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Tech phrases you'll never use again
Looking for the closest payphone? Here’s why you probably won’t be asking that question anymore.
Tags: tech
Their kids died in shootings. Now they’re voices of gun reform
When I read how some grieving parents are using AI to grab the emotions of lawmakers, I thought you’d want to know about it, too. I will warn you this is not one of my usual happy stories.
I’m sure you remember six years ago when a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three staff members. One of the students who died that day was 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver.
Meet Sora, OpenAI’s new tool that turns text into HD videos. It can animate stills and patch videos up to a minute long. I can’t help but wonder: Innovation or future deepfake enabler? See it in action here on my video podcast.
Hide your home on Google Maps and Apple Maps
Don’t want your house and address number visible to anyone online? Request a privacy blur over pictures of your home and car. I did it and so should you.
On Google Maps:
- Open Google Maps or the Street View gallery and look up your address.
- Tap the Street View photo you want blurred. It has to show your face, home, license plate or other identifying information.
- Click Report a problem in the bottom right or by clicking the three-dot menu on a photo. Complete the form, then click Submit.
Apple Maps makes it more of a pain. Get this — you actually have to email them. (At least it’s not a fax!) Email your request to MapsImageCollection@apple.com. Include your full address and any property details so they know which house is yours.
😂 I got a Bonnie Tyler GPS. It just keeps telling me to turn around. And every now and then, it falls apart. (I heard you laugh!)
🤫 Fed up with chatty coworkers or family? Welcome to the world of fake Zoom meetings! You read that right. From GitLab sessions to city council debates, folks are using Zoom meeting recordings they find online as a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Pro tip: Remember to “talk back” occasionally to keep others’ suspicions at bay.
Electric dream: By 2030, Walmart plans to turn thousands of parking lots into EV charging havens — starting with 650 stores in 47 states. Sounds like an eco-friendly leap, but with 90% of Americans living near a Walmart … smart way to keep us shopping.
🔮 Bill Gates is losing sleep over AI: On his “Unconfuse Me” podcast, he says he’d love to travel to the year 2100 to see if AI helps the world or dooms us. It’s frightening if even he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.
No, Sen. Elizabeth Warren isn’t saying bitcoin is the way to go. A tweet from Bitcoin Magazine falsely claimed she honored bitcoin’s creator with a Capitol flag. Reality check: It’s part of a standard flag-flying service. Over 100,000 flags are flown yearly.
Oopsy-daisy: A typo sent Lyft’s stock soaring 35% to a 52-week high of $16.39 per share. Turns out its profit margin got an extra zero, and boy, oh boy, did investors jump on it. From 50 to 500 basis points? Talk about a happy accident.
⚠️ Patch now, thank me later: Microsoft dropped an update fixing 73 bugs, including two zero days. For the dorks who care: They patched a way to skip past Windows SmartScreen (CVE-2024-21351) and plugged a hole in Internet Shortcut Files (CVE-2024-21412).
Shelled out $3,500 for Apple’s latest toy? The Vision Pro has a few not-so-cool side effects: Headaches, eye strain and motion sickness. Some owners liken wearing it to a “torture session.” Oof. Returns are piling up.