3-second tech genius

💥 The 1-star shakedown: Scammers are flooding small businesses with fake one-star nasty Google reviews, then demanding big money (paywall link) to take them down. Contractors, movers, roofers, you name it. Victims report losing thousands in jobs while paying bribes. Because in 2025, your biggest threat isn’t a guy named Vinnie, it’s a burner Gmail account.

⌚️ Don’t mess with Larry: Not really tech, but this is great! A scammer thought she could hustle 87-year-old Larry outside a senior center by swapping his nice Rolex for a fake one. She pulled her move, he pulled a judo-like arm twist. Boom, she face-planted into her own car. TikTok is eating it up. Moral of the story: Larry is basically John Wick but with early bird specials.

🏁 Drive‑by hacking? It’s a thing: Researchers discovered serious security flaws in Apple’s CarPlay systems that allow attackers to remotely take control of a car. Once inside, they can play music, hijack in‑car displays, eavesdrop on conversations and track a vehicle’s location. No patch from Apple yet.

⚠️ Keep your email private: Big email providers like Gmail and Yahoo track what you do. I use StartMail because it keeps my inbox secure, stops spam with unlimited aliases, and it keeps my personal info private. You can try it free for 7 days, and when you sign up, you’ll get my 60% off deal for the first year! It’s a terrific service.

Talk global to me: OK, so YouTube just made subtitles feel like a flip phone. They’re rolling out AI dubbing that copies your own voice and tone but in other languages. Early testers like Jamie Oliver saw their views triple. Plus, thumbnails get the translation glow-up, too. Repeat after me: J’adore The Current.

🚨 Scrape me up before you go-go: The Atlantic just dropped a seriously creepy tool. Type in your name, and it’ll show whether your YouTube videos were quietly scraped to train AI. No permission, no payment, just … surprise! You helped build someone else’s billion-dollar model. I popped up 75 times. Unreal. Search for your name here.

🗨️ Discord DMs helped crack the case: Discord, a chat app originally built for gamers, is used for everything from group chats to niche communities. The Charlie Kirk murder suspect’s roommate showed investigators Discord messages that laid out his plan in shocking detail, including stashing the rifle in a bush, which is exactly where police later found it. Nothing is private, looks like he wanted to get caught. I’m heartbroken that something so horrific happened in a place meant for open conversation and ideas.

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🎧 Spotify hits a high note: If you’re a Premium subscriber, you might now have lossless streaming, aka CD‑quality 24‑bit/44.1 kHz FLAC audio. I say “might” because it’s rolling out gradually. To turn it on, go to Settings > Audio Quality and choose Lossless under streaming options.

Apple ups privacy: Websites can still track you by stitching together your IP, device info and time zone into a “fingerprint.” No opt-out. iOS 26 (out Sept. 16) will auto-block that in Safari. Add in spam call screening and link-tracking protection, and Apple’s getting a privacy facelift.