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It's April 1, and you know what that means: Pranks abound, especially on the Interwebs. But this story is not a joke: These suggestions from our editors tell you how to to be the opposite of a fool with your favorite devices.
Don't let your kids use Web-connected devices unchecked. Parents need to make sure the proper settings and parental controls are in place for tablets, smart phones, gaming consoles, and computers, to prevent children from viewing inappropriate content—or making unwise purchases.
It's fine to leave your laptop connected to its charger at home. The smart charger will prevent overcharging, and the laptop's processor will run faster when it's connected.
Reboot your smart phone. They're actual computers and need to be restarted every few days to purge memory reserved by programs no longer running and to fix glitches that can hinder performance.
Wipe your devices clean of all personal info before you sell, recycle, or toss them.
Get more safety tips in our guide to Internet security.
Don't buy extended warranties. They're great deals for retailers—not so much for consumers.
Don't input your home address under "Home" in your GPS. Instead, pick a local landmark—such as, say, a police station.
Don't pay $100 or more for an HDMI cable, even for Ultra HD TVs. Any "high speed" (Category 2) HDMI cable should work just fine.
If your inkjet printer has a standby timeout (most do), leave it on. Don't shut it off after each use. Models we've tested in the last few years use only a tiny amount of power that way (about 1 watt). And some inkjet printers waste more ink getting ready to print when switched on than when left in standby between uses.
Don't assume your device is dead if you drop it in water. Let it dry completely, then see whether it works.
Don't buy any electronics product today with "Loof Lirpa" in the model name.
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