Technologies

FTC Accuses GoodRX of Sharing User Data Without Consent

Under the FTC’s proposed order, GoodRX would be barred from sharing user health data for advertising purposes.

GoodRX will pay $1.5 million and be barred from sharing user data with outside companies for advertising purposes under a deal that would settle allegations that it shared some of its users’ most intimate health-related information with companies like Facebook and Google.

The Federal Trade Commission characterized the action, which is pending approval by a federal court, as the first of its kind under its Health Breach Notification Rule, adding that the agency won’t hesitate to use its full legal authority to take action against companies that willingly misuse or exploit consumer data.

«Digital health companies and mobile apps should not cash in on consumers’ extremely sensitive and personally identifiable health information,» Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

According to the FTC’s complaint, GoodRX, which helps users find deals on prescription drugs and offers telehealth and other health-related services, shared its users’ data with outside companies for advertising purposes, despite promising it wouldn’t.

It also made money from that same data by using it to target its own users with personalized health-related ads on Facebook and Instagram, the FTC said. The complaint also accuses the company of failing to limit third-party use of the data, misrepresenting its compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, and failing to put in place policies and procedures to protect its users’ data.

In a company blog post, GoodRX pushed back against the FTC’s allegations, saying they’re focused on an «old issue» that was «proactively addressed» more than three years ago before the FTC’s inquiry began. The company admitted no wrongdoing, adding that the proposed settlement will allow it to move on and avoid the time and costs of drawn-out litigation.

In addition to the civil penalty and ban on collecting data for advertising purposes, the settlement requires GoodRX to get users’ consent before sharing data for purposes other than advertising; reach out to the third parties it shared the data with and ask them to destroy it; limit its own retention of user data; and put in place a privacy program designed to protect user data.

Technologies

Magic Cue Might Be Pixel 10’s Most Helpful Feature. Here’s How To Use It.

With AI, Magic Cue can instantly pull up flight information, reservation details and photos in calls and texts, so you don’t have to dig for them.

You might be sick of hearing about all the AI features loaded on your phone. But if you have a Pixel 10, there’s one key capability that may be worth tapping into.

Magic Cue is one of Google’s latest AI flexes. It can surface information related to what’s on your phone’s screen, so you don’t have to dig for it yourself. For example, if you’re calling your airline, Magic Cue will automatically show your upcoming flight information on the call screen. Or if your friend texts to ask about what time dinner is, those details will appear within Messages without you having to look for them.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The Pixel 10 series is loaded with other impressive AI features, like a Voice Translate feature that can mimic the sound of a caller’s voice while translating what they’re saying. AI can also sharpen your zoomed-in photos and help you take better pictures with Camera Coach. And Circle to Search remains one of my favorite mobile tools. But Magic Cue is one of the few capabilities that succinctly delivers on the promise of AI to simplify tasks and act as a helpful mobile assistant.

Like many AI features, Magic Cue can be hit-or-miss, and in many ways it’s still finding its footing. But it stands out as one of the more practical and helpful AI features you can use on the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold.

Which devices can use Magic Cue?

Only Google Pixel 10 phones can tap into Magic Cue. It’s powered by the Google Tensor G5 chip and the latest version of the Gemini Nano AI model. So if you have an older Pixel phone or a different Android phone, this won’t be available to you.

How to use Magic Cue

To use Magic Cue, you’ll first need to allow access to the capability in your Pixel 10’s settings.

When you open Settings, you’ll see Magic Cue listed near the bottom. Tap that and hit the toggles to allow suggestions and information to pop up based on what’s on your screen.

You’ll also see an option to choose which specific apps you want Magic Cue to pull data from, like Gmail, Messages and Calendar. That way if you have a flight reservation in your email or a dinner blocked off in your calendar, Magic Cue can surface that information when it relates to a conversation on your screen. Google’s support page for Magic Cue also notes that suggestions can show up on «select third-party messaging apps,» though I personally haven’t seen it appear in WhatsApp just yet, for example.

Within Magic Cue’s settings, you’ll also see whether an update is needed for the feature to work properly. Under the Magic Cue updates tab, it should say «Up to date.»

You’ll be able to use Magic Cue 24 hours after you set it up on your Pixel 10. It may take some time for it to process data across your apps and show relevant suggestions, but it’ll get better at providing information and actions as you continue to use your phone.

Magic Cue processes everything on-device, so you shouldn’t worry about your personal information being compromised.

How Magic Cue works

Once Magic Cue is enabled, it’ll suggest actions and surface information related to what you’re doing on your Pixel.

For instance, if you’re calling an airline, your flight details, including departure and arrival time and confirmation number, will appear on the call screen. That way, when a customer service agent asks for those details, you’ll have them readily available.

Similarly, if a friend texts to ask when your flight lands, those details will pop up automatically within Messages, and you can just tap to send. Or if someone asks where you’re having dinner tonight, Magic Cue can find that information from your calendar so you don’t have to drop it in yourself.

Magic Cue also works with Google Photos, so if someone asks for a picture of someone or something, you can tap the Share Photos button that pops up in Messages and select which suggested image is the right fit.

In my experience, Magic Cue has been helpful but not perfect. It does a good job of showing flight or reservation information from my email or calendar. But there are also times it’ll just say «View calendar» when someone asks what time something is happening. In those instances, Magic Cue isn’t really saving me any time or effort, since I can easily swipe to my calendar myself. But I have hope it’ll get better with time and more consistently feel like a magic trick.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Oct. 26

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 26.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought 4-Down was a bit tricky, but read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Rubber ducky’s «habitat»
Answer: BATH

5A clue: Coin in Cannes
Answer: EURO

6A clue: Go «Grrrr …»
Answer: GROWL

8A clue: «The other thing I wanted to say …»
Answer: ALSO

9A clue: Street sign in a school zone
Answer: SLOW

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Plead
Answer: BEG

2D clue: Vibes, in Gen Z speak
Answer: AURAS

3D clue: Social media menace
Answer: TROLL

4D clue: «Oh, yeah? Explain that to me»
Answer: HOWSO

7D clue: Like a phone battery under 20%
Answer: LOW

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 26, #398

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 26, No. 398.

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

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. That purple category — oof, it’s a typical Connections brain-buster. If you’re struggling but still want to solve the puzzle, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Bunch of players.

Green group hint: College division.

Blue group hint: Knock it out of the park.

Purple group hint: You’ll find a hidden word in these four team names.