$300 a year

For Google Maps access in a new Chevy Silverado. It’s now built into the infotainment system through Chevy’s Connected Vehicle Plan, priced at $24.99 a month. To make matters more annoying, reviewers say it doesn’t even work well.

Tags: Google, Google Maps, maps


Text scam: Chinese phishing crew behind fake delivery notifications

Oh, no! An urgent text from the U.S. Postal Service about your package delivery. Yeah, we all know by now these texts are fake.

And we finally know who’s behind the scammy messages. I thought this was super interesting, and I bet you will, too. A Chinese phishing operation has been farming personal info for the last year and a half.

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“He’s replaced me with ChatGPT”: A 25-year-old said her dad, a first-generation Chinese American, has replaced her with AI. Dad now uses AI instead of asking her for help translating, composing emails and keeping all his dad jokes in a dad-abase.

🗺️ It’s a joke, OK? Stop sharing the mock electoral maps flooding social media as if they’re facts. The trend is to take a blank map, color it mostly blue or red, and slap a clever line about how either Democrats or Republicans could win the Electoral College. Want in? Here’s a generator to make your own.

In Zelle hell: One tech pro lost $1,600 using Zelle. Eventually, Wells Fargo credited him for the fishy charge. He agrees with lawmakers who say Zelle and banks are quick to blame victims for using it “wrong.”

⚠️ Scammers’ new tactic? Using social media and messaging apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram to tell you you’re hot or offer tips to show you how to make money. About 86% of victims are tricked into transferring money themselves — without the crooks ever accessing their accounts. Come on! Please don’t fall for it.

🧠 You have a dirty mind: Brain samples from corpses found nearly 0.05% were made up of microplastics, double the amount in 2016. It’s coming from bottled water, sugar and even the air we breathe. The next time your doctor says you’re overweight, reply, “I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics.” (Yes, that’s a throwback to “The Graduate.”)

Jeff Bezos isn’t one to wing it: His fourth private jet, a Gulfstream G700, just set him back a cool $80 million. It’s one of the biggest and most advanced jets out there, reaching speeds up to 710 mph. For my nerds, that’s about 92.5% of the speed of sound. And to think, he started by selling used books from a garage!

Another reason to RTO: Remote workers are turning to apps like The Breakfast to make new friends IRL, get a bite to eat and leave the house (paywall link). Turns out, WFH is pretty lonely. Share this with someone who does.

Wyoming’s No. 1: It’s the first state with its own U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. The goal? Faster, cheaper transactions and more revenue for the state. Next year, public audits will show how many tokens are in circulation and the exact amount in the bank. Translation: There’s a real dollar in the bank for every crypto coin.

Ford’s new EV strategy has a $1.9B price tag: The automaker is shifting its focus from huge trucks and SUVs to smaller, more affordable EVs to compete with Chinese rivals. A commercial van is coming in 2026, followed by a midsized pickup and the T3 full-sized pickup.