This is a total power move: One solar energy company had the truly bright idea to rent 8.5 million square feet of roof space atop 1,000 self-storage facilities across the U.S. Collectively, they’ll generate at least 100 megawatts of solar capacity, creating discounted energy for nearby homes and businesses, as well. So smart.
💸 Golden handcuffs: Nvidia employees work seven days a week and until 2 a.m., but they aren’t leaving. The company’s shares have skyrocketed over 3,000% since 2019, turning many into millionaires (or close to it). The catch: The stocks vest over a four-year period, so it’s “lock in or miss out” on a fortune (paywall link).
Two families ruined forever: A Michigan teenager is facing second-degree murder charges after losing control of a BMW and killing his 18-year-old friend. His mom knew about his reckless driving habits, watching him on the Life360 app, and she even texted him, “I have screenshots of you doing 123 mph. Slow the f… down!” The victim’s family wants the mother charged with involuntary manslaughter.
🪆 They need to be Putin place: A network of undersea fiber-optic internet cables could be Russia’s next target. If disabled, the West (the USA, Canada, Mexico and Australia, to name a few) could go dark — everything from Wi-Fi to calls to financial transactions. Russia’s also interfering with GPS systems, causing chaos for commercial airlines. Why? Retaliation against countries that support Ukraine.
Zuck’s singing like a canary: The question is why? Mark Zuckerberg finally admitted Facebook censored conservative views during the pandemic, citing pressure from senior White House officials. Posts criticizing the COVID-19 vaccines, mask mandates or suggesting the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory were deleted.
I see fake people: Celebs like Victoria Beckham, Margot Robbie and Kate Moss are endorsing $660 LED beauty masks. The light rays supposedly stimulate collagen production and blood circulation to make your skin look younger and firmer. Research shows they can’t even reach the dermis, which is the second layer of skin where regeneration takes place.
They blue it! LG is cooking up a PHOLED screen to sell next year. Blue phosphor OLED is more efficient, brighter and longer-lasting. The catch? OLEDs are already expensive to produce, so these may cost a fortune.
Death march: Starting with some 2023 models and those released in March 2024, Samsung TVs get seven years of free updates to keep them safe from hackers. No specifics on which models yet, but it’s likely to cover those with AI features. PSA: Before you buy any used electronics, know the EOL (end-of-life) date. More about that here.
Jeff needs the money: Amazon’s revamped voice assistant is coming in October. For $10 a month, you’ll get a Smart Briefing feature, aka daily AI-generated news summaries; a recipe helper (e.g., “What should I make for dinner with chicken and broccoli?); shopping assistance; and a chatbot for kids (paywall link).
Forget polite vacation autoreplies: Folks are getting sassy with their out-of-office messages (paywall link), like, “I’m out having way more fun than emailing you back. I’ll probably forget to reply.” The whole point? No fake promises to get back to you ASAP … which none of us can do after a trip, anyway!