The reality of today's AI

Department of Corrections: A SWAT team wrongfully raided a St. Louis family’s home after the FindMy app pointed them there. How the heck did it happen? The stolen AirPods connected to a carjacking were lying on the street outside the home. You’d better believe the family’s lawyering up for damages.

Amazon’s selling Apple iPhone 15 models for a penny. The catch? Boost Mobile ropes you into a 36-month contract with monthly bills of up to $70. That’s $2,500 all in. Not exactly a steal when you can pick up a certified refurb for around $700.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

💊 Oh, my gerd: Amazon’s new same-day prescription deliveries started in New York and LA, and a dozen more cities will get it by the end of this year. Prime members receive free shipping. Might be worth doing some price comparisons against where you get your meds now.

Starting in January 2025: Florida joins Arkansas, Ohio and Utah in banning kids under 14 from having social media accounts and requiring parents’ permission to scroll. Look, we already have proof social media causes anxiety, depression, eating disorders and more. It’s evil at work. Give these laws your support.

🚜 Robots of the corn: This year’s World Agriculture Expo showcased everything from drone swarms that can shower fields with fertilizer to robots that pick berries with silicone hands. Oh, and a “Laser Weeder” that blasts weeds into oblivion. I totally want to be a farmer now!

Check your phone for these free VPNs: Google removed 15 malicious apps from its Play Store that turn your phone into a “proxy” for other people’s dodgy internet dealings. If you downloaded one, do a complete factory reset on your phone. As far as VPNs go, the only one you should use is ExpressVPN.

Live2scam: Scammers are impersonating a viral chatbot, Life2vec, which uses AI to calculate your lifespan and potential wealth with scary accuracy. The fakes route you to sites that steal data and cash. The real one’s not available to the public yet! I’ll let you know when it is.

📝 Chatbots can’t spell: At least not in the same way you or I do. Their outputs are based on pattern matching, not reading comprehension. And image generators are the least trained in language pattern matching. That explains all the wacky words you see in AI pics. Now you know!

😤 Nuttin’ good: Viral videos teach kids that eating as little as 2 teaspoons of nutmeg can trigger sensations from mild euphoria to intense delirium that lasts up to 48 hours. The crash? Not pretty. Think facial flushing, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth and hypertension. Parents, check on your kids — and your spice rack.

Just duet: Hearing sounds (like music or voices) from your white noise machine? Don’t freak out — it’s auditory pareidolia. Your brain is trying to make sense of the noise by filling in the gaps with something familiar. Still skeptical? Here’s a quick test: Cover your ears. If the voices stop, you’re fine. If not, check with a doctor.