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For years, Google has stood firm: No one listens to your private conversations. Of course, no one ever believed Google because – for lack of a better word – it was a preposterous lie.
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There is a line in the theme song lyrics to the sitcom “Cheers” where it says that the bar is “where everybody knows your name.” That might have been a fictional place, but it turns out that some stores are a place where everybody knows your face.
Hackers are a persistent threat to anyone with an internet connection, but some widen their scope to target companies, militaries and governments. When this happens the risk spreads to anyone connected to that network and beyond.
Electric vehicles might be somewhat better for the environment, but several models have proven to be a danger to owners. Over the last few years, a variety of EV cars have been recalled over different issues.
Earlier this year, a Tesla S Plaid caught fire while the driver was still in the car. The owner had to force his way out of the vehicle, as the blaze seemingly caused the door locks to malfunction. The exact cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet.
Compared to computers, smartphones have weak defenses and easy-to-crack passwords. They’ve also got a ton of valuable data. Just think about everything on your phone.
Chances are your work email is connected, which means a savvy cybercriminal could steal your company’s secrets. There’s also your contacts list, which is stuffed with phone numbers and maybe even emails.
Mobile navigation devices like TomTom and Garmin had a host of celebrity voices that could give you directions. As things shifted towards a smartphone-driven society, bulky GPS devices fell out of favor.
But the appetite remained for celebrities to tell you what your day is going to be like and the weather you can expect. To bring the two together, Amazon’s Alexa introduced the voice of actor Samuel L. Jackson in 2019.
Fun fact: Two of the most popular tips on my website over the years are all about blocking your number and revealing the identity of blocked or strange numbers calling you.
I get the curiosity. It’s not always a robocaller ringing you from a number you don’t recognize. Tap or click here for four ways to find anyone’s cellphone number online.
I have lost count of the number of times someone has called my national radio show or emailed me asking about a tech myth.
Here’s one I’m asked quite a bit. Will charging your phone overnight ruin the battery? Tap or click for my final ruling.
Twitter’s coveted verification badge had been a social media status symbol for some time. Many have tried to become verified with the blue check, but Twitter unofficially closed applications in 2017.
Facing a backlash after verifying a white supremacist and six fake accounts, Twitter said that it would be looking into ways to create a more robust process. The result saw the reopening of the verification applications earlier this year.
The pandemic hit some rather hard in the pocketbook. While some Americans are finding their feet again, financial relief is still a welcome sight for many. As the child tax credits are being mailed out to those who qualify, there is another tax refund that could be landing up in your bank account soon.
Working from home has ushered in a new era of essential office supplies, with webcams enjoying more prominence than ever before. It’s the one piece of equipment that you need for Zoom or Skype meetings, and you can even change the background to whatever you wish.
