It’s Friday! Let’s start with trivia. Which unusual internet-connected device was launched to help farmers monitor the well-being of their livestock? Is it a … cow fitness tracker, chicken mood ring, pig sleep monitor or goat GPS tracker? Answer’s at the end, as always.

🚀 Welcome aboard the Komando Tech News SkyQuest! No algorithms here. I hand-pick every single item in these newsletters so no cloud is unexplored in cyberspace. — Kim

Forget doing chores over the weekend. That’s no fun at all. Since artificial intelligence (AI) is in the news every day, I thought it’d be a super project for you to make your own chatbot. This way, you can see first-hand what the fuss is all about.

I know you’re saying, “Come on, Kim, you’re nuts. I wouldn’t even know where to start!” But turn that frown upside down. With just a few sentences, you can create your own AI chatbot for a specialized task. It’s easy and free, and coming up with your own version of ChatGPT will totally impress your friends and family.

OK, this is seriously cool

Anybody can do it, and you can tailor your bot to the exact subject or response you have in mind. Think of the possibilities. 

Maybe that’s getting help with your kid’s chemistry homework, answering questions about a fussy dog breed, replying to passive-aggressive coworkers or responding to everything like Bob Ross trying to make you feel happy.

Previous creations include a ChefBot, which can suggest a recipe based on ingredients in your (nearly empty) fridge, and an “explain it like I’m five” bot for complex topics (and precocious kids).

These bots are basically advanced filters simple enough for anyone to use — no coding knowledge required. It’s fun learning new things!

Want a custom bot? Here’s how:

• Log into Poe. You can sign in with Google or Apple, but I recommend making a new account.
• Select Create a bot.
• Name your bot based on what it does. You have a 15-character limit.
• Write basic instructions for your bot.
• Choose your chat AI “base,” like Claude-Instant or ChatGPT. I’m a ChatGPT fan.
• Test your bot by “talking” to it. Adjust your instruction prompt if needed to keep the bot helpful and accurate.
• Add a cute pic for your bot.

✅ Intrigued? I knew you would be! I’ve got more tips on my site to make your bot rock.

Isn’t it nice to have AI features that actually make your life easier instead of taking over the world (or your job)? Don’t worry, I’m also ready with security tips if bot relations turn sour.

🏴‍☠️ Two pirates just finished developing a machine with the ability to think and learn. The first pirate says, “This is amazing! You should come up with a name for this.” The second pirate says, “AI, captain!”

Cage match: Elon Musk was … being Elon and trash-talking Mark Zuckerberg on Twitter. A user warned him Zuck is into jujitsu now. Elon: “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol.” Zuck’s response (on Instagram): “send me location.” He told The Verge he’s not kidding; he’s really up for a physical fight. Ball’s in your court, Elon. Something tells me his schedule is sooo packed.

Update your Apple gear: Zero-click attacks mean you never have to open a bad file or download a malicious attachment. Apple just patched zero-day flaws that allow someone to take over if they send a compromised iMessage. Update your iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch right now.

Shopping tip: Prefer to try on clothes at home? More and more online retailers are banning returns — and not just on clearance items. Triple-check before you buy unless you’re sure you’ll want to keep it. What I do: If pants are on final sale, I buy one size up. This way, I can get it altered to fit.

Never miss a flight again: United Airlines is the first to enable Apple’s Live Activities feature that gives real-time notifications for departure and arrival gates and a countdown to boarding, all right on your home screen. To use it, download the United app on an iPhone running iOS 16.1 or later. Sorry, Android folks. 

Help wanted: Transportation company Schneider National is looking for truck drivers and advertising in a pretty clever way: Billboards posted on the virtual highways of the game American Truck Simulator. If you play, yep, those are real jobs!

Elon Mode: A Tesla software hacker found a hidden driving feature that allows Teslas with Full Self-Driving to operate without any human interaction. Normally, you have to nudge the steering wheel and an interior camera verifies your eyes are looking forward. This is how they ensure you’re, you know, awake.

Check, please: Some restaurants require a card to hold a reservation, but you’ll usually see that when you book online. OpenTable says scammers are calling people and asking for card info. Hang up and call the restaurant directly. If it was a scammer, email details to phishing@opentable.com to help out your fellow diners.

📺 Lights, camera, action: Apple hypes up its keynote events like no other, and you’d better believe a ton is happening behind the scenes. This fun video breaks down everything that goes into filming Apple’s events. It’s incredible how much of what you think is live is not. Reminds me of a Disney ride. Watch it here.

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Listen to my podcast, Kim Komando Today, here.

We’ll call camera specs, storage and operating systems (yes, I’m Team iPhone) Phone Shopping 101. Sensor size is just as important as camera megapixels. If you take a ton of pics and videos, go for higher storage. Pick the OS that makes you happy.

But what the heck is a refresh rate? It’s worth understanding since it plays such a significant role in how your phone performs. You’ll be glad you read this before you buy your next smartphone.

It’s all in the screen

Your smartphone screen is a series of images displayed one after another very quickly. The refresh rate is simply how many times your screen updates or refreshes per second, usually measured in hertz (Hz).

The higher the refresh rate, the smoother your screen. If you play a lot of games or watch a ton of videos on your phone, this matters even more. A higher refresh rate (like 90Hz or 120Hz) reduces blur, increases how responsive your screen is and makes everything feel cleaner.

What’s the downside?

The higher the refresh rate, the more processing power — meaning slightly worse performance and battery life. 

If you have a phone with a super-high refresh rate, you can manually adjust it if you’re going through a full charge too quickly.

• On an iPhone: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Limit Frame Rate. NOTE: This only works on iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
• On a Samsung: Settings > Display > Motion smoothness > Standard (for a fixed 60Hz) > Apply.
• On a Google Pixel: Settings > Smooth Display > Disable (for a fixed 60Hz).

Now you feel smarter and your battery life is better. Score!

You received a text message, and for whatever reason, you don’t want the person who sent it to know you’ve read it. I’ve got your back.

Option 1: Enable notifications on your phone. This way, when a message comes in, you’ll see the entire thing on your home screen — or just enough to know what it’s about without opening it. 

Option 2: Here’s an option that doesn’t require any settings changes. Once you get a text, immediately put your phone in airplane mode, then turn off Wi-Fi. This totally cuts off the internet. You can still look at the message, but there’s no way for a read receipt to be sent.

📕 Oh, and whatever messaging app you use, make sure the option called read receipts is off.

💒 Got this note from a listener: “Kim, I thought you would find this funny. One spelling mistake can completely ruin your marriage. I accidentally texted my wife, ‘I’m having a wonderful time. I wish you were her.’ My wife went ballistic!” Yup, better be more careful!

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!

Free treats for six months or 10K miles

👩‍🌾 The answer: A cow fitness tracker. These devices are similar to Fitbits and are designed to monitor the activity levels, well-being and even fertility of cows.

📣 Exciting news! 🛍️✨ Check out my new store on Etsy, loaded with high-quality merch — shirts, phone cases, travel mugs, coffee mugs and more. And yes, the much-loved Kim Komando Show fanny pack will let you carry your stuff in style! 🔥 Don't miss out on these limited-edition items and grab your favorites before they’re gone.

Thanks for letting me in your inbox. Don't hesitate to bring your friends on our techno-savvy journey — the bigger our crew, the better! I'll catch you Sunday with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the universe! — Kim