Zooming on the Autobahn

July 19, 2025

Zooming on the Autobahn: Mercedes-Benz is letting drivers hop on Microsoft Teams calls while driving. Yes, really. You can use the in-car camera to broadcast your face mid-merge, just no screen sharing (thankfully). It’s launching in the new CLA first, part of a push to make your car a third workspace. Because apparently, two weren’t exhausting enough.

Tags: driving, Microsoft Teams, screen, sharing, Teams

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Millennials are the newest scam target

Meta AI

(First, a weird image for this story, I know. I was playing around with Meta AI. Why? Coming on Monday, tips, tricks and don’ts of using AI to create art, logos and more. You don’t want to miss that newsletter!)

If you’re a millennial, or you love one from a safe financial distance, brace yourself: This age group is losing more money to scams than anyone else, boomers included.

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Folding phones, unfolding regrets

ChatGPT

I would love a foldable phone. It’s fun to imagine strutting into a coffee shop, flipping open your phone like you’re Batman calling Alfred.

But now Samsung’s dropped the seventh-gen Galaxy Z Fold and Flip, Google threw in the Pixel Fold, Motorola whipped out retro with the modern Razr+, and I’ve got questions.

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13

The number of autonomous vehicle companies Uber now has deals with. It currently counts companies like Waymo, Motional, Baidu, even delivery bots like Nuro, in its Infinity Gauntlet. Uber’s building the whole arena. Baidu alone ran 1.4 million robotaxi rides last quarter in China.

🛜 Full bars, slow internet? Those little Wi-Fi bars only show your connection to the router, not your internet speed. So even if they’re full, apps can run slower than a Monday morning. When in doubt, run a speed test and check if your download, upload and ping match what you’re paying for.

Even Queen Bey ain’t safe

ID 185132502 @ Fabio Diena | Dreamstime.com

You’d think Beyoncé’s secret files crew would be protected by a force field of security, privacy settings and Sasha Fierce energy. But nope, real-world crime doesn’t care how many Grammys you have.

Right before her recent Atlanta show, thieves smashed the glass of a rental Jeep used by her crew and made off with two suitcases. Inside? A laptop, five thumb drives filled with unreleased, watermarked music, confidential tour plans and one very important piece of tech.

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1%

That’s the brave percentage of people who actually pay when faced with a paywall. Yea, I don’t either. We harness our energy into searching elsewhere for that kernel of information, or simply throw in the towel.

📺 Your TV isn’t a tablet: Here’s a simple rule. Take your TV’s size in inches and multiply it by 1.2 to get the best viewing distance. For example, if you’ve got a 50-inch screen, sit about 60 inches (or 5 feet) back. Now you can binge without straining your eyes.

46%

How much of all U.S. TV use went to streaming in June, topping both cable and broadcast combined. Streaming is eating TV’s lunch, breakfast and dinner. And yes, Netflix is back in its hot girl summer era with 13.5% growth. Traditional TV? It’s giving “landline.”

Stop poking your Echo: Say, “Alexa, volume up” or “volume down” to adjust the sound. Want more control? Say “Alexa, set volume to 5.” The range goes from 1 to 10, so you can dial it in for podcasts (like The Kim Komando Show), playlists or whatever you’re playing.

$500 million

That’s the deal Apple just signed with MP Materials, which operates a rare-earth mine in the U.S. The company will soon produce magnets for iPhones and other high-tech gear. Why? Apple wants to cut back on communist China’s grip controlling about 70% of the world’s critical minerals.