Can you read cursive handwriting? Now, this is something. The National Archives needs volunteers to help transcribe over 200 years of handwritten historical documents. Most are from the Revolutionary War era, including pension records, geographers’ field notes, and immigration and census records. Interested? Sign up online to get started and preserve the past. What a fun thing to do!
When AI Goes Wrong! | Best of AO Animated in Week 1 | Australian Open 2025
🎾 This is causing quite a racket: The Australian Open is live on YouTube … sort of. Due to broadcast rights sold to media companies, live coverage is limited to animated avatars playing on a computer-generated court. It’s less Grand Slam and more Nintendo Wii. Don’t believe me? Check out this hilarious Week 1 recap. Unbelievable.
$24,000
What reality star Spencer Pratt got in donations on TikTok after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the LA wildfires. They got another $125,000 on GoFundMe. Keep in mind the couple made anywhere from $70,000 to $90,000 per episode of “The Hills” and, until the fire, bragged on social media about their luxury lifestyle, including a $1 million wardrobe. The Pratts had insurance. If you want to help victims of the fires, I have a better idea: Donate to RedCross.org.
🎾 This is causing quite a racket: The Australian Open is live on YouTube … sort of. Due to broadcast rights sold to media companies, live coverage is limited to animated avatars playing on a computer-generated court. It’s less Grand Slam and more Nintendo Wii. Don’t believe me? Check out this hilarious Week 1 recap. Unbelievable.
$5 to $50
Drop in Apple’s trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watch models. You used to get up to $650 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max; now, it’s $630 at best. Hit this page to check your new trade-in value.
The agony of de-feet: Beijing is hosting the world’s first human-robot marathon in April. Picture this: 12,000 human runners competing alongside humanoid robots, all vying for cash prizes awarded to the top three finishes. The catch? The robots must look human and use bipedal legs to walk or run; wheels are strictly forbidden.
😡 Another AI porn scandal: This time, it’s targeting teenage girls at a private school in Pennsylvania. One mom says her 14-year-old daughter cried hysterically when she found fake nude photos of herself circulating amongst her peers. The alleged perpetrators, two boys, saved her photos off social media, altered them with AI, and then shared them on Discord.
Jobs at stake: In the coming weeks, OpenAI is expected to announce Ph.D.-level bots capable of handling complex human tasks. This is what Mark Zuckerberg mentioned recently on Joe Rogan’s podcast. AI upgrades this year could replace mid-level software engineers and write their own code. We’re moving far beyond single command prompts, folks. Good thing you’re here so you’re in the know.
AI stalking: GeoSpy is an AI tool trained on millions of images, and it uses details like architecture style to pinpoint a photo’s location in seconds. It’s been publicly available for months, and creeps are using it for stalking. Now, the service is locked to permission-only and marketed to the government … because that’s so much better.
🚨 National security alert: Chinese hackers breached the U.S. Department of Treasury, gaining access to over 400 computers, including those belonging to the Secretary and other top officials. Over 3,000 files were compromised, exposing sensitive info about sanctions, law enforcement and international affairs. An investigation is underway, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
3
How many times a week you should snack on baby carrots. Researchers found frequency “significantly increased” skin carotenoids, which are associated with less inflammation and lower risk of heart disease. Crunch on!
30%
Increase for the Microsoft 365 family subscription, up to $130 a year. The personal (individual) subscription is getting bumped up to $100 annually. You can blame the snazzy new AI tools for the increase. Just because I care, here are seven free Word options to use instead.
🦾 I love it when tech changes lives: A woman received the world’s first AI-powered bionic arm after being run over by two trains in London. Here’s how it works: Sarah thinks about a movement, then twitches her muscles and tendons in a sequence. Over time, the AI learns and recognizes patterns, eventually predicting her next move. Even cooler? She can control her grip intensity, from handling eggs to crushing a Coke can. Hit this link to watch her story on the BBC’s site.
It’s Great Dane-gerous: A Chinese company has created a robotic dog that can sprint 100 meters in under 10 seconds. This is interesting: The robo-dog’s design is inspired by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who, in 1665, discovered pendulum clocks mounted on the same beam synchronized their swings through energy transfer. And get this: The robo-dog has shoes modeled after a black panther for maximum grip and stability. Yes, they’ll weaponize it.
Free AI test drive: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.
10% to 35%
How much Wall Street thinks U.S. homes are overvalued. Investors are waiting for a market correction, but they’re also growing their portfolios by building their own properties or buying newly constructed units directly from builders (paywall link). And don’t trust Zillow’s Zestimate; it’s been way off lately. Remember, the only valid home price is what someone is willing to pay.
Don’t be a loser: The KeySmart SmartCart is trending online as the new “flat AirTag” that fits in your wallet. With a thickness of less than 2mm (about two stacked credit cards), it works with the Apple Find My app to alert you if you leave something behind. You can make it ring via Bluetooth, and its battery lasts up to five months on a single charge. Impressive. I ordered one for Barry.
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📞 Targeting all 50 states: Scammers are impersonating mortgage companies, displaying the caller ID of your actual mortgage institution. Once you answer, they threaten foreclosure if you don’t pay up. Red flags: They ask for mail money orders to third-party attorneys or tell you to upload funds to a Walmart MoneyCard or Green Dot card account. Yeah, people are falling for that.
Not a movie set: The other day, Ben Affleck came home to a huge military Hummer parked outside and a visit from police and FBI. They were investigating whether someone at his home or in the area launched a hobby drone that damaged a plane fighting the Pacific Palisades fire last week. By looking at the photos, and keeping in mind Ben survived J.Lo, I’d say he’s officially unshakeable.
🚫 This went tits-up: People who moved from TikTok to RedNote are thoroughly confused by censorship issues. One man asked why he couldn’t post photos of his abs, only to be told his nipples are sexually suggestive. ICYMI: RedNote is owned by China. If you downloaded the app, remove it.