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Signed up for Bluesky in a week. The X rival is feeling pretty blue-tiful with over 20 million members and counting. Perks include feeds with custom algorithms and the option to pick your moderation filters.
Tags: algorithms, BlueSky, filters, social media, X (Twitter)
To keep you and your money safe, I make it a point to always let you know about the spreading scams, from crypto catfishing to AI deepfakes. I bet you’re going to be surprised by this news: The crime that shot up 400% last year is old-school check fraud.
$96 million, missing: Thousands of Americans lost their savings after fintech firm Synapse collapsed. Customers thought their money was government-backed, but now, banks are returning very little — or nothing at all. One family was offered $500 for their lost $280,000. This is your reminder to triple-check your money to make sure it’s in an FDIC-backed account.
⚡ Electric hopes, gasoline habits: An extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV, is an EV with a gas engine that acts as a generator. It could eliminate the range anxiety dilemma for new EV drivers. Here’s the catch: Owners of hybrid vehicles often skip plugging in and just rely on gas; EREV drivers will probably end up doing the same.
Urgent fire risk recall: For Belkin BoostCharge Pro fast wireless chargers. The iPhone and Apple Watch power pack launched in May 2023. Look for model number BPD005 on the back of your charging pad, and if you have one, stop using it immediately and fill out the refund form.
💸 I’m Sirius about canceling: A New York judge ruled SiriusXM’s cancellation policies violated the federal Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. How? Think long chats with agents trained to dissuade you and up to five offers before canceling. Annoying. Luckily, the feds are going after streaming services, too. Btw, aside from my daily and weekend network radio shows, I also host a special business-oriented show once a week on SiriusXM Channel 132.
Tesla has the highest rate of accidents where at least one occupant is killed: The numbers don’t lie. The Model S has a fatal accident rate 4.8 times higher than the average SUV. The fatal accident rate of Tesla’s Model Y is also double that of the average car. It’s sad when you think about how many folks put their full trust in the autopilot features. You’re a fool if you do.
Prince Harry and Megan’s Netflix doc: Instead of airing more dirty laundry and alienating everyone in the process, the destined-to-fail series (dropping Dec. 10) is a look at the U.S. Open Polo Championship. This couple keeps screaming about wanting privacy, but they’re doing talk shows, podcasts, books, appearances and, now, a Netflix doc. I bet they’re on “Dancing with the Stars” next year.
🪪 Beyond the airport: Travel verification company Clear is working on facial recognition for everything: Replacing your wallet, driver’s license, passwords and even your house keys with a selfie. They say it’ll help prevent fraud and be more convenient. What happens if hackers steal your face when it’s your universal ID?
Meta killed over 2 million accounts this year: Scammers were using them for pig-butchering schemes. The fake profiles lured victims into bogus investment traps. These scams mostly come from Asia, where 300,000 people have been forced to work for criminals. But why did Meta let 2 million scammers make accounts in the first place? Because they can’t “afford” to hire people since they only made $40.59 billion in the last quarter. Silly me.
“Hacktivism”: That’s when activists hack a company or person. Influencer Andrew Tate’s online coaching biz got hacked, exposing 800,000 current and former members’ personal details. For $50 a month, members receive content focused on health, fitness, finances and e-commerce. The leak includes nearly 325,000 member emails, plus chat logs with rants about “the matrix” and the “LGBTQ agenda.” Expect to see this all over your social media.
