It’s Wednesday, my friend! Let’s kick things off with a little true or false: More bars on Wi‑Fi equals faster speeds. Make your best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

Hear ye, hear ye! Give yourself the gift of better hearing and stop blasting the TV volume or asking people to repeat what they’ve said. Take a free hearing assessment right now to see if you qualify for a no-risk trial of top-notch hearing aids. On to the tech smarts! — Kim

For years, tech companies have assured us no one’s listening through our smartphones to see what we’re interested in. It sure feels like it, though, when our ads seem so closely matched to our private chats with friends and family.

Well, the skeptics among us were right. At least one media group can (and does) gather info from conversations and use it for targeted ads. If this all sounds familiar, it’s not déjà vu. Last year, they were caught red-handed with a then-deleted blog post. Now it’s even worse.

Heard it through the grapevine

At the center of the drama is Cox Media Group. It’s not the Cox that provides internet service; this is a media company based in Atlanta.

They dropped the bombshell in their sales pitch deck (paywall link). Their Active Listening software can tap into private conversations through your smartphone’s microphone. It uses AI to capture and analyze data from a convo, which it then combines with behavioral data to create ultra-targeted ads.

Perhaps most shockingly of all, they list Facebook, Google and Amazon as partners. Now, they didn't say for sure the Big Tech giants use Active Listening; it’s more implied — and now those companies are scrambling.

Meta and Amazon confirmed they work with CMG but say they don’t take part in the Active Listening program. Google removed CMG from their list of partners after the leak. I don't know about you, but this smells a lot like damage control.

Who else is using this stuff?

CMG’s business includes 14 TV stations, 52 radio stations, a news bureau in Washington, D.C., and multiple streaming and digital platforms. Essentially, anyone who advertises on a CMG-owned network can access its Active Listening tech.

Bottom line: If CMG is listening in on your private conversations, others are, too. You’d better believe this kind of tech is standard at this point.

Tuning out

You can't stop companies from being shady, but you can stop them from listening in. Here's how to turn off microphone access for apps on your smartphone:

• On an iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security. Locate the menu labeled Microphone and tap it. Toggle the green switch to the off position for every app you don’t want listening.
• On an Android: Settings > Personal > Privacy and safety > App Permissions. Tap Microphone and locate the app for which you want to turn the mic off, then toggle it off.

🙄 The next time someone tells you you’re being paranoid about tech companies listening, send them my way. Even better, use one of the sharing buttons below to send this their way!

It’s called Amazon Outlet and it’s packed with good deals. Here’s a page that displays them all. Below are a few that caught my eye:

• Dull kitchen peelers make cooking more of a chore than it needs to be. Upgrade yours with a swiveling option that doesn’t clog — only $6.99!
• Tidy up under the kitchen or bathroom sink with two-tier adjustable shelves. Heck yes, they’re 50% off.
• Cute outdoor upgrade: Hanging garden pots. A three-pack is less than $12.
• Live somewhere with cold winters? Grab a pack of insulated faucet covers now, while they’re 50% off.
• Straw toppers keep you from spilling your drink everywhere. Great colors, enough to share and 23% off.

🧠 WHO knows? The World Health Organization says there’s no link between cellphone use and brain cancer. Their experts looked at 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022, drilling down further into 63. Conclusion: Phones are safe even for people who spend all day with ‘em glued to their heads. I don’t buy it. Check this list to see how much radiation your phone is giving off and my tips to make sure you don’t get sick.

Heads-up, Gmail user: Starting Sept. 30, you won’t be able to use your Google Workspace account to log into third-party apps or devices that require only a username and password to sign up. If you see errors like “Invalid username,” “Invalid password” or “Unable to log in,” create a new account with the site instead of trying to log in with Google.

Canva has jacked up its prices: By 316%, to be exact. Canva Teams (up to five users) is going from $120 to $500 per year. If you use it, be sure to snag the 40% discount for the first 12 months. Canva usually announces price changes, but this time, they’ve quietly emailed customers instead. No wonder.

🌭 Skip the line: Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech is hitting more NFL stadiums and college campuses this fall. Just tap or insert a credit card when you enter a retailer, grab what you want, and you’re automatically charged when you leave. At Lumen Field in Seattle, where the program rolled out in 2022, vendors reported 85% more transactions per game in 2023 and a total sales increase of 112%. I’d say it’s working!

🅿️ Police are towing Teslas from crime scenes: This is wild. When a Tesla is in Sentry mode, its onboard cameras capture what’s happening around the vehicle when there’s sound or movement detected. Police know that to get the footage, they need access to the USB drive in the glove box. If the owner is MIA, cops get a search warrant and tow the EV into evidence.

I keep pressing the spacebar, but I’m still on Earth: NASA’s new solar-sailing spacecraft has successfully spread its wings above Earth. Just like the wind pushes a sailboat, this spacecraft uses energy from the sun to propel itself through space. In the coming weeks, engineers will test its maneuvering capabilities. The goal? Low-cost travel options that could help us reach more destinations across the solar system.

💵 Wads up? Social media is buzzing about a clever Chase bank “glitch” that gets you free money. How it works: Deposit a fake check into an ATM and withdraw cash before it bounces. Chase is onto it, and the dummies who tried it now face negative account balances in the tens of thousands.

I’ve told you about hear.com and their state-of-the-art Horizon IX hearing aids. Here’s a note I just got from a reader and listener:

“A few weeks ago I saw your referral for hear.com. I have used over-the-ear hearing aids for 12 years. A couple of years ago, I tried this type in the ear and they didn’t work. But being a 20-year-plus believer of you, I scheduled the test … AND SO FAR, I LOVE THEM. Thank you, Kim, for ALWAYS referring products that work, not just ones that make you money.” — Russell

This made me so happy! With insurance and flexible financing options, along with a 100% money-back guarantee, getting great hearing aids has never been easier.

🛑 Stop, thief! If someone gets your iPhone, they can disable Find My in the Control Center. Be smart and make it so they can’t. Go to Settings > ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode if you’re using an older model with a home button). Enter your passcode, scroll to Allow Access When Locked, and toggle off the Control Center option.

Click-clack: The physical buttons on your phone can become less responsive over time. On an Android, skip the side button and double-tap the screen with your finger to wake it. Neat!

🧮➕ You can count on me: Next time you need to do a simple calculation, type it directly into your browser's address bar and hit Enter. You can do the same with the search bar in Windows or Mac’s Spotlight Search.

Charges you forgot about: Amazon Subscribe & Save is handy when it’s stuff you want and annoying when it’s stuff you just forgot to cancel. From Your Account, select Memberships & Subscriptions or Subscribe & Save Items to see a list of your subscriptions, costs and renewal dates.

🤺 Who are their competitors? You’re researching a new service for your business and don’t know who to compare it to. Or maybe you’re looking for new sales prospects. Ask ChatGPT or your favorite AI bot! It’ll spit out a list. Take it with a grain of salt; some results could be outdated.

What do you call two polar bears on a date in Hawaii? Lost.

The answer: False. Those little bars on your device show your connection’s strength to the router, not the actual speed of your internet. Even if you see full bars, your connection could be, well, turtle speed.

🐢 Speaking of … I miss my old zoology teacher, Mrs. Turtle. An unusual name for a teacher, but she tortoise well.

Before you go: Stop struggling to hear the TV, your friends and family, and everything else. The hearing aids from hear.com aren’t like the ones Grandma or Grandpa used. I like that they have a rechargeable battery, and you can listen to music and take phone calls right on your hearing aids. Take a free test to see if they’re right for you.

I'm here for you. I’ve been around tech forever. My business has thrived for over 20 years without any debt or investors. Tell me how I can help you here. I read every single note you send. See you tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the world! — Kim