All tech. No filler.
Join 900,000+ people who stay ahead of the tech curve with The Current, delivered daily. No fluff, no BS.
Breaking news and tips
Hidden folders: The secret hoarders of your phone
You deleted that weird photo of your ex’s mom from your vacation three summers ago … or did you? Hidden folders on your phone are holding your “deleted” pictures and videos hostage, quietly clogging your storage and embarrassing you long past their expiration date.
Time to go folder spelunking and clear out these digital cobwebs.
📷 Android: The archive and trash trap
If you use Google Photos (and most Android users do, plus a lot of iPhone folks, too), you have two sneaky folders: Archive and Trash.
- Archive is where you stash photos you don’t want cluttering your main feed but still want to keep.
- Trash is where deleted photos go to hang out for 30 to 60 days before they’re permanently erased.
How to check them:
- Open Google Photos. Tap Collections at the bottom.
- Tap Archive to see hidden photos. Tap Trash to see what’s waiting to disappear (or secretly stick around).
👉 Pro tip: If you accidentally deleted something important, you can still recover it from Trash, but only if you catch it before the auto-delete timer runs out.
📱 iPhone: Recently deleted isn’t deleted
Think you’ve cleared that shameful live photo of you fake laughing at brunch? Nope. Apple’s got it chilling in the Recently Deleted album, sipping a mimosa while taking up your storage for 30 days before vanishing for good.
How to check it:
- Open your Photos app.
- Scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted.
Smarten up, buttercup
⚡ Here’s gear that puts everything at your fingertips (literally).
- Control these LED lights (10% off) from your phone or just ask Alexa.
- Schedule automatic on/off times with a four-pack of smart switches ($66).
- Need a group photo? This bendy phone tripod (20% off) has your back.
- Type anywhere with a foldable keyboard ($50) that fits in your bag.
- Use an ergonomic mouse (43% off) to scroll and click with less strain.
🧠 More smart stuff: I count on these gadgets to simplify my life. They’ll make things easier for you, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Get paid to prove you’re human (don’t)
Would you let someone scan your eyeball in exchange for some free cryptocurrency?
Yes, your actual eyeball. This isn’t an audition for Season 4 of Black Mirror. It’s the premise behind OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s new project called World.
💻 Speed up startup: Is your PC booting up slowly? Too many apps may be launching when you turn it on.
⚠️ Using a Cisco Linksys router? Check the model number. The FBI says tons are vulnerable to attacks. They don’t get security updates anymore, which makes them easy targets. Hackers install malware and turn them into botnets for cyberattacks or worse. The fix? Replace it. Here’s one that’s 18% off.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
💵 A dollar here, a dollar there: It seems like every subscription is more expensive than when I signed up. Use the Rocket Money app to see what you’re paying for. I do! They’ll even cancel a subscription for you if it’s not worth the money anymore.
🌳 Last chance to save on beautiful trees without the wait or the hassle: At Fast Growing Trees , use promo code KIM to save an extra 15% on fast, easy and expert-approved planting. They have the perfect trees and plants for your location, shipped right to your door. No messy trips to the garden center. I love my avocado tree!
Over 200
That’s how many times one guy let snakes bite him. On purpose. He’s been building immunity for years to help cook up a universal antivenom. Most antidotes only work on one species, but his blood has already helped save mice from 13 of the 19 deadliest snakes on Earth. Talk about taking one for the team. Repeatedly.
40-foot submarine-hunting drone
The “BlueWhale” uses special sensors to spot underwater and surface threats, and can help clear mines. The cool bit? It’s fully autonomous and runs on batteries for weeks. Basically, a Roomba’s scarier cousin with serious military vibes.
Clear the room
📦 Seriously, these gems will help you do exactly that.
- Keep your clothes wrinkle-free with a pack of garment bags (15% off).
- This two-pack of bed storage bins (19% off) is easy to roll right out.
- See all your spices, sugar and salt in these glass condiment jars (29% off).
- Loathe stale loaves? Snag a bread container ($20), so they stay fresh.
- Breeze through security with a stadium-approved backpack (10% off).
✋ Hang on: Toss those flimsy hangers. These wooden ones (19% off) are strong and look great, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Romance scams continue: A retired Texas man fell for an online “romance,” and then “she” convinced him to dump his 401(k) into crypto. Spoiler: It was all fake, complete with a site showing his money “grow.” Now, he’s out $500K, his house is up for sale, and he’s job hunting. Love hurts, but that’s next level.
Signs you have spyware or a keylogger
Is your phone suddenly running hot? That might not just be a glitch. It could be some creep spying in on your phone.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
🤖 CRM sentience: Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot just dropped for public beta, and it’s like Clippy got a PhD and an Adderall prescription. It reads your company data, automates tasks and generates content, all without leaking your Q1 projections to Skynet. Also, it’s now called Agentforce, which sounds less friendly and more … ready for war?
😑 Feeling left behind? Download NetSuite’s free knowledge drop, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. It’s not going anywhere.
🔞 Sick social media trend: Awful accounts are using AI filters to make the women in overly sexual TikTok and IG gym videos look as if they have Down syndrome. They’re adding captions like “Syndrome is down but your d is up.” Why? It goes viral, and they try to redirect people to adult sites. And yes, the original clips are stolen.
Scammer ruins a 45-year marriage
What’s worse than your mom leaving your dad for a guy she met on Instagram? Finding out he’s a romance scammer and she knows — but she’s still in love. That’s what happened to Grant Inman. Now, the My Funeral Home Stories host is trying to help his mom see the truth.You, 21 min
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40 feet
That’s the size of a new submarine-hunting sea drone called the “BlueWhale.” It uses special sensors to spot underwater and surface threats, and can help clear mines. The cool bit? It’s fully autonomous and runs on batteries for weeks. Basically, a Roomba’s scarier cousin with serious military vibes. Here’s a clip of it.
508,883
The number of bacteria lurking on your sofa per 15.5 inches squared. That’s 75 times more than a toilet seat. Turns out the dirtiest place in your house might be where you binge Netflix.
Your car knows where you went last night
Modern cars track your location, speed, and even who’s with you. That data’s being sold.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices