*By Conor White*
Android and iPhone users looking for a way to hide from Google are in luck: it's possible to stop the tech giant's apps, including Google Maps, from tracking a device's whereabouts.
The Associated Press [reported](https://www.apnews.com/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb/AP-Exclusive:-Google-tracks-your-movements,-like-it-or-not) that Google was storing users' location and browsing data even after many people believed they had opted not to share that information by turning off "location history."
By doing some digging, Emily Dreyfuss, a senior writer at Wired, found [a solution](https://www.wired.com/story/google-location-tracking-turn-off/), if you have the patience to navigate the innermost settings pages of your Google apps.
* Open a browser to access your Google account settings.
* The setting is buried under "personal information."
* Go to your activity log and look for "Web and App Activity."
* Turn the setting off.
Dreyfuss said in an interview with Cheddar that users would still be able to use location-based apps like Lyft and Uber, but Google won't be able to track and store information about where the device has been.
"You can still have location on, on your iPhone or your Android, as long as in your Google account settings you have turned off 'Web and Activity Tracking,'" she said.
Recent revelations about the ways in which Facebook, Google, and other technology companies track, store, and share users' personal data has increased consumers' desire to safeguard their privacy. Dreyfuss said that concern led to the latest discovery about Google's methods.
"We all have this sense that we don't know when our location is being used or why," she said. "That's what was so creepy about this, even when we thought that we had turned it off, this is confirmation that we're not as in control as we thought."
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjIwNDk=).
A saving grace for offices during pandemic lockdowns, video communication platform Zoom announced its own plans for doors to reopen from its Work Transformation Summit 2022. Dubbed Workstyles, CFO Kelly Steckelberg joined Cheddar to discuss the self-reported, tiered levels for how employees will be reporting going forward, from the majority of workers going hybrid to personnel who will work fully from home or the office where it makes sense. Steckelberg also talked about the company's plans for the future, stating “what we can control is our own execution," as Zoom's stock hit a 52-week low.
Sebastien Lagree, creator and founder of Lagree Fitness, joins Cheddar News to talk about the growth of Lagree Fitness and industry trends to watch in 2022.
Nikhilesh De, managing editor of global regulation and policy at CoinDesk, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's slump and corporations' growing interest in NFTs.
Airlines around the world cancel or change flights ahead of Verizon and AT&T's 5G rollout. The two wireless companies agreed to temporarily delay the launch of the new service near some key airports, after airlines warned the 5G signals could interfere with certain aviation equipment. Jonathan Adelstein, president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Thrive Market is a health-first membership for conscious living, with a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and accessible. Nick Green, CEO and co-founder, chatted with Cheddar's Baker Machado about the company's approach and new ventures in 2022. "I grew up outside of Minneapolis, middle class, middle America, and really saw firsthand how hard my mom had to work to put healthy food on the table, on a budget, without a health food store nearby," he said. "Twenty-some years later we looked around and just thought it was crazy that millions of Americans are still struggling with the same thing, and we decided to change it." Recently the brand released a line of organic frozen products and will be introducing new beauty and home brands.
In the ongoing saga of AT&T and Verizon versus airlines over the U.S. rollout of 5G near airports, the telecom giants have agreed to delay some deployments. The decision came after arguments that the technology could pose a threat to the safety and security of flights. However, AT&T countered that airlines had two years to prepare for this rollout date.
In what could be the biggest deal in video games history, Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard underlines the company's aggressive push in gaming and beyond into its long-term vision of being top dog in the metaverse. Adam Hollander, former director of gamification at Microsoft and founder of Hungry Wolves NFT, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss. “Microsoft always plays chess, not checkers," he said, describing the price tag as an opportunity cost. "It's about integrating Activision Blizzard in with Azure and Windows and Xbox and Hololens and Minecraft and everything else that they're doing for the inevitable goal of being the major player in the next phase of the internet."
Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services around airports and runways once again. This comes after major U.S. airlines voiced their concern over the rollout of 5G technology, warning of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis. Peter Andersen, Chief Investment Officer, Anderson Capital Management joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
