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Chatbots May Be Giving Out Your Phone Number

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When talking to a chatbot like ChatGPT, you should never assume your conversations are private . Many chatbots, by default, use your discussions to train the underlying AI models, but even if you opt out of training, or use a temporary chat, these conversations are often stored on company servers for some limited amount of time. The general rule of thumb is to avoid sharing anything with a chatbot that you wouldn't want to come out in public. (Proprietary company information, personal secrets, etc.) But what if the chatbot in question already has your private information? What if ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude is happy to share your phone number with anyone who asks for it? That's the discussion I stumbled upon this week, following reporting from Eileen Guo of MIT Technology Review . In the piece, Guo reviews a series of claims from users who say that chatbots have been sharing personal information, like phone numbers, when requested. In some cases, the chatbots would share the i...
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10 Hacks Every Microsoft Teams User Should Know

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Microsoft Teams is a multi-use platform for chatting, calling, video conferencing, and collaboration, which means it has a lot of features, as well as integrations with other Microsoft 365 apps. If your workplace relies on Teams, there are several hacks you need to know to work more efficiently and get the most out of the platform. Use email forwarding to send attachments directly to a Teams channel If you receive an email (and email attachment) that is relevant to a conversation happening in Teams, you don't need to send it to others' inboxes, copy and paste, or download and upload to the correct chat or channel. Instead, you can forward it directly from Outlook to Teams, and both the email and attachment will automatically populate for recipients, who can click on the preview to see the full content in Teams. When viewing the email in Outlook on desktop, select Share to Teams in the toolbar and select Open Teams app . Then choose the destination, add an optional message, a...
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I Tried These Four Fitness Watches to See Which Was Best for Hyrox Training

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. I’m so much in the habit of recording and tracking my workouts that when I started training for Hyrox, my first question was, "how will I track them?" I want to keep an eye on my heart rate, so that narrowed it down to watches rather than smart bands or rings . But which is best? I tried four different watches and found two clear winners—depending on what you want to focus on.  Hyrox is, of course, the hybrid fitness sport that blends running with strength-endurance activities. (I have an explainer on it here .) A typical Hyrox or hybrid fitness workout involves cardio and strength exercises, which you’ll usually switch between throughout. You’ll probably want to note when you switch exercises (by pressing a lap button on your tracker), and you may want to track rests. If running is involved, you might want to know your run distance. No matter what, you probably want to keep an eye on your heart rate. You ...
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The Hisense CanvasTV Is a Great Alternative to Samsung's 'The Frame,' and Now It's $500 Off

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. After my wife and I bought our home and it came time to get a TV, we knew we wanted one like Samsung's The Frame—we didn't want the focus of our living room to be an ugly black box when not in use. We ended up going with Hisense's first CanvasTV, and we love it . This year, Hisense released the 2026 S7 CanvasTV , and right now, 50-inch model is $798.99 (originally $1,299.99) after a $500 discount. That's the lowest price it has ever been, according to price tracking tools . Art Mode, Anti-Glare Panel, Dolby Vision HDR, Hi-Matte Display, Frame & UltraSlim Wall Mount Included, Lifestyle TV Hisense 50“ QLED S7 CanvasTV Series 4K UHD Google S...
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You Could Get up to $100 in This Google Class Action Lawsuit

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If you're an Android user or you've had an Android phone over the past nine years or so, listen up: Google just agreed to a $135 million lawsuit that you're likely a class member of. While the final payout is still up in the air, you could be entitled to up to $100. What is the lawsuit about? The lawsuit, Taylor V. Google LLC , alleges that Google was complicit in allowing Android devices to send a host of user data to Google without the permission of the users. Not only does the suit highlight the privacy implications, it also hammers Google for using up the users' cellular data. According to the details of the lawsuit, Google denies any wrongdoing in this case, but has agreed to settle for $135 million. As part of that settlement, Google will have to update the Play Store Terms of Service, as well as Android's setup screens, to disclose the data collection and offer users a choice whether or not to opt into it. The company will also disable a related setting on...
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New Smart Bands Are Coming, and Whoop Is Scared

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. I flagged smart bands as one of the tech trends of 2026 , based on what I was seeing, so it’s interesting to watch the rollout of the Fitbit Air and the buzz around the (still unconfirmed) Garmin Cirqa. Whoop , which has long been the undisputed leader in this area, now has a ton of competition. Here’s what I see going on, and what I think we should expect going forward.  Google Fitbit Air - Berry with Large Fog Active Band Bundle $99.99 at Amazon $134.98 Save $34.99 Shop Now ...
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This Google Pixel 9 Is Nearly Half Off Right Now

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Pixel 9 came out in the fall of 2024 along with the 9 Pro and Pro XL , while the budget Pixel 9a came out last year. Pixel phones are some of the best phones I've ever owned and truly stand the test of time—so even though these aren't the newest models, they're still a great choice in 2026. If you're looking for a big discount on a middle-of-the-pack Pixel, the 128 GB unlocked Pixel 9 is just $449 (originally $799) after a $350 discount. That's the lowest price it has been since its release, according to price-tracking tools . Google Pixel 9 (128 GB) $449.00 ...
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