2025 December eBytes
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Best of the Year: Our Editors Select the Top Tech Products and Services for 2025
Google's Gemini 3 is finally here and it's smarter, faster, and free to access
Your Info Is All Over the Dark Web. Here's How You Can Protect Yourself
Microsoft is packing more AI into Windows, ready or not - here's what's new
How to clear your iPhone cache (and why it makes such a big difference)
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Best of the Year: Our Editors Select the Top Tech Products and Services for 2025
We've spent the past 12 months testing and reviewing hundreds of hardware and software products across 18 key technology categories. These elite picks earn our highest praise.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/best-tech-products
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Google's Gemini 3 is finally here and it's smarter, faster, and free to access
The new model is also fueling a new agentic coding assistant.
9 of the Best Things to Use ChatGPT For - There are a lot of things you shouldn't ask ChatGPT to do. But these prompts bring out the AI chatbot's good side.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/9-of-the-best-things-to-use-chatgpt-for/
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Your Info Is All Over the Dark Web. Here's How You Can Protect Yourself
Your data has likely been exposed in a breach. I spoke to security experts for their best tips on minimizing the chances of having it used against you.
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Microsoft is packing more AI into Windows, ready or not - here's what's new
Microsoft is clearly excited about all this AI infiltrating Windows, but are its users as excited? Not quite.
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How to clear your iPhone cache (and why it makes such a big difference)
If your iPhone feels sluggish, clearing the cache can boost speed and free up space - here's how.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-clear-your-iphone-cache-and-why-it-makes-such-a-big-difference/
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
Give Us Your Face or Lose Your Account: AI Age Verification Is Here, and Experts Are Worried - From Spotify to YouTube, platforms now demand biometric proof of age. Experts warn that you could lose access—and your privacy—if the algorithms get it wrong.
How much RAM does your PC need in 2025? A Windows and Mac expert's advice - Thinking about upgrading your slow PC? Unsure how much RAM you actually need? Here's what to know.
Is That Holiday Deal Too Good to Be True? Here's How to Tell If It's a Scam - The FBI has a message for holiday shoppers this year: Fake sellers are everywhere online, even on sites you trust. We show you what to look out for when browsing major marketplaces.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/is-that-holiday-deal-a-scam-heres-how-to-tell
Your Google Photos just got 3 free, huge Nano Banana editing upgrades - It's now much easier to create realistic AI edits, thanks to DeepMind's top image-editing model.
You’re Sharing Too Much on Social Media—and Scammers Love It - Your public posts online can make you an easy target for criminals of all kinds. We tell you why and how to lock down your social media accounts.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/youre-sharing-too-much-on-social-media-and-scammers-love-it
Think You Know Windows 11? These 31 Tricks Will Change Everything - Unlock Windows 11's hidden features, get the most out of AI tools, and customize your PC like a pro with these game-changing tips.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/31-windows-11-tricks-that-will-change-everything
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Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
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Q. From a PCC Member - Zero-Click Attacks: AI Agents and the Next Cybersecurity Challenge. The implications of what he is saying is a bit frightening.
and another interesting viewpoint
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I am not worried about this at this time. The Human using the device is the bigger problem. We must all do safe computing and live with the fact that your personal data has been exposed in one of the thousands of data breaches. It is what the user does to protect accounts, passwords, access, and how the user reacts that stops bad code or people.
When I use an AI that is not local, I do not give it personal data like accounts or balances because even without a 0 click the AI company has everything you enter. His example in the video asks the AI to send back accounts and data that I never give to the AI.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I am having an eCalendar device sync problem.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. If it is a phone or tablet you should be able to check or change the sync for your accounts in Settings/Calendar. Most people should have one account be their calendar and only turn on Sync to that account.
Not sure what device (Android or Apple) or what email calendar you are having a problem with. If you have an iPhone and use a Gmail calendar, I recommend you use the Google Calendar App and not use the Apple "Calendar".
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