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How much Wall Street thinks U.S. homes are overvalued. Investors are waiting for a market correction, but they’re also growing their portfolios by building their own properties or buying newly constructed units directly from builders (paywall link). And don’t trust Zillow’s Zestimate; it’s been way off lately. Remember, the only valid home price is what someone is willing to pay.
They’ll weaponize this: A Chinese company has created a robotic dog that can sprint 100 meters in under 10 seconds. The design is inspired by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who, in 1665, discovered pendulum clocks mounted on the same beam synchronized their swings through energy transfer. And get this — the doggo has custom shoes modeled after a black panther for maximum grip and stability.
Don’t be a loser: The KeySmart SmartCart is trending online as the new “flat AirTag” that fits in your wallet. With a thickness of less than 2mm (about two stacked credit cards), it works with the Apple Find My app to alert you if you leave something behind. You can make it ring via Bluetooth, and its battery lasts up to five months on a single charge. Impressive. I ordered one for Barry.
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📞 Targeting all 50 states: Scammers are impersonating mortgage companies, displaying the caller ID of your actual mortgage institution. Once you answer, they threaten foreclosure if you don’t pay up. Red flags: They ask for mail money orders to third-party attorneys or tell you to upload funds to a Walmart MoneyCard or Green Dot card account. Yeah, people are falling for that.
Not a movie set: The other day, Ben Affleck came home to a huge military Hummer parked outside and a visit from police and FBI. They were investigating whether someone at his home or in the area launched a hobby drone that damaged a plane fighting the Pacific Palisades fire last week. By looking at the photos, and keeping in mind Ben survived J.Lo, I’d say he’s officially unshakeable.
🚫 This went tits-up: People who moved from TikTok to RedNote are thoroughly confused by censorship issues. One man asked why he couldn’t post photos of his abs, only to be told his nipples are sexually suggestive. ICYMI: RedNote is owned by China. If you downloaded the app, remove it.
Say hello to the new Dark Web: The encrypted chat app Telegram was founded by two Russians and has over 700 million active monthly users. It’s also home to Huione Guarantee, the largest illegal marketplace selling personal data and tools linked to pig-butchering schemes. One founder recently told a French court they’d “improve its moderation procedures” for Telegram. Sure. Between November 2024 and now, crypto scams on Telegram have increased by over 2,000%. Stay away.
Sew much fun: This is the year of “grandmacore” hobbies for 20-something gals — baking, knitting, embroidery, crocheting, gardening and anything else granny loved, too. No surprise, they say it’s more relaxing than scrolling. I bought a knitting set three years ago, and it’s still in the closet. Maybe this is my sign to try it!
🎮 “Fix it for me”: This is the start of something big. Nvidia’s Project G-Assist adjusts your game settings for you based on a conversation. Ask the AI questions like your current frame rate and how to improve it, and it’ll adjust your GPU, aka graphics card, for better performance. Here’s a sneak peek.
Skinny is in: Rumors are swirling about Apple’s iPhone 17 Air, measuring a mere 5.5mm in thickness. The iPhone Pro 16 is about two stacked pennies thicker, at 8.25mm. With less room, the specs for the Air aren’t as impressive. Expect a single rear camera, a single speaker and a smaller battery that dies faster. Android’s version, the Galaxy Slim, could drop in May.
🚀 The age of exploration: The U.S. launched 145 rockets in 2024 and plans to be even busier this year. A “traffic jam” is forming at three key launchpads in Florida and California approved for big rockets. New spaceports might be coming to a city near you. Rockets reach orbit easiest when launched near the equator, and most are by the ocean.
