From apps that manage your subscriptions to ways to keep your phone alive when the battery has seen better days, the tips and tricks you can use to get the most out of the technology you use on a daily basis are all right here, and 2017 was chock full of ’em. Start 2018 on the right foot with some of Lifehacker’s best tech posts of the year.
Make the Most of Your iPhone’s Waning Battery
The nerd equivalent of talking about the weather is discussing your waning phone battery. If you’ve got an iPhone, hopefully one that isn’t being deliberately slowed down by Apple, you should take these battery saving measures and apply them to your day to day. It will relieve your anxiety when you’re out for longer than usual, or keep you in contact with the people most important to you when your phone is on its last legs.
Keep Track of the Life-Leeching Subscriptions
Your wallet is under attack from all sides, so get a handle on it in the new year with subscription management app, Bobby. Whether you’ve got one Netflix subscription, a Spotify family plan, or nearly a dozen recurring charges you’ve got to manage (welcome to my life), you need Bobby to maintain your control over who’s got access to your wallet on a monthly basis.
Upgrade Windows 10 Before It’s Too Late!
For goodness’ sake, please upgrade to Windows 10. I get it, you don’t want to deal with any potential bugs and issues that may arise when upgrading, but you can always do a clean install of the operating system (backup your data first, of course) and start 2018 with a clean slate and an even cleaner hard drive. Remember, after December 31, you’ll have to pay for Windows 10, and who wants to do that?
Ditch Your Fruit-Themed Phone in 2018
2017 saw some pretty awesome smartphone releases from both established companies and newcomers to the market. If you’re an iPhone user, now’s the time to look into perhaps switching sides and joining the ranks of Android users around the world. Google’s Pixel 2 phone gives the iPhone a run for its money, and makes it easy to switch from iOS to Android with minimal hassle.
Learn How to Keep Your Data Secure
Whether you’re storing some sensitive personal information on that flash drive on your keychain or trying to make your email a bit more secure, learning how to keep your data from prying eyes should be priority number one in the new year. Get yourself a VPN, a Yubikey, and an encrypted flash drive you made yourself to keep the undesirables out of your inbox and internet connection.
Enjoy Some Comics Without Cluttering Your House
Don’t let the limitations of our three-dimensional physical space keep you from reading comics in the new year to get ready for T’Challa’s struggle against the forces of evil. You can store as many comics as you can read on your mobile device or computer thanks to the gift that is digital comic books. Whether you’re buying them piecemeal or paying a monthly subscription to read to your heart’s content, you should learn how to read, buy, and save issues to take with you anywhere.
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