News
Police take down major pop-up scams
An international police operation seized the servers behind the fake 'update your browser' pop-up. A rare win, and what it actually changes for you.
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.
News
iPhone to Android texting finally encrypted.
A text between an iPhone and an Android phone can now be locked end to end for the first time. The tell is a small padlock, and it doesn't cover everything.
Learn
Set up your phone to share your medical info in an emergency
Your phone can show your medical info and call your contacts without anyone unlocking it. Five minutes of setup, and you can confirm it works.
Learn
How to capture fireworks with your phone
You have been following DSLR instructions your phone can't run. Here is the phone-native way to actually catch fireworks, plus the one manual button that finally nails the trail.
Learn
Are those smart glasses recording you? How to tell
Smart glasses look like ordinary sunglasses, but they record video and audio, and the tiny warning light is easy to miss or defeat. What they capture, where it goes, and how to tell if the pair across the table is on.
newsletter
The scam that gets you to do the hacking yourself
Plus a router that senses you walk by, iPhones too locked to steal, and a five-minute Wi-Fi trick.
News
Three breaches in one week, and your medical records are the target
Three companies disclosed breaches in one week, and medical data was the target. Why thieves want it, and the free steps that limit the damage.
Learn
Share your Wi-Fi without ever spelling out the password
Your phone can turn your network into a QR code that any camera scans, iPhone or Android. Five minutes, and you never recite the password again.
News
The fake CAPTCHA scam you run yourself
A new version of the "verify you're human" box tells you to press a few keys, and you install the malware yourself. Here is the one rule that spots it.
News
Your Wi-Fi Router Can Track Movement in Your Home
Your Wi-Fi router can detect people moving through your home, no camera needed. What ships today, what is still in the lab, and the one setting to check.
News
Your car has been grading your driving and selling the report card
Your car may be logging how you drive and selling it to insurers, sometimes for pennies. What it costs you, how to opt out, and what Oregon just changed.
Learn
Who gets your photos and email when you're gone? Set this up in five minutes.
Your photos and email don't pass to anyone when you die. Apple's Legacy Contact and Google's Inactive Account Manager fix that in five minutes each.