✈️ Get back in line: American Airlines is considering new boarding tech that sounds a really loud beep when you try to cut the line and board without your group. It’s being tested now in Albuquerque, Tucson and Washington, D.C. I’ll spare you a plane joke (it won’t take off), but if you need a laugh, watch George Carlin talk about the boarding process. So funny.
Everything we know about the MoneyGram breach
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Another day, another massive data breach. This time, it’s MoneyGram, a global mega-company that handles money transfers, bill pay and other financial services. They have digital platforms and retail locations, and they even power Walmart’s money-transfer service.
There’s no formal statement yet on exactly how many people were impacted, but we do know MoneyGram has over 150 million customers worldwide.
The whole shebang, exposed
In their official statement, MoneyGram says an unauthorized third party (aka a vendor, hacker or group of hackers) accessed and acquired a ton of personal info between Sept. 20 and Sept. 22. MoneyGram didn’t discover the break-in until about a week later, on Sept. 27.
MoneyGram says the following types of customer data have been compromised:
- Social Security numbers and government ID documents
- Contact information, including email, addresses and phone numbers
- Birthdates
- Bank account numbers
- Utility bills
- MoneyGram Plus Rewards information and transaction information
- Criminal investigation information (like fraud) for “a limited number of consumers”
MoneyGram is working with external cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. It generally takes a few weeks or even months to discover the full extent of breaches like this and all those impacted. In the meantime, they’re providing customers with free identity protection and credit monitoring services for two years.
Whenever a big breach like this happens …
… It’s always a good idea to take a proactive approach with your credit file. If you’ve used MoneyGram before, place a security freeze on your credit report with each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Here’s how:
- Equifax: Visit Equifax.com and follow the steps to freeze online. By phone, call 1‑888‑298‑0045. For snail-mail requests: Print this and mail it to Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348‑5788.
- Experian: To do it online, visit the Experian Freeze Center. By phone, call 1‑888‑EXPERIAN (1‑888‑397‑3742), or submit your request in writing to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.
- TransUnion: Add a freeze online on the TransUnion website. Call 1‑888‑916‑8800, or mail TransUnion, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094.
Once you’ve placed the freeze, you’ll get a personal identification number or password to temporarily lift or remove the freeze. Make sure you keep this info in a safe place.
And there’s a fourth credit reporting agency now
I wasted 36 hours trying to do it myself
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So many of the calls, emails, messages and DMs I get are about privacy and security. I can’t remember the last time I had a full day where no one asked me some version of “How do I get all this info about me off the internet?”
Massive data leak impacts 1 in 3 Americans
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Data broker MC2 Data left more than 100 million records of Americans exposed online for anyone to copy, grab, forward, sell on the Dark Web — you name it. This comes only a month after the National Public Data breach of 2.9 billion records. I’m getting so tired of these data broker companies and people-search sites screwing up, and it’s you and me who have to pay for their mistakes.
So much data left exposed for anyone to see
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Another day, another monumental data breach. Just because they’re getting more common doesn’t mean you can tune it out. In fact, it’s time to get even more serious about your private information and what’s posted online.
Passengers in an Arizona Waymo autonomous vehicle get a scare
🧘 Coping skills needed: An Arizona mom and daughter thought the self-driving Waymo vehicle they were in might crash while crossing multiple lanes. They made it through, with mom panicking and her daughter cracking up in the backseat. Waymo’s response? The vehicle kept a “safe distance.” Watch the video and see what you think.
'Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery' trailer
💸 Is the mystery solved? A new HBO documentary, “Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery,” claims Canadian developer Peter Todd is the mystery man behind bitcoin. Todd, of course, has denied he’s the real Satoshi Nakamoto, and he’s now in hiding. If it’s true, though, he holds the keys to over a trillion dollars in crypto. Watch the trailer — it’s so good!
LaserWeeder: AI-powered robotic weed control
🚜 Agricultural revamp: Carbon Robotics just raised $70 million for AI-powered robots that help farmers blast weeds with lasers. The LaserWeeder attaches to a tractor and uses AI to detect and zap weeds without disturbing the soil microbiology. Bonus? It could reduce the need for harmful herbicides. No word on the cost yet, but the video sure looks cool.
Tropicana Las Vegas implosion
The site of the former 23-story, 917,400-square-foot hotel is becoming a Major League Baseball stadium for the Oakland A’s, who are relocating to Las Vegas. The controlled demolition used 22,000 lineal feet of detonating cord, dang.
WOW! Watch SpaceX catch a starship booster in air
🚀 Touchdown complete: SpaceX nailed the upright landing of one of its massive Starship rockets. As it fell from the sky, thrusters slowed it down before it was caught by two “chopstick” arms attached to a giant metal tower. Why’s this a big deal? It’s a step toward reusable rockets. The video is incredible.
Introducing: Bolt & Bolt-M
Tesla: 'We, Robot' event livestream
I know you’ve seen it all over the news: Elon Musk recently took to the stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank to spotlight what he says is the future of transportation — and show off his army of cowboy hat-wearing robots. Will any of this make it to production and into our driveways? Well, we’ll see.
Introducing 'Dookie Demastered'
Green Day is going all out: To celebrate their “Dookie” album’s 30th anniversary, the California punk rock band has released “demastered” versions of their songs played on some hilariously inconvenient formats, including “Pulling Teeth” on a toothbrush, “Chump” on a Teddy Ruxpin and “Welcome to Paradise” on a Game Boy cartridge.
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'My heart was gone': Second person to receive a titanium heart shares experience
💖 IRL Tony Stark: A 35-year-old man just became the second person with a titanium heart transplant. With severe heart failure and fluid in his lungs, doctors used a magnet-powered artificial heart as a last resort. The result? Normal circulation, blood flow and blood pressure. The only downside is he says it feels a little “heavier.” This could be the solution to the organ shortage.
Stranger travels 1,500 miles to return lost stuffed animal to 9-year-old
A Texas woman took to Facebook after her 9-year-old left his stuffed gorilla at a California hotel. A stranger saw the post, went an hour out of her way to pick it up, then documented the gorilla’s journey home. Absolutely watch this if you need a smile!
‘It is not real': Title company owner warns of new twist to title fraud
32-year-old finds Lego stuck in their nose after 26 years
A guy finally dislodged a little Lego piece he stuck in his nose at age 6. Way back when, he stuck one of the little plastic bricks and a Lego man up his nose. Mom got the Lego man out but didn’t realize the individual brick was still in there. All that time, the 32-year-old dealt with congestion, asthma and sleep apnea. Such a crazy story!
C SEED N1 TV: The world's first unfolding 137-inch microLED TV
Have a spare $300,000 sitting around? Call me: … Or you could spend it on the C SEED N1, a 4K TV that unfolds like a Transformer in 90 seconds. When you’re done binging, it turns back into a funky metal sculpture.
Need some extra cash? 15 jobs you can do from home
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Working remotely isn’t suitable for everybody. But in the wake of the pandemic, it has seen a considerable boon globally. Tap or click here for legit ways to find work-from-home jobs.
If you’re interested in earning a living from home, there is no better time to get involved with the right opportunity.