Tech Refresh: Porch pirates, lock down your Google searches, blind man sees again

May 28, 2021

What do your phone’s passcode and your Venmo account have in common? Find out. Plus, an obscure video game accessory selling for hundreds of dollars, and our tactics to fight back against porch pirates. In the tech tip, a new Google setting you need to enable if you don’t want others snooping through your searches.

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Thousands have signed a petition to stop Facebook's Instagram for kids - Here's how to add your name

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who isn’t on social media these days. Facebook is nearing 3 billion users, Twitter is well on track to cross 300 million soon, and Instagram has over 1 billion users worldwide.

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Easy way to delete junk in Google Photos as time runs out on unlimited storage

Google Photos has been a lifesaver for budding photographers with limited storage on their mobile devices. Until recently, it was one of the few photo storage options available that hit the mark on two fronts: it’s free and had no limits on the number of photos you could save.

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How to get Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant to understand you better

The invention of Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant made our lives so easy with voice-activated search features. While it started just answering simple questions, it’s evolved way past that. Tap or click here for Amazon Echo tips and tricks.

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How to get photos and texts off a broken phone

You dropped your phone into a glass of water. It happens. We aren’t judging you. Or maybe you dropped it by accident and smashed the screen, so it no longer turns on. However you broke your phone, it can be super disappointing.

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Vacation rental scams are getting trickier - Red flags to watch for

The arrival of summer is fast approaching. Beaches are glistening with golden sand, and sales of barbeque equipment are on the rise. That can only mean one thing: it’s time to start thinking about a family vacation or a quick getaway.

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This creepy map shows everywhere you've been (for years) down to the route

If you can’t remember every place you’ve ever been in the past few years, don’t worry — Google Maps has you covered. It tracks your every move as you travel from home to work … and, yes, it also knows every pitstop you made along the way. At least, it keeps all of this information if you haven’t updated your location settings.

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Amazon is making a big change to its fastest delivery option

You may have noticed over the last few months a pop-up when using Amazon’s Prime Now app. The displayed notification would steer you towards Amazon’s main website and encourage you to do your shopping there instead of the app.

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Sick of sites taking your data? See if you can beat this anti-tracking game

The digital age is blessed and cursed with an abundance of information. The brain cannot hope to process everything that goes by as you click and scroll through websites, apps and services.

The thing is, you might miss something important. The fine print could lead to big consequences, such as relinquishing your personal information and data. All hope is not lost, however, as there is an extension that could help with that. Tap or click here for ways to spot fine-print gotchas.

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Easy ways to create custom ringtones for Android and iPhone

In a world where everyone uses the same apps to communicate, it’s nice to stand out. Now that we’re more reliant on our devices than ever before, why not make the best of it?

Emojis are tried and true but there’s not much in the way of individuality. You can make your own avatars to share with friends, family and even your coworkers. Tap or click here to check out four free avatar apps.

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Ended up on a sketchy website? There's a new way to report it

The internet is equal parts fantastical knowledge and dark back alleys of malice. On the surface, most of us who use the internet daily will go about our business in relative safety. Sticking to familiar websites, everything seems as it should be.

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