24% – Reduced risk of death for hearing aid users

This is for folks who wear them, of course — compared to those who regularly skip putting in their hearing aids. What studies haven’t examined is the why.

Tags: hearing aid, users


Sky-high car insurance rates? Blame it on all the tech in our cars

My car insurance just went up 32%. Did I have an accident or get a few tickets? Nope. Since 2020, car insurance rates in the U.S. have risen by a whopping 37%. The main reason? High-tech vehicles — aka anything remotely new — cost way more to repair. And you don’t need to have a high-tech car to feel the pinch. It’s hitting everyone.

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I was glad to see this: eBay is paying a $59 million settlement after the U.S. Department of Justice proved pill press machines were being sold on the site. Yep, those devices can make fake, maybe fentanyl-laced, pills. How eBay could let this crap be sold in the first place is beyond me. Shame on them.

Scammers always find a way in

Bluetooth uses a radio frequency to share data over a short distance. It’s baked into just about every smartphone you can buy nowadays. But, as with any connection, it has its vulnerabilities.

My advice: Turn off Bluetooth when not using it. Keeping it active all the time makes your device more vulnerable. Plus, you’ll get more battery life.

  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and switch it off.
  • On Android, go to Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Bluetooth and switch it off. (Note: Steps vary based on your phone model.)

⚠️ You’d be surprised what someone can do if they break into your phone via Bluetooth.

A giraffe walks into a bar and orders a bottle of Coors Light. “Long neck?” the bartender asks. “Some say so,” the giraffe replies.

Malware mystery: Hackers are planting malware on USB drives and using trustworthy sites like GitHub, Vimeo and Ars Technica to activate it. The “how” is still a mystery, but be safe and don’t share USB drives. If you get one in the mail or find one on the street, throw it away.

Getting pricey: Arlo is bumping its Secure subscription plan pricing from $4.99 to $7.99 monthly (after already increasing it from $2.99). FYI, existing users can lock in the old rate for a year. If you’re looking to switch, I recommend SimpliSafe.

Wrong place, wrong time: A 61-year-old man got nabbed for a robbery he didn’t commit. After a brutal jail assault, he’s suing Macy’s and Sunglass Hut’s sketchy facial recognition software. He was identified from low-quality camera footage.

🥰 “Hey, Drewski!” Drew Barrymore was catfished on a dating app by an “NFL quarterback” — aka a musician who was just pretending. Her response: “I hate you … You’ve made me feel stupid.”

Carbon dating: Nelly Idowu and crew stole over $6 million from women over 65 through romance scams. They created fake profiles, conned widows and wiped out victims’ life savings. There are more cons than love nowadays. Warn your fam and friends.

FBI scam warning: Impersonators pretending to be tech support or government officials claim your accounts have been compromised. They’re actually getting people to convert assets into cash or precious metals, and then they arrange for a courier pickup. Do not fall for this!