iPhone Air: beauty or bust?

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Apple’s new iPhone Air is making headlines as the thinnest iPhone ever, lighter than Samsung’s slimmest models. But with a single camera and a $1,000 price tag, is it worth it? Here’s what you need to know.

🤖 Dropouts welcome: OpenAI’s launching Grove, a just-hatched accelerator for tech founders who haven’t figured out what they’re building yet. Fifteen people will get to hang around SF HQ, play with new models and maybe become the next billion-dollar AI overlord. Applications are open now, but spots are ultra-limited. I’d do this in a heartbeat. 

274,000

The number of Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators recalled over brake issues. Apparently, Ford’s version of stopping power is just hoping real hard. The recall affects 2022–2024 models with front brake lines that might leak, reducing function. If your brake pedal suddenly feels like a soft pillow, maybe don’t test your luck.

📚 Turn on Dark Mode on Kindle: While reading, tap the screen, hit the three-dot menu and go to Settings > Screen and brightness > Appearance > Dark Mode. On some models, you can also swipe down from the top of the screen and toggle it there.

⏱️ Pressure’s on: Apple Watches that track hypertension just got FDA approval and start rolling out today. The watch monitors your cardiovascular patterns over 30 days and alerts you if your blood pressure looks like it’s creeping too high. It’s not a replacement for a doctor or a real cuff, but it could be a game changer for the millions who don’t know they’re at risk. The feature is coming to Series 9, Ultra 2 and all future models, and yes, your wrist might just save your life.

💾 Old PCs, new problems: If you’re using an older Intel PC with a Gigabyte motherboard, heads up: There’s a new vulnerability that could mess with your system memory. Gigabyte’s pushing out BIOS updates to fix it, but only for certain models. If your board’s too old, their advice is basically “call someone.” Start backing up. And updating. Immediately.

🔥 Anker battery recall: Six power bank models might literally catch fire. If you’ve got a PowerCore, MagGo or Zolo model, check the serial number, and stop using it immediately. A free replacement or $30 gift card could be yours. Recall form here.

📚 Take Kindle screenshots: Want to save something on your screen? Tap the upper-right and lower-left corners at the same time. To view it, plug your Kindle into a computer and check the Screenshots folder (Root folder for older models).

🧪 GPT-5 is coming: OpenAI says it’s done juggling 5 billion models. GPT-5 will unite its smartest (the “O” series) with its most extra (GPT-4o) into one huge robot brain. Expect it within a month, with sharper reasoning, more senses and fewer tabs making your laptop beg for mercy.

🤡 Alienating your customers is bad for your brand: Jaguar’s sales plummeted 97.5% after it released that super weird ad last November with nonbinary models wearing a rainbow of colors with slogans like “Copy Nothing” and “Live Vivid” but excluded any images of its new electric cars. In April, they only sold 49 cars in all of Europe. Wow.

Another Anker recall: Five more power banks are being pulled over fire risks. Affected models include: Anker Power Bank A1257 and A1647, MagGo A1652, and Zolo A1681 and A1689. You’ll find the model number on the side or back. Fill out a recall form to get a free replacement or a gift card.

☣️ OpenAI issues a bioweapon warning: This is frightening. OpenAI says its next-gen models might be dangerously helpful, like “here’s how to cook up a bioweapon” helpful. They’re beefing up safety tests as models approach high-risk territory, where even amateurs could make deadly agents. So yes, your AI intern might someday help someone go full Bond villain. We wanted cancer cures, not anthrax recipes.

Samsung’s fridge knows your voice: The new smart models recognize who’s talking to personalize the screen. So when you speak, it shows your calendar, photos, applies your favorite color settings and rats you out when you’re sneaking pie in the middle of the night. I made that last part up, but it’s a definite possibility.

Ford recall: Over 1 million vehicles are being recalled due to glitchy rearview cameras freezing up or going blank. It affects several models made between 2021 and 2024 (full list here). You’ll get a fix with an over-the-air update or by visiting your local dealer.

Your smart TV might already be dumb

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Some TV makers are killing off updates for models 2 or 3 years old. Here’s how to fight back without buying a whole new screen.

🖨️ Print with your voice: Got a 3rd-gen Echo or newer? You can link it to your printer. Make sure both are on the same Wi-Fi network and say, “Alexa, discover my printer.” In the Alexa app, it’s Add (+) > Device > Printer to set it up manually. This only works on some models. Click here to see what’s compatible.

🚗 Polestar recall: The EV maker no one really knows about is recalling over 27,000 Polestar 2s due to a rearview camera issue. In some models, the camera might not show anything when reversing. FYI: It affects 2021 to 2025 models. A fix is coming via software update. Expect a letter with details by June 19. But since you get my free newsletter, you know now.

7.3 out of 10 

What Lenovo laptops got for repairability, according to PIRG’s annual report, considered an F rating. The catch? They only submitted one model, so they were slapped with a failing grade for not providing enough data. Other brands sent in nine or 10 models. I guess they didn’t read the terms and conditions.

🧠 ChatGPT can “think with images”: OpenAI’s latest models, o3 and o4-mini, take ChatGPT’s visual reasoning to unsettlingly sharp levels. They can describe what’s in a photo, zoom, crop and enhance images. “Thinking with images” sounds cool until your AI starts judging your handwriting and that stain on your shirt.

🤖 OpenAI is building a social network: It’ll be its own version of X. The prototype apparently has a social feed focused on image generation using ChatGPT. No word yet if it’ll be a new app or built into the current one. Why do this? Real-time user data = more fuel to train their models.