Your phone is tracking you even when you think it’s not
You know that little GPS icon that pops up when an app is using your location? That’s the polite part. The tip of the iceberg. The warm handshake before your phone whispers your every movement to Big Tech behind your back.
📅 Hookups now have time stamps: College students at schools like Cornell, USC, Duke and UC Berkeley are scheduling everything via Google Calendar. I mean every single thing such as crying, dates, teeth-brushing, you name it. Seriously. GCal is a second brain, and spontaneity is dead. Imagine missing your scheduled breakdown because of a time zone error.
$34.5 billion
How much Perplexity just offered Google to buy Chrome. Just for comparison’s sake: Perplexity is worth $18 billion, and Google is worth $2.5 trillion. Chrome isn’t exactly on the clearance aisle, especially not for couch cushion change (paywall link) from a competitor. Either way, looks like a bad deal. I got Chrome for free!
Earhart on Google Earth? British pilot Justin Myers says he’s “99% sure” he’s found Amelia Earhart’s missing plane off Nikumaroro Island, using only Google Earth images. The shapes match her Lockheed Electra’s dimensions. Nobody’s funding his dive yet, but a rival November expedition might beat him to it. Historic aviation meets the “zoom in and squint” method.
🔥 Labubust: The BBB is warning shoppers to beware fake Labubu products flooding online stores. These $60 toys are the “must-have” item of summer, so of course, swindlers are crawling out of the woodwork. Look for misspellings, busted websites and prices that are too good. Oh, the humanity! Not the Labubus, anything but the Labubus!
Ctrl + Alt + Goodbye: If you’re using Windows 11 Home or Pro (version 23H2), you get no more security patches or bug fixes on Nov. 11, 2025. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates to upgrade. FYI: Enterprise and Education editions get support until Nov. 10, 2026.
110 million to 115 million years old
Dinosaur tracks were uncovered in Travis County, Texas, after July’s horrific floods. A volunteer helping clear debris found 15 three-clawed footprints in a crisscross pattern, each 18 to 20 inches long. So what was it? Experts think they belonged to a meat-eating dino like the 35-foot Acrocanthosaurus. Imagine that thing chasing you.
📍 AirTag to the rescue: A missing 71-year-old Pennsylvania man with dementia was found thanks to the Apple tracker. His family had attached one to his clothes. Pro tip: They’re under $25 and could save you a lot of panic.
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Streaming’s newest power couple: Fox One ($19.99) and ESPN’s new DTC ($29.99) launch Aug. 21, but on Oct. 2, there’s a $39.99/month bundle. You get the NFL, NBA, Big Ten and 47,000 live events a year, aka the “you’re not leaving the couch” sports fan package. Pay less than cable, yell at your TV just as much.
📬 First-class felony: Here’s your daily dose of “oof!” news. In 2022, Paychex sent Dylan Handy’s $114K 401(k) rollover via mailed checks. Thieves intercepted them, cashed them, and now he might owe taxes on stolen funds. Forty-three percent of rollovers still use paper checks. Skip the delays and fraud risk. Choose direct transfers.