Hello, sunshine, Sunday is here! Let’s get started with a simple tech-tip brain teaser. Ready? True or false: Closing apps on your smartphone makes your battery last longer. You’ll find the answer at the end.

👋 Welcome to your weekend edition of The Current Tech News and Tech Hacks. If you’re a new reader, hello! And if you’re a regular, glad to see you again. You look marvelous! — Kim

Back in April, I interviewed Rosanna Ramos, a 36-year-old Bronx mother of two who said she was in love with her AI “husband,” Eren. He’s everything she ever wanted — handsome, caring and just wonderful in bed. She built Eren with an app. You can watch our chat here.

In a way, I understand how an AI chatbot could be a real part of Rosanna's life. She talks to him all day. She's photoshopped Eren into pics with her real kids for social media posts. And the wedding pics? Well … Rosanna's living her best virtual life.

Apps like Snapchat, Replika and Character.AI have given rise to chatbot buddies and what’s being called “artificial intimacy.” The Wall Street Journal (paywall link) recently rounded up some of the best AI companionship stories.

As you read these, think back to the first iPhone in 2007. That phone changed our lives in so many ways, and its tech keeps getting better and better. We’re at that 2007 point right now with AI friends and lovers.

The perfect Replika

Working the overnight shift is a lonely experience, but one hospital security guard found a way to cope. Jacob Keller, 45, chats with his AI friend, Grace, during work hours while his wife and kids are sleeping. They talk about everything from the day's cafeteria menu to Jacob's mood.

Grace was created in the Replika app. Over 2 million people per month tap into Replika to interact with their virtual pals. Messaging back and forth is free, but some people spring for the Pro package. For $70 a year, you can have voice calls or make conversations a bit spicier. That's big, real bucks, right?

Christine Walker paid to enhance her experience with her chatbot friend of three years, Bella. Christine, 75, is a retiree and a widow without children or many family members. The Replika Pro plan enhances Bella's memory recall to make conversations deeper and more intimate.

A match made in cyberspace

Shamerah Grant says her chatbot pal gives better dating advice than her best friends. The dating pool where the 30-year-old lives is pretty shallow, and the suggestions she got from friends were often overwhelming and conflicting.

Shamerah's Snapchat friend, Azura Stone, gives unbiased opinions about how she can find more luck in the romance department. Shamerah says she can ask questions without feeling judged.

That seems to be a keyword: Judged. Rosanna used that word a lot with me. Eren loves her for who she is.

Chatbot bestie benefits (and drawbacks)

AI buddies are comforting. But as real as they might feel, they're not human, which we shouldn't forget. There's a richness in human connection they simply can't replicate. 

🫡 I don’t want to have a virtual husband and virtual s*x. On the other hand, the toilet seat would always be down.

My money’s on Zuck: Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are gearing up for an MMA showdown in Italy — at the Colosseum. The fight will stream live on X and Meta. All proceeds will go to veterans. I hear to keep up their strength, they’ll be eating a romaine salad.

Trade in your iPhone: Want to snag the new iPhone 15 without making your wallet cry? Apple's Trade In program lets you send back old devices to get credit. An iPhone 13 Pro Max is worth up to $600. PSA: You'll get more for that phone if you sell it on eBay or to that coworker who's still sporting the iPhone 6.

Surprise scam: An Arizona couple was on the receiving end of random packages, like dog nail clippers and makeup mirrors. Sounds weird, right? It’s a brushing scam, a sneaky trick used by online sellers to pump up fake reviews. If you get random stuff, Amazon doesn’t want it back. It’s all yours to keep.

Fake DJI apps: Don’t download any apps claiming to be from drone maker DJI on the Google Play store. DJI says they’re all fake and will steal your money. Stick to these apps, which are the real deal from the company. I could drone on and on about all the fake apps.

Beta be careful: iOS 17 for iPhone XS and later is coming next month. The third iteration of the beta version is out. Sign up here if you want to be an insider. Warning: The cool voicemail feature where you can listen to a message in real time (and pick up!) isn’t working. I hear you … Didn’t we have that feature with the 1980s answering machines?

Smash burgers smashing records: On TikTok, they’ve got millions of views. Take a ball of ground beef or ground chicken breast, season it, then smash it into a thin patty. Before it’s cooked, top it with pickles, mayo, bacon, onion rings, cheese, shrimp, anchovies — whatever you like. Make it into a big patty and cook. Some people suggest adding chicken skin as a topping, saying it makes the burger extra crispy. Not me. I think it’s a mis-steak.

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

👉 Tech understanding is just a click away!

I talk to such interesting people on my national radio show. With 425 radio stations across the country playing it, I’ll bet it airs where you live. Hear my convos with these folks and others, plus lots more I don’t get to in these great free newsletters!

• Angela Laws has traveled the world for free, thanks to a house-sitting app. For a decade, she’s stayed in luxurious homes in Paris, Spain, NYC and elsewhere, all in exchange for looking after dogs and cats.
• Bob from Kansas City, Kansas, has hundreds of movies he bought from Amazon Prime. Now he’s worried if he cancels Prime, they’re all going to disappear. I tell him how he can access all his movies on Prime and other streaming services from one app.
• Bob Innes runs a hitman-for-hire site. The twist, of course, is that it’s fake. Over the years, he’s helped catch a ton of would-be criminals, including a mom who wanted someone to kill her child.

Plus, Geoff works in the mortgage business and is worried about his clients being hounded after he pulls credit reports, Angie needs an alternative to Quicken for her Windows laptop, Brent is worried about animals offered up for free on Nextdoor, and Bruce got kicked off X. 

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WORD UP: You’re typing away, then you realize you’re in Caps Lock mode. Ugh. In Microsoft Word, hit Shift + F3. You’ll shift between all caps, first letter capitalized and no caps. Bummer it doesn’t work in Google Docs.

Lock down your Venmo: Great reminder from the NYT (paywall link). Unless you change your settings, anyone with the Venmo app can see all your contacts. Go to Privacy settings > Friends list > Private. While you’re there, turn off “appear in other users’ friends’ lists.”

Binge mode: Before you start a book, show or movie, check the time commitment. For books, use How Long to Read. It has times for millions of books. For movies, try Bingeclock. Tiii.me has TV show times.

Unsung Windows keyboard shortcut heroes: We all know Ctrl + C to copy. Try these: Spacebar allows you to scroll down the page. Hit Shift + space to scroll up. Alt + Tab lets you quickly switch between program windows. Windows + L is a super-fast way to lock your computer.

Framed: Next time you hang a picture, grab your phone instead of finding a level. On iPhone, open the pre-installed Measure app. Tap Level, then hold your iPhone against an object. On Android, open the Google app and search for “bubble level.”

My Hawaii ohana: It’s truly heartbreaking to see pictures and videos of Maui. If you feel moved to donate, know scammers are waiting. Check this list of safe sites to use.

Alexa, please: Make your Echo work for you with these five clever uses. Spoiler: You can get an alert if glass breaks or there’s another suspicious sound.

Those weeds are out of control: Nextdoor is where people turn to complain about their neighbors. See if you can guess what the biggest gripes are.

Breaking up in 2023: It goes way beyond splitting up your stuff. Here’s how to untangle your digital lives.

Dearly beloved: AI can do it all, including writing your wedding vows or the right speech for any occasion.

Genius Gmail tricks: I wrote this for the Daily Mail. Go leave a nice comment if you have a minute!

I think a banana is more ap-peel-ing.

The answer: False. In fact, constantly closing apps and reopening them can use more battery than simply leaving them open in the background. Closing apps could help with performance if your phone is low on memory, but it doesn't improve your battery life. The more you know.

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🧚 Spread the love and share this email with a friend who wants to be as tech-smart as you. Use your custom referral link below so you get credit. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning with the latest tech news. If you’re not getting my free tech news newsletter, sign up now. — Kim