So much of what is important in our lives is tied up in online accounts, so making sure you have thought about a succession plan should you pass unexpectedly is vital. This means making sure your next of kin can access your accounts to avoid the frustration of trying to get in whilst grieving. If you've used the options that allow you to protect your accounts from potential hackers, those same protections will keep your family from accessing them as well. Storing them in a safe place is one approach, but keep in mind that as your usernames and passwords change, you'll need to update your manual records as well. Of all the online accounts that you want to make sure are accessible by your survivors, it's your email account that is most important. If they can access your email account and can unlock your phone, they can likely use the reset options in most accounts to regain access. If you haven't thought about the unthinkable, let this be your reminder to spend some time doing so.

The default mapping app on your smartphone is excellent as long as you have some form of connectivity. It's certainly possible to download specific areas in Google Maps as long as you know where you're going ahead of time, but that doesn't help once you're in an unfamiliar area. For those that find themselves wishing they had downloaded a map ahead of time on a regular basis, there's an app that's the equivalent of having an old-school paper map in your back pocket. It's called Maps.me and it is free to use on Android and iOS devices. If International exploration is your cup of tea, this app is a big 'must have' before you jump on the plane to your next destination. It's not going to work exactly like your default mapping app that's on your smartphone, so make sure you spend a little time with it well before you have to rely on it. Learn more and download it at: https://maps.me

The quality and size of the display on the iPhone has improved with every new generation and if you only use it in the traditional portrait mode, you're not getting the full experience. There are lots of options and features that just can't be displayed into the narrow width of a phone screen until you turn it sideways. Virtually every app that you use on a daily basis likely has some hidden features that will magically appear when you flop the display on its side. In addition to the hidden information or options, the keyboard is a bit larger and for some, much easier to type on when the display is sideways.and#8232; You can certainly take the time to research which of your apps will provide what specific features or simply make it a habit to turn the screen in all your apps to start uncovering hidden gems that can potentially make this magic device even more useful.

How much have you come to rely on text messaging as an efficient way to communicate with lots of people every day? What would you do if something happened to your smartphone? That's the focus of today's tip. Before you're in an emergency situation, check to see what options are offered by your cellular carrier for web-based text messaging. That means going to their web interface and doing some test texting so you'll know what to do if your smartphone goes out or goes missing. Another option is to use an online resource called Text Em http://textem.net This free service does require that you know which carrier the recipient is on, so it's not the best option in every situation. It's just a matter of time before you go without your primary texting device, so planning ahead is what we recommend.

No matter what you may be in the market to purchase, it's a pretty good bet that you'll be doing various Google searches to help you make your decision. Critics and reviews of the products you're considering can be extremely helpful and the more comparative information, the better. It's also a good way to discover competitive products that may not have known about. There's a simple alteration to your search requests that can provide direct product comparisons and that's by using get the VS parameter. Let's say you're looking at a new phone that's comparable to a Samsung Galaxy model. Type Samsung XXX vs in the Google search bar and hit Enter. The results will be those sites that have specifically compared the Samsung device you're interested in to other smartphones. This simple addition to your research will make you aware of other products so you can actually make the best decision for any purchase in the future.

Keeping your computer's software updated is a critical part of staying safe from all of the threats online, but there are some items that you don't want to always update.and#8232; Someone asked us about a special program that was boasting that it can keep all your drivers updated automatically. While this may sound like a good idea, drivers which are small bits of code designed to control hardware components should never be updated just for the sake of updating. Updating them en masse would be even worse as the chances of creating a huge problem that never existed can be the results. Driver updates are best done only when there is a specific problem with a piece of hardware that you are trying to address.and#8232; Make sure you keep your operating system and security software updated but when it comes to driver updates, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!

A common obstacle to learning a new language is often the lack of confidence that you are saying something the right way. It's important to get as close to the proper pronunciation as you can so the person you're talking to doesn't get confused by what you are trying to say. Wouldn't it be great if you could ask a bi-lingual friend how to say something every time you needed some help? Well, there's a virtual pronunciation assistant standing by whenever you want help at a website called Forvo. Beyond getting to hear the proper way to say things, you can download the files to keep on your device in the event you need to use the audio when you aren't getting it right in person. A bonus tip is to use Google Translate to get any word translated from English first, then have Forvo show you the proper way to say it. https://forvo.com is an excellent language tool to keep in your arsenal, so bookmark it for your future needs!

For those times that you are working with chronological data and want to present it in a linear fashion, a graphical timeline is hard to beat. Making it from scratch would be a bit of a chore unless you use a special tool designed specifically for timelines like the one at Timetoast.com Not only is it free to use, but you also don't have to download and install special code to get started. Once completed, the timeline can be presented to others as a list or a graphical timeline. No need to download the timeline as a file to share it with others as all you need to send is the URL for your specific timeline. Students, business people or those interested in genealogy have all found this tools to be pretty useful.

While watching videos via the Internet has become very commonplace, there's a genre that also has become more popular online: documentaries. In many cases, you'll have to pay to watch documentaries, there are sites where these important films are more readily more accessible. You can spend hours discovering lots of documentaries at Documentary Heaven. This treasure chest of independent films is set up in categories to make it easier to find the kind of content you like. This alternative to expensive streaming services allows you to watch on your computer, smartphone or tablet whenever you want it. No matter what your interest is when it comes to movies, there's bound to be a category of films on this site that will capture your attention. Start your discovery at:and#160;https://documentaryheaven.comand#8232;

Did you know that the space bar does a lot more than just create a single space when you tap it? There are actually other shortcuts hiding in your space bar that you may not have known about. Whether you using the keyboard on the screen of your phone or on your laptop or desktop, there are awesome ways to use the space bar. When you're typing something on your smartphone and want to start a new sentence, just tap the space bar twice and a period will magically appear! For those that spend all day on the internet via a desktop or laptop computer, you can keep your hands on the keyboard to scroll down a page by tapping the space bar. You can also scroll back up one page by holding the Shift key and tapping the space bar too. These tips are pretty basic but they can really make things more efficient for much of our daily interactions with our devices.and#8232;