Secret messages through Google Docs

🪐 Out of this world: NASA confirmed its 6,000th planet beyond our solar system. Lava worlds, Jupiter-size gas giants and even double-sun planets are straight out of Star Wars. Another 8,000 are waiting in line, and scientists think that within a decade, we’ll spot Earth-like worlds that could support life. Who knows, maybe even one with a Chili’s.

☢️ Watts up? OpenAI locked in a deal with Nvidia to build AI infrastructure running on 10 gigawatts of GPUs. That’s about 10 nuclear reactors. Nvidia’s dropping up to $100B on the project going live in 2026.

Sell your data: A startup called Vana wants you to treat your personal data (Spotify plays, Netflix binges, LinkedIn stalking) as an asset you actually own. Their app acts like a wallet where you pool it with others, license it for AI training and get a cut. I say pass on this one.

🎰 Hacker hits the house: In 2023, a hacker group called Scattered Spider phished MGM’s IT desk on LinkedIn, then nuked slot machines, room keys and reservations from the inside. MGM lost over $100M refusing ransom. Caesars paid $15M. One of the hackers just turned himself in and, drumroll  … he’s a teenager! He’s facing six felony charges. 

Chrome’s hungry upgrade: With Gemini baked in, Chrome grabs more mobile info than any other browser: name, location, purchases, your search history, etc. If you don’t like Google snooping, go to Activity controls and turn off “Web & App Activity.” Then, in Chrome Settings (three-dot menu) > You and Google > Sync and Google services, and disable the “Help improve Chrome’s features and performance” switch. I did.

🕵️ Watch out for the AI scam surge: Phony apps are multiplying like gremlins. Triple on iOS, six-fold on Android. They mimic legit apps, steal logins, fake traffic and drown stores in bot-written reviews. Using AI, anyone with Wi-Fi and bad intentions can cook up a scam app. PSA: Only download apps that you really need and know come from a legit source.

🔑 You can’t predict the market, but you can protect your savings. That’s why I keep a portion of my own retirement in real gold and silver with Goldco. Right now, get up to 10% back in FREE silver when you open a qualified account.

🎧 Quiet isn’t always better: Noise-canceling headphones protect your eardrums no matter how loud your Uncle Ralph’s hot political takes get. But it turns out, if you wear them nonstop, especially as a kid, your brain never learns to tune out background noise (paywall link). Doctors are now linking heavy use to auditory processing disorder, where everyday sounds feel overwhelming.