Private chats, public fight: Remember that NYT suing OpenAI story? Now, The New York Times wants to dig through 120 million ChatGPT logs to try to prove OpenAI’s chatbot is a copyright-violating machine. OpenAI’s like, “How about 20 mil?” NYT said nope. Now the court may decide if your “deleted” chats become exhibit A.
6 feet
That’s how far we thought standing apart would save us from germs. Turns out, not so much. New research says our beloved 6-foot safety bubble might just be hot air, literally. It seems the typical indoor temps of 72°F to 86°F create a perfect petri dish for those pesky particles to lurk around your face.
Personalize your Chromebook: Right-click your Desktop and select Set wallpaper and style to change up the look. Pick an accent color, choose a wallpaper or add your own photos. You can also move the shelf. Right-click it, select Shelf position and choose Left, Bottom or Right.
🧨 Inside job: Security researchers tricked Google’s Gemini into turning on smart home devices using a Google Calendar invite. When Gemini was asked to “summarize the week,” it unknowingly ran booby-trapped prompts that lit up devices in Tel Aviv. It’s the first known AI attack with physical consequences.
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$1
What OpenAI is charging the U.S. government to use its special ChatGPT Enterprise plan. Why? To cozy up to lawmakers and help the government work faster with AI. Oh, and Uncle Sam’s been generous, too. Back in June, OpenAI landed a defense contract worth up to $200 million. Pretty sweet trade.
You need a VPN. ExpressVPN keeps your online data safe, blocks trackers and lets you browse without limits. Right now, get four extra months free when you sign up.
📍 Smart ways to use AirTags: I put them on almost everything. If something goes missing, I can find it with the Find My network. Luggage and cars are the obvious picks, but you can also drop one in your kid’s backpack or a toolbox in the shed. Bonus: A four-pack is 19% off right now.
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Check what stuff actually sells for: Don’t waste time scrolling active listings. Go to eBay and click the Advanced button next to the Search bar. Type your item, tick the Sold items box under Search including and hit Search. You’ll see what people paid, not just what sellers are hoping for.
⚰️ Robot mourning: Funeral homes are turning to AI to write obituaries, automating grief one prompt at a time. Tools like CelebrateAlly and ChatGPT are now ghostwriters for the literal dead. It’s convenient, weird and makes dying feel like a content strategy. One user called his AI-written tribute a “banger.” A real quote. From a real person. About his father.
🔋 A secret Android battery drainer: Scan for nearby devices constantly uses your Bluetooth. Turn it off in Settings > Google > All services > Devices. Check your phone’s version under Settings > Connections > More connection settings, and switch off Nearby device scanning, too.
Multiple desktops on Windows 11: You can split up work and hobbies with separate spaces for each. Click the Task View icon on the task bar and select New desktop. Now right-click the new one to rename it and give it a different background. It’s like having a second screen, without actually buying one.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Google Docs can instantly translate text. Go to Tools > Translate document > Choose a language > Translate. It creates a new copy, so your original stays untouched. C’est incroyable!
⚡ What it feels like to chew 5 Gum: It’s official, GPT-5 is rolling out in four distinct versions and can help write apps, redesign front ends, summarize your inbox, explain medical symptoms, and it somehow even feels more human. Early takes say it’s better at logic, memory and sounding like a person who pays taxes.
Over 1.2 million kilometers
How far one 1985 Toyota Tercel has driven in the past 40 years. The car’s still in mint condition, and if you don’t believe owner Andy, he’s got a photo of the odometer rolling over at 999,999 (it only goes up to six digits). His secret? Regular oil changes. (That’s about 745,000 miles if you’re like me and never got the metric system.)
🚨 ICYMI: If your content isn’t showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini, you’re invisible to millions of potential customers. 👉 Read my full post here about how to fix this. Let me know what you think, or drop me a question about it in the comments.
⚡ Watt the heck? Electricity prices rose 6.5% nationwide so far this year, and in some states, like Maine, they’re up a whopping 36%. Major culprit? Data centers. Their sky-high energy demands (thanks, AI) are hiking rates and triggering billion-dollar grid upgrades that we get to fund. Ohm my gosh!
September 30
The last day to take delivery and still score the $7,500 EV tax credit. Tick, tick, tax. Forget order dates. The feds only care when it hits your driveway. So if you’re waiting eight to 10 weeks for delivery, as is the case for most Teslas, you’re cutting it real close. Better hope your dream car is already on a lot somewhere.
Use AI to write tricky messages: Think about the main points you need to get across, whether it’s to a neighbor, your kid’s teacher or customer service. Prompt: “Write a short, polite message that clearly says this.” No more overthinking or rewriting 20 times.
🔔 Keep Android notifications private: Put that lock screen on lockdown. Go to Settings > Notifications > Lock screen notifications and toggle on Hide content. FYI: You can also set it per app if you only want it for some.