Google is taking even more steps to help folks protect their privacy and keep their data secure.
At this year’s Google I/O conference, the company announced several new initiatives that will help folks lock down their Google accounts, remove unwanted information from search results, and control the advertising they see.
Google wants you to know that it has teams working around the clock to combat cyber threats behind the scenes, but it’s also working to help people who use its services do their part to keep their data safe from hackers.
This includes a new account safety status warning that will let you know when there are actions you can take to secure your account by showing a simple yellow alert icon on your profile picture when using apps like Gmail, YouTube, or Google Search.
Google Workspace customers will benefit from improved phishing and malware protection and automatic enrolment in two-step verification.
Google is also introducing two new tools that promise to give people more control over how their personal information can be found and how it’s used by Google’s advertising engine.
While folks can already ask Google to remove specific sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) from Google Search results, such as bank account or credit card numbers, Google is expanding this to include many more types of information. This includes personal contact information such as a phone number, email address, or physical address and any other info that could pose a risk for identity theft that may show up in search results.
This feature should show up in the Google App in the coming months and can also be accessed by clicking the three dots next to individual Google Search results.
Later this year, Google plans to launch more controls for ad privacy settings. A new My Ad Center will give people more control over what kind of ads show up on YouTube and Google Search. You’ll be able to choose which brands you want to see more or less of, whether you want ads to be personalized based on what Google knows about you, and even the types of ads you prefer to see, such as fitness, vacation rentals, or skincare. Google will also provide more transparency about how it decides which ads to show you.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.