Tech smart: Put all your medical records on your phone
It’s official: UnitedHealth Group confirmed over 100 million people had their health care and personal data stolen in a massive ransomware attack on a subsidiary, Change Healthcare. It’s a pretty safe bet your personal info and health data might be at risk.
You’re being tracked secretly by 3 settings on your phone
When mobile apps first hit the scene, many were designed to make our phones more useful. This included new tools for productivity, as well as apps for entertainment. Many of today’s apps, though, are packed with sneaky permission requests and hidden trackers.
🏰 Vacation tip: A guy traveling in Italy used ChatGPT as his tour guide, but he got creative and prompted the bot to play a more engaging role. Instead of outputting boring, dry facts, at the Pantheon, ChatGPT told him, “When you enter, look up,” then added a little history. I had ChatGPT do a travel itinerary for me for when I visited Berlin, Vienna and Paris, and it was great. You might want to try that, too!
11 minutes
Of brisk walking each day can add years to your life and lower your chances of cardiovascular disease. It also improves your mood, increases energy levels and burns calories. Stuck inside? You can use a walking pad while watching TV. (This one’s 45% off!). Pro tip: You’ll have more fun walking if you take me with you — just tune into my podcast on your next stroll!
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How to choose a UPS to keep your computer (and files) safe
Today’s topic isn’t the most exciting — you might call it downright boring. If you don’t care about damaging your computer and losing your work because of a power outage, keep scrolling for the tech news you need to know. You won’t hurt my feelings.
ExpressVPN amps up security with game-changing features
The VPN game has been seriously upgraded! My sponsor, ExpressVPN, recently rolled out a slew of feature-packed updates. ExpressVPN pushes the envelope to keep your digital life locked down, from ad-blockers to a beefed-up server network.
Kids can report nudes in texts: It’s a new feature in iOS 18.2. If they report it, the images, messages and contact details of both the sender and the recipient will go straight to Apple for review. Apple might restrict the sender’s messaging and alert the authorities. About time!
Up to 23%
That’s the discount you can get on houses listed as “priced to sell.” Sellers, don’t forget buyers are also drawn to the term “energy-efficient.” Those green features can boost your listing’s value by around $8,200. So smart to know.
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If you can’t balance on one foot for that long, you have a higher fall risk. Falls are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths in older adults (paywall link). One easy way to improve your balance is to stand on your nondominant leg while brushing your teeth. If you can last for 30 seconds, you’re doing great. Hold onto something if you’re wobbly, though, OK?
They have feelings, too: Being polite to a chatbot can get you better results. AI mimics human reactions, so if you’re rude, it might hit you with short or wrong answers. Next time, throw in a “please” and follow up with a “Great job” or “That’s perfect.”