Sunday, February 22, 2026

How to Edit Photos Privately with Duck.ai

How to Edit Photos Privately with Duck.ai

DuckDuckGo has quietly added AI-powered photo editing to Duck.ai, allowing users to modify images using natural language commands. This feature gives you powerful image editing tools without the data tracking common in competing AI platforms.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 22, 2026


DuckDuckGo
Most AI image editors require you to upload photos to services that analyze, store, or use your data to train their models. 

That creates a tradeoff between convenience and privacy. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use DuckDuckGo's AI Tool.

DuckDuckGo's new Duck.ai image editing feature lets you enhance, modify, and transform photos using AI while maintaining the privacy-first principles the company is known for.

Instead of installing software or subscribing to expensive creative tools, you can edit images directly in your browser using simple prompts like “remove the background,” “improve lighting,” or “turn this into a watercolor painting.”

DuckAI Image

Saturday, February 21, 2026

How to Compose Original Music Using Google Gemini and Lyria

How to Compose Original Music Using Google Gemini and Lyria

Google Gemini now integrates with the Lyria model to allow users to generate, edit, and refine original music through simple conversational prompts. This guide shows you how to master these new creative tools for your next project.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 21, 2026


Google Gemini
Have you ever had a melody stuck in your head but lacked the technical skills or the expensive studio equipment to bring it to life? 

Perhaps you need a unique, royalty-free background track for a presentation or a social media video but cannot find the right "vibe" in standard stock libraries. 

The barrier between musical imagination and actual digital audio is evaporating. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Make Music with Google Gemini.

With the integration of Google’s Lyria model into the Gemini ecosystem, the process of songwriting is shifting from complex software manipulation to a simple natural language conversation. 

Whether you are a professional creator or a hobbyist, the ability to generate high-fidelity audio with specific instruments, moods, and styles is now at your fingertips.

Create Music with Gemini

Friday, February 20, 2026

Go Fishing (Without Leaving Your Desk) With Fishing Frenzy

Go Fishing (Without Leaving Your Desk) With Fishing Frenzy

FishingFrenzy.co turns quick breaks into a cozy, competitive fishing loop you can play on the web. If you like games that reward consistency, smart upgrades, and event timing, this one is built to hook you fast.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 20, 2026


FishingFrenzy icon
What if your next “five-minute break” actually reset your brain, instead of melting it? 

Here's a Friday Funday Cool Tip:  Go FishingFrenzy!

Fishing Frenzy is that kind of game: simple to start, surprisingly deep once you notice the quests, multipliers, events, and progression systems that reward disciplined play.

You do not need a console or a gaming PC. 

If you have a browser, you can fish, collect, upgrade, and chase limited-time events in short sessions that fit between calls, classes, or chores.

Go Fishing with FishingFrenzy

Thursday, February 19, 2026

iOS 26 Fixes Motion Sickness With Smarter Vehicle Motion Cues

iOS 26 Fixes Motion Sickness With Smarter Vehicle Motion Cues

Apple has upgraded Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 26 to help prevent motion sickness using real-time visual indicators. This small but powerful accessibility feature makes using your phone in a car dramatically more comfortable.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 19, 2026


iOS 26
Have you ever tried to read email or respond to a message in a moving car, only to feel dizzy or nauseous within seconds? 

You are not alone. 

Motion sickness happens because your brain receives conflicting signals. 

Your inner ear senses motion, but your eyes see a stationary screen. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use the Improved Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 26.

We first told you about Vehicle Motion Cues last year in iOS 18 and how it can make using your phone better when traveling.

Apple’s improved Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 26 addresses the motion problem directly by synchronizing what you see with how your body moves.

This feature transforms the iPhone into an adaptive interface that visually communicates motion, helping your brain reconcile those signals.

iOS 26 Vehicle Motion Cues

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Windows 11’s Microsoft Store CLI: Install and Update Apps Without Opening the Store

Windows 11’s Microsoft Store CLI: Install and Update Apps Without Opening the Store

If you live in Windows Terminal, Microsoft just gave you a faster way to manage Store apps. The new Microsoft Store command line tool lets you browse, install, and update Microsoft Store apps with a few simple commands, no GUI required.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 18, 2026


Microsoft Store
Ever set up a new PC and thought, “Why am I clicking through the Store again?” 

Or needed to update one specific app and got dragged into a sea of tiles, banners, and “recommended” content? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use the New Microsoft Store Command Line Interface (CLI).

Microsoft’s new Store CLI is a small change that quietly removes a lot of friction for anyone who prefers fast, repeatable workflows.

Microsoft Store CLI

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Never Miss Important News Again: How to Create Google Alerts in Minutes

Never Miss Important News Again: How to Create Google Alerts in Minutes

Track topics, competitors, and your own name automatically with Google Alerts. This free tool turns Google into your personal research assistant.  Google Alerts automatically monitors the web for new content about topics you choose and sends notifications directly to your inbox. It is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to stay informed without constantly searching.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 17, 2026


Google
How often do you search Google to see if someone mentioned your company, published new research, or released a product update? 

Most people rely on memory and occasional searches, which means they miss critical developments.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Google Alerts.

Google Alerts eliminates that problem by monitoring the internet continuously and notifying you the moment something new appears.

Whether you run a business, manage investments, publish articles, or simply want to track your favorite topics, Google Alerts gives you an early warning system for information that matters.

Google Alerts

Monday, February 16, 2026

🚨 Chrome Zero-Day Alert: Update Immediately 🚨

🚨 Chrome Zero-Day Alert: Update Immediately 🚨

Google has released an emergency patch for CVE-2026-2441, a serious zero-day vulnerability affecting Chrome’s CSS font value processor.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 16, 2026


Chrome
This flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page, and it’s already being exploited in the wild.

Update your Chrome browser NOW to protect your PC and data.

What’s Affected
  • Chrome version 145.0.7632.75/76 (Windows & Mac).
  • Chrome version 144.0.7559.75 (Linux).
  • Other Chromium-based browsers like Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, and Brave may also be impacted.

Turn Excel Chaos Into Clarity With Copilot’s Summarize And Categorize Superpowers

Turn Excel Chaos Into Clarity With Copilot’s Summarize And Categorize Superpowers

Copilot in Excel can scan thousands of rows, surface the story in your data, and organize it into meaningful categories with just a few natural language prompts. If you work in spreadsheets all day, this feature is like having a data analyst sitting in the ribbon.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor  
February 16, 2026


Microsoft Excel
You open a workbook with 18,000 rows of sales data, customer comments, and dates, and your manager wants a one-page summary before lunch. 

You know Excel can do it, but building the right formulas, PivotTables, and filters feels like a project, not a quick task.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Copilot to Summarize and Categorize Your Data.

Instead of hunting for the perfect function, you describe what you want: “Summarize this data by category.” 

Copilot reads the table, proposes a summary, and can even build the supporting PivotTable for you.

Excel stops being a wall of cells and starts acting like a conversation about your data.

Summarize and Categorize Data in Excel image

Sunday, February 15, 2026

How to Remove Your Explicit Content from Google Search Results

How to Remove Your Explicit Content from Google Search Results

Take control of your digital footprint by requesting the removal of sensitive personal images and information from Google Search results.

Byline: By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 15, 2026


Google
Have you ever searched for your own name only to find a photo that felt like a punch to the gut? 

Perhaps it is an old image shared without your consent that you never intended to be public. 

In an era where a digital first impression is often the only one that counts, finding explicit personal content of yourself online is more than just embarrassing. 

It is a security risk and a violation of privacy. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Remove the Content from Google.

Google has significantly expanded its toolset to help users claw back their privacy, but many people still believe that once something is on the internet, it stays there forever. 

That is not entirely true. 

While Google cannot delete a file from a third-party website server, it can effectively bury the link so it no longer appears in search results for the world to see.

Remove Explicit Images from Google Search Results

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Control Your Threads Feed With the New “Dear Algo” Feature

Control Your Threads Feed With the New “Dear Algo” Feature

Threads now lets you directly instruct its algorithm using a simple “Dear Algo” request. This AI-powered feature puts you in control of your feed instead of passively accepting what the platform decides to show you.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
February 14, 2026


Threads
Have you ever opened Threads and wondered why your feed is full of topics you barely care about, while the conversations you actually want are buried or missing entirely? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Update your Threads feed.

That frustration is exactly what Meta is trying to solve with a new AI-powered feature called Dear Algo.

Instead of relying solely on likes, follows, or engagement signals, 

Threads now allows you to directly tell its algorithm what you want to see more or less of. 

This is a major shift in how social feeds work. 

For the first time, you can explicitly guide the algorithm using natural language instructions.

Threads Dear Algo