May's Digital Life: Tech, Tariffs, and a Touch of Heart
Keep up to date on curated AI, security, tips, tricks and more with The Digital Life!
We’re heading into May with reflections on healing, hard tech questions, and a few reasons to smile. Whether you’re upgrading your hardware or your headspace, we’ve got something for you this month. 😎
In this issue:
The Big Think: Where Tech Ends and Healing Begins
News: Skype’s funeral + Trade Tariffs 101
AI: It’s reasoning faster than we are (and sole-sourcing proverbs)
Security: Is your smart TV emotionally profiling you?
Tips: Retro phones, real books, and rewards for less screen time
The Good News: Quincy, Herbie, and $100 cables
Remember, tech should empower you, not drain you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to go next, drop in to Wildcard Wednesday and let’s talk it out.
Wildcard Wednesday - next session May 14th
Our May open mic is coming up! Think of it as an office hour - no agenda, no fluff, just a space where you can drop in and ask anything about tech, AI, digital security, or whatever’s on your mind.
📅 Next Session: Wednesday, May 14th @ 1:00 PM Pacific
This month’s topic: Tariffs, Windows 10 end of life, empty shelves - is it time to upgrade?
This is free for now, casual, and open to my network. No signups, no commitment - just hop in and chat.
👉 Reply with “Yes” and I’ll send you the Zoom link.
The Big Think - Where Tech Ends and Healing Begins
I was honored this month to receive a “Big Star” award, but the real recognition belongs to the organization behind it. Art4Healing® has been quietly transforming lives for 25 years, helping over 100,000 participants process pain, trauma, and healing through color and creative expression. I’ve been lucky to support their work behind the scenes, but this award is a reminder that art has power far beyond the canvas.
If you care about healing, creativity, or making a difference in the world, take two minutes to read the post and watch their 25th anniversary feature video. You’ll see why this work matters more than ever! 👍
Two Bits of News
It’s official - Skype is dead. Nostalgic? You're not alone - this read looks back on the OG video chat era. My guess is most of you had an “ex” lurking around on Skype somewhere 😂 (Rest of World is a hidden gem for globally grounded news - well worth a bookmark.)
Want to understand how tariffs might shake up tech and beyond? This Stratechery piece is the clearest, sharpest breakdown we’ve seen, and it’s a perfect primer ahead of this month’s Wildcard Wednesday. 😉
Thoughts on AI
Google’s AI Overview is... having a moment. (or was at the time of the article below) 🍝 First, it recommended Elmer’s glue on pizza and other culinary crimes. Now, it’s taken to hallucinating the origins of fake proverbs. It looks funny, but remember - AI still doesn’t know how the world works - just what sounds statistically satisfying. And, it aims to please. Always verify, folks.
Licking a badger aside 😂🦡 - AI’s not just getting smarter, it’s doubling its reasoning ability every few months. This new metric sheds light on just how fast things are evolving, and why we may need to rethink how (and where) we rely on it going forward.
Security Spotlight
Your cheap TV isn’t just watching with you - it’s TAKING NOTES. LG’s latest ad tech uses behavioral data to infer your emotions and personalize ads - no facial recognition (yet), but still a reminder that your screen time isn’t as private as you think. But, it’s “oh so convenient” for viewers to see targeted ads! 😯🤭
Tips
Great news for readers - no more scammy sites or butchered formatting! 📖👓👍 Standard Ebooks offers beautifully formatted, ad-free classics from the public domain. Stock up your e-reader and finally read those books you’ve been meaning to get to this summer!
A great idea, a clever therapy tip, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane - Visnalize's BRICK1100 lets you relive the trusty Nokia experience while helping you unplug. Who else rocked one of these back in the day? 📟📴
Trying to cut back on social media? Dayo might be just the motivation you need. This free app rewards you for staying under 30 minutes a day on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, offering up to $5 per day in brand discounts while protecting your privacy. We haven’t seen a catch, other than the pure affiliate play on store credits, so give it a go! 👍
The Good News: Tune In, Chill Out
In this month’s Good News section, we’re featuring two videos guaranteed to lift your spirits and blow your mind. First up: a throwback to Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock experimenting with some of the earliest digital synths. Watching these legends shape sound with knobs and sliders and a crazy pointer - long before today’s studio software - is pure joy.
Then, a short but eye-opening look from Adam Savage (yep, the MythBusters guy) at the incredible engineering behind a single $100 cable. After this, you'll never look at those $10 Amazon knockoffs the same way again. Fascinating stuff!
