Satellite stumper

April 12, 2024

We rely on GPS satellites to help us figure out exactly where we are. How many of them are orbiting Earth right now? Is it … A.) Four, B.) 15, C.) 24 or D.) 31?

The answer: D.) 31 GPS satellites are currently operational. Each orbits Earth twice a day. While only four satellites are needed to calculate a precise location, at least 24 are required to cover the planet, meaning the extra seven are backups. I def would’ve expected more.

Tags: backups, Earth, GPS, Location, Now, planet, satellite, satellites

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Tech trick: How to tell who's calling when you don't recognize the phone number

Ever received a text message from a number you don’t recognize? I get a lot of texts from numbers that I have no idea who that person is. Instead of replying with “Ahem, who dis?” there’s a hack you’re going to use time and time again.

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Haulin’ oats: TikTok’s latest weight loss fad is “oatzempic” — a mixture of oats, water and lime juice folks claim helps you lose 40 pounds in two months. A little extra fiber never hurts, but spoiler: This is an overhyped trend, not a weight loss miracle.

400% more grid capacity 

By updating U.S. power lines instead of building new ones. Reconductoring would allow us to get 90% of our power from renewable energy by 2035. Countries are already doing it worldwide. I say it’s time we get current with our tech — but, of course, there are always resistors.

📻 Over and (creeped) out: A mom discovered her son’s walkie-talkie was hacked by creeps. She overheard an adult voice asking, “Are you there? Hello, Mommy.” She tossed it, terrified. Don’t buy cheap walkie-talkies and baby monitors; stick with brand names you recognize.

Let the ink flow: HP’s recent firmware updates block cheaper non-HP ink. HP says it’s for security and to stop counterfeits. Yeah, sure. The folks suing say they were bait-and-switched, and they want repayment for their now-useless off-brand cartridges — plus, a ban on restrictive printer software. I hope they win.

🏷️ Label it, love it: The FCC forced ISPs to slap “nutrition labels” on their broadband plans. The labels show dirty details such as an ISP’s monthly price, sneaky charges, speed, data caps and countless fees. What’s not shown? Special packages that were free when you signed up … but that you’ve since forgotten about and are still paying for. PSA: Check your bills.

How eye-ronic: Emily Olman got a pair of black eyes after just an hour of using Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headset. Many people are complaining about neck pain, eye strain and headaches. In other news, while everyday folks are returning the headsets because they don’t do much, prn sites are loaded with videos and Apple’s not too happy about that.

The FBI says China is a hacking threat bigger than all other nations combined. Here’s the really scary part: If every FBI cyber agent and intelligence analyst tackled this issue, they’d be outnumbered 50-to-1 by Chinese hackers.

TVs hacked: LG patched four huge vulnerabilities that let hackers spy on what you watch and install unwanted apps that can give them access to everything on your network. Yes, that’s bad. Here’s how to update your TV: Go to Settings > All Settings > Support > Software Update > Check for Updates. Btw, you should check for updates on your TV even if it isn’t manufactured by LG; if hackers hit LG, others are next in line.

Talk dirt to me: Dyson’s dropping a new AR tool for its vacuums in June — the Dyson CleanTrace. It maps your cleaning path, marking cleaned zones in a majestic purple and spotlighting dirt you’ve missed. The catch? It only works with the great-but-pricey Dyson Gen5detect ($698 on sale now — 27% off!).

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Tech trick: How to tell who's calling when you don't recognize the phone number

400% more grid capacity&nbsp;

400% more grid capacity