QR codes used in warfare

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You won’t believe how powerful scanning one of these malicious QR codes is. Plus, the app that turned into a marketing nightmare, three must-have downloads and OpenAI’s duet shows just how far language models are coming.

Tags: apps, codes, download, downloads, malicious, Marketing, models, nightmare, open, OpenAI, Plus, powerful, QR codes, scanning, shows


I wasted 36 hours trying to do it myself

So many of the calls, emails, messages and DMs I get are about privacy and security. I can’t remember the last time I had a full day where no one asked me some version of “How do I get all this info about me off the internet?”

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❤️ For the first time ever: An artificial heart was successfully implanted in a patient with end-stage heart failure. Total Artificial Heart supports patients while they wait for a real heart transplant. With heart failure affecting at least 26 million people globally and fewer than 6,000 transplants performed each year, this could be a medical breakthrough. Four more patients will go through trials soon.

1,000-year-old seed

Grew into a 10-foot tree with biblical significance. It took 14 years, but scientists grew a once-extinct plant. It appears to be the one that produced a medical extract called “tsori” that was referred to in the book of Genesis and Old Testament accounts of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Mickey needs the money: Disney+ subscriptions are now limited to one household based on using the same internet connection regularly. It’s a way for them to make more money, of course. Add an extra member to your household for $6.99 per month with a basic Disney+ subscription or $9.99 a month for premium plans.

Be careful where you vent: Friendly reminder that Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Slack and other work chats aren’t private. IT or your manager can pop in at any time. Edited messages and deleted convos are stored on servers, too, not truly deleted (paywall link).

740 million children

Will be nearsighted by 2050. Blame less time spent outside and more screen time for youngsters. An estimated four in 10 kids will need prescription glasses. Girls are more likely than boys to develop myopia (the fancy name for objects far away looking blurry).

🖨️ HP is adding AI to printers: The Perfect Output feature cleans up webpages, automatically detecting and removing ads and weird formatting so you only print the text and images you want. It optimizes spreadsheets, too, keeping charts and tables on one page. OK, this is genius.

One of the hardest parts of owning a $100,000 Cybertruck? Keeping it clean. Its stainless-steel exterior attracts fingerprints and smudges like flies to 💩. Tesla says the car wash is a no-no, and the official $130 detailing kit is sold out. Owners are resorting to window cleaner, baby wipes and good old-fashioned car shampoo (paywall link).

🕶️ Can’t wait for a new wave of glass-holes: Mark Zuckerberg thinks Meta’s Orion smart glasses will replace smartphones for messaging, video chatting and browsing social media. Zuck and his team have been working on the (really) thick black glasses for 10 years. They include a holographic display only the wearer can see. No price or timeline yet.

$350,000 stolen

By a five-person scam ring pretending to be Brad Pitt. Authorities in Spain say the group faces fraud and money laundering charges after conning two women. One sent nearly $200,000! PSA: The real Brad Pitt isn’t on social media.