Apparently the pharmacy chain Rite Aid just found out about a “little” data breach they had … back in 2017.
📱 Android app fix: Is an app crashing or behaving weirdly? Try clearing its cache. Go to Settings > Apps and select the app you want. Now tap Storage & cache or Storage and tap Clear cache. Don’t hit Clear data — that’ll delete your app settings and login details and reset the app to the default install.
Laptop catches fire on plane
It started smoking inside a passenger’s bag. Plus, the RiteAid hack, and AT&T data breach. We also talk to Elliston Berry and Anna McAdams, a mother-daughter team fighting deepfake revenge porn.
✈️ You can opt out of airport facial recognition scans: Stand away from the camera, present your ID and say something like, “I opt out of biometrics. I want the standard verification process.” It could save you from a data breach or misidentification as a criminal suspect. Both have happened.
⛔ I hate when tech companies do this: Firefox’s new default feature, “privacy-preserving ad measurement,” actually gives your data to advertisers. Turn it off. Click the three-line icon in the top right corner, followed by Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll to Website Advertising Preferences, and disable Allow websites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement.
Wonder if an app is safe? Some 98% of kids’ education apps share data with third-party advertisers. AppMicroscope.org sifted through almost 1,800 apps to let you know which ones are good or bad for privacy.
📶 Calling all RVers, travelers and campers: The new Starlink Mini dish gives you Wi-Fi anywhere, fueled by a power bank or solar generator. Price: $599 for the hardware, then $150 a month for unlimited data, or $50 per month for 50GB of data.
🪣 Leaky bucket: Two free PDF makers, PDF Pro and Help PDF, have somehow made public over 89,000 documents uploaded by their users We’re talking passports, driver’s licenses, certificates and more. People are still using these PDF tools, even as their private data leaks onto the web. Don’t be one of them.
You, on the dark web: Google’s dark web report service will soon be free for anyone with a Google account. On the Results about you page, you’ll see any personal info that may have been stolen or found in a data breach. Look for it later this month.
🦟 Mosquitoes suck: Try the Weather Channel app’s new mosquito forecast that analyzes weather info and real-world mosquito data to predict activity by ZIP code. Download the app (iPhone and Android) > add a ZIP code > tap Daily at the bottom of the screen > and scroll down. OK, now I’m itchy.
You better work: Android now supports creating a work profile on your device to separate your work apps and data from your personal apps. Go to Settings, search for Work Profile or similar, and follow the setup prompts. Sorry, iOS lovers, no soup for you! Apple doesn’t support this.
Such a lug nut: Advance Auto Parts is notifying 2.3 million folks about a data breach. They say it only impacts current and former employees and job applicants, but samples of the leaked data suggest it could include customer info, too. Argh.
Your car is watching
Automakers and insurance companies are teaming up to share data on your driving habits. Also, EV sales are struggling, and there are issues with Airbnb. I speak with a guy whose identity was stolen, and now the scammer is using his info to con others.
A waking nightmare: A 33-year-old Iowa woman is suing a medical device manufacturer after her heart monitor provided doctors with data from a different patient. This led to an unnecessary pacemaker surgery. And get this: She wasn’t sedated properly and was awake during the entire operation.
🛰️ Something to ruin your sleep: Hackers’ newest target is outer space, where they could disable satellite GPS signals for airplanes, boats and cars … or take down all satellites providing the internet. The right mind could even corrupt planetary probe data, giving inaccurate atmospheric or water readings on Mars. Yikes.
🚨 180,000 Shopify users just had their data compromised, thanks to a third-party app. The exposed info includes account IDs, names, email addresses, cellphone numbers and total spending. If you have a Shopify account, watch for any legit-looking emails from them and don’t give out any personal info.
Stick-it master: Hackers stole 193 million Ticketmaster barcodes valued at $22.6 billion. This includes 440,000 tickets to future dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Hackers accepted $1 million for the data, but now they want $8 million. Who’s paying those “processing fees” and “venue charges” now? If you have concert tickets, make sure they’re legit before you head out.
Get your head out of your apps: America’s first smart highway is coming to Interstate 94 in Michigan. This three-mile stretch will have sensors and cameras to alert drivers of traffic jams, accidents and obstacles. The tech will connect to most modern cars with built-in navigation features. No one’s talking about data tracking.
Prudential Financial just dropped a doozy: The data breach they reported in March is way worse than initial estimates. They originally notified around 36,000 victims about stolen info, like names and driver’s license numbers. Now, they’re saying over 2.5 million folks were hit. Someone needs to be held accountable.