Big 23andMe lawsuit: More than two dozen states are trying to block the company from selling customer DNA. They’re arguing your genetic code belongs to you and shouldn’t be sold without clear consent (paywall link). 23andMe’s clapback? People agreed to it in the fine print. PSA: You can still delete your data. Here’s how. But it’s probably already been sold off to who knows who.
Use AI to recreate a loved one’s voice
ChatGPT
Mark in Washington, D.C., wrote in with a question that absolutely pulled at my heartstrings:
“Kim, I love your newsletter and shows on WTOP 103.5 FM. My dad passed away recently, but I have all his voicemails on my phone. Is there any way to recreate his voice so my two young kids can hear him read their favorite bedtime stories?”
Mark, what a beautiful idea. And yes, you can absolutely do this with a little bit of AI magic and some tech know-how.
🗂 Save and organize the audio
Start by pulling those voicemails off your phone.
- iPhone: Open the Phone app, tap Voicemail. Select the message and tap the Share icon. Save to Files, Messages, or Email it to yourself.
- Android: In your carrier’s app, there is usually a way to save voicemails.
No save option?
🎙️ Record with another phone. Play the voicemail on speaker. Use a second phone with a free app like:
- Easy Voice Recorder (Android)
- Voice Memos (iPhone)
Once saved, keep those files backed up somewhere like Google Drive or Dropbox, so they’re ready for the next step.
🧽 Clean up the sound
Those recordings may need a little TLC.
Smarter seat belts soon
Remember when you’d sit in your dad’s car sans seat belt? Me, too. Well, Volvo’s working on adaptive seat belts that tighten or loosen based on your size and how serious the crash is. So if you’re smaller, it eases up to protect your ribs.
#1
Where America ranks in online vulgarity among English-speaking countries. Yes, “land of the free” also means land of the free to say anything we want. Turns out, 1 in every 2,800 words typed by Americans online is a swear, making us the reigning champs of digital potty mouths.
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☠️ Flash your crypto, risk a zip tie ride: The Taihuttu family, famous for going all in on Bitcoin, is now reportedly hiding hand-etched crypto keys across four continents. Why? The recent rise in kidnappings of crypto owners. Here’s a tip: How about you don’t tell the world you’re hiding a ton of crypto? And don’t get the Bitcoin logo tattooed on your arm.
👀 Big Tech’s got their eyes on your emails: Time to shut the door. I’m all in with StartMail: private, super secure, and you can even use burner addresses. Try it free for seven days, then grab 60% off your first year. Own your inbox today!*
🚨 Precious metal scams: A Florida couple lost over $2 million after fraudsters told them there was a warrant out for their arrest. The fix? Buy gold bars and coins in exchange for their freedom. They handed it to a courier and only found out months later it was all a lie. Folks, police will never ask you for money or gold.
Google Home update: Some nine new features are here. You can now watch Nest Cam footage picture-in-picture on Google TV, and Gemini has more smart home controls. Automations take fewer steps, and you can skip through video by double-tapping. FYI: Most features are in public preview. Join here.
🕳️ Internet’s new boogeyman: Online predators have gotten a terrifying rebrand. “764” is a nihilistic extremist group targeting kids via Discord, Roblox and social media. The FBI is on it, but that’s cold comfort if your 12-year-old is getting radicalized during Minecraft. Talk early and often with your kids about online dangers. Audit their apps, and maybe uninstall a few.
2 wolves
That’s the entire “pack” of lab-grown dire wolves Colossal Laboratories has unleashed. Made with a gray wolf base, 14 tweaked genes and a heavy pour of Game of Thrones fanfic (named Ghost and Khaleesi). Some of the dire-specific genes were too dangerous to include. Frankly, if we can make French bulldogs, we can make anything.
Your receipt is poison: Some receipts are still printed with BPS, a BPA cousin that’s banned in the U.K. but alive and well in the U.S. Scientists say it’s probably fine, but maybe don’t rub your face with it like it’s a love letter. Cancer links are unproven, yet, but just leave it or throw it out.
🔥 Baseus charger recall: Over 55,000 portable chargers are being recalled after reports of them catching fire. Look for model BS-30KP365 with a serial number ending in 0 to 9 or D (check the bottom). If that’s you, get a free replacement on their website.
135
Dead Sea Scroll fragments redated by AI with a better eye than your average historian. The system, named Enoch after the biblical prophet, was trained on radiocarbon-dated samples and subtle handwriting quirks invisible to humans. Then it read the Dead Sea Scrolls and confidently told researchers they were late by 100 years.
🧳 Global Entry is getting faster: New camera tech will soon let travelers breeze through passport control without stopping. Your face gets scanned on the move, so no kiosks or lines. It’s being tested at seven airports, including Miami, LAX, Chicago O’Hare and Toronto. Suddenly, that $120 five-year membership doesn’t sound so bad.
59 minutes
How long DJI’s new Matrice 400 can stay airborne, with gear. It hauls 13 pounds, lands on moving ships, dodges obstacles and spots power lines in thermal mode. With 10 antennas and a backup relay system, it beams footage over 25 miles, through cities, forests or whatever else is in the way, even the guy screaming, “No drones!” into the sky.
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1/15 teaspoon
That’s how much water your average ChatGPT question supposedly guzzles to answer you. According to Sam Altman, One query = a light sip. But multiply that by billions, and suddenly the servers need a Hydro Flask the size of Lake Michigan.
Time Capsule time has come: Starting with macOS 27, Apple’s yanking support for Time Capsule and AirPort backups. If you’re still living that 2012 Wi-Fi drive life, it’s almost time to move on. No new hardware is confirmed yet, but the rumor mill’s eyeing Apple’s new Wi-Fi chip for a possible router comeback. PSA: It’s about a year away.