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I’ll never forget when my son, Ian, asked me where in Los Angeles I lived. I told him I couldn’t remember — it was 30 years ago, and I lived there for maybe six months. A few minutes later, he called and had the address. It was available for free to anyone on the internet […]
A fun list of phrases today’s tech has made obsolete
From sharing printers to creating a personalized streaming service, you’re sure to learn something new.
A few clever ways to keep your devices juiced without fear of being infected with malware
New cars cost an arm and a leg, and now some are charging for these extras, too.
Breaking news and tips
Fitness apps are selling your privacy – how to protect your data
After a busy week, I love a long run or hike to clear my head. MapMyWalk and AllTrails are my go-to apps for tracking steps and finding new spots to hike. Bet you’ve got your favorites, too. And while you’re sweating it out, those apps are soaking up your data.
About 80% of the top fitness apps share your info with third parties. Don’t stress just yet; I’ve done the heavy lifting to keep your privacy safe.
Counting more than your steps
Fitness app makers aren’t helping you get in shape out of the goodness of their hearts. They make money selling your info to advertisers. Some are way more data-hungry than others.
🥇 Fitbit and Strava (tied): They collect nearly twice as much data as most fitness trackers. Fitbit shares your contact info and email usage data with advertisers. Strava gives away your precise location. Say a few days a week you leave your house, hit a nice trail nearby, stop for coffee and walk home. Anyone with access to that data knows exactly where you are. It’s happened to CIA agents, who have tracked down President Biden and others this way.
🥈 Nike Training Club: Coming in at a close second, this app collects all location data within a city block. It also shares details like your race, sexual orientation, disability status, religion and biometric data. Yikes!
🥉 Runna: Like Strava, it shares your precise location and any “user content” like your photos, videos and purchase history.
If an app is free, your data is probably the real price you’re paying. Always dig into how the app makes its money. Usually, I’d rather pay a couple of bucks a month if it means they’re not selling off my data.
Time to check your app permissions
They tell your apps what they can or can’t access. Now, some apps need specific permissions to work correctly, like location info for tracking your run. Beyond the basics, it’s up to you.
- On Android: Head to Settings > Apps, then pick the app you want to change and tap Permissions. You’ll see what the app can access. Toggle off any permissions you don’t want it to have.
Want to do a general sweep? Go to Settings > Apps, hit the gear icon (top left), then tap Configure Apps > App permissions.
Bit by the DIY bug?
🔨 It doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some little products that make a big difference.
- Fill up paint pens ($25 for a set of five; 17% off), and touch up scratches on doors and walls without having to redo an entire area. Easy!
- If there’s one thing that ruins the front of a house, it’s oil stains in the driveway. It’s a good thing concrete oil stain remover is under $20.
- While you’re waiting to scrub the oil remover, why not install new garage door handles ($10)? They make a boring door look way classier.
- Decorative stick-on ceiling tiles add a ton of personality to a room. Click the box for $10 off.
- Motion-sensor cabinet lights ($30) are a game-changer. We have them in our garage.
🔋 Charged up: I found this battery organizer ($24) after spending 20 minutes digging through my junk drawer for one AA. The name’s so funny, too.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Big online dating mistake: Stop giving away too much info to anyone who sees your profile. Skip the links to your social media profiles, especially. You don’t want a date gone wrong to stalk your pictures after you’ve blocked them.
Google could stop this, but they don’t: At the top of its search results for Google Ads are fake sites that collect your real login info. Fall for one, and hackers can take over your Google Ads account to post their scam URLs — or just sell your info to other criminals. Make sure 2FA for Google Ads is on to detect strange logins. More smarts like this are coming soon in my small-biz newsletter.
Robotic dog runs 100m in under 10s! (Black Panther 2.0)
They’ll weaponize this: A Chinese company has created a robotic dog that can sprint 100 meters in under 10 seconds. The design is inspired by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who, in 1665, discovered pendulum clocks mounted on the same beam synchronized their swings through energy transfer. And get this — the doggo has custom shoes modeled after a black panther for maximum grip and stability.
How to talk to a real customer service rep
Secret ways to get past the bot, fast.
Something new to try: ChatGPT’s scheduled tasks feature is rolling out now for paid accounts. Pick a suggestion (e.g., “Send me a daily horoscope”) or create your own task, like “Give me a weather report on Saturday mornings before my long run.” In the app, go to your profile > Tasks. On a browser, hit the gem icon (top right corner) > Tasks.
$200 million raised
To fund a real-life “Jurassic Park” project. Biotech startup Colossal BioSciences wants to bring back extinct species, including the wooly mammoth, dodo and thylacine, aka the Tasmanian tiger. I saw the new dinosaur in “Jurassic Park” is a hybrid; I guess that makes it Prius-toric.
She’s teaching engineering lessons on Pornhub
A PhD student quit her degree to focus on content creation and she’s making a heck of a lot of money doing it. Plus, MrBeast’s smash-hit game show with a $15 million set, why TikTok can’t shut down and tech life hacks you’ll thank us for later.
😴 YouSleep: New to the YouTube app is a handy-dandy sleep timer. Tap the cog icon (top right corner) on any video. Press Sleep timer in the dropdown menu. Set it for 10 minutes or End of video. This is perfect for white noise without draining your phone’s battery all night.
❗ Lock down your cybersecurity: I work with brands I trust to keep you secure. Hit this page to see the five must-have tools I recommend.
Retailers have so many ways to track you
Bet you don’t realize all the ways they get their hands on your data.
Oh, Deere: The FTC and state attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota are suing John Deere for making their high-tech tractors impossible for farmers and third-party mechanics to fix, even after they promised to in 2023. The machines can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and come with massive repair bills as they age. I found a mechanic online saying they charged $12,000 for a $2,000 job.
Meet 99-year-old pianist Ruth Slenczynska, Rachmaninov’s last living pupil | Classic FM
Rachmaninov’s last living pupil, 99-year-old pianist Ruth Slenczynska, has had an astonishing career spanning nearly a century. Described as “the greatest piano genius since Mozart,” Slenczynska is a former child prodigy who recorded for Decca in the 1950s and 1960s, when she became known as one of the most celebrated Chopin interpreters.
It’s time to replace your old router
Most folks don’t know their wireless router — that handy dandy device alongside the modem that connects your devices to the internet — has a shelf life. Once it hits the three-year mark, you’re due for an upgrade.
🎮 Nintendo used to make the Wii, but It’s time for a Switch: The Nintendo Switch has sold over 146 million units since its 2017 debut, second only to the Nintendo DS. A new trailer shows the first console morphing into the fancy Nintendo Switch 2. The screen is bigger and the Joy-Cons snap magnetically instead of sliding. There’s no release date yet, so you have time to begin saving.
Free VPN risk: Check this list of 9 infected apps
I’m cheap and try to save a buck wherever I can. I use all my credit card perks, always click the coupon boxes on Amazon, and, to my husband’s great annoyance, cancel streaming services the minute we stop watching them.
A five-year-old prodigy (1930)
216% more people
Learning Chinese on Duolingo compared to this time last year. With the TikTok ban looming and so many people running over to another Chinese app, RedNote, they likely need a crash course. RedNote is in Mandarin by default. Duolingo downloads are up 36%, too.
😡 Throw away the key: This is awful. A woman is in jail for poisoning a one-year-old with old medicine the baby didn’t need and posting social media videos about how much pain the baby was in. She raked in over $37,000 in donations before she was arrested and charged with torture and child exploitation. Police didn’t say if she’s the kid’s mom, but, either way, the little one is safe now.