iOS18 has a lot of cool features, including Reader Mode, Safari’s own personal ad blocker.
What happens when your car tech gets outdated?
Today’s cars are basically computers on wheels. The average modern car contains between 1,000 and 1,500 semiconductor chips. For electric vehicles, it’s as many as 3,000 chips. Just like your computer, your vehicle’s features could become outdated and unsupported. How long does your connected car have? Well, it depends.
Off the ‘Wagen
In 2022, Jake Brown bought a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. He knew some Volkswagens had been having trouble with their connected features, but Volkswagen said a fix was coming. He was in for a rude awakening; his Passat runs on 3G, a service AT&T discontinued for VW that same year.
Without connectivity, VW models built between 2014 and 2019 can no longer access smart features, including remote start, antitheft alerts and emergency assistance.
Volkswagen admits they still haven’t found a fix — and buyers aren’t happy. Some Hyundai and Nissan owners lost their smart features in the great 3G death, too.
It’s all about headroom
“Headroom,” of course, means how long your car has before its hardware can’t accept updates. Volkswagen says 4G sunsets won’t happen until 2035. If you have a car with 4G, that gives you 10 more years.
EV manufacturer Rivian says their hardware and software will last roughly seven years, but the right support could extend that estimate beyond the seven-year mark.
What happens after that?
The average age of cars still on the road is 12.6 years. When vehicles lose their ability to update, it’s like a hot potato. Whoever’s left holding the car when the time runs out gets burned, especially when it comes to resale value.
Steer clear
If you’re buying used, pay attention to any vehicles with connected features, especially those manufactured between 2012 and 2019. Here’s a list of all the 3G-equipped cars affected. Nearly every carmaker is listed, but these are the manufacturers without a fix:
Share your ETA on the go
I hate being late. There’s nothing worse than leaving your friends hangry at a restaurant. But if I am running behind, I always give folks a heads-up.
Today’s apps have so many hidden tricks. Here’s one I use that I wanted to share with you: Use your map app to share your ETA automatically. That way, you can keep your friends in the loop and your eyes on the road.
Home updates anyone can do
Calling all renters and DIYers! You just found your next weekend project.
- Add beadboard to your walls without the hassle. This pre-pasted wallpaper is 30% off now.
- Liven up your couch or reading chair with a boho chic pillow cover for $15.99. Super cute.
- Add a statement wall with beautiful decorative woven baskets. Sweet, a set of seven for 50% off.
- Update your kitchen or bathroom with sleek modern cabinet pulls. This pretty 10-pack of brass ones is on sale for $14.79.
- Make stairs easier and safer for kids, older pets and the rest of us. Neat peel-and-stick stair treads with glow-in-the-dark strips are half off now!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🤖 Try Apple Intelligence first: Test some of Apple’s AI features with the iOS 18.1 beta on an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates > iOS 18 Developer Beta > Back. Then select Upgrade to iOS 18 and hit Update Now.
Global tech outage wreaks havoc
A software update by CrowdStrike took down tons of computer systems around the world. Banks, businesses, hospitals, and more were all impacted. Plus, Amazon Prime Day updates and Zoom’s demand for a return to the office.
Use Windows 11? Later this year, Microsoft will introduce “checkpoint cumulative updates.” Versions with significant changes will be checkpoint updates; security fixes and new features will be patches. The goal? To save hard drive space and time.
The buggiest apps of 2024
When I saw this, I knew I had to share it with you. Researchers over at Electronics Hub did the thankless work of going through 400 of the most-used apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and thousands of user reviews — all to find the buggiest, most frustrating-to-use apps.
Apple and Google just teamed up to fix their stalking problem
I have an Apple AirTag (14% off, $24.99) on basically everything my husband, Barry, owns. My golden retriever, Abby, even has one attached to her collar! Thank you, Apple.
While you and I might use those quarter-sized AirTags to track our stuff, others are using them to stalk people and keep tabs on their marks. They’ll hide them in your purse or in your car to follow you home and steal your vehicle later — or worse.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Beta blocker: Apple Safari 18 beta’s new Reader mode lets you read any article without ads or auto-playing videos. To use it, you’ll need to update to the Sequoia OS beta. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > toggle on Beta Updates > macOS Sequoia developer beta > Upgrade Now. Now, when you open an article in Safari, click the square icon in the URL bar, and then click Show Reader to scroll ad-free!
Drag and drop: In Gmail, your mail is divided into categories: “Primary,” “Promotions,” “Social” and “Updates.” If you always want to see emails from a certain sender (ahem, like me!), just drag an email from that sender into the “Primary” tab. Now, emails from that sender will get the all-star treatment.
You need to give a sheet: If your job applications go ignored, you could be applying for “ghost jobs” — listings for positions that don’t really exist. Companies use them to trick staff into thinking help is on the way or, worse, to scare them into feeling replaceable. The tip-off: These roles linger around without any updates.
🤖 ChatGPT warning: When you get info on ChatGPT, the results often include citation links. Click one and it might take you to scam central. Some links, like “County Local News,” are riddled with dodgy pop-ups pretending to be Adobe Flash updates or fake McAfee virus scans. Watch out!
Not now, Microsoft: If you don’t want a massive Windows update interrupting something you’re doing, pause them temporarily. Go to Settings > Windows update > Pause updates. Just remember to undo this.
Change Healthcare hackers stole your data. What should you do?
The Change Healthcare hack in February was entirely avoidable; the company neglected basic software updates. So, what does this hack mean for you? Spoiler: a lot.
WWDC 2024 recap: AI, iOS 18, and VisionOS 2
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is here. We have the latest updates on iPhone, Mac, and more. Plus, Richard Godfrey says he knows where the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is, thanks to HAM radio operators.
Apple’s WWDC 2024 is all software: Next week, Apple won’t announce new gadgets, focusing instead on major updates for iOS 18, iPadOS, macOS 15, watchOS 11 and visionOS. You can expect hardware updates this fall. So, say it with me now: “I will not buy an Apple iPhone, laptop, AirPods, Vision Pro headset, watch, iPad or iMac right now.”
It’s official: I’ve been warning you about this, and now we have a date. Support for Windows 10 ends Oct. 14, 2025. Your PC will still work, but no more updates — security or otherwise. Let me know if you need recs for a new laptop or PC.
My fave price is free: Pro video-editing software usually comes with a pro-level price — unless you know the best freebies. Kdenlive is free and open-source, and it gets new updates all the time. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux.
Windows 10 death date: Microsoft has announced you won’t get any updates or support for Windows 10 after Oct. 14, 2025. That’s plenty of time to save up for a new Mac … just sayin’.