Hey there, tech friend! It's Trivia Tuesday, so let’s test your tech smarts. Before it was called Windows, what did Microsoft name its operating system? Was it … A.) Screen Handler, B.) Interface Manager, C.) Task Commander or D.) Visual Desktop? Stick around to find the answer at the end!

🔐 Say NO to surveillance capitalism! Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo scan your emails and sell your data to who-knows-who. With StartMail, you’ll enjoy a private, secure and encrypted email address. It's super easy to bring all your old emails to your new, secure account. If you need a hand, StartMail will help. My readers get an exclusive 60% off, plus a free trial. — Kim

🆕 Today's podcast: How to get your hacked Facebook back

⏱️ Daily Tech Update: The biggest theft in history

💡 Digital Life Hack: The secret phrase to find the best home deals online

In the past week, I’ve used AI to analyze a loved one’s health care records, create replies for a bunch of emails and map out two weeks in Europe. I used it to make a pic of me look better, too.

I know the wide world of AI tools is overwhelming, so I’m breaking it down today. Consider what’s below your primer on where to start if you’re brand new to the AI game or want to try out some new tools.

💸 FYI, almost all these tools offer at least some free access when you make an account. I never pay for an app or service until I try it out and make sure I truly like it.

Smarter search

Google slaps AI results at the top of its search pages now, but their AI stinks. Try these instead when you’re looking for info:

• ChatGPT: I use it as a brainstorming buddy. Type in what you need and it can help you generate ideas, break down tasks, clean up your writing, fix your spreadsheets — whatever.
• Perplexity: It’s built for research and learning, and it’s my go-to for questions like “How do black holes work?” or “Explain the Ninth Amendment.”
• Poe: Try dozens of AI models, each with its own “personality” and specialty. StableDiffusionXL is A+ for creating art, and Claude‑3‑Haiku is popular for creative writing. You can make your own bots, too. Heads-up: Full subscription access to Poe costs a lot — $200 a year.

Get stuff done

My favorite part about AI is all the time it saves. Another perk is correcting its occasionally wrong answers. 💁‍♀️ Always double-check the results if you’re using AI for something super important, OK?

• Google NotebookLM: I’m super impressed by this one. Upload audio, notes, documents or any other files, then you can search them, find citations (from your own docs) or even produce a snazzy podcast based on your files.
• Revamp your resume: For free options, check out NovoResume, Teal or Rezi. Try them all, then pick your favorite or do a little testing and apply to jobs with all three!
• Canva’s Magic Studio: Create graphics, presentations or your family Christmas card. Easy to use and there are a ton of templates that look great.

For a little fun

Feeling creative? I’m no artist and still have a lot of fun playing around with these.

• Riffusion: This app lets you upload a picture and get a whole song about it. Here’s mine about an owl hanging out by my pool. Get it here for Apple and Android.
• Sonoteller.ai: Type in an artist and song (or drop in a YouTube link) for a full analysis of the lyrics and music. Today, I learned “Uptown Girl” is in E major.
• Make a video about anything: Synthesia.io and Hypernatural.ai both offer a few free videos to try out their services.

Small-business superstars

Time and money = Saved. You can thank me later.

• Picsart’s AI Writer: Generates ad copy ideas designed to get you more customers and revenue.
• Napkin.ai: Ditch your outdated PowerPoint templates and make an animated slide deck that won’t bore everyone to sleep.
• ManyChat: Get a chatbot running on your site, no coding required. Use it for FAQs, customer service or whatever you want.

“But Kim! What about …?” Friend, there are endless AI tools, and there’s no way I can list ‘em all here. If there’s a specific tool you’re searching for, drop me a note and I’ll help you out.

🤣 What does an AI do after a breakup? Machine yearning. (Oof, I groaned, too.)

🥳 Life feeling a little too serious lately? I’ve got the fix (or five!) for that.

• A teeny-tiny version of the word game Bananagrams that’ll fit in your bag or pocket (5% off, $9.48).
• A $5 bowl that pops onto a Stanley water bottle to hold all your snacks. So funny — and up to 55% off.
• Wool dryer balls with the cutest faces. Thinking the little pandas might get me to fold the laundry (6-pack for $32).
• Fruit-shaped chenille hand towels to perk up your guest bathroom (up to 25% off; under $10).
• Wrap up like a burrito. Really, this blanket looks like a huge tortilla (under $20; makes a great gift).

🇨🇳 Communist China tapping phones: The FBI and CISA confirmed Chinese hackers have breached multiple U.S. telecom providers to tap specific Americans’ phone calls. Details are slim, but I’m sure it’s why Verizon, AT&T and others were down. PSA: If you’re running for office, use a burner phone.

Think twice before snapping a ballot selfie: It might be illegal. Just ask Justin Timberlake, who posted a voting pic on Instagram in 2016, then deleted it after people in the comments schooled him on Tennessee law. Check your state here. Better yet, take a photo with your “I voted!” sticker instead.

🍏 I told ya this would happen: Apple’s snazzy new iMac comes in seven colors (I love the pink!), and it’s powered by the M4 chip. The base model’s RAM is doubled to 16GB, plus it’s got a 12MP webcam and USB‑C charging ports. For $200 extra, add nano-texture glass to the screen to reduce reflections. Preorders start at $1,299 and ship by Nov. 8. Psst, last year’s models are on sale.

Project Jarvis: That’s the name of Google’s new AI assistant for Chrome that’ll handle tasks like booking flights or checking out online for you. Before you use it, it looks like Microsoft’s Recall AI, taking screenshots and monitoring your screen nonstop. Yup, all you do while using Chrome is going straight to Google.

Snow White loves taking photos; someday, her prints will come: Disney is replacing its expensive focus groups with AI. Imagine facial analysis tech that watches your face when you exit a ride or see a character — every smile, smirk or exhale. Spoiler: Everyone paying to get in isn’t exactly happy about it.

⛽ New pain at the pump: When you swipe a credit card at a gas station, it usually checks for a $1 balance, lets you fill up, then charges the full amount. Thieves have caught on. They can use practically any stolen card to rack up hundreds of dollars in free gas. To not get taken, use Apple Pay, Google Pay or the gas station’s app.

Burned by the bot: Redditors are fuming at loved ones turning to ChatGPT mid-argument. One 25-year-old says his girlfriend consults the bot and returns with a perfectly structured argument, dissecting his every word. When he opens up about his feelings, ChatGPT calls him “insecure” and says he lacks the “emotional bandwidth” for the conversation.

✈️ Get back in line: American Airlines is considering new boarding tech that sounds a really loud beep when you try to cut the line and board without your group. It’s being tested now in Albuquerque, Tucson and Washington, D.C. I’ll spare you a plane joke (it won’t take off), but if you need a laugh, watch George Carlin talk about the boarding process. So funny.

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Remember when: Here’s a fun idea for categorizing family pics on your computer. Say you have two little ones. Create a folder for each kid. Within those, organize by the year, their age or their grade. Now you can see Billy in third grade or Lucy at age 2 in two clicks. Pro tip: Adobe Bridge is a solid, free option for sorting pics on your computer. I still miss Picasa.

New to Google Calendar: Dark mode. Click the Settings cog > Appearance and choose from Light, Dark or Device default. If you don’t see it yet, be patient; the update is rolling out.

🎄 You look marvelous: The holidays are right around the corner, so why not show up with a fresh, stylish look that’s easy, comfy and picture-perfect? I’m super picky about clothes — for myself and for Barry. We both love basics that look sharp dressed up or down. Quince hits every mark with their washable silk tops and $50 cashmere. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/kim.*

Swiping to find love? There are tricks to avoid revealing too much to strangers on dating apps. 1.) Don’t use the same pic on dating sites that you do on professional sites, like LinkedIn. 2.) Don’t add your employer’s name or your social media links. 3.) Turn off geotargeting that reveals your exact location. More tips for daters here!

📺 Sit in the right place: The ideal distance to sit from your TV primarily depends on its resolution.

• Standard definition (SD): Sit 4 to 6 times the screen's vertical height away from the TV. In other words, if your TV's height is 18 inches, you'll want to sit about 9 feet away.
• High definition (HD or 1080p): Sit 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal length away.
• Ultra-high definition (UHD or 4K): Sit 1 to 1.5 times the screen's diagonal length away.

So, if you have a 55-inch 4K TV, you'd want to sit about 55 to 82.5 inches (4.6 to 6.9 feet) away for the sharpest image and best experience. Adjust to your comfort and room size, but keep this ratio in mind!

The answer will be in tomorrow’s newsletter! Hint: Remember PEMDAS?

The answer: B.) Interface Manager. Boring! The name “Windows” came later, and it made sense — with the new OS, you could have multiple windows showing for different tasks on screen.

🤣 Why does my Windows laptop say "Hello" when I’m logging in? Because it’s a Dell.

🛑 Stop letting Big Tech decide what you see. StartMail is my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 60% now with my special link. Btw, I get no residuals if you buy.

Thanks for letting me in your inbox. See you right back here tomorrow for more tech smarts and the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim