Did you get the alert yesterday? Here’s my take, in one minute.
Apple’s serious health warning
ChatGPT
Apple quietly issued a warning that could seriously affect your health. Before you say, “I’m good, I use Android,” pump the brakes.
If you’re one of the nearly 4 million Americans with a pacemaker or defibrillator (or you deeply love one of them), this isn’t just a scare headline. It’s a legit, science-backed heads-up.
🧲 Magnetic tech can mess with your heart
Apple says electromagnetic fields from its products can interfere with lifesaving implants. And it’s not just the iPhone. The list includes:
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- AirPods and Beats headphones
- HomePods
- MacBooks and iMacs
Don’t think Android is innocent.
Samsung, Google Pixel, earbuds, smartwatches, laptops, any tech with magnets or wireless charging coils can cause interference.
⚡ What can happen
Your pacemaker or defibrillator could interpret the magnetic field as a medical signal and stop working or send a shock when it shouldn’t.
That’s not a maybe. That’s a documented risk.
📏 Follow the 6-inch rule
Keep your gadgets at least 6 inches away from your implant, 8 inches to be extra safe. That means no tucking your phone in your shirt pocket or dozing off with your iPad on your chest.
Hackers want you to make this mistake
ChatGPT
If you’re about to take a flight, pause for one hot second before you slide your phone into that shiny airport USB port. Both the FBI and FTC are waving red flags: Public charging stations can be straight-up hacker bait.
Cellphone bill too high? Mine was. I switched to Consumer Cellular. Same coverage as Big Wireless, but for half the price. Over 50? Get two lines for just $60, plus save $25 with code KIM25. AARP discounts, too. Check it out now. You’ll be glad you did.
I’m sexy and I mow it: The Segway Navimow i105N is a wireless robot lawn mower that can zip around your yard and dodge obstacles (and dog poop). It’s pretty quiet at just 58 decibels. Think a humming refrigerator. The downside: It costs $999.
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Home intercom systems that don't use Alexa or Google Assistant
Amazon
Are you tired of shouting across the house? It’s time to communicate more clearly without straining your voice to get someone’s attention. Improve communication and clarity with your family from room to room, grab your husband’s attention from the garage, or call your kids down for dinner. These intercoms are our top picks to help you communicate better with your family.
6 essential features you need in a home security system
© Igor Mojzes | Dreamstime.com
Most people who don’t have home security systems yet are probably still planning on installing one in the future. How many times have you left your home thinking, “I wish I had some kind of protection system in place?”
💥 3D guts and glory: Caltech’s researchers built PillTrek, a tiny 3D-printed smart capsule that monitors your gut like a biochemical Fitbit. It tracks pH, glucose, serotonin, you name it, by crawling through your insides like a nerdy spy. It’s cheap, wireless, and eventually, yes, it comes out the old-school way. Consider it a poop diary with WiFi.
🦻🏻 Social media is buzzing with a wild theory: Conspiracy theorists suggest Vice President Kamala Harris wore wireless earphones disguised as pearl earrings during her September presidential debate against Donald Trump — specifically, $650 Nova H1 earrings, which feature tiny mics for crystal-clear calls. I’m not buying it; Harris’ pair looks more like these $2,000 Tiffany’s earrings to me.
Is wireless charging the best?
Should you plug in your devices to charge them or just go wireless? Listen to this one-minute podcast for my answer.
Grab these office essentials while they're still on sale
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Even though businesses across the U.S. are starting to reopen, no one knows exactly when life will truly return to something that resembles normal. And while working from home is still a relatively new experience for many of us, it could continue well into the future.
This pint-sized smart printer is the future of sticky notes
StackCommerce
No matter how much technology streamlines the world, some things will never change around the workplace. Mondays will always be the worst. There will always be an office football pool. And no matter how many alerts we set on our gadgets, sticky notes will always be the best reminders.