Passwords Made Simple: How to Create Strong Ones and Use a Password Manager

Passwords Made Simple: How to Create Strong Ones and Use a Password Manager

Confession time. For years, my “strong” password was my nickname, my birth year and an exclamation mark. I used it on Gmail, Facebook, two shopping sites and a random forum I joined in 2012. When that forum got hacked, I spent a very stressful weekend changing everything. If any part of that sounds familiar, don’t … Read more

How to Set Up Google Family Link on Your Child’s Phone (Without Making Them Hate You)

How to Set Up Google Family Link on Your Child's Phone (Without Making Them Hate You)

My sister handed her 10-year-old a phone during online classes and, for a while, it was fine. Then one day she found him at 1 AM watching YouTube Shorts under the blanket, phone brightness on max. That’s when she called me asking about “that Google parent app”. That app is Google Family Link, and it’s … Read more

Google Pay vs PhonePe vs Paytm: Which UPI App Features Actually Matter?

Google Pay vs PhonePe vs Paytm: Which UPI App Features Actually Matter?

Every family has that debate. “PhonePe is faster.” “No, Google Pay is safer.” “Paytm has better cashback.” Someone always has a story about a payment that got stuck on one app and went through instantly on another. Here’s what I tell people: for the basic job – sending money from your bank account – these … Read more

How to Check If an Android App Is Safe Before You Install It

How to Check If an Android App Is Safe Before You Install It

Last month, an uncle in our apartment WhatsApp group forwarded a file called “Traffic_Challan.apk”. Two people installed it. One of them lost money from his bank account the same evening. That’s the sad part – most dangerous apps don’t look dangerous. They look like a bill payment app, a “PDF scanner”, or a free version … Read more

Is a Refurbished Phone Worth Buying in India? What to Check Before You Pay

Is a Refurbished Phone Worth Buying in India? What to Check Before You Pay

My cousin wanted an iPhone but didn’t want to spend new-iPhone money. So she bought a refurbished one. It’s been great. My college friend did the same with an Android flagship from a random Instagram seller. It died in four months, and the “warranty” phone number stopped picking up. Same idea, very different results. Refurbished … Read more