🚗 Shaq’s hacked: Have you seen a $180,000 Range Rover custom fit for a 7’1” massive human being? It’s probably Shaquille O’Neal’s, which straight-up disappeared while being shipped from Atlanta to Louisiana. Authorities think hackers hijacked the transport company’s computers, rerouted the delivery and stole the SUV. A $10,000 reward’s up, but for now … big man’s down a big ride.
Unleash your inner IT overlord
Bing Image Creator
I read every comment you leave at the end of this newsletter, and one theme always stands out: You want to know all the hidden things your tech can do!
Lucky for you, uncovering those “I had no idea!” moments is my superpower.
🪟 Secret Windows restart trick
Frequent shutdowns can fix most computer issues, but you can try a Shift shutdown to close all processes and apps and clear the RAM completely.
- Hold down Shift before you restart.
- In the menu, click the Power button > Restart while holding the Shift key and wait for your PC to power down.
- Choose Continue when it turns back on.
♻️ Did you know Windows is more environmentally friendly than macOS? Windows puts your deleted files in the Recycle Bin, while macOS throws them in the Trash. (Bet you never thought of that before!)
🧭 Wipe your location from photos
Your phone stores metadata every time you take a picture, including the date you snapped the photo, your camera settings and where you were located when the picture was taken. Before you share a photo, send that data to the intergalactic bit bucket.
- On iPhone, open the image you want to share and tap the share button (square with an arrow pointing up). Next, select Options and toggle off Location and All Photos Data.
- On Android, open Google Photos, select the photo, tap More (the three-dot menu), then go to Edit and click Remove location.
☎️ Fix your phone’s call audio
Let’s say you’re on the phone with a pal, and your background is so noisy that your friend can’t hear you. Good news if you have an iPhone: There’s Voice Isolation mode.
- Place your call, and when your recipient picks up, swipe down from the top right of your screen to access the Control Center.
- At the top of your screen, you should see an orange microphone icon next to the word Phone. Tap that, and you’ll see a separate screen with an Audio & Video option. Scroll to and tap Voice Isolation.
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.
🖥️ Bought a high refresh rate monitor? Make sure it’s actually running at full speed and not stuck at 60 Hz. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. Select your monitor (top right), then pick 144 Hz or 240 Hz under Choose a refresh rate. If you don’t see those options, get an HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort cable.
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🔓 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.
Freezing your credit isn’t enough anymore: It won’t stop thieves from opening bank accounts, filing fake taxes or stealing your identity. NordProtect goes steps further by monitoring the dark web, leaks and more. Protect what a freeze can’t. Try it now for 71% off.
Netflix cleans up the playroom: Netflix gave kids’ profiles a makeover. I’m talking about a new layout, easier menus and a “My Netflix” hub where your kid can rewatch The Boss Baby for the 43rd time. The AI even refreshes recommendations in real time. It’s basically a master class in toddler UX design: bright, simple and built for short attention spans.
Scammers targeting retirement math: Alright, if you’re over 50 and maxing out that 401(k), heads up, starting in 2026, those “catch-up” contributions won’t be tax-deferred anymore if you make over $145K. You’ll pay taxes up-front, like a Roth. Not the end of the world, but here’s the sneaky part: Scammers love changes like this. Expect fake “plan updates” and “IRS” calls any day now. Don’t fall for them.
🧨 Rogue laptop reroutes flight: Picture this. Midair, someone’s laptop falls behind a panel, straight down into the plane’s belly. Yeah, I didn’t know that could happen either. The crew panics (hello, lithium batteries), and the Rome flight U-turns back to Dulles. Three hours later, they fish it out and try again. Nothing like an airborne game of “Find My MacBook” to keep things exciting.
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.
👻 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.
📦 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.
🚨 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.