What’s in a name?

Amazon wasn’t always called “Amazon.” Our pal, Jeff Bezos, considered two other names first. Were they … A.) Caboodle, B.) Relentless, C.) Cadabra and/or D.) Tireless?

The answer: Both B.) Relentless and C.) Cadabra were starter names for Amazon. “Relentless” was deemed too sinister, and “Cadabra” sounded too much like “cadaver,” but “Amazon” was just right — it starts with “A” and references that really long river.

Tags: Amazon, Jeff Bezos, names, T


Palmer Candy Company is recalling its white-coated confectionery items due to a possible salmonella contamination. The FDA says these snacks, including pretzels, popcorn and chocolate, are sold in 17 states at stores like Walmart, Hy-Vee, Target and Dollar General. Got some? Return ‘em where you bought ’em for a full refund.

80-year-old WWII letters 

From a U.S. soldier showed up in a Texas mailbag. A postal worker tracked down the late sender’s sister and drove 500 miles on his day off to return them to her. It’s like the USPS creed: “Neither snow nor rain … nor an unpaid five-and-a-half-hour drive.” Love that!

Keanu believe this story: A 65-year-old Colorado woman is convinced she’s been in a relationship with actor Keanu Reeves since 2022. It’s a romance scam, and she’s already in for over $5,000. Her “proof”? A fake driver’s license. She says she’ll only stop believing if Keanu himself walks through her door. If you know this woman, tell her to call me — I know Keanu.

0 texts and emails sent by Tom Selleck, ever

The actor says he relies on others, including a secretary (yup, he used that word!) and his wife, to communicate electronically for him. Tom, you’ve gotta meet Siri.

92 minutes is U.S. moviegoers’ ideal feature film length

Film critics disagree: “Oppenheimer” won the Oscar last year at double that length — 180 minutes! A perfect movie to test the theory: 1940’s “His Girl Friday.” Starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, it’s, yep, 92 minutes.

Newest scam making the rounds: If you have automatic deposits enabled with your banking or financial institutions, cybercriminals can put money into your account. Why is that bad, you ask? They’ll immediately follow up with a sob story email asking you to send it back via a phishing link, effectively stealing your login info in the process. Don’t click any random links, and turn on 2FA for your banking logins.

Libraries make “shhh” happen: You know those little libraries where neighbors give a book or borrow a book? “Free Blockbuster” neighborhood boxes work the same way, except you can give or borrow VHS tapes and DVDs for free, no strings attached. With over 200 locations, I love this idea!

7,470 Firefox tabs take up just 70MB of memory

That’s the buzz after one woman lost (and then found) the tabs in her Firefox Profile cache with help from X users. She said it took just seconds to restore them all. Firefox: The browser for tab hoarders.

When smart turns dumb: After 16 years, Ecobee is phasing out its oldest thermostat models, the EB-STAT-02 and EB-EMS-02. After July 31, 2024, they’ll still work as basic thermostats but will lose all server-linked features. Have one? Check the support page to see if you’re eligible for 30% off a newer model.

TY-3R is a Chinese drone that turns into a lifebuoy to rescue drowning swimmers. It spots trouble with a 720p camera, lands on water, transforms into a flotation device and then signals rescuers. It’s also pretty strong — it can take off in heavy winds and support up to two adults at once.