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March 5, 2025

🚨 Word of the day: Info-stealer. Malware that sneaks in and grabs your personal data, especially credit and debit card details. Over 26 million devices were hit, with 2 million bank cards stolen and for sale on the Dark Web. Watch for small charges on your statements because that’s how hackers test if your card is still good.

“I will make sure the U.S. is the Crypto Capital of the World.” That’s what President Trump said while announcing a new U.S. strategic crypto reserve. He name-dropped XRP, Solana and Cardano (prices skyrocketed), then later added Bitcoin and Ethereum to the mix. Warning: If a stranger DMs you claiming to be a crypto expert or offering “guaranteed” profits, don’t respond. It’s a scam.

🏁 $28,000 down the drain: A guy from Ohio found a used Dodge Ram on Facebook Marketplace. He’s smart, so he asked for the VIN, ran three checks and called the original dealership. It all checked out. A couple weeks later, six cops showed up. The scam is called cloning. A thief swaps the VIN on a stolen vehicle with a clean one, sells it and moves on. Poor guy is on the hook for the loan.

Get the $200/month ChatGPT subscription for free: Just for my Windows friends. Open the Copilot app on Windows or go to copilot.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft account. Make sure Think Deeper is toggled on to use OpenAI’s fancy-schmancy new o1 model. It “thinks” for about 30 seconds before spitting out an answer.

New iPad gets a boost: Apple says its new iPad Air is twice as fast as the one from a few years back, thanks to the M3 chip that Apple makes themselves. It can be paired with an upgraded Magic Keyboard. Plus, it comes with Apple Intelligence and 11-inch ($599) and 13-inch ($799) options. Preorder to get it by March 12.

💪 Man with the golden arm: That’s what Australians called James Harrison. He donated his blood and plasma 1,173 times. He passed away peacefully in his sleep last month at 88. His plasma had a rare antibody to prevent rhesus disease — when a pregnant mother’s blood is incompatible with her baby. He’s credited with saving 2.4 million babies’ lives. What a hero!

Fill ’er up: The free Upside app gives you cash back on gas, groceries and dining out. Download Upside* and use promo code Kim to get an extra $0.25 back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.

Coming to Google Gemini: Show to tell

Soon, you can open up your phone’s camera with Google Gemini to know what you’re seeing or answer questions in real time. Watch it in action. Now, imagine all the uses from knowing what you’re looking at when traveling to identifying a skin rash that your doctor will say, “You’re a sight for psoriasis.” (I saw you smile!)

Compassion for the win: Video Stop, the last video rental store in Pocatello, Idaho, is closing. But owner David Kraning created a small replica called “Christina’s Corner” in his convenience store. It’s named after Christina Cavanaugh, a woman with Down syndrome who has been a loyal customer renting videos every day for 15 years. Love this.

1,500 parts

In business class seats on new airplanes. They come with heated and cooling options, big HD screens and comfy beds. The R7 from seat manufacturer Germany’s Recaro weighs 176 pounds. Older seats weighed as much as 350 pounds each. Does this mean we get more carry-ons? Nope.

6 years ago

23andMe was sold by Anne Wojcicki for $6 billion. Today, she’s trying to buy it back for $42 million. That’s one way to make money. PSA: If you have a 23andMe account, remove it. You just don’t know who’s going to buy your DNA and use it. Here’s how.

Watch your pulse: If you have no pulse and don’t move for 20 seconds, Google’s Pixel Watch 3 calls emergency services. The FDA just gave Google the go-ahead to roll it out. Have one? Go to Safety & emergency > Loss of Pulse Detection to turn it on.

👀 You have to check out this video: Soon, you can open up your phone’s camera with Google Gemini to know what you’re seeing or get your questions answered in real time. Watch it in action. Now, imagine all the uses — from knowing what you’re looking at when traveling to identifying a skin rash that makes your doctor say, “You’re a sight for psoriasis.” (I saw you smile!)

🌐 Starlink who? Alphabet’s photonic chip beams 10-gig internet through the air using light beams. Yes, really. It could bring high-speed connections to remote areas (without messy fiber cables) starting this year. It has more bandwidth than a Starlink antenna and costs less. Your move, Elon.

Surprise Apple drop: Tim Cook posted on X, “There’s something in the AIR.” I’m expecting a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip and 12MP fancy-pants camera, or maybe a powerful new iPad Air. If you want a MacBook Air, this one is already $200 off.

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🚨 Check your Chrome extensions: Click to the Puzzle icon at the top right and Manage extensions. Adblock for Chrome, Super Dark Mode, Blipshot, Page Refresh and 12 others (full list here) were found injecting data-stealing malware. If you have any installed, delete them ASAP and run an antivirus check. I use TotalAV.

Net-tricks scam spreading: Look out for a phony Netflix email with the subject line “Let’s tackle your payment details.” Click the red update button to update your card, and you’ll land on a sign-in page primed and ready to steal your info. Never stops.