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Do you need antivirus on a Mac?
macOS already runs three layers of protection for free. What XProtect and Gatekeeper cover, the one rule that does more than any scanner, and who should still install something.
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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Your library card is a subscription you already pay for
Free audiobooks, ebooks, and magazines on the phone already in your pocket. No card? You can probably fix that today without leaving home.
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Before you price hearing aids, take the test that came with your earbuds
AirPods Pro carry an FDA-authorized over-the-counter hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss, plus a free hearing test. What it does, what it does not do, and what Medicare covers.
News
Also this week: a photo backup that quit, an FTC refund check, and new limits on license plate cameras
Google Drive stopped pushing your pictures into Google Photos on Monday, the FTC is sending $23.8 million in Grubhub refunds, Flock is tightening the rules on its license plate cameras, and Toyota is recalling half a million Camrys over a dashboard that goes blank.
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Do you need antivirus, or is Windows Defender enough?
Windows Defender is free, already on, and tests level with paid antivirus for most people. What the labs found, who should still pay, and how to cancel McAfee or get a Norton renewal refunded.
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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.
newsletter
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.