It’s a beautiful Sunday to get tech know-how, friend! Let’s play with numbers today. With the two astronauts stuck on the ISS, how long was the longest spaceflight ever taken by an American astronaut? In days, was it … A.) 371, B.) 665, C.) 204 or D.) 225? You’ll find the answer at the end. You’ll find the answer at the end.

🇺🇸 Today’s top story impacts every single American. We’re deep into election season, and scammers are turning up the heat. Plus, many of you have been asking about my corneal transplant, so I’ve included an update in this issue, too. (Spoiler: It’s great news!) — Kim

In all my years on radio, I’ve made a couple of things clear: I don’t talk politics, and I don’t make stock picks. Every good rule has its exceptions, though, and scams are mine. I’m here to help you stay safe as we get closer to elections.

Billions of dollars are pouring into the 2024 House, Senate and presidential races. I bet you’ve received a call (or 10) from folks asking you to pull out your wallet. The pleas come in text form, too, plus videos, social media posts and, yep, direct messages. I don’t care who you support — scammers come after us all.

Know their tricks …

… So you don’t fall for them. Here are a few do’s and don’ts for keeping your money safe:

• Do verify it’s a real organization. Here’s a list of registered PACs maintained by the Federal Election Commission.
• Do search for the PAC name. Hey, it’s worth it to see if anything shady pops up. Some funnel money to their own advisors and marketing budgets, not to the candidates they claim to support. This page is useful, too.
• Do use a credit card if you donate. Checks and debit cards don’t have the same scam protections.
• Don’t give payment info over the phone. Find the official website and donate there.
• Don’t click links. That includes those in emails, texts or any other sources. When in doubt, visit the candidate’s or party’s official campaign website.

Pro tip: TikTok banned political fundraising in 2022. Anything you see there asking you to donate is likely a scam — or it’s someone skirting the rules, and you don’t want to be involved with that, either.

False info is spreading faster than ever

It’s not just your wallet you need to worry about. Fake news travels quickly online. I’ve seen everything from “The election is canceled” to “Non-citizens get to vote this year.”

In some cases, foreign countries are behind these massive misinformation campaigns. Meta says the Kremlin is the No. 1 source (paywall link) of AI-created misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

The most common trick on Facebook? Imaginary “journalists” who write bogus news stories. If it’s a news outlet you’ve never heard of, look elsewhere to corroborate the story.

🏃‍♂️ Speaking of … Now, don’t act like you didn’t know it was coming. Karl Marx is a historically famous philosopher and political theorist. Few people know about his sister, Onya, the inventor of the starter pistol. (Get it? Onya Marx? Tough crowd today!)

I know it’s happened to you. You tell a friend how nice it would be to visit Hawaii, and now all your social media feeds are filled with travel ads featuring beautiful beaches and hotels! Aren’t you tired of ads tracking you? They’re not just annoying; they’re designed to track you and could even lead you to sketchy sites with malicious downloads.

It’s time to put ad stalkers to rest and get a cleaner, safer and faster browsing experience. Total Adblock stops advertising trackers from following your every move online.

For just $19 for the first year, you can stop the targeted ad onslaught. So worth it.

🚨 Use Amazon, Facebook, PayPal, Google or Microsoft? Hackers want your passwords. Tricks to get Google logins are up 243% this year because that one password can unlock a ton if you use Gmail. Watch for calls and texts urging you to click a URL, download an app or scan a QR code.

⚠️ Windows security alert: Windows Downdate is a new tool that can un-patch security flaws on your up-to-date PC. It’s meant for researching and testing vulnerabilities. If hackers trick you into downloading it, you’re screwed. Never download random files online, and always run antivirus scans regularly. I recommend TotalAV.*

A mom's worst nightmare: She put her special needs son on the bus for his first day of kindergarten, but the school said he never arrived. Thankfully, she’d placed an Apple AirTag in his backpack, and police tracked him down on the bus ride home. It turns out the teacher mistakenly marked him as absent. I’d find a new school.

The knock-less monster: Consumer Reports discovered a gaping security hole in Eken's $30 smart doorbells. Hackers simply need to download a separate app, press a button for eight seconds, and boom — they're in. Get a solid video doorbell instead and 20% off the home security system I use with SimpliSafe.*

Crime gets clicks: A beauty store in Concord, California, came up with a clever way to stop shoplifting: Posting videos of thieves on TikTok. They have a sign warning would-be bandits, and it’s working. Since they started posting, thefts are down, sales are up, and their TikTok account is racking up millions of views.

New Instagram features: Add text to photos by tapping the text button, or throw in stickers via the gallery. Reels got an upgrade, too, with new fonts, animations and text effects. Simply tap the text button, and then hit the animations button and effects button. Plus, you can now upload up to 20 photos in one post.

📝 This snoop is a real dog: A new AI wearable records your conversations and transcribes them to help you be more productive. The company behind it says it can save you 260 hours a year. Cost? $169 plus monthly fees. That’s an expensive tracker.

Amazing Grace: Meet Grace Hopper, the legendary computer scientist and U.S. Navy rear admiral, who gave a lecture in 1982 called "Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software and People." This iconic talk has been unavailable to the public because it was stuck on outdated AMPEX tapes. Now, it’s digitized. Here’s Part 1 and here’s Part 2.

… With how good this year’s Labor Day sales are! I know, eye roll — but there are some sweet discounts.

• Get $50 off a pair of 2nd-gen AirPods Pro earbuds. So much more comfortable than the basic ones and great for phone calls.
• We have an air purifier (22% off) in our bedroom. Makes a difference with air quality, and its gentle white noise muffles other sounds.
• Never seen a Keurig cuter than this green single-cup machine that’s 40% off.
• Have any Amazon Echo devices? These Alexa-enabled smart plugs are 20% off.
• Depuff your eyes (guys and gals!) after a long night. Pro tip: Store them in the fridge.
• Your bum deserves a sweet bidet. Tushy’s nice model is 24% off.

Trust me, it’s dusty: Your laptop and desktop gather dust just like everything else. Do yourself (and your wallet) a favor and blow out all the junk. Compressed air (whoa, 47% off) gets the job done, but I prefer a reusable air duster (54% off!).

📶 Goodnight, kids: If your kids sneak back onto their phones, tablets and computers at night, I have a trick: Disable the Wi-Fi after a specific time for all your devices or just certain ones, like your kiddo’s iPad. If you use an app to control your internet, pop in there. Otherwise, log into your router’s web interface. Steps here!

A canceled or delayed flight is the worst: Before I leave for the airport, I look up my trip on FlightAware. If your plane is stuck in another city, you’ll see it there before your airline updates its app.

Alerts that matter: You don‘t want Gmail informing you of every single email — only the ones you care about. Set it up that way. Open the Gmail app, tap Menu > Settings, and select your account. Tap Email notifications > High priority only. To set an email (and sender) as high priority, star a message or hit Mark as important.

👚 I’m picky about my clothes and Barry’s: I like nice basics that last — and don’t cost a ton. Bonus if I can throw ‘em in the washer. Quince has washable silk tops and $40 cashmere. Go to quince.com/kim for free shipping and 365-day returns.* They offer awesome men’s styles, too!

• Nancy in Santa Rosa, California, uses her Roomba to deal with dog fur at home. She just found reports about videos from these vacs getting shared online.
• David in St. Louis is on the hunt for his wife’s phone. It was ripped out of her hands by a cyclist while on vacation in Chile. So scary!
• CJ in Los Angeles says drones sometimes fly over his house. He ignored it … until he lost his home insurance based on pics of his backyard.

Plus, Nathan wants to lease Apple gear, Matt needs GoFundMe campaign tips, Kate looks for 3D-rendering expertise, Ron takes on a domain hijacker and so much more!

One click is all it takes: I am SO close to reaching 100,000 YouTube subscribers, so be my hero and subscribe — and tell a friend, too! Use this link to help me out. We have a blast on my channel!

Smile: With a daily dose of happiness from Nice News. They filter through over 100 sources every day to send you uplifting and relevant news stories. Join over 750,000 readers who get their free newsletter.

Guess: The most expensive city to live in around the world.

Take: A photo of your bags and everything inside before you fly. It’ll help prove they’re yours if they get lost and get you compensated for missing or damaged goods. Love these bright tags that help you find your bag, too.

Test: Your four-wheel drive before you get stuck somewhere. All you need is a parking curb and this 30-second video from a local dad.

Cook: The ultimate salmon burger. I want to grill this before summer ends!

So, so grateful for the organ donor who made my corneal transplant possible. (Click here to see it bigger on your screen.)

The answer: A.) 371. Astronaut Frank Rubio set NASA’s record for the single longest continuous spaceflight just last year. Luckily, he had the comforts of the ISS to keep him company.

If you guessed 665 days, you’re close — that’s the total time Peggy Whitson spent in space over her career, making her the NASA astronaut with the most cumulative days in space.

😂 What do you call a drunk astronaut? Buzzed Litebeer!

Have a wonderful Sunday, my friend. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA. You know I can’t resist a sale, so I have the best Labor Day deals. Until then, stay your amazing self! — Kim