TikTok rolled out more audience controls for creators last Friday, according to a Dec. 30 blog post. While the video platform already had policies and technology in place that censor nudity and sensual content, borderline inappropriate or “suggestive” content for children is harder to detect. TikTok now gives creators the power to restrict their content to adults over 18.
The company already allowed creators to restrict content in TikTok Live, meaning some livestreams wouldn’t show up on the For You pages of minor users. Now it’s offering the same control option for short-form videos. This feature will continue to expand globally in the coming weeks.
TikTok is adamant that its “strict policies prohibiting nudity, sexual activity, and sexually explicit content” will still apply to creators who use this new feature. The platform will remove any content that violates its community guidelines and continue to educate creators on these policies.
“Our goal has always been to make sure our community, especially teens on our platform, have a safe, positive and joyful experience when they come to TikTok,” the company said in the post. “We’ve already taken significant strides to help ensure their feeds are full of content that is appropriate for them, and these improvements mark an important next step to meet that goal.”
Samsung envisions a future in which mobile devices can fold, bend and slide. That’s the message Samsung is sending at CES, where it unveiled a slew of new display concepts, including the slidable and foldable Flex Hybrid.
The new concept can switch between 10.5-inch and 12.4-inch screen sizes, thanks to its slidable and foldable design. The left side of the screen folds, while the right side slides. In addition to changing the screen’s size, the prototype can also jump between 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios. Although the Flex Hybrid is just a concept, it shows that Samsung is investigating what the next evolution of foldable phones and tablets might look like.
In a Jan. 3 press release, Samsung summarized its new display concepts, but the company plans to showcase the technologies at CES. The Flex Hybrid is just one of several mock-ups. There’s also a 17-inch slidable display, which was previewed in September, and a digital cockpit concept meant for self-driving vehicles.
Samsung’s Flex Hybrid concept folds on one side.
Samsung Display
Concepts like these don’t always translate into real products, but the Flex Hybrid feels most in line with Samsung’s current product strategy. Foldable phones only account for a sliver of the broader phone market, but the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip have become well-established within Samsung’s mobile device lineup. The company’s early entry into the foldable phone space has given it an edge in terms of market share as Samsung accounts for more than 88% of the foldable smartphone market, according to Omdia.
TM Roh, the head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, suggested in an interview last August that the company is already thinking about what’s next after the Z Fold and Z Flip. The introduction of new concepts like the Flex Hybrid underscores that point.
“It’s everything you saw [at CES] plus more,” he said, referencing the display concepts Samsung showcased at CES last year.
But Samsung will also likely face more competition as foldable phones continue to evolve. Motorola and TCL have both shown rollable phone concepts of their own. Oppo’s Find N2, which the company introduced in late 2022, also shows a lot of promise thanks to its lightweight design, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram wrote.
Although Samsung is trying to make foldables a more regular fixture in our daily lives, its goal isn’t to replace regular phones.
“I would not see either just a bar-type, or just a foldable, or just another potentially new form factor dominating the market,” Roh also said during the previous interview. “But rather I see the different categories coexisting together.”
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Asus was first to hit the big 5-0(-0) in May when it introduced the 500Hz refresh-rate ROG Swift. Just as Dell followed Tuesday with its own 500Hz model, Asus once again bests itself with the new 540Hz ROG Swift PG248QP, a 24-incher unveiled at CES that uses the same E-TN (the “E” is for “esports”) technology as the slower model.
TN — twisted nematic — is a veteran LCD technology that’s known for its ability to hit very high refresh rates but lacks the color, viewing angle and brightness of IPS or OLED. That makes it important for esports players who need smooth, fast, low-latency performance more than other monitor qualities, but not great for the majority of gamers.
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The 1080p monitor incorporates Nvidia G-Sync with Reflex Latency Analyzer support and has a built in ESS DAC for improving clarity of important audio cues, like weapons fire, when you’ve got a headset plugged in.
Asus says it’s expected to be available by the end of June, but frequently these high-profile monitor announcements never result in a shipping product. As far as I can tell, the 500Hz model hasn’t become available yet. The company didn’t provide pricing.
On the other hand, OLED desktop models are finally hitting their stride — most major monitor companies have new ones for 2023, many for gaming. Asus’s newest offering is the ROG Swift OLED (PG27AQDM) and a 1440p 240Hz model with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits (though only for a window 3% of the screen at a time). That resolution and screen refresh is a nice change from the 4K 120/144Hz models, in part because 1440p is well suited to gaming at 27 inches.
It’s not Asus’ first gaming OLED — the company launched a 48-inch model last year — and the new model incorporates some of the same technology, including burn-in protection and a head sink-plus-airflow cooling system. It’s the cooling that makes the back of the monitor so thick, which we tend not to expect from ultrathin OLED TVs, but is essential for high-brightness desktop monitors.
The OLED is slated to ship before the end of March. Asus hasn’t yet provided pricing.
The Nintendo Switch exploded in popularity upon release and it’s still a fan favorite. With the success of games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s more fun than ever to share the experience on Nintendo Switch Online. There are a number of other advantages that come with membership, too, including access to a growing catalog of classic NES and Super NES games, cloud backup for your save data and more.
Individual accounts are popular, but with a Family Membership plan, you’ll get those same perks for up to eight people on one account. So if you have multiple Switch users in your household, it’s worth investing in. Amazon is sweetening the deal by including a 256GB memory card ($53 value) and a 12-month family membership in one bundle, meaning you get it all for just $50 — that’s a $38 savings over buying each individually.
The 256GB microSDXC memory card from SanDisk for the Nintendo Switch offers more space for your favorite games, and it’s fast, too, offering read speeds up to 100MB per second and write speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second. It’s also backed by a lifetime limited warranty. The family plan for the Nintendo Switch also comes in at just $15 more than an individual plan, so if you have multiple players in your household, it’s a bargain worth grabbing.
Love shopping online but don’t have time to compare prices or search for promo codes? Our CNET Shopping extension does that for you, so you always get the best price.
If you received an online subscription for the holidays, make sure you give it a strong password to keep your information and subscription safe. Ideally, each individual password you create should be at least eight characters in length and consist of capital and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols. (Sorry, using “password123” for everything isn’t going to cut it.) It may be tempting, but using one easy-to-remember code across all of your accounts can seriously jeopardize your online security — you don’t want to make yourself an easy target for cybercriminals. In fact, recent research by cybersecurity firm Hive Systems has suggested that a weak password can be cracked instantly by a hacker.
What is a password manager, and why do I need one?
A password manager is an online service that stores your passwords as well as other data like credit card numbers, bank account information and identification documents in a secure, encrypted environment. It takes one of the biggest potential vulnerabilities — weak or recycled passwords — and does the hard work for you.
Bad password habits are dangerous for your digital security. Using weak passwords makes your accounts easy to crack, and reusing passwords leaves you open to credential stuffing attacks that can compromise accounts that share the same password.
But with a password manager, you only have to remember one single master password, and the password manager takes care of the rest — allowing you to create strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. If you’re not sure how to create a strong password, or if you don’t want to come up with one on your own, your password manager can create one for you. Many password managers also include a feature that analyzes your current passwords and lets you know which ones are weak or reused and need to be changed.
Sorry, but Password123 (or any variation of that) isn’t a safe password.
Stephen Shankland/CNET
You can also securely share passwords and sensitive documents with family and friends if you need to. And if you’re shopping online, you can easily fill in your credit card information to make purchases without needing to have your physical credit card on hand.
Your password manager can also help you fight against phishing scams. Even if a phishing attempt tricks you into clicking on a malicious link, it won’t trick the password manager. Your password manager will detect that the URL is different than the site you usually log into — regardless of how similar it may look to the naked eye.
If you’re worried about storing all sorts of sensitive information in one place, you don’t need to be. The top password managers use a zero-knowledge approach to securing your passwords and other information you store with them — meaning that even the password manager itself can’t access your passwords or other data, because everything is encrypted before it leaves your device. And if your password manager can’t access your data, then neither can anyone else.
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How to set up a password manager
The first thing you’ll need to do is choose a password manager and set up an account (CNET’s list of top password managers is a great place to start). Some password managers have a free tier that usually includes all the basic features you’d need, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $60 per year for a premium plan that includes things like access across multiple devices, expanded file storage and family sharing.
As you set up your account, you’ll be asked to create a master password. This is the one password that you have to remember — make sure it’s something you can recall, yet complex enough to make it difficult for others to guess. Also, make sure your master password isn’t one of your existing passwords you’re already using on other sites. Some password managers, like 1Password, offer a printable “emergency kit” that includes information like your username and digital key and where you can write down your master password. Yes, you can write down your password, just make sure to keep the piece of paper locked in a secure location.
We really can’t stress this part enough: Don’t forget or lose your master password or your emergency kit because, as a security precaution, password managers don’t typically offer a way to recover it. If you’re locked out, there’s no way back in.
1Password made CNET’s list of top password managers.
1Password
Once you’re all set up with your account and master password, you can download the software to your devices. Typically, you’ll be prompted to download the app that corresponds to the operating system you’re using when you set up your account (iOS, Android, Windows or MacOS). You can also find download links on your password manager’s website for any other devices you may want to use your password manager on. If your password manager offers a browser extension, go ahead and install it — it will make autofilling your passwords on sites much easier.
After that, you’ll need to add your passwords to the password manager. Most password managers offer easy ways to import your passwords from various locations, whether that’s your browser, a spreadsheet or another password manager. You can also input your passwords manually.
Once you’ve got your passwords loaded into your password manager, you’re good to go. As long as you’re logged into your password manager, it will offer to fill in your login information as you visit the sites and services you use online. It will also offer to save new, secure login credentials on new accounts you create — ultimately saving you from putting your online security in peril.
The best way to do that is to closely keep an eye on flight information, like delay times or gate changes, whether you’re the one flying or you’re expecting family and friends from out of town.
You could obviously get this information from an airline app on your phone or by looking at a flight information display system at the airport, but there’s an easier way that doesn’t involve downloading anything or having to walk anywhere.
All of the flight information you need can be found on your iPhone — inside of your text messages.
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How to track a flight via text message on your iPhone
Before we start, there are a few prerequisites you must meet:
You’ll need your flight number somewhere in your text messages, whether you’ve sent that information to someone (even yourself) or it’s been sent to you.
The flight number must be sent in this format: [Airline] [Flight number], for example, American Airlines 9707.
Launch the native Messages texting app on your iPhone and open the text message thread that contains your flight information. You’ll know the flight tracker feature works when the text with the flight information appears underlined, which means it’s actionable and you can tap on it.
However, if your flight is still several months away or it’s already passed, you might see a message that says, “Flight information unavailable.” You might also see another flight that’s not yours because airlines recycle flight numbers.
Access the hidden flight tracker in different ways
Although the airline name/flight number format highlighted above is the best way to go, there are other texting options that will lead you to the same result. So let’s say we stick with American Airlines 9707, other options that may bring up the flight tracker include:
AmericanAirlines9707 (no spaces)
AmericanAirlines 9707 (only one space)
AA9707 (airline name is abbreviated and no space)
AA 9707 (abbreviated and space)
I would suggest you keep the airline name spelled out completely and add a space between the two pieces of information — like in the previous section — because for some airlines these alternative options may not work.
Text the code to preview your flight.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Track your flight in real time: View flight status, delays, baggage claim and more
Once everything is set, tap on the flight information in your text messages. If the feature works correctly, you should see the following two options appear in a quick-action menu:
Preview Flight: View the flight’s details. Tap this if you want to view more information about the flight.
Copy Flight Code: Copy the flight code to your clipboard (in case you want to send your flight details to someone else via text or email).
If you select Preview Flight, at the top of the window, you’ll see the best part of this feature: a real-time flight tracker map. A line will connect the two destinations, and a tiny airplane will move between them, indicating where the flight is at that exact moment.
Underneath the map, you’ll see important flight information:
Airline name and flight number
Flight status (arriving on time, delayed, canceled, etc.)
Terminal and gate numbers (for arrival and departure)
Arrival and departure time
Flight duration
Baggage claim (the number of the baggage carousel)
If you swipe left on the bottom half of the flight tracker, you can switch between flights, but only if there’s a return flight.
Video conferencing on Zoom, Google Meet and the likes is no longer novel. While many aspects of our lives have returned to normal, working from home and distance learning are here to stay. If you haven’t already, it’s important to get a quality webcam and set up the rest of your telecommuting gear so that you look and sound your best during remote video calls and meetings.
Part of this means learning the fundamentals of a videoconference meeting on camera. You don’t need an HD webcam to get good results — optimizing lighting conditions (don’t try to stream in low light), choosing the ideal environment and positioning the camera lens in just the right way can make your video call look much more professional. Truly, you don’t need to be a professional YouTube personality or Twitch streamer with a great webcam, even better external mic and lighting options galore to look good during live streaming and video recording — even a novice can function competently without too much of a learning curve.
First, it’s essential to have the right gear, including the best webcam and microphone. Unfortunately, in most cases, your laptop’s built-in camera and microphone stink — and they’re preventing you from coming across as professionally as possible on videoconferencing calls. You should ditch the integrated webcam and invest in a standalone webcam and stereo microphone with noise cancellation. Even a cheap webcam with autofocus and a decent microphone can improve picture quality and sound enough to take things to the next level when on a video call.
Upgrading your audio and video tech is fairly easy from a technical perspective, however, and relatively affordable — and it will dramatically improve your production values in virtual meetings. We’ve compiled a shortlist of the best gear for video chats from home webcams, lights, mics and more that will enhance your video chatting. This list has plenty of input from CNET’s on-camera video team, all of whom are working from home now, too. Our favorite picks for the best webcam and external mic options are below, and we’ll update this periodically.
(Note that prices are accurate at time of original publication, but may fluctuate. Also, availability and delivery times are changing all the time, so be sure to check before moving forward with any purchase.)
After the masses began working from home in the pandemic, it became difficult to find a brand name webcam anywhere. My favorites — Logitech’s StreamCam and the 4K-capable Brio — are pricey and frequently out of stock, but worth the money if you can find them.
In the meantime, if your laptop’s integrated camera isn’t doing the trick, you can use a tripod and your phone’s HD camera to boost video chat quality when live streaming. Here’s how to do it.
I’ve tried many, many lights over the past few months and, so far, the Lume Cube is my favorite. This bright LED light is highly adjustable — with a physical toggle to change the brightness and color temperature — and the nifty display shows all the levels and how much juice is left in the USB-C rechargeable battery. You can position it in landscape or portrait mode using the included suction cup mount.
About that mount. I should note that there are plenty of Amazon user complaints about it not working properly, but I can’t seem to replicate the issue with my Lume Cube. I’ve stuck it securely to the back of multiple laptops and a standalone monitor, and I can’t pull the thing off — even with sustained force — without first loosening the suction mechanism.
My backup choice is the Joby Beamo Mini, which is about the same price as the Lume Cube. It’s extremely compact, waterproof and — capable of blasting out 1,000 lumens — incredibly bright, though the iOS app and included diffuser make it simple to dial in the perfect amount of light. It has a magnetic back that will stick to any metal surface and will also screw on to a tripod.
It’s hard to multitask on a webconference: Opening and closing apps, resizing browsers and windows, all while you’re talking to your boss on your Google hangout or Zoom call — it can all be a bit much. One solution is to offload all of your audio and video recording tasks to your phone — which may have better camera, video quality and mic technology, anyway — freeing up your laptop to take notes, consult documents and spreadsheets or whatever else. (Here’s how to do it.)
If you take this route, you’re going to want to have an adjustable tripod that can securely hold your phone steady — and at a flattering angle. I like this tripod kit from Joby, currently on sale for $30, which includes a clamp that’s big enough to accommodate my iPhone XS Max. And I also like the company’s bendy Gorillapods, which can be wrapped around posts or other nonflat surfaces.
If you’re running an older MacBook Air or Windows laptop that came out several years ago, you’ll find that a single Zoom session can send your computer’s fans whirring and reduce your multitasking options to zero. Getting a newer laptop with an updated processor and webcam software — a ninth- or 10th-gen Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 should do the trick — will make those videoconferencing sessions a lot easier to bear.
I recently put aside my aging MacBook Air and picked up a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga and have been amazed by all that I was missing out on: blazing speed (courtesy of the modern Intel processor), USB-C ports and a touchscreen display. It currently starts at $959. For other recommendations, check out our list of the best laptops for 2022.
Nothing can torpedo an online meeting quicker than background noise and audio that’s cutting in and out, and your laptop’s lousy built-in microphone may be the culprit. Once you’ve added a decent webcam to your setup, you’ll be in better shape — but a standalone microphone will make you sound clear, rich and full. This Blue Yeti model has long been a staple of podcasters and streamers, and it’s what I use when I record audio or participate in a high-stakes video chat.
Yes, it looks like something you’d see in a 1940s radio station, but the audio technology is 100% modern. It has three capsule microphones, four pickup patterns (for different kinds of recording) and just enough controls to help optimize the way you sound without overloading you with super technical features.
This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
The most recent version of the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft 365, includes tools that you probably use at home, school or on the job. The most popular way to access these apps is by buying a Microsoft 365 membership, but those fees mount over time and can discourage you from using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other products. Fortunately, you can snag Microsoft 365 at no cost.
Microsoft’s suite of productivity software consists of classics like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as newer apps like Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. The Microsoft 365 collection typically costs between $70 and $100 every year for subscription access across devices and family members. Microsoft also released a new stand-alone version of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac, called Office Home and Student 2021, for a flat $150 — no subscription required.
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Here are the versions of Office 365, Microsoft 365 and their apps that you can find online for free right now.
Get Microsoft Office 365 free if you’re a student or a teacher
If you’re a student, teacher or faculty member with an active school email address, you’re likely eligible to get access to Office 365 for free through Microsoft, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams and additional classroom tools.
All you have to do is enter your school email address on this page on Microsoft’s website: Get started with Office 365 for free. In many cases, you’ll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility.
How to get Microsoft Office suite free if you’re anyone else
Anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365. However, it does require you to enter a credit card number, and if you don’t cancel before the month is up, you’ll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home).
The good news is if you don’t need the full suite of Microsoft 365 tools, you can access a number of its apps online for free — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar and Skype. Here’s how to get them:
2. Click Sign up for the free version of Office under the “Sign in” button.
3. Log in to your Microsoft account or create one for free. If you already have a Windows, Skype or Xbox Live login, you have an active Microsoft account.
4. Select the app you want to use, and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.
Use the browser-based version of the Microsoft Word app for free.
Screenshot by Alison DeNisco Rayome/CNET
So what’s the catch for the free version?
You may be saying, “Wait a minute, if I can get all of those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place?” Well, the functionality of the free apps is limited: They only run in your web browser and you can only use them while you’re actively connected to the internet. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft 365 versions.
There are still a number of benefits, however, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real time, similar to what G Suite tools allow. If you’re looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you.
This story is part of 12 Days of Tips, helping you make the most of your tech, home and health during the holiday season.
If you’ve been given a new phone, tablet or laptop over the holidays, don’t condemn your old device to your in-home gadget graveyard — or worse, the garbage. We all hang onto outdated tech for our own reasons, but there are also multiple ways to repurpose old devices for your smart home, using them as security cameras and more.
Whatever the tech, when it’s finally time to say goodbye, there’s a right way to dispose of your old gadgets — and there are a lot of wrong ways. We’ll show you which is which.
What should I do before I get rid of a device?
When you’re finished with a gadget, make sure it’s also finished with you. Make sure to back up anything you want off the device — photos, videos, songs — and then perform a factory reset. Here are a few CNET articles to help clarify the finer points of wiping a device:
Here are the best places here in the US to recycle, repurpose or give new life to your old technology.
Smartphone Recycling
Smartphone Recycling lets you print a free FedEx shipping label or request a recycling kit. Ship your old smartphone and you might even get paid, depending on the device’s condition and age. Smartphone Recycling accepts devices in bulk, so you have to ship a minimum of 10. Depending on how long you’ve been hoarding phones, you might meet this quota on your own. If not, check with friends and family and make it a group effort.
If you succumbed to the siren song of the newest gadget, even if your current device wasn’t on its last leg, we’re not here to judge.
Woot/Screenshot by CNET
What you can recycle: Smartphone Recycling accepts smartphones, cell phones, MacBooks, tablets, iPhones, iPads, iPods and Apple Watches, as well as batteries attached or installed in devices.
Best Buy
Best Buy accepts a wide range of tech products and generally takes three items per house per day. Specifics may vary depending on where you live, but you can check with the state-specific recycling information dropdown menu on the site.
What you can recycle: Best Buy can take TVs, cables and chargers, media players, projectors, laptops, hard drives, webcams, cellphones, calculators, radios, landlines, headsets, vacuums, fans, ink and toner cartridges, alarm clocks, speaker systems, e-readers, video game consoles, memory cards, camcorders, digital cameras, GPS devices and more.
If you don’t want to recycle your tablet, there are places to donate technology.
What you can recycle: Staples can recycle accessories, adapters, cables, computers, cordless and mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, routers, tablets, webcams, ink and toner and other office tech items.
Home Depot
Home Depot has an explainer on its website about how to safely dispose of dead batteries, old paint, electronics and other items, as well as tips for upcycling and repurposing. According to RecycleStuff.org, the services are drop-off only for residential customers.
What you can recycle: According to RecycleStuff.org, Home Depot accepts household alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, rechargeable household batteries, cell phones and LED light bulbs.
US Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA doesn’t handle recycling and drop-offs the same way other businesses do, but it does have a handy guide that makes it easier to get the information you need. The EPA’s directory breaks down donation and recycling by electronic device, company name, logo and any additional details.
What you can recycle: Again, the EPA’s directory links you out to specific companies and their policies, but according to the list, you can recycle and donate mobile devices, PCs and TVs as well as imaging equipment and supplies.
The Electronics Take-back Coalition doesn’t handle the recycling, but it can direct you to the proper resource for your needs.
What you can recycle: Depending on the company, you can find places to turn in iPhones, iPads, smartphones, monitors, computers, printers, keyboards, mice, DVD and VHS players, cameras, TVs and more.
Your laptop can be recycled, donated or repurposed. We’ll tell you where to look.
Josh Goldman/CNET
EcoATM
EcoATM gives you a price estimate for your old phone that you can lock in on the mobile app using your old device’s IMEI number. EcoATM will ask a few questions about your device like brand, model, memory, carrier and condition before generating a quote. From there, you can visit one of the organization’s kiosks, located at stores like Kroger, Walmart and Dollar General.
What you can recycle: EcoATM can help with iPhones, Samsung smartphones, tablets and MP3 players, Google Pixel phones, LG phones and tablets, Motorola phones and ZTE phones. You can also recycle chargers and cellular accessories like cases, but you won’t be paid for them.
Earth911
Earth911 lets you search by device and ZIP code to find appropriate nearby locations to turn in old phones. When you visit the organization’s website, click Where to Recycle at the top of the page to get started. Earth911 works with well-known businesses like Lowe’s and Target, as well as local waste and recycling centers.
What you can recycle: Earth911 helps you find locations to recycle, but it will also note the materials the location accepts, whether it allows drop-off or pickup for residential or businesses, as well as any additional information.
Recycling for Charities
Recycling for Charities accepts technology donations, but gives a percentage of the device’s value to the charity of your choosing. Scroll through a directory of charities, select one, enter the required information and click donate. Charities receive anywhere between 25 cents and $100 from your items.
What you can recycle: Wireless cell phones and corresponding batteries, iPhones, wireless pagers, digital cameras, iPods, PDAs and Palm Pilots.
Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle is a battery-focused recycling program. The organization offers drop-off options at locations like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Staples, as well as shipment boxes for batteries and cell phones. Drop-offs are free, but recycling kits and shipment boxes cost between $45 and $115, depending on the size.
What you can recycle: Rechargeable batteries like Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion, Nickel Zinc and Small Sealed Lead Acid weighing up to 11 pounds. Call2Recycle also accepts single-use batteries like AA, AAA, 9V, C, D and button cell batteries weighing up to 11 pounds. The organization also accepts cell phones and their corresponding batteries regardless of size, make, model or age.
With more than 195 million subscribers, Spotify is arguably one of the most popular music streaming platforms in the world. CNET also ranks Spotify as one of the best music streaming services on the market, and gave it an Editor’s Choice Award.
Spotify lets you listen to music wherever you are, recommends new songs based on your activity and provides fun, personalized streaming data at the end of every year. If you were gifted a Spotify subscription for the holidays, you can also make and share playlists with friends on social media, or with the whole world through the app.
If you feel like something is missing from your listening experience though, Spotify lets you take control of various settings to make your music sound more superb. That way whether you’re in a quiet library, on your morning commute or pumping some iron in the gym, your music will always fit the mood.
Here’s how to crank your Spotify listening experience up to 11 no matter what the situation.
Adjust your base volume to match your environment
Volume is pretty easy to figure out, but did you know Spotify lets premium users adjust the base volume of the app depending on their environment? You can select either Quiet, Normal or Loud, and each has its own benefit.
Quiet will make songs a little quieter and sound cleaner, making it a good choice if you’re relaxing at home. Normal makes songs play at a medium base volume, and the sound is less crisp than Quiet. This is a good choice for most people and situations. Loud is — you guessed it — louder, but you might lose some audio quality because of the loudness. This option is good if you’re at the gym or other similarly noisy environments.
Changing your Spotify settings takes no time and can improve your whole listening experience.
Getty Images
Here’s how to adjust the base volume on your iPhone:
1. Open the Spotify app. 2. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of your screen. 3. Tap the Playback option near the top of the menu.
4. Beneath Volume level there are three options: Loud, Normal and Quiet.
If you’re using the Spotify app on a Mac, here’s how to adjust the base volume:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Click the down arrow in the top-right corner. 3. Scroll down until you see Audio Quality. 4. Under Audio Quality, you should see Volume level. 5. Click the drop-down bar to the right of Volume level. 6. From here, you see the same Loud, Normal and Quiet options. Pick whichever one works for you.
Here’s how to adjust the base volume if you’re using the Spotify app on an Android device:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings. 3. Scroll down to Playback and you should see Volume Level. 4. Next to Volume Level you should see the Loud, Normal and Quiet options. Pick the one you want.
Finally, here’s how to adjust the base volume in Spotify while on a Windows computer:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Click your account name in the top-right corner. 3. Click Settings. 4. Under Audio Quality, you should see Volume level. Click the drop-down bar to the right. 5. Select either Loud, Normal or Quiet.
If you prefer being more hands-on with how your bass and treble come across in each song, you can adjust the in-app equalizer. Adjusting your bass affects lower-frequency sounds, making your music sound deeper with increased bass or flat with less bass. Treble affects the higher sound frequencies, making your music sound brighter and crisper with increased treble, or duller and kind of muddied with less treble.
Here’s how to access the equalizer on your iPhone:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Tap the gear in the top right corner to access Settings. 3. Tap the Playback option. 4. Scroll down the menu and tap Equalizer.
Here’s how to access the equalizer on your Android device:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings. 3. Under the Audio quality heading — not under Data Saver — tap Equalizer.
This opens the equalizer page on both systems. Here you can find the manual equalizer slider and a handful of premade genre-based equalizers.
You should see the manual equalizer slider that looks like a line graph with six dots. When you first get to this page, the equalizer should be flat.
Each dot on the graph can be adjusted for more or less sound. The far left bar represents your bass, the far right bar controls your treble and the middle bars control — you guessed it — your midrange. You can tweak the bars as you see fit.
There are also genre-based equalizers on this page. You can pick which genre you’re listening to and the app automatically adjusts the sliders to optimize for that style of music. After picking one, you can further adjust the sliders for the perfect listening experience.
If you want to reset the equalizer, there’s a genre-based equalizer called Flat. This will reset the equalizer to its default.
The Mac and Windows versions of Spotify don’t have an in-application equalizer. But you can search for an equalizer application to help you in your journey to find the best sound.
Adjusting these settings can really make your music pop
Adjust the quality of your music for a clearer sound
You can also adjust the audio quality of your music. This is handy if you’re using mobile data and don’t want to bump up your phone bill. Reducing the audio quality will use less data.
Here’s how to change the audio quality on mobile and tablet:
1. Open the Spotify app. 2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings. 3. Scroll down until you see the heading Audio Quality — not under Data Saver. 4. Under WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming, you can select Low, Normal, High or Automatic. The Automatic option adjusts the audio quality to whatever your signal strength is. If you’re a paid subscriber you’ll see a fifth option under both WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming called Very high.
How to change the audio quality on your desktop:
1. Open Spotify. 2. Click the down arrow in the top-right corner. 3. Click Settings. 4. Scroll down to Audio Quality. 5. Beneath Audio Quality you should see Streaming quality. Click the drop-down menu to the right. 6. Choose between Low, Normal, High or Automatic options, and the Very high option for paid subscribers.
