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🤖 Tough love: Do you coddle your AI chatbot? New research says being polite actually makes them dumber. Penn State researchers found that “rude” prompts got answers right 85% of the time vs. 81% for polite ones. So go ahead, skip the “please.” Your AI doesn’t have feelings … yet.
Bitcoin and blood: This is nuts. The DOJ just seized 127,000 Bitcoin (about $15 billion) from a Cambodian phone-scam empire that ran 76,000 fake social accounts and 10 forced labor camps. I talked about human trafficking and call center scams a few weeks ago, but this is gigantic. The alleged ringleader is still on the run. They even bought a Picasso. A real one, not an NFT.
💾 Nuclear files and chill: Get this. A Department of Energy employee lost his security clearance after uploading 187,000 porn images to a federal network. He said it was for an “AI project,” not pleasure, and compared his interrogation to the “Spanish Inquisition.” The collection reportedly spanned 30 years. That’s not what “data backup” means, champ.
Strange bedfellows: Apple and NBC are holding hands, sort of. Starting Monday, you can bundle Apple TV and Peacock for $15/month (normally $21). That’s $6 you can spend on emotional support snacks while watching Slow Horses and Law & Order. NBC brings the junk food TV; Apple brings the prestige.
💸 Starlink wants you back: If you dumped Starlink, SpaceX is sliding back into your inbox with a “We’d love to have you back ❤️” and a 50% off deal. That’s $60 a month instead of $120, for two years. Basically the Wi-Fi version of “I’ve changed.” Loyal customers like me, meanwhile, are getting nothing but billing reminders.
📞 Saved in the nick of FaceTime: Woah. A 3-year-old Michigan boy saved his mom after she collapsed from a seizure by unlocking her phone with Face ID and FaceTiming a family friend, who called 911. Little Cody’s now an honorary junior deputy, complete with badge and swag. The sheriff joked that “we’re hiring,” but maybe let him finish preschool first. Love this.
