A super Saturday to you, my tech-loving friend! Chipmaker Nvidia just passed Microsoft and Apple to become the world’s most valuable company, hitting a cool $3.34 trillion in worth. Crazy, right? For today’s trivia, what Big Tech company is sitting at No. 4? Is it … A.) Meta, B.) Amazon or C.) Alphabet? Answer’s at the end!

📻 A face for radio: The weekend means my national radio show is airing all across the country, loaded with tech goodness not found in this newsletter. Find your local station or hit this link to open The Kim Komando Show as a podcast on your preferred player.

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by the letter A. That stands for “ads” … and “ad blocker.” Total Adblock stops the frustrating, annoying and nosy ads you see everywhere online. — Kim

The ability to block people on social media is there for good reason: To keep away creeps and harassers. But your “Block” button’s also good for exes, oversharers and nosy family members.

Ever want to see who you’ve blocked over time? I pulled together steps to do just that on every major social platform. Check your list of people you’ve blocked. Maybe it was a mistake or misunderstanding.

Find your blocklist on 8 popular apps:

1. Facebook: Tap your profile picture (top right), then Settings & privacy > Settings > Blocking.
2. Instagram: Tap your profile picture (bottom right), then tap the three horizontal lines at the top right, followed by Blocked.
3. X (Twitter): Tap your profile picture (top left), then Settings & Support > Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Mute and block > Blocked accounts.
4. Snapchat: Tap your profile picture (top left), then tap the gear icon (top right) and choose Blocked users.
5. TikTok: Tap Profile, followed by the three horizontal lines (top right). Then, tap Settings and privacy > Privacy > Blocked accounts.
6. WhatsApp: On Android, tap the three dots (top right in Chats), then Settings > Privacy > Blocked contacts. On iOS, tap Settings > Privacy > Blocked.
7. Signal: From the Chats tab, tap the three dots (top right), then tap Settings > Privacy > Blocked.
8. Telegram: On Android, it's the three lines (top left), then Settings > Privacy and Security > Blocked Users. On iOS, from Settings, pick Privacy and Security > Blocked Users.

How about on your phone?

Your smartphone also has a blocked list for calls and texts. In case you’re wondering, people don't get alerted when you block (or unblock) them.

🤖 Android: Open the Phone app, tap the three dots (top right), then Settings > Blocked numbers.

🍎 iOS: Open Settings, then tap Phone > Blocked Contacts. The same lists get shared across the default phone and messaging apps, so you won't need to check in your messages, too.

🛟 Now, don’t you feel smarter? Use the icons below and share the know-how with one person. That’s how we can save the tech world together!

I know it’s happened to you. You tell a friend how nice it would be to visit Hawaii and now all your feeds are full of travel ads featuring beautiful Hawaii! Aren’t you tired of ads online? They’re not just annoying; they’re designed to track you and could even lead you to sketchy sites with malicious downloads.

It’s time to put ad stalkers to rest. Say goodbye to intrusive ads and hello to a cleaner, safer and faster browsing experience. Total Adblock stops advertising trackers from following your every move online. What are you waiting for?

For just $19 for the first year, you can stop the targeted ad onslaught. So worth it.

🚨 Outlook is bleak: Some 400 million Outlook users are at risk thanks to a bug that could let anyone impersonate official Microsoft emails. I’ll let you know when there’s a fix, but be very careful of any requests you get from an “official” Microsoft account. And never share payment or account details over email.

⚠️ Urgent Windows update: Don’t use public Wi‑Fi unless you’re running the latest update for Windows 10 and 11. It fixes a vulnerability that lets crooks take over your laptop just by connecting to the same Wi‑Fi network. Go to System > About. If you see 14393.7070, 22621.3737 or 22631.3737, update right away.

Keep it clean: P*rnhub is no longer available in Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraska (joining seven other states) after the states passed age-verification laws to keep kids off adult websites. VPNs are an easy workaround. Kids know this, of course, and you’d better believe VPN sales are going up.

🏎️ Ferrari’s future won’t include GPS: But it will include a $500,000 EV. The luxury automaker is ditching built-in nav systems because, uh, our phones are way better. And start saving now; its half-a-million-dollar electric model is launching next year.

SwiftTok: Here’s something you can talk to your kids about that will give you instant cred. TikTok now has custom features just for Taylor Swift fans. “Swifties” can earn rewards like a limited-edition profile frame by completing Swift-themed app challenges over several weeks. I named my Roomba “Taylor Swiffer.”

She’s 99 and ☝️: Mildred Kirchenbaum has to deal with a TSA glitch. The birth date on a plane reservation doesn’t include the century, so when Mildred enters “23,” for her birth year — 1923 — the TSA thinks she’s an unaccompanied 1-year-old. I say give this 100-year-old a free first-class seat.

Kaspersky’s kaput: The U.S. has officially banned Kaspersky antivirus software over its shady ties to Russia. Officials say it poses a national security risk due to the Russian government’s influence. If you don’t have an antivirus solution (or you need a new one), TotalAV is my pick.*

Free Amber Alert for your pets: Here’s how to sign up your fur babies.

What cost Americans $4 billion last year? Pig-butchering scams. They’re international operations and they can turn deadly.

Prepare your bumpers: Some 71 million people will be traveling for the Fourth of July this year. Here are my top dashcam recs for 2024.

🌍 We’re the No. 3 tech podcast! You’ll never guess where. Hint: It’s a country in Africa.

OMW: Automatically share your ETA on the go with this hidden map app feature.

💃 Do AI bots count as cheating? I’ll let you be the judge after you read this story.

Hear the world: If you ever ask anyone to repeat something they said, check out the new, dual-processor, almost-invisible hearing aids from Hear.com. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a 4.9 out of 5 rating with Consumer Affairs and a 100% money-back guarantee. Click here to find out today if you qualify for a risk-free trial.*

Do it in style: Easily change your text formatting by holding down Ctrl + B for bold, Ctrl + I for italics and Ctrl + U for underlining. Pro level: Hit Shift + X for strikethrough text, Shift + . (period) to superscript something and Shift + , (comma) for subscripting.

Hot tip: Hot corners on Mac are neat. Hover your mouse over a certain spot to make something happen, like showing your desktop or opening a note. Hit the Apple logo > System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners. Set as you please, then hit Done.

Photoshop is expensive: When you need to do a quick crop, edit or resize, try Pixlr. It works in your browser and runs on almost every operating system. Sweet!

Be quiet: Maybe you want to scroll Facebook at work undetected or you just prefer the sound of silence. On a computer, disable auto-playing videos under Settings and privacy > Settings > Videos. On mobile, it’s Settings & privacy > Settings > Preferences > Media.

Fellow walkers, runners and hikers, let’s upgrade your gear:

• Use a hydration backpack if you’ll be out for a long time. This one holds 3 liters of water. On a short walk, an insulated bottle gets the job done.
• Columbia’s sunshade hat protects your head, face and neck. I like a UPF-rated long-sleeved shirt, too. Guys, for you; ladies, this one is cute.
• High-rise hiking boots will help you conquer any trail. For easier terrain, I love a pair of Hokas.
• Oh, and pack a first-aid kit for long hikes. This one includes bandages, sterile wipes and a sting-relief pad.

I stubbed my toe. This is going to ruin the tour! Abby needs a bath. This is going to ruin the tour! Really, it works!

The answer: C.) Alphabet. The Google partner company is valued at $2.17 trillion, ahead of Amazon at $1.9 trillion. Meta is sitting at a lowly (haha) $1.27 trillion. Yes, these numbers are outrageous to me, too!

You know, jokes about tech support really turn me off … and then back on. I know you’re going to share that.

You’ve asked me for years … How to safely block ads online. My pick is Total Adblock. For $19, your web experience is clean, fresh and safe. Win! See you back here tomorrow with all my best tips for looking great in photos, you doll baby! — Kim