Technology

Slay the Spire II is even better with a friend

Published

4 weeks ago

March 10, 2026

Slay the Spire II is even better with a friend

Slay the Spire II launched in early access last week, and it’s already an excellent sequel to one of the best roguelikes of all time. In many ways, it’s very similar to its predecessor. Like Hades II and Hollow Knight: Silksong, Slay the Spire II mostly iterates on an already superb foundation. But it does add online co-op with up to four players. While multiplayer changes the familiar rhythms of Slay the Spire just a bit, it’s still a great way to tackle the arduous climb up the spire.

A round of Slay the Spire II plays essentially the same as the original: In each run, you navigate three different acts across a winding map, slowly making a build by crafting your deck and picking up various perk-giving relics, and fighting enemies, elites, and bosses along the way. Slay the Spire II retains the deliberate, turn-based style of play, meaning that when it’s your turn, you have as much time as you want to decide what to do. Since you can see exactly what your enemies are planning for their next turn, there’s a lot of strategy in deciding how much damage to do and how much defense you might need to set up. Multiplayer adds a slight twist: When it’s your turn, everyone can play simultaneously. That opens up all sorts of new opportunities for planning, but it also requires communication to make sure everyone is using their cards effectively.

My multiplayer partner was my wife, the biggest Slay the Spire fan I know, and on our second run we got a thrilling victory. I played the new Necrobinder character, a necromancer, while she played as the returning Silent, which can make decks built around flurries of shivs. Over the course of the run, we accidentally settled into a strategy where I focused on applying the Vulnerable status to as many enemies as possible before my wife would rain down shivs upon our foes.

Slay the Spire II doesn’t encourage teamwork only in battles. At a campfire rest stop, you can choose to mend a friend’s health to help them out. (Some of the new enemies are tough, so I’m glad this is an option.) You each get a vote on which path to take next on the map. Everyone can draw on the map, too — as I learned many times after seeing the doodles my wife made when I would spend too long in the shop.

Since we had to communicate so much, our winning run took about an hour and a half, slower than how fast I could blast through runs in the first game. When we finally defeated the Act 3 boss, though, it was even more satisfying than most of my solo wins because we did it together. My one complaint is that co-op requires you to each play online on your own copy of the game, and that, because there’s no couch co-op, we each had to play on separate devices even though we were sitting on the couch right next to each other.

Those are annoying tradeoffs, but multiplayer is such a fun addition to Slay the Spire that I don’t mind. I can’t wait to try another multiplayer run and see what challenges — and doodles — are in store for me.

Related Topics:analysis Entertainment gaming Report

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Technology

Buy two Nintendo Switch games, get $30 off at Target

Published

5 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Buy two Nintendo Switch games, get off at Target

Target is offering a great deal to some Target Circle members that knocks $30 off the cost of two Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. The sale is happening for the rest of the day, expiring at 2:59AM ET on April 5th. If you sign in with the free-to-join membership, you might be able to add two eligible games to your cart, then watch the prices fall at checkout.

There are 224 eligible games (some physical, some digital), and many of Nintendo’s biggest hits from the past year and beyond are here, including Switch 2-exclusive games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Mario Tennis Fever, and more (I didn’t see Pokémon Pokopia in the list, though).

This deal is worth hopping on whether you intend to gift these games, or just get them for yourself. Discounts on Nintendo-published games are rare, and it’s quite a nice perk that Target Circle members have in getting to choose the games they want to save on.

While each of the games that I mentioned ship on cartridges that don’t require a bunch of your console’s internal storage (just enough for save data), there are some Switch 2 games that ship on Game Key Cards. Those cartridges, once inserted into the console, simply grant you the ability to download a copy from the Nintendo eShop onto your console. Game sizes varies, but you may want to pick up a microSD Express card to add more storage on top of the Switch 2’s 256GB built-in SSD. This 256GB Samsung model is $59 at Amazon.

Technology

How to opt out of AI data collection in popular apps

Published

5 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

How to opt out of AI data collection in popular apps

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, say “Hey Siri” or let Google finish your sentence, something else may happen in the background. In many cases, you are helping train the AI that responds to you.

Most people do not realize this. However, many AI platforms use conversations to improve their systems. As a result, your questions, your voice and your habits can be stored and reused by some of the world’s largest tech companies.

That said, you are not stuck with these settings. You can turn off much of this data collection if you know where to look. Even better, it only takes about 15 minutes across the major platforms. Here is exactly how.

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5 SIMPLE TECH TIPS TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

What AI apps are quietly collecting about you

AI assistants are designed to feel like a private conversation. But, depending on the platform, what’s collected often goes well beyond what you typed or said:

Full conversation transcripts
Voice recordings and audio clips
Location data and device identifiers
Browsing habits and search history
Names, routines and personal details you mention in passing
App usage patterns across your devices.

Almost none of this is turned off by default. You have to go find the switch yourself.

Think about what you’ve actually shared lately

Here’s a quick thought experiment. In the last month, have you asked an AI assistant about:

A health symptom you were worried about?
A financial decision you were weighing?
A family situation you needed advice on?
Your child’s schedule, school or activities?

Each detail seems harmless on its own. But, together, they create a surprisingly detailed picture of your life, one that could be stored indefinitely, reviewed by human contractors or exposed in a data breach.

In 2023, Samsung engineers accidentally leaked sensitive internal code by pasting it into ChatGPT. Most people don’t have an IT department watching out for them. But everyone can take a few minutes to adjust their settings.

How to opt out platform by platform

This doesn’t mean you should stop using AI tools. They can be incredibly useful. But it’s worth understanding what’s being collected and what you can turn off right now.

1) ChatGPT (OpenAI)

By default, your conversations may be used to help improve AI models, but you can turn this off at any time.

To turn this off:

Open ChatGPT
Tap or click your profile icon
Select Settings
Go to Data Controls
Toggle off “Improve the model for everyone”

You can also go to Settings > Data Controls > Export data to download everything OpenAI has stored, or select Delete all chats to wipe your history. Note that even with training off, OpenAI retains conversations for up to 30 days for safety monitoring.

Turning off “Improve the model for everyone” stops your ChatGPT conversations from being used for training. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

2) Google (Gemini & AI features)

Google’s AI tools, including Gemini and Search’s AI Overviews, are tied to your Google account activity.

To manage this:

Go to myactivity.google.com
Select Web & App Activity and turn it off, or set auto-delete to three months
Separately, visit gemini.google.com > Settings > Gemini Apps Activity and toggle it off

Keep in mind that disabling activity tracking may affect personalization across Gmail, Maps and other Google services.

DATA BROKERS ACCUSED OF HIDING OPT-OUT PAGES FROM GOOGLE

Google’s Gemini activity settings show how your AI interactions may still be stored unless you delete them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3) Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is built into Windows, Microsoft 365 and Edge, so it can access a wide range of your documents and activity.

To adjust your settings:

Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and sign in
Click Privacy in the left-hand menu
Scroll to App and service activity and review your recent activity
Click Clear all activities or remove individual items
Scroll down to App and service performance data, and clear that data if available
Scroll further and select Copilot, then tap Manage data from Microsoft Copilot to review or delete your data

In Windows 11: Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & Feedback and turn off Optional diagnostic data

Microsoft does not offer one single switch that turns off all Copilot data collection, so you need to review settings in multiple places. Enterprise users should check with an IT administrator since organizational settings may also apply.

Microsoft’s privacy dashboard lets you review and clear app and service activity tied to your account. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

4) Amazon Alexa

Alexa stores voice recordings by default, and, in some cases, Amazon may have human reviewers listen to those recordings as part of its quality review process.

To turn off voice recording use:

Open the Alexa app
Tap More (upper left, three lines)
Tap Alexa Privacy
Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
Tap Help Improve Alexa and turn off Use Voice Recordings
Confirm your decision by tapping Turn off

To stop Alexa from keeping your recordings:

Open the Alexa app
Tap More (upper left, three lines)
Tap Alexa Privacy
Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
Tap Voice Recordings and Transcripts
Select Don’t retain

In the Alexa app, turning off voice recording use prevents Amazon from using your recordings to improve services. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5) Apple Siri

Apple is generally more privacy-focused than other platforms, but Siri still collects data to improve its performance.

To limit Siri data collection:

Go to Settings
Tap Privacy & Security
Tap Analytics & Improvements
Turn off Share iPhone & Apple Watch Analytics
Scroll down and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation

To delete your existing Siri history:

Go to Settings, Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri Tap Siri & Dictation History Tap Delete Siri & Dictation History

Disabling analytics on iPhone limits how Apple collects data to improve Siri and other features. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why AI privacy settings are only part of the solution

Adjusting these settings is an important step. But it only controls what these apps collect directly going forward. It doesn’t address the hundreds of websites that may already be publishing your personal information online, right now, without your knowledge.

Data brokers are still collecting your information

Data brokers do not need your AI chat history. Instead, they pull information from public records, marketing lists and people search databases. They also refresh these profiles constantly, which keeps your data active and easy to find.

As a result, your name, address, phone number and family members may already appear on dozens of sites you have never heard of. Unlike AI apps, these sites do not offer a single settings menu to turn this off.

While you can remove your data manually, the process takes hours and often requires repeated requests when your information gets reposted. In many cases, you need to revisit these sites regularly to keep your information from reappearing.

The goal is simple: make it much harder for strangers, scammers and cybercriminals to find your personal information online.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

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 Takeaways

Spending just 15 minutes adjusting your AI privacy settings is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect your digital privacy right now. Most major platforms, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, collect data by default. However, you can opt out, even though companies often bury these settings deep in menus.

As a result, many people never find them. At the same time, AI assistants feel private and conversational, so you may share more personal information than you realize. Even if you turn off data collection going forward, companies do not erase what they have already stored. In addition, these settings only control what happens inside each platform. Data brokers still build separate profiles about you using information pulled from across the internet.

Because of this, privacy is not a one-time fix. Instead, you need to check your settings regularly and stay aware of what you share. The good news is you do not have to stop using AI tools. Instead, take a few minutes this week to review your settings and make sure the rest of your digital footprint is not working against you.

How much personal data are you willing to let big tech companies collect from your everyday AI use? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

A folk musician became a target for AI fakes and a copyright troll

Published

17 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

A folk musician became a target for AI fakes and a copyright troll

In January, folk artist Murphy Campbell discovered several songs on her Spotify profile that did not belong there. They were songs that she had recorded, but she’d never uploaded them to Spotify, and something was off about the vocals.

She quickly surmised that someone had pulled performances of the songs she posted to YouTube, created AI covers, and uploaded them to streaming platforms under her name. I ran one of the songs, “Four Marys”, through two different AI detectors, and it seemed to support her suspicions with both saying it was probably AI-generated.

Campbell was shocked, “I was kind of under the impression that we had a little bit more checks in place before someone could just do that. But, you know, a lesson learned there,” she told The Verge. It took some time before Campbell managed to get the fake songs removed, “I became a pest,” she said. And even then, it wasn’t a complete victory. While the offending tracks don’t appear to be available on YouTube Music or Apple Music anymore, at least one can still be found on Spotify, just under a different artist profile, but with the same name. There are now multiple Murphy Campbells — “Obviously, I was thrilled by that,” the real Murphy Campbell said.

Spotify is testing a new system that would allow artists to manually approve songs before they appear on their profile, but Campbell is skeptical after being burned. “I feel like, every time, an entity that’s that large makes a promise like that to musicians. It seems to just not be what they made it out to be, but I’ll be curious to try it out in the future,” she said.

This was just the beginning of Campbell’s nightmare, however.

On the day that a Rolling Stone article was published, discussing Campbell’s brush with AI imitators, a series of videos were uploaded to YouTube through distributor Vydia. Those videos have not been posted publicly, and it’s unclear if anyone other than the uploader, who goes by Murphy Rider, has seen them. YouTube declined to comment for this story.

Those were used to claim ownership of the material in several of Murphy Campbell’s videos. Campbell received a notice from YouTube reading: “You are now sharing revenues with the copyright owners of the music detected in your video, Darling Corey.” The most confusing part, the songs at the center of these claims are all in the public domain, including the classic “In the Pines,” which dates back to at least the 1870s and has been covered by everyone from Lead Belly to Nirvana (as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”).

Vydia has since released those claims, and spokesperson Roy LaManna says the person who uploaded the videos has been banned from their platform. Of the over 6,000,000 claims filed by Vydia through YouTube’s Content ID system, 0.02 percent were found to be invalid, which LaManna says is, “by industry standards is like amazing.” Continuing, “we pride ourselves on doing this the right way.”

LaManna also says that Vydia has no connection to Timeless IR or the AI covers that were uploaded to streaming platforms under Campbell’s name. While the timing is certainly suspicious, LaManna says the two incidents are separate.

Vydia has received a lot of blowback including, LaManna says, “literal death threats” which have led to the offices being evacuated. Campbell isn’t about to let Vydia off the hook, but notes that it’s not solely to blame. The worlds of generative AI, music distribution, and copyright are complex with multiple points of failure and opportunities for abuse. “I think it goes way deeper than we think it does,” Campbell says.

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