Personal Tech: Unknown Tech Brands Aren’t Like Groceries. Don’t Just Grab Them.

Why you should tread carefully with obscure tech brands. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, April 6, 2018 [NYTimes.com/PersonalTech »]( Each week, the Personal Tech newsletter rounds up the best stories about technology and how we use it in our everyday lives. That includes tips about troubleshooting devices, advice on being a smarter shopper and news stories about the tech companies that make your gadgets and apps. Minh Uong/The New York Times [Tech Fix]( [Unknown Tech Brands Aren’t Like Groceries. Don’t Just Grab Them.]( By BRIAN X. CHEN It’s time to stop using technology and the internet as though you were shopping at a supermarket. ADVERTISEMENT [Facebook Says Cambridge Analytica Harvested Data of Up to 87 Million Users]( By CECILIA KANG AND SHEERA FRENKEL Mr. Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, will appear before multiple congressional committees next week. It is part of the company’s efforts to be more open about its work. [Tinder and Bumble Are Seriously at War]( By VALERIYA SAFRONOVA Is all fair in love and apps? Many highly paid lawyers suggest that nothing is ever fair. We’ll explain the drama. [Is Amazon Bad for the Postal Service? Or Its Savior?]( By NICK WINGFIELD President Trump says Amazon costs the U.S.P.S. billions of dollars. But the available evidence is far less certain, and some of it suggests the opposite. [Grindr Sets Off Privacy Firestorm After Sharing Users’ H.I.V.-Status Data]( By NATASHA SINGER Reports that the social network shared sensitive health and sexual data with outside companies set off a backlash. [They Tried to Boycott Facebook, Apple and Google. They Failed.]( By JACK NICAS People are increasingly calling for boycotts of the big tech companies amid a backlash. The problem is that Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google are nearly inescapable. [Retailers Race Against Amazon to Automate Stores]( By NICK WINGFIELD, PAUL MOZUR AND MICHAEL CORKERY The opening of Amazon Go was alarming for many retailers, who saw a sudden willingness by Amazon to wield its power in new ways. [At 12, He Had a Viral Science Video. At 14, He Fears He Was Too Rude.]( By ADRIANNE JEFFRIES Marco Zozaya critiqued those linking vaccines and autism, but he struggles like many science communicators with social media platforms that may favor a style that inflames. Tech We’re Using [Twitter, Facebook, Slack: Using Every Tool to Hear What Readers Think]( By HANNA INGBER Hanna Ingber, editorial director of The Times Reader Center, provided a how-to on using social media to converse with readers on topics from race to the weather. ADVERTISEMENT Tech Tips From J.D. Biersdorfer [Monitoring the Health of a Backup Drive]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER Hard drives don’t last forever, but utility programs and careful observation can help you decide when it’s time to replace a backup drive. [Setting Options for Ad Blockers]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER Searching for a balance between too much advertising and just enough to make money, some ad-blocking programs now allow “acceptable” advertisements. [Cleaning Out Addresses in Mail App]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER The Mac’s Mail app and other programs can retain outdated contact details, but you can delete or update the information as needed. [Checking Your Browser Version]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER Most web browsers now update themselves, but if you’re not sure what version number you’re actually running, take a peek under the hood. [Keeping Personal Appointments Private on Google Calendar]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER The corporate version of Google Calendar is ultimately controlled by its administrator, but you may still have a say on who can see your day. FRUSTRATED WITH YOUR TECHNOLOGY? Brian X. Chen, our lead consumer technology reporter, writes Tech Fix, a column about solving tech-related problems like sluggish Wi-Fi, poor battery life and the complexity of taking your smartphone abroad. What confuses you or makes you angry about your personal technology? Send your suggestions for future Tech Fix columns to [brian.chen@nytimes.com](mailto:brian.chen@nytimes.com?subject=Tech Fix). HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [personaltech_newsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:personaltech_newsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Personal Tech Newsletter%20Feedback). FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Personal Tech newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018