latest
Google Maps is ditching cloud-based location history for a more private solution
Your location history will be stored locally on your device going forward, but you can still opt for an end-to-end-encrypted backup
It's no secret that Google Maps keeps tabs on your every move with its Timeline feature, which logs all your pit stops and the routes you take. As long as you're signed in to your Google account with Location History enabled (it's off by default), Google collects all this juicy information and secures it in the cloud, promising it's encrypted. But if you're the paranoid type, the company will soon give you the option to stash your trips directly on your device.
The 5 top Flourish tips and tricks for perfect data visualizations
Flourish does a lot more than make your data look good
Flourish is a powerful data visualization tool that helps analysts and content creators produce effective visualizations for all devices. And since Flourish runs in your browser, you don't need a souped-up laptop to use it. A good Chromebook is more than enough to run the application. It's also a tool that, like Google Pinpoint, is useful for journalists. However, not all of the tool's features are immediately apparent. So, here's a list of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of this versatile tool.
Flourish is a data visualization tool that lets users import and view data in various formats. Anyone can use it for personal use, such as viewing health data collected by any Android smartwatch, but larger organizations can also use it to manage large data sets.
In 2018 developer Dylan McKay noticed that Facebook was doing something unexpected with information from his Android phone — it was recording names, numbers, and duration for every call. Shortly after he made this public via Twitter, multiple Android smartphone users got together and filed suit against the social media giant, alleging a violation of privacy. It's taken almost exactly four years, but now it looks like Facebook is ready to settle the claims.
Google Maps is trying to be painfully clear about how crowdsourced data powers navigation
And you'll need to agree to it if you want to keep using it — but you were already doing it anyway
Google Maps has become an essential tool in our lives, be it for getting around or just knowing places. The navigation features, including turn-to-turn navigation, allow us to drive to places and not get lost in the process, and have come extremely handy ever since I've started using a car since I always seem to make wrong turns and end up getting lost.
AT&T says that alleged massive customer data hack didn't happen on its watch
"The information ... does not appear to have come from our systems."
Last week T-Mobile elicited groans after it confirmed a massive hack of customer data — its fourth such hack in four years. For a short time it appeared that something similar had happened to its in-country carrier rival, AT&T: a post on an illicit hacker forum claimed to have customer data from 70 million people, selling for $200,000. But in contrast with T-Mobile's response, AT&T says its investigation of the sample data indicates that it didn't come from the company's servers.
Google is facing even more flack for FLoC from the EU
Regulators are unsure what to make of Google's proposed third-party cookie replacement
Google knows that third-party cookies tracking users around the web are on the way out, as even the company itself is planning on phasing out support for them in its own Chrome browser. But the online ad business is only as lucrative as it is due to extensive tracking practices, so Google is looking for an alternative to cookies. Enter FLoC, or Federated Learning of Cohorts. The technology is supposed to make tracking less privacy-invasive by assigning people to random groups with similar interests, instead of following every individual around. But many other companies think that FLoC will still be pretty invasive, and now, even some European regulators are chiming in, voicing their concerns.
Mint Mobile subscribers are getting a free data upgrade
The cheapest plan now offers 4GB data for $15/mo... if you buy 12 months at once
Mint Mobile is a popular MVNO carrier that offers discounts if you pay for multiple months at once. The company was purchased by Ryan Reynolds a little over a year ago (who is best known for playing Deadpool), and now Reynolds has released a video explaining the carrier's new pricing changes.
Facebook's refreshed Access Your Information tool provides a better breakdown of your data
What does Facebook know about you?
Facebook introduced its Access Your Information tool back in 2018, allowing users to see what data that the social media platform has gathered about them. Zuckerberg and company have used what they've learned in the past three years to refresh the tool with a better breakdown of your data, as well as a visual makeover.
The EU wants to let users finally remove preinstalled apps they don't like
A draft of the Digital Services Act also includes making big tech companies share data with smaller rivals
Google has faced a lot of scrutiny in Europe. Whether it's finding fault with Google being the default search provider on Android phones to considering a ban on face recognition in public spaces, the EU generally takes a very pro-consumer focus on things. Now a series of working documents have surfaced that indicate the European Commission is considering a number of proposals that affect big tech — including a requirement that users be allowed to remove any pre-installed applications on a device.
Facebook tool to export pictures to Google Photos now available worldwide
Three cheers for convenient data migration
Read update
Late last year, Facebook announced a tool to let users easily migrate their uploaded photos to Google Photos. The tool was initially available in Ireland, with plans to expand to more countries in the first half of this year. The social network has made good on those plans by expanding the rollout to the US and Canada in April, and now reaching a global rollout today.
Google users in post-Brexit UK to lose GDPR privacy protections
They'll be moved to US jurisdiction with notably weaker data protection rights
Just when you think the post-Brexit situation can't get any worse for us poor sods in the UK, another depressing tidbit rears its ugly head. This time, it's news that Google users in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will no longer be protected by GDPR and will instead be at the mercy of the privacy regulations of the United States.
With the increasing scrutiny around the privacy of users, Google has announced some new features to give us all some additional peace of mind. Updates to Maps, YouTube, and Assistant will make it easier to control how much of your data the company has access to, and Password Checkup will help you ensure everything stays secure.
What happens if you want to watch something on the big screen, but your main source of internet is your phone, and you don't want to max out your available data? That's enough of a problem in India that Google is addressing it with a new Data Saver mode for Android TV, which is now rolling out in India and will come to more regions soon.
If you're working on any kind of software that utilizes facial recognition — a secure Face ID camera system for a phone is just one example that comes to mind — you need a good amount of data in order to train the AI that powers it. Google isn't exactly new to the data collection game, but you might be surprised to learn that it's been doing so via such an old-fashioned method.
Read update
Video game developer and publisher Beamdog has had two of its apps pulled from the Google Play Store. The Android versions of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition and Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition have been missing from the store for two weeks, but the company hopes to get them back online soon. At the center of the issue is a new user data policy rule for publishers.
Google has been trying to be more transparent with the information it collects lately. After launching the My Activity site back in 2016, it recently let users delete their "OK Google" recordings from its databases. The company is continuing to make it easier to review what it has on you, as it just added an option to access your Assistant data directly into the app's settings.
AT&T subscribers on the company's Mobile Share Advantage Plus plans will be getting a bit more data for the same price soon. Messages are being sent out to "select" qualifying subscribers notifying them of the change. Eligible customers with one of the 32 or 50GB plans will be bumped up to 40 or 65GB, respectively, at no additional charge.
Republic Wireless is offering an interesting new product: SIM cards that come pre-loaded with either 30 or 90 days of (technically) unlimited data. The new cards don't require activation, an account, or even a payment method after purchase. There are a few caveats, though.There's always an asterisk when you're talking about unlimited data, and it's no different here. The cards do provide as much data as you want, but only a portion of it is at usable speeds: for the 30-day card, the first 20 gigabytes are at 4G speeds, and the 90-day card is allotted 20 gigs per 30 days (so 60 total, but divided into thirds). After you hit the cards' limits, any further data used will be 2G. Roaming also isn't included, so don't go buying one of these cards to take overseas.Strangely, the cards are activated when they're delivered, not when you pop them in your device, which limits their utility even further. But if you have a device that only needs data, these are a pretty solid deal, particularly the 90-day variant. They're not reloadable, though, so once your card expires, you'll need to get a new one if you want to continue getting service.You can buy the cards now exclusively on Amazon. The 30-day card is .99; the 90-day will run you .99.Source: Republic Wireless, Amazon
Digital Wellbeing is one of the bigger features with landed with Android 9 Pie—though it seems like Google is keeping it separate and distinct in the Pixel-only public beta. I've spent the last week using it to analyze my use patterns and place restrictions on how I use my phone, and while the tool brings together a lot of options for precise configuration, I've found the data it actually provides is a bit lackluster. But I think there are ways it can be improved.