Ultrahuman has released a new glucose monitor called the M2 Live that uses more affordable sensors from a company called Abbott, making it cheaper than their previous version. Keeping track of your blood sugar can help you understand how different foods and activities affect your energy levels and overall health—something increasingly important as we age. You can ask your doctor whether a glucose tracker might be useful for you, especially if you have concerns about diabetes or want to understand your body's responses to diet better.
Most of us have old phones, tablets, or watches sitting in a drawer at home—in fact, nearly four out of ten people surveyed simply stored their old devices rather than recycling or reselling them. The main reasons people keep these gadgets tucked away are worry about their personal data being compromised and simply not knowing where to take them to recycle safely. Worth knowing: getting rid of old electronics is easier than you might think—Best Buy recycles devices for free, and you can resell items through websites like Back Market, but make sure to wipe your data clean and remove the device from your Apple or Android account first.
Waymo's self-driving taxis have a software problem that might make them drive into closed highway construction zones, so the company is recalling over 3,800 vehicles to fix it. If you live in a city where these robotaxis operate, knowing about safety issues like this helps you decide whether you're comfortable sharing the road with autonomous vehicles. Worth knowing: if you see a Waymo taxi behaving oddly near road construction, you can report it through their app or contact local authorities.
ChatGPT is getting better at answering health and wellness questions by thinking through answers more carefully, understanding your specific situation better, and checking its responses against what doctors actually know. For someone managing their own health or helping family members with medical questions, this means you're more likely to get reliable, thoughtful information when you ask—though you'd still want to confirm anything important with your doctor. Worth knowing: when you use ChatGPT for health questions, it's now designed to be more cautious and thorough, but it's still a tool to help you understand, not a replacement for professional medical advice.
Sennheiser has released a new type of earbud called the Accentum Clip that sits on top of your ear rather than plugging into it, and they last about nine hours on a single charge. Open-ear earbuds let you hear your surroundings while listening to music or calls, which is particularly useful if you're concerned about missing important sounds or prefer to stay aware of what's happening around you. Worth knowing: if you're considering switching to this style, try borrowing a friend's open-ear earbuds first to see if they feel comfortable during a longer wearing period, since they rely on a clip rather than fitting snugly inside your ear canal.
VSCO has released a new app called Studio Pro that lets you edit up to 100 photos all at once, and it can even copy the look of a photo you like and apply it to your whole batch. If you take lots of photos on holidays or family gatherings, this saves you from having to fiddle with each picture individually to get them looking consistent. You can try the free version to see if batch editing works for your photos, or look for a Studio Pro subscription if you find yourself regularly editing large groups of images.
# AI's Hidden Cost to Your Community
Artificial intelligence is proving remarkably useful for medical breakthroughs like discovering new drugs faster and catching diseases earlier, but running these powerful systems requires enormous amounts of electricity and water—resources that are becoming increasingly strained in many regions. For those of us who depend on reliable utilities and steady healthcare systems, this growing demand for power could eventually affect water availability, energy costs, and the stability of services we rely on. Worth knowing: as AI becomes more widespread, it's worth paying attention to local news about data centers being built in your area, since they can significantly impact regional water and electricity supplies.
Midjourney, the company famous for creating AI-generated pictures, has now built a scanner that uses ultrasound technology to see inside your whole body—showing your muscles, fat, bones, and organs in detail, with image quality similar to expensive MRI machines. For people interested in tracking their health over time, this could eventually offer an affordable, convenient way to monitor what's happening inside your body without going to a hospital, potentially done annually or even more frequently. Worth knowing: this is still early-stage technology, so it won't be in your doctor's office tomorrow, but keep an eye on how it develops if you're curious about easier health monitoring options.
Jim VandeHei, a seasoned writer, argues that AI isn't inherently bad for writing—it's how you use it that matters, and he's found it actually helps him think and write better when he sets clear rules and stays in control. For anyone considering AI as a writing tool, the real danger isn't the technology itself but letting it do your thinking for you, which creates lazy, forgettable work instead of something with personality and purpose. You can test AI as a writing assistant by giving it specific instructions about your style and voice, then treating it like a demanding editor that challenges your thinking rather than just smoothing over whatever you've written.
Google has added AI writing suggestions to Docs that pop up automatically, but you can disable this feature if you find it intrusive or simply don't want it. Many people in your age group prefer the familiar way of writing without AI interruptions, and turning it off takes just a few clicks in your settings. Worth knowing: you can disable Gemini suggestions by going to "Tools" > "Preferences" and unchecking the "Suggest ideas" option, and you won't lose any other Google Docs features by doing so.
Apple is finding it expensive and complicated to add artificial intelligence features to its iPhones, which might eventually force the company to raise prices. For iPhone owners, this could mean paying more for your next upgrade while also dealing with features that may not feel necessary or useful to your daily life. Worth knowing: when your phone needs replacing, check if the newer models' AI features are things you'd actually use—sometimes the older version still works perfectly fine for calls, photos, and browsing.
ChatGPT has added a new feature that lets you set up questions or tasks to run automatically on a schedule—like having the AI assistant check in with you daily or weekly without you having to ask each time. For someone who likes routine or wants regular reminders (weather forecasts, news summaries, or habit trackers), this could save you time and keep helpful information coming to you automatically. Worth knowing: you can test this feature by setting up one simple scheduled task, like a weekly summary of headlines, to see if it fits your needs before committing to more complex setups.
