If you’re always misplacing things

March 21, 2024

When you drop an AirPod, Apple’s Find My feature helps you find it quickly. But for non-Apple earbuds — and all the rest of your Bluetooth gear — it’s not so simple.

That’s why you need a Bluetooth-finder app on your phone. It works a bit like a metal detector.

Pick your Bluetooth-using gadget (e.g., Raycons, Oura ring or Fitbit) from the list. The closer you get to it, the stronger the signal will be from the app. Ding-ding-ding! There’s your earbud — under the couch, right where you left it.

💡 Our IT genius, John, recommends this option for iPhone and this one for Android.

Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone

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☕️ He likes me a latte: At Muji in Hudson Yards, NYC, there’s a new barista in town, and it’s not human. Jarvis, named after Iron Man’s sidekick, makes your coffee, shakes its metal booty, shoots compliments … and asks for tips via tablet. I’m all for tipping service workers, but this is ridiculous.

84% of government workers ‘repetitive’ tasks could be done by AI

The idea is that delegating “complex but repetitive transactions” to AI would simply free up humans to do other things. Sure … I smell budget cuts.

Flying under the radar: The FCC bans radio frequency jammers, but you can find them on Amazon for less than $30, pitched as privacy must-haves or drone blockers. So why should you stay far away? These illegal gadgets could block your calls to 911 or mess with airport navigation systems.

⚖️ Big Tech on trial: A New York judge greenlit lawsuits against YouTube, Facebook and Reddit in connection with the 2022 Buffalo school shooting. They accuse the companies of profiting from hate-filled content that may have radicalized the shooter. Despite their “We’re just platforms!” defense, the court’s not having it. I’m watching this one very closely.

Nostalgia is pricy: The late-1990s Nikon COOLPIX digital camera is making a comeback. The hashtag #nikoncoolpix has racked up over 47 million views on TikTok alone. It’s not the specs turning heads, by the way. It’s all about that pink aesthetic, baby. Want one? Prepare to shell out $180.

🍆 Born to swim: Single ladies and LGBTQ+ couples are scrolling for sperm donors on FB groups and dating apps to skip sperm bank fees and find a personal connection. It’s not all baby showers and rainbows, though, compared with the doc-approved way. Let’s just say this has a real DIY vibe involving car backseats and motel rooms instead of clinics.

Dead giveaway: Deborah Vankin, an LA Times journalist, stumbled across her own obituary online, alongside other death announcements and tribute videos. Why? It’s a clickbait scam. “Obituary pirates” use AI to create believable yet bogus obits and memorials to rake in ad bucks. This scam is spreading like wildfire now.

🕵🏼 Glassholes: That’s what I call the folks who leave nasty anonymous reviews of their former boss on Glassdoor. Those days are now over. Glassdoor is outing posters with names and locations alongside spicy reviews. This means a business can subpoena Glassdoor to get real names to sue. Finally.

20 minutes of searching Facebook to buy an endangered monkey

In other words, it’s way too easy. Business Insider reported the listing (and others like it) to Meta, which took them down. A watchdog org says traffickers are “easily and openly operating on the platform.” It can’t be that hard to stop this stuff.

$61 monthly on streaming

Is what the average American spends. That’s up 27% from last year. Half of those surveyed said a $5 increase is enough to make them cancel. I just dropped a service we weren’t watching! Felt great.