Google Maps is adding pop-up ads

💥 Got hit and ran: A Jeep plowed through an intersection in Nevada, hitting a Tesla. The Tesla immediately sped away from the scene. Its driver managed to get the EV under control, but they soon realized the Jeep had driven away, too. No word yet on whether the Tesla’s Autopilot or Full Self-Drive mode was enabled during the crash. Here’s the video.

While being paralyzed from the neck down. John Morrow is the founder of Smart Blogger. He types with a microphone and speech dictation software and uses a special mouse operated entirely with his lips. His post on X is absolutely worth a read.

Havana good time: Millennials say they’re overwhelmed by booking trips online. Instead, they give a real, breathing travel agent a budget and a few dream destinations, and they let them handle the rest. It doesn’t come cheap, though — think $15,000 or more. Gotta get those pics for the ‘gram!

In texting when drivers were offered $50. Well, that’s one way to make people safer on the road. A seven-week trial offered payouts, and it really worked to get folks off their phones. PSA: Parents, bribe your kids to not text and drive.

💄 This isn’t exactly tech, but there’s tech in it: Esōes Cosmetics created a roofie-detecting lipstick. The bottom compartment contains a test strip. Add a drop of your drink, and it’ll detect drugs. A built-in panic button contacts emergency services. I’d call that $65 well spent if it works.

Check your car: A guy who bought a Toyota Corolla discovered a hidden GPS he thinks the dealer installed. When the car’s battery died, he checked the OBDII port and there was a tracker. Uh, why? Theories range from making it easier to steal to selling info on driving habits to insurance companies. Here’s how he found the tracker.

🔥 A laptop caught fire on an American Airlines flight: When the plane left the San Francisco gate on its way to Miami, chaos ensued, as folks grabbed their bags before jumping down the emergency exit slide. Panic turned into pushing, then minor injuries. When I flew Hawaiian Airlines a few weeks ago, they announced they had fireproof laptop bags on board. So smart.

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A YouTuber got his Apple Watch back thanks to Find My. He lost it swimming and diving in the British Virgin Islands in 2022. A diver found the watch, powered it up and saw his contact info. The best part? It still works!

🚨 Rite Aid data breach: No word yet on how many folks were affected, but they say Social Security numbers, financial details and patient info are safe. Hackers tell a different story, claiming they have over 10GB of customer names, addresses and more. I believe the hackers.

Are avoidable. A new study shows at least half of cancer cases are linked to avoidable risk factors, like smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity and UV radiation. That means the other 50% can be attributed to other factors. I hate cancer.