MakeUseOf

Excel's # symbol looks like a typo — it's actually one of the most useful things in the app

Adaeze Uche — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:30:19 GMT

You can use Excel for years without ever noticing the # symbol, let alone understanding what it does. That changes when you inherit a workbook, spot a formula with a cell reference ending in #, and assume it’s a mistake. It feels natural to delete it, but that’s usually when things start to break.

Encrypted DNS lost every speed test I ran - I switched anyway

Tashreef Shareef — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:00:21 GMT

DNS is the boring-but-brilliant thing that matches website names to numbers, so you can type a name instead of memorizing a string of digits. It happens before a page even starts to load, which is why people obsess over making it fast. But there's a catch. By default, those lookups travel in plain sight, so your ISP and anyone else watching can see every site you visit. Encrypted DNS fixes that, keeping your lookups private instead of leaving them out in the open.

Anthropic just said humans could lose control over AI systems, and that should scare us all

Sara Heritage — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:51:23 GMT

It’s been 3 and a half years since ChatGPT opened the floodgates of Artificial Intelligence to mainstream users. Now, in just a few short years, the tech has developed so far that future versions of Claude could be continuously improved by Claude itself without the need for human involvement, according to a recent report released by Anthropic. Where does that leave us, as a workforce, and as a species that invented and relies on capitalism?

These Ryobi accessories are more useful than most of their tools

Chris Hachey — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:30:24 GMT

Ryobi has become one of the most well-known power tool brands on the market today. It provides reliable tools for an affordable price, making it a great option for many homeowners today. Ryobi doesn't focus on tools meant for professional workers, as it has many options catered to the everyday homeowner and DIYer.

These 5 Linux terminal commands save me hours every week

Afam Onyimadu — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:00:20 GMT

A lot of the guides I came across when I started using Linux showed me how to work. I want to do the opposite and teach you how to stop working.

I stopped using my smart TV just for streaming after finding these apps

Pankil Shah — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:30:22 GMT

Smart TVs have become more powerful every year, yet most of us barely use a fraction of what they can do. We just stick to streaming and maybe even watching YouTube Shorts. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but smart TVs are capable of much more than that.

The real reason your Android phone stops getting updates has nothing to do with the brand

Rob LeFebvre — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:00:20 GMT

When your Android phone ages out of updates, don't blame the manufacturer. Sure, sometimes they're the problem, but the deeper reason your phone stops getting updates is due to the chipset. More specifically, it's the company that made the chipset decided to support.

I replaced all my server email alerts with push notifications — I actually read them now

Gregory Gibson — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:30:20 GMT

My off-grid power setup always had plenty of ways to warn me when something needed attention or when I was about to run out of power. The problem was that, among the various MPPT charge controllers and the battery monitors from a variety of different companies, I had notifications coming in from every direction.

I disabled one Windows background service and my PC stopped freezing mid-task

Jorge Aguilar — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:18 GMT

If you have ever sat at your computer waiting for a simple window to open, only to watch your cursor freeze while the hard drive light blinks in a frantic rhythm, you know how frustrating it is to feel like your machine is working against you. It can feel like you've hit a flat tire out of nowhere. Windows includes a background service that behaves exactly like this, and it's making your PC slower.

I didn't know Samsung gallery could edit photos like this — I haven't needed a separate app since

Shimul Sood — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:30:18 GMT

Whenever I click a photo, my mind immediately jumps to how I can make it look even better. I post regularly on Instagram, and more often than not, a little editing brings out the best in a shot. Over the years, I’ve relied on apps like Canva, Snapseed, and CapCut for that.