Google Maps users started complaining a couple of days ago that their Timeline data had disappeared — and last night, a Google spokesperson confirmed it had been deleted.
Speaking to The Verge, the spokesperson said it was a technical issue that caused the accidental deletion, but anyone who didn’t have backups turned on won’t be able to get their data back. This sucks for affected users since the Timeline feature is all about keeping track of where you’ve been over long periods of time.
Walkers and hikers use it to find new routes to try out, while others use it to pinpoint unexplored areas of their cities. If you’ve ever played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s kind of like a real-life version of the Hero’s Path — a feature that shows you everywhere you’ve visited in Hyrule.
Needless to say, for people who like to travel and take advantage of Google Maps to find cool spots, losing years of Timeline data could be quite a blow. You might assume it would even be worth an apology, but judging by the spokesperson’s comment, Google doesn’t agree. The full published version simply reads:
We briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people. Nearly everyone with encrypted Timeline backups will be able to restore their data; unfortunately those who did not have backups enabled will not be able to recover lost data.
The lack of a “We apologize for any inconvenience caused.” comment is quite shocking to me. You can’t just delete users’ data and not apologize for the mistake.
If your Timeline data has disappeared and you do have backups turned on, you can get them back by clicking the cloud icon in the Your Timeline menu.
Speech-to-text apps have flooded the App Store, making it easier than ever to type on our Macs with just our voice. I have previously covered one such app called TypeWhisper. However, there has been a dearth of good text-to-speech models, and most of the good ones are locked behind a subscription.
Ollama, an open-source app that lets you run local AI models on your computer, wants to change that. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and your prompts are never stored or used for training.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).