Gen Z co-opted the smiley face emoji, but beware — it means something totally different to them

Gen Z co-opted the smiley face emoji, but beware — it means something totally different to them

Smiling at Gen Z? Better watch your back. What used to be the universal symbol of warmth and joy has taken a sinister turn — at least in the eyes of Gen Z.  The classic smiley face emoji now means something completely different to those under 30. Instead of conveying happiness, the grinning yellow face … Read more

Uber unveils bus-like feature for commuters, expands $3 monthly pass

Uber unveils bus-like feature for commuters, expands  monthly pass

Uber Technologies on Wednesday unveiled a range of new offerings such as shared fixed-route rides and expanded membership passes, targeting consumers seeking cost-effective ways to travel. The ride-sharing app has been looking to invest in more affordable transport and delivery offerings to widen its user base and combat slowing revenue growth in an uncertain economic environment. Uber’s new “Route … Read more

TSA just banned popular tech necessity for travel from checked luggage

TSA just banned popular tech necessity for travel from checked luggage

This might be a soar subject. The TSA just banned a travel essential from checked luggage following a new advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration. Portable chargers and power banks that use lithium batteries are no longer permitted in checked bags, per the guideline. Portable chargers and power banks that use lithium batteries are no … Read more

Medical scammers posing as insurance companies in sophisticated scheme — hang up if you get this call, FBI warns

Medical scammers posing as insurance companies in sophisticated scheme — hang up if you get this call, FBI warns

Don’t be fooled. The FBI is warning against a new scam shilling discounted medical insurance. The bureau issued the warning on April 30, noting that the “emerging” scheme has seen hundreds of people across the country lose thousands of dollars. The FBI issued a warning on April 30, noting that the scams have been “emerging” … Read more

Travelers are paying thousands to have their phones taken away from them on digital detox retreats: ‘Guests go stir crazy’

Travelers are paying thousands to have their phones taken away from them on digital detox retreats: ‘Guests go stir crazy’

In a time when people can’t even go to the bathroom without bringing their phones — surprisingly, the interest around digital detox retreats is rising, and people are willing to pay thousands to go on them. While on vacation, 27% of adults want to be present and spend less time doom-scrolling, according to a 2025 … Read more

Metallica rocked Virginia Tech concert so hard it registered as a small earthquake

Metallica rocked Virginia Tech concert so hard it registered as a small earthquake

BLACKSBURG, Va. – A highly anticipated Metallica concert at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium wasn’t just a performance; it was a seismic event. For Hokies, the opening chords of “Enter Sandman” have long been an electrifying and familiar soundtrack to football games, igniting a synchronized surge of jumping and cheering. This beloved tradition reached unprecedented levels … Read more

Real ID scams target applicants as deadline hits — this is one red flag to watch out for

Real ID scams target applicants as deadline hits — this is one red flag to watch out for

Real ID, real scams. Con artists have been targeting Americans overwhelmed by today’s deadline for a Real ID. The enhanced form of identification will be required to fly domestically, enter federal buildings, and access secure facilities, with phony websites promising expedited processing, per the Better Business Bureau. However, the only way to obtain a Real … Read more

Parents’ obsessive technology use may have serious long-term effects on babies and toddlers: study

Parents’ obsessive technology use may have serious long-term effects on babies and toddlers: study

Call it phoney parenting. Tots under the age of five suffer adverse effects if their moms and dads are distracted by the bings and dings of modern technology, according to a startling new study on the dangers of “technoference.” “Parental technology use in their child’s presence was significantly associated with poorer cognition and prosocial behavior, … Read more

Robots run this burger restaurant — and can serve your meal in just 27 seconds

Robots run this burger restaurant — and can serve your meal in just 27 seconds

Fast food just got even faster. When it comes to flipping burgers, robots are making mincemeat out of the human competition — just check out the newly-opened Burgerbots in California’s Silicon Valley, where automated line cooks can churn out meat pucks in under 30 seconds sans sleep, bathroom breaks or hair in your food. “The … Read more

 AI bots are filling users with conspiracy theories, repressed memories, bizarre ‘answers to the universe’: ‘The whole thing feels like ‘Black Mirror”

 AI bots are filling users with conspiracy theories, repressed memories, bizarre ‘answers to the universe’: ‘The whole thing feels like ‘Black Mirror”

They said “I do” — and then he said, “I’m God.” Education nonprofit worker Kat thought she was entering her second marriage “completely level-headedly” during the pandemic. Despite bonding with her new husband over “facts and rationality,” less than a year in, he was using ChatGPT in a very nontraditional way — to craft texts … Read more

Violent humanoid robot snaps — attacks factory workers in wild video: ‘Robot revolution’

Violent humanoid robot snaps — attacks factory workers in wild video: ‘Robot revolution’

It was like a real-life Rock ’em Sock ’em. The rise of the machines seems closer than we might like to think. Freaky footage captured the moment that a humanoid robot seemingly snapped and lashed out at its handlers like something out of a dystopian sci-fi thriller. “This is what the machine uprising might look … Read more

Return of the landline: Kids use old-school tech to learn ‘basic telephone etiquette’

Return of the landline: Kids use old-school tech to learn ‘basic telephone etiquette’

Can this ancient tech actually make a comeback? Nowadays, with the reliance on cell phones — landlines seem like ancient technology. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2023 that more than three-quarters of Americans ditched their home phone and never looked back — and that number has most likely increased by now. … Read more

The iPhone setting biohackers use so their phones don’t keep them awake — it’s not ‘night shift’

The iPhone setting biohackers use so their phones don’t keep them awake — it’s not ‘night shift’

Seeing red usually means you’re about to blow a fuse — but when it comes to sleep, it might be just what your brain needs. Dave Asprey, the self-proclaimed “Father of Biohacking,” swears by a clever iPhone trick that uses red light to keep your screen from sabotaging your sleep — and it’s not just … Read more

Billions of iPhone users at risk of dangerous malware attack — newly-found flaw warning issued

Billions of iPhone users at risk of dangerous malware attack — newly-found flaw warning issued

Apple users are being urged to update their devices ASAP after cyber sleuths uncovered a major flaw that could let hackers get into their gadgets. What’s being called “AirBorne” allows hackers to deploy malware, snoop on your private data, or even eavesdrop on your conversations when connected to the same WiFi network as your devices, … Read more

My nail tech didn’t know I could understand the language, what she said about me is infuriating

My nail tech didn’t know I could understand the language, what she said about me is infuriating

Like many out there, I have developed a bit of an insecurity about heading out to a nail salon to get a pedicure. I think it’s ever since my discoloured-big-toe-nail-but-not-fungus phase… but let’s not talk any more about that, OK? For others, however, this insecurity appears to have a lot to do with the fact that they think the technicians … Read more

Hero confronts creepy influencer ‘Rizzzcam’ as he uses smart glasses to film unsuspecting women

Hero confronts creepy influencer ‘Rizzzcam’ as he uses smart glasses to film unsuspecting women

Awkward footage has captured the moment a man was confronted by a passer-by while secretly filming women on the street in San Diego. The clip shows a man wearing Meta’s Ray-Ban AI glasses who appears to be flirting with a young woman that is unaware she is being filmed. The $379 glasses not only record and livestream … Read more

Majority of Americans trust what’s online less than ever before: poll

Majority of Americans trust what’s online less than ever before: poll

The average American trusts less than half of what they see and read online, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that skepticism is at an all-time high when it comes to the internet. According to the results, Americans believe only 41% of what they consume online is totally accurate, fact-based … Read more

Pinterest is pushing teens to close the app and pause notifications at school: ‘Stay in the moment’

Pinterest is pushing teens to close the app and pause notifications at school: ‘Stay in the moment’

Pinterest is getting on board with the movement to get kids off their phones. The social-media platform is testing a new pop-up displayed to minors in the U.S. and Canada during school hours, encouraging them to close the app until the bell rings. “Focus is a beautiful thing,” the prompt reads, according to The Verge. … Read more

Teens are using AI to create fake nudes of their classmates — as a new form of bullying

Teens are using AI to create fake nudes of their classmates — as a new form of bullying

They’ve turned tech into a weapon — and no one’s safe from the scandal. Teens are using artificial intelligence to whip up disturbingly realistic nude images of their classmates — and then share them like digital wildfire, sending shockwaves through schools and leaving experts fearing the worst. The AI-powered tools, often dubbed “nudify” apps, are … Read more

Gmail users at risk of ‘sophisticated’ phishing attack — and even seasoned techies are falling for the scam

Gmail users at risk of ‘sophisticated’ phishing attack — and even seasoned techies are falling for the scam

Hackers are turning inboxes into danger zones. Google has issued an urgent warning to its 3 billion Gmail users after confirming a “sophisticated” phishing scam targeting unsuspecting emailers — and the cyber crooks are so sneaky, even seasoned techies are falling for it. Developer Nick Johnson sounded the alarm on social media — after nearly getting … Read more