Howdy Monday, tech friend! Do you know what you spend every year on your phone, TV and internet bills? If not, put on your guessing hat. How much does the average American spend annually on all three services combined? Is it … A.) $1,500, B.) $2,500, C.) $3,000 or D.) $4,000? You’ll find the answer at the end!

✅ If you want to start your week off with a bang, today’s episode of my “Kim Komando Today” podcast is one for the books. I’m chatting with the real guy Leo DiCaprio played in the 2002 flick “Catch Me If You Can” — con man turned security consultant, Frank Abagnale. You won’t want to miss it on YouTube live at 11:30 a.m. Pacific today. But if you can’t tune in live, catch it later on demand. You know I’m always Komando on demand‑o for you! — Kim

I have an Apple AirTag (14% off, $24.99) on basically everything my husband, Barry, owns. My golden retriever, Abby, even has one attached to her collar! Thank you, Apple.

While you and I might use those quarter-sized AirTags to track our stuff, others are using them to stalk people and keep tabs on their marks. They’ll hide them in your purse or in your car to follow you home and steal your vehicle later — or worse.

Now, three long years after AirTags hit the scene, Apple and Google are finally working together to make it easy to see if someone is stalking you with any Bluetooth tracker. And when the two of the biggest rivals in tech team up, you know there’s a serious problem.

How did they fix it?

With the latest update, Apple and Google have made it so Bluetooth trackers will show tracking alerts on devices running at least iOS 17.5 or Android 6.0.

If someone’s stalking you with a tracker, here’s what you’ll see:

• On iOS: You’ll get an alert that says “[Item] found moving with you.” Tap it to open Find My and see where the tracker is on a map. Tap Play sound to find it.
• On Android: You’ll see a “Tracker traveling with you” alert. Tap More Info > Play Sound to find the tracker.

Found an unfamiliar tracker?

Before you disable it, take these steps:

• First, screenshot any identifying information. AirTag trackers include a serial number and the last four digits of the phone number connected with its registration. This info could be crucial if you need to file a police report.
• If it’s an AirTag, physically disable it. Unless you disable the AirTag, its owner will know where it is — and where you are. It doesn’t matter what you turn off on your device. To manually disable an AirTag, push down on the back of it, turn counterclockwise and remove its battery.
• Bring it to law enforcement. When you reset or disable some trackers back to factory settings, it can wipe any links back to the owner, which could get your stalker off the hook. Bring the device to the police instead.

PSA: Physically disabling a tracker will stop the person who owns it from getting updates, but they’ll still see where it was last enabled.

The good and bad news

Beyond Apple AirTags, other Bluetooth tag manufacturers, like Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola and Pebblebee, will also show tracking alerts on iOS or Android devices.

But older tracking devices can still fly under the radar and track you without an alert. I have a feeling this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about this …

If you’re being stalked, you’re not alone. I get calls from folks all the time dealing with this nightmare. I just wrote about how to handle cyberstalkers last week.

❤️ Find more resources for tech safety and privacy specifically for stalking victims and domestic violence survivors at the Safety Net Project. And keep reading and sharing my newsletter to stay on top of how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Jump on these limited-time discounts before they’re gone! These are grillin’, sizzlin’ steals.

Oil sprayer bottle – $7.39 (57% off now): This high-quality glass bottle sprays and pours oil, so it’s great for dressings, griddles and grilling, roasting, and baking. No more buying expensive Pam! This is refillable and reusable. Nice.

Instant thermometer – $14.99 (40% off now): This thermometer is easy to read, with a large 3-inch dial and backlighting with a three-second response time. You can use it with meats, grilling, baking, liquids, deep frying and candy making.

Kitchen dishcloths – $9.99 (23% off now): This six-pack of super-absorbent waffle-weave dish towels is a steal! Don’t forget to check the coupon box for an additional 40% off. I sure did!

All-purpose KitchenAid scissors – $8.09 (33% off now): Every kitchen (and household!) needs a great pair of safe, stainless-steel scissors. These are dishwasher-safe, too.

10-in-1 food and vegetable dicer and slicer – $29.99 (40% off now): This eight-blade vegetable chopper, onion mincer, cutter, dicer, egg slicer — you name it — is a kitchen must‑have.

More than you bargained for: Robberies are booming on Facebook Marketplace. Thieves bait you with hot items like cars and sneakers, then they jump you when you show up to buy. Step one is checking a seller’s profile to make sure it wasn’t created yesterday. Then, meet in a public place (police stations are best) and always bring a buddy.

🤰🏻 Born to swim: Couples are turning to Facebook groups to find cheap sperm donors, but the real cost may come in court. In states without clear laws, including Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, if a mom needs public assistance, the donor could be liable for child support — or even declared the lawful father.

I’m a clover, not a fighter: A thrifty shopper found a $655 gaming graphics card in mint condition for just $8 at Goodwill. But don't expect the same deal anytime soon; Goodwill usually flags high-ticket items to sell on their website instead. I’m stopping by the next Goodwill I see!

Don't buy a new iPhone: Apple’s offering higher trade-in credit for old iPhones until June 3. The deal’s for in-store purchases towards any iPhone 15 model. Sounds fab, right? Nope. They’re just trying to clear out their stock. iOS 18 is coming soon, and the iPhone 16 will be out in September. Good thing you have me around.

🏠 Pro moving tip: Never pack the bottle opener … You can now buy a tiny home on Amazon that comes complete with doors, windows and even bathroom fixtures. What a time to be alive. Here’s one for $26,000!

Fake business grants are on the rise: Red flags: You got it without applying, they contacted you on social media, and/or you’ve never heard of the “federal agency” behind the grant. They may also ask for upfront payments, say the funds can be used for “anything,” and then ask for personal info you already sent in your application. Watch out.

Mind your AI manners: Saying “please” and “thank you” will get you more detailed and elaborate AI chatbot responses. Why? AI is trained on human interaction patterns. If you're rude, the AI responds like a human would — short and less engaged. *Repeats inner mantra* It’s just a bot … It’s just a bot …

🚀 Out of this world: At 90 years old, Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate, finally made it to space. He blasted off yesterday in Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. Dwight made headlines during his flight training in the ‘60s, but he was never selected by NASA. Now, 60 years later, he’s back in the history books as the oldest person to leave the earth’s atmosphere. I love this!

Spring clean your PC: Microsoft just updated its free Windows optimizer, PC Manager. Its biggest new feature? Files Cleanup, which helps you manage your storage and free up space by deleting unnecessary or bulky files. Download it here in the Microsoft Store.

Get audio for the muted bar TV: At a loud bar or party and wanna watch the game? Tunity is a free app that scans the TV and gives you audio for your earbuds or headphones. Get it here on iOS or Android. So cool.

Your new side hustle? Digital notary! That is, if you’re in one of the 47 U.S. states that now allows notary publics to operate completely online. Once you’re certified, you can notarize docs from home at your convenience. Check out the requirements for your state on the National Notary Association’s website.

🔒 Use Facebook or Instagram? Meta changed its two-factor authentication rules to automatically “trust” any devices you've regularly used its apps on over the last two years. Disable this. Log in to either platform, then go to your Settings and click Account Center > Password and Security. Tap or click Two-factor Authentication to turn it off.

Need a Monday brain break? Visit Wonders of Street View, an interactive map of some of the wackiest stuff on Google Maps in one place. Click “Random” in the top right corner for a new wonder. I spent too long exploring an abandoned mining town in Beaverhead County, Montana.

The only way to keep it your business do that is with a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts your data and hides your IP address, giving you an extra layer of protection from snoops, advertisers and Big Tech companies looking to profit off you.

Some VPNs slow your connection or, worse, track your internet activity and compromise your security. Not ExpressVPN. Plus, you can connect in just one click from a Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, iPad, you name it.

🚨 Deal alert: Get an extra THREE months free since you subscribe to my newsletter.

I had a joke, but it’s too cheesy.

The answer: C.) $3,000. That’s more than $200,000 in a lifetime. On one hand, ouch; on the other, we do get a lot of joy out of those screens. Like, right now, reading this email? Priceless.

🏊 Mea culpa: In Saturday’s newsletter, I said, “Humans produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools in their lifetime.” Well, a lot of people dropped me notes about this Snapple fun fact. Chris in Santa Barbara, known locally as simply “Golf Queen,” asked me in person about it.

I did some digging. Turns out, a lot of sites say this, but let’s do the math. The average pool holds between 10,000 and 20,000 gallons. A human produces 1 liter of saliva a day, or 365 liters per year. That means in 80 years, the average is up to 29,200 liters. Now, 1 liter equals 0.264172 gallons. In 80 years, that’s 7.714 gallons. That’s hardly enough for one pool!

Hey, thanks for being aboard the Komando train with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim