Mac warning: Hackers have developed sophisticated malware dubbed “Banshee macOS Stealer” that can swipe credentials and sensitive data. The scary part? It can lurk undetected for months. Only download apps from legitimate places and invest in antivirus software with real-time protection. My pick is TotalAV.
CES 2025: AI everything, waterless coffee maker, wearable for your face
Here’s your 10-second CES recap: TVs are bigger and smarter, laptops are faster and lighter, and AI is everywhere. I sifted through the fluff to bring you the best and weirdest of this year’s consumer tech showcase.
The year of the robot: $3 trillion chipmaker Nvidia’s new AI model is called Cosmos. It’s open-source code (meaning anyone can use it) that simulates all the training data it takes to make a robot useful. Imagine detailed digital replications of homes, factories, roads or any other space a bot needs to learn to do its job.
Full battery in 15 minutes: That’s what Honda’s 0 Series concept EV promises. Too bad it looks like a weird sci-fi creation. Honda says its AI chip will handle fully autonomous control. It’ll be huge if someone can nail that; Tesla hasn’t been able to. I don’t see it happening by their 2026 deadline.
Imagine this at a coffee shop: JSAUX’s FlipGo Horizon laptops have a magnetic base that lets you snap on extra monitors — one on each side. Here’s where they lost me: Each monitor weighs 2.4 to 4 pounds. No one is going to lug that around.
Trypanophobia: That’s fear of needles, and if you have it, you’ll like this. FlowBeam’s BoldJet needle-free injection is a painless way to get a shot or give blood without the poke. Also, today I learned there are 16 billion single-use syringes and 16 billion needles thrown away every year. Dang.
Talk to me: VLC has been the go-to video player for Windows for years, since the built-in player stinks. Now it’s getting real-time subtitles in 100 languages powered by AI — no internet connection required.
I never imagined a waterless coffee maker: The $300 Kara Pod turns water in the air (humidity) into drinking water, then brews you up a cup of joe. Cool tech, but is your coffee gross if the air is musty?
Top the charts: Anker’s Soundcore Rave 3S speaker uses AI to remove the vocal tracks from any song so you can karaoke all your favorites instead of settling for “Love Shack” again. It includes wireless mics, too, to enhance your voice and add reverb. For $349, I might finally sound good!
I don’t see myself in this: Omnia is a smart mirror, scale and smartwatch hybrid. Stand on the base, and it’ll take your weight and measure your heart health, then it’ll pull in data from any other tracker you use. The AI assistant gives real-time feedback out loud. Reminds me of Lululemon’s Mirror, which was a total flop.
Closed captions IRL: Xander’s GlassesConnect AR specs use AI to transcribe speech and project the text right in front of you. So cool for someone with severely impacted hearing. The price is the big downside: $4,999.
What’s on your face? The Omi is an $89 mindreading wearable you stick on your face. I’m not kidding. It listens to all your conversations to help you organize action items, like when Bob in accounting asks for that report. Omi’s snooping includes your thoughts, like, “Send Bob the report at 4 p.m.” The battery lasts three days, and, again, it’s always listening.
ICYMI: More TV, smart home and AI finds at CES. I want the AI tub you can fill using just your phone or voice assistant.
Water pumps and sprinklers saved this house from the Palisades Fire
👨🚒 DIY firefighting: A 60-year-old man saved his home from the Palisades fire with some special equipment he’d purchased in advance. He soaked his house with water pumps, sprinklers and a hydrogel retardant he mixed in his backyard hot tub. Sadly, the homes surrounding him weren’t as lucky. Here’s the video showing how he did it.
Tax tip: The IRS is urging taxpayers to enroll in its Identity Protection PIN program, which relaunches this week. This six-digit number is assigned to you and prevents scammers from filing tax returns using your SSN and personal info. To get yours, create an account on the IRS website, verify your identity through ID.me, then click Profile and scroll down to the IP PIN program.
⚖️ TikTok hearing update: Legal experts say the Supreme Court appears likely to uphold a law banning TikTok in the U.S. on Jan. 19. While the platform’s lawyers argue the ban violates free speech, the nine justices remain laser-focused on national security concerns. The app won’t be completely forbidden, but you won’t be able to download it from app stores or receive updates. No word yet on whether you’ll still be able to use TikTok on the web.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned: Singer Lily Allen went undercover on celebrity dating app Raya to figure out if her husband, David Harbour, was cheating on her. He was. She found his profile by setting her preference to women, then cross-referencing the women on the app to his following on Instagram. That’s skill.
Don’t let me drone on: The U.S. has a fancy, new spy drone that can fly at 15,000 feet for 14 hours, even while carrying heavy equipment. Most military drones fly for eight hours, tops, so this is a game-changer. Combat teams will use it for recon and surveillance.
The real meaning of cell service: A lady in Mississippi accidentally texted the sheriff’s department instead of her drug dealer while trying to buy fentanyl. Yeah, it didn’t go well. She was arrested when she showed up to pick up the goods. I hope her one phone call in jail went better.
I’m moose-tly excited: Robots can now walk through mud and snow using high-tech shoes modeled after moose hooves. The suction cup design lets them traverse rough terrain so they can help with agriculture, environmental monitoring and disaster response.
Don’t like how ChatGPT “talks”? Custom personalities are coming soon. Traits include “Chatty,” “Skeptical” and “Forward-thinking.” Some already have these options available under “Customize ChatGPT.” I don’t yet, but you might!
😎 Go play outside: Almost half the world might be nearsighted (it’s called “myopia”) by 2050 because kids are on their screens too much and don’t spend enough time outside. Researchers say just an hour in the sun a day could reduce the risk of myopia by 45% (paywall link). Sunlight triggers dopamine, which helps eyeballs grow correctly. Plus, that sweet vitamin D makes your eye tissues stronger.
When can iPhones and Androids text each other? Last month, the FBI said cross-platform messages are easy to hack. A leak shows Google is working on MLS encryption that’s better than the current RCS standard. They’ll have to test the heck out of this, then get Apple to play nice with it, too. Unless you’re texting someone secret spy stuff, don’t worry about it.
Start saving now: Microsoft is killing off Windows 10 in October. You can add 12 months of support (for $30); after that, an estimated 400 million PCs won’t meet the specs to upgrade. You’d better believe hackers will do anything and everything they can to exploit Windows 10.
The LA fires: The sheer destruction is overwhelming, and it may be some time before we fully understand the lives lost and the toll taken. My heart is with everyone affected, and I’m keeping you all in my prayers. As a homeowner in an evacuation zone, I fear the worst for my own property, but material things pale in comparison to the loss of life and safety for so many. This 3D map allows you to zoom in and explore the impacted areas. It’s a stark reminder of the fires’ far-reaching devastation.
Introducing OMNIA: The health conceptual product designed for CES 2025
I don’t see myself in this: Omnia is a smart mirror, scale and smartwatch hybrid. Stand on the base, and it’ll take your weight and measure your heart health, then it’ll pull in data from any other tracker you use. The AI assistant gives real-time feedback out loud. Reminds me of Lululemon’s Mirror, which was a total flop.
🚀 I’m fired up to see this: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Orbit is launching its first New Glenn rocket tomorrow from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The last launch was delayed because of rough seas. Onboard is a prototype of Blue Ring, a spacecraft designed to repair satellites and do secret spy stuff funded by the U.S. Defense Department. The launch window opens at 1 a.m. EST. Hit this link to watch the action live.
Say you’re starting a new hobby: Buying a how-to book used to be a safe bet. Now, AI is flooding Amazon with crappy guides full of nonsense, misused terms and stolen designs. Apparently, lace-making books are popular enough right now to target. Before you buy, scan the reviews and check the authors.
Who will win the VR war? Meta is retiring its $1,500 Quest Pro headset to focus on the $300 and $499 Quest 3 models. Apple’s Vision Pro is going after businesses now instead of consumers because no one wanted to pay $3,500 for a headset.
This is interest-ing: Parents are adding their kids as authorized credit card users. The idea is once they’re ready for a loan or card of their own, they have established credit. If the parents have good credit, it can boost kids’ scores by 20 or more points. I did this for my son.