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Breaking news and tips
Meet the scammers driving your neighborhood
Ever get one of those weird texts that says something like, “Your package is waiting” or “Click here to unlock your cash reward”? We all have. Most people figure it’s just a scammy mass text from some sketchy website.
You can’t be so sure anymore. What if I told you those shady texts didn’t come through the usual networks? They were broadcast by a random car driving through your neighborhood?
That’s the new trick. Scammers are using devices called SMS blasters, and they’re not just annoying, they’re downright dangerous.
🚗 A cell tower in a backpack?
Here’s the deal: These devices pretend to be a real cell tower.
Your phone gets tricked into connecting, even if just for a second, and then BAM, a scam text pops up like it came from nowhere. These setups can be mobile, too. I’m talking about backpacks, parked vans, rental cars on the move.
They don’t need your number. They don’t even need a list. They just hijack every phone nearby and blast out messages like spam on steroids.
👀 Why this should freak you out
These scam texts can look really convincing. Delivery updates, IRS warnings, bank fraud alerts, the kind of stuff you click without thinking twice. One wrong tap, and they’ve got you. Personal info, passwords, credit card numbers, all wide open.
Here’s the kicker: Even the scam filters on your phone can’t stop them because these texts are basically cheating the system.
🧠 Your checklist
1. Turn off old connections: Scammers love older networks because they’re easier to spoof. Disabling 2G or older on your phone blocks one of their favorite tricks. I checked the steps below, but they may be different on your device, depending on make, model and operating system. Just keep poking around until you find them.
Comfort on the go
Don’t just get by, travel like a pro.
🔋 Mini portable charger (50% off): Boosts your battery from 1% to 50% in just 30 minutes. Works with iPhone and Android.
🚗 Car seat cushion (25% off): Memory foam turns your stiff car seat into a first-class throne.
🧡 Kid’s travel tray (23% off): Waterproof, wipeable and comes with a no-drop tablet holder. That’s peace of mind.
🧦 Compression socks (14% off): Pick from 35 styles and keep your legs feeling fresh on long-haul flights.
🤢 Motion sickness relief (8% off): No more green face emoji. These nondrowsy chewables let you actually enjoy your trip.
🧳 Pack smart, ride happy: See 35 more travel must-haves on my Amazon storefront.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Saving passwords in your browser? Stop that.
“Hi, Kim, I save all my passwords in my browser. So why do I need a password manager? Thanks for your newsletter. I can tell it’s a lot of work. The quality every single day is incredible.” — Robby in South Carolina
📧 Split view in Gmail: Tired of bouncing between your inbox and an open email? You can split the screen so your inbox stays on one side while the message you’re reading shows on the other. Go to Settings, scroll down to Reading pane, and choose Right of inbox (side by side) or Below inbox (stacked). Wunderbar!
🎧 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.
Were you tricked into joining Amazon Prime?
Amazon admits misleading 40 million customers into Prime. The FTC trial ends with a $2.5 billion payout. Here’s how much you could get back and what to do next.
The airlines are selling you out
Forget peanuts. Airlines are quietly handing over five billion passenger records to the feds. Then, I talk to Brian, a grieving uncle who wants to name his pond on Google Maps after his niece but isn’t sure how to get started. Plus, the U.S. keeps TikTok alive, and one woman keeps getting tickets for cars she’s never even seen.
🤔 Quick fact-check with ChatGPT: No need to spend ages Googling. If you’re unsure about something, paste it into ChatGPT and prompt, “Is this factually correct? Search the web and show recent sources.” Then follow up with “Are you sure?”
How to write a book with ChatGPT
ChatGPT can help you turn your knowledge into real income by publishing and selling books on Amazon. With the right topic, a little guidance, and free tools, you could earn thousands a year from what you already know. Here’s how to get started.
Pay-to-park warfare: A viral site let San Franciscans dodge parking tickets by showing where enforcement officers were in real time. The leaderboard showed one officer writing 192 tickets in a single day, over $20K in fines! The city patched the data feed within hours, killing the tool, after 50,000 people tried it.
Bed, tech and beyond
We spend a third of our lives in bed. Let’s make it fab.
🛏️ Serta heated mattress pad (26% off): Cold nights are coming. Snag this while it’s on sale and thank yourself later.
🎧 Sleep headphones (35% off): Drown out snores, neighbors and your own racing thoughts with a comfy headband.
📦 Under-bed storage containers (15% off, two-pack): Stash your summer gear until spring and free up closet space.
📱 Braided phone holder (11% off): Perfect for FaceTiming or late-night scrolling. 4.3 stars and 10K+ reviews.
✨ Galaxy projector (31% off): Looking for a gift that wows? Kids, teens and even adults love this mini-planetarium.
🆕 From chaos to cozy: Check out my new page on my Amazon shop, Clutter-free comforts, packed with 25 bedroom upgrades.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
The airlines sold you out
Let’s talk about something no one thinks about when booking a flight: where your travel info really goes.
An investigative bombshell from 404 Media just uncovered that the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a company owned by the biggest U.S. airlines, has been giving federal agencies access to passenger records.
🔍 Make Chrome easier to read: If text feels too small, open the three-dot menu > Settings > Appearance. Under Font size, set it to Large, and under Page zoom, bump it up to 125% (or more). You can also use Customize fonts to choose a style that’s friendlier on your eyes.
💾 Windows 10’s doomsday date: Microsoft is pulling the plug on Windows 10 support Oct. 14. Europe gets free updates for a year, but here in the U.S.? You’ve got three options: cough up $30, burn 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or back up your stuff to OneDrive and pray you don’t run out of storage. Protection ends October 2026.
Fix Windows without wiping everything: PC acting weird? Don’t rush to reinstall. Instead, reset while keeping your personal files. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC, then select Keep my files. Apps and settings get removed, but documents stay safe. Bonus: Always back up to the cloud or a portable hard drive first.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Will I use AI to bring my mom back?
An AI startup offered to build me a digital avatar of my late mom using photos, videos, and recordings. Thousands of you wrote to me about it. In this show, I reveal my emotional decision.
Your smart speaker is building a case against you
Alexa might be listening more than you think. George, your AI host, breaks down how much data your smart speaker is really grabbing, plus the Venmo ‘oops’ scam that could cost you big, fragile iPhone 17s, the MGM hacker teen, and device advice you need to hear.
🕒 Customize your Mac lock screen clock: In macOS 26, you can change how the clock looks on your lock screen. Go to System Settings > Wallpaper > Clock Appearance. Choose if the clock shows on the Lock Screen, on both the Screen Saver and Lock Screen, or Never. Then pick from six fonts and adjust the Weight with the slider underneath.
Search goes live: Google just dropped Search Live in the U.S. You point your camera, talk out loud, and it feeds you answers plus links in real time. Ask which munchies to grab or how to fix your busted fan, and boom, Google talks back. Free, no sign-up required. At this point, even my snacks are getting SEO’d.