Happy tech Friday, friend. It looks good on you! Let’s start with a brain enhancer. How did the founders of Uber come up with the idea for the company? Was it … A.) From the memorable taxi ride in the 1954 classic film "On the Waterfront," B.) Because one of the founder’s fathers drove a shuttle service van, C.) Based on a pair of Ivy League grads who moved to Silicon Valley, or D.) Sparked by waiting for a taxi in Paris on a snowy night? Make your best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

🤝 Today’s top story is an especially important one to pass along. There’s an app 50 million Americans use that they have no idea has roots in Communist China’s military, and it’s not TikTok. Do your people a solid and share this on social, via email, in a text or however else you like. It’s important news the major outlets aren’t covering, for some reason. — Kim

My husband, Barry, is a total news junkie. He has all the major news apps on his phone. That’s why this story stopped me in my tracks. NewsBreak, the most downloaded news app in the U.S., with more than 50 million readers per month, has strong ties to Communist China.

A Reuters investigation shows the NewsBreak app is also packed with inaccurate stories (including some that appear to be totally made up by AI), content stolen from legit sources and fake bylines. This is bad, people.

Join the party

NewsBreak is a privately owned company with offices in Mountain View, California, along with Beijing and Shanghai. It bills itself as “all things local” for American readers, but one of its primary backers is Beijing-based IDG Capital.

Never heard of it? Let me catch you up. In February, the Pentagon added IDG Capital to a list of Chinese companies said to be working directly with Beijing's military.

Def not the write stuff

NewsBreak republishes news from sources like Reuters, Fox, the Associated Press and CNN. They used to republish my content and let me tell you, the traffic from it to my website was huge. NewsBreak stopped sharing my stuff when I started writing negatively about apps with ties to China. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

The rest of NewsBreak’s content is “written” by AI, with facts scraped from press releases and sites around the web. All this happens where half their staff works (about 200 people) — in their China-based offices. Their algorithm isn’t just choosing what stories make it in the app, by the way; it’s also influencing the angles of the coverage.

That’s a huge problem. When the parent company has a political agenda (i.e., China wants to destroy our commerce and influence votes), that trickles down into what you read.

When news is the money machine

Like most apps, NewsBreak makes bank by showing you ads. The more often you use the app, the more ads you’ll see — and the more money they make. That means the whole goal is to publish stories that keep you coming back.

That’s where things get messy. Take a story they published in December: "Christmas Day Tragedy Strikes Bridgeton, New Jersey Amid Rising Gun Violence in Small Towns." Wow, I bet most of us would click on that. The problem? The shooting never happened.

In another instance, NewsBreak published bogus health clinic details, pointing homeless folks to a nonexistent massage foot service instead.

What should you do now?

Plain and simple, stop using NewsBreak. If you insist, at least put it on a phone that’s not tied to all the rest of your data and logged into all your personal and/or work accounts.

Now, if you’re concerned about the Chinese military having access to your info, there’s one thing to do: Perform a factory reset on your phone. I know, it’s an annoying process, but it’s the one way to be sure all the code and trackers you downloaded are wiped away.

🖐️ Have friends or family that use NewsBreak? Share this story so they know about its agenda and ties to China, too.

I bet you or someone you know has a scary travel story. These gadgets are no-brainers to bring on your next trip to protect yourself and your stuff.

• Major security flaws have compromised a huge portion of keycard hotel locks. Easy fix: This doorstop with a built-in alarm.
• Traveling with valuables? Bring your own safe. Hotel rooms don’t always have one. This little portable option is 22% off.
• Whether you're traveling abroad or just going out at night, take a personal alarm. This sleek option is 20% off and goes right on your keychain.
• Only one in four U.S. homes has a carbon monoxide detector. Bet your Airbnb doesn’t. This one’s 29% off!
• Two words: Fanny pack. Wear it across your chest for extra street cred (I do!). This one’s $9.99 and comes in a ton of colors.

🚨 Russian propaganda: The Kremlin is using deepfakes, fake news sites and social media attacks to undermine the upcoming U.S. elections. “D.C. Weekly,” “Boston Times” and “Election Watch” are just some of the names of their fake outlets. Stick to trusted news sources. It’s going to get a lot worse in the coming months.

If I could turn back time: Graphics card and chipmaker NVIDIA just overtook Apple as the world’s second most valuable company. The AI boom has companies gobbling up NVIDIA’s chips at record rates. Bet you wish you’d bought stock in them at $4 a decade ago. Today, it’s about $1,200 a share. Hey, I didn’t buy it either.

Need a new phone? Samsung accidentally leaked an ad for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. So, what’s new? Sharper edges on the Z Fold 6 and a vertically stacked triple camera. The Z Flip 6 looks pretty much the same, but rumor has it the battery life is a lot better. They’re both scheduled to launch next month.

🎨 Tell every artist you know: Digital creators are ditching Instagram for good reason. Meta now views public posts as part of its AI training data, and you can’t opt out. One alternative? Cara. It's just like Insta, but it bans AI posts and training. Try it on iOS or Android.

Adobe's new ToS: When you agree to Photoshop’s new terms of service, you’re letting Adobe look at your ongoing projects for "content moderation" and more. Got projects under NDA? Tough luck. I bet they’re covering their butts so they, too, can train their AI with your designs.

👜 This season’s hottest bag? A $3.99 Trader Joe’s insulated tote that folks are reselling for up to $100. Since launching on June 4, it's completely sold out in stores across California. Ah, the classic "limited-time" in-store exclusive strikes again. Social media can hype up anything, including this lunchbox.

Mission impossible: Scientists invented an ultra-thin battery for smart contact lenses that could support facial recognition and eye tracking one day. Here’s the kicker: You charge them with your tears! They’re powered by a saline solution instead of flammable lithium-ion batteries. Insanely cool.

💵 Wads up? Want to pay with cash? You might be directed to a “reverse ATM.” They put your cash on a debit card so you can pay at card-only businesses. It’ll cost you; a man at the newly cashless Yankee Stadium had to pay an extra $3.50 just to buy popcorn, and he was not glovin’ it.

Save some cash: If you’re trying to get a handle on all your streaming services and other subscriptions, use Rocket Money.* It helped me save $532 a year by canceling services I wasn’t using and had forgotten about. So smart!

So long, farewell: Google is killing off Timeline, the way to see all the places you’ve gone using Maps in your browser. If you want to store your old routes and travels, transfer them to the Google Maps app.

AI see what you’re sellin’: Sweet timesaver if you’re an eBay person: In the iOS app, AI can now add snazzy backgrounds to your product photos. Expect the change in the Android app soon.

Friday fun: Draw Logos from Memory is a quick browser game when you need a brain break. Pro tip: Click the little circles under each section to get more colors.

Save big on tech: Have old gadgets lying around? Trading them in can get you Amazon credit or a discount on your next purchase. Visit the Amazon Trade-In page for your deal.

When a service is free, you're the product. Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook aren't really free. You’re constantly paying with your privacy. From where you are to what you click, they know it all.

StartMail is the secure alternative email provider I trust. It’s free from invasive tracking and ads and packed with privacy features, like unlimited disposable email addresses and encrypted communication. Plus, you get a generous 20GB of storage.

Switching to StartMail is a breeze. They have an easy-to-use migration tool that seamlessly transfers your mail and contacts. And I negotiated a special deal just for you! Right now, StartMail is offering an exclusive 50% off annual subscriptions.

Sad news, Wheel Watchers! After 43 years, today is Pat Sajak's final episode hosting “Wheel of Fortune.”

The answer: D.) The idea for Uber was born in Paris on a snowy evening in 2008, when cofounders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp struggled to find a taxi. Uber officially launched in 2010 as a luxury car service in San Francisco. Today, Uber is valued at over $70 billion.

😂 One for the road: An Uber arrives to pick up a couple, and as they walk out of the house, their cat runs back inside. The husband returns to the house to chase out the cat, and his wife walks out to the Uber and tells the driver, “My husband is just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother. He’ll be quick!”

Ten minutes later, the husband comes out of the house with his hair a mess and his clothes disheveled. “Sorry I took so long,” he sighs. “She was hiding under the bed, and I had to poke her with a coat hanger before I could get her to come out. She put up a fight, but I was finally able to grab her and throw her out the back door.”

Thanks for reading, my friend. I’ll be back tomorrow with easy ways to make voice texting easier. I do it all the time! Until then, I’m giving you a high-five because you’re awesome. — Kim