Quick thinking saves the day: Tech CEO Jesse Lyu had a scary moment when his Tesla’s Full Self-driving system steered him onto light rail tracks, straight into the path of a train. He turned off the autopilot, ran a red light and escaped safely. He shared the dashcam footage on X. Frightening.
$80,000 a year
For being a pal. After Shoji Morimoto in Japan got fired in 2018 for being lazy, he started renting himself out to strangers who needed a friend. He charges $65 to $195 to join folks at parties and concerts — nothing sexual, though.
🦈 Sink or swim: “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary and former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt are trying to buy Communist China-owned TikTok before the possible ban on Jan. 19. O’Leary says the big goal is protecting 170 million American users from Chinese surveillance. They’ll need at least $100 billion to get this done.
Very Apple-esque: Dell is ditching iconic laptop names like XPS, Inspiron and Latitude for “simplified” lines: Dell, Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max. Each has Base, Plus and Premium tiers. Pro laptops are the new Latitude, and Premium models are replacing the XPS line.
Hauling away your data: A hacker group is targeting U-Haul employee accounts to steal customer emails, phone numbers and verified info, like addresses and the last four digits of credit cards. With that, they can hack into so much more, and they know exactly where to find you. Used U-Haul lately? Call 1-866-242-7780 or email privacy@uhaul.com to submit a consumer request for them to delete your personal information.
$799 baby bouncer
Your little one can use only for six months. The Elvie Rise is a fancy bouncer and bassinet combo that debuted at CES. You can control it from your phone, but it’s only suitable for babies under six months, or until they can sit up on their own. At that price, this thing should get ‘em through kindergarten.
👜 Spoiler … It’s sold out: The internet’s going crazy over Walmart’s Hermès Birkin purse lookalike that’s only $78. The real thing runs up to $40,000 new or $300,000 for the rarest resales. Walmart’s version is real leather and looks similar for sure. It’s called the “Kamugo genuine leather handbags purse for women” on their website. I’d be shocked if they didn’t restock.
Bye-bye, Gogo: Whoa … fast, free in-flight Wi-Fi that actually works! Starlink’s satellite broadband is coming to United. Testing starts next month, and it’ll launch across hundreds of Airbus and Boeing jets if all goes well. You’ll need to sign up for a free MileagePlus frequent-flyer program for access.
This is frightening: The New Orleans attacker used Meta’s smart glasses to record Bourbon Street months before his rampage. With the glasses’ video recording capabilities, he was able to quietly survey the area and plan the attack that killed 14 people. Tech has incredible potential for good; the opposite is true in the wrong hands.
$19 trillion
In bitcoin transactions last year. To put it into perspective, bitcoin transactions totaled $8.7 trillion in 2023. This marks the first time since 2021 that the price of bitcoin has gone up, not down. How can you tell who owns bitcoin at a party? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
Do you see what I see? Apple opted you into its Enhanced Visual Search feature, which scans your photos for landmarks, and they didn’t ask your permission. Apple promises it’s all anonymous and encrypted, but you know as well as I do that some features don’t always work exactly as they should. To turn it off on an iPhone, head to Settings > Apps > Photos and toggle off Enhanced Visual Search. On a Mac, toggle it off in Photos under Settings > General.
🖥️ Money grab: Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, and the idea is to sell a ton of new AI-powered computers. They predict 80% of businesses and 70% of consumers will upgrade to Windows 11 in the next two years. Microsoft needs the cash for the $80 billion it’s spending on AI data centers this year.
🚨 Android malware alert: FireScam is sneaky Android malware posing as Telegram Premium. It drops malware directly into your device, steals your data and spies on what you’re doing. It’s spreading on fake app store sites, so always download from the official Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
🚘 No Waymo: A guy in LA almost missed his flight after his Waymo was stuck driving in circles in a parking lot. Waymo didn’t even follow up on his calls for help. The autonomous vehicle ride-hail service says the glitch was fixed, and they returned his money. It happened in Phoenix at Sky Harbor, too! I’m still not getting in one.
Microsoft is getting sneaky: If you search for Google on Bing, the page scrolls and hides the Bing logo so you think you’re searching on Google. It even adds a Google-like search bar and mimics a Google Doodle. Always double-check the URL so you don’t get fooled.
40 and older
Is totally hot right now. New movies like Nicole Kidman’s “Babygirl” and Anne Hathaway’s “The Idea of You” celebrate middle-aged women. Hollywood finally agrees that, yeah, older women are hot!
$10,000
Worth of a 1999 Georgia state quarter. Check the couch cushions! They were printed with all kinds of errors, and that makes them valuable. One of the rarest variations is thicker than normal, with a gold-greenish tint and no copper edge. Hit this list for the details.
💔 Me love you long time: Nearly a decade ago, a handsome U.S. Marine discovered his photos were being used in a multibillion-dollar romance scam. Hundreds of women have been conned out of their money, and it’s still happening today. The worst part? Victims contact his wife to warn her he’s up to no good. Here’s the full story I wrote for The Daily Mail, with all the juicy details.
AirTags in a house with kiddos? Apple skipped an important safety warning for its AirTags related to the small batteries inside. The AirTags are easy to open to get the batteries out. New models follow Reese’s Law, named after an 18-month-old who died after ingesting a button cell battery.
$26 million
In rare medical book sales predicted for the 2020s — everything from guides to bloodletting to how-tos for treating a gunshot wound with boiling oil (paywall link). Last year, a 1555 edition of the anatomy book “Fabrica” sold for $2.2 million. Time to start browsing yard sales for old medical texts.