Is This AI? Check Before You Share

Is This AI? Check Before You Share 

Google’s SynthID Detector checks images, videos, and audio for hidden AI watermarks. Learn how to interpret the results before sharing something that looks surprisingly real.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 10, 2026

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A remarkable photo lands in your group chat.

 A video shows something almost too incredible to believe. An audio clip sounds convincing enough to forward.

Before you share, you want an answer: Is this AI?

Here’s a Cool Tip: Use Google’s SynthID Detector to check for hidden AI watermarks before sharing questionable media.

Google’s SynthID Detector offers a useful starting point. 

But knowing what the detector checks is just as important as knowing how to use it.

Turn Your Browser Into a Jigsaw Puzzle Table

Turn Your Browser Into a Jigsaw Puzzle Table

Jigsaw Explorer gives you a puzzle table inside your browser, with adjustable difficulty and the option to solve together from different locations. Try a mystery puzzle, invite a friend, or make a favorite photograph the next challenge.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 9, 2026

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You want to work on a jigsaw puzzle, but your dining table is already occupied. 

Once the pieces come out, putting everything away before dinner becomes another task.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Play Jigsaw Explorer in your browser and invite a friend to help.

An online puzzle gives you room to sort pieces and return to unfinished work. 

Choose a colorful picture, build the border, and enjoy a satisfying break.

Change iPhone Alarm Volume Without Changing Your Ringtone in iOS 27

Change iPhone Alarm Volume Without Changing Your Ringtone in iOS 27

Keep your ringtone quiet while giving your iPhone alarms the volume they need. Set a shared volume for alarms and timers that is separate from your ringtone, and check the dedicated control for your Sleep schedule’s Wake Up alarm.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 8, 2026

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You lower your iPhone’s ringtone before a meeting. 

Later, while setting tomorrow’s alarm, you wonder whether that quieter setting also means a quieter wake-up call.

Calls and alarms serve different purposes. 

A comfortable ringtone during the day may be too quiet for an early start.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Turn off Match Ringtone Volume for alarms and timers.

In iOS 27, Apple now provides a way to give alarms and timers their own sound level. 

Stop Searching Windows Settings. Let Copilot Find Them for You

Stop Searching Windows Settings. Let Copilot Find Them for You

Windows 11 has hundreds of settings, and finding the right one isn't always easy. Microsoft Copilot can help you locate, open, and understand settings using plain English, reducing frustration and saving time.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 7, 2026

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Windows 11 gives users an incredible amount of control over their PCs, but that flexibility comes with a challenge. 

Here's a Cool Tip: Use Copilot as your personal Windows 11 settings guide.

Important settings can be buried several menus deep, making even simple tasks frustrating when you cannot remember where Microsoft placed a particular option.

Need to change your microphone? 

Connect Bluetooth headphones? 

Adjust battery settings? 

Make text larger?

Instead of clicking through Settings and hunting for the right menu, try asking Microsoft Copilot.

Microsoft includes Windows Settings support as part of the Copilot experience on Windows. 

The feature allows users to ask questions in natural language and receive guidance for locating settings, troubleshooting issues, and managing their PC.

The biggest benefit is simple: you no longer need to remember where Microsoft hid a setting.

Hand the Busywork to a Grok Bot

Hand the Busywork to a Grok Bot

A chatbot can draft the email. Grok Bot is built to open the tools, do the steps, and leave a finished draft for you to approve. If your week is full of follow-ups, reports, and browser chores, this is the version of Grok that keeps working after you close the laptop.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 6, 2026

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You already have a chatbot that can write a first draft. 

The slow part is everything after that: opening the spreadsheet, checking the inbox, pulling the numbers, and pasting the result where it belongs.

Grok Bot is SpaceXAI’s answer to that gap. 

It launched in August 2026 as a team of always-on agents that share a cloud computer, sign into the apps you already use, and come back when a step needs you. 

Here’s a Cool Tip: Create one focused Grok Bot, give it a single job, and make it stop before it sends or publishes anything.

It is available as desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus companion apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

One LinkedIn Post, Multiple Authors, Bigger Reach

One LinkedIn Post, Multiple Authors, Bigger Reach

LinkedIn's new Collaborative Posts feature gives professionals and businesses a better way to publish content together and share visibility across multiple audiences. If you regularly work with coworkers, customers, partners, or creators, this feature can help your posts travel farther without creating duplicate content.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 5, 2026

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Ever publish a LinkedIn post about a customer success story, business partnership, conference presentation, or team achievement and wish everyone involved could share the spotlight?

LinkedIn's new Collaborative Posts feature tackles exactly that problem. 

Instead of relying on tags, mentions, or reposts, multiple people and company pages can co-author a single post and share visibility across their respective audiences. 

For professionals trying to grow their network and organizations seeking broader reach, it offers a more effective way to showcase teamwork and shared accomplishments.

Here's a Cool Tip: Team up on LinkedIn posts to expand your audience without creating duplicate content.

LinkedIn's new collaborative feature allows users to collaborate on posts with up to five collaborators and support formats including text, images, video, documents, polls, events, and links. 

The feature is expanding globally, although availability may vary while the rollout continues.

Create Studio-Quality Songs With Google Flow Music and Lyria 3.5

Create Studio-Quality Songs With Google Flow Music and Lyria 3.5

Google recently launched the Lyria 3.5 model inside Google Flow Music to give creators advanced control over their AI-generated tracks. This update brings improved vocal expression, complex melodies, and precise tempo adjustments to help you craft exactly the sound you want.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 4, 2026

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Producing a custom song usually requires specialized software and audio engineering skills. 

The launch of Lyria 3.5 in Google Flow Music changes this by placing advanced generation tools directly in your browser. 

This newest model from Google DeepMind upgrades melody structure and vocal emotion, making synthetic music sound remarkably natural. 

If you ever wanted to produce a custom track for a video project, write a song for a family event, or experiment with different genres, the tools are now significantly better and easier to command.

Here is a Cool Tip: Adjust tempo and duration directly in Flow Music for absolute creative control.

Try Before You Buy: ChatGPT’s Virtual Dressing Room

Try Before You Buy: ChatGPT’s Virtual Dressing Room

ChatGPT can now give you a personal preview of clothing and accessories using your photo. See how to try an item virtually, manage your saved selfie, and avoid mistaking an attractive image for a guaranteed fit.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 3, 2026

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That blazer looks terrific on the store’s model. 

Will it look just as good with your favorite shirt?

Online shopping gives you plenty of pictures, but usually none of you wearing the item. 

A personal preview can help you decide which styles deserve a closer look before you order.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Use ChatGPT’s virtual try-on to preview clothing with your own photo.

Can You Draw a Perfect Circle? Try This Fun Browser Challenge

Can You Draw a Perfect Circle? Try This Fun Browser Challenge

Turn a simple circle into a surprisingly tricky Friday challenge with Neal.fun’s Perfect Circle game. Learn the basic controls, try a steadier drawing technique, and invite someone to beat your score.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 2, 2026

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You can spot a crooked circle instantly. 

Drawing a better one with a mouse is another matter.

Start confidently, drift a little, and suddenly your masterpiece resembles a potato. 

That gap between what your eyes expect and what your hand produces makes this a satisfying Friday diversion.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Test your circle-drawing skills with Neal.fun’s Perfect Circle game.

Neal.fun’s Draw a Perfect Circle turns that simple task into a browser challenge: draw around a center point and see your percentage score.

Rescue Your iPhone Photos With Clean Up, Extend, and Reframe

Rescue Your iPhone Photos With Clean Up, Extend, and Reframe

A distracting background or awkward angle does not have to ruin a favorite photo. Discover how Apple’s iOS 27 Photos tools can help you tidy the scene, add breathing room, and rethink the perspective on a compatible iPhone.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 1, 2026

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You finally get the vacation photo you wanted. 

Then you notice a stranger behind you, a cramped edge, or an angle that makes the scene feel off.

Before writing off that picture, consider what needs fixing. 

A small distraction calls for a different approach than a tight composition.

Here’s a Cool Tip: Use Clean Up, Extend, and Reframe in iOS 27 Photos to give a favorite iPhone picture another chance.