5 Ways Windows Phone Was Ahead of Its Time

June 11, 2022

Did You Know?

Violets have long been described as having an ephemeral and almost magical scent, and with good scientific reason. The scent of violets comes from a compound called ionone which, aside from smelling very sweet, also has the peculiar property of overwhelming our scent receptors and temporarily shutting them off. This side effect means that over the course of smelling a violet several times in a row, our ability to smell it comes and goes in waves, creating the illusion that we’re smelling it anew again and again.

In the mobile OS landscape, Windows Phone wasn’t around for very long (2010-2017). It was never very popular, but Microsoft infused it with some new, interesting ideas. A few of those ideas ended up being ahead of their time. Read More »

Typing things out on an iPhone keyboard can be tiresome, but it doesn’t have to be that way for everything. You can make custom text shortcuts to automatically be replaced with longer words or phrases. It’s a super handy feature. Read More »

Smart plugs are a great way to upgrade your smart home without investing in a bunch of new products. All you need are the plugs and a hub (such as a smart display), and you can turn all of your lamps into smart lamps.

Better yet, smart plugs aren’t all that expensive, and it’s easy to outfit your home with quality smart plugs on a budget. Take Kasa’s smart plugs, for example. Right now, it’s only $25 for a 4-pack if you clip the coupon on the store page. That’s enough to outfit a room with smart plugs!

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Quantum dots are making waves in the world of TVs and monitors, but what are they exactly? Is this just another abuse of the word “quantum” by marketers, or are these dots as amazing as they’re made out to be? Read More »

Apple is betting big on fitness in iOS 16 and watchOS 9, with a range of features designed to make it easier to track your activity, push yourself further, and get more out of your workouts. Best of all, you don’t even need an Apple Watch to benefit. Read More »

Is it time for a new MacBook, but not sure which model is right for you? Do you need power, affordability, or something in between? We have some recommendations for the best MacBooks you can purchase today. Read More »

If you are having boot or display issues on your computer, you are likely to come across recommendations about clearing the CMOS. But what does CMOS do, and how is it related to BIOS? Here’s everything you need to know. Read More »

If a small sense of dread fills your soul every time you open an Excel spreadsheet, this special deal's for you. Excel 2019 All-in-One For Dummies offers eight books in a single package, all aimed at helping you understand Excel's most common functions and capabilities. By the time you've read through, you'll feel more comfortable working in spreadsheets of all shapes, sizes, and complexities. This offer is only valid through Thursday, June 23, so download your free copy now before they're all gone.

Zelle is one of the most popular financial platforms of its kind, so it’s no surprise that the platform has been made a target for scammers. Here’s what to look out for and how to avoid a nasty surprise. Read More »

Broadcast from Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 11, 2022, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, UFC 275 pits Glover Teixeira against Jiří Procházka for the light heavyweight championship. Here’s how to stream it live. Read More »

Windows 8 and 10’s advanced startup tools function differently than the tools on previous versions of Windows. If your Windows 8 or 10 system can’t boot properly, the tools will appear automatically so you can fix the problem. Read More »

These days having reliable access to the internet is pretty essential, and that includes while you’re in a car. Thankfully, car Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly more common, but it’s not always clear how it works, how fast it is, or if you (and passengers) can use it when the car is off. Read More »

Firefox has respected Windows 10’s dark mode setting for a while now. But you can manually enable dark mode in Firefox, on any operating system, and without installing any third-party themes. This works on Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, and Linux. Read More »

Telegram, a popular messaging app, has been planning a premium option since at least 2020 to support development costs. Now we have our first details about the upcoming subscription, called Telegram Premium. Read More »

Apple introduced a new “Focus” mode with iOS 15, combining Do Not Disturb with a few more options to better manage distractions on your iPhone or iPad. If you’ve been digging around in the Settings and Messages app, you may have noticed the “Share Focus Status” toggle. Read More »

Macros can save minutes or even hours of your time, whether you’re casually using the computer or playing your favorite games. Let’s take a look at some of the most convenient macros you should use. Read More »

On Linux computers, system resources are shared amongst the users. Try to use more than your fair share and you’ll hit an upper limit. You might also bottleneck other users or processes. Read More »