Issue 9: Scamland: Privacy Pitfalls & Storm Savvy: Your Ultimate Tech Survival Guide
From Meta’s fraud epicenter to those 'I swear Siri's “spying” to target ads,' plus hurricane/storm-season prep gear, travel hacks, and the hottest sweat-tech trends. Lace up, we're off and running...
Hi, hi, hi, you magnificent, beautiful readers, friends, and fellow ‘just trying to stay-afloat-ers!’
Look in a mirror and remind yourself how brilliant you are—because I’m not there to do it in person. I love you. That’s all, carry one. (Reading this, of course…)
In this issue:
I was caught in the Newark Airport meltdown — now what?
Do our gadgets spy on us to serve up ads…or worse?
Gross, look what Meta’s doing now. (And warn Grandma…)
Can McAfee’s Scam Detector slow down cybercrooks?
Travel Gadgets Galore!
Road-testing the latest workout gear.
But first…
👟💥Sole Mates: IAMBIC x Art Gods Custom-Fit the Future of Footwear
Last week in Manhattan, I sat down (and stood up, cheered, and laughed a lot) with the brilliant minds behind IAMBIC and the Art Gods collective to preview what might just be the future of footwear. Think cutting-edge AI, centuries-old craftsmanship, and a kaleidoscopic burst of creativity—stitched into a sneaker that pampers your pups like they’ve booked a five-star footcation.
At the heart of it all is IAMBIC ($550/Model T), a startup on a mission to end the soul-crushing saga of one-size-fits-most shoes:
The process starts when you scan your feet with your smartphone. IAMBIC’s tech maps every contour—arch height, pressure zones, you name it—and feeds the data into its proprietary AI (12 patent-pending innovations and counting). The system then generates a hyper-precise “last,” the mold that shapes your custom shoe.
From there, master leatherworkers in Portugal handcraft each pair to order. They skip the mass production, avoid overstock, and deliver custom-fit shoes that hug your feet like they were made for each other—because they were.
But this story isn’t just about fit. It’s about flair.
Enter the Art Gods: graffiti visionary Phree Hester, immersive installations artist Rio Sirah, and mixed-media marvel Mannylinx. Together, they took IAMBIC’s Supercar silhouette and turned it into a wearable canvas for culture, color, and community.
The result? The Supercar Art of Gods x IAMBIC—a bespoke sneaker that doesn’t just mold to your foot, but tells a story on every panel. (Check it out here 👉 link).
If I had $1,200 burning a hole in my pocket, I’d happily trade it for a pair.
Because these aren’t just shoes—they’re the first steps into a future where art meets algorithm, and nobody has to settle for squishy heels again.
🚫✈️No More Newark Airport For Me
Seriously, I have no clue where this week went.
After a whirlwind Today Show stint in NYC last week(cough cough, segment here), I flew home expecting a quiet Mom’s Day weekend…until NEWARK AIRPORT HAPPENED.
In case you missed it, there’s been a whole spate of control tower communication blackouts, delays, and scary tech outages. I don’t get spooked by much, but after my go-to airline (Alaska — I love them) cancelled my second flight of the day last Friday and delayed a third by more than six hours, I wanted nothing to do with flying out of EWR. I rerouted through JFK but still didn’t reach Seattle until Saturday afternoon.
Why Newark is melting down:
Three communications blackouts in two weeks, each lasting up to 90 seconds, knocked out radar and radio at Newark Liberty International Airport, forcing ground stops and scrambling dozens of flights: Reuters.
On May 13, Newark ran with just three air-traffic controllers on duty for an evening rush that normally requires 14—delaying arrivals by up to seven hours: The Guardian.
The FAA confirmed a third outage on Sunday morning triggered a 45-minute ground stop, after its backup system briefly failed: CBS News.
Lawmakers and the FAA now warn these are symptoms of an aging, understaffed infrastructure in desperate need of a multibillion-dollar overhaul: The Guardian.
The fallout:
By the time I finally landed back in Seattle, the 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland to our island was stuck in a four+ hour delay, too, forcing an extra hour’s drive around the long way home. Sigh. At least I got in a nice, long catch-up in the car convo with my husband. That was great. For real.
It also reminded me that I can’t sweat the small stuff. As someone who sits on planes about 200 hours a year—more than eight days of time flying—I know firsthand that there’s only so much that I can control.
But who is in charge of our experiences when we fly these days?
This past week, I spoke with pilots, former NTSB engineers, and veteran controllers who say Newark’s woes are “just the tip of the iceberg” for an aviation system that’s “held together with duct tape and chewing gum.” The consensus? Until Congress and the FAA fund major upgrades—new radar, modern communications networks, and controller recruitment—these kinds of blackouts will keep coming. Or worse. In a society that hates paying for anything—from taxes to luggage fees—where/when/how can we fix this massive infrastructure issue?
Lesson learned: Avoid EWR until “they” fix it. And keep asking the tough questions like, why can’t one of the tech bajillionaires (I’m looking at you, Elon Musk) lean in to fix this very real issue instead of building more rockets bound for Mars?
➡️ Story I’m Working On: The Ultimate Travel-Tech Lifesaver Guide
I’m curating the slickest travel tools—from GPS luggage tags to AI translator earbuds. Meanwhile, the NYT just spotlighted packing-list apps that tackle overpacking, underpacking, and everything in between. Check it out—and if you’ve got a game-changer gadget or app you can’t live without, reply with your pick. I’ll feature reader recs in the next issue!
Here’s a sneak peek of what I’m trying out:
In-Air Comfort & Productivity
I’m testing the latest noise-cancelling headphones (Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WH-1000XM5), smart neck pillows (Ostrichpillow GO), and under-seat foot-rests. Plus, apps like AirHelp for real-time compensation claims and App in the Air for live gate-change alerts.Delay & Cancellation Defenses
When your flight stalls, tools like FlightAware and FlightStats pre-warn you of diversions. Then LoungeBuddy unlocks pay-per-use airport lounges, and Reclaimit helps snag meal vouchers or reroute you on partner airlines.BoatBnB for Weekends at Sea
Platforms like Boatsetter transform mere mortals into captains—letting you charter sailboats, speedboats, even luxury yachts by the day or week. Imagine swapping crowded beaches for your own deck at sunrise.
Have something to pitch? Be sure to send me a message!
THE BIG STORY: SCAMLAND & PRIVACY PITFALLS
Your feeds are under siege. In my USA Today column this past week, I heard from scam victims and tested out McAfee’s Scam Detector, now included in every plan (starting at $50/year). The company says it flags deepfake videos with 96% accuracy and scam texts 99% of the time. People I talked with call it a digital seatbelt: never want to need it, but oh, are you glad it’s there.
Also this week? Don’t miss the Wall Street Journal’s deep dive on Meta’s “epidemic of scams,” detailing how 70% of new advertisers on Facebook and Instagram peddle scams or junk products—and how nearly half of all Zelle fraud at JPMorgan Chase points back to ads on Meta’s platforms;
“Current and former employees say Meta is reluctant to add impediments for ad-buying clients who drove a 22% increase in its advertising business last year to over $160 billion. Even after users demonstrate a history of scamming, Meta balks at removing them.” — Jeff Horwitz and Angel Au-Yeung, Wall Street Journal
Gross Meta. Just … ew. Oh, and you better Grandma:
The WSJ writes:
“In recent months, accounts featuring grandmotherly photos have been running Facebook and Instagram ads for a supposed giveaway of a McCormick & Co. spice rack and a selection of its products. Users are asked to provide only a nominal $9.99 shipping fee via a website featuring McCormick branding, a user survey and a game to win prizes.”
Between Meta serving up AI porn convos to our kids, failing to protect teens on your platforms and now this — Mark Zuckerberg — you suck right now dude. Yes, that’s my official take. Simplistic? Absolutely. Accurate? You tell me.
🗣️ Soapbox: Tech-Eavesdropping; Myth or ???
And while we’re here: You’ve felt it—chat about a new backpack, and then bam, backpack ads everywhere. I’ve written about that phenomenon (and endured Apple PR’s “pushback”) in USA Today on whether Siri is secretly listening (read it).
This week, Shira Ovide added her must-read take in the Washington Post on why your phone probably isn’t eavesdropping for ads—but you should still worry about the data brokers anyway (read it).
Dive into both for the real story—and then reply with your own “wait, did my phone just…” moments!
INCOMING: HURRICANE SEASON STARTS
It hit 105°F in Texas this week—and hurricane season officially kicks off June 1. Before the storms, wildfires, tornadoes, and floods arrive, load up on these lifesavers that I’ve covered quite a bit:
Nimble Champ portable device charger ($54.75 - BUY IT HERE): I seriously never leave home without this palm-sized gadget charger. I’ve shown it off on the Today Show, in several stories in USA Today, and given one to everyone in my family. I don’t get paid to say this. (But um, NIMBLE, let’s work together…)
MyRadar (iOS/Android): Real-time radar, storm tracks, and customizable alerts.
NOAA Weather Radar Live (iOS/Android): High-res satellite imagery plus lightning overlays.
StormShield (iOS/Android): Consolidated watches/warnings, live radar, and prep checklists.
Zello (iOS/Android): Push-to-talk walkie-talkie that works when cell towers don’t.
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 ($449-SALE): 1,000 Wh capacity, 1,500 W output, full recharge in an hour—my go-to backup power.
EcoFlow River 2 Pro ($419-SALE): 768 Wh capacity, app-controlled, and easy to tote.
Don’t wait for sirens—download, charge, and stash these now. Let me know if there are more that we need to add here, too!
💪🔥 PLUS: SWEAT TECH SHOWDOWN🥊🏋️
I’m stress-testing the hottest home-fitness setups—and scouting more trends you need to know:
Aviron AR Treadmill: I’ve logged five days on Aviron’s console-equipped treadmill—streaming live courses, gamified challenges, and real-time resistance. It turns runs into interactive adventures… full story soon!
FightCamp Interactive Boxing: Sensor-equipped gloves, on-demand classes, real-time form feedback—boxing that grades every jab in your living room .
Nike+Hyperice Hyperboot Recovery Shoes: Heat, vibration, and compression on your feet for on-the-go recovery. Catch my hands-on Instagram Reel or Facebook video for the first impressions.
Stay tuned for in-depth reviews and workout demos in next week’s deep-dive. Let’s get moving!
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
Got tips, tales, or tech hacks? Hit reply, drop a comment, or ping me @JennJolly on Instagram. And don’t forget to share your “my phone just heard me…” stories for my upcoming voice-spy exposé!
In 2025, we don’t just survive chaos, we outsmart it.
— XO, Jenn