How Incognito Google Maps Protects You—and How It Doesn’t

Perhaps as a nod to growing concerns about digital behavior tracking, particularly location tracking, Google has introduced a raft of privacy improvements. Among them: a new Incognito Mode for Maps, which prevents Google from saving certain types of data and removes personalization touches from its Maps app. Just don't assume it makes your movements untraceable.Incognito…

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States Should Monitor Methane to Meet Climate Goals

Scientists have made it clear: To prevent calamitous climate change fallout in our lifetimes, we have to take bold action. With the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent proposed rollback on the regulation of methane emissions, it’s also clear that states can’t rely on the federal government right now to act responsibly. It’s up to us. Fortunately,…

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Tesla’s ‘Smart Summon’ Will Fetch Your Car—Sometimes

In lots of ways, Tesla’s new Smart Summon feature is classic Tesla. Rolled out last week as part of an extensive software update—which also included updates for Automatic Lane Change; an in-car, 360-degree view while behind the wheel; a new game dashboard to use while waiting for the car to charge; and something called Caraoke—Smart…

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Even the AI Behind Deepfakes Can’t Save Us From Being Duped

Last week Google released several thousand deepfake videos to help researchers build tools that use artificial intelligence to spot altered videos that could spawn political misinformation, corporate sabotage, or cyberbullying.Google’s videos could be used to create technology that offers hope of catching deepfakes in much the way spam filters catch email spam. In reality, though,…

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In Europe, Sites Can Only Track You If You Check the Box

Life online is rife with interruptions: Ads, auto-playing videos, paywalls (sorry!), requests to enable browser notifications, chat bubbles, extraneous toolbars, and interstitials all muddy the quotidian quest for content.In recent years—thanks in part to last year’s rollout of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation—users have witnessed a surge in another type of digital distraction:…

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