😮 AI makes Kirk killer photos

Welcome to your Friday, {{first_name | friend}}. Ever notice how some snacks don’t just taste good, they sound good? Engineers did, too. Back in the day, they needed a perfect crunch to calibrate microphones, so they raided the snack aisle for science. 

🎤 Take a wild guess which one became the gold standard of crispy audio. Was it A) Pretzels, B) Potato chips, C) Carrots or D) Popcorn? Find the answer at the end! 

😩 Email algorithms are cold, heartless beasts. One minute I’m in your inbox, the next I’m lost in the land of spammy princes and expired coupons. Want to keep the tech tips and fun rolling in? Just tap my name at the top of this email and add me to your Contacts, VIPs or Favorites, whatever your app calls it. That way, we stay connected, not filtered. — Kim

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Picture this. A farmer is out in the fields when his $300,000 John Deere tractor shuts off with an error code. He knows what’s wrong. But he can’t touch it. An authorized (pricey) technician must come to his farm, unlock the tractor’s operating system and fix it. 

You see, the farmer doesn’t own the right to repair something he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for. That’s not just a farmer’s problem. It’s yours and mine, too.

This isn’t limited to tractors. The same issue affects our phone, TV, car, smart fridge, laptop, home automation system and more.

If a part breaks, the manufacturer can decide whether or not you’re allowed to fix it. Companies use proprietary screws, secret tool kits and software locks to trap us in their repair quicksand. They can make parts and tools unavailable. They can lock you out of the software. Even worse, they can void your warranty if you dare take it to anyone outside their little repair club.

John Deere now faces a major lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and several states for blocking farmers from fixing their own machines. The courts recently ruled the case can move forward, and that’s a big win. 

Right to repair laws would force companies to make parts, tools and manuals available. They would stop manufacturers from using software to block you from changing a battery, replacing a screen or updating a component without their say-so.

I took a look at The Public Interest Network’s “Failing the Fix” report that graded various tech companies:

You can see the entire report here. I thought it was interesting.

🧑🏼‍🔧 Most people don’t know they’ve lost the right to fix their own stuff. That’s by design. The more we talk about it, the harder it becomes for companies to keep us in the dark. Use the share icons below to spread the word.

Shocking twist in a cyberbullying case: A teen’s harasser wasn’t a stranger at all. George, your AI host, unpacks the story along with UFOs vs. U.S. missiles, AI’s podcast takeover and device hacks to save time and stress.

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😵‍💫 This is so bizarre: Wikipedia editors are actually discussing whether to delete Erika Kirk’s page because they claim she’s not “notable” enough. She was Miss Arizona, runs her own media and philanthropy projects, regularly appeared on stage with Charlie Kirk and was with him the day he was assassinated, but somehow that’s not worth a Wikipedia entry? If you want to see the back-and-forth or make your own case, here’s the thread: Wikipedia:Articles for Deletion/Erika Kirk. This is why Wikipedia cannot be trusted.

🕵️‍♂️ The internet’s using AI to solve a murder: After the FBI released blurry photos of the person of interest in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, people fired up AI tools to “enhance” the images and get a better look at the suspect. It sounds helpful but there’s a catch. These AI tools can totally invent details, meaning the face you’re seeing might not be real at all. You can see some pics at the end of this article.

Calendar con job: Here’s a fun new nightmare. Hackers are sliding scams straight into Apple Calendar invites. They toss fake “big purchases” into event notes, slap on a shady customer service number and wait for you to panic-call. Do that, and congrats, you’ve just invited malware into your phone. Even your 8 a.m. dentist reminder isn’t safe anymore. Be scam aware.

🎶 TikTok goes wholesome: There’s a new TikTok trend where people just post about a nice day. That’s it. Reminds me of Facebook’s early days when politics and influencer ads didn’t bombard you. A couple photos, soft rock and a caption like “golf + burgers = good.” They call it “Dudes Rock,” but it’s gender-neutral, just celebrating small wins.

🎧 Spotify hits a high note: If you’re a Premium subscriber, you might now have lossless streaming, aka CD‑quality 24‑bit/44.1 kHz FLAC audio. I say “might” because it’s rolling out gradually. To turn it on, go to Settings > Audio Quality and choose Lossless under streaming options.

🪐 Life on Mars?: NASA's Perseverance may have found actual signs of ancient microbial life on Mars. The rover spotted “poppy seed” and “leopard spot” patterns in Jezero crater rocks, structures scientists say only biology explains. It’s the clearest evidence yet, 30 years in the making. Aliens when they hear this: “Delete that, we look ugly.”

Stop crime before it starts. Most systems react after a break-in. That’s too late. SimpliSafe’s AI cameras and 24/7 agents spot trouble outside and act in real time. That’s real protection. My readers save 50% today at SimpliSafeKim.com.*

It’s not retirees. Younger people take the biggest hit, from debt relief schemes to fake job offers. See the warning signs you can’t ignore.

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Bite back against bugs. This creates a 15-foot “no-fly zone,” so you can chill on your patio without becoming a bug buffet.

😎 Polarized sunglasses (30% off): Choose from 14 styles without paying designer prices. 4.4 stars and 34K+ reviews.

💚 Soil moisture meter (15% off): Green thumb? This tells you exactly what your plants need because data > guessing.

💦 Sprinkler irrigation timer (5% off): Set it and forget it. Plus, there’s a rain delay mode that saves water and money.

🌱 Weed puller tool (20% off): Stand tall while you yank out dandelions and crabgrass. It gets the roots and saves your back.

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⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Trying to close an app fast? Press Alt + F4 on Windows or Cmd + Q on Mac. It shuts the whole program. I use it when I’m stuck on a loading screen.

👨‍👩‍👧 Make Netflix profiles for everyone: Netflix recommends shows based on what you watch, so don’t let cartoons mess up your rom-coms. Go to Manage Profiles > Add Profile > name it > Save. FYI: It also makes it easier to track what your kids are watching. Go back to Manage Profiles > their profile > Viewing activity.

🦖 You don’t need 3D software: Google’s new AI model Nano Banana can turn regular photos into toy-like action figures. Just head to the Gemini app or website, upload your picture and enter this special prompt (it’s the first comment on the post). Pro tip: Use a full-length, well-lit, high-res shot for the best results.

📂 Kindle maintenance: If your Kindle feels slow, it might be time to free up space. Go to Settings > Device options > Storage management > Manual removal. From there, browse the Books, Docs, Audible or Others folders. Scroll through the lists, pick what you no longer need and tap Remove.

📱 Check your iPhone: Apple is days away from rolling out iOS 26, so make sure your device makes the cut. If you’ve got an iPhone 11 or newer (or a second-gen iPhone SE), you’re good to go. Not sure which model you own? Go to Settings > General > About > Model Name. 

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$117 billion
That’s how much Larry Ellison’s fortune swelled in a single day. The windfall from Oracle stock spiking 42% on AI-fueled growth forecasts vaulted him past Elon Musk as the world’s richest person. For scale, his one-day gain is bigger than Nike’s entire market value. The profits are cloud and clear.

600,000 miles
That’s how long the world’s biggest battery maker, CATL, says its new EV battery will last. For context, that’s like driving to the moon and back … then back again. Your EV will give up long before the battery does. Oh, and it also only takes 10 minutes to charge it from 10% to 80%. Wild.

45 minutes
That’s how long it took for exercise to turn blood into a cancer fighter. In a new Edith Cowan University study, breast cancer survivors who did one high-intensity workout (seven HIIT rounds) had post-exercise blood that slowed or killed tumor cells in the lab. For the first time, scientists show exercise itself can deliver direct, drug-like anti-cancer effects (paywall link). I hate cancer.

🤖 Mow-ver, humans

Robot vacuums have sprouted arms, and they’re taking them outside. 

🌱 The NexLawn Master X is a concept mower with a giant gripper arm that reaches 30 inches high and over 3 feet out to grab rocks, branches or anything else threatening your mower’s blades and perfect lawn. 

It can even edge, pick fruit or toss a ball for your dog.

Before you get all excited, this is still a prototype. But next summer, it might crack a cold one while you supervise from the hammock. 🍻

🥕 The answer: C) Carrots. Yep, high in beta-carotene and Vitamin Crunch, carrots were found to have the ideal sound profile: consistent, reliable and crisp. Food scientists actually measured the frequency of a carrot crunch, which hits around 1,000 hertz, right in the sweet spot of human hearing. Good old carrots, nature’s Dorito snare drum.

You know, I was making chicken soup last night, and I ran out of carrots. I ordered some through Instacart, but they didn’t turnip. 🧑🏻‍🌾 (Oh, sometimes I crack myself up!) 

This is the #1 tech + internet culture newsletter in the U.S. Tomorrow, I’m making kitchens smarter and less fussy. You are gonna love it for sure!

✌️ OK, that’s your daily dose of intellect. Let it inspire your next move. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Bing Image Creator, Thermacell, Mova

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