The Current Plus: Florida bans teens from social media, bogus VPN app, Amazon Pharmacy expands | In partnership with LinkedIn | | Hello and happy Wednesday, my techy friend! Let’s kick things off with a wild fact. Did you know wearing a necktie reduces blood flow to your brain by 7.5%? I’m knot kidding. That’s enough to cause dizziness and headaches! Just another reason we’re business casual here at Komando HQ. Need a laugh this morning? I’m streaming live on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook and probably anywhere else you watch vids! Leave a comment, and I might just read it on the air. Hit “Reply” for this email! You’re telling Big Tech you want to see my messages. Let’s keep at it, folks. Reply with a joke, an emoji or even just “Hi.” It all helps! Now, let’s do this. — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE 🇺🇲 They’re everywhere already ▶️ Fake VPN in the Play Store 📵 Teens banned from social media |
TODAY'S TOP STORY Election fake-out Let’s see … There was the deepfake audio robocall of President Biden telling you to hold your vote … And just last week, a phony video of Donald Trump with black voters made the rounds. AI deepfakes are a massive problem this election season, and I want to make sure you don’t get taken. I want you to vote based on the actual facts (and videos). I shared this in yesterday’s newsletter, but it bears repeating: Nearly two-thirds of folks can’t tell the difference between AI-generated images and voices and the real thing. Those are awful odds. I put together these rules of thumb to protect your vote. ‘Viral’ doesn’t mean ‘verified’ Almost all of the AI-generated slop online is peddled for clicks on social media, not published by major news outlets. These pubs still get tripped up, of course, but it's rare. I’m all for citizen journalism, but when it comes to our elections, stick to publications you know you can trust. Be wary of anonymous accounts that post without a legitimate person or organization attached to them. Look for other coverage Scammers can put together a convincing image or video, but they can't fake the context. When Biden or Trump says something, I promise it will be reported a hundred times and recorded from 20 angles — especially if it’s outlandish. If you can only find one source for something, your internal AI detector should go off. Use Google Fact Check Explorer, VerifyThis or Snopes to double‑check. When in doubt, use this AI image checklist Election fakes are particularly tricky to spot because there’s so much public footage of politicians speaking in front of similar backgrounds to copy. But you can still use these guidelines to verify if it’s AI or not: Backgrounds: A vague, blurred background, smooth surfaces or lines that don’t match up are immediate red flags that an image is AI-generated. Also, use your head — if the scenery doesn’t align with the current climate, season or what’s physically possible, that’s because it’s fake. Proportions: Check for objects that look mushed together or seem too large or small. The same goes for features, especially ears, fingers and feet. Text: AI can’t spell. Look for fake words on signs and labels. Chins: Yep, you heard me. The lower half of the face is the No. 1 giveaway on AI-generated candidate videos. It’s subtle, but check to see if their chin or neck moves unnaturally or in an exaggerated way. Fingers and hands: Look for weird positions, too many fingers, extra-long digits or hands out of place. If you spot it, don’t spread it I get that some of these images and videos are shocking or even hilarious — but they’re putting our elections at risk. Don’t contribute to the “Great American Fake-Off.” If you’re going to share something you know is AI-generated, call it out clearly in your text or post. You’re better off not sharing it at all. 😀 What do you call an election ballot in Mexico? Pick‑o de guy‑o! |
DEALS OF THE DAY Lost and found Tech to help you keep track of your stuff. Don’t leave home without ‘em! Great deal on a four-pack of AirTags — one for your checked bag, one for your carry-on, one for a purse and one for personal items. This Tile four-pack includes two Mates for your keys, a Sticker for your remote and one card-sized Slim to slide into your wallet. A lower-tech (and lower-cost) option that uses radio frequencies on four colored fobs — just hit the corresponding button and listen for the beep, no app necessary! A good deal on a radio-frequency multipack, this one with six fobs. If you have a Samsung phone, this two-pack of Samsung Galaxy SmartTags is just for you. |
WEB WATERCOOLER 💀 Live2scam: Scammers are impersonating a viral chatbot, Life2vec, which uses AI to calculate your lifespan and potential wealth with scary accuracy. The fakes route you to sites that steal data and cash. The real one’s not available to the public yet! I’ll let you know when it is. Check your phone for these free VPNs: Google removed 15 malicious apps from its Play Store that turn your phone into a “proxy” for other people's dodgy internet dealings. If you downloaded one, do a complete factory reset on your phone. As far as VPNs go, the only one you should use is ExpressVPN.* 🚜 Robots of the corn: This year’s World Agriculture Expo showcased everything from drone swarms that can shower fields with fertilizer to robots that pick berries with silicone hands. Oh, and a "Laser Weeder" that blasts weeds into oblivion. I totally want to be a farmer now! Starting in January 2025: Florida joins Arkansas, Ohio and Utah in banning kids under 14 from having social media accounts and requiring parents’ permission to scroll. Look, we already have proof social media causes anxiety, depression, eating disorders and more. It’s evil at work. Give these laws your support. 💊 Oh, my gerd: Amazon’s new same-day prescription deliveries started in New York and LA, and a dozen more cities will get it by the end of this year. Prime members receive free shipping. Might be worth doing some price comparisons against where you get your meds now. Skip that “1 cent” iPhone: Amazon’s selling Apple iPhone 15 models for a penny. The catch? Boost Mobile ropes you into a 36-month contract with monthly bills up to $70. That’s $2,500 all in. Not exactly a steal when you can pick up a certified refurb for around $700 … 🍋 TikTok 2.0: TikTok owner ByteDance is throwing cash at influencers to hype Lemon8, a Communist China alternative to Instagram. The plan? To keep their U.S. presence alive. Spoiler: It’s failing miserably. Yay for us. Department of Corrections: A SWAT team wrongfully raided a St. Louis family's home after the FindMy app pointed them there. How the heck did it happen? The stolen AirPods connected to a carjacking were lying on the street outside the home. You’d better believe the family's lawyering up for damages. |
LISTEN UP | | What Amazon Prime really costs At $139 a year, is it still a bargain? Let's unpack the real cost of Prime and see if it's worth your money. Play Now • 6:47 ▶ |
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TECH LIFE UPGRADES Snip it: I take screenshots on my computer, well, every day. On Windows, press the Windows key + Shift + s. On a Mac, hit Cmd + Shift + 4 and you’ll get a handy little box you can adjust to snap a pic of whatever’s inside its borders. 🎮 Fortnite for free: Your Amazon Prime membership includes games through Amazon Luna. Play Fortnite, Trackmania and others on devices you already own for no extra charge. If you really get into it, add more to play with Ubisoft or Jackbox Games. Game on. Is that a library in your pocket? I like the Libby app for borrowing e-books, audiobooks and magazines from your local library, free of charge. Pro tip: If there’s a long wait for a book, look for it in a different format, like an audiobook. Vibe check: The Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini can do more than just play your music. You can dial in your home’s climate with its built-in temperature and humidity sensors. Find the readings in the Home app on your phone. Brr! Traveling soon? Make a custom Google Map outlining your trip and share it — along with your itinerary and real-time location — with someone back home. Open Google Maps on your computer, then go to Saved > Maps > Create map. Pin each city you’re visiting or each stop on your epic hike. |
BY THE NUMBERS 41% of managers Want to replace human employees with AI this year. Another 45% see AI as an opportunity to lower the salaries of employees on their payroll. I think AI has huge potential to optimize our work … but yet again, greedy humans are ruining it for the rest of us. Pretty bleak. 15 years later … You can finally personalize your iPhone grid. iOS 18 includes a feature Android users have long enjoyed: The ability to create blank rows and open spaces on your home screen. Can’t wait to waste 15 minutes fiddling with mine. 56% of new cars in 2032 Will be electric or hybrid. That’s according to new EPA guidelines that go into effect in 2027 (and only apply to cars and light trucks). Expect guidelines for heavy trucks soon. Now they just need to build in a revving sound and maybe an engine rumble. 😂 |
WHAT THE TECH? Holy carp, that’s cool.
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UNTIL NEXT TIME ... And that’s all folks! This article has more on the study I mentioned about neckties and blood flow, in case your suit-wearing pal wants proof. I used to think wetsuits were the most uncomfortable clothing, but now that I know this, I guess it’s a tie. 🐟 OK, one more for the road: Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll spend a fortune on gear he only uses twice a year. If you’re hiring, do like I do and use LinkedIn. Their tech cuts down on all the time spent sifting through applications that are off the mark. Hey, we could all use more time. Post a job free! Goodbye for now, friend. See you back here tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA. — Kim |
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