Kaiser Permanente data leak

🚨 Kaiser Permanente data leak: It affects about 13.4 million patients. Third-party trackers installed on its sites and mobile apps were sending info to vendors like Google, Microsoft and X. The compromised data includes patient names, IP addresses, and their site and app interactions. Yup, medical ID theft is coming to you.

Tags: apps, Google


ChatGPT prompts you’ll wish you knew sooner

ChatGPT has changed my life — and yours, even if you don’t use it as much as I do.

You’ve probably noticed the new AI search bar in all the Meta apps, including Facebook and Instagram. It won’t be long before all your most-used apps and services integrate chatbots. (Yes, I’m sure the folks at Google are quaking in their search boots.)

Continue reading

Hidden Windows features live in the Accessibility menu. We’re talking about the magnifier tool, text size settings, color contrast levels, voice-typing and narration features, caption settings, voice recognition and more. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Ease of Access. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Accessibility. So handy!

$1,600/year per car

In subscription fees, if automakers have their way. Yup, soon you’ll be forking over cash for subscriptions and on-demand features like autonomous driving (paywall link). Vroom, cha-ching!

Did you know you can instantly silence incoming calls on your smartphone by simply pressing the side button — typically, volume up or volume down — once? Yup, it’s a tech secret the pros know.

Shopping sites don’t want me to tell you this: Prices change on some online retailer websites depending on where you live. Use the VPN I use, ExpressVPN, and switch servers until you find the lowest price. Buy through there, then ship it to your home address.

Goop, begone: Grab a ball of Blu-Tack and press it into your earbud speakers. Pull it away, and all the junk inside comes out with it. Gross, I know.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Boost your Mac: Widgets put reminders, appointments, birthdays, the weather, top headlines, notes and more right on your desktop. Scroll to the bottom of the Notification Center and click Edit Widgets. Click the add button in the corner of any widget, and drag it around to reorder.

Waiting game: The wired model of Google’s Nest Doorbell is glitchy. After lots of complaints, it’s finally getting a fix. No confirmation on when, but it’s still good to know, in case you were considering replacing yours.

So long, farewell: Anyone who upgraded to Windows 11 on an old PC that technically doesn’t meet the latest operating system requirements is out of luck. Folks are reporting their tech dinos are stuck in a reboot loop. If you’re in the market, our IT genius, John, recommends this solid PC for under $650 that’ll last for years. If you edit video or need more power, here’s his pick for well under $1,000.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Smart speakers are great: But if you’re worried about accidental (or intentional) eavesdropping, find and use the mic mute and camera shutter buttons on your devices. On an Echo, the light will turn red to indicate the mic is off.