🪓 Amazon trims the suits: Amazon axed 14,000 corporate jobs, about 4% of its white-collar crew. Yep, it’s not the warehouse workers getting replaced this time, it’s the middle managers (paywall link). Gartner says one in five companies will flatten management with AI by 2026. AI can handle reports, strategy planning and meetings without needing HR drama sessions, paid paternity leave or sabbaticals.
Speed up your startup: If your computer feels slow when it first turns on, too many apps might be launching in the background. Go to Settings > Apps > Startup to see what’s set to open automatically. Look for anything marked “High impact,” and toggle off what you don’t need (like Microsoft Edge). It’ll free up some memory.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: When your cell service is “wonky” (technical term that means acting like a toddler without a nap), turn on Airplane or Flight mode, wait 10 seconds, then turn it off. Your phone will reconnect to the nearest tower. This one’s a favorite, it almost always does the trick.
⌚ Use Water Lock for kids: On your Apple Watch, open Control Center and tap the little water droplet icon to turn on Water Lock. It makes the screen unresponsive until you long-press the Digital Crown to disable it. It’s meant for swimming, but perfect for keeping tiny hands from changing your settings.
💥 Bright idea: This is amazing. Scientists in Texas found a way to zap cancer cells using plain ol’ LED bulbs and tin oxide nanoflakes. It’s basically a sunburn with superpowers. After 30 minutes, up to 92% of skin cancer cells were toast, while healthy cells chilled. It’s still early days, but imagine treating cancer with a bedside lamp instead of chemo and radiation.
▶️ Got YouTube Premium? You can download videos to watch offline anytime. Open a video, tap Download and choose your quality. On PC, find them under Downloads in the left panel. On mobile, tap You (bottom right) > Downloads. Bonus tip: You can play them in the background while your phone’s locked.
💳 AI joins accounting’s dark side: Looks like AI’s taking up “creative accounting” as a side hustle. Expense software firms are catching a wave of AI-generated fake receipts, saying fakes make up 14% of all fraud attempts, complete with logos, bogus signatures and even wrinkles in the paper. CFOs are sweating, and expense apps are, get this, using AI to fight AI.
🕵️♀️ Take your privacy off the market: Data brokers quietly collect and sell your personal info: your email, phone number, even where you live. Incogni automatically removes your data from these sites before it’s sold or leaked. Real protection, running quietly in the background, so you can live life, not defend it.
🔎 Find anything on your computer: On macOS 26, press Command + space bar to open Spotlight search, and type what you need. You can narrow results by hovering over the search field and selecting Apps, Files, Actions or Clipboard. On Windows, press Windows key + S to do the same, and filter by Documents, Settings or Folders.
Autopilot brain: An Illinois Tesla driver blamed Autopilot after rear-ending a parked police cruiser, because of course they did. The guy admitted he was asleep while the car “drove itself.” Nobody was seriously hurt, but the police (and reality) reminded everyone that Autopilot isn’t “nap mode.” If your wake-up alarm is a cop siren, you might be doing the whole car thing wrong.
✈️ Set Google Flights price alerts: Head to Google Flights, search for your trip and toggle the “Track prices” switch. You’ll get email alerts when prices drop. Bonus: It’ll even tell you if current prices are high, average or low compared to typical trends.
Apple’s leak problem: Apple can’t catch a break. Its “awe-dropping” event leaks were bad enough, but now the FCC is leaking, too (paywall link). Filings revealed new model numbers for MacBook Pros, iPad Pros and even an updated Vision Pro, likely all rocking fresh M5 chips. The kicker? These leaks didn’t come from insiders. They came from the government.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Want more engagement on your social media posts? Reply to comments within 30 minutes. Turn on post notifications under Settings > Privacy > Notifications, so you never miss one.
🔐 Lock down your digital life: If you’re still reusing the same passwords (or just adding “123”), it’s time for a real fix. NordPass keeps every password safe behind one master key. Even if someone gets your device, they’re still locked out. It’s fast, smart and packed with features like Password Health, Secure Sharing and Email Masking. Get 58% off plus 4 extra months free with my exclusive link.
Find your receipts on iPhone: If you take photos of receipts or tickets, your iPhone automatically organizes them, so you can find them later. Open the Photos app, then tap Collections > Utilities > Receipts. Or use the search icon (the little magnifying glass) and type something like “parking receipt.” No more endless scrolling.
🔎 Scammers on Facebook Marketplace: It’s tough to tell who’s legit, so start by checking when the seller joined. Scroll to Seller information on their post. Profiles that are under a year old, private or blank are red flags. But that’s not a 100% guarantee all is legit. If there’s a phone number, search it in Groups for warnings. And always meet in public and bring a friend.
🤝 Own a website? While Google, OpenAI and Anthropic eat everyone’s content buffet-style for free, Search.com said, “How about we actually pay the chefs?” Their new AI search tool gives creators 60% of ad revenue, promises no scraping without consent and lets sites embed AI chatbots for free. It’s a small shift, but it could help keep your site, as well as your favorites, alive.
🎨 Better AI images: The next time you use an AI image generator like Bing, imagine you’re giving directions to an artist who takes things literally. Start with your main subject, then layer in details such as color, background and mood. Don’t forget the style. Try “watercolor,” “realistic photo,” “Pixar style,” “vintage film” or even “cyberpunk.” And always say what to avoid. Example: “A happy golden retriever in an autumn park at sunset chasing a ball, Pixar style. No people.” The clearer you are, the better the magic turns out.
Cool Windows 11 shortcuts: Save yourself clicks with these. Snap windows to the left or right side of your screen using Windows key + arrow keys. Open the widget panel for weather, stocks or sports updates with Windows key + W. Need your notifications or calendar? Try Windows key + N.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On Google Maps, you don’t need exact names. Type “hiking trails,” “coffee shop” or “car repair,” and it’ll show local results. Sweet.