Ask Kim: ‘Is it cheating if he’s talking to a sexy AI girl?’
Mary in Los Angeles recently wrote to me with a question I’m getting more and more:
“Is my husband cheating on me with an AI bot? … I went through his phone and saw some shady texts on an app called Replika. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I wouldn’t put it past him.”
On this day in 1903, Henry Ford started his company with 10 investors and how much in startup cash? Was it … A.) $1,800, B.) $13,500, C.) $28,000 or D.) $54,000?
🚨 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.
60-minute TikToks?
Do you think hour-long videos will do well on short-form platforms? I mean, come on! Who has the time?
34.6% and 34.4%
U.S. shoppers who purchase at least one thing a month on Shein and Temu, respectively. The Chinese retailers have more American repeat shoppers than eBay and Etsy. Stay away, folks. The stuff is cheap, and you never know how much data they’re collecting.
🦁 “Cat” scan: A quick-thinking conservation vet used her Apple Watch to measure a lion’s heart rate in the wild. How? By wrapping the watch around its tongue. Didn’t have that one on my 2024 bingo card. You’ve gotta see the pic. Roar-some!
🔋 A pain in the wallet: EVs are getting harder to insure thanks to higher price tags and repair costs. So far this year, EV-related claims have cost 30% more (paywalled) than claims for their gas-powered counterparts. It’s not just fancy parts, either; it’s the EVs’ souped-up acceleration enticing owners to floor it.
The hottest alternative to dating apps? Running clubs. 20-somethings on social are bragging about meeting their crushes over a 5K. Doing things you enjoy as a way to meet people IRL … Who knew?
Disabled people are finding the Apple Vision Pro life-changing: Maxine Collard, who has uncorrectable low visual acuity and strabismus, is using the Vision Pro to study for her Ph.D., saying it’s “like slapping an iPad” on her face. Steve Coulson used Apple’s AR/VR headset with his profound hearing loss, and he can now attend meetings. If you or someone you know has sight or hearing problems, read this article. It totally changed my opinion of the AVP.
🚨 Update Windows now: A new Wi-Fi vulnerability could let hackers take over your Windows device remotely — yep, without you ever lifting a finger. Every Windows device is at risk. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update to update and get the patch.