Dumb it down: Google just dropped a rare AI tool that doesn’t hallucinate, lie or ask you to eat glue. It’s called Simplify, and it turns complex web text into plain English, right inside the Google app. It’s not a summary, it’s a real-time dumb-down filter. It’s like a CliffNotes for the information overloaded.
The photos you forgot you took, and where to find them
ChatGPT
The other day, I was digging through a drawer (you know the one: cables, old remotes, mystery chargers … where old gadgets go to die), and I came across an old SD card. No label. Just a little piece of forgotten tech from another time.
Curious, I popped it into my computer. After a few seconds of whirring, there they were: photos from May 2013.
We were in Maui, sun-drenched, salty and blissfully unplugged. Ian had just hit that magical age when your kid is still goofy but starting to tower over you. There’s one photo of him, arms stretched up, measuring his height against Barry’s. He had just passed him. The look on his face? Pride, mixed with the realization: “I’m growing up.”
My mom was there, too, sitting at the lanai table with a pen in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She was completely focused on the New York Times Crossword in the actual newspaper. No iPad, no apps, just ink on paper and her brilliant mind at work.
And me? There’s a shot of me out on a paddleboard, grinning, hair wild, surrounded by a few of my Hawaiian friends. We weren’t tracking our steps or checking email.
What a forgotten SD card unlocks
We live in a world where our phones automatically back up every blurry screenshot and meme. There’s something magical about stumbling across a photo you didn’t even know you still had, untouched by algorithms, unfiltered and full of feeling.
Today, Mother’s Day, that SD card hit differently. If your mom is still here, give her an extra hug, a call or maybe just a quiet moment together. If she’s not, here’s a hug from me to you. My mother passed away from pancreatic cancer in September 2021. I miss her every day. I found a note from her about me on the internet. You can read it toward the bottom.
Remember: She’s never far. She’s in your smile, your voice, your favorite recipes, and sometimes, she’s in the background of a photo you didn’t know you had.
So here’s my challenge to you: Go hunting. Check the junk drawer, the old camera case, that mystery USB drive. You might find moments that remind you of who you were, who you loved and what truly mattered.
Found a memory gold mine?
Use these free tools to scan, sort and back up your old photos and videos straight from SD cards, DVDs or even printed snapshots:
Reset your social media algorithms
ChatGPT
Ever scroll through Instagram or Facebook and wonder, Why am I still seeing goat yoga videos and political or family drama from 2009? Our social media feeds are Frankenstein monsters built from everything we’ve clicked on, liked, hovered over or even winced at for half a second.
40-foot submarine-hunting drone
The “BlueWhale” uses special sensors to spot underwater and surface threats, and can help clear mines. The cool bit? It’s fully autonomous and runs on batteries for weeks. Basically, a Roomba’s scarier cousin with serious military vibes.
😱 A future without iPhones? Apple says we may not need smartphones at all in 10 years. With AI changing how we interact with tech, Apple is betting on lightweight AR glasses you can wear all day instead. Pretty wild, considering iPhones still make up around 50% of the company’s revenue.
50% off alert: My home security pick, SimpliSafe, is having a massive sale. When you get a professional monitoring plan, you get one month free! You don’t need to live in fear or worry about burglars when you’re not home. Get all the gear to lock down your home for half off.
🔮 Pet psychics on TikTok: Suckers, I mean people, are paying up to $250/hour to have strangers “speak” with their pets (paywall link), alive or dead. According to one dubious Dolittle, a cat told its owner he’s “very handsome.” I saw a heavyset woman doing this with 220,000 followers. She’s definitely a four-chin teller.
Attention, parents with small kids: Researchers found that parents distracted by their phones around kids under 5 can cause long-term issues. Think poorer cognition and behavior problems. Why? This is when little ones are developing critical language and social skills, and being ignored can seriously mess with that.
🤲 Amazon’s touchy new robot: Vulcan has a “sense of touch,” which is either a sci-fi dream or the start of our future metal overlords politely handing us our orders. Amazon swears it’s “not replacing workers,” just lifting the heavy stuff so humans can … watch? For now, it’s just in Spokane, but Germany’s next.
20%
That’s how much longer mice lived after a single dose of a protein called Klotho. They also aged better, with stronger muscles, denser bones and sharper brains. Human trials are still a ways off, but if it translates, we’re talking 16 extra years. Basically, it’s the closest thing to a youth potion in a syringe.
This leaves a mark: For the first time in over 20 years, Google searches through Apple’s Safari browser have dropped. Not a shocker. More people are using ChatGPT and Perplexity instead. Investors sold on the news, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) lost around $250 billion in market value in a single day, or about the GDP of Finland or Portugal.
🚨 Windows alert: New password-stealing malware is spreading fast. It shows a fake “I Am Not A Robot” CAPTCHA and tells you to open the Windows Run box and type a command. Huge red flag. No legit site will ever ask you to do that. If it pops up, close the page immediately. And yes, real-time protection helps. I use TotalAV.
🚗 Polestar recall: The EV maker no one really knows about is recalling over 27,000 Polestar 2s due to a rearview camera issue. In some models, the camera might not show anything when reversing. FYI: It affects 2021 to 2025 models. A fix is coming via software update. Expect a letter with details by June 19. But since you get my free newsletter, you know now.
$10 million
Has already been bet on one unregulated site over who’ll become the next pope. Gambling on religious events is banned in Italy, so locals are placing $20 pizza bets instead. As for front-runners? Cardinals Parolin and Tagle. Because nothing says divine intervention like odds-making and mozzarella
Netflix is updating its home screen: Well, they should for what we pay them every month. Live events like NFL games will be easier to spot so you don’t miss them. You’ll start seeing labels like “Emmy Winner” right on show images. And they’re adding AI to search, so you can type stuff like “something scary but also funny,” and it’ll suggest movies and shows that actually fit. Neat.
🚫 No ban, no problem: TikTok’s execs are telling advertisers to relax, promising the app’s staying power despite that little thing called a federal ban potentially kicking in next month (paywall link). With 170 million U.S. users and Super Bowl ad ambitions, TikTok says it’s too big to flinch.
Excelling in email: Microsoft’s new Outlook rules will put you in a bad mood if you send over 5,000 emails a day and aren’t squeaky clean with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Now, instead of spam folders, your email marketing will be basically just shouting into a canyon. Instead, use a free option like Mailchimp.
About 2,000 runners
Took on the Atlanta Marathon, with some hoping to punch their ticket to Boston. But the course came up 554 feet short. Yep, someone goofed the route. That teensy error threw off finish times by up to 87 seconds, making them invalid for qualifying. So yeah, months of training … down the drain. Race organizers, you had one job.