Byte-Ban: Starting Aug. 15, U.S. House of Representatives staffers are banned from using all ByteDance apps on government devices. TikTok’s already out, but now the ban includes photo-editing apps CapCut and Hypic, chat app Lark and social media app Lemon8. It all comes down to TikTok’s ties to Communist China. I’m surprised it took them this long.
What's a 'Coffee Badger?'
Amazon is cracking down on ‘coffee badgers’ because of how many people are guilty doing it. Be careful, Big Brother is watching.
82.1 degrees Fahrenheit
The point where officials might cancel the Paris Olympics. About 5,000 people died in France’s heat wave last year, and Paris’ lack of tree covering and its densely packed buildings don’t help. A phrase that could come in handy for visitors: Il fait chaud! Translation: It’s hot out!
Update to iOS 17.6 ASAP: It packs 35 security fixes, tackling vulnerabilities that could let hackers control your phone. Don’t wait for it to pop up. On iPhone XS or later, go to Settings > General > Software Update now. Update your iPad, too, if you have one.
🛑 Don’t be Russian me: The Kremlin is using gullible Americans to spread false info about the U.S. presidential race. They’ve hired marketing firms to pump out propaganda via phony news websites and social media. Be extra cautious if you see posts from a “local” news outlet you’ve never heard of.
On | The Secret of LightSpray™ | Dream Together
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Mom who allowed her 5-year-old to play with her phone captures a priceless moment
Delphine Expert gave her 5-year-old daughter, Zoey, her phone to record “treasures” she found on a walk, but she never expected “to be one of the treasures.”
Rep. Jennifer Wexton first ever to make House floor speech using AI voice
Rep. Jennifer Wexton of Virginia delivered what is believed to be the first speech ever from the House floor using artificial intelligence voice technology. Wexton was diagnosed last year with a rare neurological disorder that robbed her of her ability to speak clearly.
Flying cars are taking off: Minnesota just passed a new “Jetsons law” to regulate airplane-to-car hybrids. Starting Aug. 1, you can fly (and drive) them on highways there, but you can’t take off directly from the road. Oh, and you have a tail number instead of a license plate!
More eyes in the sky: Crime-fighting police drones will soon take over for first responders in Arizona. If a Flock camera detects a stolen vehicle, an officer can send a drone to tail the car in less than 90 seconds. It’s safer than a high-speed chase on the highway, and there’s nowhere to hide.
Worst bunker MREs
I don’t think I can bring myself to eat this unless is it utterly necessary.
🚨 Heads-up, Windows users: Microsoft’s July 9 Patch Tuesday security update is causing reboots, freezes and the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. If you see a BitLocker recovery screen at startup, you’ll have to enter your recovery key. You can get it by logging into the BitLocker recovery portal with your Microsoft account. Here’s a step-by-step.
😬 CrowdStrike’s in the hot seat: Its CEO will testify before Congress after crippling emergency services, hospitals and airlines around the world. Speaking of airlines … Delta is also under federal investigation for leaving solo-traveling kids stranded across the U.S. when its systems went down. Really, Delta?
Jury Duty: Easy Money from Your Couch!
Love watching courtTV and other true crime shows? Why not get paid for your entertainment?
40.3% of all TV use
In June went towards streaming. I’m surprised it’s not higher. Streaming platforms beat cable for the largest share of our TV screen time. The biggest contributor? Nope, not Netflix. It was YouTube, with almost 10% of our TV time.
Amy Chan's Dating Bootcamp
If you think women want to receive 🍆 pics in the middle of the day, then Amy Chan’s dating bootcamp is perfect for you.
Chatbots aren’t reporters: Don’t get your news from them. When folks asked ChatGPT about the Trump shooting five hours after it happened, it was completely oblivious. Same thing happened up to an hour after Biden dropped out of the race. Stick to trusted outlets — like me and The Current!
What caused the Windows outage?
Here’s the full story as to what caused airlines, emergency services, and banks to shutdown.
Don’t buy a new Pixel phone now: Google just teased its latest fancy phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They’re going all in on AI, dubbing it “built for the Gemini era.” Here’s a vid that gives a quick glimpse at the redesigned camera and changes to the screen. Expect the Pro Fold to drop on Aug. 13.