Technology
How to set alerts on your phone for those who are deaf or hard of hearing
Despite being attached to our phones, it is easy to miss an alert or notification of incoming calls or messages. For those who are hearing impaired or deaf, the risk of missing alerts or notifications is increased.
Michael wrote in with the following question to highlight this important issue:
“My wife is deaf. Is there a Bluetooth device that will light a flasher or vibrator when her phone rings in her pocket?” — Michael, Sugar Land, Texas
Depending on her specific device, several setting options are likely already available on her phone that can increase the chances of her getting alerts or notifications by flashing or vibrating.
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A call coming in on a smartphone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to set up your iPhone to flash an LED light for calls or notifications
If you have an iPhone, you can use one of its settings to make it flash a bright LED light every time an alert or call comes in. This is a visible indicator, which can help those who are hard of hearing or deaf have a better chance of knowing they received an alert or call. Here’s how to enable LED flashes for alerts and calls:
- Unlock your iPhone and tap Settings
- Scroll down and tap Accessibility
Instructions for setting alerts (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Scroll down and tap Audio & Visuals
- Scroll down and tap LED Flash for Alerts
Instructions for setting phone alerts (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Toggle on each desired setting, such as LED Flash for Alerts, Flash While Unlocked, Flash in Silent Mode
Instructions for setting phone alerts (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Now, when you receive a call or alert on your iPhone, you will not just be dependent on sound or vibrations. You will see a very bright LED light flashing from your iPhone’s camera flash.
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How to set up your Apple Watch to vibrate when your iPhone rings
If you already own an Apple Watch, you can set it up so it alerts you with vibrations when your iPhone rings. Here’s how to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone:
1. Pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone
- Turn on your Apple Watch by pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, ensuring your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS, connected to Wi-Fi or cellular and has Bluetooth turned on.
- Hold your iPhone close to your Apple Watch. A pairing screen should appear on your iPhone. Tap Start Pairing.
- Tap Set Up for Myself on your iPhone
- Use your iPhone’s camera to scan the animation on your Apple Watch screen.
- Tap Set Up Apple Watch on your iPhone and follow the remaining on-screen instructions to complete the setup, including choosing your wrist preference and accepting terms and conditions.
- Your Apple Watch will begin syncing with your iPhone. Keep both devices close together until the process is complete.
2. Enable notifications for calls
In order to receive call notifications on your Apple Watch, follow the steps below:
- On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app
- Tap on the My Watch tab
- Scroll down and tap on Phone
- Select Mirror my iPhone if it isn’t already selected
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This setting mirrors the call notifications from your iPhone to your Apple Watch.
3. Customize haptic alerts
To make sure you get a strong vibration alert on your Apple Watch:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch
- Tap on Sounds & Haptics
- Under the Haptics section, turn on Haptic Alerts
You can choose Default or Prominent. The Prominent setting provides an additional haptic tap to pre-announce some common alerts.
4. Testing
In order to ensure that the iPhone and Apple Watch are set up properly, make a test call to see if your Apple Watch vibrates as expected when a call is received. When set correctly, you will be able to get the vibrational notifications on your Apple Watch when you receive a call on your iPhone.
A person adjusting notifications on an Apple Watch (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
CAN’T HEAR OR SEE WELL? IPHONE SETTINGS TO MAKE HEARING AND SEEING EASIER
How to set up your Android to flash an LED light for calls or notifications
Setting up your Android device to use the LED light for calls or notifications can significantly enhance your alert system, especially if you prefer visual cues over sound or vibration. Here are some steps to help you enable this feature:
Using built-in Android settings
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility
- Choose Advanced settings
- Tap Flash notification
- Toggle on Camera flash notification for LED flash
Using built-in Google Pixel settings
- Open Settings
- Scroll to Notifications and tap it
- Toggle on Flash Notifications and choose between camera flash or screen flash
By following these steps, you can effectively set up your Android or Google Pixel device to use the LED light for calls and notifications, ensuring you never miss an important alert.
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LED light notifications apps for Android users
Not all devices come equipped with a built-in app to manage this feature. Fortunately, numerous LED notification apps are available that allow you to customize your notification experience. Regardless of whether your phone has an LED light, these apps provide solutions to enhance your alerts and keep you informed.
Flash Alert: The Flash Alert app is designed to enhance notification visibility on Android devices by utilizing the camera flash or screen flash as an alert mechanism. Users can customize their settings to receive visual notifications for calls, alarms and messages, even when the device is on silent or in “Do Not Disturb” mode. The app allows for color customization of the screen flash and provides a preview feature to test settings before finalizing them. This functionality is particularly beneficial for users who may have hearing impairments or prefer visual alerts over auditory notifications.
Flash Alert app (Flash Alert)
Front Flash: The Front Flash app uses your phone’s camera flash to notify you about incoming notifications. While it may not offer the same versatility as LED notifications, you can customize the delay, blink rates and frequency to suit your needs.
LED Flashlight Alerts: LED Flashlight Alerts is another app that allows you to customize LED notifications for incoming calls and messages. It also supports third-party apps, making it a versatile option. Although the app is free to use, it is ad-supported, and the ads can be a bit annoying.
LED Flashlight Alerts app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
PROBLEM HEARING OR SEEING? HOW THIS IPHONE SHORTCUT CAN COME TO THE RESCUE
How to set up your phone and watch to vibrate when your Android phone rings
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.
- Open the Settings app on your Android device
- Scroll down and tap Sounds and vibration
- Tap Vibrate
- Then scroll down and click Vibration intensity and adjust the Touch interaction slider
- Next, check the notification settings for the app managing your watch notifications, confirming that notifications are set to vibrate.
- On your watch, access the settings menu and navigate to Sound settings to ensure the alarm volume is set to vibrate.
- Make a test call to your phone to verify that your watch vibrates when your phone rings.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Whether you are hearing impaired, hard of hearing or deaf, it is easy to miss important calls and notifications from your phone. While smartwatches like the Apple Watch can be a wearable option so that you can get vibrational alerts when you receive a call or alert on your mobile phone, the other option is to turn on an accessibility feature that’s already native to your iPhone: LED Flashes. It’s vital that users of all abilities can maximize the convenience and features of their phones to stay truly connected.
Do you have any issues hearing calls and alerts from your phone? What devices or features have you used to help solve this issue? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
OpenAI keeps shuffling its executives in bid to win AI agent battle
OpenAI announced yet another reorganization Friday, consolidating certain areas and making company president Greg Brockman the official lead of all things product.
In a memo viewed by The Verge, Brockman wrote that since OpenAI’s product strategy for this year is to go all-in on AI agents, the company is combining its products to “invest in a single agentic platform and to merge ChatGPT and Codex into one unified agentic experience for all.”
To do this, the company is making a suite of org chart changes, although it’s still operating under some of the same ones from last month. That’s when AGI boss Fidji Simo went on medical leave and OpenAI announced that Brockman would be in charge of product strategy and CSO Jason Kwon, CFO Sarah Friar, and CRO Denise Dresser would take control of business operations.
It’s all part of OpenAI’s recent strategic shift to focus on key revenue drivers like coding and enterprise and stop pouring resources into “side quests” ahead of its potential IPO later this year and amid investor pressure to turn a profit.
In Simo’s continued absence, Brockman’s role leading product strategy is now official, as well as the company’s “scaling” arm. Under Brockman will be four different pillars. The first is core product and platform, led by Thibault Sottiaux, who has been OpenAI’s engineering lead for Codex, and the second is critical enterprise industries, led by ChatGPT head Nick Turley. Third is the consumer pillar, such as health, commerce, and personal finance, which will be led by Ashley Alexander, who has been its healthcare products VP. The fourth pillar — core infrastructure, ads, data science, and growth — will be led by Vijaye Raji, who has been OpenAI’s CTO of applications.
Brockman wrote in the memo that OpenAI’s goal is now to “bring agents to ChatGPT scale, in order to give individuals and organizations significantly more value and utility from our products.”
Technology
Is that traffic ticket text a scam or real?
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You’re going about your day when your phone buzzes. A text hits your phone. It looks official. It sounds urgent. And suddenly, you are being told you owe money for a traffic violation. That is exactly what Todd from Texas experienced. He emailed us and said:
“I received this text message today. It was so baffling because I haven’t lived in California for nearly a decade. I didn’t click on anything or respond. How can I tell if this is for real or if this is a scam?”
If you’ve gotten a message like this, you are not alone. This type of scam is spreading fast, and it is designed to pressure you into acting before you think. Let’s break down what is really going on.
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FAKE AGENT PHONE SCAMS ARE SPREADING FAST ACROSS THE US
This message may look official, but several red flags show it is likely a scam designed to pressure you into paying quickly. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What the traffic ticket scam text looks like
At first, the message seems convincing. It claims to be a “final reminder” from the California DMV, and it warns of penalties like license suspension and added fees. It even includes a link that appears somewhat official. However, once you slow down and take a closer look, the red flags quickly start to pile up.
The biggest red flags in this message
Here are the key warning signs to watch for in messages like this.
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1) The phone number makes no sense
The message comes from a number with a +63 country code. That is the Philippines, not California. Government agencies in the U.S. do not send official legal notices from international numbers. That alone is a major warning sign.
2) No name, just “Dear Driver”
Legitimate notices from a DMV or court almost always include your full name or at least some identifying information. “Dear Driver” is vague on purpose. It allows scammers to send the same message to thousands of people.
3) The link isn’t a real DMV website
The message includes this link:
ca.mnvtl.life/dmv
That isn’t a government domain. Official DMV websites in California use “.ca.gov” or similar trusted domains. Scammers often create lookalike links to trick you into clicking.
4) Urgency and threats
The message pushes you to act quickly with a deadline. It lists consequences like license suspension and extra charges. Scammers rely on fear. When you feel rushed, you are more likely to click without thinking.
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5) Asking you to reply to proceed
The text says to reply with “Y” to get instructions. That is another trap. Responding confirms your number is active, which can lead to more scam messages.
6) Generic language and odd phrasing
Parts of the message feel slightly off. The tone is formal but not quite right. That subtle awkwardness is common in scam messages sent to large groups of people.
7) Overloaded threats designed to scare you
The message piles on consequences like license suspension, added fees, court action and even credit damage. In this case, it even mentions a license suspension and a $160 late payment charge. That combination is meant to overwhelm you and push you to act fast. Real agencies usually provide clear, specific notices, not a long list of escalating threats in a single text.
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Scam texts like this often arrive out of nowhere and try to create urgency before you have time to question them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
What this means for you
Even if you have never driven in California, you could still receive this message. Scammers cast a wide net and hope someone takes the bait. If you click the link, you could be taken to a fake payment page. That page may ask for your credit card details, personal information or login credentials. In some cases, it can also install malware on your device or redirect you to credential-stealing pages. This isn’t about a ticket. It is about getting your data. State DMVs typically do not send final legal notices or payment demands by text message.
Why these scams keep working
These messages work because they tap into something most people fear. Legal trouble, fines and losing driving privileges. They also look just real enough to pass a quick glance. That is all scammers need. As more services move online, these scams will continue to evolve.
Unlike typical DMV scams, this message impersonates a court and escalates the threats to make the situation feel more serious (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Ways to stay safe from traffic ticket text scams
Start with a simple rule. Never trust a payment request that shows up out of nowhere. Here are practical steps you can take:
1) Do not click the link
If you are unsure, do not tap anything in the message. That includes links and reply options.
2) Use strong antivirus software
If you accidentally click a link, strong antivirus software can help detect malware and protect your data. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com
3) Verify directly with the DMV
Go to your state’s official DMV website by typing it yourself into your browser. Do not use the link in the text.
4) Check the sender carefully
Look at the phone number. International numbers or random strings are a clear warning sign.
5) Ignore generic greetings
Real notices will usually include your name or case details. Vague language is a red flag.
6) Consider a data removal service
Scammers often get your number from data broker sites. Removing your personal info from those databases with a data removal service can reduce these messages. 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
7) Block and report the number
On your phone, block the sender and report it as spam. This helps reduce future attempts.
8) Turn on spam filtering
Enable spam filtering on your phone or through your carrier to catch more of these messages before they reach you.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Todd did the right thing. He paused, questioned the message and did not click. That one decision likely saved him from handing over personal information. When it comes to messages like this, skepticism is your best defense. If something feels off, trust that instinct.
Should phone carriers and tech companies be doing more to block scams like this before you ever see them? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Technology
Honda’s hybrid future starts with new Accord and RDX prototypes
Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda’s first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.
In March, Honda announced it would take a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments. Now Honda says its EV-related losses will be “resolved” by 2029, and that it will reevaluate its EV plans in 2030.
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