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.

🚗 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.

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.

🖨️ 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.

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.

🧠 OpenAI’s new models: The recently released o3 and o4-mini aren’t your typical chatbots. They’re trained to think deeply and come up with their own experiments. So, perfect for science, tech, engineering and math. The kicker? It might cost $20,000 a month! 

Can’t focus lately? It might be brain rot

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Endless scrolling wrecks your attention span. There’s a fix, but you might not like it.

🤖 OpenAI is retiring GPT-4 from ChatGPT: Slated to be fully replaced by April 30 by the current default model, GPT-4o, because, well, 4o is just better. It’s stronger at writing, coding, problem-solving and conversational flow. Farewell, GPT-4. We’ll remember your weird poem phase. More models are on the way; we’ll soon see a family of GPT-4.1s and a new o3 “reasoning” bot. 

🎓 Wharton’s Penn/10: The oldest business school in the country is reworking its curriculum to center around AI. The new classes will cover how AI models work, the ethical impacts of using the tech and more (paywall link). Got someone in college? Be sure they study AI.

Not all “Hey, babe” DMs are created equal: Oh, shocker! Two guys are suing OnlyFans because, brace yourself, they weren’t actually chatting with the models they subscribed to. Turns out, some creators outsource fan messages. That flirty “I love your cooking 🥺” message was probably written by Chad in a WeWork. 

Strike a pose: Retailers like H&M are now creating AI versions of 30 real models. Yep, digital clones that look just like the real gals and guys. The models still own the rights to their AI twins. Surprise, the paycheck is way smaller than a real photo shoot. And it’s only a matter of time before companies skip the humans altogether and go full-on AI.

📖 Give your eyes a break on Kindle: You can schedule a warm light to turn on at night. Go to All Settings > Screen and brightness > Brightness and warmth and toggle Warmth schedule. Scroll down to Manual and set your preferred times and Warmth intensity. FYI: This only works on Paperwhite, Oasis and Scribe models.

Nvidia’s dropping personal AI computers: This is something. The DGX PCs are built for researchers, developers, robotics engineers, data scientists and students. The big perk? You can tune AI models locally instead of relying on expensive cloud services. They’re not cheap. Prices start at $4,000! Reserve yours here.

Useless $2,000 soundbar: This is big. Turn off automatic updates now if you have Samsung’s flagship HW-Q990D Dolby Atmos soundbar. A recent update just bricked them all over the world — no sound output and unresponsive. The HW-Q800D and HW-S801D models have had similar issues. What a mess.

🤖 Google announced new AI models for robots: Now, they have fine motor skills to handle delicate and precise tasks. Here’s a video of the little guys placing a banana in a container and folding origami. It’s still early in testing, but definitely exciting stuff! 

iRobot is launching eight new vacuums: For the first time, they’re adding lidar tech for smart mapping to entry-level models. That means room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones right from the app. FYI: Amazon almost bought iRobot for over $1 billion, and recently, iRobot said they’re not sure they will survive. Damn, that sucks.

😱 This AI voice assistant sounds human: Startup Sesame is working on AI that’s nothing like Alexa or Siri. There are two models right now where you can have a full-on conversation naturally, complete with pauses and laughs like a human. Take a sec and try it now. It’s wild.

🏠 $20K for a two-bedroom home? This isn’t the 1960s. It’s a tiny home that comes folded in a box, complete with a porch, kitchen and bathroom. One model sold out on Amazon thanks to viral videos with over 20 million views. Read the reviews if you’re tempted to buy one. Some models have low ceilings, no electrical outlets and no instructions to build them.