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March 7, 2025

1 million+ infected with malware: You know those cheap Android-based streaming boxes, tablets or used car infotainment systems? Bad news. They’re being used as a botnet by the Badbox 2.0 hacking group. The top targets are TV boxes with the generic names “TV98” and “X96.” Don’t risk it to save a few bucks.

📬 Ransomware by snail mail? It’s happening. Cybercriminals are now sending ransom demands through postal mail. The letters warn folks that their networks have been compromised and sensitive info stolen. The price to keep it private? $250,000 to $350,000 in bitcoin, due in 10 days. And because they’re oh-so-considerate, they include a QR code so you can send the crypto right to their wallet.

Hate YouTube ads? There’s a cheaper fix. YouTube is rolling out Premium Lite for $7.99/month, cutting down on “most” ads. News, fashion and gaming videos will be ad-free, but if you want music without ads, you’ll still need the $13.99/month standard Premium plan. That one also includes offline downloads.

🔍 Google’s testing AI-only search results: The new AI Mode ditches the usual 10 blue links and instead lets Gemini 2.0 take over with web summaries, graphs and shopping data. Think of it as a bigger version of AI Overview, and yes, we all know how spot-on that is. It’s opt-in only for now through Google’s Search Labs, so you can ignore it … for now.

Got an old Apple Watch? You might get paid. If you had an original Apple Watch or a Series 1, 2 or 3, you could be entitled to a cut of the $20 million Apple Watch settlement. Act fast: Payouts range from $20 to $50, and the deadline is April 10. File your claim here.

Found after 7 years: Watch “Unsolved Mysteries” on Netflix? You might remember Abdul Aziz Khan. He went missing from Atlanta after his mom, who didn’t have custody, allegedly kidnapped him. Police found her and her husband, who isn’t Abdul’s dad, in an empty house in Colorado and charged them. Now Abdul is 14 and finally coming home.

🐓 Egg prices got you scrambling? Rent a chicken. Seriously. Rent The Chicken lets you “borrow” hens for fresh eggs at home. For about $140 a month, you’ll get two hens, a portable coop, feed and instructions to keep them happy. Expect one to two dozen eggs per week. I had a hen who could count her own eggs. She was a mathemachicken. That was bad. I agree. Watch the video here.

33 mushers

Are taking on this year’s Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska because the usual route didn’t get enough snow. There are normally 50 to 75 mushers. The new course is farther north and now stretches a record 1,128 miles, forcing racers through endless wilderness and brutal blizzards (paywall link). You know, life is like a dogsled team. If you’re not the lead dog, the view is always the same.

Uncanny valley: Hit play on the 1980s sitcom “A Different World” on Netflix, you’ll notice something is … off. The streamer used AI to make the old footage HD quality. The result is nightmare-inducing. Faces look warped, and words or objects in the background are all pixelated. Check out this video to see for yourself. Dumb.

Beam me up, Kimmie: By the end of this year, Google and HP are set to make video calls freakishly realistic. Their new tech uses AI and multiple cameras to create real-time 3D images, making it look like the other person is right in front of you. Yup, think “Star Trek”! No price yet (paywall link).

🖨️ Oh Brother: The printer manufacturer quietly pushed a firmware update that blocks third-party ink cartridges. It gets worse. They scrubbed older firmware versions from their support site, so there’s no way to roll back. If you haven’t updated, keep your device offline and reject firmware updates.

🚨 YouTube creators, don’t fall for this: Scammers are using an AI video of CEO Neal Mohan to trick you into giving up sensitive info. They’ll send it privately, claiming YouTube is changing its monetization policy. It’s your credentials they’re after. Reminder: YouTube will never contact you or share updates through a private video.

$5,700

Asking price for 509-SWIFTIE. That’s the phone number 509-794-3843. Taylor Swift-related phone numbers have become a hot commodity. Also for sale: 75-ERAS-TOUR for $4,500 and 41-SWIFT-ERA for $3,300. I have a Roomba that I named “Taylor Swiffer.” I named my iPhone “My little phoney.” Before you ask, none of my tech is named “Hugh Jass.”

6 Google Pixels

Inspected the New York City subway system. They were placed on subway cars from September to January to check for things like broken rails and signals. Using AI, they collected 335 million vibration and sound readings and found 92% of issues human inspectors spotted later. Neat.

💪 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!

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.