Alarm Reminders in iOS 26.2: Turn Reminders Into Can’t-Miss Alerts

Alarm Reminders in iOS 26.2: Turn Reminders Into Can’t-Miss Alerts

In iOS 26.2, Apple added a practical upgrade to Reminders: mark a task as Urgent and your iPhone schedules an alarm when it’s due. If you rely on Reminders for time-critical work, this change makes missed tasks a lot less likely.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 22, 2026

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If you’ve ever had a reminder fire while your phone was silenced, you know the problem: you get a polite notification at the exact wrong moment, and it disappears into the chaos. 

For some tasks, “polite” is not good enough. Paying a bill. Joining a call. 

Taking medication. 

Leaving for the airport.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Try the new Urgent Alarm feature in the Reminders App.

iOS 26.2 lets Reminders schedule an alarm for tasks you mark as Urgent, including when your device is silenced or a Focus mode is active. 

Windows 11’s New Battery Colors Make Power Status Obvious At A Glance

Windows 11’s New Battery Colors Make Power Status Obvious At A Glance

Windows 11 is finally giving the tiny battery icon a big usability upgrade, with color cues that tell you exactly how worried you should be about your remaining charge. If you live on a laptop all day, this small change can save you from surprise shutdowns and constant percentage checking.

Byline: By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 21, 2026

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You have probably stared at that tiny battery icon in the corner of your Windows 11 taskbar, trying to guess whether you have enough juice to finish a meeting or a flight. 

The old monochrome icon did not help much. 

It was small, vague, and forced you to click just to see the percentage.

Here's a Cool Tip:  The New Battery Colors Make Power Status Obvious.

A recent Windows 11 update changes that experience with a more colorful, more informative battery indicator. Green, yellow, and red now signal your power situation at a glance, and a clearer percentage readout makes it easier to plan your next charge. 

It is a subtle change that can have a big impact on how confidently you use your laptop away from an outlet.

Google Translate Now Lets You Choose: Classic Speed or Gemini Precision?

Google Translate Now Lets You Choose: Classic Speed or Gemini Precision?

Google Translate now offers a "Model Picker" that lets you toggle between instant "Classic" results and nuanced "Advanced" translations powered by Gemini. Discover how this new feature works and when to switch modes to avoid awkward phrasing in your professional and personal communications.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 20, 2026

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Have you ever used a translation app and ended up with a phrase that was technically correct but socially awkward? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Pick Your Model in Google Translate.

Google Translate is solving this problem by giving you a choice between raw speed and AI-powered nuance.

Turn Excel Into Your AI Teammate: How To Use Agent Mode In Excel For The Web

Turn Excel Into Your AI Teammate: How To Use Agent Mode In Excel For The Web

Agent Mode in Excel turns Copilot from a polite assistant into a hands-on builder that can reshape your workbook for you. If you work with reports, budgets, or messy data, this is the rare feature that can actually give you hours back each week.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 19, 2026

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You know that feeling when a “quick” spreadsheet tweak quietly eats your entire afternoon? 

One more column, one more formula, one more chart, and suddenly you are deep in a maze of references and formatting.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Agent Mode in Excel for the Web

Instead of nudging Copilot one prompt at a time, you describe the outcome you want, and Agent Mode plans, builds, and revises a multi-step workflow inside your workbook. 

It behaves less like a chatbot and more like a junior analyst who can explain what it is doing as it goes.

How Google Gemini’s New AI Feature Connects Your Apps for Smarter Answers

How Google Gemini’s New AI Feature Connects Your Apps for Smarter Answers

Imagine an AI that doesn't just know general facts, but knows you, finding your lost frequent flyer number or that specific vacation photo in seconds. Google Gemini’s new Personal Intelligence upgrade connects Gemini to your personal apps to transform how you manage your digital life.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 18, 2026

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Have you ever stood in line at a service counter, frantically searching your phone for a license plate number or a specific document buried in your email? 

We have all been there. Most AI chatbots can tell you the capital of France, but they cannot tell you what tire size your car needs or when your next dentist appointment is scheduled. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Try Google Gemini's New Personal Intelligence.

Google just announced a major upgrade to Gemini called "Personal Intelligence" that bridges the gap between general knowledge and your personal digital life.

How to Use ChatGPT’s New Dedicated Translation Tool

How to Use ChatGPT’s New Dedicated Translation Tool

ChatGPT now includes a standalone translation workspace that behaves like a professional language tool rather than a chat prompt. Here’s how to use it effectively across devices and why it may replace your default translator.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 17, 2026

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What if translating text didn’t require crafting prompts or pasting content into a chat window every single time?

For years, ChatGPT could translate anything when asked. 

But that process always felt indirect. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use the new ChatGPT Translate Tool.

OpenAI has quietly introduced a focused translation interface built specifically for fast, clean language conversion with optional tone control.

This changes how professionals, educators, travelers, and everyday users can handle multilingual content.

How to Suggest an Article for Grokipedia

How to Suggest an Article for Grokipedia

Suggesting an article to Grokipedia lets everyday users influence what gets documented, explained, and preserved in an emerging, community-driven knowledge base. If you spot a missing topic or an incomplete entry, you can help shape what others learn next.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 10, 2026

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Have you ever searched for a topic online, found it trending everywhere, and then realized there is no clear, neutral explanation of it anywhere? 

That gap between what people talk about and what gets formally documented is exactly where Grokipedia is positioning itself. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Suggest an article to Grokipedia.

The platform now invites users to suggest what should exist, not just react to what already does.

How to Create High-Quality Coloring Book Pages with ColorifyAI

How to Create High-Quality Coloring Book Pages with ColorifyAI

Turn photos or ideas into clean, printable coloring pages in seconds using ColorifyAI’s line-art engine. ColorifyAI makes it easy to generate crisp, professional coloring book pages without drawing or design software. This Cool Tip shows how to use ColorifyAI to produce print-ready pages that actually color well.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 9, 2026

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Most online coloring pages fail for one simple reason. 

They were never designed to be colored. 

Lines are too thin, details are cluttered, and prints look muddy on paper. 

ColorifyAI approaches the problem differently by focusing on bold, consistent outlines and open spaces that work for crayons, markers, and colored pencils. 

The result feels less like clip art and more like a real coloring book page.

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How to Take a Photo With Your AirPods

How to Take a Photo With Your AirPods

Take hands-free photos using your AirPods as a remote shutter, perfect for group shots, presentations, and solo content without awkward timers.  

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

January 8, 2026

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Have you ever tried to squeeze into a group photo, sprint back from a timer, or quietly snap a picture without touching your phone? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Your AirPods as a Remote Shutter.

Built into iOS and AirPods is a camera trigger feature that turns your earbuds into a hands-free photo button, and most users never discover it.