Are Facebook and Alexa really listening? 6 common tech myths debunked – USA TODAY

We once believed that Macs would never get a virus, closing apps would save battery life, and private mode was really private.

For the record, switching to incognito in your browser probably doesnt do what you think. Tap or click for six practical reasons to use it, from keeping your search autofill clean to shopping without spoiling the surprise.

And Im sorry to break it to you, but like a Windows PC, your Mac is certainly at risk. Tap or click for five free downloads that will keep your Mac or PC secure. This recommendation is one you cant afford to ignore.

Call me your digital life myth-buster with six misconceptions you can stop believing.

(Photo: GETTY IMAGES)

Even if you turn off location tracking on your phone, you can still be tracked. Smartphones continuously check in with cell phone towers. Using this data, the proximity of your phone can be easily calculated.

But in the words of those late-night television commercials, Wait, theres more!

A few years ago, researchers at Princeton University released an app called PinMe. They proved that a phones location could be pinpointed by only using a phones sensors. The app collected compass details from the phones gyroscope, air pressure readings from the phones barometer, and speed along with the direction of travel from the phones accelerometer. No additional tech was needed to see the phones precise location on a map.

To prevent tracking, turn the phone off. If thats unrealistic, tap or click here for insider settings to limit tracking.

Close up man hands using smart phone battery low charged battery screen(Photo: juststock, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Years ago, nickel-cadmium batteries suffered from the dreaded memory effect. The batteries would remember previous cycles and would not recharge fully. So the modus operandi was to make sure you drained the battery down to zero before recharging it.

Thats not the case anymore with todays lithium-ion batteries. These batteries degrade over time. A full charge that you have on your smartphone now does not last as long was when your phone was new.

You can check your iPhones battery. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health.

Phone charging:Don't make this mistake

Myth vs. fact: Unplugging devices when you leave home

Unfortunately, you cant monitor battery health in the same way in Android 10. To see other battery stats, including usage, go to Settings > Battery. Tap the three-dot menu to see Battery usage.

You can track your battery life with a third-party app, like AccuBattery.

Is your phone always on empty? Tap or click for a trick to see whats killing your Android battery. For you iPhone users, tap or click here to bring new life to your phone.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Heres a creepy scene thats being reported more and more often: Immediately after a private, personal conversation, an online ad pops up on your computer or smartphone for the very thing you were discussing. Just a coincidence?

From a technical standpoint, Facebook and many other apps can have full access to your smartphones microphone, even if the app is not running. So yes, snooping can easily be done. But Big Tech companies, especially Facebook, deny doing it.

If you use an iPhone, go toSettings >Facebook>Settingsin the sub-menu. Slide the Microphone switch to the left so it turns from green to white. That turns it off.

Alternatively, go toSettings > Privacy > Microphonethen look forFacebook. Note that you can toggle the mic on and off for other apps, too.

On Android, open Settings>Applications>Application Manager. Look forFacebook, and tapApp Permissions, thentoggle the microphone off

How to delete the recordings: Your Google Smart Speaker is always listening

Hey, smart speakers, are you listening?(Photo: Reviewed.com)

Smart assistants built into smart speakers give you the weather, spew out the latest headlines, and offer you a 90s playlist at a moments notice. But none of this is possible without you first speaking the magical wake word like Hey, Alexa, Hey, Siri, and OK,Google.

The problem is that these smart assistants get easily confused. Alexa wakes up when it hears unacceptable, a letter, or election. Say Hey Jerry or a city and Siri is ready for your commands. Try not to say OK when a Google smart speaker is in the room. OK, whos reading or OK cool wakes it up. For anyone who uses Microsofts Cortana, it responds to Montana.

Tuned in: Is Amazon's Alexa really always listening?

Smart speakers record what you say after the wake words. Big Tech says that they only use the recordings to make their devices more accurate. You can take back your privacy. You can review as well as delete your recordings.

Want to be shocked? Tap or click here for the steps to listen to your recordings and remove them.

Smart thermostats do more than control the temperature.(Photo: Photo courtesy of ARS/Rescue Rooter)

Smart thermostats learn your schedule and adjust accordingly. These thermostats know how often you adjust it, the outside temperature, how long it takes for the room to reach a certain temperature, and whether youre away or home. Paired with your smart assistant, you can raise or lower the temperature using your voice.

Somehow, the number 25% has been associated with how much money you could save on your heating and cooling bills. You will save money but not that much.

The best-sellingNest Thermostat claims to save 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling. They estimate an average savings of $131 to $145 a year based on typical energy costs.

But there may be more money to be had if you add more smart devices to your home. Zillow reports that smart homes sell for almost 23% more than comparable properties in the same ZIP code.

If youre buying or selling a home equipped with smart devices, you need to take a few steps to secure all that tech. Tap or click here for directions.

We often look for how many bars register to assess signal strength. The signal bars are meant to indicate how strong the connection is between your phone and the cell tower, but no industry standard dictates how those bars are calculated.(Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images)

Youre having trouble keeping a cellphone call connected. You check your phone and you see plenty of bars. What is going on here? Why are you still having trouble? Its because those little signal-strength bars dont necessarily mean what you think they do.

Signal bars are meant to indicate how strong the connection is between your phone and the cell tower, but no industry standard dictates how those bars are calculated. It's up to the phone manufacturer to decide how to handle it. That means two different phones connected from the same spot to the same tower might show different numbers of bars. There can also be variations in the signal based on which carrier you use and its network technology choice.

Let's go back to that original problem. Your phone has plenty of bars, but you're still not able to keep a connection. This underlying issue might be network congestion, which can happen in urban areas and during big events when many people are all trying to use the network at the same time. While the number of bars is usually a good indicator of the signal, it's not foolproof.

If youd really like to get clearer calls and boost your phones signal,tap or click here for simple tricks, including a booster antenna proven to work.

Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nations largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on todays digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.

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