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.
🙊 Catfishing finance: Scammers are using deepfake Zoom calls (paywall link) and cloned exec voices to steal millions. Companies keep falling for it. One Hong Kong firm wired $25M to a video call of “CFOs” who turned out to be AI sock puppets. Congrats to the bots, you now officially have LinkedIn clout.
1 minute
That’s how much footage is mysteriously missing from Jeffrey Epstein’s jail video. The DOJ dropped 11 hours of grainy surveillance and still managed to skip the one minute everyone cares about. Conspiracy thriller writers, congrats, the feds just gave you your cold open. Oh, and it wasn’t just one, but two jail cams that “malfunctioned” near Epstein’s cell.
💸 iSaved you money: AirTag batteries last about a year, but you don’t need to toss the whole thing. Just pop in a new CR2032 coin cell battery … you can literally get them for under $5. No tools needed, it’s a super easy swap. I made a quick video to show you how to do it!
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💪 Get in shape: MuscleWiki is a free workout tool that shows you exercises for every muscle group. Select Male or Female, then click on a muscle in the body map. You’ll get a list of exercises to choose from, each with a demo video and step-by-step instructions so you know exactly what to do.
👁️ Look ’em in the eye: On iPhone video calls, eye contact’s tricky since you’re looking at the screen, not the camera. Apple’s Eye Contact feature uses AI to adjust your gaze automatically. Turn it on in Settings > FaceTime > Eye Contact. Cue the staring contest.
⚡️ 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.
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.
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.