It’s Wednesday, my friend! A little security trivia to start this party. What are the chances someone else’s face can open your iPhone? Is it … A.) 1 in 10,000, B.) 1 in 100,000, C.) 1 in 1,000,000 or D.) 1 in 1,000,000,000? Answer at the end.

🕵🏼 Word of the day: Privacy! How can you get yours back? Do like I did and use Incogni. Promo code KIM60 gives you a 60% discount. This slick service removes you from over 180 data-broker and people-search sites. Sign up, fill out your profile, and they handle the rest. I bet you’ll love it as much as I do. — Kim

I make it a point to do the three important tasks below once a year. Now, you need to do the same. At the bottom, use the share icons to be the hero in your family and with your friends, too.

1. Pull your credit report

The three credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) are required by law to provide you with one free credit report a year. Sweet. There are a few ways you can request a copy of yours from each agency:

• Online: www.AnnualCreditReport.com
• Phone: 877‑FACTACT (877‑322‑8228)
• Mail: Download and complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form. Send it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348‑5281

FYI, online is the fastest route. If you submit a request via phone or mail, expect to wait two weeks after the paperwork is received.

2. Look at your medical data, too

There’s another type of credit report to pay attention to: A secret “health credit report” used mainly by life insurance companies to determine how big of a risk you are.

These reports can contain mistakes, just like your financial credit reports. It’s a good idea to review them from time to time and make sure everything is on the up and up. The good news is you have the right to see your health credit report whenever you’d like.

Start with Milliman IntelliScript. They have prescription info about you if you’ve authorized the release of your medical records to an insurance company and that company requests a report. To request a copy of your report, call 877‑211‑4816.

▶️ There are two more companies to reach out to listed here.

3. Check into your car

Tens of millions of vehicles on the road have open recalls. Best case, they’re small annoyances. Worst case, you shouldn’t be driving it.

Your car’s manufacturer should reach out if there’s a serious recall, but there are all sorts of reasons that might not happen. Do it yourself:

• Step 1: Find your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number. Stand outside the front windshield and look down at the lower driver’s side corner of the dashboard. Some cars also have it printed on the driver-side door jamb.
• Step 2: Use the NHTSA recall checkup tool. Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall lookup page. Enter your VIN into the search field, and the results will show the number and type of safety recalls that apply to your specific vehicle.
• Step 3: Update your registration. Keep your registration up to date and ensure your current address is on file so your car’s manufacturer can reach you.

✅ OK, now you have your weekend to-do list. On the upside, doing all this just takes a few minutes, and you’re going to feel like a superstar when it’s done! Remember, share this intel using the icons below.

Over 7.5 million people are cyberstalked every year. Creeps can easily find your info online and then use it to harass you however they want. I hear from stalking victims all the time, and the person responsible is often tech‑savvy.

If it’s a stranger harassing you online, that’s one thing. But it gets even worse if they find things like your address or Social Security number and can torture you off the web. That’s why I use and trust Incogni. They know where to find my information all across the internet and scrub it for me.

They can do the same for you. It’s easy to set up and use Incogni. All you have to do is create a profile, and then they get to work on your behalf.

🚨 I told you about this a week ago: It’s finally hit mainstream news that hackers leaked 2.7 billion records from National Public Data. Translation: Every American (and residents in the U.K. and Canada) may have their full name, address, date of birth, phone number and Social Security number up for grabs. Protect yourself and freeze your credit today!

New Google goodies: Big announcements at yesterday's event include the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL (out Aug. 22) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (out Sept. 4). The lineup also contains two new AI apps — Pixel Screenshots for searching screenshot info (I want that on my iPhone!) and Pixel Studio for text-to-image generation. Ahem, soon you’ll be able to get a Pixel 8 model as cheap as they come.

🎙️ Speaking badly of the dead making money is a grave mistake: AI is driving new money into the estates of Hollywood legends in ElevenLabs’ Reader App. You can listen to audiobooks narrated by stars like Judy Garland, James Dean, Burt Reynolds and Sir Laurence Olivier. They only needed 30 minutes of audio to create these eerily accurate “professional voice clones.”

Over 2 million American teens vape: “This is Quitting” is a free texting program that offers clinically proven advice from experts and other young people who’ve quit. It’s effective, too — 35% of kids who enrolled were more likely to give up the habit after seven months. Pass it on: Text DITCHVAPE to 88709.

🛌 Taller people sleep longer in bed: Women are turning to ChatGPT to catch guys lying about their height on dating apps. Upload four pics, and a bot can size someone up based on their surroundings and proportions. In a test of 10 people, ChatGPT came within an inch of assessing their real measurements. Short kings, I've got you: Height-increasing insoles to the rescue.

Mental health help: The first FDA-approved app to treat depression is now available. Rejoyn offers a six-week program with brain-training exercises and short skill-based therapy lessons. You’ll need a prescription, which means you must be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, currently on antidepressants and at least 22 years old. More info here.

No more freebies: Brands are cracking down on folks using student discounts long after graduation. Old IDs and email addresses won’t cut it anymore (paywall link). Credential verification companies like SheerID tap into over 200,000 data sources to confirm if you’re really still in school.

📦 Happy deal hunting: Amazon rebranded its used item marketplace to Amazon Resale (secret link there!), where you can snag deals on used, pre-owned or open-box products. I found a pretty sweet Chromebook for around $200 and an iPad for just $110. Every listing is inspected and covered by Amazon’s return policy. Check it out!

• Add a headset holder for all your bags (less than $6 a pair).
• A car trash can is a must (41% off), especially if you have kids or have to eat on the go.
• This reusable goop is fantastic for cleaning out vents and little crevices where crud gets stuck. Under $6 right now!
• This Bluetooth adapter lets you listen to tunes, take hands-free calls and charge your devices.
• Wipe out stains with a cleaner that works on leather, fabric and carpet.

So sweet: A nifty shopping tool that recommends parts and accessories that will truly fit your car. They ask for your license plate number, but pick your car’s make and model instead.

🔋 iNeed you to know this: The battery in an AirTag lasts about a year. Once it dies, you don’t need to trash it like lots of people do. We put together an awesome video with exact steps to swap the battery yourself, no tools required!

Way easier than Photoshop: Have a ChatGPT account? You can now create two images a day for free with the DALL‑E 3 generator. Use it for anything and everything: A meme, an image for a work presentation, a mockup of your next great invention — you name it.

🔖 Bookmarks are so 2010: Want all your last-viewed tabs to reopen when you start your browser? In Chrome, click the three vertical dots at the top right, then tap Settings. Click On startup > Continue where you left off. Steps for Safari, Firefox and Edge here.

If your house is on the market: Take a good look at what’s posted online. One study reviewed 44 virtual tours, and every single home had at least one piece of private information — a diploma, a photo, a letter — on display. Steps here to remove photos from the major real estate sites.

🎸 Show Michael some love: He’s my friend, a big-time radio industry guy and a musician. His band, Gunhill Road, made a super-interesting song about AI that explores the what-ifs we’re all thinking about. Check it out and leave him a nice comment!

100,000: Help me reach 100,000 subscribers on YouTube by clicking this link right now. Every click matters! Thank you.

Faker, faker: Spot phony shopping websites before they scam you.

🥕 What’s up, doc? This is your reminder to add baby carrots to your grocery list.

Back-to-school-shopping warning: I wish I didn’t have to say this, but check the dressing room before your kid goes in.

The answer: C.) 1 in 1,000,000 is the probability of a random person being able to unlock your iPhone using Face ID, according to Apple. When it comes to Touch ID, their fingerprint technology, the estimated probability of a mismatch is 1 in 50,000.

🦸 Controlling probability is the best superpower — and I think there's a big chance you'll agree! (Yes! You smiled!)

✅ Before you go: Don’t forget to check out Incogni and get 60% off. I used it and was blown away, because the spammy calls and texts to my phone have just stopped. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow at the same time, same place. — Kim