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š Foreign tech crackdown: New cars are rolling computers with cameras, microphones and GPS tracking. Now, think about those features being weaponized to control your vehicle. Hello, national security risk. Thatās why the U.S. is banning Chinese and Russian auto software starting with 2027 models and hardware for 2030 vehicles.
Steer clear: Willow, a company that fronts bill money to customers, left over 240,000 private records in a non-password-protected database. It included customersā names, numbers, transaction amounts, bank account details and partial credit card numbers. This is why I never recommend hot, new finance apps.
āļø No more putting it off: After years of delays, we have a real deadline. Starting May 7, youāll need a Real ID or an approved alternative (like a U.S. passport or permanent resident card) to pass through TSA checkpoints in the U.S. Pro tip: In some places, you can book a DMV appointment online to avoid the big line.
š” Throw away the key: This is awful. A woman is in jail for poisoning a one-year-old with old medicine the baby didnāt need and posting social media videos about how much pain the baby was in. She raked in over $37,000 in donations before she was arrested and charged with torture and child exploitation. Police didnāt say if sheās the kidās mom, but, either way, the little one is safe now.
Google could stop this, but they donāt: At the top of its search results for Google Ads are fake sites that collect your real login info. Fall for one, and hackers can take over your Google Ads account to post their scam URLs ā or just sell your info to other criminals. Make sure 2FA for Google Ads is on to detect strange logins. More smarts like this are coming soon in my small-biz newsletter. <a href=”https://www.komando.com/getsmallbiz/” trigger-id=”4779805″>Get on the list today!</a>
Oh, Deere: The FTC and state attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota are suing John Deere for making their high-tech tractors impossible for farmers and third-party mechanics to fix, even after they promised to in 2023. The machines can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and come with massive repair bills as they age. I found a mechanic online saying they charged $12,000 for a $2,000 job.
Something new to try: ChatGPTās scheduled tasks feature is rolling out now for paid accounts. Pick a suggestion (e.g., āSend me a daily horoscopeā) or create your own task, like āGive me a weather report on Saturday mornings before my long run.ā In the app, go to your profile > Tasks. On a browser, hit the gem icon (top right corner) > Tasks.
š® Nintendo used to make the Wii, but Itās time for a Switch: The Nintendo Switch has sold over 146 million units since its 2017 debut, second only to the Nintendo DS. A new trailer shows the first console morphing into the fancy Nintendo Switch 2. The screen is bigger and the Joy-Cons snap magnetically instead of sliding. Thereās no release date yet, so you have time to begin saving.