Lithium-ion battery fire: A home in Fairway, Kansas, caught fire after a lawn mower battery blew up in the garage. It was on the charger when family members heard an explosion, and the fire spread quickly. Thankfully, everyone got out safely. PSA: Charge your electric goodies outside, not in the garage.
Why you should not use WhatsApp
ChatGPT
“Kim, I heard the call with the man who lost $60,000 in a crypto scam. You said anytime someone wants to move the conversation to WhatsApp, it’s a scam. Why is that?” — Dennis in Washington
Thanks for the question, Dennis. I’m glad you heard that call. Heartbreaking. And unfortunately, it’s not rare. When someone says, “Let’s move this conversation to WhatsApp,” it’s almost always the beginning of a scam.
By the way, I don’t know if you’re aware that many of these scammers are victims of human trafficking in Myanmar. They’re forced to work in scam compounds where they spend 12 to 16 hours a day targeting people around the world.
If they don’t hit their scam dollar quotas, they’re beaten. So it’s not personal, their lives depend on stealing from people.
📲 App-solutely a trap
Scammers are taught to not be watched. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and even regular old email have systems to detect fraud and spam. You can report messages, block shady profiles and sometimes recover lost money.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal are a different story.
These are encrypted apps designed for privacy. Great for your personal life, but also great for criminals. Once the conversation moves there, there are no moderators, no scam detection systems and no help when things go wrong. You’re on your own.
Scammers start where you trust them. Maybe it’s a message from someone who looks legit on LinkedIn. Maybe it’s a friendly DM on Instagram or a Facebook message from someone who says they’re in finance or crypto.
At first, it sounds professional. Then comes the switch:
- “Let’s move this to WhatsApp, it’s easier.”
- “I’ll send you the investment details on Signal.”
- “I only do business on Telegram.”
That’s when the manipulation begins. You’ve stepped off the platform with guardrails and right into their controlled zone. You’re isolated. And once they start asking for your money, there’s no one to step in.
The great iPhone rapture
ChatGPT
It starts like any typical night out. You’re sipping something overpriced and half-listening to your friend’s relationship drama. Then, you check your pocket. Empty. You think maybe it was a pickpocket. But the reality is far stranger.
30%
The share of telescope images now tainted by Starlink’s signal leakage. One out of every three cosmic snapshots gets photobombed by a satellite. Researchers spotted unintentional radiation, using 76 million images from the EDA2 telescope. These signals aren’t even part of the satellites’ jobs, they’re just leaking and contaminating data meant to map the cosmic “dark ages.”
TV turning off on its own fix: If it’s like clockwork, it might be a setting you didn’t mean to enable. On most smart TVs, go to Settings > General and look for something like Sleep Timer, then turn it off. Still happening? It could be a bug. Try Settings > Support > Software Update.
How to save important voicemails
ChatGPT
There’s one voicemail I’ll never delete.
It’s from my mom. She’s been gone for almost four years, but every so often, I play it back. It’s nothing dramatic, just her voice asking if I could buy her a gallon of milk on my way home. (In her Brooklyn accent, “Kim, make sure it’s 2%, not the fatty whole milk please.”)
Windows 11 22H2 support is ending: Microsoft will stop security patches and bug fixes for this version on Oct. 14, 2025. To update, go to Settings > Windows Update and enable Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available. FYI: Support for Home and Pro editions already ended last October.
$16.5 billion
That’s how much Tesla’s spending on AI chips from Samsung, and that’s just the appetizer. Interestingly, not buying ’em from Nvidia. Elon Musk says it’s a “baseline,” which in Musk-speak usually means “buckle up.” The AI6 chips will be homegrown in Texas, giving “Made in America” a futuristic glow-up.
🍏 iPhone 17 Pro rumors: It’s getting a major camera upgrade, like 8x optical zoom instead of the 16 Pro’s 5x. Apple’s also working on a special pro camera app and adding a new button on the top edge for quick shots. It might even support 8K video recording. Now everyone can see your nose hairs.
3x
That’s how much Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses sales grew in the first half of this year. Zuck wants your face real estate (paywall link). Apparently, we also want our sunglasses to take selfies and hear voices. Meta is staking its claim before your sunglasses start running ads, really.
8,000 vs. 120
That’s the USA vs. China satellite count. SpaceX is casually orbiting 8,000 Starlink satellites. China? Still stuck at 120 (paywall link). It’s a space race where one kid showed up on a rocket bike and the other forgot their shoes. China’s grand plan for 27,000 satellites is stuck at 0.4% complete. Talk about taking a red-eye.
Absolutely no fundamentals: GoPro’s stock ripped 58% in 48 hours last week because meme stock energy is so back, baby. No earnings, no innovation, just internet hype. r/wallstreetbets revived the rally that once made GameStop briefly worth more than Delta.
27 leap seconds
That’s how many extra seconds we’ve added to our clocks since 1972 to keep up with Earth’s slow spin. It’s like adjusting a watch that never quite ticks right. But Earth’s speeding up, and for the first time, we might have to take a second away. So we might all time travel on a technicality.
📖 New Kindle on the block: Amazon just dropped the Kindle Colorsoft ($250). It’s $30 less than the fancier Signature Edition with wireless charging, an auto-dimming light and more storage. Perfect if you only need the basics in crisp color. Pro tip: Trade in your old Kindle and save up to 20% off.
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Blue screen, black soul: Remember the Windows blue screen of death? It just went goth. The QR code? Gone. The frowny face? Dead. Instead, you get a sleek black screen and a new Wi-Fi-powered quick machine recovery feature that can resuscitate your dead PC like digital CPR.
💥 3D guts and glory: Caltech’s researchers built PillTrek, a tiny 3D-printed smart capsule that monitors your gut like a biochemical Fitbit. It tracks pH, glucose, serotonin, you name it, by crawling through your insides like a nerdy spy. It’s cheap, wireless, and eventually, yes, it comes out the old-school way. Consider it a poop diary with WiFi.
⚡ Office apps get speed boost: Microsoft’s new Startup Boost preloads Office apps like Word and Excel in the background at boot. Apps chill in a paused state until you open them, shaving seconds off launch time. It’s already live for some Word users and will hit everyone by September. Your PC: now preheating like an oven.
🧠 Mind over mouse: Meta just unveiled a wristband that reads your muscle signals to control devices. No touching, no implants. It decodes electrical pulses (paywall link) in your arm to move cursors, open apps and type midair. Write your name in space and watch it appear on your phone. I accidentally thought about Slack, and now I’m in six meetings.
🍏 AppleCare just got easier: Starting today at 8 a.m. ET, you can cover up to three devices for $20/month, instead of paying for each separately. Most products are eligible up to four years after purchase (up from 60 days). Theft and loss coverage now includes iPads and Apple Watches. Sign up at an Apple Store or in the Settings menu of your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
I thought Alexa was creepy: Amazon’s buying Bee, a company whose wearable bracelet records everything you say. Why? AI summarizes your day, makes to-do lists and creates a searchable log of your life. It’s always listening and has no wake word (paywall link). I’ll pass.