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Got a price break on a medical bill. How? Picking up the phone. You may assume it’s not worth the time, but new research shows disputing an error or simply asking for reduced pricing goes a long way. My advice: Be polite and firm.
Forced advertising: Soon, you’ll see ads on Snapchat next to messages from your friends. Sponsored snaps will show as unread messages in the main chat tab, but they won’t trigger push notifications, at least. Snap’s stock price is hovering near an all-time low. This is def not a coincidence.
🧒🏼 Thank goodness for drones: A 3-year-old boy went missing in a 100-acre cornfield in Wisconsin. As night fell, deputies turned to a thermal imaging drone to spot the toddler’s body heat. The drone found him about half a mile from home. The reason for his adventure? He was chasing a cat.
Chinese health warning: Shein and Temu are under investigation for selling deadly products meant for babies and toddlers. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission says both retailers “raise specific concerns” about quality control. This is your warning: Do not buy any baby clothes or toys from these retailers.
🚨 Alexa wants you to vote a certain way: When asked why you should vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Amazon Alexa said, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate.” But for Kamala Harris, it returned a list of answers, including, “[S]he is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.” Amazon says it was a glitch and they’ve since fixed it. Makes you wonder where else Big Tech is spewing their employees’ opinions.
💵 Wads up? Social media is buzzing about a clever Chase bank “glitch” that gets you free money. How it works: Deposit a fake check into an ATM and withdraw cash before it bounces. Chase is onto it, and the dummies who tried it now face negative account balances in the tens of thousands.
I keep pressing the spacebar, but I’m still on Earth: NASA’s new solar-sailing spacecraft has successfully spread its wings above Earth. Just like the wind pushes a sailboat, this spacecraft uses energy from the sun to propel itself through space. In the coming weeks, engineers will test its maneuvering capabilities. The goal? Low-cost travel options that could help us reach more destinations across the solar system.
🅿️ Police are towing Teslas from crime scenes: This is wild. When a Tesla is in Sentry mode, its onboard cameras capture what’s happening around the vehicle when there’s sound or movement detected. Police know that to get the footage, they need access to the USB drive in the glove box. If the owner is MIA, cops get a search warrant and tow the EV into evidence.
🌭 Skip the line: Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech is hitting more NFL stadiums and college campuses this fall. Just tap or insert a credit card when you enter a retailer, grab what you want, and you’re automatically charged when you leave. At Lumen Field in Seattle, where the program rolled out in 2022, vendors reported 85% more transactions per game in 2023 and a total sales increase of 112%. I’d say it’s working!
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Canva has jacked up its prices: By 316%, to be exact. Canva Teams (up to five users) is going from $120 to $500 per year. If you use it, be sure to snag the 40% discount for the first 12 months. Canva usually announces price changes, but this time, they’ve quietly emailed customers instead. No wonder.
🧠 WHO knows? The World Health Organization says there’s no link between cellphone use and brain cancer. Their experts looked at 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022, drilling down further into 63. Conclusion: Phones are safe even for people who spend all day with ‘em glued to their heads. I don’t buy it. Check this list to see how much radiation your phone is giving off and my tips to make sure you don’t get sick.
