insert your own amount of sarcasm Who would have thought that meeting someone in real life is better than on an app?
Small-but-mighty household helpers
I love the little things that make life easier.
- Toss this little silicone cactus (38% off) in the dryer. It gathers up hair, reduces wrinkles and softens fabric.
- A magnetic cord for your AirPods when you want to be extra safe (like when traveling or during a jog).
- A bestselling carpet cleaner that works on every kind of stain. It’s 59% off, too.
- Skinny brushes (under $6) made for grout, windows and other slim spots. This is your sign to throw out the crusty toothbrush you’ve been using.
- Love a good twofer — here’s a pretty coffee bag clip with a built-in scoop.
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🚴 Have an e-bike? Here’s one thing that ruins the battery: Letting it drain completely before you recharge. Lithium-ion batteries perform best when kept charged between 20% to 80%. Keep your e-bike inside, too, once the temps drop for winter. Anything below 32 degrees is no bueno for your battery life.
How to check your phone's expiration date
Your phone won’t last forever. There’s a site that will tell you when yours hits end of life.
I got a kick out of this: Football player Travis Kelce’s dad is banned for life on X. He posted (on Facebook!) about the hypocrisy of arms dealers in Yemen selling weapons on the platform when all he really did was follow sports reporters. X hasn’t given him a clear reason — just a generic Terms of Service violation.
How many 8.5-by-11-inch pages could you print using only one standard black ink cartridge on the lowest print quality setting, with 350 words per page, all in 12-point Times New Roman? Is it … A.) 100, B.) 300, C.) 600 or D.) 1,100 pages?
$5 million
Fine for fake plastic surgery reviews. Seattle-based Dr. Javad Sajan will pay restitution to 21,000 victims after he forced them to sign nondisclosure agreements and threatened them when they left bad reviews. If you’re getting a life-changing procedure, do your research — and not just on the doc’s website.
AI brings dead celebs back to life
Well, kinda… Hollywood is spending millions to resurrect the likeness of screen legends like Judy Garland with AI. Creepy or fine? Plus, YouTube’s new pause ads, why to skip the blue light filter, and a warning for iPad Pro owners: iOS 18 is bricking devices!
Google’s deleting inactive Gmail accounts
Don’t let your digital life vanish! Many tech companies are deleting profiles, and you could lose everything. Here’s why.
Father takes on website after son's tragic death
This episode discusses suicide. If you’re struggling, reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You’re not alone.
Last year, Brett Allred’s world shattered when his 23-year-old son, Riley, took his own life. While searching Riley’s phone for memories, Brett found screenshots of a website with step-by-step instructions on how to die. Now, he’s on a mission to shut it down.
Copy that: On your computer, double-click with your mouse or trackpad to highlight a word, or triple-click to highlight an entire paragraph. Simple little life-changer!
📼 Cassettes have A and B sides, and they were replaced by the CD: Big-time artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo are releasing new music on cassette tapes so Gen Z can discover that nostalgic crackling sound (paywall link). Surprise, they have no idea how to use them! Pro tip: Get the teen in your life a Walkman for cool points.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
‘90s party at Polly’s: New to Airbnb, a life-sized Polly Pocket house in Massachusetts to celebrate her 35th birthday. You can try on clothes, make bracelets, and glam up with press-on nails and butterfly hair clips. The catch? Just like Polly’s house, there’s no roof, shower or blankets. You’ll be roughing it on a pullout couch.
Clone your voice in 15 minutes
A new iPhone feature can make a copy of your voice. Could scammers use it for deepfakes? A German company will freeze your body for over $200,000, hoping to bring you back to life later. Plus, Taco Bell brings AI to the drive-thru, and be wary of fake Facebook stores.
Amazon is losing billions on Alexa
Amazon sold Echos below cost, hoping for more Alexa shopping. Spoiler: it didn’t work. Venmo transactions aren’t private, and how your ‘digital twin’ could save your life. Also, Phil from Indiana isn’t happy about his ex-wife FaceTiming their kids at his place.
An 82-year-old woman almost lost $3 million in a gold bar scam: First, she was swindled out of nearly $1 million of her life savings. A pop-up ad on her PC scared her into calling a fake federal agent. The “agent” said her money was in danger and would only be safe if she converted it to gold. Good news: Just as she was ready to hand over another $2 million in gold bars, they caught the 19-year-old scum behind this.
🌟 Celeb appreciation: Morgan Freeman thanked fans on X for exposing a TikTokker using AI to mimic his voice. The woman pretending to be his “nepo niece” (a relative who benefits from someone’s fame) used fake Morgan to narrate her day-in-the-life video. The clip pulled in hundreds of thousands of likes. Crazy.
🤝 I want to be your secret helper and mentor: If you have an issue, problem or question about your tech, digital life or business, I would love to help you. Ask me your questions here on my site. I read every single note.
Which of these is not a current NASA mission? Is it … A.) Chips that create 3D skin and organ tissue, B.) Fully automated plant growth on the ISS, C.) A shoebox-sized satellite studying the universe’s most powerful explosions or D.) Mars surface ocean exploration?