4K vs 8K: What TV makers don’t tell you

✈️ The sky-high shriek: Imagine this. You’re mid-movie on a flight, and your $249 AirPods Pro 3 start whistling in your ear like a boiling teapot. Some fliers say the new AirPods’ noise-canceling feature flips out at altitude, creating a painful screech. Apple hasn’t fixed it yet, so maybe pack an old backup pair that behaves. Or pretend it’s experimental jazz.

🖥️ Bought a high refresh rate monitor? Make sure it’s actually running at full speed and not stuck at 60 Hz. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. Select your monitor (top right), then pick 144 Hz or 240 Hz under Choose a refresh rate. If you don’t see those options, get an HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort cable.

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No kids club: So Character.AI, the app where people talk to pretend humans, is officially kicking out everyone under 18. Yep, kids are getting banned after some horrific lawsuits, including one from a mom who says a chatbot pushed her son to end his life. Starting now, there’s a two-hour limit. Full lockout by Nov. 25. Right, like this will work. 

Lazy-day win: In maybe the best news in a while for incessant returning folks, you may soon be able to skip the whole “find a box, print a label, drive to UPS” thing. Amazon’s testing a partnership with USPS that lets you hand off returns right from your doorstep. Eligible items are under 15 pounds, and it’s rolling out quietly.

Cellphone bills too high? That’s why I switched to Consumer Cellular. I’m getting two unlimited lines for just $60 a month. Solid coverage, no gimmicks, no gotchas. Use code KIM25 at ConsumerCellular.com/KIM to save $25.

Love, loss & lies: Here’s your daily dose of “aww … ouch.” Larry, a 71-year-old from California, loses his wife, gets a wrong-number text and somehow ends up falling for “Tina,” a woman who claimed to trade crypto and sip Napa wine. Three months later? His $1 million life savings was gone. Turns out “Tina” was really good at pretending to care.

🩳 Detroit’s courtroom surprise: A cop logged into virtual court, badge up top, boxers down below, and forgot his camera was not cropped. We’ve all been there. The judge gasps, “You got some pants on, officer?” And the cop? Deadpan: “No, sir.” Detroit’s finest, apparently also Detroit’s freest. You know what they say, justice is a dish best served pantsless. 

🚗 Shaq’s hacked: Have you seen a $180,000 Range Rover custom fit for a 7’1” massive human being? It’s probably Shaquille O’Neal’s, which straight-up disappeared while being shipped from Atlanta to Louisiana. Authorities think hackers hijacked the transport company’s computers, rerouted the delivery and stole the SUV. A $10,000 reward’s up, but for now … big man’s down a big ride.