Technology

Is someone (or something) snooping on your computer?

Published

2 years ago

January 22, 2024

Press Room

Is someone (or something) snooping on your computer?

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By now, you know that online privacy is a thing of the past. Sure, there are things you can do to remove your info from the web or stop companies from tracking you.

But what if the culprit is someone you know? I hear from folks all the time who suspect someone knows a little too much for a very sinister reason. Here’s a check to see if a copy of everything you do on your PC or Mac is being gathered and sent to who knows who.

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CHARGING AND TRAVEL: 5 MALWARE MISTAKES MOST PEOPLE MAKE

1. Check the Task Manager or Activity Monitor

I don’t mean some creep is logging into your computer daily, though that’s certainly possible. More likely, the person planted malware that does all the work behind the scenes. That could be a hacker, a jealous ex, a relative or even your boss.

Malware comes in various forms that all behave a bit differently. Some are impossible to miss — like ransomware —and others keep a low profile.

A participant uses a laptop computer as he takes part in the SECCON 2017 final competition on February 18, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Spyware is subtle. It hides in your system, keeping track of every password you type, every video call you make and every email you send. The good news is even sneaky software can leave behind breadcrumbs.

Your first stop is the spot that gives you an overview of everything happening on your machine.

On a Windows PC:

Open the Task Manager by hitting Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Under the Processes tab, you’ll see the apps and background processes running on your PC.
Look through the list. If you see a name you don’t recognize, do a search online to see what turns up. Sometimes, these programs and background processes are legitimate and of no concern, even if you don’t know the name at first glance.
To close out an app or process, right-click and hit End task.

On a Mac:

To open the Activity Monitor, hit Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.
Type Activity Monitor and press Enter. Check over the list for anything you don’t recognize.
To close out a program or process, double-click, then hit Quit.

2. Spot the red flags that something is up

One telltale sign of a malware infection? Processes start on their own. Don’t write it off if an app launches itself out of the blue.

FIVE SMART, SIMPLE TECH CHANGES TO MAKE 2024 BETTER

Say you only have a couple of apps that open when you start up your computer. If a different window briefly appears before flicking out of existence, it could be a spyware program loading. They’re designed to disappear.

Keep tabs on what should happen when you start your computer so you know if anything strange is happening.

A hand on the keyboard is seen with binary code displayed on a laptop screen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on August 17, 2021. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

How to check or change startup apps on a PC:

Click the Start menu.
Select Settings (cog icon) and click Apps.
In the left menu, click Startup at the bottom.

The Startup panel displays the apps installed on your machine. If Windows has measured the impact of that app on your PC, you will see a rating next to it. Options include No impact, Low impact, Medium impact, and High impact.

An app with a high impact can slow down your startup time. Go through the list and determine which apps you don’t need immediately after startup. Toggle each slider next to the app to turn it on or off.

How to change startup apps on a Mac:

Click on the Apple menu, then System Preferences.
Click Users & Groups.
Select your User Account, then click Login Items on the top right.

Here you’ll see a list of the applications that open automatically when you log in.

To prevent an app from running automatically, click Remove a login item. Then select the app’s name you want to block and click the Remove button below the list.

HAVE ANY NEW TECH? TAKE STEPS NOW TO SECURE YOUR PRIVACY

You can use the checkbox to hide items you would like to launch. Hit the plus symbol under the list and find it on your computer to add a new item.

A person dressed as an internet hacker is seen with binary code displayed on a laptop screen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on August 17, 2021. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

3. Stay up to date

Updates pop up when you’re busy, and you don’t want to deal with bugs and other issues the latest version of Windows or macOS introduces. Still, keeping your system up to date is one of the best ways to keep up with the constant flood of junk looking to root its way into your computer. Just do it.

To update your PC:

Click the Start Menu and open Settings.
Click Update & Security > Windows Update.

You’ll see if updates are available for download. If an update is available, click Download and Install. If you don’t see an available update, click Check for Updates to force the process.

To update your Mac:

Click the Apple icon from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Hit System Preferences > Software Update.

From here, you can also enable automatic updates by checking the box at the bottom of the window. For more options, click Advanced.

PODCAST PICK: Budget Ozempic, avoid return fees & online piracy amps up

Plus, we’re TikTok tips that pros warn are your plants’ worst nightmare. Andrew has a wild story about getting scammed on a dating app. It’s cold outside, so here are some top tricks for staying warm with your tech. And, as always, listener letters. You won’t believe what one guy called me.

Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.”

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Technology

We found 20 Verge-approved gifts on sale ahead of Valentine’s Day

Published

6 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

We found 20 Verge-approved gifts on sale ahead of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and if you haven’t started shopping yet, there are a lot of great gifts on sale that should still arrive in time if you order soon. Several Verge-approved gadgets are seeing some of their best discounts since the holidays, with options we think will appeal to a wide range of interests, from thoughtful picks like digital photo frames to e-readers, smart speakers, smartwatches, massagers, and even practical stuff like vacuums. While some are bigger-ticket items, quite a few cost under $100, so there’s something here for a range of budgets, too.

Below, we’ve rounded up the best Valentine’s Day gift deals you can shop right now across a range of categories and prices, whether you’re buying for a partner, a friend, or yourself.

Technology

Fox News AI Newsletter: ‘The American people are being lied to about AI’

Published

6 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– Palantir’s Shyam Sankar: Americans are ‘being lied to’ about AI job displacement fears
– OPINION: Elon Musk says you can skip retirement savings in the age of AI. Not so fast
– Chevron CEO details strategy to shield consumers from soaring AI power costs

LIES EXPOSED: “The American people are being lied to about AI,” Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar warns in the opening line of his new Fox News op-ed. And one of the biggest lies, he said, is that artificial intelligence is coming for Americans’ jobs.

Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer of Palantir Technologies Inc., speaks during the Hill & Valley forum at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Getty Images)

RISKY RETIREMENT: Billionaire Elon Musk recently told people not to worry about “squirreling” money away for retirement because advances in artificial intelligence would supposedly make savings irrelevant in the next 10 to 20 years.

OFF-THE-GRID: Chevron CEO Mike Wirth detailed the company’s strategy to harness U.S. natural resources to meet soaring artificial intelligence power demand — without passing the cost along to consumers.

The COL4 AI-ready data center is located on a seven-acre campus at the convergence point of long-haul fiber and regional carrier fiber networks on July 24, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (Eli Hiller/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

POWER CRISIS NOW: Artificial Intelligence and data centers have been blamed for rising electricity costs across the U.S. In December 2025, American consumers paid 42% more to power their homes than ten years ago.

LATEST POLLING: As the emphasis on implementing artificial intelligence across society grows, voters think the use of AI technology is happening too fast — and they have little confidence the federal government can regulate it properly.

PRIVACY NIGHTMARE: A popular mobile app called Chat & Ask AI has more than 50 million users across the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Now, an independent security researcher says the app exposed hundreds of millions of private chatbot conversations online.

CAP-EX SURGE: Alphabet executives struck a confident tone on Wednesday’s post-earnings call, signaling that Google’s heavy investments in artificial intelligence are now translating into real revenue growth across the business.

Google Headquarters is seen in Mountain View, California, on May 15, 2023. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

MERIT OVER FEAR: Shyam Sankar, the chief technology officer and executive vice president of Palantir Technologies, told Fox News Digital that artificial intelligence will be a “massively meritocratic force” within the workplace and offered advice to corporate leaders on how to best position their companies and employees for success.

FAKE LOVE HEIST: A woman named Abigail believed she was in a romantic relationship with a famous actor. The messages felt real. The voice sounded right. The video looked authentic. And the love felt personal. By the time her family realized what was happening, more than $81,000 was gone — and so was the paid-off home she planned to retire in.

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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements, and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.

This article was written by Fox News staff.

Technology

Google is expanding AirDrop support to more Android devices ‘very soon’

Published

18 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

Google is expanding AirDrop support to more Android devices ‘very soon’

After introducing AirDrop support to Pixel 10 devices last year, Google is now set to expand it to phones made by other Android partners. Eric Kay, vice president of engineering for Android, confirmed in a press briefing attended by Android Authority that “a lot more” Android devices will be able to use Quick Share to initiate AirDrop sessions with Apple devices this year.

“We spent a lot of time and energy to make sure that we could build something that was compatible not only with iPhone but iPads and MacBooks,” Kay said. “Now that we’ve proven it out, we’re working with our partners to expand it into the rest of the ecosystem, and you should see some exciting announcements coming very soon.”

Currently, Google’s Pixel 10 phones are the only Android devices that can use Quick Share — Android’s own wireless peer-to-peer transfer feature, previously known as Nearby Share — to communicate directly with Apple’s AirDrop. Google hasn’t outlined any specific Android partners or devices for the update yet, but both Nothing and chipmaker Qualcomm teased in November that support was coming.

Kay also discussed Google’s efforts to improve the process for iOS users who switch to Android, helping to prevent incomplete data transfers, lost messages, and other issues. Apple has been working on a “user-friendly” way of transferring data from iPhones to other devices since early 2024, and Google and Apple’s collaborative efforts were seen being tested in Android Canary 2512 for Pixel devices in December.

“We’re also going to be working to make it easy for people who do decide to switch to transfer their data and make sure they’ve got everything they had from their old phone,” Kay said during the same briefing. “So there’s a lot more going on with that.”