Some PDFs are encrypted with a password, which you’ll need to enter each time you want to view the document. You can remove the password to save yourself some inconvenience if you’re keeping the PDF in a secure location. We’ll cover two ways to do this here: A convenient trick that works in all operating systems with applications you already have, and the official method that requires Adobe Acrobat. Both methods assume you know the password to the encrypted PDF file....

Google displays your profile picture across all its products. If you’d rather keep your photo private, you can remove the picture from your profile. We’ll show you how to do that for your Google account. We’ll also show you how to remove the picture from Google’s archive so that it’s no longer accessible at all. Keep in mind that Google’s mobile app doesn’t offer the option to remove the profile picture....

If you need to capture the contents of your Windows 11 PC’s screen (or a portion of it) for later reference, then it’s time to take a screenshot. You can use built-in screenshot features or third-party tools. Here are several different ways to do it. Copy the Entire Screen to the Clipboard: Press Print Screen In Windows 11, as in previous versions of Windows, you can copy an image of your entire screen into the clipboard (a temporary storage area for copying and pasting) by pressing the Print Screen (PrtScn) key....

How to Check What Software Your Kindle Has Your Kindle should automatically download and update itself when it’s charging and connected to Wi-Fi. However, if you like to leave your Kindle in Airplane mode, haven’t connected it to the internet in a while, or just haven’t charged it recently, your Kindle might not be running the latest software. To check what version of the Kindle software yours is currently running, go to your Kindle’s home page and tap the three little dots in the top right to open the menu....

grep is a great tool for searching through files and standard input in Linux and is able to match string and Regex patterns. However, sometimes it’s necessary to control what kinds of files grep searches for, and it has flags built in to do just that. Only Including Certain Files in grep Searches By default, grep will search all files in a given folder and its subfolders if you invoke it with the recursive -r flag....

Slack is a great tool for communicating and collaborating in digital workspaces. When it gets busy, it’s difficult to sort through all the information; what’s relevant, and what’s chatter. Start grouping your conversations into threads, and watch the clutter disappear. All conversations that you’ll have with your colleagues in Slack are sorted into channels. These channels can be based on the team, the project, the subject, or any topic that needs its own dedicated space....

How Are the M1 Pro and M1 Max Similar The main differences in the M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets come down to two things: graphics capabilities and the maximum amount of memory. If you know you need 64GB of unified memory, you can stop reading right now and go for the M1 Max, as it’s the only one of the two chips that supports it. (The M1 Pro can only go up to 32GB of unified memory....

In a Windows Insider blog post, Microsoft said, “We are beginning to slowly roll out a new “Your Microsoft account” settings page that will give you quick access to information related to your Microsoft account directly within Settings in Windows 11.” Currently, the feature is rolling out to the Dev channel of the Windows Insider program. And even at that, Microsoft says it’s bringing it to “a small set of Windows Insiders,” so it could be a while before we see it in the final Windows 11 release....

RELATED: Windows 11: What’s New In Microsoft’s New OS When Will the Windows 11 Event Take Place? Microsoft will live stream the event starting at 11 a.m. Eastern time on June 24, 2021. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella and Chief Product Officer Panos Panay will both be presenting at the event. If you can’t tune in at the time of the live stream, you can head to Microsoft’s website and watch it later on your own schedule....

Iptables is an extremely flexible firewall utility built for Linux operating systems. Whether you’re a novice Linux geek or a system administrator, there’s probably some way that iptables can be a great use to you. Read on as we show you how to configure the most versatile Linux firewall. Photo by ezioman. About iptables iptables is a command-line firewall utility that uses policy chains to allow or block traffic. When a connection tries to establish itself on your system, iptables looks for a rule in its list to match it to....

There are a variety of cases designed for different purposes. There’s no one-size-fits-all case, which means it’s essential to choose a case that focuses on your specific needs. If you want to protect your phone from dings and scratches, but aren’t particularly concerned about the shock from dropping it, then a silicone cover is likely the best option. Thin silicone cases can be a great way to prevent minor cosmetic damage without adding much weight or thickness to the smartphone....

The Best Tech Gifts for Kids From 3-6 The difference in motor and cognitive abilities between a three-year-old and a six-year-old is pretty vast, so gift ideas that age range can be hard to figure out. A three-year-old might only just be getting to grips with letters and numbers, whereas a six-year-old might be comfortable writing and reading. It means you need to keep the age and general abilities of the child you’re buying for in mind, but it also means that whatever you buy should be able to grow with them a bit too....

The Best Tech Stocking Stuffers Stockings are a holiday tradition that many of us adhere to. They’re the perfect place to, ironically, put things like socks, underwear, and packs of deodorant—smaller gifts that generally aren’t the most exciting to unwrap. But you can always go beyond that if you’re looking for something a little more inspirational. You could use some of the best tech stocking stuffers to make sure that whoever you’re buying for will have one of the best stockings of their lives....

Browsers are critical tools in many people’s lives, but they come with security risks. Occasionally, vulnerabilities are exploited, and companies rush to send out fixes. That’s exactly what happened with Chrome 91, and a patch is available now. Chrome 91 was released just a couple of weeks ago and there were a number of security flaws that got exploited. Google hasn’t disclosed the exact exploits yet, as they want to wait for more people to install the patch released on June 10, 2021, but the company did say that a zero-day exploit is currently being used....

Swipe Left, Swipe Right If you’ve been on the internet lately, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a meme or a post that uses the term “swipe left” or “swipe right.” These two terms come from Tinder, the most popular online dating app around the world. “Swipe right” means to like or accept someone, while “swipe left” means to reject them. The meaning of these two phrases is taken from one of Tinder’s core mechanics....

For Sure FS can mean a few things, but it most commonly means “for sure.” It’s an initialism that essentially means “definitely” — positively responding to someone’s question or emphatically stating your thoughts. For example, if someone asks whether you’re going to a party next weekend, you might say, “FS, I wouldn’t miss it.” You can also say, “I think the Bucks are winning, FS,” to emphasize how strongly you believe in a sports opinion....

A file with the .xlsx file extension is a Microsoft Excel Open XML Spreadsheet (XLSX) file created by Microsoft Excel. You can also open this format in other spreadsheet apps, such as Apple Numbers, Google Docs, and OpenOffice. They are stored as a compressed Zip file, which contains a bunch of other files used to open the document. RELATED: What Is A File Extension? What Is an XLSX File? XLSX files are files used in Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet application that uses tables to organize, analyze, and store data....

There’s a new open format sweeping the world of performance PCs, and it’s…well, complicated. The M.2 format is designed for manufacturers to replace a variety of specific devices, do it in a tiny space, and require very little power. But actually upgrading to an M.2 drive or accessory requires a little forethought. Where Did M.2 Come From? Formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), the M.2 format is technically a replacement for the mSATA standard, which was popular with manufacturers of super-compact laptops and other small gadgets....

Privacy is a growing concern for smartphone users. Apple has been leading the charge when it comes to better privacy features, but Google is improving Android as well. A feature called the “Privacy Dashboard” lays it all out for you. The Privacy Dashboard is a feature that was introduced for Android 12. Along with some other things, Google made a big emphasis on privacy in this release, and the Privacy Dashboard is the centralized location for a lot of it....

Facebook-owned WhatsApp is always up to something, and now the chat app has added a new feature that lets you make custom stickers on the web. It’s a new way to express yourself with your friends and loved ones that sounds pretty nifty and easy to use. Using the WhatsApp web app, you can use images from your computer to create custom stickers. It’s easy enough to use, so you don’t need to have any advanced graphic design skills to make nice-looking stickers....