A billion devices at risk, thanks to one chip

March 11, 2025

🚨 A billion devices at risk, thanks to one chip: A popular Chinese Wi-Fi + Bluetooth chip known as “ESP32” lets cybercriminals hijack smart gadgets and target computers on the same network. Most attacks need physical access, but with no fix yet, it’s a major risk. PSA: Put your IoT devices on a guest network.

Tags: cybercriminals, devices, guest network, network, Wi-Fi

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AI is taking these jobs and creating these jobs

You’ve probably seen the headlines: “AI is coming for all our jobs.” But instead of you panicking, I did the hard work for you. I tracked down the 290-page Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum and actually read it.

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Gold grifters: The people behind a massive new scam operation

Jingming Pan on Unsplash

Yash Shah never thought he’d end up in jail. By his own account, he was just a “normal person” trying to make ends meet. Pick up a package, drop it off. Easy money.

But that “easy money” landed him in a detention center, facing charges for his alleged role in one of the fastest-growing criminal operations in America, which racked up $126 million in losses last year alone. I’m talking about gold bar scams.

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300 to 500 miles

The common myth about when running shoes need replacing. Try this instead: Grab the heel with one hand, the toe with the other and twist. If the midsole doesn’t bend and still feels stiff, your shoes are probably good to go (paywall link). What did the sneaker say when it sneezed? A shoe! (Good one!)

22,000 years old

Vehicle tracks were found in the U.S., and they might belong to a travois. That’s a sled-like frame pulled by a person or horse. If that’s the case, humans were wandering America 7,000 years earlier than we thought. Mind blown.

4 to 7 times

Diabetics on Ozempic, Mounjaro or a similar GLP-1 medication are four times more likely to go blind from NAION. This condition cuts off blood flow to the optic nerve. Using one of these drugs for weight loss? That risk jumps to seven times more likely. No one’s talking about this. Share this with anyone you know taking this medication.

Up to 48%

Seniors are struggling with insomnia. Building muscle might help. Researchers looked at 24 trials with 2,045 folks 60 and over. They found strength and resistance training worked almost twice as well as just doing aerobic exercises. Turns out, mixing the two helped even less. Fun fact: People with insomnia are pretty cool. They’re up for anything.

$150 million

That’s what it’ll cost to live next door to Jeff Bezos on Indian Creek Island near Miami Beach, Florida. Sound ridiculous? The lot was actually listed for $200 million in December, so technically, it’s a discount.

$2,000 and up

The hefty price tag of Apple’s foldable iPhone in 2027. It’s rumored to open like a book like the Galaxy Z Fold. You’ll see a 7.8-inch screen without any creases and a 5.5-inch outer screen. Touch ID is making a comeback on the side button since Face ID might not fit.

$21 million

Stolen from victims of a grandparent scam ring. Good news: Police caught the bad guys. Scammers called, pretending to be a teenager or adult grandkid who was in a car crash, arrested and needed money for bail.

15 minutes

Before your plane takes off, arrive at the airport. I bet that just stressed you out. This “airport theory” has almost 400 million views on TikTok. Some folks breezed through security and made it on time. Others weren’t so lucky. Don’t chance it.