# When Pricey Earbuds Make Sense
Expensive earbuds often offer better sound quality, longer battery life, and sturdier construction than cheap ones, though the difference becomes harder to notice once you spend more than $150. If you listen to music or podcasts for several hours daily, invest in calls, or simply enjoy a richer sound experience, spending extra money can genuinely improve your daily life. Worth knowing: try borrowing a friend's quality earbuds or visiting a store to test them before committing, since what sounds "better" is quite personal.
Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google's parent company, has been given permission to offer paid robotaxi rides to the public in Sacramento and San Diego, while also expanding where it operates in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. For people in these cities, this means another transportation option beyond traditional taxis or ride-sharing apps like Uber, with the advantage that there's no human driver and potentially lower costs. Worth knowing: if you live in or frequently visit any of these California cities, you may soon see these driverless vehicles on the road or be able to book one through their app as an alternative to your usual ride service.
Pocket, a popular app that lets you save articles to read later, is closing down by October 2025, so anyone using it needs to move their saved content elsewhere. If you rely on Pocket to keep track of interesting articles or stories you want to revisit, losing access to years of saved reading could be frustrating—especially if you've added notes or highlights to them. You can start exporting your Pocket library right away through the app's settings menu, then try alternatives like Instapaper, Microsoft Edge's reading list, or even simple bookmarks in your web browser.
# Unforgetful: A Reminder App That Actually Gets Your Attention
Marco Arment, a well-known app maker, has created a new reminders app called Unforgetful that's designed to be more stubborn than your phone's usual notifications — you can't just swipe it away by accident or keep hitting snooze forever. If you've ever meant to do something important (like take medication, pay a bill, or call a friend) but ended up ignoring reminder after reminder, this app forces you to actually deal with the task before it goes away. Worth knowing: if you frequently dismiss reminders without acting on them, you might want to give this app a try to see if a stricter system helps you follow through.
# Music Beyond Spotify
If you're growing tired of Spotify, there are plenty of other music streaming services out there that offer similar features—some even pay musicians more fairly for their work. Switching services might appeal to you if you care about supporting artists better, prefer a different selection of music, or simply want a change from the interface you've been using. Worth knowing: services like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music all work on phones, tablets, and smart speakers, so you can take your music with you just as easily as you do now.
When Petlibro's pet-feeding system went down this week, thousands of pet owners couldn't feed their cats and dogs remotely through the company's app and Wi-Fi-connected feeders. If you rely on automatic pet feeders for your furry friends while you're away from home, an outage like this means your pets might go hungry until the service comes back online. Worth knowing: having a backup plan—like asking a neighbor to help or keeping a manual feeder on hand—protects your pet in case the company's internet service fails.
# Cocktail Robots: A New Kitchen Gadget
A company called Bartesian has created a machine that makes cocktails automatically, similar to how a Keurig makes coffee—you just pop in a capsule and out comes your drink. For people who enjoy a cocktail but don't want to spend time mixing, measuring, and learning bartending skills, this takes the guesswork out of getting a decent drink at home. Worth knowing: these machines are pricey and work best if you enjoy the same few drinks regularly, so think about whether you'd actually use it before investing.
American government drones that normally watch the Texas border have been reassigned to hunt for a dangerous flesh-eating parasite called the screwworm, which has appeared in wild animals and farm livestock for the first time in decades. This matters because screwworms can infect open wounds on animals—and potentially humans too—causing serious harm if left untreated, so catching outbreaks early helps protect both livestock and public health. Worth knowing: If you live in Texas or nearby states, keep an eye on any open cuts or sores on pets or livestock and report anything unusual to a veterinarian, as early treatment makes a big difference.
Automattic has released Mesh, an AI-powered app that helps you organize and remember important details about your friends, family, and contacts—and now it works on Android phones. Keeping track of who matters to you becomes easier when the app reminds you of birthdays, shared interests, and past conversations, saving you from awkward moments of forgetting important details. You can download Mesh from the Google Play Store if you're curious, or ask a grandchild to help you set it up on your Android device.
A new generation of wearable devices, particularly smart rings, are being designed to capture your random thoughts and ideas throughout the day by simply speaking to them—turning fleeting moments into written notes and reminders without needing to pull out your phone. For people juggling busy lives, this could mean never losing a good idea again, and having a hands-free way to stay organized during conversations or while doing other tasks. Worth knowing: if you're considering trying one of these devices, check whether it requires a subscription service and whether your personal voice recordings are stored securely.
# Digital Wallets: What You Need to Know
Digital wallets like Apple Wallet and Google Wallet let you store your credit cards, loyalty cards, and ID directly on your phone, so you can pay or verify who you are with just a tap instead of carrying physical cards. For people over 50, this means less to carry in a purse or pocket, fewer cards to lose, and the ability to track your spending more easily since everything is in one place. Worth knowing: start with just one card you trust to make sure you're comfortable with the technology before moving all your important cards over.
Google is adding a new "tap-to-share" feature that lets you instantly swap photos, videos, and contact information by simply holding two devices close together. If you regularly share family photos with friends or exchange contact details, this could save you the hassle of emails, text messages, or hunting through your phone's menus. Worth knowing: this feature will work on Android devices and some other gadgets, so check which of your devices support it before relying on it at your next family gathering.
