GIXtools project

With just a few clicks it’s possible to delve into the history of your Google Assistant to see all the commands you’ve issued, the replies it’s given, and hear audio recordings of exactly what it heard. Here’s how to do it.

There are two ways to get into the main list:

Via the Google Home app: Open Google Home and click on the hamburger icon (the three horizontal lines in the top left). In the drop-down list, click on “My Activity” and you’ll soon see a list of all the interactions you’ve had with Google Assistant.

Via the web: Navigate to myactivity.google.com and you’ll get a list of your entire Google history. Click on the plus button under the search bar and choose the filter for Google Assistant. Click the search button and you’ll get just your Google Assistant activity.

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An indoor/outdoor portable speaker lets you take your tunes with you wherever you wander, and right now, you can get Anker’s SoundCore 2 for $30 on Amazon, down from its usual $42. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this popular Bluetooth speaker.

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One of the many topics techies like to debate is whether Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS is more inherently secure. Sure, Apple has a closed system that makes it harder for iPhone users to get into trouble. But the frequent headlines about Android malware usually miss the point.

As Computerworld‘s JR Raphael explains, an Android user would really have to work at picking up malware. Android has multiple layers of defense; malware doesn’t install itself without user intervention; and the chances of actually coming across damaging malware is really, really small.

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Let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat: If you’re looking for recommendations about Android security suites or other malware-scanning software, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Why? Because, like most people who closely study Android, I don’t recommend using those types of apps at all. Android malware isn’t the massive real-world threat it’s frequently made out to be, and Google Play Protect and other native Android features are more than enough to keep most devices safe.

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The state of Georgia is trying to ban good-faith cybersecurity research, and the state’s cybersecurity businesses are hoppin’ mad. SB 315, The Unauthorized Computer Access Bill, currently sitting on Governor Nathan Deal’s desk, threatens to outlaw good-faith security research and enable “hack back” vigilante action.

Georgia is one of the top cybersecurity hubs in the country, with more than 115 cybersecurity businesses generating more than $4.7 billion in revenue, according to the state of Georgia. The bill, if signed into law, will hurt the state’s economy and drive jobs and talent out of state, Robert Graham, a Georgia-based security researcher, tells CSO.

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Reports of tech support scams jumped by 24% last year, Microsoft said, with loses by the bilked averaging between $200 and $400 each.

“Scammers continue to capitalize on the proven effectiveness of social engineering to perpetrate tech support scams,” Erik Wahlstrom, Windows Defender research project manager, wrote in a post last week to a Microsoft blog. “These scams are designed to trick users into believing their devices are compromised or broken. They do this to scare or coerce victims into purchasing unnecessary support services.”

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