OpenAI CEO Sam Altman compares it to a PhD. in your pocket. Hotels use AI to spy on you, a creepy Instagram update, and three smart travel tech hacks. I also talk to Adrian from Arizona who got fined after leaving a bad review. Don’t miss it!
Scroll-stopping swag
Kim Komando
Yup, that’s me during my ’90s big hair infomercial days as the Komputer Tutor, teaching America how to conquer their computers one VHS tape at a time.
Before TikTok and Instagram, there were late-night infomercials, and wow, we bought it all. Remember the ThighMaster? The Flowbee? The Clapper? “Set it and forget it!”
Fast-forward to today, and social media’s the new infomercial.
But for every gem, there are a hundred gadgets that don’t work or break after a week. I sorted through the chaos to find the internet-famous products that actually live up to the hype. Even better? They make fantastic gifts, for others or yourself. You’ve earned it.
📽️ 1. Portable mini projector ($45, 59% off)
Connects with your phone to turn any room into a cinema (even your backyard).
💡 2. Clip-on selfie ring light ($12, 29% off)
Basically, it’s studio lighting that clips to your phone and fits in your pocket.
👕 3. Shirt folding board ($17, 26% off)
Breeze through laundry day. Folds your shirts faster than retailers on Black Friday.
🍝 4. Clip-on pots & pans strainer ($8.50, 29% off)
Silicone grip = no slipping, no mess. Plus, it saves you from washing extra dishes.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
⛳️ Talk birdie to me: Forget 18-hole snoozefests. YouTube quietly turned golf into a content gold mine. During the pandemic, channels like Good Good exploded; now 75% of their revenue comes from merch, not swings. Paige Spiranac parlayed 4M Instagram followers into golf stardom, and even Bryson DeChambeau used YouTube to fix his image with 2.3M subs.
Over 1 million reposts
That’s what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement pulled in, breaking Instagram’s record. The post hit the milestone in just six hours and has already racked up more than 33 million likes. The couple had been dating for about two years before Kelce popped the question. Swifties, you can finally breathe.
🔔 Turn on Instagram post notifications: Following too many accounts? Don’t miss updates from your favorites. Take me as an example. Go to my profile, tap the bell icon and toggle All for Posts, Stories, Reels and Live videos.
🔍 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.
🤳🏻 Instagram finally has an iPad app: It’s different from the phone version. The app opens straight into a feed of Reels, with a new Following tab to see posts in chronological order. Comments show beside videos, and the DM page displays your inbox next to chats. Download it here, and drop me a follow for more tips.
🚨 Terrible “bargains” alert: Scammers are filling Facebook and Instagram with fake “closing down sale” ads. Think heartfelt pleas about retiring small businesses and jaw‑dropping discounts. A researcher found over 50,000 ads repeating the same copy. Before you buy, check the comments and reverse‑image search the photos.
🤳🏼 Oops, she did it again: Britney Spears posted a nude photo on Instagram, just boots and a strategically placed rose emoji, and yep, social media exploded. The next day, she followed it with a raw post about her kids, past trauma and trying to heal. Some are whispering a comeback, others say it screams therapy. I think it’s just so sad.
¿Dónde está mi cerveza? You can now dub your voice with auto lip-synch for reels. Just select Translate your voice with Meta AI before posting. FYI: It currently only works English ↔ Spanish. Oh, and it’s available to all public Instagram accounts, but on Facebook, you’ll need at least 1,000 followers.
💬 75 minutes
That’s how long the average Character.AI user chats with a bot every day. More time than most people spend talking to their actual friends. But hey, Sherlock Holmes never zones out mid-convo to scroll Instagram, right? Turns out, you can put a price on friendship (paywall link): $10 a month, to be exact.
😱 Instagram’s embarrassing new feature: You can now see which Reels (videos) your friends are liking. Just tap the Reels icon, then the Friends tab, and bam, their profile pics show up on whatever they hearted. Scared? Me, too. To turn it off, go to Settings > Who can see your content > Activity in Friends tab > No one.
IG’s map is sus: Rolling out now, Instagram Map broadcasts your last app activity location to friends. Meta swears it’s off by default, but I don’t trust it and apparently neither does half the internet. Here’s how to turn it off: Go to your Profile and Tap the ≡ menu (top right). Select Story, live and location, tap Location sharing, and toggle off sharing.
Share Instagram posts the right way: Tagging friends in the comments? Meh. Next time you see a funny reel, tap the little arrow under the post (or on the side). Pick who you want to send it to and hit Send. It lands right in their DMs.
100x
That’s how often grocery prices can change in a single day at some stores. One blink and your eggs are cheaper. Or not. Welcome to grocery aisle gladiator match, where price tags refresh more than your Instagram feed, thanks to electronic shelf labels (ESLs) (paywall link).
❤️ See your liked posts on Instagram: You can view everything you’ve liked, whether it’s posts, reels or whatever. Go to Profile > Menu (three lines) > Your activity > Interactions > Likes. Scroll through or sort by Newest to oldest to find what you’re looking for.
💸 Upgrade to an Instagram business profile: A professional account lets you run ads and see what’s working, including your top posts and the best time to share. Already using a personal account for your biz? No need to start over. Just go to Profile > Edit profile > Switch to professional account and follow the steps.
🤳 Hide Instagram stories: If your account’s public, anyone can view your stories by tapping your profile pic. Want to block certain followers? Go to your Profile > tap the Menu (three lines) > Who can see your content > Hide story and live > Hide story and live from, then select accounts. Bye, nosy ex.
Don’t miss posts on Instagram: To get notified when a person posts, go to their Profile and tap the bell icon in the top right. Toggle on Posts, Stories, Reels or Goes Live. Want to stop the alerts later? Tap the bell again and repeat.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Tired of Instagram suggesting people to follow? Go to your profile > Edit profile > toggle off Show account suggestions on profiles.