Alexa as an alarm clock

July 9, 2024

Alexa as an alarm clock: Amazon’s latest Echo model, the Echo Spot, displays the time and weather above a simple speaker. It’s 44% off right now, too — a great price if you want one. Plus, with this alarm clock, you can leave your smartphone in the kitchen for even better sleep.

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Tags: Amazon, Amazon Alexa, kitchen, Sleep, smartphones, weather

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Your network is a target for hackers

“That would never happen to me.” That’s probably what these people thought.

And don’t forget the countless other stories of home security cameras being hacked.

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Finding stolen cars on Facebook

You can never be too careful when it comes to your stuff. I suggest putting an Airtag or Tile in your car so you’re always covered. I did it!

🧠 Putting Neuralink to shame: The only thing more sci-fi than a brain-controlled robot? A robot controlled by a lab-grown brain. Chinese scientists grew a “mini-brain,” plugged a chip into it and taught it how to control a robot using electrical signals. I just know Elon Musk is punching the air right now.

6 feet longer

The average length of great white sharks near Norfolk Island compared to elsewhere. Why are sharks supersized in this part of the South Pacific? It’s thanks to their unique diet of seabirds. At dusk, thousands of birds float in groups just off the coast, making them easy prey for mega sharks to sink their teeth into and vanish into fin air.

Police pull over a Waymo driving on the wrong side of the road

Waymo says the vehicle was confused by construction signs and stayed in the oncoming lane for 30 seconds because “it was blocked from navigating back into the correct lane.” Luckily, no one was hurt.

$5 million

Fine for fake plastic surgery reviews. Seattle-based Dr. Javad Sajan will pay restitution to 21,000 victims after he forced them to sign nondisclosure agreements and threatened them when they left bad reviews. If you’re getting a life-changing procedure, do your research — and not just on the doc’s website.

I miss the bouncing DVD logo: Remember when I told you how YouTube hijacks your TV screensaver with its own videos? Now Amazon’s doing it, too, but it’s way more annoying. When you let your Fire TV fall asleep, it’ll show you a 30-second ad before your screensaver pops up.

🚨 180,000 Shopify users just had their data compromised, thanks to a third-party app. The exposed info includes account IDs, names, email addresses, cellphone numbers and total spending. If you have a Shopify account, watch for any legit-looking emails from them and don’t give out any personal info.

P*rn passport: Spain is testing a new way to confirm the age of p*rn viewers on websites — digital passports. Once you verify you’re over 18, you’ll get 30 tokens good for 30 days. The Spanish government says it won’t track users’ activity or keep records of their identities. You can bet the U.S. government is keeping an eye on how it goes.

100-degree heat

Cuts your EV’s driving range by 31%. It’s all based on the outside-versus-inside temp; 100 degrees is 30 degrees above a comfortable 70-degree interior. A 10-degree winter day puts you 60 degrees below 70, and so it sucks up 51% of your battery to keep you warm. That’s nearly a full percentage point per degree!