🤯 Planet ChatGPT: According to researchers from OpenAI, Duke and Harvard, over 700 million people use ChatGPT monthly. That’s about one in 10 adults (paywall link) on Earth. Sam Altman just updated that to 800 million weekly users, firing off 2.5 billion messages a day. For context, that’s about 29,000 “write me a poem about my ex” requests every second.
When robots start flying us
Reliable Robotics
Imagine boarding a plane, looking toward the cockpit … and no one’s there. No captain, no copilot. Just empty seats and a glowing dashboard. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Nope, it’s real, and it’s already flying.
A company called Reliable Robotics (paywall link) just pulled it off with a Cessna 208B Caravan. This is a rugged, workhorse aircraft used by FedEx and small airlines across the country. We’re talking 41 feet long, a 52-foot wingspan and a payload capacity of 3,600 pounds. It can carry nine people or a whole lot of packages. This isn’t some toy drone.
The entire flight, from taxi, takeoff, cruise, all the way to landing, lasted about 12 minutes, and not one human touched the controls. The “pilot” was 50 miles away, watching everything from a control center on the ground. Amazing, right?
🛩️ From aviators to algorithms
This is major. The FAA just gave Reliable Robotics the green light to keep autopilot running through the riskiest parts of a flight, not just cruising altitude. We’re talking gate-to-gate, no hands on the controls.
The company already got a $17 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to test this tech on military transport planes. The big-picture goal? Cut down on human error, ease the pilot shortage and bring service to smaller airports that can’t staff full crews.
Think emergency deliveries, remote access and cargo flights that don’t stop for lunch breaks.
🤓 Houston, we have a bot
Let’s get real. What happens if the comms link drops midair? Or a freak storm rolls in? Who takes the blame if something goes sideways: the airline, the coder or the joystick jockey back on land? All great questions for sure.
Reliable says their setup is “airframe agnostic,” which means it could work on just about any plane from Amazon Air workhorses to full-size commercial jets. Full FAA certification is the goal by 2028, and this isn’t a far-off idea. It’s happening. Right now.
🙋♀️ So here’s the question I’m asking you, and I want your honest answer: Would you feel safer in a robotic plane or a human-piloted one? When you rate the newsletter at the end, let me know in a comment. Be sure to include your email address if you want to come on my show and talk about it. That’s so fun!
California’s new opt‑out a win (if you live there)
ChatGPT
Kim K. in Calabasas, CA, asked if California’s new browser privacy law means she no longer needs Incogni, a sponsor of my national radio show. Great question. First, yes, I did check to see if that “K” stood for Kardashian. No response … yet. 😏
Share internet from your PC: On Windows, you can turn your computer into a hotspot for your phone. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot. Under Share my internet connection from, pick Ethernet or Wi-Fi, then choose to Share over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Toggle it on and get the password from the Mobile hotspot page.
📄 Install Google Docs as an app: You can get quicker access to Docs on your PC. In Chrome, open Google Docs, click the three-dot menu in the top right, and scroll to Cast, save and share. Select Install page as app and confirm. It’ll show up on your desktop and open like a stand-alone app.
📸 Try the new Photos app: On iPadOS 26, Photos got a big makeover. The sidebar now lets you jump from Library to Collections, and you can reorder sections by tapping Edit (top left). For example, drag Videos above Favorites in the Pinned area. See a hexagon icon on a pic? Tap it to add a 3D effect.
🚨 Live alone, not in fear: Whether you’re in an apartment, condo or your dream home, living solo doesn’t mean feeling unsafe. SimpliSafe’s award-winning security gives you 24/7 peace of mind with no contracts or hardwiring. You can set it up yourself in minutes or have a pro install it for you. For a limited time, get 50% off. I trust SimpliSafe, and you can, too.
Block pop-ups in Chrome: On mobile Chrome, you can stop those annoying pop-ups and redirects. On Android, tap the three-dot icon > Settings > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects. On iPhone, go to Settings > Content Settings > Block Pop-ups. Heads up, this doesn’t block normal ads, just the extra spammy stuff.
🍥 Bun believable: What started as one woman selling her grandma’s cinnamon buns turned into Mav’s Top Buns, a New Jersey bakery that’s pulled in over $1 million and sold 500,000 buns in a year, all thanks to social media. No ads, no investors, just gooey carbs with a “bake it and post it” philosophy. This was a dangerous story to write at lunchtime.
📚 Translate text on Kindle: Tap and hold on a word to translate it, or drag the sliders to highlight a full passage. In the pop-up menu, slide left until you see Translation. At the top, set the languages (e.g., From Japanese to English) and voila, you’ve got instant descriptions.
📬 Copilot’s reading your Gmail: Microsoft’s Copilot can now peek into your Gmail, Drive and Calendar “to help you stay organized.” Translation: It’s reading your stuff so you don’t have to. Like a nosy neighbor offering to “recap” your mail, it might tidy things up, but you’re basically handing over a house key to your digital life.
Use ChatGPT on WhatsApp: You don’t need to open the app to prompt. In WhatsApp, go to the Chats screen, tap the green (+) icon, and select New Contact. Set the country code to the United States, enter (800) 242 8478, name it and tap Done. Tap the Message button, and ChatGPT will be verified and ready to go.
🥶 Freezing your credit isn’t enough anymore: It won’t stop thieves from opening bank accounts, filing fake taxes or stealing your identity. NordProtect goes steps further by monitoring the dark web, leaks and more. Protect what a freeze can’t. Try it now for 65% off.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Stop swiping all your open apps closed. Folks like to think that helps battery life, but it’s a myth. In fact, most apps are meant to keep running in the background.
Feeling left behind? Download NetSuite’s free knowledge drop, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. It’s not going anywhere.
Stop auto driver updates: On Windows 11, you don’t have to let updates mess with hardware that’s already working fine. Go to Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings. In System Properties, head to Hardware > Device Installation Settings, toggle No, and Save Changes. Very important: Don’t forget to manually check for security updates.
💬 Office warfare: Google rolled out Gemini Enterprise, their Microsoft Copilot. For $21 to $30 a month, it connects with tools like Google Workspace, Salesforce and Microsoft 365, so your team can literally talk to your data. Think: instant answers from emails, docs or CRM info, no tab-hopping required. If you’re drowning in spreadsheets, this is worth a serious look.
Surprise, you’re in the cloud: Starting now, if you open Word on Windows, it’ll autosave everything to OneDrive by default. No more “Save As,” it just uploads. Convenient for syncing across devices, maybe not great if you didn’t want your journal entries on Microsoft’s servers. Go to OneDrive > Settings > Sync and backup if you’re used to files living on your desktop.
📂 Choose default apps on iOS 26: Got multiple apps that can open the same file? Long-press it, tap Open With and pick your favorite (say Chrome instead of Preview). Want that app every time? Long-press again, tap Get Info, select Always Open With, choose your app and hit the blue tick in the top right.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Going overseas? Use WhatsApp or Signal for free messaging over Wi-Fi, and skip roaming fees entirely.