Speak your mind
Speak your mind: Let me know what privacy-related issues matter to you so I can do a better job for you. One person who completes the survey will win a cool $100 Amazon gift card. Good luck!
Why you need a VPN (even if you're not tech-savvy)
When surfing the web, you might encounter a few confusing acronyms. Take VPN, for example. You might shrug and scroll past it if you don’t know what it means. Just like that, you could miss out on the best internet privacy tool.
Block ads to protect your privacy
I wanted to get something nice for Barry’s birthday, so I splurged on a gorgeous watch. Well, wouldn’t ya know it, like clockwork, my online ads changed. Suddenly, I was seeing fancy espresso machines, expensive face cream and cashmere sweaters all over social and the web.
Search warning: Google’s new AI-generated answers can lead to sketchy sites that trick you into subscribing to browser notifications. Seeing these annoying pop-ups? In Chrome, go to Settings > Content > Notifications, and under Allowed to send notifications, click Remove next to any site you don’t want to hear from.
15 years later you can finally personalize your iPhone grid
iOS 18 includes a feature Android users have long enjoyed. The ability to create blank rows and open spaces on your home screen. Can’t wait to waste 15 minutes fiddling with mine.
Talk to an actual person at Amazon
For confusing situations, skip the forms and bots. An Amazon customer service rep will call you if you know this trick.
- While logged into your Amazon account, go to the Contact us page.
- Choose the issue that most closely matches your problem, then go through the form. At the end, choose Request a phone call.
- Click that, enter your phone number, and you’ll see an estimated time before you receive the call. I’ve never waited more than three minutes. Have your order number handy!
📲 If you do need a phone number for Amazon Customer Service, it’s 1-888-280-4331. You might want to save that in your contacts. I don’t want you to get scammed by Googling support numbers that turn out fake.
✅ Quick security boost: Check to see that no one else is poking around your account.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Shop safer online with virtual cards
Scammers love to dupe you with fake deals, get you to pay for subscriptions you don’t need, or grab your payment info on a spoof checkout page that looks just like the real deal.
On the other hand, I want to keep you safe and save you money. One of my go-to tricks for secure online shopping might be one you’ve never even heard of.
Smart tips for enjoying the sun's total eclipse safely
Turn around, bright eyes — a total eclipse of the sun is coming on April 8 (they played that song at my high school prom! 💃). This is your last chance to see a full eclipse from the lower 48 states until 2044.
41% of managers want to replace employees with AI this year
Another 45% see AI as an opportunity to lower the salaries of employees on their payroll. I think AI has huge potential to optimize our work … but yet again, greedy humans are ruining it for the rest of us. Pretty bleak.
Be AI aware: Facebook’s new algorithm is filling people’s feeds with AI-generated images, and older adults are falling hard for their tricks. Quick crash course: Look for unnaturally smooth textures, gibberish text, and unusual teeth and fingers. I do a deep dive in tomorrow’s newsletter about spotting election fakes online, so be sure you don’t miss it.
Is Apple’s new Journal app a major privacy nightmare?
Apple’s new Journal feature is all about capturing those little moments in life right on your iPhone. But posts started blowing up on social media that (oh no!) because of it, anyone can find your full name and location as well as read your deepest thoughts. Yikes.