If your site traffic just dropped 40%, Google’s AI Overviews could be to blame. Plus, the “Hawk Tuah” girl’s rebrand and why free AI tools may not be what they seem. And here’s a warning: never use your voiceprint at the bank.
When gone isn’t goodbye
Kim Komando
🕯️ This is very personal.
An AI company reached out to me recently with an interesting offer. They’d take the photos, videos and voice recordings I have of my mom and use them to create an AI version of her. Not a slideshow or tribute video. Something interactive. When they were done, I could talk to my AI mom and have it talk back to me.
My mom passed away after a five-year battle with pancreatic cancer on Sept. 19, 2021. I say a prayer for her every morning when I wake up, and for my father, too. I know they’re reunited in heaven.
That photo above is my college graduation. I love that my parents are holding hands. As a prank, they brought me an AT&T T-shirt and balloon because I was interviewing for a job. Now you know it’s in my blood.
After my father died, my mother moved in with me when I was 27, and we became more sisters than anything else. When Barry asked me to marry him, I said, “You do know that Mom and I come as a set.”
I miss her every day. My heart still aches. I’m pushing back tears now writing this. I talk to her like she’s in the room, sometimes pointing out a great sunset or telling her she was right about the throw pillows. There really are too many on the couch.
🧠 A memory or a machine?
The idea of hearing her voice again feels comforting and frightening at the same time. Could I sit across from a screen and listen to her give advice or make me laugh with her great one-liners? Would it feel like a gift or a ghost?
This isn’t sci-fi. It’s real, right now.
These digital recreations, often called “deathbots,” use artificial intelligence trained on someone’s personal data to bring them back in a virtual form. Through them, some families talk to parents, spouses, even children who are no longer here.
In one case, a journalist interviewed an AI recreation of a school shooting victim. In China, companies offer this service as part of the grieving process.
🧬 The rise of generative ghosts
The great digital purge is upon us
Midjourney
When was the last time you logged into that old Gmail account or your photo storage app? If it’s been a while, don’t be shocked if all your stuff is gone for good.
Most tech companies have policies that let them totally wipe out your account and everything in it if you haven’t signed in for a while. This could mean losing years of family photos, important emails and priceless memories. Yeah, that’s bad.
🕳️ The web’s falling apart: Google just told a judge the web’s in “rapid decline.” Advertisers are bailing for streaming and shopping platforms, leaving websites high and dry. Basically, the internet’s breaking up with quirky blogs and small sites for someone hotter, richer and way more into retail. It’s kind of like watching your favorite diner get replaced by a Sweetgreen.
$425 million
That’s how much Google owes for ignoring your “do not track” setting. Apparently, when you said “no thanks” to being tracked, Google heard “just a little bit.” The fine’s big, but considering the plaintiffs asked for $31 billion, it’s more of a slap than a shutdown.
🦖 You don’t need 3D software: Google’s new AI model Nano Banana can turn regular photos into toy-like action figures. Just head to the Gemini app or website, upload your picture and enter this special prompt (it’s the first comment on the post). Pro tip: Use a full-length, well-lit, high-res shot for the best results.
♣️ Google laid its AI cards on the table: Google quietly dropped limits for Gemini. Free users get five prompts per day, 100 images per month and five long-form deep dives. The Gemini Advanced (Ultra 1.5) plan runs $19.99/month and bumps you up to 500 prompts per day, 1,000 images per month and daily high-powered file analysis using Gemini in Gmail, Docs and more.
🔍 Track down contact info: Type “Jane Doe” with keywords like “email, phone or profile” into Google. If you know where they work, narrow it down with “Jane Doe” site:company.com. For social media, try site:linkedin.com Jane Doe, site:facebook.com Jane Doe or site:instagram.com Jane Doe. Still nothing? Reverse image search.
Three digital traps to avoid
Be careful online. Scammers are getting trickier than ever with fake Google Forms, phishing emails, and malicious QR codes. Here’s how to spot traps, protect your logins, financial information, and personal data before it’s too late.
🏡 Don’t buy any Google Home products now: On Oct. 1, looks like at least one new Nest Cam and doorbell with Gemini built in will drop. That means natural language commands, like asking for recipes, getting info on everyday topics and troubleshooting home appliances. And yes, there’ll be both free and paid versions. I’ll keep you posted.
👀 Window shopping: Amazon’s new Lens Live tool lets you point your phone at anything (shoes, furniture, a dog backpack) and buy a dupe instantly. It’s like Google Lens but with a checkout button. AI even tells you if it’s a good deal. Goodbye, self-control. Hello, impulse cart at 2 a.m.
Scammers threatened to murder my dad
Lauren from San Francisco got a call that would terrify anyone: her dad crying as a man saying he’d be killed. Only… it wasn’t her dad on the line. Plus: Google dodges a breakup, Amazon cuts perks, and an AirTag leads to a thief caught in stolen clothes.
Smart glasses … during a bikini wax?
A woman in New York says her esthetician wore Meta Ray-Ban shades during her bikini wax. Talk about TMI. I also talk to John from Atlanta, who’s scrambling to keep his model train store on track. He needs a new website, stat! Plus: the upcoming iPhone 17, hackers faking Google calls, and drones that chase off wolves.
🌍 Fly in Google Earth: Did you know Google Earth has a free built-in flight simulator? Download Google Earth Pro on desktop and launch it with Ctrl + Alt + A (Windows) or ⌘ + Option + A (Mac). Pick your aircraft and starting point (or an airport), then take off. You can fly using either a mouse/keyboard or a joystick.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🛑 Don’t trust that form: Listen, if a Google Form ever asks for your bank info or logins? Close it immediately. Scammers are churning these out because they look clean, official, even hosted on Google’s real servers. Stanford staff fell for one already. Think of it this way: Forms are for pizza orders, not your Social Security number.
🥳 Canva for invitations: Canva’s one of my favorite design tools, with free templates for almost any occasion. Log in with your Google account, search “dinner party” (or whatever you need), pick a free option, and hit Customize this template. From there, you can edit the text and drop in your own photos.
😲 Google gets a slap not a split: Google just dodged a breakup in its big monopoly trial but don’t break out the champagne in Mountain View just yet. A judge says Google can’t keep cutting those sweetheart “default search” deals and has to open up some of its secret search data to rivals. Chrome stays safe, and Google keeps its crown, but this ruling cracks the door for competitors, especially with AI nipping at Google’s heels.
⚠️ Don’t trust every Play Store app: Harmful ones sometimes sneak past Google’s checks, and one wrong download can infect your phone. Protect yourself: Open the Play Store app, tap your Profile, go to Play Protect > Settings > General, and toggle on Scan apps with Play Protect. It’ll inspect your apps and warn you about risks.
Scam factories running on human suffering
From billion dollar scam factories to AI powered blackmail, George, your AI host, breaks down the new face of online crime. Also: a million lost in a crypto scam, stolen Google tokens, Gemini’s “Nano Banana” update, hacker teens chasing clout, Everest cleanup drones, and smart tech tricks for your TV, Kindle, Fire Stick, and Mac.
📞 Nice try, scam daddy: Heads up, if your phone rings and it says “Google Support” (+1-650-253-0000), don’t pick up. Hackers are spoofing Google’s real number, pretending to be tech support, and tricking people into resetting their Gmail password. Do that, and you’re locked out of your own inbox. Google swears they’ll never call you, so just hang up and check your account yourself.