In 2004, Google went public, selling 22 million shares and making a few people instant millionaires and billionaires. At last check, a share of parent company Alphabet is $167.63. Did Google’s first-day shares close at … A.) $25, B.) $42, C.) $100 or D.) $132?
🥞 First-world problems: A home cook got a surprise when their smart stove “hacked” their Bluetooth headphones. The Siemens cooktop’s magnetic field messed with the touch controls on their Sony headset. When they turned up the heat, the volume went up, too. If this ever happens to you, try disabling touch controls on your headphones.
36 flights canceled
Because of some missing scissors. An airport in Japan completely shut down for two hours after a pair of scissors went missing. Authorities had to make sure they weren’t headed for a flight. In the end, the scissors were found … in the shop where they were left originally.
Grammarly who? Google is adding more AI-powered writing tools to Gmail. Open a draft, select Help me write and type 12 or more words. Click Refine my draft to polish, formalize, elaborate, shorten or even start fresh. The catch? It’s available if you pay for Google One AI Premium or the Gemini add-on for Workspace.
🔒 Getting back a hacked Facebook account: There are tricks — uploading a high-quality scan of your ID and connecting through your most-used Wi-Fi network — but hackers can still game the process. Do not let your business or personal life rely on your Facebook account. Always keep a copy of your profile. Here’s how.
3 hours a day
The sweet spot for gamers. Studies show playing video games for under three hours a day correlates with better mental health and less stress. Over three hours? Those benefits went — poof — goodbye.
⚠️ Scan at your own risk: YouTube is rolling out QR codes for all channels, making it easier to find creators. Be careful what you scan. It’s incredibly easy to whip up a fake QR code that leads to a malicious site. Double-check the URL to be sure it looks legit when you get there.
After my Volvo broke, I was Saab-ing: Cybercriminals leaked 240GB of Toyota customer info on a hacking forum. The stolen data includes emails, passwords, contracts and financial details. Toyota says they’ve reached out to those impacted. No word on how many folks that is.
📦 Arrr, matey: A California woman turned the tables on USPS mail thieves. She mailed herself a package with an Apple AirTag in it. After crooks snatched the package from her P.O. Box, she called the cops. The tracker led police right to their hideout, where they found more stolen mail and packages.