Stop your devices from listening
What’s the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? They’re always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don’t want them to hear. Don’t worry, you can stop it.
👶 It’s Octomom, aka Natalie Suleman: Yep, the woman who made headlines years ago for giving birth to eight kids! Well, they’re all 16 now, and momma bear is raising them old-school and strict. No phones, no dating until 18 and zero social media.
25%
Americans feel burned out before they turn 30. Many Gen Z and millennials say they’ve hit “peak stress” at 25. That’s way younger than the average of 42 years old when most folks start having a midlife crisis.
You have to C#: Fired web dev Davis Lu allegedly activated a kill switch, locking thousands out of his past employer’s systems. Now, the 55-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of criminal sabotage, though he plans to appeal. Anytime you need to get rid of someone in IT, minimize the risks.
💸 Scammers are posing as Fidelity, Morgan Stanley and other financial giants: Remember, they’ll never call or text asking for your password, one-time code, money transfers or remote access to your computer. If something feels off, stop and contact them directly. Stay sharp!
Over $1 billion
In unclaimed tax refunds from 2021 will expire in four weeks. If you didn’t file your 2021 tax return, act fast or that money goes straight to the U.S. Treasury … forever. The average refund is $781, but some could get as much as $6,728! The deadline is April 15, 2025. See if you’re eligible on the IRS website.
♥️ Kindness goes viral: I love this. Lisa Aamot and her family are very close with their elderly neighbors, Fred and Evy. Recently, Lisa recorded her 4-year-old daughter, Sutton, walking to their house to borrow some maple syrup. Surprisingly, Fred, who’s usually relaxing in his chair, answered the door. The video has touched over 4 million hearts on TikTok.
iRobot is launching eight new vacuums: For the first time, they’re adding lidar tech for smart mapping to entry-level models. That means room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones right from the app. FYI: Amazon almost bought iRobot for over $1 billion, and recently, iRobot said they’re not sure they will survive. Damn, that sucks.
$16 per month
Gets you access to Snapchat Platinum, including its new AI video Lenses. Think of it as a filter where you can see yourself cuddling up with cute virtual animals on screen. So far, there’s a raccoon and fox, plus spring flowers. People need to cool it with the age filter. It’s getting old.
✈️ Heard of Jeniffer Castro? She refused to give up her window seat for a crying child and got filmed during the whole thing. Now, she’s suing the airline and the passenger who recorded her over the online hate and public shaming that followed. It got so bad she quit her job and stopped leaving her house.