Hey, hi, hello, it’s Friday! Let’s start today’s tech party with some far-out trivia. It’s the 67th anniversary of Sputnik 1, the first manmade satellite to orbit Earth. Today’s satellites are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. How much did Sputnik 1 weigh? Was it … A.) 150 pounds, B.) 189 pounds, C.) 1,500 pounds or D.) 500 pounds? Put on your thinking cap, and you’ll find the answer at the end!

🤩 Help me hit 100,000 subscribers. I’m almost there on YouTube. Heck, you don’t even have to watch a vid, though I sure hope you do! Hit this link to subscribe. Thanks, friend. — Kim

Amazon’s fall Prime Big Deal Days sale is next week on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. Yes, I’ll be sharing all the best deals. But the most important thing I want you to know is that scammers are hard at work creating lookalike sites and emails to trick you while you’ve got your credit card out.

Gone are the days of crappy rip-offs. Today’s crooks create fake websites that look just like the ones they’re imitating. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back, and I’m here to help you spot the scams and shop safely.

Carbon copy

Over the last 30 days, Check Point Research has discovered more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related domains — and 88% of them are malicious or suspicious.

One out of every 54 of the new domains includes the phrase “Amazon Prime,” because they want your search to lead right to them.

• Examples: Domain names ending with .com, like “amazonprimemotels,” “amazonprimeresort” and “amazonprimeresorts.”

Many of these domains are "parked," meaning they're not in use — yet. Scammers like to get their ducks in a row and create sites that are ready to go live when it’s Prime (Day) time.

As for those sites that already have content up, most look and feel close enough to the real deal to catch the attention of unsuspecting shoppers browsing quickly. More than anything, scammers bank on you seeing the Amazon name and logo.

Calls and emails work, too

Check Point found more than 100 different Prime-focused scam email campaigns. Many impersonate Amazon Financial Services, asking you to update your payment details or other personal information.

If an Amazon rep calls to inform you something's wrong with your account, it’s fake. They’ll try to get you to confirm personal or financial info. Hang up.

‘Primed’ and ready

Be smarter than the crooks. If a deal or offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Step No. 1: Slo‑o‑o‑ow down.

• Closely review those URLs. Misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (e.g., .co instead of .com) are huge red flags.
• Create a super-strong password for your Amazon account. I bet it’s been a while since you changed it.
• Look for the secure sign. When you go to a major retail website, verify the URL starts with “https://” and has a padlock icon.
• Check your emails carefully. Most phishing attacks use urgent language to trick you into clicking links or downloading attachments. Always verify the source and cross-check it with a company's official website.
• Pay with credit cards. Debit cards are linked to your bank account, and getting your money back is more complicated.

🫣 In case you want to see some early Amazon Big Deal Days sales, here’s the secret link. Share this with a pal — you know, the one who falls for tricks a little too easily. They’ll thank you later.

Despite what my podcast cohost, Andrew, would have you believe, I don’t order takeout every night.

• One of my favorite meals is fresh-caught salmon cooked on one of these salt blocks. So, so good.
• Chef trick: Sprinkle Maldon sea salt on meat, veggies, brownies or cookies. It’s crunchy and not too salty.
• Last time I moved, I threw out all my crusty, old baking sheets and got fresh, shiny ones. This brand lasts forever.
• You deserve a real napkin with dinner, not a paper towel.
• Keep your fridge fresh. This odor eliminator works better than a box of baking soda and lasts a decade.

👀 Spy on me: TikTok is legally required to share user data with the Communist Chinese government, but a recent survey shows 68% of Americans don’t support banning the app. Arguments include: 1.) “The U.S. government has more access to info than China,” and 2.) “I’ve got nothing to hide.” My take: It’s not only about the data; it’s about China being able to use 170,000,000 devices in America for a coordinated cyberattack on our communications network, power grid or worse.

Big Brother is watching: License plate reader systems were once used to track stolen cars and gather insurance data. Now, they’re snapping pics of political signs, abortion-rights bumper stickers and clothing with text. Millions of pics are uploaded every month to massive, searchable databases with precise locations for each image. Wild.

👓 Privacy nightmare: Two Harvard students used Meta’s smart glasses to create a tool that identifies any stranger walking by and pulls up their personal info. It scrapes the web to find where that person’s face appears, grabs their name, and digs up details like their home address, phone number and occupation. This is terrifying in the wrong (or any) hands.

That was close: Security researchers found a flaw in Kia's web portal. With just the license plate number and VIN, someone could hack in and remotely unlock doors, honk the horn and even start the engine. The portal didn’t verify dealer-level privileges. Oops. Kia says they’ve patched the vulnerability.

🧃 Out of juice: Enel X, the company behind JuiceBox EV chargers, is cutting all support in the U.S. Its home chargers will still work, but they’ll receive no more updates, apps or fancy features, like scheduling a charge. Customer support is gone, too. Send questions or claims to claimsagent@tplc-claims.com.

Amazon’s new lineup of Fire HD 8 tablets: They’ve got double the RAM of the previous models, a 5 MP rear cam, an 8-inch HD display, up to 13 hours of battery life, plus an AI webpage summary tool and a writing assistant. Good time to buy, too: The Fire HD 8 is 35% off right now, and the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro are both 50% off.

🐬 33% of them smile back: New research shows bottlenose dolphins “smile” at each other to signal playtime. In science speak, it’s a “prolonged open-mouth expression,” and it only happens when their friends are in view — never in other contexts. The video is adorable.

There may not be a secret club, but there’s a smarter choice waiting for you. Join over 40,000 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.

NetSuite’s new AI features are designed to help companies like yours operate more efficiently. One of my favorites: Automatic detection of unusual financial activity. That means you can address potential issues quickly, keeping minor hiccups from becoming major headaches.

Whether your business generates hundreds of thousands or hundreds of millions in revenue, imagine having less paperwork, deeper insights and increased profits. That’s something we can get behind.

Google Docs quick tip: Hit Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C to check the word count for your current document. The pop-up also has a checkbox to show the word count on screen permanently.

Big deal alert! Raycon earbuds are up to 50% off right now. They’re so much more affordable than AirPods, have studio-quality sound, 56-hour battery life and fit securely in every ear. Score free shipping and a 30-day happiness guarantee right now at BuyRaycon.com/kim.*

Windows makes it complicated: Yesterday, I shared the easy way to make your mouse pointer bigger on a Mac. On Windows, open Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse Pointer or Mouse Pointer & Touch. You’ll see a slider to adjust the size. Voila!

Get out and stay out: For security reasons, don’t let sensitive files sit around on your desktop. On a Mac, select the file in a new Finder window. Open the File menu, hold down Option, then click Delete Immediately.

Quick Android refresh: Hold the power and volume-up buttons simultaneously to do a soft reboot. Think of it as a fast way to end processes and speed up your phone.

🙏 Please be cautious about falling for heartbreaking, AI-generated images like this one circulating on social media after Hurricane Helene. Use this site to detect AI-generated images: https://hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection

The answer: B.) 189 pounds. The Soviet craft launched on Oct. 4, 1957, kicking off the Space Age and the Space Race between the U.S. and the USSR. The craft was about the size of a beach ball.

😂 If the United States got the moon for winning the Space Race, what did the Soviet Union get? A constellation prize. (I groaned, too.)

Be sure to get NetSuite’s “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning” for FREE. Don’t miss out! Thanks for letting me in your inbox. It’s an honor. I’ll see you right back here tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay your amazing self. — Kim