😱 This is horrifying: A mom says she’ll never let her daughter go to another sleepover again. Why? Her 11-year-old found cameras in her friend’s bedroom. The parents said they were “for security” but turned off. Except … the light was on. So she covered them with a shirt. The parents came in, removed it and that’s when she called her mom to pick her up.
5 text scams going around right now
It’s not just clingy exes popping into your messages out of the blue. Scammers are ramping up phony texts across the country. You can make the texts stop (more below). Here are the latest ones making the rounds and the red flags to watch for:
🚨 Fake missed toll or parking ticket
The FTC just warned about this one. You get a text claiming you have unpaid tolls or a parking ticket and must pay immediately to avoid late fees or legal trouble. The link takes you to a fake payment site that steals your credit card or driver’s license info.
💰 Nonexistent tax rebate
Scammers love free money, yours, that is. After the IRS announced stimulus payments for 2 million people in December, crooks started blasting texts saying you’re owed a $1,400 rebate. The link? A phishing site set up to steal your personal details or install malware on your phone.
👋 “Oops, wrong number!”
This one plays on human kindness. It starts with a vague message like, “Hey, is this Jessica?” or “Oops, wrong number!” If you respond, they’ll keep chatting, slowly steering the conversation toward a scam investment, a fake emergency or a malware-infected website.
📱“Suspicious activity” on your Apple ID
Scammers are texting about “suspicious activity” on your Apple ID, urging you to call a fake support line. Once they have you, they’ll try to steal your personal info or even take control of your phone to install spyware.
📫 USPS “delivery issues”
If you get a text about a “delivery issue” or needing to “confirm your address,” don’t fall for it. Scammers are sending fake USPS messages with links that steal your personal info. USPS never asks for sensitive details over text.
How to shut scammers down
What really happens when you delete a text?
© Dmitry Dikushin | Dreamstime.com
We’ve all had those texts we want to delete — from bad jokes and typos, to (gulp) sending something sensitive to the wrong contact. Can you really ever remove a text from your life? Is a deleted text really deleted for good? It’s complicated.
$750,000
How much TikTok star Khaby Lame rakes in per branded post. The twist? He doesn’t say a word. All he does is silently react to so-called “life hacks” with shrugs and funny facial expressions. It’s things like this that make me wonder if I picked the wrong career path.
AI is taking these jobs and creating these jobs
© Dzmitry Auramchik | Dreamstime.com
You’ve probably seen the headlines: “AI is coming for all our jobs.” But instead of you panicking, I did the hard work for you. I tracked down the 290-page Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum and actually read it.
Still have a DVD collection? Check for disc rot. Many Warner Bros. DVDs from 2006 to 2008 are failing prematurely, even though properly cared-for discs should last up to 100 years. Signs of trouble include loading errors or freezing. Warner Bros. will replace them or exchange them for a title of similar value. Contact support at whv@wbd.com.
Don’t use that tone with me: HP owners are pissed. A recent firmware update bricked HP’s LaserJet M232-M237 even with official HP toner installed. One small-business owner wasted $60 on new cartridges that didn’t work. HP is working on another better update to fix the last disaster of an update. What could possibly go wrong? 🙄
50,000
How many orders Edgar’s Bakery gets each year for its famous three-layer strawberry cake. Social media swears it’s the best cake in the world. The catch? You can actually make it yourself. Here’s the recipe. It doesn’t look that tough. (Jan, I hope you’re paying attention ’cause that lemon cake was awesome!) Speaking of … What do you call a sad strawberry? A blueberry. So good!
😱 This AI voice assistant sounds human: Startup Sesame is working on AI that’s nothing like Alexa or Siri. There are two models right now where you can have a full-on conversation naturally, complete with pauses and laughs like a human. Take a sec and try it now. It’s wild.
779% increase
Mentions of AI in corporate earnings calls last year. The hot topic: “digital labor.” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff believes today’s leaders will be the last to manage a human-only workforce. It’s no wonder 72% of Americans view AI negatively and almost a third fear fewer jobs. No turning back now.
🚘 It’s a car, not a phone: Volkswagen gets it. After plenty of complaints, VW is ditching haptic sliders and touch controls and bringing back physical buttons. Climate control, hazard lights and volume will return to good old-fashioned knobs. The change starts rolling out next year.
❄️ This blows me away: LG’s upcoming Artcool AI Air can detect a room’s layout and direct cool air to the people it senses. It knows when a window is open and will automatically switch to energy-saving mode. Plus, it’s got a sleek black mirror finish. Price and ETA? Both TBA.
“A lot of people want it”: That’s what President Trump says about TikTok. ByteDance has until April 5 to sell the app. Rumored U.S. buyers in the running include Oracle, Perplexity AI, a group led by real estate mogul Frank McCourt and Reddit’s cofounder Alexis Ohanian, and maybe MrBeast. The price? Over $400 billion and definitely out of my budget.
🚨 A billion devices at risk, thanks to one chip: A popular Chinese Wi-Fi + Bluetooth chip known as “ESP32” lets cybercriminals hijack smart gadgets and target computers on the same network. Most attacks need physical access, but with no fix yet, it’s a major risk. PSA: Put your IoT devices on a guest network.
Lowest level in 5 years
That’s where job openings for software engineers on Indeed have dropped. Why? AI. Companies are automating more tasks, and the same tech that makes coders more productive is also undercutting hiring demand. If this is you, time to get new skills.
300 to 500 miles
The common myth about when running shoes need replacing. Try this instead: Grab the heel with one hand, the toe with the other and twist. If the midsole doesn’t bend and still feels stiff, your shoes are probably good to go (paywall link). What did the sneaker say when it sneezed? A shoe! (Good one!)
22,000 years old
Vehicle tracks were found in the U.S., and they might belong to a travois. That’s a sled-like frame pulled by a person or horse. If that’s the case, humans were wandering America 7,000 years earlier than we thought. Mind blown.
4 to 7 times
Diabetics on Ozempic, Mounjaro or a similar GLP-1 medication are four times more likely to go blind from NAION. This condition cuts off blood flow to the optic nerve. Using one of these drugs for weight loss? That risk jumps to seven times more likely. No one’s talking about this. Share this with anyone you know taking this medication.
🚗 Fastest car under $1 million: I’m a car gal, so I love this story. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 hit a top speed of 233 mph on a 7.6-mile test track in Germany. You may know it’s one of the heaviest sports cars, starting at $174,995. To punch above its weight, GM engineers simulated it to prep for the test. The computer was only off by 1.09 mph. How cool. I tried a computer sim once, but I was only spinning my wheels.