🤔 Did I forget something? If your emails, blog posts, articles or any other writing feel off, ask ChatGPT to check for holes or confusion. Try this prompt: “Could you critique my writing and see if anything is missing?” Another set of (virtual) eyes will save you time.
8 ways your phone is tracking you - That you can stop now
You understand that your phone knows where you’re located. This is how GPS works, how Find My sees your location and why you get local ads on Facebook and Google. Like other data on your phone, that location data is a hot commodity for internet marketers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to stand for this kind of data collection. These tactics are legal because the companies behind them give you a choice to opt in or out, but not everyone knows how to change the settings. We’ll show you how to stop your phone from tracking you. Ready to go dark? Let’s get started.
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1. Tweak your phone’s location settings
You can prevent iOS and Android from tracking you, but companies don’t make it easy. The feature is buried inside your device’s privacy settings and, by default, records your daily routine.
Known as “Frequent Locations,” it keeps track of where you are and how long you stay there. It even knows where you live and work based on how long you’re there and when you visit.
If you find this unsettling, you can turn the feature off. Here are the basic steps, but depending on your specific model and operating system, you may need to follow different instructions.
Turn off location settings on Apple devices
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap System Services.
- Choose Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off.
You can also clear your history here by clicking Clear History.
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Old science fiction shows depicting the future made a big deal out of voice control. Much of it came true! Decades later, we can ask questions and control devices with our voice, thanks to virtual assistants and smart home technology.
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Virtual assistants can be used with smartphones, tablets, computers and smart devices, including speakers, TVs, lightbulbs, thermostats, surveillance cameras and more. While Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, Bixby and others are designed to make your life easier, it helps to know everything they can do.
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What’s the downside of always-on devices that listen for commands? Nearly all voice-activated technology uses microphones that listen for “wake words.” That means they are, technically, always listening.
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Virtual assistants give us the luxury of a personal assistant without the associated costs. Just think of a question or request and say it.
Like any connected tech, you should exercise caution and know what you’re getting into. While smart assistants such as Alexa are useful and fun to use, they are there to listen and you can’t always know who is listening or what they are doing with that information. Tap or click here for three privacy settings for your Alexa.
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Is Alexa or Google spying on your meetings? Make this change now
Virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant can be a great help around the house. But within them lurks hidden dangers that could potentially put your data at risk. They are triggered with wake words, and once activated, listen for a question from you. While that might not seem dangerous, consider the process involved. Tap or click here to see how thousands of phrases trigger smart assistants.
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It’s the end of the day, and you want nothing more than to kick back and relax. You whip out your phone, turn on your Bluetooth speakers and start playing your favorite tunes in crystal-clear HD sound. Everything is working fine and dandy when all of a sudden your music is interrupted because you said something that sounded like “Alexa.” What gives?
Automate your life with this super useful web tool
Have you ever heard that acronym for TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More?
Well, the same is true for your connected gadgets and appliances. When they all work together, you get the most out of them. Kind of like what you get with a smart home. Tap or click here for information about a smart home starter kit and what you should buy first.
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