This peeping Tom was caught not just looking up her dress, but filming it, too. Three cheers for the other lady who spotted this creep.
Companies are going all in on digital twins
Imagine if you could have a virtual double to attend meetings for you, see a drug’s side effects before you take it or, my personal favorite, do the laundry. Analysts say the digital twin market will be worth $379 billion in 2034 — 10 times what it is today. That’s why I’m telling you about it; I always want to keep you ahead of the tech curve, not left in the dust.
So, what is a digital twin?
Exactly what it sounds like: A virtual imitation of a person or thing. Digital twins can monitor their target’s behavior and send feedback in real time, whether that twin is representing a hurricane, city traffic — or you.
Who’s twinning?
💻 Tech founders: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman created a digital twin of himself called “Reid AI” to help him become a better person.
Reid AI is built on two decades’ worth of Hoffman’s writing, speeches and videos. It also uses AI voice cloning and a digital avatar. Reid AI looks pretty darn real to me.
Hoffman says chatting with his digital twin helps him finetune the way he thinks, interacts with people and expresses himself. It’s like talking to yourself in the mirror … if your reflection could talk back. Kinda cool, kinda freaky.
🚄 Smart trains: Italy is using digital twin tech to build a smart railway system, complete with stations, bridges, tunnels and 10,000 miles of track. A digital copy helps them know when stations need maintenance and sends safety alerts to the remote Italian countryside.
🧑⚕️ Health care providers: To create a digital twin with Twin Health, you wear a special watch that monitors your heart rate, along with a Bluetooth sensor. The twin gives you and your health care providers all kinds of trackable data, helping you get truly personalized medicine.
Get this: One 66-year-old was able to reverse his Type 2 diabetes and get off his medication. So cool. I hope this tech makes it to more people who need it.
Here’s some rapid-fire trivia for you: Who coined the term “digital twin?”
Answer: NASA scientist John Vickers, back in 2010. These days, NASA uses digital twins to simulate space capsules in orbit.
The fresh face of payday loans: Cash-advance apps
You get paid next week, but your credit card bill is due this week, and, oops, so is that new car payment. You’re only a few hundred bucks short — you just need a way to bridge the gap.
Unfortunately for you, there’s an app for that. Actually, there are dozens. They’re called cash-advance apps. And most things about them tick me off.
- For Chrome on a PC, drag the icon from your Start menu to the desktop to create a shortcut. Then right-click and select Show more options > Properties. There, you’ll see the URL string under “Target.” Add -incognito to the end.
- On Safari for Mac, click Settings > General > Safari opens with a private window.
- For Android phones, tap and hold the browser’s icon, then select Open in Private tab.
- On iPhone, press and hold your browser’s icon and choose New Private Tab (for Safari) or Incognito Search (for Chrome).
You're a target for AI voice scams
Imagine a call from a loved one in distress. Even if it’s their voice, how can you be sure it’s not a scam?
🛰️ Something to ruin your sleep: Hackers’ newest target is outer space, where they could disable satellite GPS signals for airplanes, boats and cars … or take down all satellites providing the internet. The right mind could even corrupt planetary probe data, giving inaccurate atmospheric or water readings on Mars. Yikes.
Get free alerts before you get hit by real estate scams
You have to hear this one. A Minnesota woman recently got a shocking phone call. Her husband had dirty financial laundry: An unpaid loan from years ago. The caller told her they were putting a lien against their home.
How to stop spam texts for good
Remember back in the day when you didn’t think twice about putting your cell number and email address into any form that asked for it? If you’re thinking, “Uh, Kim, I still do that,” I’m about to make your life so much easier.
America’s water systems are a cyber target: Systems in Kansas, Texas and Pennsylvania have already been hit by hackers in China, Russia and Iran. Blame outdated tech and poor cybersecurity. No joke, some water systems still use default passwords. This scares me and it’s why I keep extra water on hand.
How to score cheap stuff (to keep or resell)
How often do you buy a bunch of stuff online, planning to only keep your favorites? I shop for clothes this way, for sure — and I’m not the only one. Returns cost retailers $743 billion last year.
Get the best vacation deals, without getting scammed
Aloha! I’m so excited. I just booked a trip to Hawaii. I scored a great hotel, a fabulous room and a knockout price (hello, extra night free!), so I figured there’s no better time to share my tricks.
And, because cyber creeps are everywhere, I have travel scams to warn you about, too. Let’s book your summer vacay or upgrade the one you have the right way.
✈️ Think before you post: Scammers on X are posing as major airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. They target folks who tag the airlines, offering fake customer service via comments or direct messages. The links they send take you to dodgy sites designed to steal your personal info. If they ask for your number, nope. Blocked.
PayPal using your data to boost its ad business
Well, well, well … What do we have here? Another tech giant selling your data to make a buck? Shocking, I know.
This time, it’s PayPal. Through the new PayPal Ads network, the company plans to tap into customer transactions to supercharge targeted ads. This feels pretty darn gross if you’re using it to run a business, buy things you don’t necessarily want filling up your ad feed, or know that data being sold to who-knows-who for who-knows-why.
Your data: It’s all posted online - But there's a simple way to remove it
A loyal reader, Racquel, emailed me recently after dealing with a very angry customer at work. “Last week, she left me a voicemail and said that I was behind all her problems and she was ‘going to find’ where I lived.”
The buggiest apps of 2024
When I saw this, I knew I had to share it with you. Researchers over at Electronics Hub did the thankless work of going through 400 of the most-used apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and thousands of user reviews — all to find the buggiest, most frustrating-to-use apps.
Strikeout: A gullible 70-year-old woman was fooled by an online scammer posing as Phillies shortstop Trea Turner. After weeks of messaging with “Trea,” the scammer got the woman to send him $50,000 under the guise of “marriage problems.” The lesson: Don’t just watch out for phishing emails and DMs; you’re also a target when you comment on social media posts.
Hackers’ new target: They’re tricking retail employees to get into their work accounts. Why? To make gift cards to use in stores and online. Stay safe, employers: Tell your team to avoid clicking random links, and make sure your antivirus software is up to date.
Palmer Candy Company is recalling its white-coated confectionery items due to a possible salmonella contamination. The FDA says these snacks, including pretzels, popcorn and chocolate, are sold in 17 states at stores like Walmart, Hy-Vee, Target and Dollar General. Got some? Return ‘em where you bought ’em for a full refund.
Creeps are hiding cameras in dressing rooms, bathrooms and worse
Stories like this make my blood boil. Some creep was caught taking pics up a woman’s skirt at a Target store. Let’s give a big cheer to the woman who called him out and filmed it.
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LinkedIn's verification methods let you identify yourself and your employer
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, with nearly a billion members worldwide. While this offers job seekers and recruiters many opportunities, it also makes the site a prime target for cybercriminals.