Warning: Your tech expires soon

Your computer is behaving just fine, right? Opening apps, playing videos, checking email. Life’s good. But one day, without a single pop-up or beep, it’ll just … stop getting security updates. No ceremony. No goodbye. Just silence. From that moment on, it’s basically a digital sitting duck for hackers.

Whether you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac, it’s time to check if your system’s still getting those crucial security patches.

Don’t worry, I’ll make this easy.

Let’s start with Windows

If you’re running Windows 10, you’ve got a ticking clock above your keyboard. Microsoft is pulling the plug on Oct. 14, 2025, which is only four months away. After that, you’ll either need to upgrade to Windows 11 or buy into Microsoft’s “Extended Security Updates” plan.

Now here’s the kicker: That extended support is designed for big companies with IT departments and contracts, not you checking email at the kitchen counter. 

So unless you plan to moonlight as a network administrator, your best bet is to upgrade now, if your hardware supports it.

Not sure? Head over to endoflife.date/windows

Now let’s talk Mac 

Apple usually supports the last three versions of macOS, and as of this moment, that’s Sequoia (just announced), Sonoma and Ventura. If you’re running Monterey or anything older? Sorry, it stopped getting updates in September 2024. You’re out of the safety zone.

The good news? If your Mac isn’t too old, you can probably just upgrade it. Click the Apple icon > About This Mac, then go to Software Update. If there’s a newer version waiting, install it. Done.

Oh, and don’t forget to back up your files. Get 10TB of backup space for just $18 at Total Drive. This is important especially if your device is a few years old. They never go out with a bang, it’s always at the worst possible time.

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A crypto guide for busy people that won’t make you cry

Let’s get one thing straight: Crypto isn’t disappearing into the tech void. Love it, hate it or meme it into oblivion, digital currency is sticking around, and the U.S. is auditioning to become the crypto capital of the world.

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Scan the action: Here’s a cool trick for when you’re streaming sports on a computer. Use Google Lens on a player’s face or jersey for instant stats. Open Chrome, click the three dots for the Menu and choose Search with Google Lens. Click or drag on the page to see results on the right panel.

Drivers want buttons back - June 28th, Hour 4

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New cars are like computers on wheels. For some drivers, all that tech is an annoyance. Plus, 5G fact vs. fiction, 3D video calls, and how to try a laptop before you buy.

🤖 AI > teachers? Duolingo’s CEO says AI will out-teach humans … it knows what you know, when you know it and maybe when to yell at you with eerie accuracy. He expects computers to do most instruction “in a few decades,” but schools won’t go extinct, only because we need childcare, at least until ChatGPT can watch toddlers at home.

58%

Lower risk of cognitive decline for older folks who use tech like smartphones and computers. A study says learning new tools and staying connected online can actually help keep your brain sharp. So much for “digital dementia.” Just maybe don’t spend six hours a day on TikTok.

Insurance rates rising, here’s what you can do

My car insurance just jumped 32%. No, I didn’t get into an accident or rack up a few speeding tickets. Since 2020, car insurance rates have skyrocketed by 37%, and in 2024 alone, they climbed another 16.5%. Some states saw hikes of over 50%!

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Sky-high car insurance rates? Blame it on all the tech in our cars

My car insurance just went up 32%. Did I have an accident or get a few tickets? Nope. Across the U.S., the average full-coverage car insurance bill went up 25% last year. In some states, it was closer to 40%. Geez.

The main reason? Today’s high-tech vehicles cost way more to repair. You don’t need to own a high-tech car to feel the pinch, though; it’s hitting everyone.

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$150 billion

How much IBM plans to invest in the U.S. over the next five years. Some of the money’s going into research and development for their mainframes and quantum computers (paywall link). Not bad for a company that’s been around for 114 years.

42%

Less risk of cognitive decline for older adults who regularly use smartphones and computers. Why? Research shows it keeps their brains active and engaged, which may help with memory loss. But hey, that doesn’t mean they should go full TikTok zombie and scroll for hours. Everything in moderation, folks.

Do you see what AI sees? If you like Microsoft’s Copilot Vision for exploring the web, get ready. Microsoft Insiders are testing it this week for Windows computers and mobile devices. You’ll be able to use it with Windows apps and your camera. Need tips for decorating your house? Just fire up Copilot Vision. Watch out, Google Lens. Soon it’ll just whisper “beige” every time you try to decorate.

Nvidia’s dropping personal AI computers: This is something. The DGX PCs are built for researchers, developers, robotics engineers, data scientists and students. The big perk? You can tune AI models locally instead of relying on expensive cloud services. They’re not cheap. Prices start at $4,000! Reserve yours here.

🔍  Seen a missing Copilot? Windows folks, check if you still have the Copilot app. Microsoft’s March updates uninstalled it from Windows 10 and 11 computers. Microsoft is fixing this issue, but you can reinstall the app manually. 

Drivers want their buttons back - March 15th, Hour 4

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New cars are like computers on wheels. For some drivers, all that tech is an annoyance. Plus, 5G fact vs. fiction, 3D video calls, and how to try a laptop before you buy.

Get your refund: The FTC is sending $25.5 million worth of payments to 736,375 scam victims. Restoro and Reimage tricked folks with fake pop-ups and ads into thinking their computers were infected when they weren’t. Check your PayPal if that’s you.

The government stores retirement records in a cave

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Where are the computers? Believe it or not, federal retiree records are still stored underground.

Laptop mistake: Working all day with your computer plugged in kills the battery over time. On a Mac, there’s a special setting to turn on if you can’t give up the cord. Go to System Settings > Battery. Next to Battery Health, click the i and enable Optimized Battery Charging. You’ll charge to 80% and then run on wall power.

Two smart troubleshooting shortcuts:

On Windows: Holding down the Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B forces a GPU reset without restarting your computer. This is useful if your screen freezes or you have graphics glitches.

On a Mac: Pressing Cmd (⌘) + Option + Esc lets you force-quit any frozen application instantly. This shortcut bypasses needing to go through the Apple menu.

Oops: To delete an entire word at a time, hit Ctrl + backspace on a Windows computer. On a Mac, it’s Option + Delete.

Picture this: DeepSeek says its AI image generator is better than DALL-E 3 and Stable Diffusion. It used 72 million AI images, along with a crapload of real-world data, to train Janus-Pro-7B. I don’t think it’s that great. Try it here on a phone or computer you don’t use all the time. There’s no telling what the Chinese are doing in the background.