Speed up an old PC: Running Windows 11 on older hardware? Try this. Open Start, type “sysdm.cpl” and press Enter. In System Properties, go to Advanced > Performance > Settings > Visual Effects. Choose Adjust for best performance and click Apply. It’ll disable flashy animations, but your system will feel much snappier.
Tags: effects, hardware, old, performance, settings
Confession time: I can’t draw. My brain doesn’t lean at all in the artsy direction. I’ve tried to teach myself Photoshop, but every attempt ends with me whisper-screaming “flatten layer” like it’s going to summon help from the Adobe gods.
“Hi, Kim, I’ve been taking care of my dad since his stroke. Your story about using ChatGPT to map out questions for our doctors has actually truly helped me feel a little more in control. It’s not perfect, but it’s been a lifeline.” — Maya in Ohio
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What some parents pay for digital detox summer camps to help kids kick their screen addiction. Spoiler: It’s just regular camp activities. The real headache? Fixing their messed-up sleep schedules and actually getting them to talk to each other. Unplugging is way harder than it looks.
💰 Meanwhile, retirement changes: Trump’s planning an executive order to let 401(k)s tap into crypto, gold, private equity and other alt assets. Long locked in stocks and bonds, opening up the $9T retirement market could be a windfall for digital assets and a whole new playbook for savers. If this passes, your financial adviser might start wearing Yeezys.
Lonely kids, synthetic pals: This is so sad to me. A new report says a third of kids using AI chatbots feel like they’re talking to a real friend. A quarter say they turn to AI because they literally have no one else. Make sure the kiddos in your family aren’t one of them.
The top-end price for a custom spell on Etsy. That’s right, people are shelling out grocery money for mystical assurance (paywall link). I get it, times are tough, but there’s no need to make it harder on your wallet. Hope, apparently, isn’t just a strategy, it’s a billable service on Etsy.
That’s how accurately one dog sniffed out Parkinson’s, just from skin oil. Wow, right? In a double-blind trial, a lab-golden mix nailed 32 out of 40 cases of a disease that normally takes years to diagnose. No blood. No scans. Man’s best friend? More like neurology’s new MVP.
📞 AI’s on the line, fur real: Google’s Gemini bots can now phone your local pet groomer for you. Ask about prices, availability or just vibe checks, all without saying a word yourself. Only in the U.S., only for certain biz types (pet stuff, dry cleaners, auto shops), and yes, businesses can opt out. Gemini Premium folks get more AI call credits, because obviously money talks, and now so does AI.
That’s the massive chunk of change the former CTO (and briefly CEO) of OpenAI, Mira Murati, raised for her AI startup. Before it’s even shipped a product. The company’s called Thinking Machines, and it’s gunning to build the next-gen AI that can juggle text, images and more. Investors like Nvidia and a16z don’t need a demo, just Murati’s résumé and a good story.
