Welcome to Wednesday, friend! Today’s issue is packed to keep you tech-ahead so you’re never left tech-behind. Now, if you’re ever in a position to make lunch for Bill Gates — the founder of Microsoft, worth an estimated $111.4 billion — what should be on the menu: Cheeseburgers, pizza, quiche or a filet? You’ll find the answer at the end. I’ll tell you, this one surprised me!

🛟 Have tech troubles? Drop your questions in my members-only Q&A Forum, and let me and my team of tech wizards guide you! Because you’re a Current reader, enjoy a 30-day free trial of the Komando Community on me. After that, it's less than $5 a month to support our work. On to the tech smarts! — Kim

Do you have any idea how much you’re paying for Amazon Prime? If you said, “Probably around $100 a year,” try again. You might be spending over $300 annually and not even realize it. Let me explain.

Priming the pump

Come with me back to Feb. 2, 2005. That’s when Amazon announced that for $79 a year, you could get free two-day shipping on most items with no minimum purchase. The price of Prime remained $79 annually until 2014, when it jumped to $99 a year.

In 2018, Prime membership costs increased again to $119 annually. In November 2019, Amazon raised the price for 100GB of photo storage from $11.99 per year to $19.99 a year. And in 2020, Amazon’s Whole Foods delivery came with a new $9.95 charge.

It doesn’t make cents

In 2022, an Amazon Prime membership jumped $20 more to $139 annually. In 2023, Amazon Fresh grocery delivery minimums skyrocketed from $35 to $150, only to be lowered to $100 later. Amazon Music Unlimited also went up, hitting $99 a year.

Now, ads have crept into Prime Video. If you can't stand the interruptions, it'll cost you an extra $2.99 monthly … which doesn’t sound as bad until you realize it’s $36 a year.

Outside of Prime Video, Prime members can subscribe to other major streaming channels, including HBO Max, Showtime and Starz. Each has its own subscription cost (typically around $8.99 to $15.99 per month, depending on the channel).

If you enjoy reading, Amazon Kindle Unlimited will set you back another $9.99 per month. Prefer to listen to books instead? An Audible membership costs $14.95 a month. Got children? Amazon Kids+ gives Prime members kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows and apps … for another $4.99 per month.

Know how much you’re really paying

Here’s how to see your current membership type (monthly or annually), your next renewal date and the price you’re being charged:

• Use this link to see how much you’re paying for Amazon Prime.
• You can also sign into your account on Amazon’s website. Then, hover over Account & Lists at the top right to open the dropdown menu. In the menu, click Prime Membership.

Any add-ons or additional subscriptions through Amazon — think Prime Video cable channels, Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Music Unlimited — are typically listed in a separate section of your account. To check these:

• Use this link to see your subscriptions.
• Otherwise, from Your Account, select Memberships & Subscriptions or Subscribe & Save Items to see a list of your active subscriptions, their costs and renewal dates.

The exact steps may vary slightly depending on whether you’re using a web browser or the Amazon app (or which way the wind is blowing).

Secret to saving money on Amazon Prime

Amazon Household lets you share your Prime benefits with others in your household. Adults in your household will have access to free Prime delivery, Prime Video and all the rest. Click here to set it up.

Other ways to save

• Annual vs. monthly: If you can afford to pay upfront, opt for an annual membership instead of monthly. The lump sum is $40 less.
• Student discounts: Prime Student is half the cost of a regular Prime membership, and you get a six-month free trial to boot.
• EBT and government assistance: If you have an EBT or Medicaid card, you may qualify for a discounted Prime membership.
• Share with a friend: Consider splitting the cost of a Household account with a trusted friend or family member. Just remember that this will involve sharing payment methods.
• Use Amazon Prime Rewards: If you shop frequently on Amazon or at Whole Foods, consider the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card. The cash back may offset the cost of your membership.

Share this with your family and friends. I bet they’ll be surprised, too, when they see how much they’re spending on Amazon Prime!

AI is transforming the world faster than ever, and your business needs to keep up. Here's your chance to take a FREE test drive and discover the power of AI.

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🚨 “Your spouse is cheating”: That’s the message in a new sextortion email scam. It includes a link to the “proof,” along with your full name. Whatever you do, don’t click the links. Mark the email as spam, delete it and give your honeybunny a hug.

✈️ This is your hacker speaking: There’s an app small airlines use to upload flight crew to precleared TSA lists. Cybersecurity researchers found they could edit photos and names in the app, meaning fake pilots could bypass security checks. Yikes. The TSA says 300 people have evaded airport security since March 2023.

This is awful: The Washington Post found Google Trends offers an unsettling peek into what people are trying to kill. Top targets? Bugs like ants, fleas and flies. Grass, mold and weeds are also on the hit list. It gets darker. Cats and dogs are among the most-searched-for “how to kill” animals. The most popular search, though, is “How to kill yourself.” If you ever think that, call or text 988, please.

🚫 Another China ban: The House of Representatives just voted to ban new DJI drones in the U.S. The Chinese spy balloon incident, along with China's threats to invade Taiwan and drag America into a Pacific war, have led to real concerns about China collecting intricately detailed maps of the U.S. and its infrastructure through the millions of DJI drones flown by innocent Americans. You can still buy one, but if the bill passes, flying new models will be off‑limits.

What could go wrong? A lot: Soon, Nevada will use Google AI to rule on unemployment benefit cases. The tech will analyze appeal hearing transcripts to clear the backlog of claims human workers can’t keep up with. A human will make the final decision. Here’s hoping AI doesn’t "hallucinate" facts.

Return of the Sith: James Earl Jones signed over the AI voice rights to his Darth Vader character before he died. At 91, he was ready to step back from the role. AI company Respeecher cloned his voice using sound bites he'd recorded over the years. As it turns out, this tech was already used in the 2022 “Obi-Wan Kenobi” miniseries.

🏈 Coming to Thursday Night Football: Defensive Alerts is Amazon’s new AI that tracks defensive players' movements before a play and predicts who’s most likely to rush the quarterback. You can catch it in action this Thursday during the Miami vs. Buffalo game! Look for the red orb on your screen. Wonder how many times the AI will be right …

These are solid, practical picks:

• A fireproof storage box (10% off) is a wise investment if you have lots of hard-copy photos.
• This fireproof, waterproof organizer is the right way to store important docs like your passport and birth certificate.
• Show off your favorite 4-by-6-inch pics in a beautiful hardcover photo book (25% off).
• USB flash drives are good backups for digital pictures and documents. Just don’t misplace them, please.
• This smart digital photo frame (50% off) lets you share photos with anyone from anywhere right through the app.

👕 I’m super selective: Especially when it comes to clothes for both Barry and me. I love high-quality basics that look great, last a long time and don’t break the bank. Quince has amazing options like washable silk tops and $40 cashmere. Head to quince.com/kim for free shipping and 365-day returns.* Their men’s styles are top-notch, too!

Where is that? You know you sent someone a pic but can’t find it. On iPhone, open Messages, tap a convo, and then tap the person’s profile photo or group name. Scroll to Photos > See All. On Android, open Messages and tap the search bar at the top.

✅ Be a real smarty-pants: Use Google's Fact Check Explorer to win any argument — or see if what you read online is true. Search by keywords, and you’ll see a list of matching claims and corresponding fact-checks. You’re welcome.

A swipe away: On a Chromebook, gestures can do a lot. Swipe up with three fingers to see open windows. Tap a link with three fingers to open it. Close a Chrome tab with a three-finger tap.

🔕 Respectfully, shut up: You’re in a meeting and your phone rings. Instead of hitting “Ignore,” press the volume down button to mute the ringer. Bonus: The person calling won’t get immediately sent to voicemail and think you’re ignoring them.

You have gotta be kitten me.

🍔 The answer: Bill Gates is known for loving cheeseburgers. Heck, you don’t need to make them. His favorites are from McDonald’s … along with a Diet Coke.

Storytime: I interviewed Bill Gates years ago when I was single. Afterward, my mom called me to ask how it went. I told her he was really quite nerdy, gave one-word answers and definitely wasn’t my type. She said, “Oh, honey, with that kind of money, you can fix anything!” I miss my mom so much …

👋 Thanks for reading, friend. Rate this issue below and leave a comment. I read them all! I will be back tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim