From Our Blog
Vertical tiny homes redefine compact living
Have you ever thought your dream house could offer skyline views without sacrificing style or space?
Do you prefer the verticality of city apartments but wish you could also own a standalone home? These innovative prefab towers from the German company Moduleform make that possible.
Named the DQ Tower, this micro-living residence is designed for backyards and small urban lots. With three stories, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and high-end built-in features, it brings a sleek new take on compact living, even if it comes at a premium price.
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HOW 432 ROBOTS ARE RELOCATING A 7,500-TON HISTORIC BUILDING
With three full stories of living space, the DQ Tower stands over 28 feet tall. However, all that vertical space only takes up a footprint of just 13 by 13 feet. It's designed for tight urban plots or backyard spaces, and instead of spreading out like a traditional mobile tiny home, it rises straight up.
The ground floor opens up into a spacious living and dining area. A comfy sofa pulls double duty as both seating and an optional spare sleeping space. A comfortable dining nook sits next to a kitchenette complete with an induction stove, sink, and refrigerator. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows give plenty of natural light and open up the space even further. The ground floor rounds out with a half bathroom with a convenient washing machine included.
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Climbing the staircase to the second floor, you will find the first cozy bedroom complete with a single bed and a built-in wardrobe. On the second floor is also a full bathroom with a standing shower. And yes, the ceilings are quite tall and spacious, avoiding the cramped loft designs of other tiny homes.
The third floor is the showstopper. As you ascend the steel and wood staircase, the master bedroom sits comfortably with a double bed, an even larger wardrobe, and a small desk for a working area. The tall windows up here continue to provide light and ventilation, making the most of the compact space while providing breathtaking views.
In total, the DQ Tower offers nearly 420 square feet of living space. That is a reasonable accommodation for a couple or small family, or anyone who appreciates the efficiency of downsizing. Another option, and one that the manufacturers advertise, is the DQ Tower, which fits comfortably in the backyard, making for a cost-effective and low-impact guest house, perfect for rental sites like Airbnb. And with two bathrooms and two bedrooms, it's surprisingly livable for such a small footprint.
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The major convenience and cost-cutting feature of these tiny tower homes is that they come prefabricated. They are built off-site in Germany, transported to the site, and settled into place with a small crane crew. As of now, it takes about eight months from order to delivery. The whole structure is constructed with a sturdy steel frame, well-insulated walls, and clad in chic aluminum panels.
The starting price for these private towers is currently roughly $176,000. Now, that is nearly twice the per-square-foot cost of other tiny homes. However, the DQ Tower offers ultra-high-quality, designer-level micro-living with a sleek and accommodating design.
The DQ Tower is more than just a tiny home. It offers a bold vision for how people can live in smaller spaces without giving up comfort or style. Although it is not currently available in the United States, it provides a clear picture of where compact, vertical living could be headed. As cities become more crowded and backyard space gains value, this European design could inspire the next generation of American prefab housing.
Would you trade square footage for sky-high design if it meant living smarter, smaller, and more sustainably? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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New technology helps robots see inside sealed boxes
Why would you want a robot to see inside a sealed box?
Digging deeper beyond the initial creepy thought, a new breakthrough from MIT could soon let warehouse robots do something pretty remarkable. This high-tech wave technology can detect damage inside sealed cardboard boxes without ever opening them.
Using millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging, the same type of signal used in Wi-Fi, the researchers developed a system called mmNorm. There’s nothing normal about this superpower. This technology allows robots to scan containers and generate accurate 3D models of the objects inside by analyzing how signals bounce back from hidden surfaces.
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NONINVASIVE BRAIN TECH AND AI MOVES ROBOTIC HAND WITH THOUGHT
Millimeter waves are particularly effective at penetrating materials such as cardboard, plastic and even interior walls. When these waves hit an object inside a box, they reflect. The mmNorm system captures these reflections and feeds them into an algorithm that estimates the shape and direction of the surface of the hidden item.
Unlike traditional radar systems, mmNorm accounts for a challenging property called specularity, which refers to the way radio waves bounce off shiny or angled surfaces, much like a mirror. By estimating the surface normal (the direction a surface is facing), the system's accuracy improves dramatically. The method combines reflections from multiple antennas that "vote" on the surface normal direction based on signal strength, improving the accuracy of the 3D reconstruction.
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What makes mmNorm different is its clever use of physics. Instead of ignoring reflections that bounce away from the radar (as most systems do), it captures them to infer the shape and orientation of hidden surfaces. Lead author Laura Dodds explained that the system doesn't just track where a signal comes from. It also analyzes the direction the surface is facing. To do this, the MIT team used a robotic arm equipped with a radar unit. As it moved around a sealed box, it gathered multiple measurements, building a detailed 3D picture of what was inside.
During testing, mmNorm achieved 96% accuracy in reconstructing complex items, such as power drills and silverware. That's a big jump compared to the 78% accuracy offered by similar systems. In a warehouse setting, this means robotic arms could inspect the contents of packages moving down a conveyor belt without unpacking them.
It also opens the door for humanoid robots to roam warehouses and assess packages for damage or missing parts in real time. However, the technology does not work well for objects hidden behind metal or very thick walls, which limits some applications.
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Beyond warehouse automation, this technology opens the door to several other promising uses. In factory production lines, robots that detect damage inside boxes could inspect goods quickly and without opening packages, helping maintain high-quality standards.
In assisted-living centers, the same approach might help ensure safety by checking the contents of containers without disturbing residents. Even in security screening, being able to see through sealed boxes could enhance threat detection without adding any strain on bandwidth since the system uses the same mmWave signals as existing technologies. The research team plans to further improve the resolution of mmNorm and boost its performance on less reflective objects, making it even more versatile for future applications.
We may be entering an era where robots don't just move boxes, but they understand what's in them. MIT's mmNorm system offers a glimpse into the future of warehouse efficiency, safety and automation. And if robots can detect damage inside boxes without opening them, that might just change how everything gets shipped, sorted and delivered.
Are we ready to trust machines to judge what's damaged and what's not without ever opening the box? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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5 steps to protect your finances from family scams
You’d like to believe no one in your family could ever scam your parents. But what if the danger isn’t a stranger at all? What if it’s someone they already trust? What if it’s even your sibling or an estranged uncle in need of money? According to the AARP, seniors in America lose over $28 billion every year to fraud.
Shockingly, 70% of it comes from people they know — family members, neighbors, caregivers and "friends."
If you’ve got aging parents or grandparents, it’s time to take action. People in your circle can cause serious financial damage, known as family fraud, if you’re not careful. And, worse yet, almost 90% of family fraud doesn’t get reported by seniors due to shame, fear and potential repercussions. Here’s a simple five-step plan to protect your loved ones before someone you thought you could trust takes advantage of them.
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MEDICARE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 100,000 AMERICANS' INFO
It’s not just shady scammers in faraway places. Most elder fraud happens close to home. These fraudsters know eerily specific details about seniors, their children, grandchildren, past occupations and even retirement funds.
The most common cases involve:
If your family has tension, estranged members or unresolved drama, your parents could be prime targets. Recognizing this risk is the first essential step to prevention.
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Data broker sites sell seniors’ personal information by the bundle. We’re talking phone numbers, emails, home addresses, income estimates and even political views, all listed online for pennies. Armed with those details, scammers can impersonate a relative, hack an account or manipulate your loved ones over the phone.
Think about how easy it is for an estranged family member to get updates about your parents’ lives and financial status. Limit how much your parents share online or delete such information to prevent it from appearing on people search sites. Ultimately, controlling what's available online is one of the most effective ways to protect seniors from identity theft, fraud and unwanted contact.
The good news is that you can protect your elderly family members from a lot of trouble. Start by searching for your parents' names on Google. If their phone number or address appears on shady people search sites, have it removed. The problem is that there are hundreds of these data broker sites, and most make it a nightmare to opt out.
That’s where a personal data removal service comes in. They automatically contact these data brokers and force them to delete personal information, including your parents’.
It works in the background and covers dozens of the worst offenders. I personally use it for my family, and it’s one of the smartest, simplest ways to keep personal data out of the wrong hands.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, but neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.
By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
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Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete
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One of the easiest ways for scammers to reach and manipulate seniors is through phone calls. A friendly voice claiming to be a long-lost cousin or someone pretending to be a financial advisor goes a long way. If your parents’ landline or cell number is publicly listed, it’s a ticking time bomb.
You can:
The fewer ways fraudsters can reach your loved ones, the better.
Data removal tools, such as Incogni, should be your first line of defense. But for additional peace of mind, you can add free tools like credit freezes and bank alerts. Identity monitoring services can also alert you if your parents’ Social Security number, name or financial accounts are being misused.
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Family fraud is one of those ugly, uncomfortable topics we tend to avoid. But trust me, the regret of not acting is far worse. Start today and remove your parents’ personal data from the web. Remember to unlist their phone number and lock down their sensitive information. Every measure helps your parents maintain control over their finances.
How comfortable do you feel discussing financial safety and privacy with your older relatives? What challenges have you faced in starting these conversations? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Chatbots are losing customer trust fast
Every day, customers reach out to companies.
They want to buy something, ask about an order, return a product or fix a payment issue. In the past, that usually meant talking to a real person on the phone or through a website.
Now, things are changing. More often, the first reply comes from a chatbot.
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AI AND LEARNING RETENTION: DOES CHATGPT HELP OR HURT?
A chatbot is an artificial intelligence tool designed to simulate real-time conversations with users. It operates around the clock, doesn't require breaks and can manage a high volume of requests simultaneously. For businesses, that sounds like an ideal solution. It's no surprise that the chatbot market has surged from $370 million in 2017 to $2.2 billion in 2024. Many companies now rely on chatbots as the first point of contact for customer service. Despite the convenience, not all customers are on board.
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While companies are excited about the speed and efficiency of chatbots, many customers are not. A recent survey found that 71% of people would rather speak with a human agent. Even more concerning, 60% said chatbots often do not understand their issue. This is not just about getting the wrong answer. It comes down to trust. Most people are still unsure about artificial intelligence, especially when their time or money is on the line.
Not every customer question is the same. Some are simple and quick. Others are more complex or personal. And that's where chatbots fall short. A recent survey showed that 47% of people were OK with a company using their purchase history for marketing. But only 9% were OK with the company using their financial information. That's a big difference. When things feel more sensitive or serious, people want a real person to help.
To better understand how people really interact with chatbots and human agents, researcher Vivek Astvansh partnered with a large North American retailer and analyzed more than 500,000 customer service chats. The findings are detailed in his peer-reviewed study, "Insights from Customers' Chats with Bots and Human Agents."
The study found that most inquiries fell into one of six categories: orders, coupons, products, shipping, account issues and payments. When customers had questions about detailed or sensitive topics, such as shipping or payment issues, they were far more likely to seek out a human agent rather than rely on a chatbot. Astvansh's research also revealed that human agents were more effective at matching the content and communication style of the customer than chatbots.
This similarity in language and topic focus led to stronger rapport between customer and agent. In fact, the closer the agent's responses aligned with the dominant topic of the conversation, the faster and more frequently customers replied. The data suggests that customers feel more engaged when they sense they are being understood, which is a key driver of satisfaction during service interactions.
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So, how can businesses use these insights to improve customer service? Not every customer issue should be handled by a chatbot. Companies should determine the intent behind each inquiry before deciding whether it should be routed to a bot or a human.
Human agents already know how to mirror a customer's tone and focus. For chatbots to succeed, they must be trained to recognize and adapt to customer intent and language patterns. While this doesn't come naturally to machines, it can be programmed using machine-learning models like those used in the study.
If a company is investing in a chatbot system, it should track how well that system performs. Businesses should ask chatbot vendors to provide real-world data showing how their bots compare to human agents in terms of efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction. If the technology cannot meet a high standard, it may not be worth the investment.
AI tools, such as chatbots, are helpful and are not going away anytime soon. But customers still want to feel heard and understood. That usually means talking to a real person. The best approach is not to replace humans but to use both people and technology in the right ways. Let the chatbot handle the quick stuff. Bring in the human when the conversation really matters.
If you had an important issue to resolve, would you feel confident putting your trust in a chatbot? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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