10 happiest U.S. states

New to Instagram: Comment on a story. Yep — a public comment, not a direct message only the person posting sees. To try it, tap the speech bubble icon in the bottom left corner of a story.

I’m so itchy: Kids at Riverside High School in North Carolina took home Chromebooks for school work. Unfortunately, no one realized they were crawling with bedbugs. The insects infested the media center over the summer and were hiding in the laptops. Check your kiddos’ computers.

💔 So very sad: A 73-year-old New Jersey woman lost over $50,000 in a romance scam. A man named “Henry” on Facebook wooed her. All she had to do was send him money and gift cards for travel, which he promised to give back and more. When her son found out, the money was gone. A detective confirmed the transfers went to Nigeria.

Buying a house or wiring money? A former Mastercard exec nearly lost $100,000 after scammers got into her real estate agent’s email account. They posed as a title company, requesting an “accelerated” payment (paywall link). The wire instructions had the same letterhead and typography, but the phone number and email were off. Luckily, she called the original number and dodged the scam. Always double-check the details.

🚨 Driving away with your data: Car rental company Avis says 299,006 people had their personal info stolen in an August data breach. We’re talking names, addresses, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers. No word yet on how hackers got in. FYI, Texas was hit hardest, with 34,592 folks there exposed. Stay alert for phishing scams!

💥 Definitely a dipship: Chinese scientists say they’ve cracked the code for making the world’s fastest submarines. “Laser propellers” create tiny explosions, pushing subs to speeds fast enough to outrun torpedoes or jet aircraft. The downside? All that speed leaves a trail of bubbles and cavitation noise, making the subs easy to track.

🧥 MagSafe for coats: Jony Ive, designer of the iPhone, has invented a new button. His company, LoveFrom, teamed up with luxury brand Moncler to create a down-filled vest that transforms into a field jacket, parka or hooded poncho using magnetized buttons for easy swapping. FYI: It took four years to develop, so it’ll cost more than a few iPhones.

Put a ring on it: Single folks are ditching dating apps and social media for hobby apps like Strava (for athletes) and Ravelry (for knitters). These platforms focus on activities, so there’s less pressure and superficiality than apps like Tinder, where looks take center stage. Imagine that … meeting someone through common interests, not just swipes.

🧹 This doesn’t suck: Roborock’s new Qrevo Curv is the closest thing to a vacuum that can handle stairs. Its industry-first auto-lift chassis can raise itself a little over an inch and a half. It’s not climbing steps yet, but it can get over fluffy rugs and bumps. Just one small hiccup — it’s priced around $1,660 in Europe. U.S. prices are still TBD.

Ram recall: Over 1.4 million Ram 1500 pickups from 2019 and 2021 to 2024 have a bug in the antilock brake system that could lead to crashes. Major red flag: Warning lights for your ABS, ESC, adaptive cruise control and forward collision systems. Call your dealership ASAP for a software update.