You get an email from a stranger claiming, “We have naked pictures of you!” It’s a scam designed to scare you into paying up. Here’s what to know.
Meetings now come with surveillance
Chat GPT
It doesn’t bother me anymore, but it used to. Maybe it’s happened to you. You’re in a Zoom call, wearing pajama bottoms, and someone casually says, “Oh, my AI assistant is taking notes of everything everyone is saying.”
Wait, what?! There’s a digital stenographer silently documenting every sigh, awkward pause and half-baked idea you mutter?
AI meeting assistants like Otter.ai, Fireflies, Notion and others are the new must-have workplace tool. They can:
- Transcribe every word, so you can focus instead of frantically typing.
- Summarize key points, so you don’t have to rewatch the whole meeting.
- Highlight decisions and deadlines, so you know what matters.
- Assign tasks automatically based on what’s said. No more “Who was supposed to do that?”
- Even integrate with your apps like Slack, Trello or email to keep the ball rolling.
Super helpful, right? But just because you can bring AI into the boardroom doesn’t mean you always should.
🤖 Rule #1: Be up front
If AI is eavesdropping, slip in a casual, “Hey, I’ve got AI taking notes.” Be cool about it. Don’t drop it like a Bond villain mid-meeting: “Ah yes, my transcription robot is always listening.”
📩 Rule #2: Offer the summary
Want to be everyone’s favorite? Share the AI-generated recap.
People love walking away from a meeting with clear notes, even if they were only half-paying attention (you know who you are). Sharing = good karma.
🛑 Rule #3: Respect boundaries
If someone isn’t comfortable being recorded or transcribed, don’t push. Hit pause on the AI. Forcing it makes you look tone-deaf and can even lead to people opting out of the meeting entirely.
Big Tech are email snoops: Gmail, Yahoo and all those other Big Tech companies track your email activity. StartMail puts privacy first! No ads, no tracking, includes encrypted emails and disposable addresses. Get 60% off your first year, and try it free for seven days.
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Phishing got a glow-up: Scam emails used to scream “Nigerian prince” with typos galore. Now, AI makes them sound more legit than your actual bank. No weird phrasing, no broken English: just a well-written lie in your inbox. Even tiny languages like Icelandic aren’t safe. Slow down reading your email, and don’t jump to act.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Using Gmail? Add a +keyword to your email (like you+shop@gmail.com) to track who leaks your info.
📨 Faster email flow: Speed through your inbox with Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. Go to Settings > See all settings > General, check Keyboard shortcuts on, then hit Save Changes at the bottom. Need the full list of shortcuts? Press Shift + ? while you’re in Gmail.
Your .edu email gets you 3 big freebies
It’s not only for logging into class. That school address unlocks free software that normally costs thousands.
iCloud+ subscription? Buy a custom email like you@yourname.com from your iPhone. All you need is an iCloud Mail account and two-factor authentication turned on. Then go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Mail > Custom Email Domain > Continue > Buy a Domain. Search for the domain name you want, pick it if it’s available and follow the prompts to buy it. Neat.
Getting weird Ring emails? You’re not alone. People are receiving legit Ring account sign-up messages they never asked for, and some of the usernames include racist slurs. It looks like hackers got hold of a bunch of stolen email addresses. If one lands in your inbox, don’t click anything. Just delete it.
🚨 Deliverability: Noun. The likelihood that an email will successfully land in your inbox instead of being exiled to the deadly spam folder. I switched ESPs (email service providers), and I need your help. Reply, forward or rate the newsletter at the end, so Big Tech and your email provider know you want my free newsletter. This way, I’ll stick around like guac on a chip.
One inbox for everything
Tired of missing bill alerts and repair requests? Set up a shared email for all the important stuff.
⭐ Rate and reward: Want more online reviews? Ask your customers to leave one on Google or Yelp for a giveaway. Use Google Forms to collect the entries and announce the winners in a social post or email. Pro tip: Thank them in a shout-out. This keeps the good vibes (and stars) rolling.
📨 Size matters: Want to make that email bigger and shrink your inbox? If you’re on Gmail or Google Chat with an Android tablet, you can. Google just added draggable dividers. Grab the gray bar between your inbox and message view, then slide it left or right to adjust the layout.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Copy-paste a suspicious email in your favorite AI chatbot and ask, “Is this legit or a scam? Explain why.” AI can point out red flags.
Email déjà vu: Stop rewriting the same message. Create a template in Gmail to save time. On your computer, go to Settings > See all settings > Advanced. Click Enable next to Templates and Save Changes. Next time you hit compose, select More options (three dots at the bottom) > Templates > Insert template.
Excelling in email: Microsoft’s new Outlook rules will put you in a bad mood if you send over 5,000 emails a day and aren’t squeaky clean with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Now, instead of spam folders, your email marketing will be basically just shouting into a canyon. Instead, use a free option like Mailchimp.
📨 No contact info? No prob, here’s how to find someone’s email: Search for “John Smith” + “email.” The quotes help Google look for that exact phrase. Pro tip: Check their social media profiles. Some folks put their contact details right on their pages.
💸 Educator freebie: If you’re a teacher, you get Canva Pro for free. The rest of us pay $120/year. School librarians and specialists can join, too. Go to canva.com/education and click Get Verified. Log in or sign up (use your school email if you can). Then, upload your school ID, teaching certificate or a link listing your job. Approval may take a few days.
Apple owes you money: Owned an iPhone or iPad between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024? You might be eligible for part of a $95 million settlement. Why? A lawsuit says Siri recorded private convos by accident. Oopsie. If you got an email or think it happened to you, submit your claim by July 2. You can file for up to five devices and get up to $20 each.