Consumer Technology

The Best To-Do List Apps of 2026: What Wirecutter Recommends If you’ve ever downloaded a to‑do list app only to abandon it after a week, you’re not alone. The choice is overwhelming, and most apps work well enough at first but fail to stick. That’s why a thorough, independent review can save time and frustration. In December 2025, Wirecutter—the product review site from The New York Times—published its updated guide to the three best to‑do list apps for 2026. Here is what their testing found and how you can use it to pick the right tool for your work style. ...

Afraid AI shopping tools are spying on you? Here’s how to protect your privacy If you’ve used a chatbot to find a gift or let an AI recommend a new laptop, you’re not alone. AI shopping assistants are appearing on major retail sites and search engines, promising faster decisions and personalized deals. But a new survey from eMarketer confirms what many shoppers already suspect: data privacy is far and away the biggest fear people have about using these tools. The question is whether you have to give up convenience to protect your information. The answer is no—but you do need to know what you’re handing over and how to limit it. ...

The Best To-Do List Apps of 2026, According to Wirecutter A good to-do list app can be the difference between feeling in control of your day and drowning in mental clutter. But with dozens of options, each claiming to be the most intuitive or the most powerful, picking one can itself become a chore. That’s why the team at Wirecutter—the product review arm of The New York Times—regularly puts these apps through rigorous testing. Their latest update for 2026 is now available, and it offers a clear-eyed look at which apps are worth your time and data. ...

How to Protect Your Privacy While Using AI Shopping Assistants If you’ve tried an AI shopping assistant lately—whether it’s Amazon’s Rufus, Google Shopping’s AI, or a plugin for ChatGPT—you’ve likely enjoyed the convenience of instant product recommendations, price comparisons, or summary reviews. But behind that convenience, there’s a growing worry: what happens to the data you share with these tools? ...

Shop smarter, not creepier: How to use AI shopping tools without sacrificing your privacy If you’ve used a chatbot to compare prices, asked a virtual assistant for product recommendations, or let an AI curate your search results, you’re far from alone. AI shopping tools are spreading fast, promising faster decisions and better deals. But a new survey from eMarketer confirms what many shoppers already suspect: the convenience comes at a cost to privacy. In fact, data privacy is shoppers’ number one fear about using AI in shopping—well ahead of concerns about accuracy, cost, or the quality of recommendations. ...

What the Fireflies.AI Lawsuit Means for Your Privacy When Using Meeting Assistants AI meeting assistants like Fireflies.ai, Otter.ai, and Rev have become common in remote work. They transcribe conversations, summarize action items, and claim to boost productivity. But a recent lawsuit against Fireflies.ai has drawn attention to a less visible cost: the collection of biometric data such as voice prints and facial expressions—often without explicit consent. The case, filed under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), offers a practical warning for anyone using these tools. ...

How to Choose a To-Do List App That Respects Your Privacy (Based on Wirecutter’s 2026 Reviews) A to-do list app holds your daily plans, deadlines, and sometimes even your private notes. It’s the kind of tool you open multiple times a day, often on your phone and computer. But as data breaches have become routine and app-tracking practices more aggressive, the privacy features of these seemingly simple apps deserve closer attention. ...

The Best To-Do List Apps That Also Protect Your Privacy (2026 Edition) A to-do list app might seem like an unlikely vector for a data breach. But the tasks you record often contain personal details—work projects, medical appointments, financial reminders, even passwords you jot down as placeholders. If that data lives in the cloud, its security depends on the app’s infrastructure and policies, not just your own habits. ...

Social media scams cost Americans billions: 5 ways to protect yourself now Fraud has found a comfortable home on social media. According to Federal Trade Commission data, older Americans alone lost $2.4 billion to scams in 2024, and the total across all age groups runs much higher. Scammers are flooding Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms with fake storefronts, bogus investment offers, and impersonation attempts. Meanwhile, AI tools have made their messages and profiles more convincing than ever. Here is what is happening, why it matters, and what you can do about it. ...

The Best To-Do List Apps for 2026: Which One Should You Use? It’s easy to spend an afternoon downloading task management apps, setting up a few lists, and then abandoning them by Thursday. A good to-do list app should feel invisible — something that adapts to the way you actually work, not a system you have to fight against. ...