🚀 Speedy scrolling: Ignore the mouse next time you read a long article on a website. Use the spacebar to scroll down and Shift + spacebar to scroll up.

How to spy on competitor traffic

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AI is cutting into website traffic everywhere. Learn the trick to analyze your competitors’ traffic sources and uncover the keywords driving their success all with one tool. 

 

🔍 The “private” mode that wasn’t: Google is deleting $5 billion worth of browsing data illegally collected in Incognito mode. Not because they felt like it — as part of a class-action lawsuit. They kept it under the radar that in Incognito mode, internet providers, website hosts and companies can still see what you’re doing online.

Trivia

The first banner ad on a website appeared in 1994. Was it for … A.) AOL, B.) Apple, C.) AT&T or D.) Intel?

Find the answer here!

23 years ago

Enron went bankrupt. After more than two decades, they’re making a comeback. This week, “Enron” launched a rebranded website and press release about their return, now featuring crypto. Unbelievable, right? Yup. It’s a parody site for “entertainment purposes only.” Talk about an En-runaround!

Ship smarter: This website compares rates for all available carriers, including UPS, FedEx and DHL, so you know the best price. They include current discount codes, too. Score.

PayPal.com, Pentagram.com
PayPal.com, Pentagram.com

Heads-up: PayPal changed its logo. If you see this one in your inbox or on their website, it’s not a scam.

Father takes on website after son's tragic death

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This episode discusses suicide. If you’re struggling, reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You’re not alone.

Last year, Brett Allred’s world shattered when his 23-year-old son, Riley, took his own life. While searching Riley’s phone for memories, Brett found screenshots of a website with step-by-step instructions on how to die. Now, he’s on a mission to shut it down.

U.S. states are holding onto $70 billion in unclaimed assets: Visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property online to find the link for your state’s treasury website. Pro tip: If you have a frequently misspelled name, go by a nickname or have any former names, check those, too. You never know — I helped one listener find $25,000. No, I didn’t get a cut.

No one reads the terms and conditions: There’s a free resource that does it for you. Terms of Service; Didn’t Read is a website and a browser add-on that summarizes the key points before you hit “Agree.”

Trivia

Who makes the most money per year in radio? Is it … A.) Ryan Seacrest, B.) Glenn Beck, C.) Sean Hannity or D.) Howard Stern?

Find the answer here!

🔍 Google’s ultimatum for website owners: In short, “Let us use all your website’s content for AI search results for free or we’ll never send you any more traffic from Google Search.” And, yes, since Google feeds its search results to 93% of all sites, your site will be dead if you don’t agree. How is this not illegal?

Inspector Gadget: Get paid to review a website’s usability or find glitches in an app. Payouts vary, but most are between $3 and $60. Pro tip: Sign up for multiple platforms. UserTesting, TesterWork and Userfeel are all good places to start.

Google is an illegal monopoly

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A judge ruled Google illegally built and maintained a monopoly in online search by paying to be the default on smartphones. Plus, a website flaw puts democracy at risk, scammers hit the skies, and why wrapping your keys in tin foil could save you trouble.

Witch parking – All others will be toad: Scammers are leaving fake parking tickets on windshields. They look like the real deal but have a bogus payment website at the bottom ready and waiting for your credit card details. Always go directly to your city’s or town’s website to pay a parking ticket.

Use YouTube Premium? Buy through an iPhone or iPad, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s $13.99 monthly. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.

Scammers in the skies: Crooks scan social for posts complaining about flight delays and then pose as airline customer service. They’ll DM you about your booking or send you to a fake site to harvest your info. Only contact customer service using the airline’s official website or phone number.

✍️ It’s come to this: Website builder Wix just launched some new AI tools to add content to your website. The AI pulls info from your existing site and then drafts posts. All you have to do is edit afterward. The web is going to be fully loaded with AI content before you know it.

⚠️ Talk to your kids: A 16-year-old girl faked her birthdate to sign up for Tinder and matched with a 34-year-old man. The two met up, and then he drugged her and broadcast sex acts to thousands of people on an adult website. She told her therapist, who called the police. These dating apps must find better ways to verify the user’s age.

The age of websites comes to a close

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Artificial intelligence is quickly transforming how we use the internet. If you rely on Google Search for clicks to your website, you might be in for a surprise.