Spy on me

October 4, 2024

👀 Spy on me: TikTok is legally required to share user data with the Communist Chinese government, but a recent survey shows 68% of Americans don’t support banning the app. Arguments include: 1.) “The U.S. government has more access to info than China,” and 2.) “I’ve got nothing to hide.” My take: It’s not only about the data; it’s about China being able to use 170,000,000 devices in America for a coordinated cyberattack on our communications network, power grid or worse.

Tags: China, Communist China, social media, spying, TikTok

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Your phone’s dirty little secret

True or false: If your phone’s got all four reception bars lit up and it’s displaying the 5G symbol, you’ve got A+ service.

The answer? False. When you see “5G,” all it means is there are 5G connections nearby. Whether you’re on that network is another story. I know, eye roll. Cell service bars don’t mean much, either.

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$400 million

Pink Floyd’s payout for selling the rights to their recorded music, name and likeness. Sony now owns the British rock band’s catalog. I smell a virtual concert coming to a city near you, where you can be comfortably numb. Btw, digital avatars of ABBA do concerts seven days a week in a custom-built London arena with a 3,000-seat capacity. They make $2,000,000 per week!

$575,000 stolen Ferrari

Found, thanks to a pair of AirPods. Thieves took the car in Greenwich, Connecticut. Luckily, the owner had left a pair of AirPods inside, and police tracked the stolen ride down at a gas station. They pulled over the suspects, who then fled the scene and were later captured. Dopes.

293% increase

In e-bike injuries between 2019 and 2022. Scooter injuries were up 88% in that time, too. FYI, injuries from e-bikes are much more likely to lead to a hospital visit than other “micro-mobility” devices like scooters and standard bikes. Just make sure your helmet is MIPS-rated to keep your noggin safe.

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94 years old

Clint Eastwood’s age — and he’s still directing. The trailer just dropped for his newest film, “Juror #2.” It’s a courtroom thriller. (I know, shocker.) Looks good! My goal is to be like Clint when I’m 94.

$1 to buy Dish

DirecTV is looking to buy its rival. If the deal goes through, they’d pay just $1 and take on Dish’s debt — about $9.75 billion. Why buy Dish? Separately, DirecTV and Dish are screwed. Together, they might be big enough to stand up to the streaming platforms.

45 days of parental leave

Can be transferred to a friend or family member in Sweden. Folks will earn 80% of their salary by looking after their grandkids. Sweden was the first country to allow parental leave, so maybe this benefit will spread to other countries, too. It makes perfect sense!

$10 for remote start

That’s what Mazda is charging for its connected features. They used to be free, and there was even an open-source (free) workaround. Yep, Mazda had that taken down. They’re not the only car company charging for previously free stuff.

78.7% drop in value

For X since Elon Musk took over. Yeesh. That’s based on a Fidelity disclosure valuing its stake in X at around $4.19 million. The initial investment? $19.66 million.

3 cups of coffee

The amount linked to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. That’s 200 to 300 mg of caffeine per day. One small steep for man, one giant steep for mankind.