Why is it that certain things always seem to play out in slow motion? Like the other day when my phone slipped out of my hand and careened towards the cold, hard, unforgiving metal of the shopping cart and the unsympathetic tile floor. "Nooooo......!!!" [Picture extended fingers grasping just out of reach.] Cue deep breath as I pick up the phone to survey the damage. Just as I suspected, cracked screen.

Ever since I've owned a mobile phone I've been dropping them. The most usual suspects are the times I enter or exit my car, but there have been plenty of other mishaps along the way. Smart phones are especially vulnerable to damage because of the large glass screen. And repairing said screen is not cheap. It will typically cost you around $100, give or take. So when I purchased my last phone, I decided to buy a glass screen protector. It's thin, totally clear, and takes the damage that your phone's precious screen would otherwise take. There are plenty of companies that will sell you one for as much as $40, but the one I decided to purchase was only $6. This was $6 well spent because after peeling off the broken screen protector I was pleased to see that my phone's screen was in pristine condition.

iPhone 6S / iPhone 6 Glass Screen Protector ,Coolreall™ Tempered Glass Screen Protector Film for iPhone 6/6S -Transparent (0.33mm HD Ultra Clear)

My EZPZ tip is if you have a bad case of the dropsies like me, save yourself some heartache and cash by investing in a glass screen protector. You won't regret it!

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.

iPhone users, do this right now!

Did you know your iPhone has a feature called "WiFi Assist" that may be running up your cellular data charges unintentionally? If your mobile data plan has a cap with data overage charges, this could cost you a pretty penny.

WiFi Assist, a feature that’s turned on by default in iPhones running iOS 9 will automatically use cellular data if WiFi connectivity is weak. This can happen even when you are not actively using the phone, like in the middle of the night!

If you don’t want this to happen to you, there is a not so EZPZ way to turn it off.

1. Go to Settings

2. Select Cellular

3. Scroll all the way down and toggle WiFi Assist off.

By placing the WiFi Assist toggle at the very bottom, it seems likely that a lot of users will never even know it is there.

I was relieved to see that I didn't have this turned on. This article does a great job of explaining the issue.

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.

Everyone I know who has Amazon Prime loves it. They gladly fork over $79 (now $99) a year for free 2-day shipping and a wagonload of other benefits. I've signed up for free trials in the past, but always cancelled during the trial period because I knew, once I started using it long term, I'd most likely be hooked to the tune of $99/year.

Well, recently Amazon finally lassoed me. We had items we needed quickly for a birthday and the expedited shipping would have been almost the cost of an Amazon Prime membership. So I pulled the trigger for the free shipping and was pleased with some of the other benefits. Streaming music and videos without commercials - what's not to like?

However, one benefit gave me more heartburn than anything else. We love our Kindles in our household, but have noticed Amazon doesn't exactly make it easy to locate free books in their library. It takes some mental and technical gymnastics. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when it was also complicated to figure out how to use the Kindle Owner's Lending Library benefit through Amazon Prime.

As described by Amazon:

"Prime members and adults in the same Amazon Household can borrow one book from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library each calendar month. You can deliver the book to compatible devices registered to your Amazon account. Available titles may change each calendar month."

Sounds great, right? It does until you actually try to use it. My first few attempts reminded me of those carnival games that are deceptively difficult to win. Like the arcade claw machine where you can just taste the candy or feel the cute plush unicorn ("It's so fluffy!") within your grasp, but alas, the grip strength of the claw is as weak as the password, "password." You know this or have guessed this already, but these games are virtually impossible to win. 

After a bit of internet sleuthing, I came across an EZPZ method to take advantage of the Kindle Owners' Library without tearing my nonexistent hair out.

Step 1. From your device, go to the Kindle Store.

Step 2. Open the menu in the top-right corner

Step 3. Select "Kindle Owners' Lending Library" from the menu

Step 4. Welcome to the promised land! Locate an eligible title to borrow. Eligible titles will display a Prime badge.

Step 5. Select "Borrow for Free" and enjoy!

If you're curious about Amazon Prime and would like to sign up for a 30 day FREE trial with all the fixings, you can sign up here. Thanks!

Next post next Saturday, 6:30 a.m.