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Can somebody steal a passkey?
New research says malware can reach Google's synced passkeys on Windows. Here is what has to go wrong first, and why a clean computer is the whole defense.
Joel Folgner
IT Manager, consultant, and tech curator based in Molalla, Oregon. I’m Joel Folgner, and I created Fresh From Cache to distill the noise of the tech industry into clear, practical insights.
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This week: AI in your exam room, and a delete with no undo
Also in this issue: what location sharing actually hands over, why your next phone costs more, and five shortcuts hiding on your phone.
News
A colon cancer test company got breached. If you took Cologuard, expect a phone call.
Exact Sciences, the Abbott company behind the at-home Cologuard colon cancer test, was breached and 10.9 million email addresses are public. What to do before the notification letter arrives.
Blog
Two people agreed to your location sharing. Three are in it.
You agreed with one person. A company is in it too, and what that company keeps depends on which app you picked.
Learn
Five shortcuts I wish somebody had told me about
Five small things your phone and computer have always done. I learned most of them late, and I use every one of them almost daily.
Learn
Your doctor wants to record the visit with AI. Here is what to ask before you say yes.
Your clinic will tell you the tool is HIPAA compliant. That doesn't actually mean much. Four questions to ask before you agree, and what to do if you would rather not.
News
Also this week: your location, an AI shopper in court, and California's AI labels
Four stories from the week: leaky ad code, an AI shopper's day in court, California's new AI labels, and the end of Google Assistant on your phone.
Learn
Your phone says storage is almost full. Don't delete anything yet.
The standard advice is to delete some photos. On the wrong phone, that advice destroys the only copy. Answer one question first.
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The AI boom is showing up on price tags
AI data centers are buying up the memory chips that go into every phone, laptop, and game console. The bill has reached store shelves. The cheapest devices are taking the biggest hit. Here is a real answer on whether to buy now or wait.
newsletter
This week: the first hour after a scam
Also in this issue: what your kid's school laptop can see, your router's expiration date, and the magnifying glass hiding in your phone.
Learn
The school laptop is a work computer. Here's what it does and doesn't monitor.
Every adult knows how to behave on a work laptop. Your child was handed one at school and nobody explained the distinction. Here is what the school district can see, and what to check before you sign the packet.
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Check Your Router's Expiration Date. No Manufacturer Is Required to Tell You It Has One.
Washington spent this month regulating where your router was manufactured. The far more dangerous question is how long anyone will keep patching it, and on that one you are entirely on your own.