Good morning! Three things worth five minutes of your time today.
In today's issue: a global police warning about fake AI phone calls, Google's AI assistant learning to help you from your car's dashboard, and a free Pixel trick that waits on hold so you don't have to.
Let's get started.
STAYING SAFE
A Global Police Group Just Warned About Fake AI Phone Calls
INTERPOL — the international police organization that coordinates crime-fighting across 196 countries — just launched a public awareness campaign about AI "deepfakes." A deepfake is a fake video, photo, or voice recording that uses artificial intelligence to convincingly copy a real person, sometimes built from just a few seconds of someone's voice or a handful of photos found online.
INTERPOL says criminals are increasingly using these fakes to pretend to be a boss, a coworker, or a family member — for example, a fake video call from a "coworker" asking for an urgent money transfer, or a cloned voice of a "grandchild" claiming to be in trouble and needing cash right away. Their simple advice: be suspicious of anything unexpected that pressures you to act fast or asks you to keep it secret. Never send money by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift card to resolve a sudden "emergency." Before acting, hang up and call the person back using a number you already know is real — not one they give you. Agreeing on a secret code word with close family members, in advance, is one of the simplest ways to confirm you're really talking to them.
Takeaway: If you get an unexpected, urgent call or video message from someone claiming to be family, a coworker, or your bank — even if the voice or face looks and sounds right — hang up and call them back using a number you already have, not one from the message.
— INTERPOL
NEWS
Google's AI Assistant Is Learning to Know You Better — Right From Your Car's Dashboard
Google is rolling out a smarter version of its Gemini AI assistant (the voice helper built into many Android phones) made specifically for driving. As of this week, it's part of Android Auto — the free app that mirrors your phone's maps, music, and messages onto your car's screen.
The new piece is called Personal Intelligence. If you choose to turn it on, Gemini can look at information from apps you already use — Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, Google Maps, and your search history — to connect the dots and give more useful answers while you drive. For example, on the way to the airport, it might tell you your flight is delayed before you even think to ask, because it can see the flight on your calendar.
This is entirely your choice. The feature is off until you turn it on, you pick exactly which apps it's allowed to look at, and you can switch it off again any time. Google says it's rolling out through Android Auto starting Oct. 20, 2026, with a version built directly into some car dashboards expanding over the coming months.
Takeaway: If your car uses Android Auto, you can now choose to let Gemini draw on your email and calendar to answer more useful questions while driving — it's optional, off by default, and fully under your control.
TRY THIS
Let Your Pixel Phone Wait on Hold So You Don't Have To
If you've ever been stuck listening to hold music while trying to reach an insurance company, a doctor's office, or a cable company, your Google Pixel phone may already have a free tool that waits for you. It's called Hold for Me, and it's built right into the Phone app on Pixel 3 and newer phones.
First, turn it on once: open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Hold for Me, and switch it on. After that, you turn it on during any call where you get placed on hold: tap "Hold for me," then "Start." Your phone listens for you, and a "Don't hang up" message stays on your screen. The moment a real person picks up, your phone lets you know so you can jump back in.
A couple of things to know: it works best in English in the U.S. (as well as the UK, Canada, Australia, and Ireland), and you'll want your phone's ringer on, not silenced, so it can alert you when someone picks up.
Takeaway: On a Google Pixel phone, turn on Hold for Me once in Phone app Settings, then tap it during any call to let your phone wait on hold and alert you the moment a real person answers.
Until tomorrow,
EZ AI