Rich talked about the AT&T outage and the healthcare hack this week, and how it got him to thinking about having a backup plan.
International authorities busted a major ransomware hacking group called LockBit and released free software to help victims unlock their files.
Thurman in Massachusetts wants an alternative to the Thunderbird email app. Rich recommends checking out a website called AlternativeTo.net.
Bill in San Diego wants to retrieve text messages from his deceased sister’s phone. He has the passcode. Rich recommends the iMazing App.
Rose in Los Angeles looking for more information about Google’s Results About You feature. Rich mentioned DIY opt-out guides at DeleteMe and HaveIBeenPwned.com
Vivian in Menifee says she is locked out of her iPhone because she forgot her passcode.
Ring stops selling its Car Cam.
Google is pausing its Gemini AI image generator until it can get things right.
ZJ in Anaheim wants to obscure his home on Google Maps. Rich says to follow the directions here. Find your home on Street View and tap Report a Problem in the lower right-hand corner. Here, you can request to blur out your home. Google says they will “review your report as fast as we can.”
Chris in Long Beach wants to know if auto-generated passwords are a good thing. Rich recommends using a password manager and also setting it as the Autofill on your iPhone or Android.
Arthur Edelstein of PrivacyTests.org, open-source tests of web browser privacy
Pam in Ventura is worried about her credit card being hacked. Rich mentioned some ways to protect your card number including using Tap to Pay and the chip when possible. And when shopping online protect your number with a one-time use number from a service like Privacy.com.
Samsung released a major software update for the S24 series that improves the display and camera.
Samsung will bring its new AI features to older flagship phones including the S23 series in March.
Elsa in Playa Del Rey, CA says be careful with fraud alerts. Most of the time banks won’t call, so if you get a call be aware it could be a scam.
Alan in West LA wants to know how to get a streaming service for his parents in a simple way. Rich recommends Fire TV stick.
Apple Sports is a free new app that lets you choose your favorite sports teams and see when they’re playing, scores, betting odds and more.