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5 ways your iPhone can make international travel easier, safer

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5 ways your iPhone can make international travel easier, safer

Exploring the world is an incredible experience, but let’s be honest, international travel can sometimes be a bit of a headache. From navigating new cities to communicating in different languages, there are plenty of potential hiccups along the way.

But don’t worry, your iPhone has got your back. Whether you’re getting lost in the winding streets of Rome or trying to order food in Tokyo, your iPhone is a trusty travel companion that can help you navigate unfamiliar territories, bridge language barriers and make the most of your global adventures. Here are five ways your iPhone can make travel better and turn those potential frustrations into a breeze.

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International travel destination on iPhone screen (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

1) Notes app

The Notes app is a native app that comes with most iPhones. It can be helpful for everything from making grocery lists to a travel packing list. The best part of this app is that it is already on your iPhone; you can make these lists “checkable,” and you can share them with others. Follow these steps:

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  • Unlock your iPhone and tap on the Notes app.
  • In the lower right corner, tap the note and pen icon.

Steps to use the Notes app to create and use a checklist (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap the capital and lowercase “A” icons to choose the font or style of your text, then tap the X in the right-hand corner.
  • Next, tap the checklist icon to create the bubble.
  • Type each item on your list and hit return after each to create a new bubble.
  • Tap Done in the top right corner if you are done writing your list.

Steps to use the Notes app to create and use a checklist (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Then, while you are packing, tap the bubble to check it off
  • A window may pop up asking, “Enable Automatic Sorting? Would you like checked items to automatically move to the bottom of your lists? You can change this later in Notes Settings.” Click either Enable Sorting or Not Now.

Steps to use the Notes app to create and use a checklist (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Here’s how to protect your Apple iPhone notes while on the road.

BEST TRAVEL ADAPTERS OF 2024

2) Translate app

Another native app on an iPhone is the Translate app. This app will not only help you communicate with others in languages other than your native tongue. Follow these steps:

  • Unlock your iPhone and tap on the Translate app.
  • You can select the languages you desire at the top if they aren’t already set to the languages you desire. Your language should come first and the desired translated language second. Use the drop-down menu to select a language otherwise.
  • Tap directly where it says Enter text, then hit Go or tap the microphone icon to speak the words you want to be translated and it will populate automatically.

Steps to use the Translate app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • You can see the result in the written word and hit the play icon if you want to hear the translated word.

Steps to use the Translate app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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In a recent iOS update, Apple introduced a nifty feature that allows you to translate languages instantly, without even opening the Translate app. This feature utilizes the “Dynamic Island,” a pill-shaped area at the top of the iPhone screen that can change size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications and interactions, turning it into a kind of front-and-center information hub. The Dynamic Island feature is available on the iPhone 15 models, which includes the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. To learn more, check out our article on how to turn your iPhone into an instant foreign language translator.

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THE APP THAT LETS YOU HAVE A LIVE CONVERSATION IN ANY LANGUAGE EVEN IF YOU DON’T SPEAK A WORD OF IT

3) Text scanner

With iOS 15 or later, you can use your iPhone’s built-in camera to scan any text. This is especially great for translating text written in a foreign language. You can choose to copy, select, look up, translate or share any text you scan. Follow these steps:

  • Unlock your iPhone and tap on the Camera app
  • Put the object or text within view
  • Give it a moment, but a yellow frame should appear, allowing you to detect the text.
  • Options should populate above the yellow frame, tap the arrow to get to more options.

Steps to use the text scanner (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Tap Translate, and it will open the translate function in another window.
  • It automatically detects the language it is originally in and offers a translation into another language, which you can change using the drop-down menu.

Steps to use the text scanner (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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4) Sharing your location for international travel with iPhone

When traveling abroad, being able to share your location with friends and family back home can provide peace of mind and make it easier to coordinate meetups or share your whereabouts. The iPhone offers a convenient way to do this through the built-in Location Sharing feature. Follow these steps:

Using Apple ID for Location Sharing

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone
  • Tap on your name at the top of the Settings menu.
  • Tape Find My
  • Tap on the Share My Location toggle to turn it on.

Steps to share your location for international travel with iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • After enabling location sharing, you can select contacts with whom you want to share your location. You can do this by going into the Find My app.
  • Selecting People
  • Next, tap on the + sign
  • Then select Share My Location
  • Select the contact or contacts with whom you want to share your location
  • Then tap Send
  • You can also set a duration for how long you want to share your location with each contact.
  • Then tap OK

MORE: HOW TO PROTECT AN IPHONE, IPAD FROM MALWARE

Steps to share your location for international travel with iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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By sharing your location while traveling internationally, your loved ones can easily keep track of your whereabouts, ensuring your safety and making it easier to coordinate meetups or activities during your trip. This feature can be particularly useful when exploring unfamiliar areas or if you get separated from your travel companions.

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5) Emergency services

It is a worst-case scenario to find yourself in a dangerous or life-threatening situation while traveling internationally. Time is of the absolute essence, so if you don’t have time to call or explain your condition, have a quick and easy way to alert your trusted contacts and let them know where you are and how they can help you.

Fortunately, there is a shortcut called the “In Case of Emergency” shortcut. This shortcut can send a message to your emergency contacts with your location and display a message on your screen with any relevant information. To learn a step-by-step guide to set it up, read our Emergency iPhone shortcut article, which could save your life.

In Case of Emergency shortcut on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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5 GREAT TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRAVEL GETAWAY

Kurt’s key takeaways

Your iPhone isn’t just for selfies and socials; it’s your trusty sidekick as you embark on your next international trip. Whether it’s keeping your travel must-haves in line with the Notes app or chatting up locals with the Translate app, your iPhone’s got your back. You already have your iPhone on you at all times, even when you’re going about your daily life. Why not use its features to make your travel adventures more organized, easier and safer?

Are there any travel challenges you’ve faced that you wish your iPhone could solve? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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Technology

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

  • AI Assistant
  • Llama
  • Gemini AI Sidebar
  • AI Sidebar
  • ChatGPT Sidebar
  • Grok
  • Asking ChatGPT
  • ChatGBT
  • Chat Bot GPT
  • Grok Chatbot
  • Chat With Gemini
  • XAI
  • Google Gemini
  • Ask Gemini
  • AI Letter Generator
  • AI Message Generator
  • AI Translator
  • AI For Translation
  • AI Cover Letter Generator
  • AI Image Generator ChatGPT
  • Ai Wallpaper Generator
  • Ai Picture Generator
  • DeepSeek Download
  • AI Email Writer
  • Email Generator AI
  • DeepSeek Chat
  • ChatGPT Picture Generator
  • ChatGPT Translate
  • AI GPT
  • ChatGPT Translation
  • ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

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How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

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If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

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1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

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6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

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Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

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Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”

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