Ship happens

December 14, 2024

Ship happens: Google’s shiny new AI assistant, Mariner, will take over Chrome to do stuff like book flights, fill out forms and do your shopping without you doing a thing. It can’t fill out credit card or billing info “for privacy reasons.” (Google actually had the gall to say that!) Watch the prototype in action here.

Tags: AI (artificial intelligence), Google, Google Chrome, Google Mariner, privacy, smart assistants

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Set up your Wi-Fi for easy sharing with guests

You’ve got a turkey in the oven, presents need to be wrapped, and your cousin’s kid screams (again), “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” You’re juggling a hundred things at once, and the last thing you want to do is to spell out your password.

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The truth behind smart driving programs and what they track

I’ll bet your insurance company has sent this one your way: “Drive safely, get rewarded. Sign up for our smart driving program today!” You’ve got a squeaky clean driving record, so what’s the harm?

Smart driving programs track your driving habits and give you discounts for being a good driver. But there’s more to it than just saving a few bucks. Buckle up — I’ll break it down for you.

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🍎 Secret spot to hide pics: On an iPhone, use the Notes app. Open the pic in your Photos app, tap the share icon and select Add to Quick Note. Then, go into the note you want to protect, tap the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner, and choose Lock.

That’s rich: Spend Bill Gates’ Money is a funny browser game that shows you just how much $100,000,000,000 can buy. Oof, 109 Super Bowl ads, a couple of yachts and 250 McDonald’s franchises didn’t even make a dent.

📺 For your weekend binge: Check the time commitment before you let someone lure you into the extended-cut “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Bingeclock is great for movies. Tiii.me has TV show times. Btw, 11 hours and 22 minutes for LOTR.

What the heck is that? Use Google Lens to find out. Think of it as a smarter version of Google Image Search you can use IRL. Open the Google app on your phone (links here iPhone and Android) and tap the camera icon next to the microphone. Snap a pic and Google will search the web for matches.

👀 For your eyes only: The holidays mean a house full of family, friends and curious little ones. With all the hustle and bustle, get into the habit of locking your computer every time you get up. On Windows, press the Windows key + L. On Mac, hit Ctrl + Cmd + Q.

🤑 It’s cozy-up-with-a-book season: If you have Amazon Prime, grab two free e-books from their monthly First Reads selections. It’s early access to popular new books. Sweet!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Nifty YouTube shortcuts: Press M to mute or unmute a video, K to pause or play a video, and F to enter or exit full-screen mode. While you’re there, follow my channel so you never miss a vid.

What the …? Kia’s U.S. privacy policy says they can collect info about your “medical condition, physical or mental disability,” “religious or philosophical beliefs” and “the contents of certain mail, emails and text messages.” Check Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included site for a recap of your carmaker’s policies.