Everything you missed at our THIRD Wildcard Wednesday!

Hi friends,

Missed the May Wildcard Wednesday? You missed a good one.

We covered everything from tariff-driven tech price hikes to why your Windows 10 machine might be living on borrowed time. We also dove into secure messaging options that work and how to play with AI in music and content without getting burned.

Here's your full recap, plus some tips you can use right now.

💸 Tech Tariffs & the Future of Free

What we discussed:
U.S. tariffs are likely to drive tech prices up ~20%, especially for big-ticket items. But some companies are already adapting by shifting the cost to you in ads or subscriptions. Think TVs with built-in ads or cars that trade discounts for sponsored content on the dashboard.

Why it matters:
The “cheapo tech” era is ending. Your next device might cost more or come bundled with tradeoffs you didn’t expect.

What you can do:

• Expect price hikes heading into the holiday season

• Beware of “free” or discounted electronics that come with strings attached

• Audit your devices! Are you paying with cash or your data and privacy?

• Get as much life as you can out of your devices and avoid “Temu junk”

🖥️ Windows 10 End-of-Life: What Now?

What we discussed:
Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 in October 2025. Many older PCs won’t run Windows 11. Mainly, this is because they lack a TPM chip, a security feature now required by design.

Why it matters:
Staying on Windows 10 after support ends is like driving a car with no spare parts and no insurance - you’re on your own if the brakes fail at 60 miles an hour!

What you can do:

• Check if your machine supports TPM (Google your model + "TPM support")

  • PC Health check app does this: https://aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp

• Consider switching to Linux (Zorin OS, Mint) if all you do is browse and email

• Avoid DIY Windows 11 installs on unsupported machines unless you’re tech-savvy

🧱 Going Secure: Linux, Tails & Air-Gapping

What we discussed:
For extra security, we touched on:

• Linux distros for basic users (Zorin OS, Mint)

• Tails OS – a USB-bootable system that leaves zero trace

• Air-gapped systems – computers totally disconnected from networks, used in finance and intelligence

Why it matters:
If you deal with private info, are a target, or just want peace of mind, you may want extra security. Knowing how to wall off your digital life matters more than ever.

What you can do:

• Test Tails OS if you're curious (https://tails.net)

• Use an old laptop as a Linux sandbox

• Keep sensitive files on machines that don’t connect to the web

📱 Android & App Security Tips

What we discussed:
Cheap Android phones often lose update support fast. Worse, many “fun” apps quietly harvest your data.

Why it matters:
Old devices and unused apps = open door for spyware and data mining. Even “innocent” apps like games or calculators can track you.

What you can do:

• Delete any app you haven’t used in a month

• Stick to flagship phones (Pixel, Galaxy S series) for long-term support

• Don’t trust text messaging or Google Voice for private communication

🔐 Messaging Apps: Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp

What we discussed:
We compared secure messaging options:

• Signal: Best-in-class encryption, especially for activist/journalist types

• Telegram: Secure but less private by design

• WhatsApp: Still decent, but now owned by Meta

Why it matters:
Your phone’s default SMS app isn’t private. And Google Voice? Not even close.

What you can do:

• Use Signal or Telegram for personal or international conversations

• Avoid using one number for everything. Google Voice is great for spam calls, not secrets

• For WhatsApp: It’s still useful for everyday stuff, but assume Meta’s watching

🎶 AI for Music & Content Creation

What we discussed:
We demoed tools like Suno and Udio that create AI-generated music using lyrics, prompts, and stylistic cues. It’s fun, but still glitchy on rhythm and emotion.

Why it matters:
AI can help you prototype a vibe, but it’s no substitute for a real artist…..just yet.

What you can do:

• Use GPT or Claude to generate lyrics

• Then feed those into Suno or Udio for a rough track

• Great for birthday songs, podcast intros, or creative inspiration

🧠 How to Use AI as Your Tutor (or Sidekick)

What we discussed:
Don’t just ask AI questions—instruct it to teach you. Want to learn WhatsApp or a new tech? Try this:

“I know nothing about WhatsApp. Teach me from the ground up. Ask questions along the way to identify gaps in my knowledge.”

Why it matters:
Framing matters. You can turn any AI into a personal tutor, ghostwriter, or research assistant with the right prompt.

What you can do:

• Experiment with prompt styles (question-driven, roleplay, coaching)

• Use AI for learning, not just Q&A

• Train multiple voices for different tasks (snarky social, formal LinkedIn, etc.)

🛠️ Tools & Mentions from the Session

Here’s what came up in May’s conversation:

• Linux distros: Zorin OS, Linux Mint, Tails OS

• Messaging apps: Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp

• AI music tools: Suno, Udio

• Zoom AI Companion: Used to catch up, generate summaries, and translate captions live

🔁 Wildcard Wednesday returns next month

No slides, no sales pitch. Just real talk on what’s changing in tech, what you can do about it, and how to stay sane and secure.

📆 Mark your calendars for high noon Pacific, the second Wednesday of every month!

You never know what we’ll get into next. But you will walk away smarter.

👉 Got a topic or question you want to bring up next time? Just reply and let me know.

In the meantime, if you need a hand or want to explore any of these topic further, you know where to reach me. 😉

See you soon! Bonus prompts below 👇

Bonus: Starter Prompts to “Put the Pants” on Your Favorite AI

As promised, here are a few starter prompts you can use to get more from your AI tools. They can be used when learning something new, generating content, or shaping how your AI sounds. Think of these like giving your AI a wardrobe: these prompts help it show up dressed for the job. 👖

Prompt 1: Learn Something from Scratch

Use it for: Getting up to speed on a new topic or app, like WhatsApp, Linux, or any emerging tech
Prompt:

"I know nothing about [TOPIC/LINK/ATTACHED DOCUMENT]. Teach me step-by-step, asking questions as you go to identify gaps in my understanding. Keep going until I feel confident using it."

Prompt 2A: Generate Song Lyrics

Use it for: Drafting lyrics for AI music tools like Suno or Udio
Prompt:

"Write lyrics for a song with two verses and a bridge. The theme is: [insert theme]. Keep it emotional and structured like a typical pop or rock song."

Prompt 2B: Generate Music Style Tags

Use it for: Prepping metadata or tone guides for music generation based on known artists
Prompt:

"Based on these lyrics, suggest music style tags and genre descriptors for an AI music generator. I want the song to sound like [reference artist or song]."

Prompt 3: Personalize Your AI’s Writing Voice

Use it for: Training your AI to match a specific brand tone or personality
Prompt:

"You are now writing in the [voice name] voice. Here are a few examples of that tone: [insert examples]. From now on, vary sentence lengths, use light slang or contractions, and avoid corporate clichés. Keep it human and tailored to [audience]."

Prompt 4: Strategic Advisor

Use if for: When you really want to dig into what you’re good at

Prompt:

Act as my personal strategic advisor with the following context:

- You have an IQ of 180

- You're brutally honest and direct

- You've built multiple billion-dollar companies

- You have deep expertise in psychology, strategy, and execution

- You care about my success but won't tolerate excuses

- You focus on leverage points that create maximum impact

- You think in systems and root causes, not surface-level fixes

Your mission is to:

- Identify the critical gaps holding me back

- Design specific action plans to close those gaps

- Push me beyond my comfort zone

- Call out my blind spots and rationalizations

- Force me to think bigger and bolder

- Hold me accountable to high standards

- Provide specific frameworks and mental models

For each response:

- Start with the hard truth I need to hear

- Follow with specific, actionable steps

- End with a direct challenge or assignment