The Current Plus: Powering AI with coal, Stanley cups and lead, save AM radio  | | Hello there on this fine Tuesday, friend! Today’s knowledge starts with a true or false: Every blue-eyed individual on the planet (including me) is a descendant of one single person. Answer’s at the end! 🛑 I need you because Google says I’m spam. Argh, my newsletter is ending up in spam for some of you. If you see a big, red box above my emails, select “Looks safe.” Then, on your computer, open your inbox and find my newsletter. Next to Reply, click More, then Report not phishing. The more readers who do this, the sooner Google knows my mail is trustworthy! Thanks for your help. — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE - 📈 My wallet hurts
- 🔍 The gov’t bought our data
- 🛍️ Early Presidents Day deals
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TODAY'S TOP STORY Car insurance super expensive? It’s not just you  My car insurance just went up 32%. Did I have an accident or get a few tickets? Nope. Since 2020, car insurance rates in the U.S. have risen by a whopping 37%. The main reason? High-tech vehicles — aka anything remotely new — cost way more to repair. And you don't need to have a high-tech car to feel the pinch. It's hitting everyone. Driving up costs Our cars are packed with dozens of sensors and endless lines of computer code. Combine that with the rising cost of replacement parts and repairs, and voila — soaring auto insurance rates. Look at these numbers from Bloomberg, which suggests EVs are part of what’s driving costs. For a gas car, the average repair bill is around $4,437; the average for an electric vehicle, on the other hand, is $6,618. No wonder the average collision insurance claim jumped 64% between 2018 and 2022. In 2023, auto insurance rates climbed 20%, the biggest increase since 1976. Don’t even get me started on how much new and used cars cost right now. Let's look under the hood In 2018, Toyota redesigned its uber-popular Camry. The number of parts in the front bumper alone increased from 18 to 43 — most are related to advanced driver-assist features. The upgrades also mean a front-end collision repair is 43% more expensive. It’s not just driver-assist jacking up costs. - Lots of new cars have LED headlights, which cost around five times more than halogen lights to replace.
- New cars contain more aluminum. Compared to steel, aluminum is lighter, provides better gas mileage and offers more protection in a crash — but it’s harder to fix and more expensive, too.
- EVs take 20 days on average to repair. That's 40% longer than traditional vehicles and $500 more expensive for labor.
Smart ways to save I make it my business to find the best ways to save. Then, I pass them along to you. Let’s do this. - Review your current insurance plan and make adjustments to your coverage. Raising the deductible could result in a significant decrease in your premium. Keep in mind you'll pay more out of pocket if you get into an accident.
- Ask for discounts. You might get one if your car has an anti-theft system installed, you’re a safe (accident-free) driver or you’ve completed defensive driving courses. Talk to your agent.
- Consider switching to usage-based insurance. If you don't drive that much or have a relatively short commute, you could pay much less than you would under a traditional plan.
- Bundle your other insurance plans with the same provider. Carrying home, auto, life and even pet insurance under one company means better rates.
The million-dollar question “Should I install one of those trackers to get a discount?” You know, just toss it in your car to save. Yeah, it tracks everything. My podcast cohost, Andrew, made a good point: His phone is already tracking him anyway. Fair enough. For me, the discount isn’t worth it. Review your plan, talk to your agent, and see how much you’ll really save by letting them know everywhere you go — and every time you hit the gas or slam on the brakes. 🍝 Why does pasta always have to pay so much for car insurance? It can't drive a car without making it al dente. |
DEALS OF THE DAY Early Presidents Day deals Don’t miss out on these bargains! 🛍️ Smart shopper tip: Check out category pages, too, if you’re looking for something specific. |
WEB WATERCOOLER Using free antivirus? Friend, stop. The freebies aren't good enough to protect you from today's smart scammers. Get a full year of my pick, TotalAV,* for just $19. Score, that covers five devices. 🔍 Hi, Big Brother: U.S. intelligence, including the Pentagon, has been buying our location data without a warrant. A senator blew the whistle, slamming them for cozying up with "shady companies." Looks like our Fourth Amendment is on the clearance rack. Show ‘em what’s under the hood: OpenAI, Google and other companies must now report new AI models to the government. Why? To check if they're playing nice with national security and public safety. Cloud providers are on the hook, too. Glad it’s not just me: From 2020 to 2022, ADHD diagnoses in adult women nearly doubled, thanks in part to screens. Mental health experts say smartphones are both a distraction and a Band‑Aid for juggling life, work and family. Dirty little secret: AI is using so much power in Virginia that old coal plants are coming out of retirement. Data centers are projected to use three times more electricity by 2030, so, uh, let’s figure this out. The deal sucked: Amazon backed out of buying iRobot, maker of Roomba robot vacs. EU regulators rang the "monopoly" warning bell. iRobot is cutting 31% of its workforce, and the CEO has stepped down. At least it's getting a $94 million breakup fee. Lead astray: Stanley's TikTok-famous Quencher mugs went from viral to vile after "Lead Safe Mama" did a swab test showing lead was present. Stanley says you have nothing to worry about unless you plan to eat the mug. 📻 Save AM radio: Talk show hosts (that’s me!) and emergency officials are rallying Congress to keep AM radio in cars. It's crucial for emergencies and the spread of info. Wanna help? Text AM to 52886 and tell Congress to keep our airwaves alive. |
DEVICE ADVICE How much internet do you need? Internet providers always push the priciest plans and do their best to convince you to spend more money. News flash: You may be overpaying. - 10 Mbps: Great if you only have a few devices connected to Wi‑Fi and use your network to visit websites and check email.
- 25 Mbps: Perfect if you watch lots of videos and download big files.
- 100 Mbps: Online gamers and streamers, this one’s for you.
- 500 Mbps or higher: Ideal for simultaneous streaming, online gaming and downloads on many devices.
The common-sense approach: It might be time to upgrade if your TV buffers when you stream or your doorbell’s video is so blurry you can’t tell who’s at the door. But if all the devices on your network are working quickly and smoothly, you could downgrade your plan. ➕ Need help? Calculate how much internet you need. → |
LISTEN UP  | Charging cords that won't break Are your cords always in a bunch? Here's a list of the best ones — tried and tested. |
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TECH LIFE UPGRADES Spreadsheets are so 2010: When you run a biz or even a busy family, how do you keep track of everything? Here at Komando HQ, we use Monday.com. It’s sweet for organizing everything I want to tell you about on my national radio show, in my podcasts and in this newsletter. 🗓️ Add this to your calendar twice a year: Document every piece of software you’re paying for and whether you still need it. You’re much more likely to spot inactive accounts, redundant services and unnecessary licenses if you make the time for it. Clear your YouTube history: On a desktop, sign into YouTube and click You on the left side of the screen, then History on the next page. Choose Clear all watch history for a clean slate or Pause watch history to stop documenting videos you watch in the future. 🎨 Paint has come a long way: Microsoft Paint's new feature, Cocreator, uses the AI art model DALL‑E. Open Microsoft Paint, click the Cocreator icon, type in what you want, choose a style and hit Create. Hard refresh: Clearing the cache on your browser can fix those annoying display or loading issues in a pinch. With your browser open, hit Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or hold down Shift + click your browser’s Refresh button (this — ⟳ — next to the address bar). |
BY THE NUMBERS 25,000 Tech workers laid off so far in 2024. In just four weeks, 100 companies — including Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, TikTok and Salesforce — have axed 25,000 jobs. 14,000,000,000 Videos on YouTube. That’s nearly two vids for every person on the planet — everything from my live podcast to full church services to guides to DIYs for anything. 16,900,000,000 Minutes “Ted Lasso” was watched in 2023. The finale alone hit 1 billion minutes in one week on Apple TV+. It really is a great show. |
WHAT THE TECH?  This also means your birthday cake is getting too hot to candle. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... The answer: It’s true! All blue-eyed folks descended from one person who lived near the Black Sea 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Hey, want to see my cornea transplant? 👁️ I was going to give you a dad joke about eyeballs, but I think it would be too cornea for you. “Kim, I love your new video show. The combo of tech news and fun is magical!” Hey, I really want you to watch my new daily video podcast. It’s live at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time on YouTube, Facebook or Rumble. Or catch it afterward whenever you want. Make it a great day. I hope it includes at least one time you thought, “Life is grand!” — Kim |
Komando Referral Program Share this newsletter → Earn prizes! Step 1: Copy your unique referral link: https://www.komando.com/friends/?referralCode=0rvmdp6 Step 2: Share your link! Post it on social media, send it in a text or paste it into an email to a pal. If they sign up using that link, you get the credit!  |
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