Pulling the plug, literally

February 7, 2025

⚡ Pulling the plug, literally: Wow, this is a wild one. Thailand just cut electricity to parts of Myanmar that house billion-dollar scam operations. There are shady compounds where people are forced to run schemes like romance and pig-butchering scams for little or no money. It won’t do much to lower the number of scammers, sadly. Crime bosses are already switching to diesel generators for power and Elon Musk’s Starlink for the internet.

Tags: internet, money

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How to find a hidden GPS tracker on your car

Photo 232030196 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com

The latest stats say 80% of stalking victims are tracked using tech. One of the most popular ways to do it? GPS trackers, like an AirTag. They’re small enough to slip into a bag, pocket or your car undetected.

“Kim, this doesn’t impact me.” I wish that was true. Maybe you have an ex or friend who won’t buzz off, or maybe you met a stranger at a bar or store who was acting creepy. You’re at risk. Did you drive across the U.S. border? Yep, crooks are targeting tourists, too.

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50 cents

Extra for an egg at Waffle House. No word yet on when they’ll drop the bird flu surcharge. Better than a price hike on the whole menu. Oh, be careful what you say around egg whites. They can’t take a yolk.

25 years later

EA is re-releasing the original Sims and Sims 2 games digitally. The first game was only available on disk, but now both come bundled in the 25th Birthday Bundle for $39.99. Grab your copy on Steam, the Epic Games Store or the EA app for Windows.

0.5%

Of your brain is plastic. The most common microplastic researchers found in brain tissue samples is polyethylene, the stuff used in single-use bottles and cups. I use mostly glass and metal containers. Scary, dementia patients had 10 times the levels of plastic of a healthy brain.

$1,320,000

Auction price for a super-rare motorcycle. The bright yellow 1915 Cyclone V-Twin is one of only 14 still around today. I bet it’d be fun to ride, but the new owner can’t; it’s for display only, since the Cyclone isn’t cleared for us on roads or highways.

480

People have died trying to capture the perfect selfie. The most common ways people meet a tragic end? Drowning or falling off a cliff. But sometimes, it’s just not paying attention. A woman just died in Japan because she was so focused on getting the perfect picture, she didn’t see a train coming. No photo is worth your life.

36%

More videos posted to LinkedIn than this time last year. Vertical-view videos (think TikTok or Instagram Reels) are so popular, you can now view them on desktop and not just mobile. My advice: Go short and sweet, nothing too scripted. Hiring? Post a job free with my link!

21

How many years it took to debunk this study. Ever heard sparkling water helps you lose weight? That came from a 2004 study that wasn’t even about sparkling water. Sorry, carbonation in your blood won’t boost your metabolism. If your sparkling water loses its bubbles, that’s all right. It’s still water. (I heard that groan all the way here in Phoenix!)

$11.99

Monthly price for Amazon Music Unlimited after the latest $1 hike. The Family Plan went up $3 to $19.99 a month, or $199 a year. Sick of paying an arm and a leg for subscriptions? No kidding, the first time I logged into Rocket Money, it saved me $360.

$1.6 billion

DeepSeek’s actual development cost, according to a new report. The Communist China AI company lied when it said its ChatGPT-killer cost $5.6 million, including testing and gear. Still, it’s 30 times cheaper to run, and that’s huge.