The new AI video generator creates lifelike eight-second clips from just a prompt. It’s amazing. You can try it free through Vertex AI on Google Cloud by signing up for a trial and using the $300 in credits. FYI: This thing was trained on millions of YouTube videos.
Drivers want buttons back - June 28th, Hour 4
New cars are like computers on wheels. For some drivers, all that tech is an annoyance. Plus, 5G fact vs. fiction, 3D video calls, and how to try a laptop before you buy.
Free TV isn’t free: Amazon is torching the Freevee app. It’s dead by August 2025. All that “Watch Free with Ads” content is getting absorbed into Prime Video. Jeff needs the money.
$4 million
What MrBeast just dropped on a single YouTube video. That’s a full Hollywood film budget, minus the red carpet and plus way more slime. He spent over a year on it, with 171 days of filming and 11,000 hours of footage. The video is scheduled to drop on Saturday.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Watching YouTube and want silence? Tap M on your keyboard to mute/unmute instantly. Useful when someone walks in mid-video.
Baby, you’re a firework: For better Fourth pics, turn off your flash and try Burst mode. Hold down your finger on the picture button to enter Burst mode and take dozens of rapid-fire photos. Or do what I do and just enjoy it IRL. No one’s gonna want to see the fireworks video you took with your phone, just sayin’.
📺 Fix your YouTube feed: Seeing stuff you don’t care about on your home page? Tap the three-dot menu next to the video and hit Not interested. Do it regularly, and YouTube will get better at showing you what you actually like.
YouTube adds AI summaries: If you’re a Premium paying subscriber, you might notice a new layout. At the top, you’ll see a featured video, thumbnails and an AI description. Tap the main one to start watching.
🤖 Dirt = debt: Watch out the next time you rent a car. Hertz renters are getting slapped with $195 to $440 charges for microscopic car damage, like a wheel scuff or tiny dent, caught by new AI scanners at drop-off. PSA: Take a video of the entire car before you drive off the lot.
📝 Need to brush up? Microsoft offers free online training for its Office programs, including video tutorials, interactive guides and practice exercises.
📷 Alerts with context: Ring cameras can now use AI to describe what they see. Instead of “Living room: Motion detected,” you might get “A dog is tearing up paper towels on the rug.” The best part? It shows up as a phone notification, so there’s no need to open the video. Home Premium subscribers only ($20/month). At that point, just get a real security system.
Improve Netflix quality: If your stream looks pixelated, your video settings might be set too low. Log in to Netflix on desktop, click your profile > Account > Edit settings > Playback settings. Change Data usage per screen to High and hit Save. If it starts buffering, run a speed test and switch back to Auto.
🔐 Wyze’s new safety feature: “VerifiedView” tags every video, image or live feed with a unique ID tied to your account. If someone tries to watch your footage, the app checks whether their ID matches the one in the video. If it doesn’t, they’ll get a 403 error. Update your Wyze app and firmware to enable it.
Keep YouTube videos private: Uploading something for work or family? Set the video to Unlisted, so it won’t show up in search, recommendations or on your channel. Only people with the link can watch. Just go to Profile (top right) > YouTube Studio > Content, then under Visibility, choose Unlisted and hit Save.
YouTube Shorts for channel growth: The algorithm pushes Shorts hard, making them a good way to get discovered fast. Just make sure your video is vertical (9:16, aka phone style) and under 60 seconds. Pro tip: Avoid copyrighted music, so you don’t get hit with a content claim.
🕹️ Know what they’re playing: Before your kid buys a new video game, go to ESRB.org and type the title into the search bar. You’ll see the official rating (like E for Everyone or M for Mature), plus a breakdown of what’s in it. Things like violence, language and sexual content are all listed.
One chatbot replaces 700 workers — June 21st, Hour 3
Klarna’s customer service team got replaced by one chatbot. Also, MrBeast spent $4 million on one YouTube video. If it flops, he says he’ll cry. Plus: Your receipts are covered in poison, and a ChatGPT story that goes way too far.
Before your Google Meet: Blur out that pile of laundry before hopping on. When the video preview loads, click the three dots at the bottom. Then, go to Apply visual effects > Blur and personal backgrounds > and choose Blur your background. Once you’re set, hit Join now.
Lost and found: Accidentally deleted a photo or video on your Mac? Don’t panic. Open your Photos app and click Recently Deleted in the sidebar. Find your lost file and hit Recover. You have 30 days to get it back. Btw, if you never looked there, do it now.