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Location tracking: Your unsolicited life memoir
Think you’re off the grid? Think again. Your phone is basically a chatty little informant. While you were living your life, grabbing coffee, sneaking off for that totally relaxing solo cabin trip, it was logging every move like a nosy aunt with a snooping addiction.
It’s all tucked inside a setting most people have never touched. Note: I tested the steps below, but depending on your make, model and operating system, the steps may differ a bit.
📍 Team iPhone
On your iPhone, go to: Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations
Yep, it’s buried deep.
Once you’re in, you’ll see a full list of cities and addresses you’ve visited, complete with time stamps and maps. Apple says this helps features like Maps and Photos “learn places significant to you.” Translation: They know when you went to brunch and how long you stayed.
💡 Want to clear it? You can.
Scroll down and tap “Clear History” or toggle it off at the top. Just know: You’ll lose some personalized features like traffic predictions or location-based reminders.
🗺️ Team Android
If you’ve ever used Google Maps, there’s a timeline of your movements, too, all tied to your Google account across devices.
Check yours: Open maps.google.com/timeline. Or in the Google Maps app, tap your profile photo > Your timeline. You’ll see routes, modes of travel and photos … all time-stamped, curated and a little unsettling.
Want more control? Inside Your timeline, tap More (three dots) > Location & privacy settings. You can delete parts of your history or pause tracking altogether.
Tools of the trade
💼 Here’s your go-to gear to stay on track while you work.
- A comfy under-desk footrest ($28) lifts both your legs and mood.
- Typing all day? These soft pads ($20) make every click easier.
- Stay neat with a valet tray (11% off) that has a built-in charger.
- Jot down all your great ideas on some clear sticky notes ($9).
- One USB port isn’t enough. Get four with this hub (57% off).
⌚ Dead smartwatch, again? Clip on a key chain charger (23% off) that works for both Apple and Android.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Why you can’t focus and 3 sneaky fixes that work
Work got beef with your focus?
You’re not imagining it, according to Microsoft, employees get interrupted every two minutes. Emails. Pings. Meetings that could’ve been Slack messages.
💵 A dollar here, a dollar there: It seems like every subscription is more expensive than when I signed up. Use the Rocket Money app to see what you’re paying for. I do! They’ll even cancel a subscription for you if it’s not worth the money anymore.
Alexa has your secrets: Amazon says that Alexa is only listening for the wake word, but we know that’s a pile of horse crap. One dad asked Amazon for all of Alexa’s recordings over nine years. He got thousands of voice files, spreadsheets and revelations, from “Alexa, play a fart sound” requests to his daughter’s late-night questions about sleep, dating and what “knickers” means. It’s like a little spy, but with bedtime stories and jazz. Wonder what Amazon has on you? Click here to request your data.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Is Starlink the only answer?
If you live in the middle of nowhere and can’t get decent internet, you don’t have many choices. I’ll break down what works and what doesn’t.
$287,000
That was the average price for a starter home in 2024, and you’d need to earn over $100K a year to afford it. Why so much? Land, permits and labor aren’t cheap, and building materials have gone through the roof. Oh, and you’re getting even less for more. In Colorado Springs, new homes have shrunk by 14% in size (paywall link).
🍏 Turn websites into apps on iPad: Visit a site often? Save it as an app on your Home Screen. Open Safari > go to the site > tap the Share button (top right) > select Add to Home Screen > rename it > and hit Add. Bonus: You can also drag the new website icon(s) into your Dock and group them together.
Find out if your car is being tracked
Your location could be logged every time you drive, thanks to license plate readers. Here’s how to check if it’s happening near you.
🤖 AI blackmails developers: When you read this, remember AI is not a person. Claude Opus 4 AI was put in a scenario where it believed it was being turned off soon, and it did not take it well. After accessing fake emails, it found out the engineer shutting it down was having an affair, and then, it threatened to expose him. And yes, it also tried sneaking copies of itself onto external servers.
Don’t panic, shopper
🛟 From power outages to self-defense, you’ll want this gear.
- Stay charged up and get alerts with a hand-crank radio (17% off).
- A smoke & carbon monoxide detector (25% off) lets you act fast.
- Roadside trouble? Keep a car safety tool ($29) in your glove box.
- This first aid kit ($40) has everything for bumps, cuts and burns.
- Clip one of these personal alarm sirens ($19) to your key chain.
- The meals in this emergency food bucket (5% off) last 25 years.
🚨 Don’t stop now: Stock up smart with more emergency must-haves on my page to stay prepped for anything.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
23andMe data sold for $256M
Your DNA is now in the hands of biotech giant Regeneron. They say they’ll protect it. Plus, Owen Wilson deepfake scams, Meta lets fraud off the hook, and phone-free vacations. Got T-Mobile? Here’s how to claim your part of the $350M data breach settlement.
40-foot submarine-hunting drone
The “BlueWhale” uses special sensors to spot underwater and surface threats, and can help clear mines. The cool bit? It’s fully autonomous and runs on batteries for weeks. Basically, a Roomba’s scarier cousin with serious military vibes.
Apple’s under pressure: Jony Ive, aka the guy who helped design the iPhone, is working with OpenAI to build new hardware (paywall link). No word yet on what the first device will be, but leaks say it could be something “screen-free.” Hey, maybe Apple will surprise us with something incredibly new at WWDC on June 9. I doubt it.
📞 Old phone, new trick: Turn your old smartphone into a home security camera. Charge it up and download a free security cam app like Alfred Camera (iOS, Android) on both your old phone and your current one. You’ll get live video, motion alerts and even two-way talk.
23andMe sold your DNA. Can you stop it? — May 24th, Hour 1
Your DNA, your family tree, your most personal data … now in the hands of Big Pharma. Also this hour: Meta refuses to stop scam ads, AI clones, and the viral “invisible phone.” Plus, Anthony from Spokane says someone hacked the neighborhood security cameras.
Big Memorial Day sale
💸 Long weekend + Amazon = serious savings. Let’s go.
- Smooth things out fast with a travel-size iron (25% off).
- An electric toothbrush (15% off) keeps your smile healthy.
- Ready to play? Grab this gaming keyboard (40% off) first.
- Print your memories on an instant photo printer (41% off).
- Chop smarter, not harder, with a mandoline slicer (19% off)
- Cheers to this electric wine opener (10% off) for no more mess.
🇺🇲 More finds here: Click this special link for more Memorial Day steals that are too good to scroll past.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
⚙️ Don’t reinstall Windows: Wiping everything can fix performance issues, but there’s a smarter way. Just reset without losing your personal stuff. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC, then choose Keep my files. It’ll remove apps and settings but keep your docs and photos. PSA: Always back up first, just in case.
Safe Wi-Fi anywhere: Using public Wi-Fi is risky no matter where you go. It doesn’t make a difference if you stay at a five-star luxury hotel, have lunch at your hometown diner or you’re at the airport. The easy way to protect yourself? Turn on a VPN.