But if you use Google Maps, you might want to check your app is working properly. A bizarre software bug has wiped out years of users' search history with no warning. Hundreds of concerned users have taken to Reddit to share their confusion, with one posting: 'Every single day for the last 3 years just disappeared.' Another replied: 'I'm panicking, I have the same issue.' And one vented: 'Almost 10 years and countless international and domestic timelines gone.

But Google Maps has been causing chaos for some shoppers after pranksters set up a'phantom' Aldi in the middle of the Welsh countryside. The small village of Cyffylliog has been inundated with an'endless stream' of confused shoppers looking for somewhere to buy their groceries. Following Google's directions actually brought them to an empty field on a remote farm tens of miles away from the nearest supermarket. While it might have been added as a joke, the fake Aldi has since led to chaos for this small community as deliveries have begun to arrive in search of the non-existent supermarket. The misguided prank has even led to real Aldi deliveries arriving on one farmer's doorstep and becoming stuck on the narrow lanes.

Google Maps users have been urged to act now to avoid permanently losing their important data. Starting next year, the popular navigation app will begin deleting users' personal Timeline from its servers. Originally known as Location History, this feature tracks Google Maps users' every movement, keeping a record of places visited and routes taken. However, according to emails received by Google Maps users, this feature is set to vanish from June 9, 2025, along with almost a decade of user data. Google says it will be moving users' movement history from the cloud to a more secure on-device option.

Many iPhone users may be familiar with that heart-stopping feeling when you pat your pocket and the familiar outline of your phone isn't there. Usually, you're able to find it lying nearby, but a tech expert has revealed fail-proof ways to locate a lost iPhone if it's taking longer than usual to find it. Kurt Knutsson, also known as Kurt the Cyberguy, is the founder of The Cyberguy Report which warns viewers about possible cybersecurity scams and whether you could be a target. The Apple watch can be used to ping your iPhone if they're within 330 feet of each other He has now explained that the tools users already have access to like Siri and the Apple smartwatch are effective ways to locate your missing phone. Although iPhone users can use most Apple devices to locate their phones, there are three other options you may not have considered, according to Knutsson.

Kurt "The CyberGuy" Knutsson explains five great accessibility features on your Apple iPhone. If you have an iPhone, you probably know about the helpful function of "Siri," or your Apple virtual assistant. Depending on how you set up your phone, if you hold down the side button (or home button if your model has one) or say "Hey Siri," you'll easily activate the feature. CLICK TO GET KURT'S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO'S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER You may use Siri to call friends or family, send texts, and maybe you occasionally ask a question. However, did you know about these 10 super-helpful features?

Fox News' Alexis McAdams reports on New York City giving out the free Apple devices in an attempt to curb car thefts and carjackings. Stop spinning your search engine wheels and discover the ultimate tips to search smarter, not harder, and find what you're really looking for. CLICK TO GET KURT'S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS, SECURITY ALERTS AND EASY HOW-TO'S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER We all know how overwhelming it can be when you're on the hunt for a specific search result, yet instead you get hundreds, if not thousands, of useless results. Don't worry; I've got a handy trick for making your searches more specific and efficient. First, let's start with the basics.

Social media giants are tracking your every move, scooping up huge amounts of personal data from armies of unwitting users - but some are guilty of hoovering up more information than others. TikTok is the biggest data harvester, collecting more than any other social media app or messaging service, according to a study by cyber security firm Internet 2.0. Owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, the popular video-sharing app has around a billion active users worldwide. But it has more than double the number of trackers in its source code than the industry average. TikTok's tracking software surreptitiously gathers data about users to fine tune the algorithm running its main feed.

Whether it's a romantic weekend away or a relaxing spa break, many of us have enjoyed being able to travel again following the Covid-19 pandemic. If you're planning any holidays, Google Maps' latest feature could be just the thing to make sure the destination passes the'vibe' check first. The app has launched a new'immersive view' tool that combines Street View and aerial images to allow you to virtually explore neighbourhoods. 'With our new immersive view, you'll be able to experience what a neighbourhood, landmark, restaurant or popular venue is like -- and even feel like you're right there before you ever set foot inside,' Miriam Daniel, VP of Google Maps, explained. 'So whether you're traveling somewhere new or scoping out hidden local gems, immersive view will help you make the most informed decisions before you go.'

GPS and similar navigational systems rely on orbiting satellites to triangulate users' locations, a process that's inherently susceptible to inaccuracy due to the vast distances between satellites and moving users on the ground. But Apple thinks it can improve location accuracy by applying machine learning to Kalman estimation filters, a just-published patent application reveals. The basic concept is that while navigation systems generally rely on live location-determining pings from multiple satellites -- a process that can take precious time, during which the user may move -- a machine learning model can be trained to provide interim location estimates for the user based on previously gathered data from the environment. For instance, a given city block might have fairly constant satellite signal reflection characteristics, commonly introducing errors into user location readings, so machine learning could counterbalance the inaccuracies. While GPS is the best-known satellite location system, Apple's application goes beyond it to include various types of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), assuming in each case that each triangulation of raw satellite data and the machine learning-corrected version will be handed off to a Kalman linear quadratic estimation filter.

Ever wish that you could get compensated for perusing the internet? Turns out a new web browser is willing to make your dreams come true -- that is, if you're willing to look at a few ads in the process. The privacy-focused browser, Brave, which was designed to eliminate advertisements and allow users to peruse the web without other companies collecting their information, will now compensate users who allow some ads. Under the new feature, when a user decides to opt-in on the Brave supported ads, they will be paid 70 percent of the ad revenue through crypto tokens when they decide to interact (click). The tokens called Basic Attention Tokens will be given out once a month according to Gizmodo.