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If your smartphone was ever lost or stolen, would you know what to do? Lock it remotely, call your carrier or use a tracking app. That’s a start.
Even smart shoppers can get taken; here’s how to make sure you don’t.
Are your carefully crafted social media posts getting the same amount of attention as a tree falling in the forest with no one around? As the French say, that’s no bueno.
Breaking news and tips
Bring your old phone back from the dead
We’ve all got one (or five): that old smartphone buried in a drawer, sitting there like a digital paperweight. You don’t use it, but you don’t toss it either because maybe someday it’ll come in handy.
Today is the day to let your old phone defend your castle as a security camera.
No new tech, no wallet damage, just pure genius. Or as I like to call it, Homegrown MacGyver’ing. Here’s how to do it in five minutes flat:
🔋 Step 1: Plug it in and resuscitate it
Dust it off, charge it up and make sure it stays plugged in. Whisper sweet nothings to it about how “I’ve missed you.” You don’t want it dying right when your neighbor’s raccoon breaks into your trash again.
If there are any operating system updates available, go ahead and install them. It won’t hurt anything.
📱 Step 2: Give it a brain, or a security cam app
Head to the App Store or Google Play and grab one of these gems:
- AlfredCamera (iPhone + Android) – My top pick. Super simple, live view, motion alerts and even two-way talk. (Yes, you can yell at your dog and the Amazon driver.)
- Manything (iOS) or IP Webcam (Android) – More options if you want something a little geekier.
Super important step: Install the app on both your old and current phones. You’ll use the camera on the old phone as the security cam. On your current phone, it will be the command center for power-mad surveillance enthusiasts (you).
📸 Step 3: Set it up and aim
After the app is installed, open it, log in and choose “camera” on your old phone. Then launch the same app on your current phone and choose “viewer.” It’s that easy.
Affordable portables
🧳 You’ve got places to go. My picks are built to come along for the ride.
- Kick back, relax and save on a folding camping chair (14% off).
- Take a quick rinse anywhere with a portable shower (20% off).
- This handy 3-in-1 vacuum (43% off) can also dust and pump air.
- Charge up with the sunshine with a solar power bank (20% off).
- Tiny screen? Grab an extra monitor (33% off) to double your real estate.
🐶 Fur real safety: Snag a belt leash (15% off) to keep your pup strapped in while you’re on the road.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Gadget or gimmick? The truth behind viral tech products
Oh, it’s Friday. Let’s lighten our tech brains and hearts.
Every week, some new gadget promises to make your life easier. There’s a fine line though between “tech that improves your life” and “tech that ends up in a junk drawer next to the USB lava lamp.”
📌 Put a pin in it: Pin your go-to apps so you can find them quickly. On Windows 11, open the Start menu > All apps > right-click an app you want and choose Pin to Start. For Macs, go to Finder > Applications > then click-drag the app you want to your Dock. Right-click to unpin.
🚔 Publishers Clearing House scam: This is something! An 84-year-old woman was told she’d won $5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. The catch? All she had to do was pay $30,000 in “taxes” first. She handed over $19K before realizing something was off and setting up a sting with the cops. Granny wasn’t playing around, and the police caught the crooks. Reminds me of when my son Ian asked, “Grandma, how old are you?” “A woman never reveals her age,” my mom said. Ian said, “Alright, just give me the first digit.” “Seven,” she said. “And the second?” Mom sighed and said, “Two.” And Ian said, “And the third?” 😂
3 easy tech tips for grocery shopping
Not a fan of the grocery run? Use these quick tech tricks to stay organized, save money, and skip the hassle.
💊 Hair-raising warning: Hims, Keeps and Ro promising to bring back your hairline? That topical finasteride they’re peddling isn’t FDA-approved (paywall link). Only the pill version is. They also don’t always spell out the side effects: erectile dysfunction, brain fog and depression that can last after you stop trying to get a head of hair.
Three per day
Satellite or rocket parts crash back to Earth. A 4-inch shard from the ISS punched through a Florida roof last month, as if those hurricanes weren’t bad enough. We may hit 15 daily as Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper launch more satellites. Did you hear about the film they’re making, where Dallas gets destroyed by space junk? Debris Does Dallas. (Thank you for that chuckle.)
100% critics’ score for Netflix’s new comedy series
That’s the critics’ score for Netflix’s new comedy series North of North. It follows a young Inuk mom who moves back to her small hometown after leaving her husband. It’s like Gilmore Girls meets snow meets 9,000 percent more gossip. The trailer looks pretty good.
Less mess, more yum
😋 Here’s your shortcut to faster meals and easier prep.
- This 64-oz insulated bottle (21% off) keeps your drinks hot or cold all day.
- Cut down on your meal prep time with a vegetable chopper (22% off).
- This cute Splatypus jar spatula ($13) scoops every last bit.
- Your food stays warm on an electric tray (33% off) when friends arrive late.
- These oven rack guards (36% off) help protect against burns and scars.
- Don’t let leftovers go to waste. Grab a 24-pack of glass storage containers (8% off) to keep them fresh.
👩🍳 My kitchen faves: From the breadmaker I use to the nontoxic cookware, check them out here.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
📦 Thrifting apps are booming: They’re up 18% in the first quarter compared to last year (paywall link). Folks are using apps like Depop and eBay for cheaper secondhand clothes and furniture since Shein and Temu are getting pricier because of tariffs. But hey, with all that demand, don’t be shocked when thrift prices start acting ~boutique~.
The rental was fake
A Michigan mom thought she found the perfect home to rent on Facebook. Instead, she walked into a scam that cost her $2,500.
I take two scoops of collagen a day: It’s good for bone density, makes your nails and hair stronger and can help smooth wrinkles. Use this link for 45% off if you want to try it, too.
🕶️ Meta glasses can live-translate: Ray-Ban smart glasses owners can now have conversations with someone in English, French, Italian or Spanish and hear the translation in real time through their shades. The best part? No internet needed. Just download the language pack ahead of time, and it works offline, too. I can’t wait to try this!
🔒 WhatsApp’s new privacy feature: Scammers love to ask you to use WhatsApp. When the new Advanced Chat Privacy mode is on, your messages can’t be exported and pics/vids won’t auto-download. To find it, tap the chat name, then select Advanced Chat Privacy.
AI bots make bets on the next pope
Who will lead the Catholic Church next? ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok all have guesses — but they can’t seem to agree.
5 minutes
China’s top battery makers have reached five-minute charging speeds for EVs, more or less the time it takes at a gas station. CATL and BYD just flexed batteries that can deliver up to 320+ miles of range off a five-minute charge. Meanwhile, most U.S. EVs take 15 to 30 minutes.
$550 billion
That’s how much analysts say Google can get for YouTube if forced to sell it. Now the top streaming platform by viewership, YouTube is worth more than Disney, and all it took was 20 years of cat videos and Minecraft speedruns. Fun fact: The YouTube founder sold it to Google for $1.65 billion in 2006.
Uber drove off with her kid
Her 5-year-old fell asleep in the backseat, and the driver left with her still inside. Uber refused to help until police stepped in. Their apology? A $7 credit. Plus, what’s up with Instagram Edits, Meta’s AI glasses now transcribe your convos, and chatbots place bets on the next pope.