From the “I’m-from-the-government-and-I’m-here-to-help” department

June 3, 2024

From the “I’m-from-the-government-and-I’m-here-to-help” department: Effective June 1, the federal internet subsidies that gave 20 million low-income U.S. families access to speedy internet are over. Here’s a list of providers offering discounted internet prices through the end of 2024.

Tags: access, Federal, government, help, income, internet, list, prices, providers

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A slew of Trump fakes are coming – How to spot them

Folks, before you even think about writing me a note saying, “You wrote this ‘cause you hate Trump” or “You wrote this ‘cause you love Trump,” don’t waste your time. I’m not talking politics today, and I’m not taking sides. I’m protecting you from falling for deepfakes and the absolute barrage of junk you can expect on social media in the coming days, weeks and months.

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Security tip: Send unknown calls to voicemail

Do me a favor and send unknown callers to voicemail. If it’s someone who really needs you, they’ll leave a message or call back.

Steve Jobs started using the “i” prefix for Apple products with the iMac in 1998. Back then, the “i” stood for “internet.” What does it mean now?

Find the answer here! →

7% of adults

Say “please” when asking for something. And half the time we use it, science says we want to guilt the other person into doing something. Kids say please about 10% of the time. Reminds me of the time Ian’s middle school art teacher told me, “Ian says ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ too much.” Yeah, I schooled her on that. I worked hard to be sure he was a gentleman, and he is to this day.

Amazon driver ignores a house fire

A family’s home burned for over three hours. The crazy part is, just 20 minutes in, an Amazon driver arrived to drop off a package. Watch what happens when he enters the smokey garage.

11 years later

Gamers are still using their PS4s. The PS5 has been out for four years, but nearly 50 million people are still hanging on to their old consoles. Hey, if it ain’t broke, why shell out $400?

Scammers pretending to be the Social Security office

Be careful what information you give over the phone, especially if you aren’t expecting a call.

600,000 routers

Destroyed in 72 hours by a mysterious hacker. In October 2023, thousands of Windstream internet customers reported their routers had suddenly gone dark. A new security report reveals it was a targeted attack using a single piece of malware anyone can find online. The who and why are both still a mystery.

60% decrease

In high-paying remote jobs in the past year. Wanna make the big bucks? You’ll probably have to do it in person; only 4% of jobs paying over $250,000 annually are fully remote. And in a survey of 1,000 companies, 90% said they expect a full five-day week back in office by the end of 2024.

Author and Austinite Nick Gray had the crazy idea to combine a blind date with a vacation — his treat. He went viral when he posted his proposal on X, and over 400 women applied. Where did he take the lucky lady: A.) Rome, B.) Tokyo, C.) Las Vegas or D.) Sydney?

Find out here! →