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Transformers? More like informers
MidJourney
Remember Knight Rider? The 1980s TV show where a detective teams up with his sidekick, a talking car named KITT. This snarky, futuristic AI on wheels could leap over obstacles, drive itself at high speeds and sniff out bad guys from miles away.
Or how about The Love Bug? Herbie, the VW Beetle, had a mind of its own. That white paint job, the number 53, the red-white-and-blue racing stripe? Iconic. Fun fact: I bid on the real Herbie at an auction but backed out before it sold for $128,700. (Still hurts a little.)
💨 Fast-forward to today…
Turns out, Hollywood wasn’t that far off. Qualcomm just dropped new chips that aim to turn our cars into rolling supercomputers with AI on overdrive. These aren’t just about voice commands and map directions anymore. Your car might soon know more about you than your best friend does.
We’re talking next-level personalization. Your car could adjust the seat and temp, play your favorite podcast, order your coffee and even pay for it all before you’ve buckled your seat belt.
🤔 Here’s what’s coming:
🚘 Voice assistants, upgraded: Your car will recognize who’s driving. For you, it plays your morning playlist and reads the news. For your partner? Different settings, different vibe.
🔕 Context-aware smarts: If you’re driving a friend and someone texts you juicy gossip about them, the car might quietly skip reading it aloud. (AI has manners now.)
🧠 Safety on steroids: With dozens of sensors and high-res cameras, your car can spot tunnels, sun glare or a jaywalker jumping into traffic and react instantly.
🎯 Personalized zones: You get the alerts. Your kids? They stay blissfully glued to Frozen 3 in the back seat.
🗺️ Smarter routes: Your car will reroute in real time around traffic jams, weather events or construction zones.
🌍 Real-time translation: Heading across the border? AI knows every language to read road signs and help you chat with locals.
🤖 Extortion, but make it software: Just a reminder, Microsoft’s killing Windows 10, and support ends Oct. 14. I’m sure hackers have the date penciled in their calendar. That’s 400 million computers going vulnerable overnight. Want security? Pay up, or replace your whole machine. Low-income families, seniors, remote workers, kids with homework? Too bad, Microsoft doesn’t care. See my new PC recommendations here.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
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📱 Android app shortcuts: Long-press certain apps for quick access to core features. Chrome lets you open a new tab or jump into Incognito mode. Gmail gives you options like composing a message or switching accounts. Social media apps like Instagram let you post right away or check your activity feed.
🐾 Doggy surveillance default: Ring cameras are now default detectives, scanning outdoor feeds for missing dogs if a neighbor posts on the app. If your cam spots one, you’ll get a ping, but the opt-in switch flipped without asking. Amazon insists it’s only for pets, but facial recognition just launched, too. You can see where this is headed. Suddenly Fido’s not the only one being tracked. To turn it off: Open the Ring app > go to menu (☰) > Control Center > tap Search for Lost Pets > toggle off for every device. Good thing you have me on your side.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Old Chrome extensions can slow things down. Click the three-dot icon (top right), go to Extensions > Manage Extensions, pick the ones you don’t need, and hit Remove.
🗑️ Don’t waste money on outdated tech: Before buying a cheap phone, tablet or e-reader, check if it’s still supported. Visit endoflife.date and search the model to see if updates have ended or it’s discontinued. If it’s past its prime, that usually means no more security updates, which is a big no-no.
Compare docs the easy way: Collabing in Google Docs can get messy fast. Skip the side-by-side chaos of spotting changes manually. Instead, go to Tools > Compare documents and select the other file. Google creates a new doc with deletions crossed out and additions highlighted. Lifesaver.
💬 Reply from lock screen: iPhone makes it easy to fire off a text without fully unlocking. When a message pops up on your lock screen, just long-press the preview, punch in your passcode, and a mini Messages window with keyboard appears. Type, send, done. Fast replies, zero app hunting.
Watch your wallet. Big wireless promises “free phones,” but it comes with an overpriced monthly plan. I chose Consumer Cellular instead and get two lines for $60/month, reliable coverage and top-rated U.S. service. Use code KIM25 at ConsumerCellular.com/KIM for $25 in savings.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Hate when pasted text shows up with random fonts and colors? Easy fix to remove the formatting. On Windows, hit Ctrl + Shift + V. On Mac, use Cmd + Option + Shift + V. Works in most apps.
🐝 Sweeten online shopping: Add the Honey extension to your browser and let it hunt down coupon codes across 30,000 sites. It’ll track prices on your Droplist and ping you when there’s a discount. It even tells you when Amazon sellers are overcharging. Buzz buzz, instant savings.
⚙️ Unlock hidden Windows tools: On Windows 11, search “Turn Windows features on or off” to open a menu of powerful extras. Want to run Linux or Android emulators? Enable Virtual Machine Platform. Need a safe way to test unknown apps? Use Windows Sandbox. Then there’s Hyper-V that lets you create and manage virtual machines.
🎧 DJ mode in Apple Music: Working on your Mac? Apple Music’s new AutoMix feature makes playlists flow like a club mix. Go to Settings > Playback > Song Transitions and switch from Crossfade to AutoMix. Instead of just fading tracks, AutoMix uses AI to speed up or slow down transitions for a smoother vibe.
💸 Cancel sneaky subscriptions: Bet you’re still funding some random app you forgot about. On iPhone, go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions and cancel away. Android? Open Play Store > profile > Payments and subscriptions. A few taps, and bam, you’ve got extra coffee money each month.
🔥 Keep your Fire TV Stick updated: Running the latest software fixes bugs, improves performance and prevents apps from crashing. Go to Settings > My Fire TV (or Device & Software) > About > Check for System Update. Once it’s done downloading, your system should restart and run smoothly.
Remove ads in File Explorer: Windows 11 sometimes slips in ads for OneDrive and other Microsoft services. To turn them off, open This PC, click the three-dot menu at the top, and select Options. In the new window, go to the View tab > Advanced settings, untick Show sync provider notifications, then hit Apply and OK.
🥊 Google Drive fights ransomware: Using Drive for desktop? A new AI security feature senses ransomware tampering with your files and pauses syncing to stop the damage. You get alerts on your PC and email, and your cloud files stay safe until you restore them. The catch: It only works on certain Google Workspace plans.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Don’t feel like typing? In Google Docs, press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + S on Mac to start voice typing. Works in Chrome, Safari and Edge and most programs, too.