Name drop: ChatGPT makes a good intern. Just fill in the blanks: “I need name ideas for a [event, post, product] about [topic] using these [keywords]. The target audience is [age group, industry].” Results may vary, but it’ll get you thinking.
Weird things on Google Earth
blog.google, © Seemanta Dutta | Dreamstime.com
I spent the first 10 years of my life in New Jersey. I still remember when I knocked out my front tooth on the swings and the time I threw a snowball at a police car and hit the cop inside on the head. That was bad.
Seeing the house on Google took me back. Yup, click that link to see where I grew up. And while you’re at it, take yourself on a walk down memory lane, too.
🏠 Blast from the past
There’s something nostalgic about revisiting the house where you grew up or experienced major life moments.
With Google Street View’s time travel feature, you can see how it’s changed over the years, flashing back as far as Google’s cameras have been rolling in that area.
- Open the Google Maps app and search for a place.
- At the bottom, tap the place name or address.
- Scroll and select the photo labeled Street View, or select the thumbnail with a Street View icon.
- While viewing a location in Street View, tap anywhere on the image, then tap See more dates.
How fun is that, right?
🌎Check out these interesting Google Earth images
Open Google Earth. Copy one of the coordinates I listed below. Paste it into the Search box in Google Earth (you’ll find it on the left side of the screen). Press Enter to zoom into the exact location instantly. Repeat.
- Airplane storage facility: 32°08’59.96″ N, 110°50’09.03″W
- Mysterious desert pattern: 27°22’50.10″N, 33°37’54.62″E
- The Badlands Guardian: 50°0’38.20″N, 110°6’48.32″W (Zoom out a bit to see it.)
- Strange target in Nevada: 37°33’50.17”N, 116°51’4.44″W
- Weird shape in Nevada: 37°24’5.66″N, 116°52’4.11″W
- China desert roads: 40°27’29.33″ N, 93°23′ 35.32″E
- Big giant in Chile: 19°56’56.96″S, 69°38’1.83″W
- My studios: 33°31’35″N, 112°03’51″W
- Shipwrecks all over the world.
🤣 I once met the man who invented the part of a map that explains what each symbol means. Wow! What a legend.
Wait, are public phone chargers dangerous?
© Rattanachai Mokngam | Dreamstime.com
Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls are so tempting when you’re out and about with a dying phone. Their owners promise they’re safe. The government disagrees, and so do I. Groan, I know.
Welcome to the newest phase of juice jacking. The phenomenon has been around for more than 10 years. Hackers use public phone-charging stations to upload malware to your devices. Then, they ransom your device or steal your passwords. Super-duper.
Think only boomers fall for scams?
Scammers don’t just target seniors. So who’s really at risk? The answer, and some other common scam myths, will surprise you.
Don’t look up: Chinese scientists built a surveillance camera that can see your face from space. In a ground test, it locked onto a target 62 miles away and picked up tiny details with scary accuracy. It’s supposedly “100 times” better than today’s top spy cameras and lens-based telescopes.
Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said “yes” to any of those, you’re a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.
Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said “yes” to any of those, you’re a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.
Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said “yes” to any of those, you’re a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.
🛑 It’s called “typosquatting”: There are jerks out there who buy up URLs that are just a typo away from the site you meant to visit. If you have a business, you’re a target. Have I Been Squatted? checks if someone is impersonating your website so you can protect your domain name. Ahem, this is why I own dozens of spellings of my site, Komando.com.
Gotta close my rings: Fitness influencers are all over a new “hack” for more accurate step tracking: Strapping a smartwatch to your ankle instead of your wrist. One woman tried it with a 10-minute jaunt around Target. On her wrist, the watch recorded 91 steps; on her ankle, 835 steps. If you try it, know you’re losing out on features like heart rate and CO2 tracking. Another downside is you look like a prisoner with an ankle monitor.
Random Facebook requests always end badly: Just ignore them. Kate Kleinert accepted one from “Tony,” who claimed to be a surgeon working in Iraq. It wasn’t long until Tony needed money, and Kate sent him $40,000. Shocker, the day they were supposed to meet, Tony was a no-show. Kate’s a widow. I know this is tough, but when someone passes away, rethink the need for a public obituary. Scammers target folks in mourning.
🧬 Speedrunning evolution: An AI called ESM3 created a protein researchers say would’ve taken nature 500 million years to develop. It’s fluorescent green, similar to those that make jellyfish and corals glow in the dark. Proteins help your body build muscle and fight diseases, so this could lead to the creation of new drugs that target them. Neat!
Delete your name from the internet
One guy found his private info online and became a target for romance scams. Only one thing worked to remove it. Plus, Venmo for flights, Comcast’s $70 sports streaming plan, and #StickNation — yes, picking up sticks is a trend!
If you’ve got it, don’t flaunt it: Burglary gangs are targeting influencers who brag about their fancy life all over social media. Case in point: Art collector Shafira Huang lost $12.7 million in jewelry and valuables. It’s not just high-profile accounts, folks; oversharing your travel plans, location or personal info lands a target on your back, too.
📈 Facebook ad tip for small-biz owners: Use Engagement Custom Audiences to target people who’ve already interacted with your content (e.g., someone who has liked one of your posts or watched a video). This cuts the cost of getting a qualified lead. Love that! To get started, go to Ads Manager > Audiences > Create a custom audience. <a href=”https://www.komando.com/getsmallbiz/” trigger-id=”4779805″>Then, be sure to try my upcoming small-biz newsletter</a> for more smarts like this.
January 4th, 2025
Spies target the U.S., and the NSA warns: Shut down your phone. AI Hitler speeches go viral on TikTok, ChatGPT isn’t your secret keeper, and friendship apps are booming as more people look for new connections.
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Chinese hackers target home routers
That little black box you have sitting in the corner is a hacker’s dream. Here’s how to lock it down and keep your precious data safe.
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