Monday, you’re here. And whoa — another month is almost over. Let’s kick off this party with a little Halloween trivia. What was the original vegetable used for jack-o'-lanterns? Was it … turnips, carrots, potatoes or beets? Answer's at the end, friends.

🎉 Ross in Florida just won a new iPad from me! How? Share your unique referral link at the bottom of this newsletter with your friends and family, and you, too, could win a new iPad, MacBook or Windows laptop valued at $1,200! — Kim

Here’s a number that stopped me in my tracks: It would take about 47 hours to properly review the privacy policies of the 96 most frequently visited websites in the U.S. Getting through them all would be a full-time job!

Even if you were going for just the top sites, you’re in for a commitment. It would take about nine hours to read the privacy policies of just the top 20 most-visited sites.

I don't know about you, but I don't have two extra workweeks lying around. We can't just kick long privacy policies to the curb, either. Let's dive into the rest of the study and go through a few timesaving tips for reviewing these lengthy docs.

TL;DR (too long; didn’t read)

Researchers reviewed the privacy policies of the top 20 websites in 19 countries. They counted the number of words in each to find how long it would take the average person to read them.

The study revealed Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) had the longest privacy policy, at a whopping 19,434 words. It would take an estimated 82 minutes to read. Silver lining: Researchers said Meta’s policy was fairly easy to read.

X, Discord and Reddit also have easy-to-digest privacy policies, all things considered. X's policy has 4,175 words, a fraction of Meta’s. What about Zoom, Wikipedia and Netflix? Oops, their policies are all a bummer both in terms of length and readability.

Luckily, I have some ways to help you cut through the fluff.

Cut to the chase

Yes, it’d be nice if we could wave a magic wand to make every privacy policy as readable as possible. The next best thing? These very doable steps:

• Timesaving tip: Use Ctrl + F on your keyboard to do a quick search for buzzwords like “sell,” “partners” and “affiliates.” Pay attention to vague words and phrases like "may," which could indicate they’re getting tricky with your info.
• Look for data collection: Find sections like "How we collect your personal data" to see what a company gathers from you and how they do it.
• Pay attention to data usage: Search for things like “How we use your personal information" to get the company's take on why they need your data in the first place. Phrases like "business purposes" almost always mean they share it with third parties.
• Watch for location tracking: Look for words like “geolocation" and “geotargeting" to find out if your location information is collected. I always opt out of that when I can.
• Protect the kids: Watch for references to “COPPA,” or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, to see how a company protects your kid’s data.

Even easier, there’s a free resource that does all this for you. Terms of Service Didn’t Read is both a website and a browser add-on that summarizes the key points before you hit “Agree.”

✅ A few hits to leave you with: Reddit reads your private messages. Amazon can change its terms at any time without giving you notice. YouTube views your browser history. And PayPal tracks you even if you opt out of tracking.

😂 What do you call a person who doesn’t respect your privacy? A Zuckerberg. (True!)

You’re getting a big bonus! If you get an email from your boss, it might be a phishing test (WSJ, paylink). Nowadays, companies are getting crafty, using lures like gift cards or even Taylor Swift concert tickets to see if you’re lax about security. Talk about bad blood.

Buy your Apple Watch now: The Apple Watch uses an infrared light that penetrates your skin cells to measure oxygen — a system Masimo says it invented and Apple is using without paying them. Naturally, Apple denies any wrongdoing, but a new U.S. import ban could go into effect in 60 days.

✈️ The future takes flight (literally): An electric plane called Alia flew from Vermont to Florida, going over 2,000 miles on electricity alone. It made a lot of stops to charge. Now, the Air Force wants to test it at Duke Field Airport to see if it can handle jobs like carrying cargo.

Best fiber of all: Google Fiber will offer blazing-fast 20Gbps internet by the end of 2023 for select locations. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll get a special Wi‑Fi 7 router developed to handle those speeds around the home. Now you can stream all 45 seasons of "Survivor" at once!

💺 This won’t fly: United just rolled out a new boarding system. People with window seats hop on first, no matter the row. Next up, middle-seaters, followed by the aisle folks. The airline says everyone gets seated quicker — but I can already guarantee people with aisle seats will have absolutely no overhead storage.

While you're brushing your teeth, waiting for your toast or sipping your first coffee of the day, I deliver the top tech news story and a digital life hack, all within two minutes. No rambling, no fluff — just straight-to-the-point tech talk.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Lock it in: Before Apple TV+ goes up $3 a month, lock in a year at the current price and save $30. On iPhone, go to Settings and tap your name. Tap Subscriptions, then Apple TV+. Under See All Plans, you should see a $69-per-year option. Done!

Gimme more: Expand your options when you select a file in Windows 11. Right-click a file, then select Show more options to print, set as a background and lots more. Sweet.

📺 Placement matters: You’re sick of streaming bills, so you’re switching to an antenna. For Pete’s sake, don’t hide it behind a bookcase (or anything else). Your best bet is to place it near a window or even outside, if you have a weather-safe option.

Look around: Google Maps’ new AI features make it easier to find where you’re going. You’ll see more detailed views so you don’t get lost, or you can see if that bike trail actually looks as nice as it sounds. Be patient — Immersive View is available only in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle right now.

📁 Quick file-rename trick: On a Mac, select a file, then hit Return. Type a new filename and hit Return again to save it. On Windows, click a file, then hit F2. Type in the new name and hit Enter.

Think "hiring" and what site comes to mind? Yup, LinkedIn. Every week, nearly 52 million job seekers visit LinkedIn — and with good reason.

With LinkedIn, you can find the right person for any job, fast and free. Pro tip: Add your posted job and the purple "hiring" frame to your LinkedIn profile photo to spread the word.

Love this: LinkedIn screens questions and has other great tools that automatically weed out resumes that don't fit. Such a timesaver.

AI! Love what you did with my hair, but what's up with my hand?

The answer: Turnips. They were much more common in Ireland than pumpkins, so when the Irish began making lanterns to ward off evil spirits, they used what they had on hand. It wasn't until Irish immigrants came to America that they found pumpkins were much easier to carve.

🎃 One for the road: A piece of pumpkin pie costs $2.00 in Jamaica and $2.45 in Barbados. These are the pie‑rates of the Carribean. (Oh, was that a groan I heard, or are you just hungry?)

Thank you for starting your week with the best tech newsletter in the world. Do me a solid and leave a rating below so I know how we’re doing. See you tomorrow for a terrific Tuesday issue you’re gonna love! — Kim