iWork free update: That’s the snazzy name for Apple’s Keynote, Numbers and Pages (dupes of Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and Word). They now handle photos a lot better, and it’s easier to make your presentations look exactly how you want. Open the Apple App Store on your device of choice to update.
Tags: Apple
AI election interference: Microsoft confirmed what we all knew: China and North Korea are using bogus content on social media to influence your vote. They targeted Taiwan’s elections as a “test run,” using AI audio and memes to sway votes. This stuff works, folks. Don’t trust anything you see on social.
In 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense experienced the worst breach of military computers ever. Was the source a … A.) Phishing email, B.) USB flash drive, C.) Compromised employee or D.) Stolen laptop?
Starting Oct. 1 for customs-expediting programs Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI. Global Entry (U.S. airports) application fees will go from $100 to $120, NEXUS (U.S. land borders from Canada) fees will rise from $50 to $120, and SENTRI (U.S. land borders from Mexico) fees will cost ya $120. Mark the deadline to save some bucks. Yup, I’m air-mazing to pass this along.
📱 Rx app: The FDA just approved Rejoyn, the first-ever “prescription app” for major depressive disorder. Crazy times, friends. The six-week app course offers cognitive exercises and therapeutic lessons for folks age 22 and up and currently on antidepressants. The best part? If you qualify when it goes live this summer, your insurance should cover it.
🚫 AI-witness: Here’s what not to do with a cellphone video in a legal case: Run it through AI to make it “better.” A Washington state judge threw out an AI-enhanced cellphone video as evidence in a triple homicide case. Lawyers for 46-year-old defendant Joshua Puloka hired a video producer to size up and sharpen the video, making it misleading and inaccurate.
That’s the minimum to make money from your vids. If you want a cut of AdSense revenue, you need 1,000 subs. You’ll need to rack up watch hours, too — 3,000 for Partners and 4,000 for AdSense. Not to toot my own horn here, but I have 82,500 subscribers on YouTube. Toot-toot.
The times, they are a-changin’: Google is going to start charging for AI search results. Gemini queries reportedly cost 10 times more than standard searches, with ad revenue from Google searches reportedly tanking. We’re seeing a huge shift in how we use the internet now. If you’re concerned about how this will affect your business, make an appointment to talk to me here.
Gen Z is over dating apps, and they’re bringing back the early-2000s speed-dating trend. Spend a couple of minutes with each person to see if you click. It’s not just 20-somethings, either. Search Eventbrite for dating events near you if you’re “app’d out.” Conversation starter: “How much do you love Kim Komando?”
But at what privacy cost? Your Chase credit card will soon hand over your spending data (paywall link) to advertisers. Say you buy dog food every month. Cue ads for dog owners, whether you’ve opted in or not. The only way to avoid this? Pay cash. Sorry.
🕷️ Creepin’ it real: A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student used AI and cheap mics to make a scientific breakthrough. He found wolf spiders prefer to signal to each other on top of crunchy, dead leaves instead of bark. Sounds small, but this kind of research used to take thousands of hours and lots of expensive equipment! Super cool.
