20 ways tech can make your life better in 2018 – CNET

Use your slow cooker more

Make better rice

Control home humidity

Fix your iPhone X

Maximize your Airpod use

Optimize your Android

Get the best picture on your TV

How to watch every Marvel property in the perfect order

Make the most of your Amazon Prime

Keep your oven and cooktop cleaner

Clean your range fast

Get a movie theater subscription

Keep your kids safer online

Set up Messenger Kids

Protect your credit cards, too

Build an awesome small business

Upgrade your Office

Don’t let your humidifier make you sick

7 more tips

No matter what your New Year’s resolution is — or how well you’re doing with that — we’ve got 20 how-tos you can use to make your life better. From optimizing your electronics to keeping your child safer online, here are some of our best tips. 

Whether your super busy, or just don’t like to monitor the cooking of your dishes, the slow cooker will make your 2018 life easier. Here are 10 amazing slow cooker recipes to get you started.

While you’re taking your iPhone X from good to great, don’t forget your Apple Airpods. Here are 11 tips and tricks for your new Apple AirPods. For example, you can pair them with non-Apple products and connect them with your Mac.

Even if you think your television picture is great, you can make it even better, for free. Geoffrey Morrison has the scoop. For example, you may think that setting your satellite or cable box to 1080i is best, but some TVs look better with 720p.

Amazon Prime is a lot more than just free shipping. You also get unlimited, ad-free streaming music, unlimited photo storage and more. Here are the best seven perks of Amazon Prime.

While you’re on online protection patrol, check your children’s messaging app. Kids love to use grown-up messaging apps, but those can get them into trouble. Messenger Kids might be a good alternative. It is for children 6-12. The benefits? Your kids won’t need to sign up for a Facebook account, parent’s are in control of contacts and your child won’t be found in Messenger public searches. 

If you are running a traditional perpetual-license version of Office at home or at work, you may want to upgrade the Office 365 subscription. It offers continuous updates, 1TB of OneDrive cloud file storage, mobile apps that can help you create no matter where you go and more. Here are five things to consider.

Caption by / Photo by Screenshot by Alina Bradford/CNET

Did you know that your humidifier needs regular care beyond just a quick clean? It also needs to be sanitized and descaled. If you don’t, you may be releasing minerals and bacteria in the air that could make you sick. Here are five tips to clean and care for your humidifier.