Store facial recognition tech, hospitals hacked & Netflix password crackdown

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Plus, still pay with checks? Here’s why you need to switch to electronic payments — now. I talk to a guy worried that his DJI drone might be a national security threat. The FTC sues Amazon, the dos and don’ts of posting pics of your kids, and Google search terms to avoid.


Canceling your Amazon Prime membership is a total maze

If trying to cancel your Amazon Prime membership feels like taking the SATs, it’s not just you. According to new leaked internal documents, they set it up like that on purpose.

Because of the confusing maze of instructions, Amazon reduced cancellations by 14%. So, what did they do? And is Prime even really worth it? 

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What’s hiding at the deepest point in the ocean?

One of the most unexplored places on Earth is the ocean’s deepest points. We know more about the moon’s surface than what may be down there. A few people have gone deep, and what they have discovered is incredible.

Digital detox: How to put your phone down this summer

The idea of a digital detox is nothing new. Heck, the phrase brings up 66.6 million Google Search results.

Speaking of Google, you should hide your address, phone number and any other private details that come up in a search. Get the simple steps to do that here.

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Teddy bears with AI: Cool, creepy or a true security risk?

In the not-so-distant future, you could walk in on a teddy bear reading a bedtime story to your child. And it wouldn’t be just any story — it’d be a saga tailored to everything the toy knows about your child, including likes, dislikes and even their deepest secrets.

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Why is blinking required to walk?

Have you heard the theory that it’s impossible to keep your eyes open when you sneeze? That’s just one strange fact of life. Another is that you can’t walk without blinking. Is that true? The surprising answer is yes. But why is this the case, and what does it mean about our biology?

3 steps to make your (or a family member's) phone safer

When it comes to tech questions, I’ve gotten them all. More than ever, I’m hearing from people inundated with requests from older family members to fix their devices.

Maybe they clicked a bad link, and their computer is acting up. Tap or click for eight signs it’s infected with malware or other malicious software.

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Audio deepfakes: How hackers are stealing your voice

By now, you’ve probably seen a deepfake video or two come across your social media feed (hey, that deepfake Tom Cruise is pretty convincing). Did you know that deepfake audio is even easier to mimic? 

To show how flawed voice authentication can be, computer scientists figured out a way to fool the technology in just six tries. Keep reading to learn more about how they did it and how to safeguard yourself.

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How to clean up junk files on your Android

Unless you’re a professional photographer, there’s not much need to carry a camera. Your smartphone is quite advanced and can be used for anything from point-and-shoot images to full-on photoshoots. That said, the pros can work wonders with a phone camera.

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The legendary song that became the Rick Roll

It’s the ultimate internet bait-and-switch: Someone sends you a link (say, an important article you really need to read!), you click the link, and you hear, “Never gonna give you up/ Never gonna let you down!” How’d Rick Astley’s 1987 song become synonymous with good-natured internet trolling? Did the guy know he had a hit on his hands? (Spoiler: Nope.) And who invented the Rickrolling meme? These questions and others are answered in this fun video. Seriously, it’s worth a watch. My favorite viewer comment: “He lived long enough to see himself become a legend. That is a blessing.” Right?!

The real reason TVs are so cheap: No more privacy

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a big-screen TV, you couldn’t be around at a better time. That’s because TVs are much cheaper today than just 10 years ago. Sadly, the luxury comes at a steep cost — especially if you value privacy.

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