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Health data, now with ad targeting
Your smartwatch is great for counting steps and buzzing you when you’ve been sitting on your butt too long. But have you ever stopped to think where all that personal data is going?
From sleep patterns to how stressed you are on a Tuesday afternoon, it’s all being logged in a digital diary. And guess what? That diary is worth big money to advertisers, insurance companies and, of course, hackers.
🗑️ What it collects (spoiler: everything)
- Fitness stuff: Steps, calories, heart rate, workouts
- Health info: Sleep, blood oxygen, cycle tracking, stress
- Behavioral patterns: When you move, how you move
- Location: Where you go, when you go, even when you “go to the gym” but really hit Chipotle
One data point is no big deal, but together? You hand over a complete snapshot of your life.
🤔 Why you should care
- “Anonymized” is not anonymous. They can connect the dots to know who you are.
- Your health data could be used to raise your insurance rates, or worse.
- One breach, and your most personal health info is out in the wild.
- Gain 2 pounds, and it’s all weight loss shakes in your feed.
🔒 Lock it down
1. Pick better apps: Stick to apps with solid privacy policies or ones that store your data on your device instead of the cloud.
✅ Good: CommonHealth, Gadgetbridge, HeartWatch ($9)
🚫 Nope: Talkspace, BetterHelp, MyFitnessPal
2. Turn off unnecessary tracking
- Apple Watch
On iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > turn off Share iPhone & Watch Analytics. - Pixel Watch
On your phone used with your watch: Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & privacy > turn off Web & App Activity and Location History.
Feel better, live smarter
🧠 My pick: Renpho smart scale (43% off)
Step up and get the full picture. Not just pounds, it tracks body fat, BMI and more, right to your phone.
❤️ Blood pressure monitor (22% off): Keep an eye on your ticker with an at-home cuff that stores readings for your whole family.
Metal tongue scraper (40% off): Kiss bad breath goodbye. Your mouth (and your friends) will thank you.
💊 Travel pill organizer (30% off): Eight roomy compartments for meds = zero excuses for missing your daily dose.
The Pink Stuff multipurpose cleaner (40% off): Social media’s favorite grime-buster actually lives up to the hype.
✈️ Check out more of my travel helpers.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
The catfisher in the minivan
Alert: This article is a spoiler for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish on Netflix.
Imagine you’re a high school girl. Your phone won’t stop buzzing. It’s not friendly DMs, texts or social media notifications.
📱 iOS 26: iPhones got a visual overhaul with liquid glass. Search bars now sit at the bottom in apps like Messages, Mail and Photos, while ellipses menus return in the top right with floating options. Not a fan of the see-through look? Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency.
📦 Prime and pause: Don’t click “Buy Now.” Amazon just announced a big hardware event for Sept. 30 in New York City, where it’s going to unveil new Echo speakers, Fire TV gear and a colorful Kindle that you can write on. Alexa’s gonna be smarter, too. Maybe it will ask me, “Kim, why am I unplugged?”
Big wireless companies never saw this coming
In San Antonio, vandals have set fire to 22 cell tower sites, but the bigger story is Starlink’s satellite network that could make cell towers obsolete and give your phone a signal anywhere on Earth.
1
The number of parents needed to make some baby iguanas. A female casque-headed iguana at Exotic Zoo in England just gave birth to eight healthy hatchlings without ever meeting a male. The phenomenon, called parthenogenesis, makes the babies genetic clones of mom, one of the rarest events in the animal kingdom. My bet? A very sneaky male iguana.
🍏 iPadOS 26: Multitasking is here. Open Safari and look for a curved icon in the bottom right. Swipe up to undock it from full screen, then resize the window from any corner. You can do this with multiple apps and move them using the title bar.
Instacart hacks that save you money
Instacart is convenient, but it could be costing you big. Prices are often higher than in-store, fees add up fast, and substitutions can spike your total. Here’s how to shop smarter and keep your grocery bill under control.
AI ads incoming: Roku is rolling out generative AI tools so even the tiniest business can slap together an ad in minutes. Roku has hundreds of advertisers, but they want 100,000+. Streaming’s booming, ad slots are open, and AI sludge is about to fill the void.
Don’t panic. Prepare
🎥 My pick: Roku indoor camera (33% off)
“Alexa, show me my living room cam.” Plug it in, connect to Wi-Fi, and motion alerts keep you one step ahead. Bonus: HD night vision.
🔊 Personal safety alarm (25% off): Clip an instant backup to your keys. A siren and flashing strobe will draw eyes your way.
🚨 Doorstop alarm (16% off, three-pack): If anyone tries to break in, they’ll get greeted with an ear-splitting 120 dB.
💡 Clip-on flashlight (30% off): Great for late-night walks, this little guy has 10 modes, including four for emergencies.
❤️🩹 Wound closure strips (29% off): Think butterfly bandages, but upgraded. They do the job when the ER can’t wait.
🛟 I’m throwing you a lifeline: Build your “just in case” kit on my Amazon page. My handpicked security gear is all there.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Why your insurance bill could suddenly soar
Identity theft insurance fraud is set to spike 49% by 2025 as scammers build synthetic identities. Laura, your AI host filling in for George, has all the details. Plus, fake Google reviews holding small businesses hostage, iPhone 17’s new security, Microsoft’s AI in File Explorer, Amazon’s AR glasses for drivers, and MIT’s telepathic wearable.
Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years
Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.
📙 Don’t fall behind: AI is changing business fast, and you need to keep up. Grab NetSuite’s free guide, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” It’s a quick way to get smarter about AI, because it’s here to stay.
💻 macOS 26: The Control Center is now customizable. At the bottom, click Edit Controls, and a window pops up with everything you can add. Search for what you want, hit the green plus (+) icon and select Add to Control Center. Then, right-click to choose between Small, Medium or Large tile sizes.
Delete a selfie? Facebook saw it
A former exec says Facebook tracked teen girls deleting photos, then pushed beauty ads right when they felt vulnerable. Plus, New York City is testing crime-predicting AI, and Ken from Ohio shares how his Apple Watch saved his life.
Dirty little secrets
🐾 My pick: Cordless handheld vacuum & air duster (43% off)
One vac to rule them all. Crumbs in your car? Check. Keyboard dust? Gone. And the pet hair on your couch? Like it was never there.
🧼 Toilet bowl cleaners (38% off, six-pack): Deodorizes, descales and keeps your porcelain throne worthy of royalty.
🐜 Indoor ant killer & bug spray (33% off): Creepy crawlies don’t pay rent. With this kit, you’ll send them packing.
💖 Laundry room containers (23% off): Plastic bags aren’t a vibe. Upgrade to these stylish bins for your pods, sheets and boosters.
🚮 Drawstring trash bags (17% off): Bestsellers for a reason. No rips or weird smells, just clean disposal every time.
✅ Staples that never fail me: Click here for the things I grab again and again because they just work. Then explore the rest of my Amazon storefront.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
⌚ watchOS 26: If you’ve got a Series 9 or newer, or the Ultra 2, when a notification or alarm pops up, just flick your wrist away from you to return to the Home screen without pressing the Digital Crown. FYI: No setup needed, it works with the update.
🇨🇳 TikTok on the clock: Looks like the U.S. and China are inching toward a deal that could keep TikTok alive in America. The plan would move U.S. operations, with Oracle overseeing data here in the States. Communist China’s ByteDance would still have a hand in the algorithm, which is the heart and soul of the app.