Tennessee Needs To Keep Kids Off Phones During The Entire School Day
From the time school begins until the dismissal bell rings, students' cell phones should be out of sight, out of mind.From the time school begins until the dismissal bell rings, students' cell phones should be out of sight, out of mind.Is Google's next Android feature always-on eavesdropping?
Google already has a reputation for spying on users through the microphones embedded in smart devices. Some of these accusations have even landed Google in legal trouble. Now the company looks to make its eavesdropping software public with a new AI-powered listening feature for Pixel phones called “Audio Memory.”
Before we dive too deep, keep in mind that Google hasn’t officially announced this feature yet. Instead, the words “Audio Memory” were spotted in a software teardown by 9to5Google for Android System Intelligence, an app integrated into the Android’s core system that controls various smart features, such as Live Captions, Live Translate, and more.
A privacy concern for users and a legal nightmare for Google?
While the feature isn’t live yet, it’s clearly in development and may launch sometime in the future. Still, there are some hints around what Audio Memory will actually do, and none of it is particularly good if you like privacy.
What is Audio Memory?
Google left a few clues in the Android System Intelligence teardown about what its new feature could entail. “Audio Memory” is listed under the codenamed “blueflax,” and it will supposedly “keep track of what you hear throughout your day, from the music around you to your important conversations.”
Folks who follow Google’s always-listening track record already know that Android comes equipped with a couple of services that hear the world around you.
For starters, compatible Android phones listen for the “Hey, Google” or “OK, Google” hot words that summon either Google Gemini or Google Assistant on demand (depending on the age and capability of your device).
Second, Google Pixel phones all come with a “Now Playing” feature that listens for songs playing within reach of your phone and automatically displays the name of the song on your home screen. It’s a neat little feature for those times you like a song and want to know more about it, but it’s also kind of creepy when you consider that your phone has to constantly analyze the music you hear in public to display the correct information.
Audio Memory sounds like an expansion of Now Playing, except instead of just music, it’s now listening for everything. Based on Google’s wording in the teardown, the feature will likely function in a similar manner as AI pins, which record conversations to be saved, analyzed, and archived into readable transcripts and memorable audio files.
Questions abound
The part that’s unclear is whether or not Audio Memory is constantly active or if it must be triggered before it starts listening. AI pins are designed to do the latter — they have to be powered on and told when to record a conversation by pressing a button, ensuring they can’t eavesdrop on something you don’t want them to hear.
Google, however, takes a different approach, at least with hot words and Now Playing. These are always active, waiting to be needed. If Audio Memory works the same way — always listening to and recording your conversations — this feature is both a privacy concern for users and a legal nightmare for Google.
Imagine having every conversation saved and analyzed directly on Google’s servers for the sake of what? Preservation? Memories? Or something more sinister? Aside from the endless lawsuits Google would face over such a feature, most phones also don’t have the battery capacity to listen to and record audio all day long. This, at least to me, is the one shred of hope that says Audio Memory isn’t as intrusive as it sounds on the surface. There’s clearly more about this feature we don’t know yet.
One final question remains: Which phones will receive Audio Memory?
The feature was first spotted in a version of Android System Intelligence for Google Pixel 10. This is to be expected, since Pixel 10 is currently Google’s latest released smartphone, and the company likes to test new features on its hardware first. There’s also a chance that Audio Memory is a Pixel-exclusive, just like Call Screening, Magic Eraser, and Gemini integration before it, though many of these features usually trickle down into the rest of the Android ecosystem over time. Lastly, depending on how much on-device processing is involved, there’s a chance that Audio Memory isn’t even compatible with older Android devices that don’t support local AI.
A simple choice?
Given Google’s recent legal troubles over always-listening privacy concerns, the company is likely to tread lightly with Audio Memory to avoid further litigation. However, most of the legal complaints Google received came from its always-listening software secretly recording conversations without users’ knowledge. The game changes if Google convinces users to allow Audio Memory to record their lives willingly. After that, the company theoretically has an open invitation to listen to everything its users do and say.
I guess we’ll have to wait for Audio Memory to launch to get the rest of the story.
Republicans want to make your cell phone better — and freer
A group of Republicans have written letters to the Federal Communications Commission asking for national changes to how consumers can use their cell phones.
On Monday, four GOP members from across the country told FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that it's time for mandatory rules that allow for greater technological freedom among cellphone providers.
'Working families and seniors on fixed incomes remain locked into carrier networks.'
Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), and Mark E. Amodei (R-Nev.) wrote the FCC to voice their "strong support" behind finalizing "uniform, mandatory cellphone unlocking rules."
This would mean that when a customer is finished with a contract with his cellphone carrier, he could then have his phone unlocked so that it can be used under any other service provider/network, similar to carrying over one's phone number.
"Consumers in our districts, including working families and seniors on fixed incomes, remain locked into carrier networks even after paying off their devices, unable to switch to more affordable plans due to a patchwork of voluntary carrier policies," the congressmen wrote in a letter provided to Blaze News.
At the same time, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) wrote his own letter to Carr, which described locked phones as "artificial restrictions for consumers" that deter competition and "trap families in overpriced plans."
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Both letters cited a national poll of 1,000 registered voters on the topic of cellphone carriers locking cell phones and restricting them from being used on competing networks.
Fitzgerald cited the "extremely high" support behind being able to keep one's cell phone when changing carriers.
"Agreement is also broad and strong for the statements that locking devices to a network limits choice and is a main reason for paying," the FabrizioWard poll stated.
The other Congress members referred to the massively bipartisan nature of the idea, which was shown through 86% of independents supporting cellphone unlocking.
Concurrently, 85% of Donald Trump voters agreed, while 90% of Kamala Harris voters also were in favor of the policy.
Other major support was found when participants were asked if they should be allowed to switch cellphone carriers with the same phone at any point if they pay off the remainder of their contract; an average of 85% of respondents agreed.
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"We respectfully request that the commission move forward to finalize a clear and enforceable unlocking standard," the group of politicians wrote.
They continued, "Consumers seeking more affordable monthly plans may have limited options, paying higher rates than a more competitive market would require."
Without a consistent standard, they argued, consumers will continue to be treated differently depending on which carrier sold them a phone, with little recourse if they are not allowed to opt out of their contract.
The FCC has yet to respond.
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Supreme Court Data Privacy Ruling Threatens EdTech That Tracks Students’ Parents 24/7
The tension between these K-12 education programs and Chatrie is bound to create a stir as parents — and their students — begin questioning these surveillance practices and asserting their Fourth Amendment constitutional rights.You Should Control Your Child’s Phone — Not Silicon Valley
Big Tech has lawyers, lobbyists, and limitless resources. Parents have the law, the Constitution, and the truth. That should be enough.Matt Damon: Netflix dumbs down movies for attention-impaired phone addicts
In Matt Damon's new Netflix thriller, "The Rip," a bunch of cops and crooks fight over a $20 million cash stash.
Making the movie required fighting for an even more precious commodity: the viewer's ever-dwindling attention span.
'It wouldn't be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times.'
Appearing with long-time friend and co-star Ben Affleck on the "Joe Rogan Experience" last week, Damon revealed what his first collaboration with a streamer taught him about the new economics of the movie biz — and how it affects storytelling.
Dumbed down
Damon said that the "different level of attention" audiences are giving at home has started to affect how films are being made.
"Like, for instance, Netflix. The standard way to make an action movie that we learned was, you usually have three set pieces. One in the first act, one in the second, one in the third," Damon began.
"You spend most of your money on that one in the third act. That's your kind of finale. And now they're like, 'Can we get a big one in the first five minutes? We want people to stay tuned in,'" he continued.
Furthermore, the filmmaker explained that the reason dialogue has become simple and repetitive, in many cases, is that people are splitting their attention.
"'It wouldn't be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue because people are on their phones while they’re watching,'" Damon laughed, relaying notes he might receive from the platform.
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'Casual' vacancy
These types of notes and guidelines could really "infringe" on how writers are telling their stories, Damon stressed.
This theory of "casual viewing" was popularized and widely discussed in 2025, with outlet CBR calling it a style of filmmaking that is "overly descriptive, breaking basic rules of cinema and contributing to a dumbing down of the art."
Affleck cited British crime drama "Adolescence" as a show that "didn't do any of that s**t," and that's what made it "f**king great," he added.
"There's long shots of the back of their head. They get in the car, nobody says anything. ... My feeling is just that it demonstrates that you don't need to do any of that s**t," Affleck said.
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Du cinéma au smartphone
Affleck's clear position when it comes to filmmaking and technology throughout the episode was that there will always be an audience for quality films.
"It's like supply and demand," he said. "People want to look at their phone, they can look at TikTok, they're going to do that. I think what you can do is make s**t the best you can. Make it really good."
When it comes to making movies for mobile viewers, Damon joked that he likes to rile up directors that he works with by asking them if they are thinking about how their film will look on a cell phone.
"That's a joke that I like to make with every director I work with. Like, when they're really puzzling over a shot or really grinding out something, I go, 'You know, it's not going to look as good on the phone.' ... Everyone gets angry."
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'Craving for a simpler time': Landline phones are back — the surprise is who wants them
An entrepreneur says she sold 1,000 updated versions of landline phones in 72 hours.
Cat Goetze, the creator behind Physical Phones, says most people hate that technology has taken over their attention span, and has sold $120,000 worth of product through her idea to bring back landline phones.
'People don't memorize people's phone numbers anymore.'
"I started Physical Phones because I realized most people don't actually hate technology," Goetze said on "Fox & Friends First."
Goetze is selling physical phones that mimic rotary phones, the handheld phones of the 1990s, and the phones that hung from the wall in most homes in the 1970s and 1980s. However, they don't work by plugging into a phone jack; rather, they are powered by a rechargeable battery/USB, and connect to modern smartphones via Bluetooth.
"People don't memorize people's phone numbers anymore, so we built this really awesome feature in where I'm connected via Bluetooth right now," she told the Fox hosts. "If I pick up my physical phone and I press star, it activates Siri, so I can just say, 'Call Mama' ... and it'll go ahead and call her."
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Goetze says that in 2023, she "hacked a Bluetooth antenna into a pink landline phone simply because taking calls while twirling my finger [in] a curly cord made me smile."
In her recent appearance, as well as on the company's website, Goetze stated that young people "shouldn't be forced to choose between tossing your iPhone in the ocean and spending eight hours a day doomscrolling."
The idea is that any video or audio call that comes through the connected cell phone — including from WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Snapchat — goes to the landline-esque phone to help users resist the allure and temptations of their smartphone.
"It's actually the young people who have never actually had a landline phone that are the most excited," Goetze remarked. "They're the ones who have this nostalgia and this craving for a simpler time because they grew up with smartphones."
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Readers may remember the NoPhone, the original answer for those who are against using a smartphone entirely or wanted to rid themselves of being attached to a device. The item looks like a smartphone but has zero functionality whatsoever.
Launched in 2014, the original NoPhone sells from $15 to $21. A newer version, called the "NoPhone Selfie Update," is listed for $23. The updated version says customers are "able to make real-time selfies," as it comes with a mirror stuck to it.
AT&T currently offers landline connections ranging from $59 to $72. Verizon offers its own set of landline options as well.
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Phones and drones expose the cracks in America’s defenses
In June, Israel embarrassed Iran’s ruling class, killing generals, politicians, and nuclear scientists with precision strikes. Tehran’s top brass thought they were safe. They weren’t.
Why? Their bodyguards and drivers carried cell phones that gave them away. That’s all it took for Israel to trace them and unleash devastation. The supreme leader only survived because President Donald Trump ordered Israel not to pull the trigger on him.
Phones in pockets and drones in the sky may not look like weapons, but they’re deadly if left unchecked.
The Israelis achieved this feat by identifying the weak link and exploiting it.
“We know senior officials and commanders did not carry phones, but their interlocutors, security guards, and drivers had phones; they did not take precautions seriously, and this is how most of them were traced,” an Iranian analyst told theNew York Times.
Iran’s failure should be America’s wake-up call — because we share the same blind spots.
The weakest link in US security
The U.S. government spends billions on cybersecurity. All that it takes is one careless employee with a smartphone in his pocket to blow it all up.
Even when not in use, phones emit wireless signals that can be detected, tracked, or exploited, potentially allowing adversaries to locate classified sites or intercept top-secret communications.
Most sensitive government facilities ban phones, but bans mean nothing without enforcement. Few have the tools to actually detect compromising phone use.
The solution already exists: wireless intrusion detection systems. Think of them as radar for the invisible spectrum. They pick up unauthorized devices, expose the threat, and let security teams act before adversaries do.
Washington wastes trillions on bureaucratic nonsense, but it can’t make sure the guy walking into a sensitive compartmented information facility isn’t carrying a digital beacon for the Chinese Communist Party? That’s how empires fall.
The new terrorist weapon
Drone technology is also changing the game.
In 2020, Azerbaijan crushed Armenia with cheap drones. Ukraine used $1,000 drones to destroy billions of dollars’ worth of Russian aircraft during Operation Spider’s Web. A hundred hobby drones, a few bombs, and some know-how — that’s all it took to humiliate the Kremlin.
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Now imagine what Iran, China, or even a terrorist cell on U.S. soil could do using the same playbook. Hackers can override “no-fly” geofencing software in minutes. That means no city, power plant, or military base is truly safe.
Stopping this requires ripping China out of our drone supply chains and arming American law enforcement with real anti-drone defenses. Anything less is a gamble with American lives.
Adapt or die
War evolves, technology evolves, and America must evolve with them. Phones in pockets and drones in the sky may not look like weapons, but they’re deadly if left unchecked.
America doesn’t need more bloated Pentagon reports or blue-ribbon commissions. We need decisive action — mandating wireless intrusion detection systems in every secure facility, hardening our skies against drones, and cutting China out of the equation entirely.
The Israelis exploited Iran’s weakness. Tomorrow, someone will exploit ours — unless we fix our weaknesses now.
Adapt or lose. That’s the choice.
Gavin Newsom signs bill to ban cell phone use in California public schools
California school districts will be forced to limit or prohibit cell phone use in public schools after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, along with many others, into law.
The bill, AB 3216, was approved by a bipartisan vote after being authored by Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover.
The bill states that schools must "adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a school site or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school."
School districts must develop and adopt their new rules by July 1, 2026, and update their policy every five years.
'These devices in a child's everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide.'
There are limitations to the bill that allow exceptions, or "special circumstances," under which a student may not be prohibited from having a smartphone.
"We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues — but we have the power to intervene," Newsom said, per the Sacramento Bee. "This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they're in school," the governor added.
Bill author Hoover thanked Newsom for the "major victory" for the mental well-being of children, along with the hope of improving academics.
"Research continues to demonstrate the potential harms of smartphone use among children," the Republican claimed. "The growing use of these devices in a child's everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide."
Democrat state Sen. Angelique Ashby opposed the bill over concerns that children would not have access to their phones during an emergency, such as a school shooting. However, the law does indeed grant exceptions for emergencies.
Phones can also be allowed as part of a student's specific learning plan, likely for special needs.
A trend in phone bans has increased in several states and private schools across the country. States with outright bans on smartphones in public schools include: Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.
Newsom's flurry of bill signings has also come with scrutiny, particularly surrounding the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024.
The new law has been accused of being too harsh on content creators who make memes or obvious parodies using artificial intelligence.
California is even facing a lawsuit from content creator Mr. Reagan, whose real name is Christopher Kohls. Kohls posted an AI-manipulated parody video about the Kamala Harris campaign in July. His lawsuit argues that California is "flagrantly" using state power to "force private social media companies to censor private citizens’ speech by purging election-related AI-generated content."
The new law will require online platforms to develop reporting procedures for users to flag content that has been missed by the website, so that it can be taken down if not in accordance with the law.
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