Happy Friday, valentine! And happy 20th birthday to YouTube. Today, it is the second most visited site in the world (right behind its owner, Google). Some wild stats: Over 2 billion people log in every month, over 500 hours of video are uploaded every single minute, and we collectively watch over a billion hours a day. Wow! I love how all these young YouTubers are getting into classic rock. They’re always saying, “Don’t forget to like Cher and subscribe.” (Look at you smile!)

Now, in the spirit of love, show me some and subscribe to my YouTube channel. 😘 With that little bit of shameless self-promotion out of the way, let’s get to it! It’s another big day in tech. — Kim

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples. It’s the perfect excuse to spread a little love in the simplest ways. A quick heart emoji, a sweet message to a friend or even just a kind word can make someone’s day. And if you’re flying solo? Treat yourself to something special and enjoy a little you time.

Speaking of things I love, here are some tech tools I use every day to make life easier, safer and more fun.

💙 Find My: It’s how I know where my phone is, find my headphones and know my son Ian landed safely after a flight without having to text him to check. (Mom win!)

💜 Family group chat: It’s me, my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles sharing jokes, stories and hellos. My sweet cousin Arlene sends a daily prayer. It’s a small reminder that connection matters.

💚 AllTrails: A little time outside makes me feel like me again. I use this app to find the best hiking, biking and walking trails (iPhone, Android). Sort by distance, views and dog-friendliness.

💖 Apple Pay: On an Android, it’s Google Pay. I don’t like carrying a purse, so it makes life so much easier! And, yes, I stick some cash in my phone case just in case someplace doesn’t allow tap to pay.

❤️ Home security cameras: I use an app called Virtual Keypad (iPhone, Android) to control the alarms at my house in Phoenix, my studios and my home in Santa Barbara. My favorites are the notifications from the gate cam in SB. The random 4 a.m. buzzes are always bobcats walking by.

💖 AirTags: No joke, I own probably 20. The tiny trackers (29% off) are in all my cars, my bags and basically everything Barry owns. For Android, Chipolo and Tile (40% off) work, too.

💜 Wireless earbuds: I love noise cancellation. Now, Barry doesn’t like them so much since he’ll talk to me for five minutes before he realizes I can’t hear him.

💚 Siri: Google Assistant for my Android pals. I use Siri every day to text for me. I just taught Barry this one: “Hey, Siri, open [whatever app you want] for me.” No more searching apps. Oh, and “Siri, turn on my flashlight” is a good one, too! Yes, you can also turn it off this way.

💛 CarPlay: It’s amazing. Directions, traffic alerts, music and podcasts, calls, and messages, all in one spot. Remember (gasp) the days of MapQuest?

🩷 Robo-vacs: I resisted for so long and now I’ll never go back. The mop version is a game-changer in my house. It’s connected to Alexa so I can say, “Alexa, wash the floors.” Whoa, this one is 45% off.

💚 Photo memories: Google and Apple Photos do a dang good job compiling old pictures to scroll through. Pro tip: If you name a person or pet, your memories are even better. Steps here on my site.

Pranks are my love language

One of the best reasons to own an Amazon Echo is Alexa Blueprints. You can set up a custom question and answer. I did one on Mother’s Day one year to remind Ian who the best mom in the entire world is. I also set up a snarky weather reminder for my sweet husband, who refuses to look out the windows.

• Hit this link, select Custom Q&A, and follow the steps onscreen to add in a question and whatever answer you want Alexa to give. Have fun!

🤔 This Valentine's Day, I'm sending telepathic gifts. It's the thought that really counts.

Time to give kitchen chaos the chop.

• A fridge deodorizer (11% off) that lasts for 10 years? Yes, please.
• Your sponge and dishbrush deserve better. Grab a sink caddy (20% off) that keeps them dry.
• Is food prep eating up your free time? A vegetable chopper (22% off) is basically a sous chef.
• A warming mat (55% off) keeps dinner toasty when your kids show up to the table fashionably late.
• A food scale (39% off) is smart to have around if you’re trying to eat more protein or if you love to bake.

🏋️ Let’s get physical: It’s stuck in my head now, too. While you hum along, check out more good-for-you gear.

It’s everywhere: Hackers uploaded a free survival game to Steam. PirateFi was live for a week on the super-popular gaming site, spreading malware. Today’s cybercriminals have too many tricks up their sleeves. You need real-time protection that’s smarter than they are. My pick, TotalAV, is $19 for the first year and works with Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones and Androids.

💸 Imagine winning the lotto: I bet you have. A Hillsboro, Missouri, couple thought the magical moment was real when someone told them they’d won $17 million. All they had to do was pay taxes upfront. They mailed over $800,000 in cash and gift cards to random addresses until their daughter figured out what was going on. They’re not getting that money back.

Operation Level Up: The FBI is calling people who fell for crypto scams to stop them from losing even more money. So far, of 4,300 folks across all 50 states, 76% had no clue they were being scammed. If you get a call, the real agency won’t ask you for money or tell you to move yours. They also won’t request your personal info or try to move your chat to an encrypted app.

What the big print giveth, the small print taketh away: Paramount and YouTube TV couldn’t agree on a renewal contract, so you’ll lose 23 channels today. If you really need CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central or one of the others, try Tubi for a free trial. Just remember to set a reminder to cancel! If tug-of-war drags on for “an extended period of time,” YouTube will give subs an $8 credit. Gee, thanks. Speaking of, ditch the subscriptions you don’t use. I did, and I used the app that makes it easy: Rocket Money.* They find everything and cancel whatever you no longer want.

🚨 Two recalls to know about: First, over a million Igloo 90-qt. Flip & Tow rolling coolers, which have been slicing off fingers. They were sold from January 2019 until last month. Full list here. If you’re affected, you can get a free replacement. Next up, a canned tuna recall for Genova, Van Camp’s, H‑E‑B and Trader Joe’s brands that could cause fatal food poisoning. Return ‘em for a full refund.

Don't buy any Amazon tech now: They’re showing off new gadgets on Feb. 26. Rumor has it we’ll meet the next-gen Alexa that can handle “complex requests,” along with new Echo speakers and earbuds, too. Probably no Kindles since new models dropped in October.

Is AI making us dumber? Maybe. A Microsoft study found AI tools hurt our critical thinking skills. Some people are so dependent on AI responses, they stop questioning things. When faced with a real challenge (and no AI), they have a hard time analyzing and solving problems. I use AI as a starting place, not a common-sense replacement.

🐋 Modern-day Jonah: I thought this was totally fake, but it’s not. A dad watched a giant whale swallow his son and caught the whole thing on video. Phew, the kid survived! The whale spat the son and his kayak out after a few seconds. The video is terrifying. One moment, he’s paddling, and the next, he’s completely gone.

Life is full of surprises. We can’t predict what’s around the corner, but we can take steps to prepare. I’m resting a little easier knowing I’ve taken care of one big thing: A term life insurance policy to help protect my family’s financial future in case anything unexpected should happen to me. You should consider one, too.

Fabric by Gerber Life makes it easy to get term life insurance in minutes. Plus, you could be covered instantly, possibly with no health exam required. It’s affordable and may help give you some peace of mind knowing your family has some financial protection if the unexpected happens.

There’s no risk, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can cancel at any time. Plus Fabric has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, so you’re working with a company you can trust.

Because half an inch is way different than 5 inches: New to the Weather Channel app, "probabilistic snowfall,” aka how much snow is expected to fall. It’s only included for the $30-a-year pro membership. Nah, get the same thing here for free on the government weather site.

❌ Marks the spot: When you don’t have a gaming buddy, challenge ChatGPT (or any bot). Start simple with, “Let’s play Tic-Tac-Toe. I’ll be X and you’ll be O. You can make the first move.” Let me know who wins the most rounds!

Share apps on your iPhone and iPad: Yay, finally! Apple made it so you can move all your apps, songs and movies to one account. Make sure you’re logged into your main iCloud account. Now, under your secondary ID, go to Settings > [your name] > Media & Purchases > View Account. Tap Migrate Purchases and follow the steps on your screen. Once you see Purchases Have Been Migrated, sign in with your main account. Btw, don’t buy an iPad right now. See the image below. 👀

Security system flaw: Most systems alert you after a break-in occurs. SimpliSafe uses Live Guard monitoring to detect intruders before they enter your home. So smart. Use my link to save 50% on a new system right now.*

🔒 Small-biz security 101: The principle of least privilege could save you big headaches down the road. The idea is you only give employees access to the data and systems they absolutely need to do their jobs. The fewer people with admin rights, the better.

I don’t need a snowblower: At least, not in Phoenix. Seeing ads for crap you’re not into is annoying. On Facebook, filter your advertising topics by going to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Center > Ad Preferences > Customize ads. Easy.

Wait on new Apple gear. We’ll get the details on the new iPhone SE, AirTags, MacBook Air and maybe even a new iPad next week.

🍿 Netflix’s secret menu: Instead of mindlessly scrolling, you can see super-specific genres by typing in a special code. Want a romantic flick for Valentine’s Day? That’s code 8883. For family movie night, it’s code 783. Check out Netflix-Codes.com for over 200, depending on what you’re in the mood for.

Netflix: Wanna watch a 10-hour movie?

Me: No way!

Netflix: How about I break up the movie into 10 hour-long episodes that you might watch all in one sitting?

Me: I’m in!

That’s all, folks. Appreciate you being here, reading the best newsletter in the USA. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow! Until then, look in the mirror and say, “I’m tech-ahead and darn good-lookin’, too.” — Kim