Consumer Tech - Fresh From Cache

A bank of wall outlets crowded with white phone chargers, lit by afternoon sun through blinds

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What is a CPSC product safety warning?

A second kind of safety notice has grown to a fifth of the total, and it comes with no refund. Here is what to check before you buy a charger, a power strip, or a power bank.

An HP 63 tri-color ink cartridge in a printer's magenta cradle, the number 63 printed on its label

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What you own when your printer is on a subscription

Cancel the subscription and the cartridge stops working, ink and all. HP writes it down, and so do Brother, Canon and Epson. What the contracts say, and how to leave without a dead printer.

A charcoal Google Nest Mini smart speaker on a warm wooden wall, its four white status lights lit, with the power cable running in from above.

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Google is paying $68 million over Assistant recordings. Claims close 8/27.

The $18 to $56 estimate assumes almost nobody files. What the claim form actually asks for, which class needs a receipt, and why your Nest speaker is fine.

Fresh From Cache 5-Minute Tech Tip card over a clock face, reading: When's the last time you used your library card?

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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.

AirPods Pro earbuds and their charging case on a black background.

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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.

A teenage girl lies on her bed in her own room, absorbed in her phone.

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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.

iPhones on display stands beside a small price card on a wooden table in an electronics store

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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.

A hand holding a Samsung Galaxy phone, seen from the back.

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Samsung killed its texting app, but your texts are fine.

Samsung Messages stopped working July 6 on newer Galaxy phones. Nothing is broken, your old texts are not gone, and the switch takes about ten minutes.

A disc ejecting from a slot-loading player under pink and blue light

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You bought it, but do you own it?

When you click Buy on a movie, book, song, or game, you usually get a license, not the thing itself. What that means, and where you can still own what you pay for.

A lit sparkler throwing bright sparks beside a small American flag

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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.

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.

A flat-screen smart TV on a low stand in a bright living room, showing a streaming app's home screen, with an empty couch beside it

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Your TV has a side hustle, and you're paying for it

Free apps on smart TVs can turn your set into a relay for someone else's web scraping. Using your connection and your IP. Here's how to tell, and how to stop it.