Rich talked about the AT&T outage and the healthcare hack this week, and how it got him to thinking about having a backup plan.International authorities busted a major ransomware hacking group called LockBit and released free software to help victims unlock their files.Thurman in Massachusetts wants an alternative to the Thunderbird email app. Rich recommends checking out a website called AlternativeTo.net.Bill in San Diego wants to retrieve text messages from his deceased sister’s phone. He has the passcode. Rich recommends the iMazing App.Rose in Los Angeles looking for more information about Google’s Results About You feature. Rich mentioned DIY opt-out guides at DeleteMe and HaveIBeenPwned.comVivian in Menifee says she is locked out of her iPhone because she forgot her passcode.Ring stops selling its Car Cam.Google is pausing its Gemini AI image generator until it can get things right.ZJ in Anaheim wants to obscure his home on Google Maps. Rich says to follow the directions here. Find your home on Street View and tap Report a Problem in the lower right-hand corner. Here, you can request to blur out your home. Google says they will “review your report as fast as we can.”Chris in Long Beach wants to know if auto-generated passwords are a good thing. Rich recommends using a password manager and also setting it as the Autofill on your iPhone or Android.Arthur Edelstein of PrivacyTests.org, open-source tests of web browser privacyPam in Ventura is worried about her credit card being hacked. Rich mentioned some ways to protect your card number including using Tap to Pay and the chip when possible. And when shopping online protect your number with a one-time use number from a service like Privacy.com.Samsung released a major...

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