenAI and Anthropic’s APIs for an equally large variety of tasks. And in order for a language model to be useful to them, it usually must be fine-tuned on or otherwise given access to their own internal databases.
This might be something as prosaic as old budget sheets or personnel records (to make them more easily searchable, for instance) or as valuable as code for an unreleased piece of software. What they do with the AI’s capabilities (and whether they’re actually useful) is their business, but the simple fact is that the AI provider has privileged access, just as any other SaaS product does.
These are industrial secrets, and AI companies are suddenly right at the heart of a great deal of them. The newness of this side of the industry carries with it a special risk in that AI processes are simply not yet standardized or fully understood.
Like any SaaS provider, AI companies are perfectly capable of providing industry standard levels of security, privacy, on-premises options, and generally speaking providing their service responsibly. I have no doubt that the private databases and API calls of OpenAI’s Fortune 500 customers are locked down very tightly! They must certainly be as aware or more of the risks inherent in handling confidential data in the context of AI. (The fact OpenAI did not report this attack is their choice to make, but it doesn’t inspire trust for a company that desperately needs it.)
But good security practices don’t change the value of what they are meant to protect, or the fact that malicious actors and sundry adversaries are clawing at the door to get in. Security isn’t just picking the right settings or keeping your software updated — though of course the basics are important too. It’s a never-ending cat-and-mouse game that is, ironically, now being supercharged by AI itself: agents and attack automators are probing every nook and cranny of these companies’ attack surfaces.
There’s no reason to panic — companies with access to lots of personal or commercially valuable data have faced and managed similar risks for years. But AI companies represent a newer, younger, and potentially juicier target than your garden-variety poorly configured enterprise server or irresponsible data broker. Even a hack like the one reported above, with no serious exfiltrations that we know of, should worry anybody who does business with AI companies. They’ve painted the targets on their backs. Don’t be surprised when anyone, or everyone, takes a shot.
Threads, Meta’s alternative to Twitter, just celebrated its first birthday. After launching on July 5 last year, the social network has reached 175 million monthly active users — that’s a notable achievement. But, after a year, Threads is trying to find its own voice by not being as newsy as Twitter/X and not being as open as Mastodon or Bluesky — at least for now.
Over the course of the last year, the Threads team has shipped features at a rapid pace and has gathered feedback on the social network directly through its users. After the launch, Threads has gained support for multiple profiles, a web app, a TweetDeck-like interface on the desktop, trending topics in the U.S., and custom controls for mute and quote replies.
The company has also made some progress to integrate with the fediverse. Users can connect their accounts to the ActivityPub protocol and can share their posts with the fediverse. Plus, they can look at likes and replies from the wider fediverse. But they can’t follow people from other servers just yet.
However, there are a lot of things Meta can learn from other social networks.
Following topics
Bluesky has done a great job with custom feeds and helping people discover different content. Custom feeds are programmatic feeds that aim to pull posts related to one topic without being just limited to one tag.
Threads implemented tags last year. But at times users end up sharing posts with different tags for an event or a trend. Is it WWDC or WWDC 2024 or WWDC 24 or Apple Event? You can save a search term and hope to get relevant and recent posts, but there is no way to combine those. Some kind of provision for this in the API, or a custom list implementation, would be a great addition.
Last month, Threads made its API widely available to developers. The API enables toolmakers to post content for users and display their own posts within an app.
“The Threads API enables businesses to create and publish content on a person’s behalf on Threads and to display those posts within an app solely to the person who created it,” Meta wrote as a description for Threads’ API.
This doesn’t allow developers to create third-party apps to consume Threads. We wrote earlier this year that over the last few years, social networks have become stingy about user data. In the process, they have shut down the development of alternative experiences that could help different sets of users.
Threads’ rivals like Bluesky and Mastodon have fostered an ecosystem where third-party developers can make their own clients. It’s not clear if users will be able to pick other Mastodon clients to experience Threads when Threads achieves full integration with the fediverse. It would be good to get some assurance that Threads is open to allowing third-party apps.
Separating Threads and Instagram
Threads built a lot of its user base through its Instagram integration. However, with more than 175 million active users, the company can afford to lose its ties with Instagram. Initially, a Threads profile was completely tied to a user’s Instagram account. So you couldn’t delete your Threads profile without deleting your Instagram account. The company later released an update for users to deactivate or delete one account.
However, you still can’t create a profile that’s separate from an Instagram account. Plus, there is no way to DM people unless you go to their Instagram.
There is hope in this area, though. In an interview with Platformer’s Casey Newton, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that the company is thinking of moving in this direction.
“My hope is that Threads gets more independent over time. It’s still deeply integrated with Instagram — you can sign in with the same account, you can automatically follow the same accounts, and we show Threads content on Instagram. But over time, I want it to be more and more independent. We’re working on things like Threads-only accounts and data separation,” Mosseri told Platformer.
News and politics
Threads and Mosseri have taken a stance that they are not actively promoting or amplifying news and political content on the platform. Despite that, political topics surface in places like trending topics from time to time. Right now, these topics are just concentrated on U.S. politics, but when they roll out to other regions, there will be times when political content will take over the social network. And the company should hone the product in a way that could handle extremities without suppressing news.
X’s Community Notes program is not perfect, and often it makes mistakes or is prone to bias. However, at times, it succeeds in providing useful context. When it comes to news, Mastodon recently rolled out a feature to show bylines linked with the writer’s account on the social network.
The “For You” algorithm
I’ll admit it. No social network has a perfect algorithm. Video platforms like TikTok might have moved the needle in a positive direction in terms of serving interesting posts.
In comparison, Threads’ “For You” feed sometimes looks bizarre. Several people have written about strange posts appearing on their feeds that seem out of their interest sphere.
More recently, I have been seeing posts about people asking “Where are you from?” and talking about how single life or dating is hard. I’m not sure what I did to trigger this. But Threads really needs to work on making the “For You” algorithm more palatable when showing random posts on the timeline.
Better local content
To surface local content, Threads doesn’t have to look far beyond Instagram, which has developed partnership teams in various countries. Before Elon Musk took over, Twitter also had partnership teams in various regions focusing on surfacing relevant content.
Threads rolled out live scores for NBA, MLS, and even Euro 2024. But it missed out on the opportunity to engage cricket fans with live scores during the T20 World Cup last month — earlier today, the company published a blog post saying that “India is one of the most active countries on Threads globally.”
While there are areas for improvement, given the feature release cadence, we might see some of these areas being addressed sooner than later. Threads has acted friendly with Mastodon and hasn’t really cared about Bluesky. But if we are to believe Mosseri, the ultimate aim is to beat Twitter.
If you have seen thumbs-up bubbles or confetti going off on your screen while moving your hands on a video call, you are not alone.
A lot of people think that this is some quirk of Zoom or WhatsApp. However, this is an Apple feature baked into iOS and Mac. But you can turn off the reactions feature to stop these effects from appearing on screen during your work calls.
How to turn off video call reactions on a Mac
When you are on any video call on your Mac, click on the video menu in the menu bar; it’s a green camera icon in the top of your screen. Then click on the Reactions option in the drop-down menu to turn off reactions for all video calls.
How to turn off video call reactions on an iPhone
When you are in a video call on your iPhone, open the Control Center and tap on the video tab. Then tap on the reactions options to turn off gesture-based effects.
When Apple rolled out iOS 17.4 earlier this year, it gave an option to developers of third-party video call apps to turn these reactions off by default. So if your preferred video call app has implemented this change, you might not need to manually turn off these reactions.
Aiming to bring the “social” back to “social media,” a new app called noplace has surged to the top of the App Store as it launched out of invite-only mode Wednesday. Designed to appeal to a younger crowd — or anyone who wants to connect with friends or around shared interests — noplace is like a modern-day Myspace with its colorful, customizable profiles that allow people to share everything from relationship status, to what they’re listening to or watching, what they’re reading or doing, and more.
Boding well for its potential in the often-difficult consumer social market, noplace had already gone viral ahead of its public launch because of its feature that allows users to express themselves by customizing the colors of their profile. Though Gen Z may not have grown up with Myspace and all its chaotic customizations, there’s still a sense of nostalgia for a social networking experience they never had.
“I think that part of the magical, fun part of the internet is gone now. Everything is very uniform,” says founder and CEO Tiffany Zhong, who previously founded her own early-stage consumer fund, Pineapple Capital, and, in her teens, worked at Binary Capital, helping them source early-stage consumer deals.
Having played with every consumer social app over the past decade, Zhong has a good eye for the next big hit. She flagged Musical.ly in 2015 as the startup that would become the next Snap or Twitter, for instance, after realizing how much traction it had with kids and other younger users.
She also often tweeted her product insights and analysis, particularly about consumer apps, gaining her a following on social media. Given her background, it’s no surprise that Zhong has well-developed ideas about what might appeal to today’s younger users in a new social networking app.
“I’ve always loved social,” she says, but added that social media doesn’t feel social anymore. “Everything is just media. It feels very disconnected.”
In part, that’s because all our content now is highly personalized, the founder says. “We’re watching different content and [following] different interests than our friends, so community is harder to find as a result,” she says.
With noplace, the idea is to provide a place where people can follow their friends as well as find others who share their interests in one place.
The app offers a mini, customizable profile where they can share what they’re up to right now and customize it to reflect their interests. Users’ profiles can feature tags, which the app calls “stars,” that are the interests or topics that they care about. For example, users might add their astrology sign, their Myers-Briggs personality type, their hobbies or their fandoms to their profiles, which then makes them discoverable to others. It even has a “top 10 friends” section, reminiscent of Myspace’s top 8.
But noplace is more like a global group chat or Twitter/X rival than it is an alternative to Facebook, as it focuses on text-based updates and doesn’t support either photos or videos for the time being.
“Facebook 10 years ago — or Facebook when I was using it in middle school — was all around cool, life updates,” Zhong says. “We don’t get that anymore, right? You can follow [friends] on Instagram, but it’s still highlights, less updates.”
Also on noplace, users are meant to share what they’re currently doing, not what they’ve already done. If you’re in a new city or watching a show or checking out a new band, those could be your status updates. The app offers two feeds, one with your friends and another global feed from everyone in the app, and both are in reverse chronological order. There are no private profiles.
People who enter their age as younger than 18 will also receive a more moderated feed. The company is focused on moderation, having built its own internal dashboard for the purpose, and is tasking a team to ensure users stay safe.
Instead of algorithms, noplace leverages AI technology to drive suggestions and curation. The app doesn’t edit the feed for you, but rather uses AI to do things like offering summaries of what you’ve missed.
“We did that intentionally … having a global, public feed is what makes it so fun. It’s like everyone’s brain on paper,” Zhong notes. “People have a blast. They’re like, ‘I’ve never had an app like this before.’”
The Tokyo- and San Francisco-based founder first started working on noplace during the second half of last year along with a remotely distributed full-time team of seven. Late last year, noplace launched into an invite-only beta phase and “accidentally went viral,” Zhong says, prompting the team to distribute some invite codes to early adopters, which included some K-pop fans.
The app is now poised to offer younger Twitter users an alternative to the network now known as X under Elon Musk, and offers the same ability to post to a text-based feed, but combines that with friend-finding features and customization options that appeal to their demographic.
The app is a free download on iOS and is available in read-only mode on the web. Monetization plans are not yet underway. noplace competes with other friend-finding apps targeting Gen Z, like Wizz, Yubo, purp, LMK and others.
The startup is backed by funding from investors including 776 (Alexis Ohanian), Forerunner Ventures and others. According to PitchBook data, the company raised $15 million in a Series A1 round, at a pre-money valuation of $75 million, bringing its total raise to north of $19 million.
SpaceX’s ambitious plans to launch its Starship mega-rocket up to 44 times per year from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are causing a stir among some of its competitors. Late last month, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance submitted comments calling on regulators to ensure minimal disruptions to other launch providers in the area, with Blue Origin even suggesting limiting Starship operations to particular times — and giving other launch providers a right of first refusal for conflicting launches.
But SpaceX may have even more ambitious plans for a second launch pad right next door: Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). At a series of public meetings held in March, the public was invited to comment on plans to launch Starship from SLC-37 up to 76 times per year. That would mean SpaceX aims to launch its next-gen rocket up to 120 times per year within a six-mile area on the Florida coast.
The U.S. Space Force is currently preparing the draft environmental assessment that will be released to the public this winter, and that document will contain SpaceX’s final anticipated launch cadence. A Space Force representative stressed to TechCrunch that launch cadence numbers could change from now until then. Such numbers could be influenced by the pace of Starship’s development in the coming months or even by the number of scrub jay nests discovered during the EA process. Scrub jays, a bird native to Florida, are listed as threatened on the Endangered Species list.
However, as recently as a few weeks ago, SpaceX’s competitors were still using the number 76 as a benchmark for the company’s plans, according to a person familiar with the talks. The company did not immediately return a request for comment.
Scaling in Florida and Texas
SLC-37 is a historic launch pad at CCSFS, home to NASA’s Saturn rocket in the 1960s and, more recently, United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV series rockets. The pad is now inactive after ULA flew its Delta IV Heavy for the final time in April. The Space Force announced in February that it was preparing to kick off what’s known as an environmental impact statement, a sweeping regulatory document that examines the environmental impacts of the proposed activities, regarding Starship launches from that pad.
The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing a separate impact statement for SpaceX’s Starship launch plans at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A. Both studies are meant to examine the environmental impacts of Starship launches and landing operations, which will involve the Super Heavy boosters returning to the launch site, similar to how SpaceX’s Falcon rockets operate. The Space Force’s environmental impact statement for SLC-37 is also considering an alternative — having SpaceX construct an entirely new launch pad currently designated SLC-50. Either way, there would likely be significant construction, including deluge ponds, fuel tanks, a catch tower — and then upwards of 120 launches per year from both sites combined.
The two Florida launch pads would join an existing Starship launch tower at SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in southeast Texas, as well as a second tower that’s currently under construction at the same location. In the near future, SpaceX could have four operational Starship launch sites.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has incredibly ambitious plans for Starship, which he sees as a key enabler for colonizing Mars and “expanding the light of consciousness” through the cosmos. He eventually wants to launch Starship multiple times per day, with each launch delivering hundreds of tons of cargo to low Earth orbit or beyond. The company has a separate goal of beefing up its Starship manufacturing facilities to enable producing one Starship second stage per day.
Blue Origin, ULA push back
As part of the preparation process, the public is invited to comment on the scope of the plans before a draft environmental impact statement is published. While the public comments on SLC-37 have not yet been released, the comments on pad 39A at Kennedy were — and they included strong statements from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance on the plans there. Both companies expressed particular concern on the effects such a high flight rate would have on other launch providers with infrastructure at Kennedy and Cape Canaveral.
“Just one Starship launch site is likely to disrupt other launch operations in the area and cause significant environmental impacts, as discussed in detail below. The impacts are certain to be amplified if coming from two launch sites in such close proximity,” ULA said in its comment.
“For example, SpaceX intends to conduct up to 44 launches per year from LC-39A. If SpaceX aims for a comparable number at SLC-37, that would lead to nearly 100 launches per year—or one every three days or so,” the comment continued. Blue Origin, which aims to launch its New Glenn rocket from LC-36 at the Cape Canaveral site, proposed a number of mitigating factors that made it clear it views the launch operations across both sites as a zero-sum game. Those included a suggestion to require SpaceX (or the government) to indemnify third parties for losses caused by Starship operations — including commercial disruptions.
5 Ways To Customize Your Apple Watch : For individuals who use the Apple Watch, its potential to enhance their daily routines is unparalleled. With a range of features designed to streamline tasks and promote hands-free convenience, it has the capability to significantly optimize their lives. However, many users may not realize that they can personalize their experience beyond the default settings and accessories.
Beyond discovering the most beneficial apps for their specific needs, users can explore accessories that complement their Apple Watch usage. While the watch’s square shape and size options remain unchanged, there are still numerous opportunities to customize its appearance and functionality. Whether you’re a newcomer to Apple Watch ownership or a seasoned user seeking new insights, here are some methods to tailor your device to better suit your lifestyle.
Switch around your Apple Watch bands
One immediate way to alter the appearance of your Apple Watch is by simply changing its bands. While the default bands that come with the Apple Watch are sturdy and functional for most users, they might not always provide the desired aesthetic appeal. Luckily, there’s a wide array of official Apple bands or third-party alternatives that can significantly enhance the visual appeal of your Apple Watch.
Nowadays, there’s a diverse selection of Apple Watch band styles available for you to interchange as needed. For instance, you could opt for a sports band when engaging in outdoor activities or workouts. For a more professional look, leather or stainless steel bands are suitable choices. Additionally, if you’re aiming for a more formal setting such as a date night, Casetify offers chain bracelets in black, gold, silver, and rose options, seamlessly integrating your Apple Watch into elegant attire alongside fine jewelry.
For those who prioritize brand recognition, there’s no shortage of designer Apple Watch bands from renowned names like Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Coach. Furthermore, if you’re in a higher income bracket, you might be intrigued by the Apple Watch Hermès collaboration. Available at select Apple Hermès stores, these luxury Apple Watch bands start at over $1,200 and come in 12 distinct designs.
Change your Apple Watch face
After securing the suitable Apple Watch bands to suit your preferences, it’s crucial to complement them with compatible watch faces. Given that the face constitutes the predominant visual element of your Apple Watch, it’s likely to be the first aspect that catches attention. To explore the array of available Apple Watch faces, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap “Face Gallery” situated at the bottom middle of the screen.
Within the Face Gallery, numerous watch face options await, ranging from sporty, minimalist, to illustration-based designs. Once you’ve singled out your preferred Apple Watch face, simply tap it to customize its appearance. Should the pre-installed faces on the Watch app fail to satisfy your preferences, you can expand your options by downloading third-party apps. In case you feel overwhelmed by the choices, we’ve compiled a list of top Apple Watch face apps for your consideration.
The extent of customization options may vary depending on the chosen watch face, but typically includes alterations to color, character, or collection theme. Once you’ve settled on your desired Apple Watch face, you can easily add it by selecting the preferred design in the Face Gallery and tapping “Add” located at the bottom of the face name.
Create complications
One of the lesser-known features for Apple Watch users is the ability to create complications, which act as personalized additions to your Watch face. According to Apple, a complication is a tool that presents timely and pertinent information directly on the watch face, visible whenever you raise your wrist. While the quantity of complications available depends on the chosen face layout, Apple indicates that most faces support at least one, with some layouts accommodating up to four. To explore available complications for each Watch face, follow these steps:
Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap “Face Gallery” located in the lower middle of the screen.
Choose your desired Watch face.
Scroll down to the Complications section at the bottom of the screen.
For instance, in the depicted Watch face example, you can include up to four complications. Some suggested complications to consider are world clocks, weather updates, compass waypoints, and even camera remote capabilities. Additionally, you can tailor complications for specific activities; for instance, swimmers might find water temperature and depth more pertinent than the average user. However, it’s essential to be mindful when adding complications, as certain options such as Cycle Tracking may not be suitable for public display.
Notifications
While many individuals appreciate the freedom from their phones that comes with owning an Apple Watch, not everyone enjoys the persistent stream of notifications, even if they’re just represented by a small red dot. Fortunately, you can easily tailor your Apple Watch notifications to alleviate anxiety or limit them to only the most crucial ones. Here’s how:
Open the Watch app on your iPhone paired with your Apple Watch.
Tap “My Watch” in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Choose “Notifications.”
Select the app you wish to manage notifications for.
Pick your preferred notification style, which may vary depending on the selected app. Options include “Allow Notifications,” “Send to Notifications Center,” or “Notifications Off.”
Additionally, depending on the app, you might have further customization options for your Apple Watch notifications. For instance, if you have multiple email accounts linked to your iPhone’s Mail app, you can opt to receive notifications only from a specific email address on your Apple Watch. Moreover, if you’re concerned about privacy and prefer to keep sensitive information hidden, you can disable the quick summary feature from your Apple Watch notifications. Alternatively, you can utilize the silent vibrate-only alarm feature for a more subtle reminder when wrapping up activities.
Move your apps around
To efficiently locate the most relevant apps on your Apple Watch, you have two options: you can organize them directly on your Watch face or utilize the Watch app on your iPhone.
Here’s how to rearrange apps on your Apple Watch:
Access your Home Screen on the Apple Watch.
In the Grid view, press and hold the app you wish to relocate.
Drag the app to your desired position.
And here’s how to rearrange Apple Watch apps on your iPhone:
Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap “My Watch” located on the lower-left side of the screen.
Choose “App View” > “Arrangement.”
Press and hold the app icon you want to reposition.
Drag the icon to where you want it placed.
Beyond organizing your existing apps, consider downloading apps tailored to your lifestyle. For instance, if you’re a frequent traveler, explore apps for travelers or safety on the road. There are also apps designed to assist with stress management, finance, and hydration.
Alternatively, you can remove apps that no longer serve you and only contribute to clutter on your Apple Watch. To do this, press and hold the app icon, then tap the X to uninstall it. In list view, swipe left and tap the trash can icon to remove it.
Manage your Apple Watch workout settings
For numerous Apple Watch users, the Activity rings offer a means to enrich their fitness and exercise endeavors. To optimize the management of your Apple Watch Activity rings, you can adjust your move, exercise, and stand goals to progressively challenge yourself, and keep track of your activity reminders.
If you engage in regular workouts, it might be beneficial to incorporate them into your Apple Watch for easier monitoring. Simply access the Workout app on your device, navigate to the bottom, and select “Add Workout.” Additionally, for specific sports where certain metrics hold greater significance, you can prioritize them to display on your Apple Watch face.
For individuals who prioritize their workout routines, establishing a dedicated Focus mode can be advantageous, ensuring that non-fitness apps won’t disrupt your sessions. Furthermore, setting up safety features like ECG recording and crash detection on your Apple Watch can transform it into a valuable tool during emergencies.
The Top 4 Thin And Sleek Laptops For Ultimate Portability : Whether you are a college student and need to carry your laptop to your courses or have a full-time job, gone are the days of slipping bulky laptops into your briefcase. Nowadays, one of the primary factors most people take into consideration when choosing a laptop is how lightweight and portable it is. The lighter and sleeker your laptop is, the easier it is to work on it, even when you’re on the go. Apart from being easy to carry, it’s essential to consider a few other things when choosing a laptop. Good battery life ensures you can work on the go, and durability means it will last despite constant movement and daily use. Fortunately, top manufacturers understand these needs and keep improving their products to fit the mobile lifestyle.
However, with the hundreds of options available on the web, finding the perfect laptop that checks every box of your requirements can certainly be a challenge. This article discusses four of the lightest and thinnest laptops that promise convenience and performance. We’re recommending each laptop based on SlashGear’s hands-on experience using them and after taking user reviews and testimonials into account. I found myself in a similar situation a couple of months ago, and while I settled on the M2 MacBook Air, all the laptops that made it to our list were the top contenders.
1. MacBook M2 Air
MacBook Airs are undoubtedly one of the best laptops to opt for, especially if you’re looking for a thin, lightweight one that’s easy to carry around. The M2 MacBook Air is available in two different sizes, 13-inch and 15-inch. The 13-inch MacBook has a 13.6-inch retina display, while the 15-inch model has a 15.3-inch liquid retina display. Both models feature a square-edge design with a rectangular notch at the top of the screen. The M2 MacBook Air lineup packs the Apple M2 chip, which has an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine.
The 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air feature displays with 500 nits of brightness and are both available in the same colors: Starlight, Midnight, Space Gray, and Silver. Both feature a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and Apple boasts that both models can handle up to 15 hours of wireless web surfing and 18 hours of movie playback.
While both laptops are similar in terms of specs, they differ in terms of price, weight, and thickness. The 13-inch model weighs 2.7 pounds and is 0.44 inches thin, while the 15-inch weighs 3.3 pounds and has a thickness of 0.45 inches. The base model of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air currently retails for $1,099, while the 15-inch base model retails for $1,299.
While MacBooks definitely lean towards the more expensive side, they are quite durable, and if treated right, they’re built to last. The fanless M2 Air lineup is not only extremely thin and lightweight, but it also offers unmatched performance and battery life.
2. Dell XPS 13
The latest iteration of the Dell XPS 13 is another great option if you value portability and are looking for a MacBook alternative. This laptop is available in two different models — the standard Dell XPS 13 and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. While the former is quite lightweight and portable and is almost half an inch thick and weighs 2.59 pounds, the latter has a thickness of 0.29 inches and weighs 1.60 pounds. Regardless of the model you opt for, you can easily slip either one into your briefcase or carry it around from place to place.
Both models pack a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor along with an Intel Iris Xe Graphics card, a combination that’ll ensure you can multitask and work seamlessly. The Dell XPS 13 offers up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage and is available in two different colors: Umber and Sky. The former is a deep purple color with a hint of brown, while the latter is an icy blue color. On the other hand, the convertible model offers up to 16 GB RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage and is available in two different colors: Sky and Slate. Just like the regular Dell XPS 13, the former is an icy light blue shade, while the latter is a darker black color.
Similar to the M2 MacBook Air, both models can reach up to 500 nits of brightness. The regular Dell XPS 13 has a 13.4-inch Full FHD+ non-touch display, while the touchscreen model has a 13-inch display. The regular and 2-in-1 Dell XPS 13 model with Windows 11 Home, 16GB of RAM, and 512 GB of internal storage starts at $1,099.
3. Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED
If you’re on the lookout for a powerful laptop that can handle all your tasks even when you’re on the go, the Asus ZenBook S 13 is another option we recommend. The Windows laptop is around 0.46 inches thick and weighs only 2.2 pounds. While many believe that thin Windows laptops ultimately mean that you’ll have to deal with compromised quality and performance, the Asus ZenBook S 13 is definitely an exception.
As the name suggests, the laptop has a 13.3-inch OLED display and can reach up to 550 nits of brightness. It houses Intel’s 13th Gen Core i7 chip and the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics card. The 2023 edition is available in four different colors: Ponder Blue, Aqua Celadon, Vestige Beige, and Refined White. While many laptop manufacturers, including Apple, have decided to reduce the number of ports on the devices to ensure they’re as slim as possible, the Asus ZenBook S13 offers a full-size HDMI port, two Thunderbolt four connections, a 3.5-millimeter audio jack, and USB 3.2 Type-A ports. The Asus laptop offers up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of internal storage.
4. Surface Pro 9
If you’ve been searching for a portable 2-in-1 laptop, there’s no way the Microsoft Surface Pro lineup didn’t cross your mind. The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is the latest in the lineup, and its weight starts at 1.94 pounds and is 0.37 inches thick. Keep in mind that the mentioned weight is exclusive of the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and Surface Slim Pen 2, which are both sold separately.
Although Windows laptops generally have a bad reputation when it comes to battery life, Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 9 with the 12th Intel Gen chip has up to 15.5 hours of battery life. This means that not only is the 2-in-1 laptop extremely lightweight, but you also won’t have to carry your charger around with you.
When building your device, you can either opt for the 12th Gen Intel Core i5, 12th Gen Intel Core i7, or, if you opt for the 5G model, the Microsoft SQ 3 processor. The laptop is available in four different colors: Platinium, Sapphire, Forest, and Graphite. Unfortunately, you’ll have to compromise a bit on convenience since the Surface Pro 9 only has two Thunderbolt four ports and does not have a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.
Why these laptops made it to our list
When I was looking for a new laptop, I wanted to get a device that was not only powerful but one that I could easily carry around with me. Since I’m deep into the Apple ecosystem, I settled on the M2 MacBook Air. During my search, I tested out different laptops, including the ones mentioned above. I prioritized the performance and made sure to check out what tech experts were saying about these laptops. In addition, some of these laptops were reviewed by the team at SlashGear to give readers an in-depth outlook of the pros and cons.
10 iPhone Apps To Make The Most Of Your Lunch Breaks In 2024 : Lunch breaks can be a fairly sacred time during your work day. In an otherwise jam-packed day, your meal break may just be the only solid block of free time you get. During that time, you’ll inevitably want to unwind from an otherwise busy day. However, unwinding doesn’t necessarily mean doing absolutely nothing.
More than likely, you have a smartphone hanging around in your pocket. With an iPhone in particular, quite a few apps are available to make the most of your lunch break, whether that means staying absolutely productive, or perhaps unwinding with an app or two that may not be the most productive use of your time.
Whatever the case may be, there are plenty of apps to choose from to occupy yourself during a lunch break. No matter if you want just one app to spend your lunch break checking on, or if you want a variety of apps to cycle through for maximum productivity, you’ll have no trouble finding what you’re after to make the most of your lunch breaks in 2024.
1. Duolingo
If you’ve never learned a second language, some surveys suggest that there’s a 70% chance you regret not having done so. Thankfully, it is now easier than ever to start learning. One of the easiest and most widely available ways to learn is using Duolingo. Duolingo is a gamified language-learning app that allows users to select from a wide variety of foreign languages, even including some fictional languages.
What makes Duolingo perfect for your lunch breaks is that it can take up as much time as you want it to. If you just want to do a lesson, that can take as little as two or three minutes. Or perhaps you’ll take the time to fully max out a unit, which could take up an entire lunch break. Either way, it’ll just be one small step toward learning a new language. Duolingo becomes particularly compelling if you like something as simple as maintaining a spot on a leaderboard. For every day in a row you complete just one lesson, you add to a streak on Duolingo that the app will be sure to remind you of.
Additionally, the app contains ten leagues, each with its own leaderboard that you can climb the ranks of based on XP gained from completing lessons. Duolingo has also recently introduced math and music courses if you want to learn something besides a new language. If you want to spend your break on something that feels like a game, but can still help you build a new skill, Duolingo is the perfect app to scratch that itch. Duolingo can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
2. Outread
Keeping up with any news that interests you can be challenging. There are many apps made to help you keep track of articles you want to come back and read when you have the time, and the iPhone itself even has the reading list functionality built in. However, most of those apps and features don’t really have a way to help you actually read those articles faster. Fortunately, there is an app that can help with that.
Outread is a simple app that lets you port in any article you wish to read, and it will help you to speed read the article. The exact speed-reading methods the app uses are either flashing one word at a time to you or highlighting one word at a time to you in the full body of text. According to Outread, the highlighting method in particular can actually help you to read more efficiently in general.
In the base version of Outread, you can paste in web links and text that you wish to speed-read. However, a paid version of Outread is available that allows you to import text files and scan in text. Additionally, you’ll also gain access to a library of books available on Outread. Outreach’s paid plans start at $4.99 monthly and go all the way up to $89.99 for lifetime access.
Outread can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
3. Arc Search
Arc Browser has slowly become one of the best browsers available on Mac, and now Windows. For quite a while, there has been an Arc browser on iPhone, but it’s been kind of barebones, only allowing you access to your desktop tabs. However, The Browser Company recently introduced Arc Search. Arc Search functions as the mobile variant of Arc Browser, as well as a preview of what’s to come to the desktop version.
What sets Arc Browser apart from other mobile browsers is its “Search for me” feature. Search for me allows you to simply type in a search query, and let Arc Search do the rest of the work. Rather than sifting through a few pages of Google or Bing to find what you’re actually looking for, Arc Browser will load out a small page detailing answers to your question. Additionally, it will also provide you with links to the pages that the info has been sourced from.
While there are other AI-enhanced search options out there, such as Microsoft’s Copilot, Arc Search is one of the more compelling options available. If you’ve tried Copilot and were hoping for something with a little less chat and a little more “show me what I want to know,” Arc Search is a great peek into a potential future of searching online. And for any random thing you may want to look up while on your lunch break, Arc Search can speed up, and potentially enhance, your searches.
Arc Search can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
4. Reminders
If you use an app to give you reminders for various tasks throughout the day, you may sometimes have gotten too busy to actually take the time to clear out and update your app. Your lunch break can be a great time to stop and catch up with what you’ve done, while also noting what you still need to do later. There are many reminder apps available, but one of the best ones available on iOS is Apple’s base Reminders app.
Over the past few years, Reminders has gained some great functionality that may make it worth giving it a chance over apps like Habitica and TickTick. One of the greatest features added more recently is Smart Lists and Grocery Lists. Smart Lists allows you to create a new list of reminders that only filters in certain reminders based on things such as priority, tags, and locations. Grocery Lists allows you to make a grocery list that automatically organizes itself by type of grocery such as dairy, snacks, and beverages.
One other distinct advantage of Reminders for iPhone users who have more than just an iPhone is easy integration with other devices. If you have an iPhone in addition to an Apple Watch, an iPad, or any kind of Mac, your reminders will be synced up across all devices. For a great planner or reminder experience on iPhone, the default Reminders app is a dependable option.
Reminders can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free, or found by default on your iPhone.
5. Intuit Mint and Credit Karma
If you have multiple bank accounts or lines of credit, keeping up with your finances can quickly become a game of cycling between multiple apps and trying to keep track of way too much information at once. Intuit’s Mint can help to simplify the entire process. However, Inuit’s Mint is due to be rolled into the Credit Karma app, so it is worthwhile to have both. Mint offers a robust way to keep track of your finances across multiple accounts, while also keeping track of recurring payments and your budget.
For quick check-ups on your finances, Mint functions as a great way to get everything done in one place. Although Mint hasn’t fully been integrated into Credit Karma, the change is coming. Credit Karma on its own is an app worth having as it allows you to peek into the current state of your credit score and gives you advice for boosting it.
Money can be stressful, but making the process of budgeting and keeping up with your finances less stressful is always a good thing. Mint and Credit Karma together can make for a great way to check in on your money and finances. The apps are so efficient that you can even do all the checking in you need to do during your lunch break!
Journaling can be a great way to unwind and destress from your day so far. Some reflection during lunchtime can be a great use of time, and one of the best ways to digitally journal is using Apple’s recently introduced Journal app. The iPhone Journal app was advertised as part of iOS 17, but the feature only recently landed on iPhones in December with the update to iOS 17.2
What makes Journal a particularly appealing app is its ability to suggest journaling topics to you based on your habits. If you allow it to do so in settings, Journal can make suggestions for things to journal about based on your music or podcast listening habits, your location, selected prompts, and photos. The feature can be helpful for getting you started on journaling, but you can ignore it entirely and just focus on journaling about whatever you want.
If you want to get in a little bit of time for reflection during your lunch break, the now default iOS Journal app can be a great place to start. With Apple having just introduced the app within the past few months, it’s doubtless that the app will receive a number of new features in the coming years to keep it fresh.
Journal can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free, or found by default on your iPhone.
7. Procreate Pocket
Doodling is perhaps one of the oldest lunchtime pastimes there is, but with Procreate Pocket, you can finally step up your doodle game from pen and napkin. There are lots of paid apps on the app store, but for how robust and useful Procreate Pocket is, there is little to no argument to be made that it isn’t worth the $5.99 price of admission.
The app features a robust suite of drawing tools to make it one of the best applications for drawing available on a phone at all. Procreate Pocket’s description on the app store proudly proclaims it as “Powerful enough for creative professionals. Simple enough for everyone.” That description is absolutely spot on for the level of detail and ease of use Procreate Pocket offers. For quick doodles or sketches, or attempts at a more robust art design, Procreate Pocket can be a great way to occupy yourself with an artistic outlet during your lunch break.
Procreate Pocket can be purchased on the iOS App Store for $5.99.
8. Notion
Notion, in many ways, is the productivity app to end all productivity apps. Just about every other productivity app out there can, in some way, be replaced with a Notion board. There are a ton of fantastic free Notion templates out there, and customizing a Notion board to your liking can be a great way to spend a lunch break.
Using Notion, you can set up a board for just about any purpose you want. Personal finance, scheduling, keeping track of personal media, and really, just about anything else you could want to set up. Notion’s greatest feature is its versatility. With a bit of work, it can truly become a one-stop-shop app if you want it to be one. However much work you put into Notion will determine how much you get out of it.
If you like to have something you can always be working on that will also give you future productive output, Notion is a great app to start sinking time into. No matter what you want to use it for, tweaking and perfecting your Notion boards to be exactly what you want can be a fantastic use of your time.
Notion can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
9. NYT Games
Your lunch break is a time to take a break from your work day, and although it can be spent productively, it doesn’t have to be. If you want to play a game during your break that feels like a traditional sort of time-killer, NYT Games is a great option.
NYT Games is a simple app that compiles together Wordle, the Times’ mini-crossword, Connections, sudoku, and more word games that are updated daily. You can also subscribe for access to the full crossword, as well as a back catalog of the mini and full crosswords, as well as Spelling Bee.
With the games on NYT Games updating daily, the app can be a great way to spend a lunch break and develop a small daily ritual. While you may not be inclined to view playing games as inherently productive, playing word games can be a great way to stimulate yourself before getting back to work for the day. Whatever reason you may have, NYT Games can be a great option for relaxing with a game during a lunch break. NYT Games can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
10. TikTok
For those who want a thoroughly unproductive lunch break, TikTok can be a great way to just turn your brain off and enjoy some time away from work. After all, there’s nothing inherently wrong with just wanting to kick back and relax for however long your break is. TikTok’s algorithm and short-form video content can make the time fly, but it will at least be time you’ve enjoyed.
A large word of caution about TikTok is that it is very easy to lose time with the app. Given its short-form nature, you can find yourself quickly sucked in and having half an hour pass in no time. If you know you are, or think you could be, prone to spending too much time on TikTok, your iPhone has a built-in solution. With a quick trip to your Settings app, you can go into your Screen Time and set a time limit for TikTok. You can set that time limit for as short as 15 or 30 minutes if you want to really limit yourself with the app during your lunch breaks.
If you exercise awareness of time, TikTok can be a great way to unwind during your lunch break and just enjoy some short-form content. Not every minute of your work day has to be spent productively, so it can be nice to have an app around for those lunch breaks when you truly want to take a break from any semblance of productivity and just relax.
TikTok can be downloaded on the iOS App Store for free.
10 Ways To Protect Your Smartphone Without A Bulky Case : Whether we embrace it or not, smartphones have seamlessly integrated into our daily routines. However, one aspect that doesn’t sit comfortably with certain enthusiasts is the necessity of using a phone case. Although a phone case serves the purpose of safeguarding against scratches and potential drops, the additional bulk and weight it adds can be quite bothersome. Furthermore, using a case means that the distinctive design that may have initially attracted you to the device ends up concealed, depriving you of the opportunity to appreciate it. This can be particularly frustrating for individuals who place importance on aesthetics and design.
Fortunately, phone cases aren’t the sole solution for protecting your smartphone from damage. There are alternative methods to shield your device against falls without resorting to bulky armor. From screen protectors to edge bumpers, various options exist to ensure the safety and preservation of your device, making it ideal for future use or even resale.
1. Screen protectors
Unlike a phone case that goes around your phone, covering the back and edges, a screen protector is placed directly on your smartphone’s screen and protects against scratches and cracks. For instance, if your phone falls while the JETech Screen Protector is on, it’ll take the brunt of the damage, keeping your screen safe. Screen protectors can also be used with other protective measures like a phone skin, sleeve, or wallet case since they are so light and thin that it’s easy to forget you have one on.
It’s also important to note that while a screen protector can fend off everyday attacks on your screen, it’s not impenetrable. Enough pressure on your screen protector can damage the protector and the screen underneath. Since it only protects your screen, the back and edges of your device can gather scratches or get damaged from a fall.
After some use, you may notice cracks and breaks on your screen guard; you can remove it and replace it with another. Do this carefully to avoid bubbles in your screen protector. If you don’t know how, ask a professional to lend you a hand.
2. Smartphone corner protectors
Corner protectors are pieces of rubber or plastic that fit on the edges of your smartphone and can absorb the impact of a fall and distribute it evenly, reducing the risk of cracks or shattering. This means that if your phone falls on the face or back, there’s no need to worry. The corner protectors create a buffer between your device and the ground, preventing direct contact and potential damage.
The key difference between a phone case and a corner protector is that while the former covers your phone’s entire back surface area, corner protectors leave this spot free so you can still show off your smartphone brand to your friends. Corner protectors also keep your device light, and you don’t need to deal with extra weight from owning a phone case. For instance, you can get the Luxury Corner Edge Pad Lens Protector that doubles as a corner protector and specifically guards your camera lens.
3. Smartphone sleeve
Try a smartphone sleeve if you want protection that envelopes your entire device. A sleeve completely covers your phone and protects it against scratches and even water, depending on the material it’s made of. The sleeve’s design slightly differs from phone cases, screen protectors, and corner protectors that only cover parts, not the entire device. Although a sleeve may mean extra protection, you can’t use your phone while it’s in one. So you’ll have to take it out whenever you want to read or send messages.
Sleeves are great for those who like using their phones without any add-ons, but this means your device is at risk till you place it back in. As mentioned earlier, sleeves can be made from leather or silicone with stylish designs like the BIAJIYA Phone Card Holder available on Amazon. They are also great for traveling and can be worn on your belt or kept in a bag or purse.
4. Smartphone grip
Grips take a different protection angle when compared with a phone case. Instead of wrapping your phone in a layer of protection, grips offer something different – a better way to hold your phone. Some types of grips also double as a makeshift stand. However, it’s fair to point out that if your phone falls, grips don’t offer much in the way of cushioning the blow.
There are different types of grips. For instance, the Casely Clear Phone Ring is pretty practical and perfectly fits around your fingers while maintaining a secure hold on your device. If ring holders aren’t your style, you can get a PopSocket Phone Grip from Amazon that’s compatible with MagSafe for wireless charging. Pop sockets can extend when needed and pop right back in place after, maintaining the slim look you get on your phone when you dump a bulky phone case.
While grips might not shield your phone from a fall’s impact, having one significantly reduces the chances of dropping your phone in the first place. Besides, they’re super handy for propping up your phone, making them perfect for video chats or binge-watching your favorite shows. So, while they’re a bit of a trade-off, the added grip and convenience might just be worth it.
5. Smartphone skins/wraps
From a distance, a smartphone skin or wrap might easily be mistaken for the slimmest of phone cases. However, while both form a protective shield around your device, the similarities end there. A skin is a thin, light protective film placed on your phone, perfect for preventing scratches. Available in various designs, colors, and patterns, skins let you personalize your device’s look without the extra weight typically associated with phone cases.
Many smartphone skins are designed with textures that improve your grip on the device, reducing the likelihood of accidental drops. Materials like carbon fiber or textured vinyl used to make skins add to the visual appeal and provide a tactile surface that feels secure and comfortable in your hand. This subtle enhancement can significantly affect day-to-day use, especially for larger phones that can be slippery and harder to hold.
Skins are also pretty easy to install, and you can get it done yourself by following the instructions the manufacturers give alongside the product. For instance, you can install the White Skin Sticker on your iPhone in just four simple steps, and it leaves no glue marks behind if you decide to take it off.
6. Phone stands
Stands provide an excellent barrier against accidental spills and place your device out of the reach of small children or pets. Compared with a phone case, stands only serve as protection for stationary use, but owning one has additional perks. Their design supports hands-free use and reduces the risk of your device getting knocked down or sliding off surfaces.
There’s a stand for every need. For those on the move, car phone holders securely anchor your device to the dashboard so you can navigate with your GPS without compromising safety. For the aesthetically inclined, wireless charging stands elevate your device for better visibility and help maintain a clean and organized workspace by eliminating messy charging cables.
You can also get the Nulaxy Dual Folding Cell Phone Stand and place your phone in landscape mode, perfect for video calls, watching movies, or just as an extra screen for your setup. iPhone users, in particular, will appreciate how iOS 17’s standby mode is tailor-made to complement the use of a phone stand, enhancing functionality and convenience.
7. Dust covers
Dust covers, also known as port covers, are tiny plugs that cover up the open ports on your device, which most phone cases don’t protect. For example, the speakers, charging, and audio jack ports are pretty much exposed when not in use, and it’s easy for dust and grime to gather over time. If there’s enough build-up, it can even lead to charging issues, among other problems.
Dust covers are relatively cheap compared with eccentric phone cases. You can get a Cobee Type C Dust Plug for just $4.79 on Amazon, or you can try out this USB C Dust Plug that also comes with speaker covers to prevent dust and water from getting into your phone.
Dust covers also preserve the slim look of your phone, protecting your device while staying perfectly hidden away from sight. You only need to remove your dust cover when you want to charge your device or plug in headphones. If you use wireless headphones and charge your device wirelessly, there’ll probably be no need to remove your dust cover, making it a somewhat permanent feature on your smartphone.
8. Wallet cases
Some smartphone users already place their cards between their phones and phone cases, but this isn’t advisable since it may generate heat. If you’re looking for some storage space and protection, a wallet case is a perfect utility piece for you. On one hand, the design and material used to create the wallet case give you a better grip on your device. On the other hand, it also lets you store your ID and Credit cards safely.
The Pelican Magnetic Wallet & Card Holder is a particularly great add-on to your device as its MagSafe design means your wallet case lies firmly on the back of your phone. While you may be worried that a wallet would add the extra bulk you’re trying to avoid that comes with a phone case. These cases usually have slim designs and, depending on what you decide to place in them, you probably won’t notice much difference in weight.
9. Camera lens protector
On many smartphones, the back camera protrudes from the flat surface of your device. This makes it easy to scratch or crack your camera lens if care isn’t taken. All of which can be devastating because visible breaks on your camera lens may affect the picture quality. Luckily, that’s where a camera lens protector steps in to keep your cameras safe.
While your phone case might not protect your phone’s camera lenses, camera lens protectors exist for that one specific purpose. Usually made with tempered glass or plastic, a lens protector shields your camera lens from scratches and cracks in case of a fall. They also prevent dust from gathering on your lens, and if you notice any breaks on it, you can replace it, just like you would a screen protector. If you use an iPhone with multiple cameras, you can get the Ferilinso Camera Lens Protector to keep all your lenses safe.
10. Phone lanyard
There’s always a chance your device may fall even when you’re using it, and that’s where a lanyard comes in. This strap or chord is attached to your phone, and depending on the length, it can be worn across your wrist or neck. With a phone lanyard, you can quickly access your phone without digging into your pockets. This makes it a handy tool if you’re wearing an outfit without any pockets or you’re at an event where you’ll need your phone camera from time to time.
Most importantly, a lanyard offers a secondary layer of security in case your phone slips out of your hands. If you accidentally drop your phone while wearing a lanyard, it won’t fall to the ground but lie on your chest — and it makes it harder to steal your device since it’s always attached to you, assuming you never remove it from your neck or arm.
A smartphone lanyard is also a great security feature for the forgetful or absentminded, so long as they leave the lanyard attached to their person. If you own multiple smartphones, you can get the OUTXE Phone Lanyard, as it’s compatible with all devices.
