It’s Monday and I’m back to make sure you’re tech-ahead, not left tech-behind, friend! How about we start the week with a little tidbit you can use to win a bet? If you sit on your computer or laptop and work an eight-hour day, how many miles will your fingers have “traveled” on the keyboard? Is it … A.) 1/4 mile, B.) 1/2 mile, C.) 1 mile or D.) 1.52 miles? The answer’s at the end!

🧢 Win an official Kim Komando Show ball cap (a $24.95 value). How? Just reply to this email with, "Hi, Kim." That's it. I will pick one person who does this today to win the cap! You can also order one at my Etsy store, even if you don’t win. Now, on to the tech smarts. — Kim

I mentioned last week app maker ByteDance was starting to get banned on some government devices, and you guys and gals hit me with a ton of questions. (See? I really do read all the notes you leave with your newsletter ratings!)

Let’s start by taking a step back. ByteDance is the Communist China parent company of TikTok, among other apps. After the U.S. signed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act" into law in December 2022, ByteDance quickly moved to push and release even more new apps. Sneaky move, for sure.

I’m surprised it took this long

TikTok is already banned at the federal level, but the latest ban in the U.S. House of Representatives includes a handful of other ByteDance apps you or someone in your life might be using:

• CapCut: Video-editing tools and filters
• Hypic: Photo-editing tools and filters
• Lark: Collaboration app designed for work
• Lemon8: Social media app focused on fashion, beauty, travel, food and other lifestyle categories

Let’s dive deeper into what they collect

If you think the ByteDance paranoia is overblown, here’s the laundry list of data you give up every time you scroll TikTok. It’s safe to assume other ByteDance-developed apps do the same.

It’s a long list, so slow down while you read it. Remember, all this is being sent to China:

• Your name, age, username, email address, password, phone number and location.
• Your IP address, cellphone carrier, time zone, device model and operating system.
• Biometric identifiers, like facial IDs and voiceprints.
• The content of your messages, plus exactly when you send, receive and read them.
• If you buy stuff via TikTop Shop, you’ll give up your purchase information, including credit card numbers and billing and shipping addresses.
• Your activities on other websites and apps (or in stores), including info about what you purchased.
• File names and types.
• Your keystroke patterns and rhythms.
• Objects and scenery that show up in your videos, including tourist attractions, shops and other landmarks.
• The webpages you visit the most and how you interact with them.
• Any text, images and videos on your clipboard.
• Information about your videos, images and audio files.

TikTok also embeds data into its images and ads to track the time and date you view a page, complete with a description. The amount of data TikTok collects is so extensive that it can come dangerously close to cloning your entire phone.

Where TikTok stores its data has also been a major red flag for Congress. Information collected in the U.S. is connected straight to servers in China, though the company says it’s changed its systems to store American data in the U.S. Yeah, right. That won’t stop China from getting it — who are they kidding?

Do this now

It’s up to you, of course, what apps to keep on your phone. You may feel comfortable limiting your permissions, but I don’t think that’s enough. Here are the full steps to delete these apps the right way on iPhone and Android.

‘But Kim, I love TikTok …’

… Or some other app on the list above. There is a safe-ish way to still use the app. Here’s how to install TikTok on an old device, aka one no longer connected to your email, banking info or anything else.

🤔 Ask yourself what else you could be doing with your time other than scrolling through TikTok or using ByteDance apps. I bet there’s some organization near you that could use volunteers like you, just sayin’.

I love the little things that make life easier.

• Toss this little silicone cactus (38% off) in the dryer. It gathers up hair, reduces wrinkles and softens fabric.
• A magnetic cord for your AirPods when you want to be extra safe (like when traveling or during a jog).
• A bestselling carpet cleaner that works on every kind of stain. It’s 59% off, too.
• Skinny brushes (under $6) made for grout, windows and other slim spots. This is your sign to throw out the crusty toothbrush you’ve been using.
• Love a good twofer — here's a pretty coffee bag clip with a built-in scoop.

💳 Don’t fall for it: Scammers pretending to be bank employees are phoning and texting with fake account fraud warnings. They’ll tell you to cut up your credit cards, leaving the chip inside intact. They then send someone to pick it up. With just that chip, they duplicate your card. A friend of mine started chanting in Latin the last time a scammer called. The man screamed, “No, don’t put a curse on my family!”

Delta lost $500 million in the CrowdStrike Windows outage: It took down 8.5 million PCs. Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, “When was the last time you heard about a big outage at Apple?" Ouch. Insider secret: Apple gives developers much lower access to their key internal framework so it’s unlikely a single update could do big damage.

🧎‍♀️ This is bolo-knee: In videos with tens of millions of views, TikTokkers say the most comfortable way to sit on a plane is with your knees up to your chest and your feet on the edge of the seat, with the seatbelt fastened around your feet. This is a bad idea for a bunch of reasons — mostly because it could catapult you forward in severe turbulence.

Oh, no, Ozempic: Counterfeit versions of semaglutide weight-loss drugs are easy to find online. Researchers got their hands on three. Of those, the dosages didn’t match the labels, and one was contaminated with bacteria. Btw, three other sites scammed them entirely. Get the real deal from your doc.

All talk, no show tunes: Three major labels are suing AI music company Suno for training its model on copyrighted songs. Suno’s defense? “Yep, we did it.” Suno says it’s “fair use” to use protected songs in their back-end tech to create something completely new. Now, that’s an interesting defense.

Lost my appetite: Viral posts on X claim celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks and Robert De Niro are being banned from restaurants. The posts started as satire on Facebook, and now people are sharing “facts.” Don’t be one of them.

🍨 Float my boat: Tomorrow is National Root Beer Float Day. Stop by an A&W between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time for a freebie, no purchase necessary. Wienerschnitzel, Hamburger Stand and Tastee-Freez are giving them out free with a purchase. Yum!

🖼️ Color me impressed: Mark Zuckerberg announced the other day Meta’s AI model will be open-sourced, unlike Google’s version or OpenAI. I’ve been playing with Meta AI’s image tools. Use the prompt, “Imagine a photo (cartoon, watercolor or whatever)” and what you want it to create. Now, there are six fingers on some hands and other anomalies, but for version 1.0, it’s darn good. Try it here. Tell me what you think when you rate this issue!

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.

Home security pro tip: Manufacturers of cheap security cameras don’t routinely release firmware and software updates to patch security holes. You need more than a doorbell or indoor cam anymore. My pick is SimpliSafe,* which allows you to protect your whole home with 24/7 live support. No contracts or hidden fees, either.

🖨️ Streaky pages? You’re getting that “Low ink” warning. Before you swap the cartridge, shake it. Really! Remove the cartridge and shake it. This trick helps you use those last drops of ink.

Keep 'em focused: On Google’s Family Link app, the new “School time” feature restricts access to certain contacts and messages and limits app usage during specific hours. It’s rolling out on Android devices throughout the year.

Finders keepers: Looking for a file? Hit the Windows key and start typing its name. That’s it. On a Mac, hit Cmd + spacebar and start typin’. So simple and saves so much time.

🍕 Pizza or sushi? Let your iPhone decide what to get for dinner — or anything else when you’re stuck in a stalemate. Just say, “Hey, Siri, flip a coin.” Works with Google Assistant and Alexa, too.

🔮 Talk to me: Whether you have a question about your tech life or profession, I’m here to help. But I’m not a mind reader. Here’s the best place to drop me a line.

Stock-piling cash: This TikTokker says she makes $20,000 a month uploading stock photos. These are the most popular.

I just had it: Try this Google trick for words on the tip of your tongue.

Fake ID: Some 25% of kids’ identities are stolen before they turn 18. The targets are only getting younger.

The answer: D.) 1.52 miles. If you're clocking 40 words per minute with an average of five characters per word, your fingers are taking quite the journey. In a full eight-hour workday, they're cruising for about 1.52 miles — yes, miles!

My buddy, Chris, named her dog “Five Miles.” This way, she can say, “I walked Five Miles.”

😎 OK, I’m tired from all those miles typed. Don’t forget to reply to this email. Say, “Hi, Kim,” and you’re in the running for a Komando ball cap. See you back here tomorrow with another edition of the best tech newsletter in the USA. — Kim