Downvoting Google: Reddit Answers is the site’s new AI chatbot rolling out to select users. Type in a question for summaries and direct links to posts. Fwiw, OpenAI has access to Reddit’s posts, too, so I don’t see a reason to use it unless you’re a Chatty Cathy.
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.
Will we need teachers in the future?
Across 266 school districts, K-12 students are testing a new AI tutor. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo runs on OpenAI’s tech. helps answer students’ questions, flags other AI-generated answers and creates lesson plans for teachers in seconds. FYI, “Conmigo,” means “with me” in Spanish.
$120,000
The price of living on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship for a year. The new all-you-can-sail pass covers two guests, laundry services, speedy Wi-Fi, priority boarding and a balcony cabin. Hey, it’s about the same as an assisted-living facility, just sayin’.
More like POS: Half of all videos tagged with “PCOS” on TikTok and Instagram include false info about polycystic ovary syndrome. Debunked claims include everything from birth control causing the hormone condition to a keto diet curing it. Those vids get a ton of views, given one in every 10 women has PCOS. Talk to your doctor, not a social media influencer.
🪦 RIP, landlines: AT&T is cutting the cord on copper landline connections by the end of 2029. Only about 5% of customers still use ‘em, and broadband should cover 50 million locations by then. I’m required to have a landline at our house because Phoenix city code says we have an elevator. I never understood that logic.
Don’t count on math teachers: Across 266 school districts, K-12 students are testing a new AI tutor. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo runs on OpenAI’s tech. It creates lesson plans for teachers in seconds, answers students’ questions and flags kids’ AI-generated info. Watch it in action. “Conmigo” means “with me” in Spanish.
🛸 UFOs over New Jersey? Mysterious drone-like crafts the size of cars have been hovering over the Garden State every night for a week. No one’s saying why, but the FAA banned drones from flying over Trump’s New Jersey golf course. Are these the newest Communist China spy tactics? The FBI says there’s “no known threat” to the public.
Patch your PC pronto: It’s Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, the second Tuesday of every month when they clean up bugs and flaws that put you at risk. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and hit Check for updates.
I’m pretty darn proud of myself — I know all but one of these artists.
🤖 Autonomous warfare: A U.S. Air Force general says the military is still years away from letting robots replace human pilots. Even though they’re testing AI software to fly fighter jets, there’s still a big gap between the digital world and the real deal. Apparently, robot pilots continue to make “unexpected” choices during test flights. Meanwhile, Trump’s advisors have other plans; Elon Musk says to forget pricey F-35 jets because we’re in the age of drones.
It cost him $165,999: A driver bricked his new Cybertruck in less than 24 hours. Only a day into owning it, the truck failed to defrost, wouldn’t shift gears and completely shut down. Its owner spent four hours on the phone with Tesla’s customer service, but the vehicle ultimately had to be towed.
Rental spikes, exposed: Landlords are using AI tools to drive up rent prices. Take RealPage: Its software lets them input lease info, pool it with data from other landlords and use an algorithm to recommend (usually higher) rent prices, even when the market trends downward. San Francisco has already banned AI rent-setting software, and more cities are drafting similar laws.
No more green bubbles … kinda: Apple’s upcoming iOS 18.2 update for iPhones ends the blue-versus-green speech bubble dilemma. Blue bubbles have always meant secure iMessage chats (iPhone to iPhone), whereas green bubbles lacked end-to-end encryption (Android to iPhone). Now, you’ll be able to set third-party apps like WhatsApp or Signal as your default encrypted messenger.
PR BS: Google’s CEO says the search engine will “change profoundly” next year … without giving any details. This news comes as Google is updating its crappy Gemini AI model to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and with Perplexity. Dang, it’s like watching the Titanic sinking.
🚨 Watch out for these numbers: Fraudsters are using local area codes to gain your trust and steal your personal info. The most popular ones include 720 (Colorado), 272 (Pennsylvania), 959 (Connecticut) and 346 (Texas). The three most identified numbers were (763) 274-3899, (217) 402-1312 and (202) 456-1111. Calls from these numbers are usually banking scams. If you get one, hang up and contact your bank directly.
🕵️♂️ Internet sleuths aren’t helping police: They’re silent about tracking down the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer. Why? They’re angry about the U.S. health care system’s policies. It gets darker; some people have even taken to social media to celebrate his death. And anyone who tries to help? They’re being bullied into silence.
$100-plus
Potential per-hour rates for a professional back-scratcher. It’s not just scratching someone’s back; you play with their hair, too. One pro scratcher quit her six-figure job to open a spa. Now, she’s making even more money.
Off to the great Best Buy in the sky: Microsoft has discontinued its $4,500 Surface Studio 2+ — and it looks like the end of their all-in-one desktop line altogether. If you spot the one for sale, don’t buy it. It’s dead, Jim.
🚨 Recall alert: Anker is recalling 80,000 Bluetooth speakers after 33 reports of overheating batteries and fires. If you have a Soundcore or PowerConf speaker with the model number A3102016, A3302011 or A3302031, stop using it and get a free replacement.