All tech. No filler.
Join 900,000+ people who stay ahead of the tech curve with The Current, delivered daily. No fluff, no BS.
Breaking news and tips
Grandma got played, but not by bingo
Let me tell you a true story that’ll shake you and hopefully protect someone you love from heartbreak or a well-rehearsed scam call.
It happened to a 90-year-old grandmother in Nashville. She picked up the phone because that’s what she’s always done. On the other end was a young woman, her voice trembling, the connection staticky. “Grandma, help! I was in a car accident. I need you to talk to a lawyer right now.”
Her granddaughter Amanda had just graduated from Auburn University. The voice? Familiar enough, especially with the poor signal. And Amanda calling from an emergency? Of course, Grandma was going to listen.
Next comes the ‘lawyer’
He said Amanda needed $6,000 immediately or she could end up in serious legal trouble. So the woman did what any terrified grandmother might do … she complied. She went to the bank and withdrew the cash.
An “errand person” came to her house and picked up the money. Yes, you read that right. Someone came to her front door. That’s how elaborate this scam was.
But later that night, something gnawed at her. She called the number again and said, “I want to talk to my granddaughter.” The scammer hung up. That’s when she dialed the real Amanda and realized the heartbreaking truth.
The good news
Amanda was OK. Her voice was deepfaked by the scammers. The bad news was Grandma was scammed out of $6,000. Lied to. Manipulated. Her family was furious, not at the scammer, but at her.
She said her daughters made her feel embarrassed, even ashamed, she fell for such a scam. That might be the worst part of this entire story.
Let me say this loud and clear: It is not her fault. This wasn’t a mistake, it was a targeted heist. A well-rehearsed act designed to prey on love and urgency.
You need to do this
Totes got you covered
🧳 Packing doesn’t have to be a mess. Let’s get it together.
- Cut the cord chaos with an electronic travel case (24% off).
- Use a strong belt strap ($10) to attach bags to your carry-on.
- Grab this roomy cross-body bag (5% off) for your daily travels.
- Moving? These large foldable bags (27% off) have handy handles.
- This tote bag (20% off) comes in 58 styles to match your vibe.
🌦️ For trailblazers: Pack an emergency sleeping bag (27% off) to stay warm and dry when the weather turns.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Unplanned & perfect
It wasn’t planned. Unlike the 17,397 pics cluttering my camera roll, recipe screenshots of dishes I’ll never make and reminders I never needed, this one was completely accidental. I was walking with my phone and accidentally double tapped. It turned out to be the most accurate snapshot of life I’ve taken in ages.
🛒 Attention shoppers: It might be worth signing up for the Amazon Visa. You get 3% back on Amazon purchases and lots more. Plus, there’s a bunch of travel perks and a $150 gift card if you’re approved. My rule of thumb: Only use it if you can pay it off in full each month.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🔐 Tired of forgetting passwords? You’re not alone. That’s why I recommend NordPass, the password manager that does the heavy lifting for you. It stores your logins securely, autofills them instantly and even alerts you if your credentials are weak or reused. It’s like having a digital bodyguard for your online life. Use my link for 52% off today!
Email that deletes itself
Gmail has a hidden mode that makes your messages vanish. Here’s how to use it.
🚁 End of an era: DJI is grounding its iconic Phantom drone series. Starting June 1, 2025, support for the Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Advanced will fly off into the sunset. These drones helped kick off the quadcopter craze in 2013. DJI is shifting its focus to newer birds like the Inspire, Mavic, Air, Mini and the beginner-friendly Flip line.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
1 hour
The weekly amount of weight training needed to gain muscle. One study found just two 30-minute sessions a week helped participants get noticeably stronger and more jacked (paywall link), no five-day grind or bro science required. One set per exercise. Nine moves. That’s it. I hear you: “Instead of calling my bathroom the John, I call it the Jim. That way I can tell people I go to the Jim every morning.”
Cluckin’ wild
The Minecraft movie is meh, but Jack Black’s unhinged chicken ballad, “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” shot up to # 78 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s now the shortest song ever to hit the famed list, clocking in at 34 seconds, making it both a record and maybe a cry for help for our attention spans. Listen here, you have been warned.
Bed-ly in need of sleep
😴 Here’s your A-list of bedroom upgrades for top-tier zzz’s.
- Wake up without bedhead with a two-pack of sleep bonnets ($13).
- Can’t reach your nightstand? Grab a handy bedside caddy ($16.49).
- These cooling gel pillows ($46) are great for back and side sleepers.
- Guests coming over? This air mattress (20% off) has a built-in pump.
- A four-pack of bedsheet organizers (40% off) keeps your linens tidy.
🌃 Cosmic dreams: Turn your ceiling into a starry sky with a galaxy projector (44% off) that looks like a cute astronaut.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Cash dive: It’s happening across the country. The NY Times spotlighted how UNC is turning its diving team into influencers with sponsorships, style guides and TikTok training. It’s all part of the school’s push to make every athlete a content creator. Imagine getting cut from the team for poor engagement and bot followers.
How click farms fake 5-star reviews
That flood of perfect reviews? Could be paid for. Here’s how to spot the signs.
🐭 Ex-Disney worker headed to prison: After getting fired, Michael hacked company servers and messed with restaurant menus. He changed prices, added curse words, locked employees out of their accounts and, the kiss of death, even marked peanut items as “peanut-free.” The penalty? Three years in prison, definitely not the happiest place on Earth.
Lost Social Security card? Starting this summer, the Social Security Administration will let people with “my Social Security” accounts see their full Social Security number online. It keeps your physical card safe from theft, but might open a can of worms courtesy of hackers. Don’t forget to secure it with two-factor authentication!
⛪ Pope picks: Sacrilegious TikTokers made a “Fantasy Pope League” because of course they did. The league got over 2,000 sign-ups on its first day. Here, you can draft cardinals fantasy football style and get points based on the progress of your cardinal on their pursuit of the big hat.
iPhone or Galaxy? Tariffs make the choice easier
New tariffs will drive up prices on China-made phones. That’s bad news for Apple.
23%
That’s how many HTML attachments are malicious. They usually show up in your inbox with names like “invoice.html,” and when you click, they redirect you to phishing websites. That’s where scammers steal your info or drop malware on your device. Moral of the story? Stay sharp and use real-time protection. My pick is TotalAV, just $19 a year.
82%
The percentage of Americans who want businesses to disclose when they use AI. People just want to know if they’re talking to a human after years of chatbot creep, fake reviews and AI content. At this rate, Clippy from Microsoft Word would be a trusted news anchor.
How the Vatican locks down the conclave — May 3rd, Hour 1
When picking a new pope, the Vatican cuts off the outside world. Signal jammers block phones. Anti-spy tech sweeps every corner. Plus, Hailey from Ohio heard a stranger talking to her baby through a Wi-Fi nanny cam. And tariffs might make your next iPhone cost more.