Here’s to a wonderful Sunday! Let’s get started with tech trivia. What happened on this day, Aug. 6, in 1991? Was it the launch of … Windows 3.1, the first website, a Pentium processor or JavaScript? You’ll find the answer at the end, friends!

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

Amazon hit record sales in July during its Prime Day sale — $12.7 billion. Incredible to think it all started selling books online out of a garage. I really think Prime Day should be on July 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29 or 31. 

Anyway, we all want to save a buck, but watch out — you could get into mistake territory and cost yourself even more money.

The problem: You forget to cancel before a free trial ends

Streaming services are hiking prices this year, and it’s too much to ignore.

The fix: When you sign up, put a reminder in your phone or calendar app a week or so before the trial expires. Schedule a backup reminder, too, for the day before the trial ends.

The problem: You skimp where you shouldn’t

Cheap charging cords can be dangerous. One girl woke up to her bed in flames after her charger caught fire. This weekend on my national radio show, I talked to a fire chief in NYC about just how bad the battery fires have gotten year after year.

The fix: If you're shopping for a phone charger or replacement cable, get an official or certified cord. The same goes for bargain e-bikes and other tech that can do real damage if the lithium-ion battery goes up in flames.

The problem: You fall for the marketing

There's always something newer, better, smaller, larger, more powerful and faster to buy. Usually, it's just hype. Sorry, I don't think foldable phones are ready for prime time yet. And the new iPhone? Eh, most people probably don't need it.

The fix: If whatever tech you're considering upgrading works fine, don't get caught up in the vicious cycle.

The problem: You’re buying used from who-knows-who

Secondhand devices sold by individuals on sites like eBay, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace may be cheaper for a good reason. You're relying on the seller's opinion of the device's condition.

The fix: Go with used gear from a source that backs up their products, like Amazon or Best Buy. You need assurance they'll refund your money if something doesn't work.

🧬 Speaking of saving money … If you find $60 to $80 too expensive for a DNA kit, I have a cheap (read: free) alternative. Announce on social media you won the lottery, and you'll quickly find relatives you never knew you had!

💰 Shiny Apple: Apple’s big business isn’t the latest groundbreaking device anymore — it’s services to go with the hardware. It just passed the 1 billion mark for paid subscribers to services like Apple Music, Arcade, TV+, iCloud and News. In 1996, Apple reported a $1 billion loss. Oh, how times have changed.

AI’s nasty side coming out: Carnegie Mellon researchers found adding just a string of text with a query can make AI forget all its built-in good guy rules. We’re talking ChatGPT, Bard and the others giving steps for making drugs, hiding a body and more un-citizen-like behavior. There’s no fix yet.

Driving in style: Cadillac’s Celestiq electric sedan is fast, customizable and pretty darn slick. Oh, and it costs $340,000 before any add-ons. Consider it the Rolls-Royce of EVs … until they make one, too. Tech fun fact: Many parts are 3D printed for cheaper, easier customization.

An answer for revenge p*rn: Google’s upgraded tools let you control and remove personal data from search results. You can also request to take down any image snapped without your consent. I’ll bet you $20 they’re pushing people to clean up their search results before feeding it all to their AI tools. Lawsuits, anyone? Enable personal info alerts here.

🌊 Secret life of internet cables: How can you send that email to your coworker in London in a split second? Through the deep blue sea, of course. More than 500 undersea cables carry over 99% of international data traffic. The fastest one: Amitié. It can carry 400 terabytes of data per second — about 409,600,000 eBooks. If you have 10 minutes or so, this long read is interesting.

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. Hear my convos with these folks and more. With 425 radio stations nationwide playing my show, I’ll bet it airs where you live.

• Chief John Hodgens is the highest-ranking guy in the New York City Fire Department, and he explains how and why electric bike fires have caused so many deaths and destruction in NYC.
• Glenn from Atlanta, Georgia, just bought a Vizio smart TV and isn’t loving all the data he has to agree to sign away to use it. Should he return the TV?
• Kenneth from Carmel, Maine, bought a health tracker he saw an ad for on Facebook. Good idea or mistake?

Plus, Thomas ended up on the phone with an airline scammer, Renee needs tech her older parents can use, Cindy was plagued by random Amazon packages and Marvin wants to promote a video he made with his sons.

✅ You have three ways to catch my show:

1. Find me on your local radio station.
2. Listen now in the Komando Community. No commercials!
3. If you don’t mind waiting for shows to appear, get the podcast: Kim Komando Today.

🤗 Need my help? Let’s talk. Leave me a note here.

It’s not enough to have strong passwords and watch what you click. Malware is harder than ever to spot. Antivirus software isn’t optional. You need it.

My pick is TotalAV. It’s simple to install and use, and they’ve received the VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row.

Best part: You get an entire year of protection on five devices for just $19!

😫 Email overload: Don’t want your phone to jiggle for every single email? Set priority contacts so you only see the ones you care about. On your iPhone, iPad or Android: Open Gmail > Menu > Settings > Select your account > Email notifications > High priority only.

Brain break: Improve your typing with this fun browser game. (Sound on for fun explosion noises.) Pro tip: Don’t click all those “Start” buttons on the side. Those are ads. The game starts on its own!

Upgrade your Echo: Alexa can do much more than tell you the weather or time. Routines take your smart home to the next level. “Alexa, good morning” can turn on the lights, switch on the coffee maker, start your good-mood playlist — or whatever else you want. Here’s a guide to get you started.

Get specific: When you search Google for a specific phrase, put it in quotations. Otherwise, any combo of the words you use is fair game and will muck up the results.

🆓 Free magazines: With an Amazon Prime account, you get access to a rotating library of popular magazines free for 30 days. Check them out here. Titles include Wired, Popular Science, Reader’s Digest and Taste of Home. Score.

Win an iPad: Your special referral link is at the bottom of this newsletter. Copy that link and share it with family and friends. You'll earn points for great prizes when they sign up. Thank you for your help in growing my newsletters!

👀 I always feel like somebody’s watchin’ me: Sniff out snoops looking at your emails and texts. Steps here!

Vehicle safety warning: Drive a Ford, Mazda or GM? Check to see if it’s been recalled.

It wasn’t me: It’s pretty shocking how easily someone can pretend to be you, rack up medical bills and disappear. Be on the lookout for red flags.

🟥 Bet it all on red: YouTubers are making bank by showcasing the trials and tribulations of gambling — despite losing a ton of money in the process.

Talk to the hand phone: If you’re not talking to your phone, you’re missing out. I use these commands all the time.

Isn’t that amazing?! You can learn more about him here.

The answer: First website. On Aug. 6, 1991, Tim Berners-Lee published a summary of the World Wide Web project. Yes, when Tim announced it to his friends, they thought he was one crazy spider.

👩‍🍳 On my weekend cooking list: I use my air fryer all the time. I’m thinking, tonight for dinner, salmon with a mustard glaze and an arugula salad. Arugula has a peppery punch I like a lot, especially with poached eggs, avocado and lemon. If you haven’t jumped on the air fryer craze, here’s the one I have on Amazon that’s 50% off now.

Enjoy your day and smile right now because I appreciate you being here with me and the best tech newsletter in the universe. See you Monday bright and early! — Kim