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Take a trip back to your childhood home, no plane ticket required

Google Maps

That’s my childhood home above at 111 Washington Avenue, South Amboy, NJ. I was about 10 when I knocked out my front tooth on the swing set. There was also the day when I made the very bad decision to throw a snowball at a passing police car while the officer had his windows open. (Yes, I hit him. No, I don’t recommend it.)

I hadn’t looked at my old house in years, but seeing it on Google Maps took me straight back. Want to do it, too? It’s super easy and a little emotional.

🗺️ Find your childhood home

Open the Google Maps app or go to maps.google.com.
Type in and enter the address of the house or neighborhood.
Select Street View, then tap the image.
Tap (or click) the screen and then select “See more dates” (top left, web, or bottom, app) to go back in time.

If you’re lucky, Google may have snapshots of the home over the years. You can see when the fence was replaced, or if they finally painted the garage door, or if the tree you used to cry under is still standing.

🤖 Now add AI fun

Here’s a great use of AI that’s actually heartwarming. Upload a screenshot of your childhood home to ChatGPT (or another image AI tool) and say:

“This is the house I grew up in. Can you help me write a short story about a memory here?” If you use Midjourney, it can make an aerial view.

💡 Bonus idea: Jot down three childhood memories in your Notes app. The next time you’re with your kids or grandkids, show them the house and tell them the stories.

Trust me, they’ll remember the one about the snowball. Or the time your mom found you building a sandcastle and took Grandpa’s urn back. ⚱️

AI-powered home gadgets that lower your bills

ChatGPT

Every time my energy bill arrives, I swear it looks more like a ransom note: “$412 or the AC gets it.”

But guess what? Some good (actually smart) tech can help liberate you from this hostage situation, with real savings.

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Boring? Nah, practical

🌟 Just because something’s not shiny doesn’t mean you don’t need it.

🧦 No show, no slip: These low-cut socks (20% off, eight pairs) are grippy to prevent slips and practically invisible.

💀 Silent but deadly: Pests eating your clothes? Hang some moth traps ($17.97) in your closet. No sweaters harmed.

🧼 Clean your cleaner: Don’t shell out for a new washer. Descaler tablets ($19.95, 24-pack) keep it running longer.

☀️ Summer-proofed: An under-door draft stopper (15% off) tells the blazing heat to “stay out.”

🔌 Velcro (but smarter): Untangle and label your cords with reusable cable straps (50% off, 16-pack).

🏠 Deck out your home: Hit this handy link to shop by room. Plus, find the essentials I use on my Amazon storefront.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Anyone can snoop your home

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Zillow isn’t just for house hunting. It’s a window into your financial life. Here’s how to take control of it.

🔌 Belkin bricks tech: Say goodbye to 27 models of its Wemo smart home devices, including some sold as recently as 2023. After January 2026, they’ll lose app access, Alexa integrations and cloud features. Warranty users might get partial refunds. Everyone else? Straight to e-waste. Your “smart” hardware’s about to get real dumb.

$300 million

What Meta reportedly dangled to top AI researchers. Zuck’s new Superintelligence Lab is in full poach mode, trying to lure OpenAI stars with equity-rich packages. First-year compensation? Over $100 million in some cases. OpenAI has already lost seven staffers to Meta. Execs are saying it’s “like someone broke into our home.”

📚 Lock your Kindle: Want to keep your reading private? From the Home screen, tap the three dots in the top right > Settings > Device Options > Device Passcode. Because hey, some books are strictly for after dark.

China’s spherical spybot is terrifying

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It rolls like a tire, fires nets, and sprays tear gas. Plus, NASA lost pricey footage, Hertz nickel-and-dimes with tech, and McDonald’s big password problem. What’s your childhood home look like now? Google Maps lets you time travel. Let’s go!

Print, click, bang: Wired just rebuilt a 3D-printed gun tied to a CEO murder plot, and yeah, it works. Despite some federal and state bans, making an untraceable firearm (paywall link) at home is shockingly legal (and easy) in much of the U.S.

Smart tech for a happy pup

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Bringing home a new puppy? From calming music to treat-tossing pet cams, here are some smart tech tips to keep your dog happy, safe, and connected.

🍏 Turn Spotlight searches into shortcuts: Always using Spotlight on your iPhone to find the same apps? Save yourself the trouble. Just long-press the app in the search results, drag it out and drop it onto your Home Screen. It’s quicker than digging through your App Library every day.

⚠️ AI ate the home page: First, the good news. ChatGPT’s referrals to sites are way up (25x!) from zero. The bad news? Nearly 70% of Google searches now end in zero clicks to sites. It just doesn’t matter if you’re top of Google search results anymore. SEO used to be gold. Spoiler: I predicted this over two years ago and got laughed at.

📺 Fix your YouTube feed: Seeing stuff you don’t care about on your home page? Tap the three-dot menu next to the video and hit Not interested. Do it regularly, and YouTube will get better at showing you what you actually like.

🏡 Zillow bans hidden listings: Into real estate? You need to know that Zillow now blacklists home listings that agents publicly market (think “For Sale” signs or Instagram posts) without first putting them on a local MLS database. It’s the real estate equivalent of “pics or it didn’t happen.” Compass, a major brokerage, is suing, calling the move anti-competitive.

🏠 Modern home intercom: Still yelling, “Dinner’s ready!” across your house? Amazon Echo speakers, like the Echo Pop ($40), work as an intercom system. Just link them to the same Amazon Household account and Wi-Fi network. Then say, “Alexa, drop in on…” followed by the speaker’s name (kitchen, bedroom or garage).

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

👼🏻 Baby- or snoop-proof your iPad: Activate Guided Access. Just triple-click the home button once you’re in the app you wish to lock, then triple-click again to exit and enter your passcode. Now, your kid can play a game or your pal can scroll through photos and nothing else.

Tesla’s ghost delivery: This is something. Tesla just delivered a car from its factory to a customer with zero humans inside, not even a remote operator. The car just snuck home like a teenager after curfew. Elon says it’s the first true hands-off highway drive. I wonder: If you miss a few car payments, will it also drive itself back to the dealer?

🐶 Calm your pup: Leaving an anxious dog at home? Try playing soft, low-volume music. Classical music is best. It helps the space feel less empty and can ease separation anxiety. FYI: Start the habit while you’re home, so they link it with comfort.

Want real home protection without the hassle? I love this system! No wires, no contracts, and setup takes just 30 minutes. It comes with sensors, cameras and 24/7 monitoring. Snag this deal while it lasts. For a limited time, get 50% off!

📷 Alerts with context: Ring cameras can now use AI to describe what they see. Instead of “Living room: Motion detected,” you might get “A dog is tearing up paper towels on the rug.” The best part? It shows up as a phone notification, so there’s no need to open the video. Home Premium subscribers only ($20/month). At that point, just get a real security system.