Look up the next time you’re out and guess where the plane is going above you. Los Angeles? New York? Paris? Ask Siri this phrase, “What are the flights overhead?” You will see a carrier, flight number and altitude in seconds. I love sharing simple tips on digital life that make things easier. Bonus: Most are good for impressing family and friends. Here are five more useful technical tricks to test.
For Windows users, try this the next time you open many programs. Click on the top bar of one window, hold it and shake it with your mouse. This shake will immediately minimize all other open windows. Shake it again to put them back. Tap or click for hidden functions to try on your Windows PC or Mac now.
On the utility scale, your phone’s smart assistant is high – if you know the correct commands. Here are the five I use all the time.
1. Turn on the flashlight
When it’s dark, and you’re trying to read to me or make your way through a dark corridor, you don’t want to fiddle with the phone to find a flashlight. Simply say, “Lot the flashlight.” It works for both Siri and Google Assistant. Just say the name of the awakening first to make sure they are listening.
Fun fact: If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you can say ‘Lumos’. He mentions the magic that Harry and his friends use to light their sticks. Tell ‘NOX’ to turn off the light. Don’t lose your precious memories. Here are the best ways to save photos on your phone before it’s too late.
2. Add to my calendar
It’s easy to make urgent plans when you’re talking to someone. Then, when it’s time for an appointment, you forget about it. Instead of wasting a minute or two on manually entering details, tell Siri or Google Assistant what your plan is, along with the date and time. For example, you might say, “Hey Siri, make an appointment for lunch with Bob tomorrow at 1:00 pm.” You could also be more specific, for example, “Hey Google, add an event called Birthday Dinner on Sunday at 4 pm.”
If you have multiple calendars, specify which one or will enter your default calendar. Siri automatically connects to Apple’s Calendar app. However, if you use Google Calendar, you will need to add it to Apple’s default app. Here’s how to get two apps to play nicely together.
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3. Set the timer
You just set the timer for tonight’s dinner. Then you hear a loud thump from the other room and one of the kids starts yelling for you. With one sentence, you can put a pin in your current task to your smart assistant before you escape to put out the fire elsewhere.
To set a timer, tell Siri or Google Assistant: “Set the timer for 10 minutes” or how long you need it. If you say, ‘Set a timer for 20 minutes called chicken’, this starts a new timer marked ‘chicken’.
Amazon Alexa-supported devices can also help in a home with timers, fast maths, and other things you would usually take out your phone for. Tap or click here for Alexa to set reminders, timers, and alarms.
4. Silence My Phone
Imagine you are in a church. The pastor shares an emotional story. It is so striking that there is no dry eye in the house. Such situations can be completely humiliating. Shut up the phone before you go to church, start a meeting or sit down for a job interview.
A simple way to do this is by voice. Say “Siri, silence my phone” or “Google Assistant, silence my phone”.
5. It Wasn’t For You
Large tech companies will tell you that their devices don’t always listen – they just listen to the watchful word. I don’t see the difference. You will often accidentally activate your assistant with a word that sounds similar. If you say something that sounds similar to ‘Siri’ or ‘Hey Google’, it might inspire his metaphorical ears. This can be a problem if your assistant is set to record everything you tell him.
I recently reviewed my Amazon Alexa shots. I found a few voice clips that didn’t include Alexa at all – including some private real estate purchase discussions. Tap or click here to find out everything Amazon knows about you.
Fortunately, Siri and Google Assistant make characteristic sounds when activated. If you want to stop Google Assistant from recording the rest of your conversation, say, “It wasn’t for you.” This also erases everything that has just been taken from your history.
You can also say to Siri, “It wasn’t for you,” when he accidentally turns on. However, Apple has not officially said whether this phrase erases your previous shot from memory. Tap or click here to prevent all your smart devices from listening to you and recording what you are saying.
Ransomware hackers recently broke into the hospital and everything from cardiac machines to intravenous pumps, luckily, Siri and Google Assistant make characteristic sounds when activated. If you want to stop Google Assistant from recording the rest of your conversation, say, “It wasn’t for you.” This also erases everything that has just been taken from your history.
You can also say to Siri, “It wasn’t for you,” when he accidentally turns on. However, Apple has not officially said whether this phrase erases your previous shot from memory. Tap or click here to prevent all your smart devices from listening to you and recording what you are saying.
Cover photo: Photo by Vlad R he unsplash
