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Breaking news and tips

Talk to your kids about online predators before it’s too late

This number makes me sick. The FBI says 90% of sexual advances against kids happen in chatrooms or on instant messaging platforms.  Now more than ever, it’s important to talk to your kids about online predators.

The thing is these creeps have all kinds of tactics. Today, I’m sharing a few stories you can pass along to your family. If this keeps one person safe, I did my job.

✅ Bait and switch

This past week in Glendale, Arizona, a 37-year-old man asked a 14-year-old girl walking home from school for her phone number. She was clever: She gave him her mom’s number instead.

Later that day, he started texting. The girl’s mother answered, and then the police took over as he requested naked pics and asked her to keep their convo a secret. They set up a meeting, and the pervert was arrested. 

Arm them with info. Discuss with your kids how to refuse when a stranger asks for their phone number, email address or social media handle. If they don’t feel safe saying no, tell them to give the requestor your info instead.

✅ To catch a catfish

A 26-year-old used Snapchat and Instagram to groom teen girls. Alexander McCartney pretended to be their age, then he spent a lot of time and energy becoming a close “friend.” Eventually, he’d request explicit images.

Tragically, a 12-year-old victim took her life after McCartney coerced her and her sister into sending him adult photos. Eighteen months later, the victim’s father took his life, as well. Heartbreaking.

McCartney was found guilty of a staggering 185 charges, including online child sexual abuse, blackmail and manslaughter.

Warn your kids about catfishing. Online, it’s easy for predators to pretend to be just about anyone to get what they want. When my son, Ian, was younger (and to this day), I made sure he knew he’d never, ever be in trouble if he told me someone asked him to do something that made him feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

✅ Game over

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🧘 It’s National Stress Awareness Day

A walk outside (with my funny podcast!) goes a long way. Need more? All these finds are under $20.

  • Clip a page-turner onto your Kindle so you can stay comfy in bed while you get through that cozy mystery.
  • Put a USB-powered travel diffuser in your car, breathe in the essential oils, and don’t flip off that truck that just cut you off.
  • Spray this aromatherapy mist on your pillow before bedtime for max relaxation mode. Bonus: Spritz the whole house and make everyone else relax, too.
  • Give your room a warm glow with a dimmable Himalayan salt lamp (10% off). There’s a reason these things are always in yoga studios.
  • These aromatherapy steamers make showers even more relaxing. As they dissolve, they release the smell of eucalyptus and menthol.

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

No, you’re not being arrested

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Apparently, you’re ‘wanted by the feds’ — or so the latest scam says! It’s as fake as it sounds, but some people are actually paying up.

🧹 Refresh your iPad without losing your stuff: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset, then pick Reset All Settings. This will return your network, keyboard dictionary, location and privacy settings to their factory defaults. Choose one or go for a full reset. DO NOT tap Erase All Content and Settings unless you’re ready to lose everything.

🎬 Plot twist: “Here” follows Tom Hanks and Robin Wright across a 60-year span, with de-aging done entirely by AI. A few years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible without Marvel-level budgets. Now? They’re pulling it off for $50 million. The trailer gave me goosebumps! At least there are still some scenes with real actors.

‘Here’ official trailer

🎬 Plot twist: “Here” follows Tom Hanks and Robin Wright across a 60-year span, de-aged entirely by AI. A few years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible without Marvel-level budgets. Now? They’re pulling it off for $50 million. The trailer gave me goosebumps!

Apple just dropped the update to test your hearing: You’ll need a pair of AirPods Pro 2 and an iPhone running iOS 18.1. Go to Settings > AirPods Pro > Take a Hearing Test. If hearing loss is detected, turn on hearing aid features under Settings > AirPods Pro > Hearing Assistance. FYI: The test takes about 10 minutes, and you’ll need to remain in a quiet room; otherwise, you’ll have to start over. Spoiler: This only works if you have mild to moderate hearing loss.

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

The internet couldn’t stop this death

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New York killed Peanut, the internet’s favorite squirrel. His owner is outraged. Plus, shady ‘I am not a robot’ scams, AI models stealing the spotlight in fashion, and why Microsoft’s throwing $1 million prize at you… just to use Bing.

Trivia

When you set up your iPhone, invisible dots create a detailed map of your face so you can open your phone just by looking at it. How many dots are used to map a face? Is it … A.) 7,500, B.) 18,000, C.) 30,000 or D.) 50,000?

Find the answer here!

Netflix and bookmark: Now you can send a scene that made you LOL to someone right from your phone. On the Netflix app, tap the new Moments button at the bottom, and the scene will be saved in your My Netflix tab. Share them with your friends through text, email or social media.

Your phone’s secret app privacy report

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Wondering if an app is tapping into your camera, clipboard, or contacts? Your phone has a report that shows which apps might be crossing the line on privacy.

By the numbers

11 minutes, 21 seconds

How long an F-35 jet flew on its own after the pilot ejected too early. An electrical malfunction made the pilot think the $135 million jet was out of control. As it turns out, the F-35 was still flyable. Everyone is OK, but how’d you like to explain this to your superior?

Weight loss drugs sold online can make you sick

“Drop 10 pounds before Thanksgiving!” That’s all over my social media feeds because I was a dope and clicked on a video of a gal showing off her svelte new figure.

Ads for Ozempic and other weight loss meds are everywhere. The weight loss drug biz is a $100 billion industry. I know a bunch of people who have taken Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus or one of the other options, and I bet you do, too.

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Speaking of Amazon: Bad news if you got a new Kindle Colorsoft — many people are complaining about the bottom of the color display having a yellowish tint. If you own one, contact their support for a refund or replacement. Replacements ship out next week.

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

Is it spam? Google analyzes billions of URLs every day and adds spammy ones to a list. Paste a link in here to see if it’s been flagged.

Trivia

How does the computing power of your smartphone compare to the guidance computer aboard the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar module? Is it … A.) About as powerful, B.) 120 times more powerful, C) 12,000 times more powerful or D.) 120,000 times more powerful?

Find the answer here!

📦 Coming in hot: Amazon just got the FAA greenlight to fly new, smaller delivery drones that cross into pilots’ line of sight. First stop: Tolleson, a city west of Phoenix (not near me … yet). Fingers crossed this MK30 model is quieter than the others. Locals, no skeet shooting for prizes!

AI window-washing robots make their U.S. debut in Dallas

🧽 Window washing 2.0: Cleaning high-rise windows is risky work, but a spider-like AI robot is about to change that. Named after those gravity-defying mountain goats, Ibex only needs a button press to get to work. It climbs buildings, using cameras and sensors to scan surfaces, dodge window frames and leave no spot untouched. The robots are already in Texas, so don’t be surprised if they pop up everywhere soon.

By the numbers

$1,000,000 prize

Through the Microsoft Rewards sweepstakes program. Use their products, like Bing, Edge (a sacrifice, I know) and Xbox Game Pass for points. You can earn up to 200 entries. Sign up here for five. Bing is like store-brand cereal; it barely does the job, and you never want it again.

Another example of AI doing the work of humans: Big retailers are using AI combined with real-time weather data to time ads and discounts. Take Walmart: This year, they dropped sunscreen prices a couple of weeks early after the AI algorithm noticed rain was all over the country. Normally, inventory analysts would do this work.