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1 trillion people
How many Jeff Bezos wants to send to colonize space. It’s still more of a pipe dream than a plan. From building 20-mile-long space habitats to growing food and, ahem, doing the wild thing in space, experts say saving Earth is still a way easier option.
Don’t use this word when texting: Replying with only the word “sure” in a text is now seen as sarcastic, rude or dismissive. The younger crowd expects a bit more enthusiasm in those replies. It’s safe for agreeing to errands, but for invites? Try “Absolutely!” Bonus points for adding emojis. 😃 Fo shizzle!
Stalker alert: A North Carolina man used Snapchat’s live location feature to track down a woman in an attempted kidnapping. He found her in a parking lot and held her at gunpoint before she convinced him to let her go. The creep has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Please, turn off location sharing in your apps.
🤖 Glimpse into the future: AI has replaced 52% of copywriters, but there’s a new role to fill: Making content sound more human. ChatGPT and others generally sound too formal, choose odd words and invent facts. Writers, all is not lost!
The damage is done: The U.S. surgeon general is asking Congress to put warning labels on social media, like those found on cigarettes. With 95% of kids using social media and more than one-third addicted, this is way too little, way too late.
Well, this is a first: Facial recognition app Clearview AI, known for scooping up photos from the web, might owe you a piece of … itself? Facing a privacy class-action lawsuit, they’re strapped for cash and have agreed to a strange settlement: A 23% stake in the company, valued at $52 million, for those affected. Approval is pending. I’ll keep you posted on how to claim your share if it goes through.
✈️ Emotional baggage: A man at Orlando International Airport was banned from his flight after trying a TikTok “packing trick.” He stuffed a pillowcase with his belongings to dodge carry-on fees. After a heated argument with airline staff, police escorted him out. Yeah, skip that one.
Smart TV scam alert: You log in to a streaming service and a pop-up message appears, saying there’s a problem and you need to call a number or visit a website to resolve it. The crook you talk to will ask for remote access or tell you to pay a fee. Don’t fall for it. If a service isn’t working, log into your account online or via the app to fix it.
🚨 Hospital nightmare: The Ascension hospital cyberattack in May 2024 shut down computers for weeks, and it all started with one employee who mistakenly downloaded a malicious file. Ascension handles roughly 3 million emergency room visits and performs nearly 600,000 surgeries per year.