2025 October eBytes
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Warning: These 20 Popular Apps Are Tracking Everything You Do
What's the Best iPhone to Buy Right Now?
Gemini arrives in Chrome - here's everything it can do now
Finally, a Quick Way to Get Rid of Annoying Duplicate iPhone Photos
Here Are 18 Hidden iOS 26 Features You Should Try Right Now
We're Bringing You All the Tech Announced at Today's Big Reveal
No, Your iPhone Isn't Listening to You. Here's What's Really Happening
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Warning: These 20 Popular Apps Are Tracking Everything You Do
You use them every day, but have no idea what they're collecting. Find out which apps are quietly harvesting your location, contacts, photos, and more—and what you can do about it.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/warning-these-20-popular-apps-track-everything-you-do
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What's the Best iPhone to Buy Right Now?
Apple sells many iPhones, and we've tested them all. Whether you need a superb camera, flagship power, or a simple first phone for your kids, here's how to choose the best iPhone.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/whats-the-best-iphone-to-buy
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Gemini arrives in Chrome - here's everything it can do now
The company has announced a suite of AI upgrades to its search engine to save users time and frustration.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/gemini-arrives-in-chrome-heres-everything-it-can-do-now/
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Finally, a Quick Way to Get Rid of Annoying Duplicate iPhone Photos
This step-by-step guide shows you how to use your iPhone's built-in tool to find and merge all duplicate photos and videos.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/finally-a-quick-way-to-get-rid-of-annoying-duplicate-iphone-photos/
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Here Are 18 Hidden iOS 26 Features You Should Try Right Now
From custom snooze timers to satellite weather, these small tweaks make your iPhone smarter and easier to use.
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We're Bringing You All the Tech Announced at Today's Big Reveal
Apple's livestream has ended, but CNET's coverage is ongoing. Check out our live posts during Apple's announcements, and we'll continue updating this live blog as we get more updates on Apple's new products.
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No, Your iPhone Isn't Listening to You. Here's What's Really Happening
There are lots of reasons an ad pops up on your phone, but none involve a microphone listening.
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
I Always Recommend Canva's AI Image Generator to Beginners. Here's Why - I've been a fan of Canva for years. Here's how to use its AI image generator and other creative tools.
Your Android phone just got a massive Google Photos upgrade - here's what it can do now - Previously exclusive to the Pixel 10, you can now edit photos with a simple AI prompt - remove glare, add clouds, and more.
Wi-Fi router vs. mesh system: I compared both - and here's what I'd choose - Do you need a single access point or coverage across your whole home? Let's break down which option is right for you and why.
I put away my iPad after testing this $120 Android tablet - The Tabwee T90 is one of the first tablets to run on Android 16. Its Gemini AI benefits make it worth it.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/i-put-away-my-ipad-just-minutes-after-testing-this-120-android-tablet/
I Shoot With Pro Cameras for a Living—But I Use These 10 Tricks to Get the Best Pics With My Phone - I spend my days testing digital cameras, and even with a full-frame mirrorless always nearby, I still reach for my iPhone when I need a quick shot or casual snapshot. Here are my top tips for making the most of your phone’s camera.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/i-use-these-10-tricks-to-get-the-best-pics-with-my-phone
At Just $53, This TP-Link Router Is at Its Best Price Ever - You can give your signal a boost all over your home and save 47% — but a deal this good won't last long.
https://www.amazon.com/WiFi-6-Router-Gigabit-Wireless/dp/B08H8ZLKKK
I answered the million-dollar question about buying monitors - Choosing the right monitor doesn't have to be overwhelming.
Need a Second Phone Number? Google Voice Is the Easiest Way to Do it - The Google Voice service gives you a free phone number to use for phone calls, text messages, and voicemail on your mobile phone and your computer.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-voice-tips-get-started
AI Overload? How to Turn Off the Worst Apple Intelligence Features (and Keep the Ones You Like) - Apple Intelligence is now on by default in iOS. You can turn it off with a quick tap, but what if you just want to remove the annoying features? Here's how.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/turn-off-worst-apple-intelligence-features-keep-the-ones-you-like
What’s New in the Windows 11 25H2 Update? Not Much… - The annual Windows update doesn’t add a plethora of new capabilities, but it catches everyone up with interim features from the past year and extends the OS's support time frame.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/whats-new-in-the-windows-11-25h2-update-not-much
You're Using Gmail Wrong: These 3 Old-School Tricks Prevent Email Overload - Feeling overwhelmed by Gmail? We show you how to clean up your inbox by creating aliases, customizing your inbox view, and filtering your mail.
How to clear your Android phone cache (and why you shouldn't wait to do it) - This quick tweak can instantly boost speed and responsiveness on nearly any device, no matter the brand.
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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 - I have a weak signal for my TV over the air channel 2.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Sites I use to position position my antenna:
https://www.channelmaster.com/pages/tv-antenna-map
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
It is also important to use the rescan function in your settings on your TV/tuner to search for channels that move or are new. I usually do it once a year or when I hear something has changed. I then go in and hide/delete most of the channels because they do not have content I need. I maintain a spreadsheet of the channels I want to keep. In the same "Settings" on your TV/tuner you can usually get details on a channel for signal strength that you can check, reposition the antenna, and check again.
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Q. From a PCC Member - This is a feature I like for the PCC Past Meeting page. I can use Ctrl+F and search for anything.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. That is a good tip to search. If you do not already know, that search is not a function of the PCC website, it is a function of the browser so it works on any site to search the current page you are on.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Information on fall detection wearables?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. In the past PCC meeting for Jan 2023 on "Smartwatches for Everyone" I talked about a feature on some watches for fall detection. https://sites.google.com/site/theminingpcc/future-meetings/past-meeting-files
While smartwatches can provide some help, I would not recommend it as the best solution for most senior adults. This is due to the battery life of the watch, more complex to use, cost, limited fall detection, and other features that are found in true fall/help systems like Life Alert.
Lots of things to consider on what can work based on the mobility of the senior and what features they need. Link to Cnet page that has good trusted info: https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/best-medical-alerts/ If you do a Google search be aware that most links are promoting one vendor and are intended to look like they are unbiased. Consumer Reports is also a good source if you have a subscription.
FYI... My Dad is almost 99 and when he was living in an Independent Living apartment by himself I ended up putting several Alexa speakers and several Wyze cameras in his apartment. In Alexa if he said "Alexa call for Help" or any variation it would call and text me that he needed emergency help. I could then connect to the cameras and see what was going on in his apartment. He did fall one time and asked for help and I was able to respond. Total cost was about $80 and no monthly fees.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I an article recently in "PC World." The vulnerability in question is known as clickjacking. Attackers can lure unsuspecting users to fake websites that imitate real websites and look deceptively real, except the fakes ones contain invisible elements. Could you kindly comment? Since this pertains to BitWarden as well as other password managers, it might have broader interest to PCC members. It appears that Bitwarden is the only PW manager software that has installed a patch. But do I need to somehow remove Bitwarden as an extension from my Chrome browser and reinstall it?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Extensions, like their browser Chrome and Edge, get updated automatically in the background every few hours you have the browser open and you have no option to not update. Clickjacking uses fake websites. The default security in Chrome will block and notify you if you attempt to go out to a fake site. Also, most antivirus also have another layer to block and notify of fake sites. The autofill of a password in Bitwarden is tied to the real URL site when you first saved the password and will not auto fill on a fake site unless you add in the fake as a real site in Bitwarden. As far as Identity and Credit card autofill, they are not tied to a URL in Bitwarden so Bitwarden will never autofill unless you tell it. Bitwarden will suggest and let you autofill on any page, even a fake so be aware of notifications and warnings of bad sites. My Bitwarden, and I have recommended PCC members, is set so Bitwarden is locked when the browser is opened and a Timeout is set to lock so it does not remain open unless I am active.
Here is a Bitwarden response to the issue:
https://community.bitwarden.com/t/should-i-be-worried-about-clickjacking/87988/22
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Q. From a PCC Member - During the past ~ 6-12 months, Windows 11 has made me log in much more than I recall having to in the past. While working at my desktop PC, it will also suddenly indicate that Windows has had an issue (I don’t recall exactly the content of Window’s message), and it will shut down and restart. My wife was just working in Quicken, and while entering a bill with upwards of 100 transactions, the PC suddenly shut down due to some Windows problem. As you can imagine, when the PC restarted and she found out all the data she had entered was lost, she blew a gasket. Quicken does not do perpetual auto-saves, but it can be set to save automatically when exiting the program, which we do. The larger question for you at this time is the following: “Might you have any idea why Windows is shutting down more frequently, and how to render Windows more stable? I realize there are myriad reasons why this might occur, but nevertheless asked for your opinion. Thank you for any thoughts you may have in the matter.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Sorry to hear you are having problems with Win 11. Win 11 will shut down if it detects an issue that could be hardware, driver, software, or Win 11 OS related. First step is to see exactly what the issue is. When it fails and you see a message, write down the number and then Google the number to see what it is and what is the fix. Another Win 11 tool is called the "View Reliability History" which logs issues on your computer. It is part of the "Control Panel" in windows. Use the Window Start and Search for "View Reliability History" to open it and see a report log with messages numbers and info. Info on it: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/view-reliability-history-in-windows-11.5791/
I have had Win 11 on my main desktop for almost four years and leave it on all the time without any problems. It has been very stable for me. One tip you may do is uninstall any Apps you do not use. Less software means less problems and a faster PC. Desktops will shut down without any messages if the voltage is too low or too high and you will not see any message prior to the restart. A laptop, because of the battery, does not lose power. Make sure all vents are open and clean so a desktop or laptop does not overheat and shut down. If you do not find any errors, the worst case is to reload Win 11 and start new.
The member Responds - Thanks for your thoughts. I found the “View Reliability Log” to be a fascinating tool that clearly sheds light on my situation, as it identified several issues. Regrettably, I’m not sufficiently informed to put this newfound knowledge to use and address my specific problem(s). A few screen captures are presented below to provide you with a sense of what I am seeing.
Tom Kreuzer Responds - Looks like a bunch of different problems. Ideally your score is 10 and you have been getting only Information and Warning. Your current score is about 4 because of the history of problems/Failures. Click on the "Failures" which are the "Critical Events". If it has an error message number do search Google to see what it is and what might be the fix. The ones form an "Application Failure" are due to bugs in software you have installed like Quicken. Check with Quicken to see if they have fixed the problem or have an updated version. You need to dig deeper to identify and fix the problems. They could be related to file reading or writing like a SSD or Hard drive going bad, could be a CPU running too hot, or any one of thousands of issues. Sometimes a Windows update will fix a problem, but most other issues do not fix themself.
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