🛒 ChatGPT goes checkout: If you’re in the U.S., you can buy Etsy stuff inside ChatGPT. Shopify’s next. It’s single-item for now, Stripe handles payment, and merchants pay the fee, not you. Amazon and Walmart aren’t playing (yet).
Sora 2: The AI video tool that’s already out of control
Hawking - @DrClownPhD on X, JFK - @dailysopranosofficial on TikTok, Mr. Rogers and Tupac - @itsthegthang and @euphanasiamusic on Instagram
I have to tell you about Sora 2. It’s OpenAI’s new video-generating app that’s both mind-blowing and terrifying.
It’s the first tool from any AI company that lets you give it a prompt, and in literally seconds, you get a full-blown, AI-generated video up to a minute long. The results aren’t perfect, but they’re close. Like Hollywood close.
The lighting, camera motion, facial expressions, it’s all shockingly realistic.
Want to see a golden retriever surfing through Times Square in slow motion? Done. A drone shot of a city being built out of clouds? Easy.
🎭 Dead celebrities
People are using Sora 2 to generate fake videos of dead celebrities doing things they never did.
- JFK is deepfaked into a WWE superstar.
👉 Watch it on TikTok - Tupac appears with Mr. Rogers talking about respect.
👉 Watch it on Instagram - Stephen Hawking is attacked in the UFC. Warning: I knew this was all AI, but it was still upsetting to watch. Weird, right?
👉 Watch it on X - Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is shoplifting GPUs from Target.
👉 Watch it on Instagram
I’m sure you know that under U.S. law, “defaming” someone only applies to living people, not the dead. That means families and estates have no legal recourse when someone uses AI to humiliate or misrepresent their loved one. It’s a free-for-all right now, and no one’s accountable.
Even creepier?
Sora is also being used for stalking and impersonation. All it takes is a photo, and you can make a video of anyone doing anything. Fake crimes, revenge content, political lies, it’s all possible. I have a warning about that and a fix for you in tomorrow’s newsletter.
😱 Zero guardrails
OpenAI says you need permission to use a person’s face or voice. Yea, like that’s going to stop someone.
The great Bitcoin dumpster fire
Bing
Picture this: It’s 2013. A guy named James Howells from Newport, Wales, is cleaning up his office and accidentally throws out an old hard drive. No big deal, right?
Wrong.
🍏 Take calls on your iPad: You don’t always need to grab your iPhone to answer. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices and toggle Allow Calls on Other Devices. Make sure both devices use the same Apple ID, then select your iPad. Remember to keep them nearby and on the same Wi-Fi.
Holiday cash: How to create & sell T-shirts without ever touching inventory
ChatGPT
Let’s talk T-shirts. Not the boring kind. I’m talking about clever, seasonal, giftable shirts people actually want to buy.
Whether it’s a “Dear Santa, I Can Explain…,” “Sleigh My Name, Sleigh My Name” or “Resting Grinch Face” tee, custom tops make great holiday gifts. And thanks to AI and print-on-demand, you can start a T-shirt side hustle from your couch.
Print for free at libraries: Why drop cash on a printer you’ll use twice a year? Many local libraries let you print 10-20 pages a day for free. Search libraries.org to find one near you, then call to confirm. Perfect for last-minute forms or that “oops” school project.
Nothing to see here: Wish we could go back to the good old days of the internet, when nobody was watching or tracking everything we did? We can! I use ExpressVPN to keep my activity private and shielded from prying eyes. Reclaim your digital freedom today and get 4 months FREE!
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Stepping away from your desk? On Windows, press the Windows key + L to lock your screen without closing apps. On Mac, press Control + Command + Q to do the same.
Student discounts rock: Got a kid in school? Their .edu email or student ID unlocks deals on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium, Hulu and more. Example: Hulu with ads drops from $9.99 to $1.99 a month. Easy win.
🔑 See your Wi-Fi password: No more squinting or digging through sticky notes. On iPhone, open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi and select your current network. Long-press the password field and hit Show in Large Type. Ta-da, your Wi-Fi password appears in big, colorful letters, perfect for typing into that smart TV.
Organize Kindle books: Your Kindle doesn’t have to be chaos. Create Collections (mini folders) to keep your favorite reads together. In your Library, select the three-dot icon on a book, choose Add to/remove from Collection, hit (+), name it, tap Create and Save. Then repeat with other books to add them.
💻 Time to leave Windows 10: Support ends Oct. 14, and even with an extra year of security updates, it’s best to move on. To upgrade, go to Settings > Update & Security and click Download and install Windows 11 (at the top). Don’t see it? Get the Windows 11 Installation Assistant online and follow the steps. Need a new PC? Here are my picks.
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Powerful, fast and hassle-free. OCI, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, gives you serious speed, big power and smart savings. No cloud drama, no headaches, just reliable performance. Discover why businesses are making the switch, and try it free today.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: If an app, service or your internet seems down, check Downdetector. Search the name to see current outages along with problems reported in the past few hours. And if there are none, reboot your device.
Raycon’s anniversary means 20% off the Everyday Earbuds Classic! I love their comfy fit, Active Noise Cancellation, Awareness mode and up to 32 hours of battery life. Grab a pair with my link and see why fans love them: BuyRaycon.com/KIM.
🦆 Ducking autocorrect: Nothing’s worse than your phone “fixing” words you meant to type. On iOS, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement to add your own. On Android, go to Settings > System > Keyboard > Personal dictionary. Or just type the word, tap it in the suggestions bar, and teach your phone who’s boss.
Cable hoarding pays off: That tangle of old cords in your junk drawer? Some are weirdly valuable. GameCube cables can fetch $200, and even a dusty SCSI might score $50. Before you toss that HDMI doppelgänger, check eBay, nerds will pay. Turns out nostalgia is profitable, and so is not cleaning your garage for 15 years. Check here to see how much your old cables are worth.
📖 Make your Kindle feel like a real book: Love this little change. Go to Settings > Screen and brightness > Show covers on lock screen.
Ears the catch: Apple’s new Live Translation feature is finally coming to older AirPods (yay!), but there’s a catch. It only works if you also have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. So unless you’ve got a $1K+ phone and the right earbuds and iOS 26, it’s back to Google Translate and hand gestures. Or get the new AirPod 3s. The heart sensing and live translation is so good.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
A cloud in space: At Tech Week, Jeff Bezos said the AI boom will push massive data centers into orbit within 20 years. Basically, solar-powered, gigawatt clusters will beam information back by laser. He swears they’ll beat Earth’s power costs. Oh, a wild footnote from that talk? He predicts millions of people living in space, too.