What your scrolling says about your bank account: Ever caught yourself scrolling bad news before bed? That might say more than you think. A viral creator claims constant scrolling is both a bad habit and a class signal. Overworked, burned-out folks escape online, while the wealthy and trust-fund types scroll the wine list. We all cope how we can. Here’s something to think about: Tablets were replaced by scrolls. Scrolls were replaced by books. Now we scroll through books on our tablets. Wild.
Ransomware hackers upped the game, and it’s personal
Bing Image Creator
If you read one thing today, let it be this, because the rules of ransomware have officially changed, and not in a “Yay, innovation!” kind of way.
For years, the scam was simple: Hackers locked up your computer, holding your files hostage and demanding a ransom in Bitcoin for a promise to give your data back.
But people and companies started getting wise and saying, “No thanks, we’ve got backups. Go pound sand.”
So the crooks got meaner. Like, Real Housewives reunion-level mean. They’re stealing your files before you even know they’re there and threatening to dump them online for the world to see.
I’m not talking about boring spreadsheets or a few tax forms.
They’re after your deepest, most private secrets, such as all your emails, your medical records, browsing history, AI chatbot sessions, the videos you never meant to share or the ones you would not want anyone to know you ever watched, the contracts, the texts, the photos. Anything they can use to humiliate you or wreck your reputation.
💣 The shame game
Some criminals run their own public leak sites, where they post stolen data as a warning. Pay up, or everyone you know will see exactly what we’ve got on you. That includes all your personal and business contacts because they have those, too.
Say you still don’t pay up. Then, they take it up a notch. They dump it all on the dark web where there is no way you can buy it back.
This isn’t about locking you out and collecting a few hundred in Bitcoin anymore. It’s about dragging your life into the light.
Embarrassment. Blackmail. Legal trouble. They want to destroy you. And the only way to avoid it all is to make yourself a too hard a target.
💡 How to stay ahead of them
🔓 This $130 lock got picked with a water can
@McNallyOfficial via YouTube
You know I love a good tech takedown, and this one is peak internet.
Meet Trevor McNally, a former U.S. Marine staff sergeant turned full-time YouTuber with a very specific hobby: lock picking. On his channel, he tests locks the way most of us test leftovers, with low expectations and a lot of curiosity.
📦 Stop porch pirates before the holidays hit: Online shopping season’s here, and thieves know it. SimpliSafe keeps packages, and your home, protected with flashing lights, instant alerts and live monitoring. No contracts, no hidden fees, just peace of mind all season long.
👻 Now you see it: Boo! Threads dropped “ghost posts” that vanish after 24 hours, and only you can see the likes or replies, which show up as DMs. Meta says it’s for “unfiltered thoughts.” Finally, a feature for people who can’t stop deleting their posts.
Apple’s family problem: A mom with legal custody says her ex used Apple’s Family Sharing to spy on and control their kids, track locations, set screen limits, even block apps during her custody time. As you can imagine, Apple’s hands are tied. Turns out, only the account “organizer” holds power, leaving the other parent locked out, even with a court order. Share this with someone you know who is recently divorced.
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? China built a $226 million underwater data center off the coast of Shanghai. Why? Seawater keeps everything cool for free, and the project runs on offshore wind power. The servers are literally sitting under the ocean, and I’m here worrying about spilling tea on my MacBook.
Let. Them. Fly. So you finally dropped your teen off at college, cried in the car and told yourself you’d let them figure it out. Then you joined your kids’ school parent Facebook group. Now you’re asking complete strangers if professors take emails and how to check grades without the little cherubs knowing. Countless parents are going into full helicopter mode. Deep breath, college is for them to learn, not you.
🚨 Roblox backlash grows: The mom of 13-year-old Audree Heine says Roblox’s weak moderation and investor-driven greed let violent communities radicalize her daughter before her suicide. Her lawsuit claims Roblox knew kids were being exploited but “prioritized Wall Street numbers” instead. It’s the 12th case accusing the platform of failing basic child safety. Heartbreaking.
🔎 8K? More like OK: Thinking of splurging on an 8K TV? You might want to save your money. New research says your eyes can’t tell the difference between 2K, 4K or 8K TVs at normal distances. Basically, if you’ve got a big screen and sit on a couch, you’re maxed out. Everything else is just for bragging rights.
🏗️ Flying 3D printers: Is it me, or does looking up get more crowded every decade? Carnegie Mellon’s developing drones that double up as construction workers. Really. Picture a swarm of little bots 3D-printing shelters and bridges after a disaster. These things use AI to turn “build a bridge” into an actual blueprint, then adjust midair if something goes wrong. 90% success rate so far! Who would have thought that would ever be possible?
X marks the lock: If you use a physical security key (like a YubiKey) for 2FA on X, you’ve got until Nov. 10 to reenroll, or your account gets locked. Why? X is cutting ties with the old Twitter.com domain, which means you’re basically reregistering your key under X.com. Authenticator and SMS 2FA folks? No action needed.
🧃 The “secret” drink I reach for instead of coffee: Tired of the jitters and sugar crashes? Same. I just found a clean electrolyte drink that tastes great and actually works. No caffeine, no junk. I’m talking all-day energy, mental clarity and zero crash. I’ve been sipping NativePath Hydrate daily, and I’m hooked. Try it for 44% off with free shipping before it sells out.
Grandma’s little genius: A 13-year-old from California out-invented the Life Alert people. Kevin Tang built “FallGuard,” a $30 camera system that spots falls, using an algorithm he coded himself. No necklaces, no subscriptions, no forgetting to charge your smartwatch. He built it after his grandma’s fall caused brain damage. He’s got $25K and a waiting list. Go Kevin!
👻 Now you see it: Boo! Threads dropped “ghost posts” that vanish after 24 hours, and only you can see the likes or replies, which show up as DMs. Meta says it’s for “unfiltered thoughts.” Translation: It’s basically trying to bring back Twitter circa 2012’s fleeting, no-consequences energy. Finally, a feature for people who can’t stop deleting their posts anyway.
⚡ Deal done at last: So it’s official. The U.S. and China finally worked out a $14 billion deal to hand TikTok’s American side to new owners. Trump and Xi are expected to “seal the deal” Thursday. Americans will hold most of it and that precious algorithm, and ByteDance keeps a tiny slice. Phew, it’s time for you to follow me on TikTok. Click to do that now.
🐭 Mouse magic: Middle-click (click on the mouse wheel) on a link to open it in a new tab, or middle-click on an open tab to close it. Sweet!
🛞 Mad Max meets Model 3: Tesla dropped two new “self-driving” modes: Sloth (grandpa speed) and Mad Max (the one your insurance hates). No confirmed speeds yet, but “Mad Max” mode is made to accelerate and swerve through traffic “like a sports car.” The feds opened a preliminary investigation, I wonder why? Coming soon: Mario Kart Mode, bananas sold separately.
Wi-Fi grounded: Got big dreams of fast Wi-Fi everywhere you go? SpaceX just told Starlink Mini users to slow down. Starting Nov. 7, dishes on $165-a-month roaming plans can’t work past 450 mph (down from 550). Too many people were strapping them to private jets. Want faster internet at 30,000 feet? You’ll need the $10,000-a-month “Aviation” plan. Yep, that’s per month.