It’s a totally terrific Thursday, friends! Let’s kick things off with our trivia. What's the tall tale folks often spin about laser printers? Is it that … they print faster than inkjet printers, their toner lasts indefinitely when stored in the freezer or they use actual lasers from outer space? You’ll find the answer at the end.

🍃 Psst, did you know you can take me on the go? Fire up The Kim Komando Show podcast on your next walk. I’d love to keep you company! — Kim

I hate using dressing rooms at retail stores. I'd rather buy two different sizes and return the one that doesn't fit. Plus, those mirrors are awful — and don't get me started on the lighting.

With that said, the last thing anyone wants to worry about when they’re shopping is being spied on while changing. But that’s just what’s happening. Women nationwide are reporting a new kind of dressing room violation — one using a smartphone.

Spying on unsuspecting victims is nothing new, and, thanks to today's tech, these creeps have taken their creepiness to a whole new level. Unfortunately, it's easier than ever to get away with these crimes.

Dressing room dread

In Kansas, a woman was trying on Halloween costumes at a Forever 21 when she noticed a phone inside her dressing room, nestled within a pair of jeans. Another woman discovered a phone watching her try on bathing suits at Target.

As it turns out, both women were victimized by the same peeping Tom, who, of course, also had other victims. He was subsequently arrested.

In Ohio, another guy was arrested for spying on women in dressing rooms at a Nordstrom Rack store. He was caught after reports of him filming were called in. This slimeball was convicted of two counts of voyeurism.

A new kind of turbulence

It's not just in dressing rooms. On a recent American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Boston, a 14-year-old girl made a shocking discovery in an airplane bathroom: An iPhone taped to the back of the toilet seat.

The worst part? The family believes it was placed there by a member of the flight crew.

The girl says a male crew member instructed her to use the first-class bathroom. He entered before her and said the toilet seat was broken. Once inside, though, she noticed the iPhone. Thankfully, she thought to take a photo with her own phone for evidence.

Massachusetts State Police escorted a flight attendant away when the plane landed. The case is still under FBI investigation, and American Airlines claims to be taking the matter "very seriously" — as they should.

Take back your privacy

When it comes to protecting yourself from creeps, it pays to be vigilant.

• Stay alert in public places where you change your clothes. This includes gyms, day spas and even hotel rooms.
• Carefully check your surroundings for cameras. Look for suspicious wires, lights and lenses. Pay close attention to things like wall decor, lamps and shelves. Check the toilet seat and behind the tank if you're in the bathroom.
• It's easy to hide cameras in mirrors. If you can, turn off the room’s lights and shine your phone's flashlight into the mirror to check for hidden tech.
• Consider investing in a hidden-camera detector, and bring it with you while you're out. You can also try using a hidden-camera-detection app on your Android or iPhone.

I don't tell you this to freak you out. I want as many people as possible to be aware and on the lookout. Pass this one along using the share icons below, especially if you have teens and young adults in your family. You know what I say: "Knowledge is power."

Have a child or teen in the family? The Bark Phone is so great, I keep recommending it to friends and family with kiddos. Here’s the deal: Kids are so tech-smart and can easily get around parental controls and apps you put on their phones.

The Bark Phone is tamper-proof. Kids can’t delete texts, change the parental control settings, sneak in more screen time or install programs to get past any of the built-in safeguards.

The software automatically scans your child's texts, social media, apps and searches — and alerts you to anything concerning. There’s real-time location tracking, too, so you always know where they are.

You get all of this (and peace of mind) for $49 a month.

Good luck sleeping tonight: A new report from Future Crime Horizon Scan details how much damage bad guys can do with AI. For example, terrorists could hack a computer system to gain control of driverless cars and drive them into crowds, potentially killing who-knows-how-many people. Or, they can create convincing deepfakes to get through your Face ID scans and break into bank accounts. Yeah, all real possibilities.

Spoiler: It’s fake. In a new ad on TikTok, YouTuber MrBeast offers 10,000 viewers a new iPhone 15 Pro for just $2. The deepfake was so good (and he’s given out much more than that), it managed to slip by TikTok's ad-moderation tech. Sorry, no free phone.

🕵️ Artificial Intelligence Agency: In news that might spook the conspiratorially minded among us, the CIA is building its own AI chatbot for U.S. intelligence and military agencies. Can’t you see that meeting? “OK, we really want to use ChatGPT, but …” Move over, Skynet, and say hello to ChatCIA.

Be careful, folks: A hit-and-run driver launched a woman into the path of a driverless Cruise car in San Francisco. Rescue crews had to lift the vehicle off the woman, and she was taken to the hospital with traumatic injuries. If your city has driverless cars, be extra careful when walking around. Remember: They’re electric, so you can’t hear them as easily.

Tell me about a time you …: A video of a woman using AI to answer job interview questions in real time is blowing up on TikTok. Her roommate captured the vid, which shows an interviewer asking a question, and then the app spits out an answer she reads off. The app is called aiApply. Reminds me of a ’90s sitcom plot where someone secretly uses an earbud.

🛻 Missed the mark: September was here and gone, and no Cybertrucks were on the road in Q3, contrary to what Elon Musk projected. Everyone waiting on their electric pickup will have to give it a little longer. Hey, the original release date was 2021, so what’s another few months?

Don’t be that person: A group of researchers found using AI at work could hurt your performance — if you take ChatGPT’s words as fact and don’t check the results. On think-outside-of-the-box tasks, AI can struggle mightily.

Zoom mute-ation: With companies returning to the office, Zoom is scrambling to find a new way to make money. Its bright idea: A Google Docs copycat. Yep, it's building AI-equipped collaborative documents that should be released in spring 2024. Just so very late to the party.

Say hello to my Daily Tech Update podcast. In the first minute, get the latest tech news distilled down to its essence. In the next, learn a practical digital trick that can make your life easier or more fun.

👉 Two minutes to a tech-smarter you

Ah, malware. These insidious little programs crawl into our phones, laptops and other smart devices and wreak havoc.

Usually, you can trust the Google Play Store, Apple's App Store, Amazon apps and all other official sources. That said, it's just plain smart to "trust but verify."

All these are free and most only take minutes, if not seconds:

• Keep your devices updated. Don't put off updating because it's too inconvenient. These "annoying" updates often contain tighter and better security measures.
• Do your research. If an app looks good, Google it before you download it. A few minutes of research could save your phone, data and even your bank account.
• Scan the reviews. As tempting as some free (or cheap) apps are, the proof is in the pudding. Look for reviews mentioning devices behaving strangely after downloading.
• Never grant permissions blindly. I get it. Our 2023 attention spans are very limited. Still, the time you take to read exactly what permissions you're granting is time well spent. The app's description will include everything it asks for.
• No jailbreaking. Not only are you voiding any warranties and risking increased freezes and crashing, but you're also agreeing to a decreased level of cybersecurity.

You know what they say: "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to phish and he'll steal your bank password."

🛠️ Want even more anti-malware tools in your toolkit? Smart! Use this easy, free check to see if a site or file contains malware.

Over 50% of people sleep next to their cellphones, but you know how disruptive they can be. You’re in the middle of a dream and then buzz — you’re jolted awake by the sound of your smartphone. There’s a better way: Disable notifications while you sleep.

• Apple devices offer Focus mode, enabling you to decide which apps or contacts are allowed to notify you. To set it up, open Settings > Focus Mode. Tap a provided focus option and choose Sleep. Bingo, you’re in. Then, say, “Set Sleep Focus Mode,” and sleep without distractions.
• For Android: Control notifications with Do Not Disturb. Go to Settings > Sound and Vibration. Open Do Not Disturb, select Options and Customize the Settings.

What do you call a bunch of employees caught sleeping on the job? A Dream Team. (Oh, sometimes I crack myself up!)

🐑 Btw, counting sheep will keep you up. When I really can’t sleep, I turn to my secret weapon: Sleep podcasts. Works like a charm every time.

He probably wishes he still had all that hair.

The answer: The freezer trick. The myth likely stems from confusing liquid inkjet ink, which can dry out, with powdered laser toner. Introducing toner to freezing conditions can lead to moisture issues and clumping. My advice? Store it in a cool, dry place, but ditch the deep freeze!

Some food has been in my house for so long that even the freezer couldn’t save it from expiring. I keep putting off throwing away those items, which is only delaying the inedible. (Womp-womp!)

💌 Know what’d make this even more fun? Having your friends on board! Share it with them using your unique link below and invite them to sign up.

See you tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay awesome, my friend! 👋 — Kim