Let’s kick off Sunday with a fun fact. Spotify data shows adults’ most-played songs are ones we first listened to in our early teens. This is your reminder to blast one of your faves from years past. Bet you’ll smile. And speaking of music, I need your help. I’ll explain why at the bottom of today’s newsletter. You could win a $25 gift card!

💁‍♀️ Today’s newsletter is just amazing. It’s so good that you really need to forward it to one or two people. They’ll thank you for it, and I will, too. — Kim

Any restaurant worth its salt wants to know what it's doing right and what it's screwing up — and some are willing to pay you for that info. But they can’t just judge servers and kitchen staff when they’re on their best behavior; they need someone undercover.

Enter mystery dining. Restaurants get genuine feedback and you get to eat out for free. I found out how you can have your cake and eat review it, too.

How it works

Yes, you really get your food free of charge, including tips and travel expenses, usually in the form of a voucher or gift card.

It is a job, though. You'll have to give a ton of feedback about your restaurant visit. How was the food? How was the service? What could've been better? You'll need to have an eye for detail and a good memory. You'll also need to take some photos as part of the trip.

Most of them have online portals, too. Once you’re registered and in their system, log into your account, check for available assignments, choose one to complete and upload your results.

Want to know more? I had a guy on my show who’s eaten $40,000 in free food through one of these gigs! Listen to the podcast or watch it as a video.

Who are these ‘mystery’ companies?

Mystery dining agencies act as a middleman between you and larger restaurants that pay them for intel. Here are a few of the most reputable:

• Second to None has been in the biz 30 years and can get you gigs in high-end and fast-food dining. (I’m pretty sure getting paid to critique an In‑N‑Out burger is Barry’s dream job …) They also work in retail, if shopping’s more your speed.
• Eye Spy CC focuses on dining and has excellent reviews from eaters who review for them. Shoppers report getting large enough budgets to go to high-end restaurants and really enjoy themselves.
• Market Force is another heavy-hitter in dining and retail. Diners say vouchers usually start small, but once you’ve worked with a company for a while, you can get larger assignments and additional pay.

FYI: This is a “secret” to restaurants — but not from the IRS. If you make over $600 with any org, you must file a Form 1099 like a regular independent contractor.

How to apply

Head to the Second to None, Eye Spy CC or Market Force websites to sign up. It's free to apply, and you'll just need to share a few details, like your name, birthday and location.

A company might ask you to do a practice mystery shop or sample assessment to make sure you're cut out for the job. Then, you’re off to the races.

🚨 Watch out: The companies I shared are legit, but “secret shopping” scams are super common. Test assignments are normal, but a real company will never ask you to pay them to secure an opportunity.

Have a friend who needs a side hustle? Share this with them! Then join for free dinner as their plus‑one. 😂

Bedsheets, old quilts, checkered tablecloths — OK, picnic blankets. Lightweight ripstop nylon that’s heat- and moisture-resistant and comes with stakes? Great picnic blanket. Plus, it’s 17% off ($9.97).

Stash your fixins in these colorful silicone collapsible containers that you can throw in the dishwasher when you get home (33% off, $19.99).

Skip disposable plates and go for this colorful wheat straw set with silverware, cups, plates and bowls — 20% off.

A little folding table (or two) to keep your plates off the ground really elevates things. This two-pack is just $21.99. Bonus: They double as lap tables once you’re back inside.

Don’t forget a portable speaker to add a little ambiance. This JBL model is 20% off, has a metal carabiner to clip it to your bag and boasts 10 hours of runtime.

🌼 Bogus bloom: Chinese scammers are selling fake seeds on eBay for "cat's eye dazzle.” News flash: Flowers that look like cats don’t exist. These AI-generated fakes are going for $45 and up. Older folks are the main targets. Similar phonies have been spotted on imseeds⁠.⁠com, gardenerstar⁠.⁠com, foundseed⁠.⁠com and dailyrosy⁠.⁠com.

Apple win: The FDA just named the Apple Watch an official “medical device development tool” for its atrial fibrillation tracker. This means Apple Watches will soon collect data in clinical studies. It’s the first digital health device to achieve that status. Super cool.

Google is so dead: OpenAI plans to release its own search engine as early as May 9. They want to steal Google's thunder ahead of its upcoming developer conference, where they’re making big AI announcements. I love the drama. When companies beef, we all win.

Randy Travis’ new AI hit: In 2013, country singer Randy Travis ("Forever and Ever, Amen," "Deeper Than the Holler") suffered a near-fatal stroke that left him unable to sing. Travis’ longtime producer, Kyle Lehning, put together a new song using an AI version of Travis’ voice, with his blessing. Take a listen here. It’s really good.

Awesome biblical discovery: Archaeologists carbon-dated a stretch of wall in ancient Jerusalem and confirmed a part of the Bible. Turns out, the wall experts once credited to King Hezekiah was actually built by King Uzziah after an earthquake — just like in the Old Testament. The scriptures read, “Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem … at the angle of the wall … two years before the earthquake.”

All right, there’s no club, but there is a better option. Join over 37,000 companies that have upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle. Manage your financials, inventory, HR, e‑commerce and more, all in one spot. No more getting lost in an endless sea of spreadsheets and docs.

Whether your business does a few hundred thousand dollars a year or a few hundred million, who wouldn’t love less paperwork, more insights and higher revenues? It’s time for you to make a move.

Stop running your business on gut feelings. Let the data speak to you. Take a sec and check out what NetSuite can do for you now.

Missing a Windows-style Start menu on your Mac? The free XMenu app gives you options to add a menu with applications, documents, folders and more, whether you’re nostalgic for the classic Apple menu or the functions of your former Windows machine.

Leave me alone: You’re trying to get something done on your PC and the notifications won’t stop. Click on the Start menu > Settings > System > Focus assist. You’ll see options for customizing the notifications you receive — including one to make them all silent.

Tweet-tweet, as heard on my show: The Merlin Bird ID app helps you figure out which pretty birdie you can hear or see based on an audio clip or photo. Super cool. Download it free for iOS or Android, and have fun!

Too hot to handle: Temps are in the 90s in Phoenix, which reminds me: Shade is your smartphone’s BFF. Put your phone in the shade if you’re outside, or leave it in a shaded part of your car, not on the sunny passenger’s seat.

Give me the highlights: Don’t let a YouTube video hold you hostage, only for you to find out it wasn’t worth your time. I like Perplexity AI for this task. All you need to do is copy the video URL, paste the link into Gemini, and use the prompt “Summarize this video” to have it skim the details for you.

🎙️ Every weekend on my award-winning national radio show heard on over 420 stations, I talk with interesting folks like you. Catch these convos on a station near you or as a podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• David in Kalispell, Montana, is on a quest to solve cold missing persons’ cases. He's got a lot of followers on YouTube and wants to keep ‘em watching.
• Linda in Philadelphia is an eBay mogul who got started by selling her sons' old video games. Two decades later, her store, Linda’s Stuff, has sold over 4.2 million items and brings in $25 million annually.
• Trevor in Virginia Beach has a duck’s nest in front of his house with eggs ready to hatch. He wants a camera to record the ducklings.

Plus, Elsie needs to pull texts for court, Vickie wants to sell gift cards online, Pat falls for an escrow scam, Tom seeks info on car data collecting, Shawn looks for an app to track investments and more!

📆 Let’s talk about anything digital in your life, whether it’s family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here. I would love that!

Watch: A pet flying squirrel that fakes its death. So funny! Shoutout to loyal reader Michele in Huntington Beach, California, for this one.

Redecorate: Your living room with help from Wayfair’s AI. Even if you don’t buy a thing, it’s good for inspo!

Transcribe: Audio into text with this neat (and free) Google Chrome extension.

Find: The name of that song from your favorite show with Tunefind.

Make: Homemade mayo. It’s way better than the jarred stuff and super easy if you have an immersion blender.

What did the guacamole say to the salsa? “Avo good day.”

I started with some music talk, so let’s finish there. If I shared my favorite playlists for the summer, would you listen? I love making playlists. They’re like modern-day mixtapes!

💡 When you review this newsletter below or hit reply, tell me any songs you think I should include. Oh, and this is important — I also need to know where you stream your music. I’ll pick someone to win a $25 gift card as a thank-you for your help.

I’ll see you here tomorrow with a list every traveler should read: The airlines that lose luggage the most and my tips to ensure your luggage always finds you. Hope it saves you a headache! Until then, stay your awesome self. — Kim