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The sound police are coming for ya
Look at that picture. What we’ve got here is not just another traffic camera, but a fully deputized decibel detective. Meet the sound police.
These new noise cameras are the cousins of speed and red-light cameras, but instead of catching you with a heavy foot, they’re busting you for a heavy exhaust.
No radar guns here, just sensitive microphones measuring every decibel you dish out. Too loud? Ticket’s on the way, courtesy of the volume vigilante.
🔊 Silence of the lambos
Each setup has super-sensitive microphones paired with a camera. If your car’s exhaust note tips over the legal decibel limit (often in the low 80s), the mic triggers the camera. It snaps your license plate faster than you can say “downshift,” and a ticket is on its way.
No police officer, no flashing lights, only stealthy surveillance keeping score 24/7. A story in The Wall Street Journal (paywall link) highlighted Newport, Rhode Island, where two of these were placed along scenic Ocean Avenue.
Within days, a Mustang GT got nailed for hitting 85 decibels, only two over the limit, and was slapped with a $250 fine. New York City’s had them since 2021. Get caught repeatedly, and you could be out nearly $2,500. Ouch.
🏎️ Too loud and furious
If you’re a neighbor who’s sick of the late-night “look at me” exhaust revs, you’re probably cheering. Imagine sitting on your porch and hearing the ocean instead of a rolling car meet.
Some of these tickets hit totally stock, street-legal cars.
And here’s where I gulp: When I’m in my Porsche and flip into manual mode, rowing through the gears with that beautiful exhaust note singing … let’s just say I’d better be ready for my close-up (and maybe my checkbook).
🚔 Roar and peace
Happy ‘National Relaxation Day’
😌 Rest assured, it’s a real thing … and the perfect excuse to treat yourself.
- 🧘♀️ Instant zen: An essential oil diffuser (46% off) brings the spa home. Such a great gift idea!
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- 🧊 Chill out: Memory foam pillows (27% off, two-pack) with cooling gel mean no pillow flipping at 2 a.m.
- 🔥 One-wrap wonder: Hot or cold, this therapy wrap (20% off) will soothe your hurt foot, elbow or wrist.
- 💋 Kiss dryness goodbye: Grace & stella’s lip mask (41% off) hydrates and repairs while you sleep.
💝 Because you deserve it: Why stop here? Click through to my Amazon page for more cozy comforts and gift-worthy gems.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🎥 She rang his doorbell. Smiled. Took his bank card. Then drained his bank account.
Scott Merovitch did everything right, or so he thought. A longtime Wells Fargo customer, he got a call that seemed totally legit. The person on the line knew his recent transactions. They said his debit card had been compromised and the bank needed to send someone to his house to collect it.
🍿 Delete Netflix history: You can remove shows and movies from your watch history to improve recommendations (or hide guilty pleasures 🤭). On PC, go to Your Profile > Viewing activity and click Hide from viewing history next to the title. Also handy if you’re trying to remember something you watched months ago.
Woz-not-Woz: Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak went on CBS to warn about fake videos of him promoting Bitcoin. The scam clips promise to double whatever BTC you send. The funny part? While telling the story, CBS showed a fake 1970s “Woz in his garage” photo, which turned out to be of a Disney animatronic. Awkward.
Big Brother gets an upgrade
America may look to a British model for surveillance: a system that scans every face in public to catch fugitives.
17.75
The average turbulence score on America’s bumpiest flight. The eddy dissipation rate (EDR) is basically a nerdy way to measure how violently the air’s shaking you around. Albuquerque to Denver nails it, turning a short hop over the Rockies into a midair mechanical bull ride. Expect seat belt signs, coffee spills and a nervous chuckle from the flight attendant.
Add GIFs to your presentations: In Google Slides, go to Insert > Image > Stock & web. A panel will pop up on the right of your screen. Select GIFs, search for the one you want and click it. Your spicy meme will drop into the current slide, ready to resize and move wherever you want. Nice.
Scammers stole $20k in 90 minutes
They showed up at his door and then cleaned out his account! Don’t fall for this banking scam, here’s how to stay safe.
Grime time
🏠 Mess is inevitable. Being ready for it is the real magic.
- 🔌 Cut the cord: The 60-min battery on this cordless vacuum (38% off) powers through your place in one go.
- 😅 No drilling, no drama: Stick these push towel hooks (23% off, four-pack) to any wall.
- ☕ Brew better: Descaling solution (14% off, six-pack) keeps your coffee fresh. 4.4 stars & 35,000+ reviews.
- 🧺 Softer touch: Cut drying time and fluff your laundry with reusable dryer balls (10% off, six-pack).
- ♻️ The right fit: These leak-proof mini garbage bags (15% off) are perfect for small bins.
⭐ Best of the best: See what’s topping Amazon’s Best Sellers chart, and shop my handpicked favorites on my storefront. Just a click away!
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
3-second tech genius
No skills? No problem. George, your AI host, shows you AI art tools that bring your craziest ideas to life. Plus, secret hacks to supercharge your gadgets … and a surfing cat.
Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years
Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.
Swift thinking: Taylor Swift revealed her twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl, not on stage but on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast, precisely at 12:12 ET on Aug. 12. No songs, no date, just a master class in soft-launch hype engineering. Within 15 minutes, she had over 1 million views. Dang, how do I get Taylor on my show?
💻 Buying a new computer? Know the specs you need. For basic browsing and streaming, look for at least a dual-core 2.0 GHz processor, 4-8 GB of RAM and an SSD for quick loading. For heavier stuff like gaming or video editing, get a recent multi-core 3.0 GHz+ CPU, a dedicated graphics card and 16 GB+ RAM. Click here for 20 laptop and desktops I trust. You’re welcome.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
AI brings back a school shooting victim
Jim Acosta interviewed an AI avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a 17-year-old killed in the Parkland shooting. Was that too far? A listener uses ChatGPT to get better at painting. Plus, Zuckerberg’s Hawaiian compound, a scary new bank scam, and AI wedding vows.
The right ‘pour’ decisions
👩🍳 Big flavor doesn’t need a big footprint, just these handy tools.
- ☕ Sip happens: Keep your coffee or tea piping hot with a smart mug warmer (50% off).
- 💦 Pitcher perfect: Snag this 10-cup pitcher (20% off) with 4.6 stars and 15,000+ rave reviews.
- 🥫 Can-do attitude: One touch and this electric can opener (40% off) handles any lid size.
- 🍱 No microwave? No prob. This heated lunchbox (21% off) serves a toasty meal in 30 minutes.
- 🥬 Lettuce stay fresh: These fridge containers (20% off, three-pack) double as strainers. Neat.
😋 Stir up some more: Hit this secret link for more extra-hot deals. Then, browse my Amazon shop for a full buffet of clever kitchen gear.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Clean up your iPad dock: Go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library > Dock. Toggle off Show App Library in Dock and Show Suggested and Recent Apps in Dock. FYI: You can still open the App Library by swiping all the way right, and recent apps will likely be on your Home Screen already.
📸 That’s one bad Lenovo: Researchers at Eclypsium have shown that some Lenovo webcams (510 FHD and Performance FHD) can be reprogrammed via BadUSB‑style firmware attacks to inject keystrokes and drop malware, which can persist even after reinstalls. Translation: Your webcam can now type, hack and haunt your PC forever. Patch via firmware 4.8.0 now.