Technologies

Google bars apps from using location tracking tool that sells user data

In June, the search giant gave apps that were using the service a 7-day warning.

Google on Thursday said it has taken action against a company that sold the location data of Android users.

The company, called SafeGraph, had sold data sets to customers, which it obtained by having software developers embed SafeGraph’s code in their apps. One of the company’s clients was the US Centers for Disease Control, which gathered data as part of its response effort to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an investigation by Motherboard.

Google said it sent a 7-day warning in June to all apps working with SafeGraph. The apps were required to remove the code that helped collect data for SafeGraph, or they would face enforcement on the Google Play marketplace.

SafeGraph and the CDC didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The news comes as lawmakers have criticized big tech companies over access to user data. Earlier this year, Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, introduced a bill with several other senators that would require law enforcement to get a court order before obtaining personal information from third-party brokers.

Google has also received blowback in the past for how it treats location data on its own apps. Last year the search giant was hit with a consumer fraud case by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. The lawsuit was filed in response to a 2018 investigation by the Associated Press, which scrutinized Google’s location data practices on phones running Android, the company’s mobile operating system. The news outlet reported that Google still tracks people’s whereabouts even if they turn off a setting called Location History.

If that setting is paused, the company still tracks where users go, though the app won’t record the places they’ve been in their Google Maps timelines, the report said. Users could, however, pause location tracking by turning off another setting, called Web and Apps Activity.

Technologies

A Historic Heat Dome Is Creeping Across the US. Here’s How to Prepare

After breaking heat records in 14 states, the heat wave pummeling the Southwest is moving eastward.

A massive heat wave has broken heat records in 14 states, including Arizona and California, reaching up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. Now it’s creeping eastward, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat wave is continuing its journey through the Midwestern United States and is projected to affect anywhere from one-quarter to one-third of the 48 mainland states, National Weather Service meteorologist Gregg Gallina told The Associated Press. The highest temperatures recorded today are in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — what the National Weather Service refers to as the Southern Rockies region. But the hot air is on the move.

The reason these high temperatures persist is the «heat dome» phenomenon, in which high pressure prevents hot air from rising, trapping it in a bubble above a region. As the dome of pressure moves, so too does the hot air — and right now, it’s barreling east.

The states that will be smothered by the heat dome in the coming days include those in the Southern and Central Plains regions. This means residents of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska can expect to sweat as the heat blankets them on its eastbound journey.

What the heat dome means for climate change and our health

According to Climate Central, the US has experienced rising blackout rates over the past 20 years, largely due to weather-related issues and an aging electrical grid.

As of August 2025, the US Environmental Protection Agency states that heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the US. The World Health Organization reports that between 2000 and 2019, about 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year.

Fortunately, humidity levels are not as high during a summer heat wave. As humidity can contribute to dehydration, body strain and breathing difficulties, lower humidity makes this heat dome somewhat less dangerous for workers in affected areas.

The World Weather Attribution, an initiative formed by international climate change researchers and climate scientists, determined that the heat dome would be «virtually impossible without human-induced climate change.»

In a world where weather events like these cease to be impossibilities, you’ll want to prepare for future heat waves properly. Here’s how to stay safe during the heat dome.

How to prepare for the heat dome before it hits your state

There’s nothing you can do to beat the heat outside, aside from following heat safety best practices. You’ll just need to stay hydrated, wear breathable, light-colored clothing and wait out the potentially dangerous heat dome, which is expected to dissipate by the end of next week when April begins. But you can do things to batten down the hatches before the sweltering heat reaches your home.

Even if you don’t have much prep time, a couple of small items can make your home safer (and far more comfortable). Cooling towels, portable fans and countertop ice makers are must-haves during a heat wave, especially if you aren’t looking to crank the thermostat down and spend a pretty penny.

Heat waves are also extremely costly due to the sheer amount of energy used — it’s expensive to stay cool. Depending on your living situation, though, you might want to invest in heat pump installation. These HVAC system additions are extremely energy efficient, which means you can keep more money in your pocket while beating the heat.

During the middle of the heat wave, when everyone has their AC running, there’s also the potential for an early brownout (a temporary drop in electrical voltage, causing lighting to dim) or even a blackout (a complete loss of power). It’s common to feel helpless during power outages, but you can get ahead of the curve by preparing a summer blackout kit with portable chargers and alternative light sources before the heat wave hits.

Even if the historic heat wave doesn’t hit your home, these tips will help you prepare as the summer season bears down on the US in a couple of months.

Technologies

Apple May Give Siri a Big AI Overhaul in iOS 27

Apple is testing a standalone Siri app, a new interface and deeper AI features for this year’s software update, Bloomberg reports.

Apple may be planning one of the biggest changes to Siri since the voice assistant launched more than a decade ago. According to a report on Tuesday from Bloomberg, Apple is testing a standalone Siri app, a redesigned interface and a new «Ask Siri» button that would make the assistant more visible and useful across the Apple ecosystem, as part of a broader AI reboot.

According to the Bloomberg report, the new Siri experience is expected to be introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 and would arrive as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and MacOS 27 later this year. The report says Apple is testing out a new Siri that would make the assistant feel more like a standalone AI chatbot — think ChatGPT or Claude — rather than the current built-in tool.

The latest report builds on earlier Bloomberg reporting from January, which said Apple planned to revamp Siri into its first real AI chatbot to better compete with OpenAI and Google.

For Apple, the move would mark another attempt to reset expectations around its AI strategy after repeated delays to its more advanced Siri ambitions. Apple had previewed a more personalized Siri at WWDC 2024, but the broader rollout has slipped, and Bloomberg’s new report suggests the company is now aiming for a more sweeping relaunch in iOS 27 instead.

Apple has not publicly announced these iOS 27 features, so plans could still change before WWDC.

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for March 25, #1740

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for March 25, No. 1,740.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle begins with a letter I just never guess, but once you get that, it’s an easy one. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.