“Come on!” We all have that feeling when we close the wrong browser tab. Get it back faster than navigating the history menu. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen your last tab. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + Shift + T. (You can use it multiple times to get back old tabs.)
How foreign spies use radio to broadcast secret messages
This is one of the coolest things I’ve learned recently: Foreign intelligence agencies still use good ol’ radio to share top secrets. Even with all the powerful tech at their fingertips, radio use in espionage has actually gone up in popularity since the 2010s. Pretty wild.
Russia in particular loves this technique. Why? Intelligence agencies don’t trust the internet. Makes sense.
A brief history of spy radio
Foreign agencies have been using shortwave radio frequencies to broadcast coded messages for decades.
Starting in the mid-1960s, if you tuned your radio to shortwave frequencies between 5.422 and 16.084 megahertz (MHz), you might hear music … or you might hear a woman’s voice with an English accent reading number combinations.
The U.K.’s MI6 intelligence agency and other spy networks used these “number stations” until at least 2008 to talk to operatives in the field. Whoa.
Old tech, new tricks
This tactic is still very much alive and well. In 2020, the FBI discovered messages being sent to Russian deep-cover officers living in Massachusetts. Just this past March, researchers caught Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, SVR, broadcasting a test transmission in French.
So what’s the advantage of old-school radio? Even encrypted phones can be hacked. It’s also easier than ever to plant spyware on an internet-connected device.
Number stations aren’t so easily cracked
In each broadcast, the sender and receiver use what’s called a “one-time pad” to encrypt and decrypt the message. It’s basically a matching list of random numbers, no fancy spy gear required.
Of course, anyone listening could pick up on other patterns and blow up an agency’s spot. For example, a broadcast pattern could reveal how many agents there are and when or where they’re active.
Find your family tree without compromising your data
Seven million 23andMe customers thought they were just getting insights into their family history — instead, they got their data hacked.
It went beyond names and addresses. Hackers got their hands on DNA genotypes, predispositions to certain conditions and carrier status. And they were able to hunt down genetic relatives for millions of 23andMe customers. So scary.
Clues your spouse is spying on your phone
More than half of Americans confess they’ve snooped on their partner’s phone, checking texts and location history. Is your significant other one of them?
Don’t wait until it’s too late: After 23-year-old Riley took his own life, his dad found instructions for committing suicide on Riley’s phone. There are hundreds of sites with similar how-tos. One of them gets 6 million views a month. So sad. If your kid is struggling, check their camera roll and search history, and then call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
PayPal using your data to boost its ad business
Well, well, well … What do we have here? Another tech giant selling your data to make a buck? Shocking, I know.
This time, it’s PayPal. Through the new PayPal Ads network, the company plans to tap into customer transactions to supercharge targeted ads. This feels pretty darn gross if you’re using it to run a business, buy things you don’t necessarily want filling up your ad feed, or know that data being sold to who-knows-who for who-knows-why.
You can unsee that: Search for something potentially risky online? You can quickly delete the last 15 minutes of your Google search history on Android. Open the Google app, tap on your profile icon in the top right, and select Delete last 15 minutes.
Wait, what? You can reread that Android notification you didn’t fully look at the first time. Head to your Settings and tap Notifications > Notification History to view that push alert on whatever wild thing Elon Musk said this time.
Wikipedia isn’t the only option: Try Perplexity AI to learn more about a topic you’re interested in. Think of it as your smartest pal who lies from time to time but is versed in science, math, history and most other subjects.
How to read the Declaration of Independence online
The original Declaration is at the National Archives, but you can view it online anytime. Celebrate the Fourth by exploring this piece of history.
Your Venmo transactions aren't private
You know who can see your Venmo transactions? Spoiler: everyone. Here’s how to keep your payment history on the down-low.
Stop phone snoops
What percentage of Americans routinely spies on their partners’ phones, checks their texts, and looks at their location history? You’ll be surprised at the answer. Plus, I’ll show you how to tell if you’re being spied on.
💣 Underwater tech for my history buffs: Remote-controlled German robots are tackling a massive task — clearing WW2 bombs from the North and Baltic seas. As 1.6 million tons of old munitions rust, they’re releasing carcinogenic substances and other toxins.
You got an unexpected package from Temu or Amazon: It might be a brushing scam, where third-party sellers send something you never asked for to fake a verified purchase and post reviews using your name. If it happens to you, check your order history to see if you were charged. Then, change your password, because someone may be in your account. Either way, you can keep the stuff.
The biggest heist in history
What’s the backbone of chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT? It’s the art, science, and hard work of real humans — humans who may never get credit or compensation.
Calling all history nerds: A little robot captured never-before-seen footage from an unexplored area of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The secret hatch, discovered in the Queen’s Chambers in 1993, had been blocked by a stone. The big reveal? A smaller chamber with intricate symbols painted on the floor. Its purpose is still a mystery. Check out the video here.
Let’s forget we said that: The overwhelming reaction to Microsoft’s recently announced Recall feature for Windows 11 has been, “Uh, hello, security nightmare.” By default, they said Windows 11 on new AI-enabled PCs will snap a screenshot of everything you do so you can revisit your history. Now, they’re going opt-in only. If you get a new PC and see the option, say, “No, thanks.”
At a boss’s funeral, I said to myself, “Who’s thinking out of the box now, Harry?” Asana’s “AI teammate” is set to be your new micromanager living right in your browser. It’ll assign you work based on your skills and project history, and it’ll tell you if you’re not moving quickly enough. Talk about HR-rific problems.
How to find lost military records and medals
Military awards are more than symbols; they carry the weight of history and personal sacrifice. But over time, they can get lost, stolen, or wear out. Here’s how to get replacements.
Don’t live in the past (or, if you do, erase it): You went down the Facebook rabbit hole while snooping on an ex and you want to wipe away the last 20 minutes of your search history. Log into Facebook on your browser and tap your profile picture. Select Settings & Privacy > Activity Log. Click Logged actions and other activity, then Search history. Tap Clear Searches.