Insider tips to get low prices online

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Online shopping is like a game, and I’ve got four cheat codes to save you serious cash.


“Facebook is so lit,” said no Gen Zer ever: Zuckerburg knows this, so they’re going all in to capture those younger eyes for more billions in ad revenues. They’re showing nearby events, groups and activity recs. Short video clips now look like TikTok, and friends can find profiles of people you can date. Just wait till Grandma sends you a DM like, “You have such a pretty face. Pull your hair back so it shows.”

Tropicana Las Vegas implosion

The site of the former 23-story, 917,400-square-foot hotel is becoming a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s, who are relocating to Las Vegas. The controlled demolition used 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord, dang.

43% drop

In trolls taking over “Call of Duty” voice chats, thanks to AI. The software, ToxMod, listens for and reports bad behavior. The snitch bot is definitely working; there’s been a 67% reduction in repeat offenders.

Another day, another scam: Fraudsters are pretending to be mortgage providers, saying your home warranty needs to be renewed. Look for the telltale sign at the bottom of mailed notices in tiny little letters: “We are not affiliated with your current mortgage.”

WOW! Watch SpaceX catch a starship booster in air

🚀 Touchdown complete: SpaceX nailed the upright landing of one of its massive Starship rockets. As it fell from the sky, thrusters slowed it down before it was caught by two “chopstick” arms attached to a giant metal tower. Why’s this a big deal? It’s a step toward reusable rockets. The video is incredible.

🚨 Data disaster: Archive.org, the internet’s digital library, just suffered a massive breach, leaking 31 million records — emails, addresses, screen names and hashed passwords. The site claims a DDoS attack, but reports confirm it was actually hacked. The cherry on top? Hackers temporarily posted on the homepage, “See 31 million of you on HIBP!” That’s Have I Been Pwned.

“Text pesting”: That’s the name for a disturbing type of harassment an estimated one-third of young women deal with regularly. Creeps use the contact info from a professional interaction, like an Instacart delivery or rideshare, to send unwanted sexual messages. Take Millie, who got, “I can’t wait to pick you up and see your beautiful face again, I long for you” from a driver.

😡 Frustration overload: This summer’s National Public Data hack leaked the personal details of 2.9 billion people. Now, the company’s drowning in class-action lawsuits and might be stuck paying for credit monitoring. No surprise, they just filed for bankruptcy, claiming only a few thousand dollars in assets. How convenient.

🔍 Breaking up Google’s search monopoly: The DOJ has some remedies lined up: Forcing Google to share its data with competitors, restricting those default search browser deals, and even splitting off Chrome or Android. Google says these “solutions” would hurt consumers (their cash cow) and stifle innovation. Google might become like Ask Jeeves by the time this government legal battle is settled.

Zero, zip, zilch, nada

Aliens out there thinking about invading Earth. Elon Musk says UFO sightings are government weapons programs — for instance, the 1950s flying saucers were really advanced U.S. spy planes. SpaceX has thousands of satellites in orbit and has never encountered an alien spacecraft.