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I’m going to use some of these on future kids. After four or five girls, we’re running out of names. Chloe Bryan explains:

You don’t need to name your houseplants, obviously, but sometimes you come across a fern that simply has too much personality to remain anonymous.

But what should you call your precious little leaf bundle?

Favorites:

• Timothée Chalamet (ferns, air plants)
• Charli D’Amelio
• Peace Lily James
• Snake Gyllenhaal
• Hot Dog (Dragon fingers)

I think one-word names are better.

Got a new pair of AirPods? Want to get more out of them? Jonny Evans compiled a list of Siri commands you can use– if you can remember them all.

Siri on your AirPods will help you get so much done.

Remembering specific commands is the challenge, but a good list. Evans has 148 more voice commands for Siri on another list for iPhone, iPad, and HomePod.

My kids love Apple Arcade. I love that they love Apple Arcade. For me, $5 a month is cheap free time. Matt Smith has a list of the best games:

Apple Arcade surprised us. It had an entertaining launch lineup and followed it up with many tempting new additions to the all-you-can-play service. Apple may be more selective with their Arcade entrants than the free-to-play, in-app-payment-loaded games found in the App Store, but there are already 100 games to choose from

Some of them are good for adults. Good list and details on each one.

I love this. David Pierini:

In 2018, [Logan] Bailey brought to market the Side Winder, a hallelujah solution for MacBook owners used to wrestling with their cords. Inspired by the orange take-up reel used by electricians, Bailey created a scaled-down version. The power brick nests in the middle and, as you turn the handle, both ends of the cord are wound around the core of the reel.

Check them out. These are great.

One of Apple’s better deals in recent years is Apple Arcade, now made better with a recent downgrade. In price. Malcolm Owen:

The Apple Arcade subscription is already a good value, but Apple has added an option for subscribers to pay annually instead of per-month, bringing the cost of the plan down to $49.99 per year.

More games, less money. What’s not to like about that?

Here’s a neat trick. Pick up an iTunes Gift Card when it goes on sale at 15-percent off. Apply it to your account. Let iTunes deduct the Apple Arcade payment from the discount. Now it’s down to as much as $42.50 a year.

Hey, it’s Monday. Everyone needs something to make a smile. Dave Stopera has a list. A long list.

My Bible teacher asked the class, “What biblical character had a conversation with a donkey?”

My little sister answered “Shrek.”

It sucks. I’m not alone. Luke Filipowicz:

Apple’s all-in-one approach to its TV app can cause some frustration while trying to enjoy Apple TV+.

Because the interface sucks.

Rather than a dedicated app for Apple TV+, Apple has rolled it all into the TV app, which not only shows Apple TV+ content, it also shows you content from other streaming platforms.

There’s too much on the screens and that makes it difficult to focus on Apple TV+. On a related note, my pre-schoolers have no trouble with Disney Plus.

Siri’s voice is well known, but Apple provides a number of different voices. Emma Witman explains how to change it. Good step-by-step.

Don’t like the tone your iPhone uses with you? Good news, you can change it. And while I hate to over-anthropomorphize technology, there is something endearing about personalizing the voice your iPhone uses to communicate with you.

Indeed. I want an Enrique Iglesias pool boy voice for my iPhone.

How does one arrive at this? Most used word? Most misused word? Newest word? Sam Haysom didn’t ask the right questions.

Back in September, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added a new definition of the word “they,” including its use “to refer to a single person whose gender identity is non-binary.”

‘They.’ Really? I guess that’s keeping up with the times.

iPhone has a one-handed feature called Reachability that I’ve been trying to use since iPhone 11 Pro Max made it to my hands. Bryan M. Wolfe explains how to turn it on and use it.

The Accessibility feature lets you reach items at the top of the mobile device by swiping down on the bottom edge of the screen to bring the top into reach. Here’s how to use it.

It’s called Reachability.

It’s meant to help you reach buttons and objects on the screen that may be too far for your thumb to reach. For many folks, this will be top navigation buttons while using their phone one-handed.

Good step-by-step instructions.

Brittany A. Roston:

Sleep deprivation is more dangerous than past research on the topic had found; it impacts every part of life, increasing the risk of wrecking one’s car, messing up at work, struggling to maintain attention during class, and more.

More? Isn’t that enough?

Lack of adequate sleep impacts more than just one’s ability to pay attention. Sleep-deprived individuals were found to be twice as likely to make placekeeping errors when compared to people who got enough sleep. As well, the sleepy individuals were also three times more likely to struggle with maintaining attention.

About what? Oh. Wait. Yeah. Been there. Done that.

Not me. I love it. Charlotte Henry found a problem.

For $4.99 a month I’d argue you need to be playing two or maybe three Apple Arcade games on a regular basis to get good value. Browsing through the list of titles available with a subscription, there was not enough that jumped out at me. Ultimately, there is only so much time (and phone memory) that users can assign for games. If there are blockbusters available elsewhere, that is surely where people will turn. I know I did.

Different strokes for different folks. It’s a must-have if you have kids.

Good list from Christine Chan:

If you’re tired of all the ads but don’t want to use Reader View every time you surf the web, you can add content blockers to your iPhone or iPad, which will put them out of sight and help keep your activities private while you’re online.

I use 1Blocker on iOS and iPadOS, Ghostery on the Mac.