Category Archives: life
just plain life
10 Hacks Every Traveler Should Know
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on 10 Hacks Every Traveler Should Know
We may earn a commission from links on this page. We travel for a wide variety of reasons—vacations, business, family obligations—and in a variety of different ways, but there’s one constant: The actual traveling can be hectic, stressful, and expensive. Considering Americans took nearly 2 billion trips in 2025 alone, that stress can be pretty […]
How to Give an Actually Thoughtful Gift (Without Consulting ChatGPT)
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on How to Give an Actually Thoughtful Gift (Without Consulting ChatGPT)
A good gift should say, “I see you. I know you. I’ve been paying attention.” In other words, it’s the thought that counts—so don’t take “thought” out of the equation by turning to ChatGPT for any part of your gift-giving this holiday season. Sure, ChatGPT can rapidly generate gift lists based on demographics, trending items, […]
You Can Use ‘Circle to Search’ to Identify Scams on Android
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on You Can Use ‘Circle to Search’ to Identify Scams on Android
Android users are getting more tools to combat the seemingly endless stream of scam texts from bad actors looking to steal your data and your money. Circle to Search and Google Lens can now assess messages for scam red flags, and if possible fraud is detected, you’ll get recommendations for what to do (or not […]
10 Hacks Every Student Should Know
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on 10 Hacks Every Student Should Know
Whether you’re an academically inclined student looking for study hacks, or a more creative person who’s just looking to work smarter instead of harder, there are lots of little ways to make getting through school a little easier. Even as students deal with increased competition and rising costs, you can make life just a little […]
10 Hacks for Moving Day That Everyone Should Know
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on 10 Hacks for Moving Day That Everyone Should Know
We may earn a commission from links on this page. More than 37 million Americans moved last year—and while that’s actually a historic low, one thing that hasn’t changed is the levels of hair-tearing stress the experience can inspire. Everything about moving, from packing to hiring movers to switching utilities, comes with a little spice […]
Philips Hue’s New Security Camera Is Surprisingly Useful
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on Philips Hue’s New Security Camera Is Surprisingly Useful
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Philips Hue is one of the most well-respected and popular brands in smart lights—but what about its smart security cameras? Parent company Signify has been developing Hue cameras for a couple of years now, with a video doorbell and 2K camera upgrades recently added to […]
WhatsApp Is Now Rolling Out Missed Call Messages
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on WhatsApp Is Now Rolling Out Missed Call Messages
They say no one actually uses their phones for phone calls anymore. That’s not really true, though maybe the “Phone” app does get underused. Instead, many of us have turned to chat apps for our calls. FaceTime, WhatsApp, Messenger—these apps are now our go-to choices for getting in immediate touch with friends and family. (Not […]
Your Android Can Now Share Live Video to 911
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on Your Android Can Now Share Live Video to 911
If you find yourself in an emergency or crisis situation, the more information you can give first responders, the better. Android users can now share a live stream of their surroundings with 911, allowing emergency services to assess and provide guidance in real time while you wait for help to arrive onsite. Emergency services on […]
The Case for Ditching Your Fitness Trackers
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on The Case for Ditching Your Fitness Trackers
I have a love–hate relationship with the smartwatch on my wrist. This relationship is no doubt shaped by the fact that I write about fitness tech for a living, but I know I’m not alone in succumbing to an obsession with numbers from my wearables. Did I hit 10,000 steps? What’s my resting heart rate […]
You Can Get The PlayStation 5 Pro for $100 Off Right Now
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on You Can Get The PlayStation 5 Pro for $100 Off Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s price has finally eased up a bit, dropping to $648.99 from $749.99, which is the lowest it has gone on Amazon so far according to price trackers. For anyone who […]
Reading in Cars Makes Me Nauseous, but This App Helps
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 12, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on Reading in Cars Makes Me Nauseous, but This App Helps
I get really carsick if I try to read in a moving vehicle. And there’s a reason for that: my eyes and my sense of movement are out of sync. At least, that’s according to the CDC, which states that motion sickness, “happens when the movement you see is different from what your inner ear […]
Google Will Now Let You Virtually Try on Clothes With Just a Selfie
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 11, 2025
- life
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The pace of AI technology is so rapid, it’s tough to keep up with everything. At Google I/O back in May, Google rolled out an AI-powered shopping feature that let you virtually try on clothes you find online. All you needed to do was upload a full-length photo of yourself, and Google’s AI would be […]
How OpenAI’s Latest Model Will Impact ChatGPT
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 11, 2025
- life
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OpenAI is having a hell of a day. First, the company announced a $1 billion equity investment from Disney, alongside a licensing deal that will let Sora users generate videos with characters like Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, and Simba. Shortly after, OpenAI revealed its latest large language model: GPT-5.2. OpenAI says that this new GPT […]
The AirPods Pro 3 Are Now Under $200 for the First Time
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 11, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on The AirPods Pro 3 Are Now Under $200 for the First Time
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The latest AirPods Pro are a big step up from the first generation buds. The third (and newest) generation comes with OTA updates that the AirPods Pro 2 also got to enjoy—but considering the […]
Disney Will Now Let You Make AI Slop of Its Characters on Sora
- Posted by rbetz
- Posted on December 11, 2025
- life
- Comments Off on Disney Will Now Let You Make AI Slop of Its Characters on Sora
If you’ve engaged in any sort of doomscrolling over the past year, you’ve no doubt encountered some wild AI-generated content. While there are plenty of AI video generators out there producing this stuff, one of the most prevalent is OpenAI’s Sora, which is particularly adept at generating realistic short-form videos mimicking the content you might […]









