Survive Zoom, thrive IRL
That meeting that could have been an email? You’re on it, eyes glossing over rambling updates, Todd’s screen share failing for the fourth time (use a mouse, Todd) or what appears to be a seance: “If you can hear me now, make a sign.”
Take a trip back to your childhood home, no plane ticket required
That’s my childhood home above at 111 Washington Avenue, South Amboy, NJ. I was about 10 when I knocked out my front tooth on the swing set. There was also the day when I made the very bad decision to throw a snowball at a passing police car while the officer had his windows open. (Yes, I hit him. No, I don’t recommend it.)
Apple v. Everyone: This isn’t surprising news, but you should be aware. Apple tried to block a DOJ antitrust suit saying it rigs the smartphone market, and lost. The case will go to trial, with feds claiming Apple bullies devs, locks out competition and basically gatekeeps iOS. Apple says it’s just “innovation.”
$300 million
What Meta reportedly dangled to top AI researchers. Zuck’s new Superintelligence Lab is in full poach mode, trying to lure OpenAI stars with equity-rich packages. First-year compensation? Over $100 million in some cases. OpenAI has already lost seven staffers to Meta. Execs are saying it’s “like someone broke into our home.”
AI-powered home gadgets that lower your bills
Every time my energy bill arrives, I swear it looks more like a ransom note: “$412 or the AC gets it.”
But guess what? Some good (actually smart) tech can help liberate you from this hostage situation, with real savings.
Find all those subscriptions you forgot about
July 4th is all about independence, fireworks and maybe reinventing how many hot dogs a stomach can physically hold.
But financial freedom? Nothing says “I’m a prisoner of the bad side of capitalism” like paying for three streaming services just to rewatch The Office on a loop.
⚠️ AI ate the home page: First, the good news. ChatGPT’s referrals to sites are way up (25x!) from zero. The bad news? Nearly 70% of Google searches now end in zero clicks to sites. It just doesn’t matter if you’re top of Google search results anymore. SEO used to be gold. Spoiler: I predicted this over two years ago and got laughed at.
Flight delayed or lost luggage? Airlines owe you money
You finally made it to your gate, overpriced coffee in hand, sprinting like your vacation depends on it, only to be greeted by those two soul-crushing words: Flight Delayed. Maybe it starts with 30 minutes … then an hour … then four.
AI-proof, for now: Turns out some white-collar gigs are harder to kill than expected. Looks like we’re gonna need tens of thousands more accountants, CEOs and financial advisers by 2030, even as AI keeps eating jobs like it’s at a buffet. AI also can’t replace CEOs because it hasn’t learned golf yet.
👨💼 AI coworkers are here: Bank of New York Mellon is now using “digital workers” alongside staff. They have company logins and handle tasks like coding and payment instruction validation on their own, then report to managers for approval. Next up? Giving them email addresses and Teams access to chat with colleagues.