It’s a wonderful Wednesday, friends! So glad you’re here with me today. Let’s start your tech infusion with trivia and a trip back in time. What was the first item sold on the internet? Was it a … A.) Used table, B.) Record player, C.) Book or D.) Pizza? You’ll find the answer at the end.

Before you dive in, do your part to keep this free newsletter coming at you daily, and click this link to check out RYSE. They’re changing the smart shades game. Now, on to expanding your tech horizons without any AI. I curate this newsletter for you using my brain and time! — Kim

I wasn’t sure if the gift guides I put together would be a hit. Well, they sure have been, and thank you for your kind words. Now, many of you have asked me specifically for tech gifts.

I aim to please, so, in no particular order, here are my picks that are destined to be used time and time again. Give one, and your recipient will be impressed. Heck, buy yourself a gift this year. You deserve it!

• This smart reusable notebook stores notes in the cloud and its own app. No more lost sheets of paper!
• Teens love this portable photo printer.
• Here’s a clever phone charger that fits in a wallet. I have one and love it!
• This smart coffee or tea mug keeps your beverage warm until you finish it.
• This innovative phone holder follows you on video calls. I use mine all the time while chatting and cooking.
• For the person who loses things, AirTags are a must.
• Shopping for a photographer? Get them this.
• Shh, I got this gorgeous wireless charging tray for Barry and Ian.
• A smart water bottle will remind your loved one to hydrate.
• Any bookworm will totally use this gift.
• This indoor smart garden growing kit is perfect for wannabe green thumbs.
• This is the best digital photo frame to let everyone share pics and vids.
• Gift these rechargeable hand warmers, because we all hate cold hands.
• The Apple Watch Series 9 is just the best.
• A Fitbit tracker is ideal for Team Android users.
• Santa is bringing Ian this Bluetooth shower speaker that’s good for the outdoors, too.
• A great massage gun is always a hit.
• This heated massage seat cushion will help those aches and pains.
• Here’s an outdoor pizza oven that heats up to 900 degrees. (Not all tech, but I want this, Santa!)
• A pair of Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones makes a noisy world bearable.
• Forget Starbucks! This Nespresso Deluxe coffee and espresso machine is better.
• FluentPet teaches your dog to talk to you. (I got this for Barry!)
• This biometric personal or travel safe has GPS built right in.
• Here’s a really great rapid car charger with five USB ports.
• If your recipient uses a curling iron, get them this — and tell them you shopped for hours.
• I bought myself this leather desk mat. It’s so nice, and you no longer have to use a mouse pad.

🎁 If nothing strikes your fancy, we have gift guides on the site. Happy shopping!

Time’s almost up to invest in RYSE, the AI-powered smart-home tech that’s disrupting the entire smart shades industry.

Retail distribution has been the main driver behind the success and billion-dollar exits of the biggest smart home products, and RYSE is currently rolling out in 100+ Best Buy stores. Backed by prominent venture capitalists, including support from the Canadian version of “Shark Tank,” they’ve opened the doors to retail investors, but only for 2 more days.

Reports indicate that early investors in smart thermostat Nest earned a 20X return at their $3.2B acquisition. If you had the opportunity to invest before they launched into retail, would you?

💣 Ticking time bomb: Eric Schmidt, ex-CEO of Google, said AI will endanger human life in five to 10 years. Two years ago, experts thought this stage of AI advancement was at least 20 years away. Other experts say it's now two to four years away. This is no Hollywood movie, friends. This is real life.

Meta reel-y doesn't care: Instagram Reels are pushing s*xualized content of kids and adults to followers of young influencers (WSJ, paywall link). It's serious enough for big names like Match and Bumble to hit pause on their Meta ads. Meta's response? Yes, we know there’s a problem and we’re working on it. Come on.

Massive Honda recall: About 250,000 model-year 2016 to 2019 vehicles are being recalled because their engines may stall or stop while driving — or just not start at all. This includes the Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, and Acura TLX and MDX. Honda is sending out notices in January 2024, but I thought you should know before then.

The IRS changed its mind again: Sell stuff on eBay, use Venmo or get money through PayPal? The IRS is postponing a new tax change that requires everyone who receives more than $600 to fill out a special form. For one more year, you only need to report if you got over $20,000 in revenue online from more than 200 transactions.

Yule be sorry if you buy a kid in your family a board game for Christmas. A whopping 72% of U.S. kiddos are all about gaming fun. At the top of the list this year: Gaming subscriptions, consoles, fancy accessories and in-game cash. Just 22% are into physical games. Before you buy any gaming gear, make sure it’s for a game they play. There are tons!

🧬 It’s in your genes: A viral TikTok DNA test claims to guess your ethnicity only from your face. Want to try it? Put “DNA Test filter” in TikTok’s search bar. Give it a whirl, but it’s far from a real ancestry test if you genome what I’m saying.

Send your name to Jupiter: NASA's 2024 mission is taking a unique “message in a bottle” to Jupiter's moon, Europa. The cosmic greeting, etched on a microchip, carries a poem and names from Earth. Eager to see your name in the stars? You can submit it online by the end of the year. Do it now so you don’t have to planet.

If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos.

• Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up.

Note: Anything stored there isn’t backed up to the cloud. Wouldn’t be very private that way.

🍎 Have an iPhone? You can store secret pics in the Notes app. Open the pic in the Photos app, tap the share icon and select Add to New Quick Note. Go into the note you want to protect, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right corner, and then choose Lock.

Get more Notes tips and tricks here. It’s truly one of the iPhone’s best built-in apps.

Whether you have a few minutes to spare during your drive or you're just chilling at home, it's the perfect time to tune in to The Kim Komando Show podcast! I keep it real, breaking down the latest tech trends, cybersecurity tips and gadget reviews into snack-sized, easy-to-understand episodes.

👉 Get my podcasts today!

🖨️ Printer smarts: Turning off your printer can trigger maintenance tasks when you turn it back on, which sucks up expensive ink. Instead, let your printer go into energy-saving mode when it’s not in use.

Use a Windows PC? Create a folder with your favorite wallpapers or pics. Right-click on the desktop, choose Personalize and set the background to a slideshow with the folder you created.

Update your Roku: The new “What to Watch” options make it easier to browse and find things to binge. How? By using your viewing data, of course. Honestly, your TV is probably already tracking you anyway.

Next time you rent a car, look at the fuel gauge on the dashboard. See the small gas pump symbol? If the arrow points right, the tank is on the car’s right side. If the arrow points left, the tank is on the left side.

🍃 Psst, did you know you can take me on the go? Fire up The Kim Komando Show podcast on your next walk. I’d love to keep you company!

I’d say he’s pretty hip.

The answer: D.) Pizza. In 1994, you could order it online from Pizza Hut and have it delivered to your house. That was a big deal! Go ahead, use this fun fact to impress your fam and friends with your extreme intellect!

🍕 I burnt my Hawaiian pizza today. I really should have cooked it at aloha temperature. (Mahalo for laughing!)

Thanks for being here! Don’t forget to check out RYSE. Your support keeps this tech train coming free to you. Tell a friend about this daily email, and I’ll see your smiling face tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim