Redacted: If you ever send a password to a colleague, family member or friend in a chat or text, delete the message after they’ve copied it. There are more secure ways to share a password, but let’s be honest: Everyone shares them this way (even me!).
Your new AI creepy friend
Feeling lonely? The new $99 AI necklace, Friend, is here to keep you company and ask you questions. Here’s my take on it.
45 days of parental leave
Can be transferred to a friend or family member in Sweden. Folks will earn 80% of their salary by looking after their grandkids. Sweden was the first country to allow parental leave, so maybe this benefit will spread to other countries, too. It makes perfect sense!
🔥 Don’t buy off-brand or cheap accessories: A 16-year-old girl was watching a movie at a friend’s house when she heard a sizzle and looked down to see her sweatshirt on fire. Her portable phone charger had exploded. Thankfully, the girls are OK, and firefighters arrived in time to put out the flames.
Calling all cat owners: There’s a line of self-cleaning litter boxes that could put your furry friend in danger. A sensor issue means cats can get stuck inside during the cleaning process. The litter boxes are sold under generic names and haven’t been officially recalled. More details and pics here.
“My phone died. Can I use yours?” It’s a trick spreading quickly across the country. Someone who’s clearly frazzled asks if they can call a friend on your phone to pick them up because their car won’t start. You unlock your device, hand it over and that person runs away with it.
🎸 Show Michael some love: He’s my friend, a big-time radio industry guy and a musician. His band, Gunhill Road, made a super-interesting song about AI that explores the what-ifs we’re all thinking about. Check it out and leave him a nice comment!
A no-brainer if you have a dog: Fido Alert is like an Amber Alert for pets. Register your furry friend and you’ll get a free ID tag that includes a QR code. If your pet goes missing, alert the Fido network. Then, if someone scans the QR code, they’ll get your contact info and you’ll get a notification. I keep an AirTag on my golden, Abby, and she wears a smart collar.
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👩🏼🏫 Gen Z’s latest craze? PowerPoint presentation parties (paywall link). Guests whip up literal slideshows on weird, wacky topics and show them to the group. It’s all about flexing creativity, getting some laughs and reliving high-school nostalgia (or nightmares). One of my favorite topic prompts: “Predictions for how each friend here will end up in jail.”
Your own worst enemy: A 21-year-old Harvard dropout made an AI necklace called Friend. For $99, it listens to everything and throws out comments or suggestions, like, “That conversation seemed awkward for you.” He blew nearly $2.5 million in investors’ money to buy the Friend.com domain. That was dumb … like the invention.
🗞️ Trust fall: Science says you’re more likely to believe fake news from an acquaintance than your best friend. That’s why so many scammers pose as long-lost classmates or distant relatives. Focusing instead on who’s sharing — not what’s being shared — could be the best way to stop fake news.
❤️ An MIT expert warns: Don’t fall in love with an AI chat companion. The bots aren’t capable of caring about you, and the fake intimacy is setting folks up for unrealistic expectations in the real world. An AI friend, sure, but end it there, folks.
Fake your location to get the lowest prices: A friend of mine in Phoenix booked a rental car in the U.K. It was $955. I told her to try this trick. She used her VPN to change her location to the U.K. and the same car for the same dates was $322. Just another reason why you need ExpressVPN on all your devices. Use this link to get three months free.
What a trip: An American Airlines passenger’s lost suitcase turned up in a Hollywood homeless encampment. After flying from Dallas, her AirTag tracked the bag’s detour to Denver, back to Dallas, then to Burbank and somehow into central L.A. How it happened is still a mystery. Her friend recovered the bag by paying off a local, who had the woman’s lost belongings in a shopping cart.
Amber Alert for your pets
You definitely don’t want your furry friends to go missing. But just in case, here’s a system you should set up to keep them safe.
🎶 She’s working 9-to-5: Don’t even think about DMing, texting or calling Dolly Parton. She’s a faxing kind of gal. Dolly says it saves her time and keeps things simple with so many people trying to reach her. Miley Cyrus says Dolly faxed her to ask for a collab. Speaking of … My friend, Joe, recently started the Dolly Parton diet. It’s really made Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe lean, Joe le‑e‑e‑a‑a‑a‑an.
Attention, Kia owners: Park outside, not in the garage. Almost 50,000 Telluride SUVs (model years 2020-2024) have a flaw in the power seats that could start a fire. If your car is impacted, you’ll get a letter in the mail by July 30. In all, Kia has recalled 462,869 Telluride SUVs due to risks. My friend, Marty, had a DeLorean he drove from time to time.
Mom needs to be a mom: Instead of being strong with her 12-year-old son, an Ohio mom is suing the makers of Fortnite and the Madden NFL game series over her son’s gaming addiction. He’s glued to the screen up to 10 hours a day (paywall link), leading to severe emotional distress, a shrinking friend circle and serious anger flare-ups. PSA: Take away the gaming console, put the kid in counseling and grow a set.
$6,000 per ticket
To fly BarkAir. The dog-first airline sounds like a joke, but it’s totally real. It’s a private charter where you and your best friend are treated like royalty. Routes are super limited, but you can request one if you and the pup need a getaway. Hmm … How do I get them to sponsor Abby and me?