A super Saturday to you, my tech-loving friend! Trivia to start this party. We rely on GPS satellites to help us figure out exactly where we are. How many of them are orbiting Earth right now? Is it … A.) Four, B.) 15, C.) 24 or D.) 31? Answer at the end!

🤬 Your info, for sale everywhere: Between data brokers, advertisers, stalkers and scammers, everything from your address and Social Security number to what you buy at the grocery store is floating around the web for anyone willing to pay. I used Incogni to remove it all for me. You really need to do the same. More below. — Kim

I know you’ve seen it all over the news. Elon Musk took to the stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank to spotlight what he says is the future of transportation … and to show off his army of cowboy-hat-wearing robots. Will any of this make it to production and into our homes? Well, I’ll get to that.

First up, the Cybercab

It’s Tesla’s version of a self-driving robo-taxi (skip to 54:00), with no steering wheel and no pedals. Musk says it’s 10 times safer than human drivers thanks to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.

In 2023, a Tesla Model Y in FDS mode hit a student stepping off a school bus. In April, a Model S using it hit and killed a 28-year-old motorcyclist.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation published in April found 542 crashes, including 14 with fatalities, occurred in Tesla vehicles with Autopilot or FSD engaged between January 2018 and August 2023.

The expected price for the Cybercab? Under $30,000. Tesla’s goal is to get these robo-taxis on the streets in California and Texas next year. In 2026, the rollout would happen all across the country. Given how long it took Waymo and Cruise to get approval for their autonomous taxis, I’m not holding my breath.

Then, there’s the Robovan

It’s an autonomous EV that fits up to 20 passengers … or all the Ikea boxes you can Tetris in. The Robovan took a lap (skip to 1:10:00) around the test course. It looks neat (and sort of like a huge toaster), but no price was mentioned.

The operating cost for the Robovan is 5 to 10 cents per mile per passenger, which is a lot cheaper than a city bus. If Elon can pull it off, this would be great, and, as he said, we can turn parking lots into parks.

The main attraction: Optimus

Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, is designed to help around the house, act as a caregiver and keep you company. They’re 5 feet, 8 inches tall; they weigh 125 pounds; and they look a lot like the bots in Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot.” One came out to pick up a few objects and shuffle around the stage to demonstrate its range of movement.

Another Optimus model danced around in a cowboy hat (skip to 1:30:00) and passed out cocktails. Giddyap. Here’s a bunch of Optimus bots dancing (skip to 1:16:00) to “Baby Don’t Hurt Me,” because … why not?

So, how much will your very own butler bot set you back? Between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk says AI’s capabilities are increasing by a factor of 10 every six to nine months, which means the Optimus robot should improve every day. But will you trust one in your home? Your call. I really, really, really want one!

Investors were underwhelmed

Tesla’s shares dropped 8% after the reveal. To put that into perspective, we’re talking $60 billion in value, gone. Why? Nothing Elon showed off is ready yet. Tesla also doesn’t have a stellar history of hitting its projected timelines or ensuring product quality.

In 2016, Musk said safe autonomous cars would be ready for prime time in 2018. It’s now 2024 and the tech isn’t there yet. In 2019, he said his operational robo-taxis would be zooming around a year later. Heck, even this event-slash-press conference was supposed to happen in August and got delayed.

Big dreams, sure, but what about reality?

The biggest obstacle is Tesla’s “black box” technology. The AI that runs cars is so locked down that a Tesla engineer says it’s “nearly impossible” to “see what went wrong when it misbehaves and causes an accident.” That is frightening to me.

Cybercabs by 2025? We’ll see. Robovans on every street? Someday. Optimus cooking dinner? I’ll believe it when my robot chef brings me breakfast in bed.

During election season, you become an even bigger target for scammers and nosey advertisers. When you register to vote, you hand over info like your:

• Name and home address
• Political party affiliation
• Preferred polling station

Some states ask for even more, and the FBI warns U.S. voter information is easy to find and buy through publicly available websites. It’s not just campaign workers. Anyone can find this and lots more about you online. Now that you know that, do something about it.

I use Incogni to wipe my data from the web. They work to get your info off hundreds of data brokers and people-search sites. Doing it yourself is nearly impossible. Trust me, I tried. You can add up to three addresses, email addresses and phone numbers, too, so they capture all your records.

🚨 Celebrity shakedown: Taylor Swift, Johnny Depp and Kylie Jenner are among the top 10 celebs fraudsters deepfake to push phony giveaways, endorsements and crypto investments. Their scams are getting harder to spot, as the deepfaked versions look and sound a lot like the real stars. Always check a celebrity’s official social pages before you buy anything they’re pitching.

“Are ya open?” You won’t be saying that at a new Sam's Club in Dallas. They’re ditching checkout lanes entirely. You’ll use the Scan & Go app to ring up products and pay right through your phone. If it works in Dallas, Sam's Club will roll back prices across the country.

Control freak: The U.S. military is using video game-style controllers to operate some of its most advanced systems, including anti-ship missiles, laser weapons and unmanned vehicles. It turns out many young soldiers are pros at using them after growing up playing on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Plus, tactile feedback beats touchscreens, delivering better precision in high-stakes situations. Smart!

Toss porch pirates overboard: Nationwide, thieves are nabbing expensive new iPhones just seconds after they’re dropped off. AT&T sends theirs via FedEx and usually doesn’t require a signature for deliveries, so they’re the biggest target. If you’re ordering an iPhone, pick it up in-store or get a lockable porch box and video doorbell.

💸 Bots mark the spot: Starting Nov. 8, X will stop paying accounts for showing ads. Now, you’ll only make money based on how much engagement — replies and retweets — your posts get from Premium (aka paying) subscribers. The bots are going to be busy!

💰 Make money on Facebook: Meta has paid out over $2 billion to Facebook content creators in the past year alone for videos, Reels, photos and text posts. To see if you’re eligible, from your Facebook for Creators page, tap Menu > Professional dashboard > Monetization. Coming soon: Facebook Content Monetization Beta, which puts your in-stream ads, ads on Reels and performance bonuses all in one spot. Right now, it’s invite-only, but you can ask to join.

Bird nerds: Bird-watching apps are making it easier than ever to track, identify and record sky dwellers. One of the most popular, Merlin Bird ID (iOS and Android), uses AI to identify birds by their calls. Just be careful what you post. One woman spotted a rare bird, and over 700 people showed up outside her house to see it (paywall link). Yikes!

• No more scrapes and pokes when you pick up leaves with big scoops meant for the job (around $15).
• This is for anyone with a dog who likes to dig: An easy paw cleaner for around $8 with a brush and towels. Click the coupon box for an extra 10% off.
• A smart tool to clean the gutters the easy way (30% off) — way cheaper than paying someone to do it.
• OK, I love this: WD-40 in a little pen (13% off) so you can get to squeaky hinges and small spots more easily.
• Slap these pads on your ceiling fan, and they’ll grab dirt and crud right out of the air.

Cool new Google search trick: Open your camera, point it at something (like a tree), ask a question (e.g., “What fruit is this?”) and Google Lens will find the answer. To use it, opt into AI Overviews here. Yeah, they’re desperate to keep up with OpenAI.

⚠️ “Evil twin” attacks: That’s when scammers set up a public Wi‑Fi network where folks are already logging on, like an airport or coffee shop. The goal is to get you to connect so they can intercept everything you type — social media logins, credit card numbers and personal data. Always ask staff for the exact Wi‑Fi network, and use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic. My pick is ExpressVPN.*

Keep your battery level over 0%: Letting your phone die does more than leave you without a way to play Wordle. It can also degrade your battery over time. Keep a portable charger on hand and power up before you hit 0%.

📼 Be kind, but no need to rewind: If you’re tired of your old VHS tapes gathering dust (and your kids asking what they are), you’ve got options. Digitize the tapes with a dedicated converter or bring them to your local Walmart, Costco or Walgreens to get it done for around $20 a tape.

“What’d you say?” If those words ever come out of your mouth, check out the A+ BBB-rated hearing aids that are just like earbuds. Russell wrote to me, “I hear like a kid again and I forget these hearing aids are even in my ears!” See if you qualify for a 45-day risk-free trial now.* You’ll be glad you did.

Oooohhh, ahhhhh! Seriously, I saw some beautiful pics!

The answer: D.) 31. The GPS satellites are positioned along six different orbital planes approximately 12,550 miles above the earth. Each orbits our planet twice a day. While only four satellites are needed to calculate a precise location, at least 24 are required to cover the planet. The extra seven are backups.

🤣 Don’t use GPS to get to a cemetery. It’s just too unsettling to hear, "You have reached your destination."

🙇 Three minutes to get your privacy back: That’s how long it took me to set up an Incogni account. For months, they’ve worked in the background to get my info off scummy data-broker and people-search sites. Try it yourself with my 60% off link, exclusive for my readers. You’ll be so glad you did.

See you right back here tomorrow with another edition of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim