Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker series of games lets you create your own sidescrolling platformer levels using sprites and 3D objects from several entries in the franchise. It’s created a deeply devoted fan base, but it’s only ever let you make sidescrolling levels. Now, a pair of fans have changed that with Mario Builder 64, a new way to make and play your own Super Mario 64 levels — and do so on Nintendo 64 hardware.

It’s technically a ROM hack, but the term doesn’t really capture what this is. The developers, Arthurtilly and rovertronic, describe it as “a toolbox letting you fulfill all of your SM64 dreams.” Just like the Super Mario Maker series, it lets you create your own levels using a special creator interface that borrows a lot from Minecraft, giving you low-res textured (this is the N64 after all) cubes that you can drop in place.

You can also decide what music you want, place items and villains, and even play with Mario 64 conventions. For instance, there’s no hard limit on how many red coins you can require players to collect to get a star.

To use it, you have to patch a Mario 64 ROM file yourself. The developers have a guide for doing so (in addition to the video above), and you’ll need an emulator or an actual Nintendo 64 to play the game with the Builder 64 modifications in place. As Engadget points out, you can do that with a flashcart that supports SD cards — several options are listed in the guide linked above.

I haven’t been able to play around with Mario Builder 64 just yet, but I’m eager to do so as soon as life affords me the time. It looks like a blast, judging by this video from the Good Vibes Gaming YouTube channel. As pointed out in that video, you can download other user-created levels from Level Share Square, a site that hosts levels made for various fan-made Mario level creators.

To be fair, Yuzu let people play Tears of the Kingdom before it was released, and people used Garry’s Mod to turn Super Mario 64 into a first-person shooter, which Nintendo probably wasn’t thrilled about. Mario Builder 64 is just doing Super Mario 64 stuff, so maybe it gets a pass, but that probably depends on Nintendo’s plans for the Mario Maker series, which could easily involve something just like Mario Builder 64.

We’ve all heard before that our cellphones are listening to us and monitoring our every move. While this has been debunked (or, at least, explained), the fact of the matter is that data tracking is standard practice by the most popular mobile carriers these days.

And still in 2024, even with complaints from users, new tracking methods are continually emerging, making it harder for users to take back control of their data.

So, what do you need to know exactly about how your mobile carrier tracks your data? And how can you reclaim your privacy without having to say goodbye to your mobile carrier altogether?

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What is data tracking, and what do mobile carriers collect?

To start, let’s talk about what “data tracking” actually means. Data tracking is when companies collect information about a user’s online activities, including but not limited to their browsing history, location data, messaging information and app usage.

This data is used directly by the company collecting it or shared with third-party companies to ultimately tailor their advertising to you. (There are other justifications for this, such as “improving services.” But nowadays, targeted advertising is the primary reason, which leads users to feel more and more like their phones are listening in on them.)

Data tracking may look different from one company to the next. When it comes to mobile carriers, they can collect a wide range of information about their users, which is no surprise since, for most of us, our phones are an extension of ourselves. Therefore, it’s important for you to be aware of these practices and actively manage your privacy settings to maintain control over your personal information.

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A woman holding an iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Different ways mobile carriers collect data

Mobile carriers employ a variety of techniques to gather specific data from their users:

T-Mobile

• User behavior profiling: T-Mobile analyzes personal data to predict user behaviors and preferences, which can influence future services and marketing strategies.
• Research support: The carrier shares data to aid public and scientific research initiatives, ensuring that personal identifiers are removed.
• App usage analysis: Tracks the frequency and duration of app usage to gather insights into user preferences and habits.
• Advertising personalization: This process collects information on app usage and demographic details to tailor advertisements more closely to the user’s interests.

Verizon

• Network usage insights: Verizon uses data like web browsing and app usage to offer additional services or upgrades.
• Aggregate consumer insights: Combines user data with external data to generate insights into consumer behaviors and trends.
• Customized user experience: Verizon analyzes the websites and apps users engage with to create a more personalized service experience.
• Marketing optimization: Uses detailed user data to refine and personalize marketing efforts and service offerings.

AT&T

• Browsing and location tracking: AT&T collects detailed records of users’ web browsing and location to customize ads and offers.
• Automated decision-making: They employ algorithms to use collected data to make automated decisions that affect the ads and content presented to the user.
• Demographic and viewing data: Gathers demographic information alongside viewing habits to better understand and segment their user base.
• Identity verification services: AT&T shares certain data with third parties to facilitate identity verification and fraud prevention measures.

Feeling a bit surprised by all of this? Yeah, we are, too.

A person holding a phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How to turn off data tracking on your device based on your mobile carrier

If you don’t want your mobile carrier to have so much overarching access to your data, there are ways you can stop them. The problem is that most mobile carriers aren’t going to broadcast this information because it’s beneficial for them to maintain this access.

However, that’s why we’re here to help. Managing your data privacy involves understanding the settings available on your mobile device. Below, you will find instructions for disabling data tracking on devices served by the major U.S. carriers – T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T – as well as a general guide for other carriers.

T-Mobile

To adjust privacy settings on a T-Mobile device:

Log into your T-Mobile account.

• Navigate to My Account, then click on Profile.
• Scroll to the bottom and select Privacy and Notifications, then Privacy Dashboard.
• Here, you can toggle off various options:Share data for public and scientific research: Prevents the use of your data for external research projects.Analytics and reporting: Stops the aggregation of your usage data for business reports.Advertising options: Limits personalized ads based on your app usage and other collected data.Profiling and automated decisions: Opt out of data usage for profiling purposes.Do not sell or share my personal information: Ensure your data is not sold or shared externally.
• Share data for public and scientific research: Prevents the use of your data for external research projects.
• Analytics and reporting: Stops the aggregation of your usage data for business reports.
• Advertising options: Limits personalized ads based on your app usage and other collected data.
• Profiling and automated decisions: Opt out of data usage for profiling purposes.
• Do not sell or share my personal information: Ensure your data is not sold or shared externally.

Additionally, T-Mobile offers a separate app to limit data shared with third-party advertisers through the Magenta Advertising Platform.

Verizon

To manage privacy settings on a Verizon device:

• Log into your Verizon account.
• Go to Account, then Account Overview and select Edit Profile and Settings.
• Choose Manage Privacy Settings.
• You can adjust the following:Customer Proprietary Network Info: Opt out to stop Verizon from using your data to market additional services.Business and Marketing Insights: Disable this to prevent the use of your data for creating consumer insights.Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus: Opt out to stop personalized marketing based on your web and app usage.
• Customer Proprietary Network Info: Opt out to stop Verizon from using your data to market additional services.
• Business and Marketing Insights: Disable this to prevent the use of your data for creating consumer insights.
• Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus: Opt out to stop personalized marketing based on your web and app usage.

Resetting the Custom Experience settings will also stop Verizon from using previously collected browsing and location data.

AT&T

To disable data tracking on an AT&T device:

• Log into your AT&T account.
• Navigate to Profile, then Privacy Choices.
• AT&T offers four main toggles you can turn off:Personalized Plus: Stops the use of your location and browsing data for personalized ads.Personalized: Disables automated decision-making using your data.Share or sell my personal information: This prevents AT&T from sharing your data for advertising purposes.
• Personalized Plus: Stops the use of your location and browsing data for personalized ads.
• Personalized: Disables automated decision-making using your data.
• Share or sell my personal information: This prevents AT&T from sharing your data for advertising purposes.

It’s recommended that identity verification be kept active for security purposes.

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Other carriers

If you don’t use one of the above mobile carriers, the steps are likely very similar. But if you have any doubts, talk to your mobile carrier directly, perhaps by going into a store or searching online about how to do it for your specific carrier.

• Log into your account through the carrier’s website or app.
• Locate the privacy settings or preferences, which may be under sections labeled as Privacy, Security, or Data Management.
• Review and adjust the settings to limit data tracking as per your preference.

A woman on her phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Strengthen your privacy with a VPN

While disabling carrier tracking is an important step, using a virtual private network (VPN) adds an extra layer of protection for your mobile data. A VPN encrypts all of your internet traffic and routes it through a secure server, shielding your online activities from prying eyes, including your carrier.

With a trusted VPN service, your carrier won’t be able to see which websites you visit, what you search for or the contents of your communications. Your IP address and location will also be masked. Setting up a VPN on your smartphone is easy and affordable, with many top providers offering mobile apps. Just be sure to choose a no-logs VPN with robust encryption that doesn’t sell your data to third parties. Combining VPN protection with disabling carrier tracking maximizes your privacy on the go. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Even as users voice their concerns about their data, mobile carriers are still finding creative arguments to justify what they take and why they take it. It’s more important than ever to take your data into our own hands and utilize these tips to keep your data private as much as possible. Remember, if your data falls into the wrong hands, you have a much higher chance of becoming a victim of a cybercrime.

What do you think about all this data privacy information? Will this information influence how you choose your mobile carrier in the future or how you’ll take control of your data? 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.

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Humane, the startup behind the poorly-reviewed AI Pin wearable computer, is already hunting for a potential buyer for its business. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg, which says the company — led by former longtime Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno — is “seeking a price of between $750 million and $1 billion.”

That might be a tough sell after the $699 AI Pin’s debut: the device has been widely panned for its slow responses and a user experience that falls well short of the always-on, wearable AI assistant concept that its founders promised in the run-up to the device’s release. The product was pitched at least partially as a way for people to be more present and reduce their ever-growing dependence on smartphones.

Humane developed its own operating system called CosmOS that runs on the AI Pin. It hooks into a network of AI models to fetch answers for voice queries and to analyze what the built-in camera is pointed at. For some interactions, the device beams out a laser “display” that is projected onto the wearer’s inner palm. A monthly subscription is required to keep the device active.

Humane was valued at $850 million by investors in 2023, but that was before its first-ever product was universally criticized by reviewers. There are some novel and clever ideas in there, but the AI Pin’s software is underbaked and too inconsistent, and the hardware has exhibited poor battery life and overheating issues. Humane has pledged to address some of those bugs with firmware updates. Just last week, it rolled out OpenAI’s GPT-4o model to further enhance the device’s smarts.

The list of potential buyers for Humane seems quite small considering the price that the startup is hoping to fetch. Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are all making significant pushes into the AI realm — with large language models and generative AI becoming more prevalent by the day — but it’s unclear how much value Humane’s intellectual property would really bring to any of their ongoing efforts.