Hello Tuesday, friends! Happy you’re here. As always, we start this tech party with trivia. On this day 75 years ago, Polaroid’s first commercial instant camera went on sale. When did color Polaroids come along — A.) 1954, B.) 1960, C.) 1963 or D.) 1971? Answer’s at the end!

🎉 Help me help you. Support this free newsletter by clicking the link to check out Epson EcoTank printers. They’re a total game-changer if you’re sick of wasting money on expensive ink cartridges. Now, on to the top tech tips and news you need to know about today! — Kim

This past weekend, 10 million Americans across 11 states were under winter weather alerts. Yep, it’s that time of year already.

If your weather "forecasts" — quotation marks intentional — feel useless, I've got something you should know: Weather apps pull information from different data networks, and those networks vary in quality, as reported by orgs like ForecastAdvisor. Some even vary by region of the U.S. I’ll show you the best to use, no matter where you live.

A change in the weather

If you search online for weather apps, you'll see "Global Weather Corporation" recommended for the most accurate forecasts, especially for the West Coast. It's true, but GWC isn't available to everyday folks like us anymore. Those services have been bundled off to automotive and data companies so only they can access them — womp-womp.

The Weather Channel

Who’s really surprised this long-term player — also known as Weather[.]com — is still at the top of the game when it comes to accuracy? Several apps pull their info from Weather Channel data, so you’ve got some choices other than The Weather Channel app.

Weather Underground, for instance, is known for its hyper-local weather data and unique network of personal weather stations. You can also check out Storm Radar or the Google Weather app.

Best for: The South and Midwest, including snowstorm-prone states like the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.

Weather in Microsoft Start

Microsoft, a weather guru? Microsoft Start has a proprietary weather app considered the most accurate global forecast provider. Microsoft commissioned the study, so take it with a grain of salt. The app relies on pulling accurate data and using Microsoft’s AI powers to get the best predictions. Use it here or download the Start app.

Best for: East Coast states and Hawaii.

Weather[.]gov

Weather[.]gov (aka the National Weather Service) isn't pretty. But this ugly duckling is reliable and pulls information from many sources to provide an excellent U.S. weather map. If you don't need a slick interface, you may prefer its deeper dive into forecast maps and radar results.

Customize your results by entering your ZIP code and saving that profile, and it'll always show your local data. It’s a good option if you don't want to download an app.

Best for: All locations, despite its clunkiness.

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's app lets you parse weather data however you please. It’s won awards from the World Meteorological Organization for its user interface, plus it experiments with RealFeel temps that factor in wind chill to show you just how cold kids and pets will feel. It's also got a two-hour MinuteCast forecast. The downside: The app is a little ad-heavy.

Best for: Midwest states.

🌧️ If it rained cats and dogs, there’d be poodles in the streets.

If you just said, “Kim, for crying out cloud, you forgot my favorite weather app!” know it might use data from one of the apps above. Otherwise, hey, we all have our favorites. Reply to this email and let me know yours!

You’re halfway through printing documents for a meeting or your kid’s field trip. Then, like clockwork, you run out of ink. It never fails — and I don’t know about you, but I never had extra cartridges just sitting around.

That’s what makes the Epson EcoTank so great. It doesn’t use tiny, expensive ink cartridges. The high-capacity ink tanks hold a ton and won’t let you down mid-print. Plus, they’re easy to fill so no messes or stained fingers.

Epson prints look great, too. You’ll get sharp text and frame-worthy photos on just about any kind of paper. Stop relying on the old printer that’s let you down too many times.

All that in 20 pages? The U.S., Britain and 16 other countries just signed the first international agreement on how to keep AI “secure by design.” The point is to create rules for companies developing AI products to do it in a safe way that’s hard for cybercriminals to abuse. They didn’t say it, but it’s also so AI bots don’t kill us all.

⚠️ Mac alert: The ClearFake campaign, notorious for tricking Windows users, has set its sights on macOS. Posing as browser updates, it sneaks in Atomic Stealer malware — a nasty bug that swipes passwords and credit card info. If you see a browser update prompt, leave the website immediately. Updates happen automatically when you restart your browser.

Gyatt outta town: That’s the hot, new slang word Gen Z is confusing us with lately. “Gyatt” loosely means “goddamn” and is used when you see someone super attractive online. Why am I telling you this? So you’ll be groovy and hip. Oh, and Google searches for “Gen Z slang” are up 123%.

Movin’ on up: People are selling off their pandemic-era homes (WSJ, paywall). Think of anyone who moved farther from a big city to get more space. As of September, 10% of folks selling their houses are doing so to be closer to work now that they’re back at the office.

What could go wrong? Apple's NameDrop lets you share contact info with a simple phone-to-phone tap. Think digital business cards. As you can imagine, it's also sparking privacy concerns. Imagine if some creep sidled up to your teenager and set their phones together. Go to Settings > General > AirDrop and make sure "Contacts Only" is selected. If you want to turn it off altogether, disable "Bringing Devices Together."

📁 Google Drive hiccup: Folks on Google’s help forums are seriously peeved. They say their files are mysteriously dropping from Google Drive, reverting to what was in storage around April to May. Google's scrambling to solve it, but no fix yet. Their advice: Leave your files alone for now.

We hardly knew ye: The Microsoft 365 browser extension, a go-to for quick access to apps and files, is on its way out. The popular tool is set to retire on Jan. 15, 2024. The why behind this decision? Given over 10 million people use the extension, I’m sure it has to do with Microsoft making more money.

🍷 Sip happens: This caught my eye. UC Davis researchers think quercetin, a compound in red wine, may cause those next-day headaches — by hindering alcohol breakdown. Their advice: White wine. My advice: Everything happens for a Riesling.

Google always seems to know just what you want, and it’s not in your head. It tracks every search, click, message and request. Now and then, clear your search history and activity. Here’s how:

• Go to myaccount.google.com and log in.
• Click Data & privacy in the left-hand menu.
• You’ll see checkmarks next to Web & App Activity, Location History and YouTube History. Click each one to adjust your settings. Toggle them Off to stop further tracking if you choose.

Pro tip: You can also set up auto-delete to clear future activity every three, 18 or 36 months. I highly suggest you enable it.

🏃‍♀️ Keep going! 3 more Google privacy settings to change →

In my no-nonsense, straight-talking podcast, I serve up everything tech in digestible, fun-sized pieces. New to the tech scene? Or maybe you're a pro? Doesn't matter. I’ve got you covered.

👉 Get my podcasts today!

🤑 Legit WFH jobs: Angie from New Iberia, Louisiana, wrote that she heard me talking on my national radio show about jobs anyone can do online and wanted to know more. Here are 20 options if you’re looking for some extra cash, too.

Plan your next road trip: On Google Maps, pick a starting point (like your house), then hit Save to add it to a list. Choose (+) New list, then give it a name. Next, hit Invite Collaborators to share it with friends. Your pals can add places, notes and even vote via emoji on where they want to go. Now, all you have to agree on is music for the drive.

iPad upgrade: Editing text on an Apple tablet can be annoying. Trackpad mode lets you scroll through text you’ve typed and jump from the top to the bottom of a page (or vice versa). To enable it, hold down the spacebar until all the keys go gray. Just like that, you can now easily scroll through everything you’ve written.

📱 Call me maybe: Delete your outgoing voicemail message if it uses your voice and replace it with the default included with your device. Why? Hackers can use your "voice fingerprint" to access voice-protected financial records — or pose as you to rip off your friends and relatives. Pass this one on to your friends and family. It’s a good one.

No more Mr. Spice guy!

The answer: C.) 1963. It wasn’t as easy as the snap-and-shake pics that came later. The Polacolor pack film involved pulling two tabs from the camera. The second pulled the “film sandwich” through the rollers to create a picture.

What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long? Polaroids! (Oh, that was a good one, right?)

🖨️ Before you go: If you never want to buy an overpriced ink cartridge again, check out Epson EcoTank. It just works. I’d never steer you wrong.

Thank you for letting me in your inbox and tell a friend, too. See you tomorrow with the best newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay your amazing self. — Kim