Always impresses me that this is free: DaVinci Resolve is pro-grade video editing software you can download and use for free. There are tons of training videos here if you want to learn new tricks.
The $55K FaceTime car scam
ChatGPT
Sarah’s $55,000 lesson: The online car dealership that wasn’t
Even smart shoppers can get taken; here’s how to make sure you don’t.
Sarah from Salt Lake City did everything right, or so she thought. She was looking for a used car online and found what looked like a legitimate dealership.
She wasn’t some sucker scrolling Craigslist at 2 a.m. with a bottle of wine, she did her homework. The website was clean and professional. They picked up the phone when she called and even FaceTimed her to show the car in real time.
It all felt legit. She ordered a Carfax report. She added the car to her insurance. It was that real.
She wired $55,000 for the purchase. Then came the call from the “truck driver” who said he was on his way with the delivery.
Except … the car never showed up. Then the phone lines went dead. The website vanished. And Sarah realized the truth: She’d been scammed.
🎣 $55,000 gone
No car. No recourse. No one was held accountable.
Sarah did what anyone would do. She filed reports with her bank. She contacted the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and her local police department. But the silence was deafening. She never heard back.
And just when Sarah thought that it couldn’t get worse, she saw the same scam rise from the ashes like a very annoying, very illegal phoenix, with a nearly identical site and even the same address. Crazy, right?
These criminals didn’t just steal her money, they’re still out there stealing from others.
👩🏻🏫 Here’s what to know
AI can now watch your videos and give smart feedback
I used ChatGPT to see if my new puppy was playing too rough. The AI gave me helpful tips in seconds. Here’s how you can use it too
🗣️ YouTube wants to dub every video: AI tools will soon translate any video into any language (paywall link). It’ll use the creator’s own voice and sync their lips to match. The AI behind this is trained on current videos … and you agreed to it years ago. If you’re a creator, congrats, you’re multilingual now.
$550 billion
That’s how much analysts say Google can get for YouTube if forced to sell it. Now the top streaming platform by viewership, YouTube is worth more than Disney, and all it took was 20 years of cat videos and Minecraft speedruns. Fun fact: The YouTube founder sold it to Google for $1.65 billion in 2006.
⏩ Time flies: Time-lapse videos can make a simple sunset look magical. On your iPhone or Android, open the Camera app and select Time-lapse mode. Tap Record to start, and press it again when you’re done. FYI, 30 minutes of real time is about 10 seconds of video. Give it a shot tonight.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On YouTube, press “1” to jump to 10% or “5” for the halfway point. Use number keys to navigate videos quickly.
Better than email: Need to transfer photos, videos and docs from your Android phone to a Windows PC? Forget email. Use Google Share. It’s free and it works great!
Have some free time today? Check out OpenAI’s Academy. It’s loaded with guides, live streams, videos and in-person events. You’ll find everything from how to build custom GPTs to crafting a storyboard. It’s free if you create an account. Check it out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: AI won’t replace your job. Someone with AI skills will.
Remember Ruby Franke? She’s an evil mommy vlogger who went to prison last year for abusing and starving her kids. New laws are in the works to stop parents from using their kids for clicks. If a parent makes over $150K a year from family content, they must put some money into a trust (paywall link). Once kids hit 18, they can ask for old videos to be taken down. About time.
Hate YouTube ads? There’s a cheaper fix. YouTube is rolling out Premium Lite for $7.99/month, cutting down on “most” ads. News, fashion and gaming videos will be ad-free, but if you want music without ads, you’ll still need the $13.99/month standard Premium plan. That one also includes offline downloads.
Compassion for the win: Video Stop, the last video rental store in Pocatello, Idaho, is closing. But owner David Kraning created a small replica called “Christina’s Corner” in his convenience store. It’s named after Christina Cavanaugh, a woman with Down syndrome who has been a loyal customer renting videos every day for 15 years. Love this.
🏠 $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.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
“Rage-baiting”: It’s what Winta Zesu does when she posts videos of her life as a NY model whose biggest problem is being “too pretty.” Is she a narcissist? Nope. People get angry and post hateful comments. Joke’s on them. More engagement translates to money and sponsorships for her.
🚨 Deepfakes going to a new level: TikTok owner ByteDance built an AI tool that makes realistic videos of people talking and singing from a single photo. OmniHuman can take an image (half-body or full-body) and bring it to life. Check out this example of Albert Einstein. Snazzy but scary in the wrong hands. And let’s not forget this is Chinese-owned. I wouldn’t hand over any personal pics.
📀 Free tool: HandBrake is open-source software that converts videos from one format into nearly any other. It’s an easy way to turn DVDs and Blu-Ray discs into digital video files, like an MP4. Then, you can create a free, private YouTube channel and upload your videos to share your home movies. Sweet.