Clippy’s final form: “Vibe working” is coming to Word and Excel. Microsoft’s new Agent Mode uses GPT-5 to build entire spreadsheets and docs just from a prompt, while narrating its every move. There’s even a PowerPoint mode that makes decks and does its own research. Somewhere, an intern just burst into tears of joy.
The privacy threat no one blocks
ChatGPT
You mention Antarctica once. Just a throwaway joke near your phone, “Wouldn’t it be cool to go freeze my face off?” Suddenly, your phone, laptop, smart TV, smart speaker and even your fridge are pitching you parkas like it’s QVC Arctic Edition. 🥶
Chances are, you were hit by ultrasonic cross-device tracking.
This high-frequency sound is too high for your ears to notice, but it connects your devices without your knowledge. No clicks. No cookies. Just vibes.
🎯 What is ultrasonic tracking?
It’s audio surveillance in stealth mode. Ultrasonic tones (usually 18–22 kHz) are baked into ads, websites and retail kiosks. It’s crazy smart. You won’t hear the tone, but your devices do.
Advertisers use it to link your laptop, phone, smart TV and speaker together as belonging to one person. That’s how you get hyper-targeted ads across your devices and platforms.
🩵 Why marketers love it
Because it’s invisible and almost no one’s blocking it. Unlike cookies, this doesn’t ask for permission. You can’t even hear it, how are you supposed to know it’s going on?
The FTC isn’t thrilled about this tech. They issued warnings to companies using it without proper disclosure, especially those embedding code into apps and ads. Marketers are still pushing the limits, quietly experimenting without you clicking a thing.
🛑 How to protect yourself
The basic steps might vary by device. If it’s not exactly where I say, just poke around. You’ll find it.
✅ Limit mic access on your devices
Free cloud storage: What you really get and what to do when it runs out
Bing Image Creator
You set your phone to back up photos, turn on file sync, and next thing you know, you get a message: “Storage full.” Wait, what the heck happened?
Let’s clear up your cloud storage confusion.
💸 Cancel sneaky subscriptions: Bet you’re still funding some random app you forgot about. On iPhone, go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions and cancel away. Android? Open Play Store > profile > Payments and subscriptions. A few taps, and bam, you’ve got extra coffee money each month.
🔥 Keep your Fire TV Stick updated: Running the latest software fixes bugs, improves performance and prevents apps from crashing. Go to Settings > My Fire TV (or Device & Software) > About > Check for System Update. Once it’s done downloading, your system should restart and run smoothly.
Remove ads in File Explorer: Windows 11 sometimes slips in ads for OneDrive and other Microsoft services. To turn them off, open This PC, click the three-dot menu at the top, and select Options. In the new window, go to the View tab > Advanced settings, untick Show sync provider notifications, then hit Apply and OK.
🥊 Google Drive fights ransomware: Using Drive for desktop? A new AI security feature senses ransomware tampering with your files and pauses syncing to stop the damage. You get alerts on your PC and email, and your cloud files stay safe until you restore them. The catch: It only works on certain Google Workspace plans.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Don’t feel like typing? In Google Docs, press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + S on Mac to start voice typing. Works in Chrome, Safari and Edge and most programs, too.
💻 Revive that old laptop for free: Got a dusty Mac or PC lying around? Install ChromeOS Flex and turn it into a Chromebook-like machine that runs smoothly on minimal resources. Perfect for email, browsing, calls and streaming. Bonus: Google Docs works offline, too. All it takes is a USB. Here’s how to do it. Yea, this tip alone was worth the price of this newsletter.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
AI isn’t waiting for you. Download NetSuite’s free guide, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning,” to make informed decisions and ensure your business thrives in the AI era.
🌐 Stop overpaying for internet: Run a speed test and check if it matches what you’re paying for. Then Google other ISPs and compare. Call your provider, drop the “I might switch” line and watch them magically lower your bill or bump your speed. Gotta love a little competition.
🚨 Update your iPhone right now: iOS 26.0.1 is out, fixing Wi-Fi glitches, cell dropouts, camera bugs and more. It also patches a security flaw hackers could’ve used. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install. PSA: iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro got updates, too.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Use your mouse wheel button like a shortcut key. Middle-click any link to open it into a new tab, or middle-click an open tab to close it right away.
Turn off sleep mode in Windows 11: Go to Settings > System > Power > Screen, sleep & hibernation timeouts. Set Turn my screen off after, Make my device sleep after and Make my device hibernate after all to Never. But if you’re on a laptop, this will drain the battery when it’s not charging.
📧 Search Gmail by date: Pull up emails from a specific time frame using the search bar. For example, type: after:2025/08/01 before:2025/10/01 to see emails from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, 2025.
Fix the iPad pointer: After updating to iPadOS 26, see an annoying circle cursor instead of an arrow? To switch back, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch, and toggle off AssistiveTouch. That’ll restore the arrow. Now go to Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control to adjust size and color again.
OpenAI adds parental safety controls: After a slew of lawsuits and deaths, ChatGPT will now flag suicidal prompts from teens, with one big but: Both you and the kids have to opt in first. If something happens, human reviewers step in and alerts go out. Oh, you can also block ChatGPT past bedtime. Remember when you were a teen? Yea, they can get around these controls without a problem.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Some power banks charge your phone while recharging. To find out if yours can, search the make and model online for “pass-through charging.” Handy when you’ve only got one outlet.
📚 Make Kindle pages cleaner: Ever notice a faint imprint of the last page after you turn? Fix it by forcing a full refresh each time. Go to All Settings > Home and Library > Reading Options > Page Refresh. FYI: It may nibble a bit more battery, but you’ll barely notice.
📱 Pay less for iPhone repairs: Out-of-warranty? Go to support.apple.com/repair and check for independent repair providers near you. They use official Apple parts but charge less than Apple Stores.