Tech to the rescue

July 17, 2024

Tech to the rescue: An experienced surfer swept away by rough seas used his Apple Watch to call emergency services. With the smartwatch’s built-in cellular connection, the surfer stayed on the line with a respondent for an hour until help arrived. He was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, which has a more rugged design and is water resistant up to 100 meters.

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Tags: Apple, design, tech, water

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Airbnb won't stop hidden cams

At this point, I don’t even want to risk it. There are just too many scary stories — and I once stayed in a place loaded with cameras! Luckily, I was savvy enough to spot them.

$50,000 exception

To Tesla’s one-year resale penalty. After a divorce, Utah retiree Blaine Raddon couldn’t fit his Cybertruck at his new bachelor pad. So, he made a stink on social and, lo and behold, got an email from Tesla saying they had reversed their resale penalty. Blaine sold his Cybertruck and made a $2,000 profit.

Google Maps is adding pop-up ads

Talk about distracted driving, am I right?

$15M earned online

While being paralyzed from the neck down. John Morrow is the founder of Smart Blogger. He types with a microphone and speech dictation software and uses a special mouse operated entirely with his lips. His post on X is absolutely worth a read.

15% to 21% decrease

In texting when drivers were offered $50. Well, that’s one way to make people safer on the road. A seven-week trial offered payouts, and it really worked to get folks off their phones. PSA: Parents, bribe your kids to not text and drive.

22 months later

A YouTuber got his Apple Watch back thanks to Find My. He lost it swimming and diving in the British Virgin Islands in 2022. A diver found the watch, powered it up and saw his contact info. The best part? It still works!

Tesla hit-and-run crash

A Jeep plowed through an intersection in Nevada, hitting a Tesla. The Tesla immediately sped away from the scene. Its driver managed to get the EV under control, but they soon realized the Jeep had driven away, too. No word yet on whether the Tesla’s Autopilot or Full Self-Drive mode was enabled during the crash. Check out the video!

50% of U.S. cancer deaths

Are avoidable. A new study shows at least half of cancer cases are linked to avoidable risk factors, like smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity and UV radiation. That means the other 50% can be attributed to other factors. I hate cancer.

Is using a VPN unethical?

One of my readers was shocked I gave this as an idea to save some money renting a car abroad. What do you think?

50 years ago

Ernö Rubik invented the “Magic Cube.” Today, some 500 million sales later, the Hungarian professor says he never expected the Rubik’s Cube to become a classic puzzle. The world record for solving it by a “speed cuber?” 3.13 seconds. No, it wasn’t me.