🌷 Full circle moment: How about good news? A shy kindergartner promised her teacher she’d say hello again after high school. Twenty years, two degrees and two kids later, Calyssa found that teacher, thanks to a single TikTok photo. Turns out, both were student moms from UC Davis and had the same grit. Sometimes the internet actually delivers a happy ending.
You asked how a smart ring sent a guy to the ER. Here’s the full story.
@ZONEofTECH via X
Recently here in The Current, I mentioned a YouTuber who ended up in the ER because of a smart ring. A bunch of you left me comments asking the same thing: “How does that even happen?”
Let me explain, because this wasn’t the guy’s fault. It was a complete tech failure.
💍 Ring of fire
Daniel Rotar was testing Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring on a flight from the UK to Hawaii. Mid-flight, the ring started to feel snug. Then it got tighter. And tighter.
By the time he landed for a connecting flight, it was stuck. He couldn’t twist it off. Before you think, “That happens to people on long flights, they retain water,” nope.
He’s a young guy, fit, not overweight.
The battery inside had swollen, and the ring locked onto his finger. He flagged down a TSA agent, worried it might be seen as a risk. The agent told him to head straight to the hospital.
At the ER in Honolulu, doctors had to cut the ring off. Rotar filmed the whole ordeal, and the video went viral on his YouTube channel. But this is more than a one-off story.
🗜️ This could happen to you
Smart rings use lithium-ion batteries, the same type found in your phone or laptop. But in a ring, the battery is packed into a tight metal band that wraps around your finger with no room for expansion.
When that battery degrades or malfunctions, it can swell. In a phone, it pushes out the back. In a ring, it pushes into your skin. It’s not about body size or hand shape. It’s about a flawed design.
It’s not just this one Galaxy Ring. People who use an Oura Ring have reported similar problems such as swelling, cracking and sudden battery drops from days to hours. And once the battery starts to fail, you can’t replace it. The whole ring is toast.
Your password is too short. Let’s fix that
ChatGPT
I hate passwords. They are a total pain in the butt. Now don’t kill the messenger…
Hackers have amped up their game and are using powerful AI software that can rip through millions of password combinations in seconds. Brace yourself, your password really needs to be at least 20 characters, and there should be a completely different one for each account.
📱 I want you: I’m posting tech tips, behind-the-scenes moments and real talk about your digital life over on TikTok. Come hang out, scroll smarter and tap that follow button, no dancing required (unless it’s for science). 👉 tiktok.com/@kimkomando
How not to explode
ChatGPT
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, powering your phone, laptop, iPad, toothbrush, e-bike, EV and power bank. We love them because they’re compact, rechargeable and efficient. But when things go wrong? They go really wrong.
New chip, same price: In the market for a new laptop or set of VR goggles? Apple dropped new MacBook Pros, iPad Pros and Vision Pros, all running on the turbocharged M5 chip. Basically, they’re four times faster and way smarter, especially with AI stuff, and as expensive as last year, starting at $1,599, $999 and $3,499. You can preorder now, and they start shipping Oct. 22.
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FDA chokes out Dechoker: A Colorado couple made $8.2 million selling “Dechoker,” a plunger-for-humans they claimed was FDA-approved. Spoiler: It wasn’t. The FDA told them to stop in 2023, but they kept selling on Amazon anyway. Now the feds have seized their cash. The Dechoker didn’t even clear airways, just mangled tongues, and it was more of a Tom and Jerry prop than lifesaving device. If you have one, throw it away.
🏗️ North Korea’s new side hustle: North Korean operatives aren’t just scamming crypto, they’ve graduated to architecture. Researchers found fake résumés, stolen seals and CAD files for U.S. homes and businesses. Scammers made plans for restaurants, pools and homes, then sent the cash straight back to Kim Jong Un’s nuclear fund. Now that’s one HGTV episode I’d love to see.
Space leak: Researchers from UC San Diego and Maryland snagged T-Mobile calls, texts and even military comms, all from unencrypted satellites. Literally anyone with $800 and a rooftop dish could’ve done it. Companies assumed “no one would look up.” Which, frankly, explains a lot about our cybersecurity situation. Somewhere, aliens are listening to your spam texts.
🔫 Home invasion, Apple edition: This is scary. A Florida couple got ambushed in their garage at gunpoint after suspects taped an AirTag under their car to track them. Two men have been arrested, facing charges from armed burglary to kidnapping. So yeah, maybe check your car before your next Target run.
🏕️ From campfires to code fires: Scouting America (yep, the rebranded Boy Scouts) launched AI and cybersecurity badges. Scouts learn about deepfakes, algorithmic bias and how to train (not just talk to) chatbots. The cybersecurity badge teaches password safety, phishing defense and digital citizenship. Forget tying knots. “Be prepared” now means knowing how to spot fake news and fake faces.
🩻 Ransomware meets radiology: Hackers hit one of the largest U.S. radiology chains, SimonMed Imaging, exposing data from 1.2 million patients. The Medusa ransomware gang claims it stole 212 GB, including scans, IDs and payment info. SimonMed says no fraud yet, which feels about as comforting as “it’s just a sprain” before you see the X-ray bill.
Tiny TVs, big feelings: If you had “’90s-style kitchen TVs making a comeback” on your 2025 bingo card, good for you. People are scooping up old under-cabinet sets that play nothing but DVDs, static and childhood serotonin. No apps, no autoplay, only a clicky knob and Good Morning America.
🧰 Remember Facebook’s “Local Jobs”? Meta’s reviving the feature they axed in 2022, but now it’s tucked inside Marketplace, Groups and Pages, so people can find nearby work and message employers right in Messenger. You can expect to see it pop up this week. Basically Craigslist meets LinkedIn, but with more moms selling restored furniture.
Fake refund frenzy: Get ready for scammers pretending to be the state tax department texting promises of “Inflation Refunds.” The messages link to a fake site that steals personal info like Social Security numbers. Real refunds are automatic, so no links, no forms, no “enter your bank info or else” vibes.
🚨 Webcam’s worst nightmare: Remember those scam emails claiming someone caught you on camera during some “private” browsing? Stealerium makes that threat real. This dangerous malware spies on your screen and webcam while you browse, especially on adult sites, capturing what you’re watching and your reactions, then packages it all for blackmail. It’s spreading through fake “Payment Due” or “Court Summons” emails and can also steal passwords, cookies and browser history. Rule of thumb: Use a webcam cover, keep your software updated, and never click attachments or links unless you’re absolutely sure they’re legit.
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📞 Party like it’s 1999: In Seattle, parents are reviving the landline, thanks to “Tin Can,” a Wi-Fi-enabled corded phone (paywall link) that lets kids call friends without screens or TikTok. It’s spreading fast: tens of thousands sold, and they’re now back-ordered. Kids are actually thrilled to call friends. Next thing you know, they’ll be making mix tapes.
💍 Ohio says “nope”: An Ohio bill wants to legally block AI from ever being considered a person. That means no marriage, no property, no corporate board seats. Rep. Thaddeus Claggett says it’s about keeping “humans in charge.” Probably also to avoid getting more “Save the Dates” as Zoom call invites.
🚀 Cloud without the chaos: Need serious speed and zero cloud drama? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is built for power, performance and peace of mind. No mystery bills, no meltdowns, only the muscle your business needs. Try it free today.
🔌 Shocking road trip: A woman’s Volkswagen ID.4 got welded to an Electrify America charger in Athens, Alabama. Literally fused together by an electrical arc. She waited nine hours, called everyone from tech support to the dealership, and the only fix? A guy from Knoxville with a crowbar. Really. EVs may be the future, but this one needed an exorcism.