Privacy report card: Which AI flunked
AI bots are our digital sidekicks. They’ve helped me write emails faster, plan my vacations, you name it. But the more we share, the more these bots learn about us. That can come back to bite you. Let’s lock down your data before your secrets become someone else’s payday.
🚨 You must read this before your next Uber ride
⚠️ Warning: This story contains details about sexual assault that may be disturbing.
I know two women who were raped by an Uber driver. That’s not hearsay or a story I read online. They trusted the ride, believed the app was safe and paid the price in the most horrific way possible.
Sleep surveillance: Is your Fitbit saying you’re waking up at night more than usual? It’s not because you’re broken, sleep tracking just got “more accurate.” Translation: Fitbit is clocking every micro-wiggle like it’s the NyQuil NSA. Google says this is step one in a whole series of sleep upgrades, rest assured.
2,300 acres
The growing size of Zuckerberg’s Hawaiian estate. Zuck’s sprawl now covers more land than Disneyland and Central Park combined. He started with a $100M beachfront parcel in 2014, and now he’s got a mini-nation with bunkers, tunnels and Bond villain-level fit. He also just shelled out $30 million for a set of dorm-style buildings.
Fake raids, real scams: Those viral “deportation at Walmart” TikToks? Total scam. Scammers are using phoney retail sob stories to phish your data with bogus surveys and sketchy “free gift” links. No ICE, just identity theft. Congrats, money just got deported from your bank account.
Swifties, avert your eyes: Grok’s “spicy” video mode just casually turned AI Taylor Swift into a nude dancing avatar on the first try. No warnings, no real age checks. While other tools block NSFW celeb content, Grok was like “Sure, let’s get weird.” Somewhere, a lawyer just woke up sweating and didn’t know why.
Getting a phone before 13
Puts kids at a much higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts. A massive study of 100,000+ people found girls often take the biggest hit to self-worth and emotional control, while boys struggle more with calmness and empathy. The common culprit? No shocker here, social media.
💸 Apple’s $100B “core” investment: Sweet news! Apple’s about to pour another $100 billion into U.S. manufacturing. Analysts say it’s likely headed toward high-end gear and AI labs, not iPhones and chargers. Either way, I’m glad to see this kind of big bite coming back to our shores.
70+ years
How long since the U.S. opened a rare earth mine. One dusty spot in Wyoming could supply America with rare earths for over 150 years. That’s phones, fighter jets and EVs covered till 2175. China controls 90% of processing right now, so yeah, this is big news for cowboy country. Yeehaw, meet geopolitics.
đź“ş Just what we need, more streaming services: First up is Howdy, an ad-free Roku channel for $2.99/month with old shows and movies from Warner Bros., Discovery, Lionsgate and more. The catch? You’ll need a Roku device (25% off). Then on Aug. 21, Fox One drops for $19.99/month with live NFL, MLB and news.Â
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
