In subscription fees, if automakers have their way. Yup, soon you’ll be forking over cash for subscriptions and on-demand features like autonomous driving (paywall link). Vroom, cha-ching!
Tags: automakers/carmakers, cars/autos, driving, features, Link, money, paywall, subscriptions
Bond Touch keeps you close to the ones you love with wearables that let you share physical touch
It sounds like futuristic science fiction – people who are physically apart, but able to send a “touch.” But it’s real.
Smart speakers are great: But if you’re worried about accidental (or intentional) eavesdropping, find and use the mic mute and camera shutter buttons on your devices. On an Echo, the light will turn red to indicate the mic is off.
AI on duty: Taser-maker Axon just launched (paywall link) an AI tool that automatically transcribes body cam audio into police reports. Less paperwork, sure, but we all know AI is notorious for skipping or even inventing details. Doubt this one is ready for primetime.
AI can now tell if your political leanings are conservative or liberal using just your face. Algorithm VGGFace2 can suss you out with over 70% accuracy. Apparently, liberals have smaller lower faces, while conservatives’ faces are typically larger and wider. And independent voters? Theirs go straight down the middle. OK, I made that one up.
Shocking electric bills? Use a thermal leak detector or an infrared camera attachment for your smartphone to identify where heat is escaping. You can fix these energy wasters with insulation or draft stoppers. Not sure how? Head to YouTube for how-to videos. Figure this out before summer hits!
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Looking for a file? Hit the Windows key and start typing its name. That’s it. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar and start typin’. So simple and saves so much time.
💸 Use YouTube Premium? You might be paying more than you have to. Buy through an iPhone or iPad to block all those YouTube ads, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s only $13.99. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.
WFH to WFP (work from phone): Google Meet’s new “Switch here” feature lets you switch from your phone to your desktop without dropping the call. If you’re on a live meeting, just click to Join the meeting on your other device and you’ll see Switch here. Sweet.
Here VR: Apple is cutting production on the augmented reality Vision Pro headset. An analyst says Apple only expects to sell half of its original estimate of 700,000 to 800,000 units this year. Here’s hoping this flop leads to a cheaper model or at least a price drop. Not many people can spend $3,500.
Get off my PC: The latest Windows 11 update crams ads for apps into the “recommended” section of the Start Menu. Yes, it’s on by default. I’ve got the fix: Go into Settings and select Personalization > Start. Then, toggle off “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more.”
