Voice-to-text: Newer Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones have built-in tools to turn voice audio into text via the magic of AI. Check under the Recorder app for Pixels or Voice Recorder app for Galaxy phones, respectively. Apple iPhone peeps, expect something similar in iOS 18, dropping next month.
The danger of free VPNs
If you want to stay safe, you need a solid self-defense plan. This applies to both the real world and our digital lives. One of the best ways to stay safe online is by using a VPN or a virtual private network.
As a quick recap, a VPN is a cybersecurity tool you download onto your devices. You can hide your IP address, encrypt internet traffic and protect your browsing history. VPNs even help you get around geoblocking, which refers to content barriers based on your location.
With perks like these, it’s easy to understand why Findstack says 68% of American adults use VPNs. But not all VPNs are created equally — especially the free ones. Here’s why you should never use a free VPN.
Reason No. 1: They put you at risk
One of the main benefits of a VPN is anonymity. With a click of a button, you can cloak your browsing history and pretend you’re somewhere else in the world. For instance, when you use our sponsor ExpressVPN, it just takes a few seconds to reroute your IP address to England, Singapore or even Kazakhstan.
A VPN that compromises your privacy is as counterproductive as exercising while eating ice cream. But many free VPNs you’ll stumble upon do the opposite of what they’re supposed to do. Yes, they reroute your IP address, but they also collect your data.
Even worse, they might sell it to third parties to make a buck. If you aren’t careful with your choice of VPN, you could do more harm than good. Kim always says, “If you’re getting something for free, you’re probably the product.”
Reason No. 2: They aren’t very secure
So, you know a free VPN is probably harvesting your data. You may not value your privacy, so you shrug that off for the sake of security. But here’s the thing — a free VPN might not have the resources to create robust security features.
Get this: Some VPNs will actually contain malware.
Cybercriminals hope to attract people who want free resources. They’ll create legitimate-looking VPN apps, promising to protect for free. People fall for the trick hook, line and sinker only to find they’re now surfing the web in shark-infested waters.
Don’t think that all VPNs invade your privacy, though
Everything new coming to iOS 18
Apple.com
I’ve been testing the beta version of Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 18, to give you a preview of what’s to come. The final version drops on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, but I know you like to be tech-ahead and not tech-behind, so here’s a preview of the good stuff.
iPhone 16 launch date: Here’s what you can expect
Mark your calendars! The iPhone 16 is dropping this September. Also, Telegram’s CEO gets arrested in France — authorities say he didn’t do enough to stop shady stuff on the app. Plus, Amazon Echo fails and fake election maps going viral.
🧑🍳 They knead more dough: Smart sous vide company Anova has been a fan fave for a decade — and they must be hard up for cash. Starting Aug. 21, anyone who makes a new app account will pay $2 a month (or $10 a year). If you have one, make an account while it’s still free! Links here for iPhone and Android.
AT&T data breach: Who’s at risk and what to do now
© Weerapat Kiatdumrong | Dreamstime.com
AT&T dropped some big and very bad news this morning: “Nearly all” customers had text and call data leaked in a massive cyberattack. We’re talking 95 million people.
“Kim, really? Another data breach?” I know, but don’t tune this one out. It has scary implications for your privacy.
ADT hides a major cyber hack
How secure is your home or business? ADT just revealed a data breach but is keeping quiet about the timing and details of what was stolen. Plus, the risks of storing cash in Cash App, AI classes for seniors, and a crucial Amazon Echo security setting you should check.
Where there’s smoke: Mark Zuckerberg has three weeks to tell Congress why drug dealers are allowed to advertise on Facebook and Instagram. We’re talking ads featuring piles of pills, weed and bricks of cocaine, all directing you to chat apps and drug dealers. Wonder how he’ll spin this one.
New Google goodies: Big announcements at the Aug. 13 event include the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL (out Aug. 22) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (out Sept. 4). The lineup also contains two new AI apps — Pixel Screenshots for searching screenshot info (I want that on my iPhone!) and Pixel Studio for text-to-image generation. Ahem, soon you’ll be able to get a Pixel 8 model as cheap as they come.
Storing cash in Venmo or Cash App? Your wallet's in danger
Unlike the money in your bank, you can lose your funds sitting in these apps. Plus, a hacker found thousands of big biz secrets, a new Amazon scam is spreading, and ChatGPT teases a search engine.
Cash app dangers
Got money stashed in Venmo or PayPal? Your funds might be more vulnerable than you think.
💸 Wads up? Cash App is paying out a $15 million settlement, up to $2,500 per person. You qualify if your account info was part of a data breach or if someone made fraudulent withdrawals or transfers between Aug. 23, 2018, and Aug. 20, 2024. Submit your claim form by Nov. 18, 2024.
He spent a year 'on Mars'
Last year, four NASA volunteers entered a Mars simulation in Houston. They just came out out isolation. Dr. Nathan Jones, the Crew Medical Officer of the mission, tells us what it was like. Plus, how to claim your Cash App settlement, and a Facebook missing person scam.
Kitboga exposes a shocking new scam
Scammers have a new trick up their sleeves, and Kitboga is here to break it down for us! Plus, Duolingo’s mean streak, the U.S. House has banned ByteDance apps, and Meta is planning to open-source its latest AI model.
AI + Chrome: Check out the new stuff rolling out with the latest Google Chrome update. Lens lets you select part of a page or tap on an object in an image to ask questions about it. Tab Compare gathers product data from your open tabs into one table. And you can search your browsing history using normal language, like “What’s the Mexican restaurant I ordered from last week?” Update your desktop app to get these features.
When you don’t excel, people spreadsheet: On Tuesday, July 30, Outlook was stalling, the Starbucks app crashed and Office 365 was down for eight hours. We now know a cyberattack took down the cloud computing system Microsoft Azure and a ton of apps and services with it. D’oh! Microsoft’s attempts to stop the attacks actually made the outages worse.
Byte-Ban: Starting Aug. 15, U.S. House of Representatives staffers are banned from using all ByteDance apps on government devices. TikTok’s already out, but now the ban includes photo-editing apps CapCut and Hypic, chat app Lark and social media app Lemon8. It all comes down to TikTok’s ties to Communist China. I’m surprised it took them this long.
How I got my cell phone number off the internet
We talk to Darius from Incogni, who tells us how you can remove your personal data from the internet. Plus, a family claims an Amazon driver stole their cat, people are yelling a lot at Siri, and there’s a new sober dating app.
App to track mosquitos
Are you a bite magnet? Here’s an app to spot when pesky mosquitos are most active.
Reading for dummies: A new app, Magibook AI, says it simplifies classic books using AI. Really, it strips away the original text and creates something lame. Case in point: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” becomes “It was a time when things were very good and very bad.” FYI: The app’s website was flagged for security for me, so I’m not passing it along.