When 23andMe went public in 2021, it was a big deal. The popularity of its genetic tests carried the company to a valuation of US$6 billion. But in recent times, some dramatic changes have occured with its leadership and finances, and now 23andMe is worth very little. This leads to some worries about the future … Read more
If you use Venmo, I want you to stop and take a moment to check its privacy settings. Your payment activity in Venmo may be visible to the world! I wager that many people would not want that, so I’ll describe how to hide your Venmo history: You’ll want to pay attention to two settings … Read more
Consumer Reports has developed a new free app called Permission Slip. They made this tool to help the average person understand where their personal data is collected and sold, and take back some control over that information. To use this app, you do have to sign up and hand over your personal info. CR promises … Read more
Folks are asking me to sound off on the Saturn app. If you have Saturn concerns, please consider this blog post: The Saturn App Saturn is an iOS app, intended for high school students. Saturn can help kids manage their schedules, and it also has social media functions, too. Teen users may enjoy using Saturn … Read more
Smartphones offer you an important tool for hiding photos on your phone. Whether you have an Android or an iPhone, you should consider using this function! For Android users: Google gives you the ability to securely stash photos in the Locked Folder, in the Google Photos app. Here’s a simple Google article on how you … Read more
Nextdoor is a social networking website with a focus on neighborhood connections and local resources. If your neighborhood isn’t already connecting through a Facebook group, Nextdoor might be a useful option. But your first encounter with this company may seem scammy. Nextdoor’s questionable marketing tactics often weird people out! Postcards in the Mail? To attract … Read more
I hear from many people who are grumpy about all the personal information that Google and Microsoft are collecting. And I won’t deny that those companies are making money off of your web searches and use of their software. But I want to challenge you to think in a different direction. Did you know that … Read more
Most searches on the internet are carried out through Google Search. But not everyone wants to use Google, Bing or the other big search engines. These companies usually track you through your searches, and use that information to better advertise to you. If you’re looking for a search engine that respects your privacy more or … Read more
Last month, I posted the basics about Private Browsing, but I skipped mentioning one of its important uses: Bypassing paywalls. When a website insists that you pay for access, Private Browsing can sometimes get you in without payment or logging in. This most commonly works for news websites and other pages that offer you “5 … Read more
These days, all web browsers offer a function called Private Browsing. Let’s go over what this is and isn’t. Private Browsing allows you to use the internet so that no traces of your surfing are saved or left behind on that computer. Whatever you do in this mode disappears from that computer as soon as … Read more