Many years ago, a reader in Thailand blew up his computer by downloading movies from a site I recommended. Oops.

Now you can get free movies from reputable sources like Amazon Prime, Tubi TV, (owned by Fox), and Pluto TV, (owned by Paramount).

Tubi TV has a ton of free movies on demand, in categories like “Based on a Book” and “Most Liked.” They also have free TV, including oldies like The Avengers, Perry Mason and Columbo, and current shows, like Midsomer Murders and Master Chef. Among the 1200 kid movies, “Baby’s Day Out,” looks fun. Tubi TV has ads, but I don’t mind them.

Pluto TV has lots of free movies and TV shows too. Categories include 70s Cinema, 80s Rewind, Pluto Crime, Pluto Romance and many more. They’re offered on demand or as live TV. With live TV, you can tune in to whatever is playing at the moment, or check the schedule and come back later. If you have a $98-a-year Walmart Plus membership, you can get either the ad-free version of Pluto or the ad-free version of Paramount, along with 12 other benefits.

A Better Signal

“In our area, the cell phone tower is across the freeway,” a reader wrote. Often, she sees neighbors in their front yards struggling to get connected. But she has a solution.

The solution is to switch to WiFi calling, something her carrier did for her. But you can also turn it on yourself, in settings, and it might improve your connection, though I’m not sure it improved mine. With Xfinity, I still get the occasional dropped call. But the price is great.

Since WiFi calling is for smartphones only, I use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) on my landline. I get it from Magic Jack for $43 a year. It’s similar to WiFi but uses special software. But the free Google Voice, another VoIP service, doesn’t require anything except logging in and choosing a phone number. I use it when calling from a computer or tablet.

A New Notebook

Google NotebookLM is like a magic notebook. Once you’ve uploaded a document, a link to a video, or almost anything else, NotebookLM will answer your questions based on those sources. It can save you from having to read or watch the whole thing.

If you don’t have anything to upload, check out the eight sample notebooks. These include: “Parenting Advice for the Digital Age,” “The Science Fan’s Guide to Visiting Yellowstone,” “Secrets of the Super Agers,” “The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare,” “Trends in Health, Wealth and Happiness” and more.

I like “The World Ahead 2025.” It’s a 125-page book available to Economist Magazine subscribers or on Amazon for $10.49. But somehow NotebookLM has it for free. From it I learned that greenhouse gas emissions probably peaked in 2023. Coal use probably peaked in 2023, gas in 2024 and oil sometime this year.

Turning to the “Secrets of the Super Agers” notebook, I asked how it was possible that frozen veggies in plastic bags could add to the microplastics accumulating in our bodies. It said that plastic can migrate even if high heat is not applied.

For your own notebooks, click the “share” button to get a link to send them to others. The recipients can view but not alter them.

Woot Deals

A reader asked if Amazon’s discount site, “Woot,” is any good. It has its pros and cons.

On the pro side, you get big discounts that aren’t available on Amazon. If you’re a Prime member, you usually get free shipping too. On the con side, you don’t get as much time to return items, and some are not returnable. For electronics, the warranty period may be limited.

World’s Fastest Scooter

You can go 100 miles per hour on the Bo Turbo electric scooter, outperforming the Tesla Model 3, but you’ll have to audition first. The company requires buyers to show prior racing experience. The first customer, a collector from Madrid, will pick up his scooter at the Formula One race in October, 2026, according to The Verge. It’s expected to cost $29,500.

I think you’ve got to be nuts to want to whirl by that fast, but the company says their scooter is sturdier and more comfortable than the best Segway. More info at bo.world.

What’s that Song?

Among its other uses, the free Gemini app for Android or iPhone can tell you what song is playing. Just tap the microphone and ask “What’s that song?” Alternatively, try the free Shazam app or website, or SoundHound. Pixel phones automatically identify the song, if you enable a feature called “Now Playing.”

Internuts

– “Elon Musk makes ALS Talk Again.” Search on that phrase to see a video of Brad Smith, age 50, who has ALS. He’s the third man to get a brain implant from Musk’s Neurolink. It allows him to talk with his wife and three young children and even to give lectures at church.

– “Humpback Whales Talk to Us.” Search on that phrase to learn about the rings of bubbles that humpback whales blow playfully to humans. These aren’t random puffs and the whales aren’t using them when feeding, the way they do to trap fish.

– “Battery Powered by Probiotics.” Most batteries rely on toxic metals like lithium or cadmium. But “Biobatteries” use microbes from probiotic yogurt, leaving nothing behind.

 

Filed under: gadgets, Google, Internuts, music, notes, shopping, TV, wireless