👓 Eyes on the road: Amazon’s new smart glasses guide drivers turn-by-turn, scan packages and even snap delivery pics, all hands-free. Amazon swears it’s about safety, but the internet says it’s step one of “training the bots.” Either way, your driver’s basically half-cyborg now, and a database somewhere has front-row seats to your dog barking through a window.
For whom the bell tolls unpaid
Washington, D.C., Attorney General’s Office
You’ve probably seen it: a text that says something like, “You have an overdue toll balance. Click here to avoid late fees.” It looks official, urgent and believable enough to make you think maybe it’s legit.
That text is part of a very sophisticated scam run by Chinese criminal gangs, and they’ve already made over a billion dollars ripping people off across the U.S., per the WSJ (paywall link).
🕵️ How the scam works
Here’s the pipeline these gangs use to steal your information and your money.
1. U.S.-based devices
Scammers set up “SIM farms” here in the States. Picture a folding table stacked with dozens of phones and SIM cards blasting out 300,000 fake toll-payment texts a day.
One setup can impersonate 1,000 phone numbers. They spoof area codes to make these texts look like they’re from your state toll authority.
2. Fake sites
Click the link and you’re taken to a website that looks exactly like your real toll agency, down to the logo and colors. You’re asked to enter your credit card info, your name and one-time security code.
Do it and you’ve handed over everything they need to go shopping on your dime.
3. U.S. “mules”
It gets darker. U.S.-based gig workers, often recruited on Telegram, are paid 12 cents per $100 to take those stolen card numbers and buy iPhones, luxury purses and other high-ticket items, but mostly gift cards.
The day the cloud caught a cold
Bing Image Creator
If Zoom wouldn’t connect, YouTube froze or your smart home went dumb yesterday morning, it wasn’t just you. Over 11 million people reported issues with more than 2,500 big name apps and services.
The reason? A huge outage at Amazon Web Services, better known as AWS. Let me explain what all this means in plain English.
Louvre’s $20M “open window” moment: In case you missed it, thieves broke into Paris’ Louvre on Sunday and swiped eight high-value jewels. You might be disappointed if you were thinking of an Ocean’s 11 heist. Police say the crooks climbed temporary scaffolding as a free ladder to the loot and slipped in through a side façade window that, unbelievably, wasn’t covered by CCTV.
Your email’s probably in there: Uh-oh. News of 183 million new stolen logins has hit the digital grapevine, making it a total 15.3 billion accounts. The leaks came from “infostealer” malware, which is fancy talk for hackers rifling through your digital junk drawer. Plug your email into this site. You might not like the results, but at least you’ll know. If it does show up: Change the password everywhere, enable multifactor authentication, use a password manager and go on high-alert for phishing emails. If your info’s floating around after a breach, Incogni can help you get it removed, and you can grab 60% off right now.
📸 Big Brother’s photo dump: Oh boy. Facebook’s testing a feature that scans your phone’s entire camera roll, yes, even the photos you never posted, to “find hidden gems.” It uploads your unposted shots to Meta’s cloud, and if you edit or share them, Meta can train its AI on your pics. The company swears it’s opt-in. You go first.
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📺 Maxed out your Max: Don’t shoot the messenger, but HBO Max costs more. Again. It’s now $10.99 for ads, $18.49 standard and $22.99 premium. That’s up $1 to $2 a month for new subscribers. Everyone else gets hit next billing cycle. At this point, HBO stands for “Hold Bank Open.”
Eau de octane: Bought an electric car and missing that good old gas station musk? Kia’s new EV4 comes with a free air freshener that smells like “motor oil with a hint of gasoline.” It’s like going vegan but still hanging around barbecue joints for the vibes. Wait, this one is better. Nothing says “clean energy future” like the scent of a Jiffy Lube waiting room. (lol)
📸 “I let him in”: TikTokers are making fake “AI homeless man” pranks, photos of random strangers edited into their homes, then sent to partners or parents for shock value. One viral post hit 5.5M likes before police nationwide started warning: It’s not funny, it’s dangerous. The pranked are calling the cops in a panic, wasting everyone’s time.
🤖 Prime and punishment: It’s happening. Amazon is assembling a team, and by team, I mean a robot army. Leaked docs say Amazon’s trying to automate 75% of operations by 2033, which would save them $12.6 billion and skip 600,000 human hires. They’re even rebranding robots as “cobots” to avoid the A-word (automation) and soften the blow.
🔑 Bet you never tried this! So a Montana woman’s car key stopped working, battery fine, dealership stumped. She asked ChatGPT, which told her to hold the fob under her chin. Yes, really. She did, and her truck unlocked instantly. Turns out your body’s 60% water, and radio waves love that. Congratulations, you’re part car antenna.
Want to be a “breaking news” anchor? The Citizen safety app announced it’ll pay you, up to $400, to livestream nearby emergencies. Fires, crimes, chaos? Grab your phone and hit “Go Live.” Along with pushing real-time alerts, the app is basically turning users into freelance local news crews. No word yet on how to sign up.
🔢 The great “six seven” uprising: Middle schoolers are possessed by a two-number demon. Say “six seven,” and the room explodes (paywall link). Kids shriek, wave their hands, total meltdown. It started as a TikTok meme tied to rapper Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (6 7),” and now teachers avoid even saying the numbers, though they must be happy it’s not 69.
Know the best times to post: On LinkedIn, you want to post Tuesday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., when people are active but not overwhelmed. Avoid late nights, weekends and Friday afternoons. Your post deserves better than getting buried in scroll fatigue. You can post a job for free using this link.
👁️ Bionic book buddies: Get this, a paper-thin electronic implant is helping people with macular degeneration see again. It’s called the Prima implant, and they tuck it under your retina, then pair it with fancy AR glasses that beam images straight to your brain. The sight of 84% of people was restored after being fitted with the device. Wild. Blink to accept terms and conditions.
Sky’s getting crowded: SpaceX has launched over 10,000 Starlink satellites, and Elon’s only a third of the way done. Around 8,600 are still in orbit, beaming internet from space while the rest burn up in the atmosphere. Good news for internet in the sticks, but terrible for astronomers.
🚔 Porchlight confidential: It’s gotten easier for over 5,000 police departments to request your Amazon Ring doorbell footage. It’s “voluntary,” but yeah, expect more “Hey, neighbor, mind if we peek at your porch?” alerts. Btw, your Ring doorbell isn’t limited to recording a little area. Depending on the model, it can capture about 155° to 160° horizontally and up to 90° vertically. That means the camera sees a big chunk of your porch, sidewalk and part of the street. Welcome to suburbia, surveillance edition.
🏎️ Apple enters the pit lane: Apple just dropped $750 million for exclusive U.S. rights to stream Formula 1. For the next five years, every race, practice and crash will be on Apple TV. They’re borrowing commentary from F1 TV or Sky Sports, at least for now. If you’re a zoom-zoom fan, better find your Apple ID fast. Speaking of… What is the best liquor for watching Formula 1? Rrrrruuummmmm!