$5

February 18, 2025

Per fake review. That’s all foreign writers are paid to boost tourist spots. Italy wants to fight back by requiring would-be reviewers to provide ID, proof they visited the place and detailed opinions (paywall link). Speaking of … Did you hear about the Italian chef? He pasta way. We cannoli do so much. His legacy will become a pizza history. Here today, gone tomato, but it was his thyme to go. I am sending olive my love to his friends. His wife is really upset. Cheese crying. (Now, that was a great one!)

Tags: friends, history, legacy, Link, love

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Temu is planting seeds for something: A Texas man ordered a dog toy from China-owned Temu but received seeds instead. It’s the fifth suspicious package reported in the state. One was an invasive plant species. If you receive seeds in the mail, don’t throw them away or plant them. Report it to your state’s Department of Agriculture.

✈️ Traveling abroad? Starting Feb. 27, Uber is rolling out a Preferred Currency Pricing feature that quietly tacks on a 1.5% conversion fee. It keeps prices in your home currency, but you’re just paying extra. Here’s how to turn it off: Open the Uber app > Account > Wallet > Preferred Currency > No preferred currency.

Are noise-canceling headphones bad for your brain? Scientists warn blocking out background noise 24/7 might train your brain to “forget” how to filter sounds naturally. This could lead to auditory processing disorder (APD). Share this with the kids in your life.

I’ve tried so many password managers: I did a deep dive to find the best option on the market right now. My thoroughly tested recommendation and pick, NordPass, uses military-grade encryption. Hit my special link for 52% off.

You’ve got 60 days to dispute bank fraud: A Denver woman’s SoFi account was drained of nearly $7,400 by scammers. The bank refused to reimburse her. She fought back and won. The takeaway? Act fast or they’re not liable.

Chatbot war continues: Perplexity AI just dropped a deep research tool that gives you detailed reports about nearly anything in two to four minutes. Free users get five queries a day, while Pro subscribers ($20 per month) get 500. Want to test it out? It’s live here.

😨 AI can clone itself now?! Relax. Researchers insist it only happens when instructed by humans. For example, AI could be programmed to clone itself if it senses it’s about to shut down. It’s basically a survival instinct. This is getting pretty scary.

Kindness + Tech = Heroes: After Hurricane Helene and the Eaton Fire, Taylor Schenker and Claire Schwartz are reuniting lost photos with their owners. They find damaged pictures, clean them, and post them on Facebook and Instagram to match them with the right families. Here are photos found from the Eaton Fire. So nice.

🩸 Elizabeth Holmes’ life in vein: Convicted felon and former CEO of Theranos wants us to feel sorry for her after cheating and stealing $724 million for tech that didn’t work. In a PR puff piece interview, she says prison is “hell and torture,” waking up at 5 a.m., earning 31 cents an hour and only seeing her kids twice a week. This criminal’s best asset is her lie ability.

Lifetime subscriptions: It’s the newest marketing ploy. Pay once and get access forever, right? But “forever” means “as long as the company stays in business” (paywall link). If it shuts down or abandons the app, you’re out of luck. Ask yourself, “Will I use this five years from now?” Probably not.