Ahoy, matey, it's a fantastic Friday! Let's start with our trivia. How many people try to plug in their USB devices the wrong way? Is it … A.) 50% — It's a coin toss every time, B.) 64% — Most of us guess and guess wrong, C.) 86% — The struggle is real for the vast majority, or D.) 95% — Nearly everyone's in the upside-down club? As always, you'll find the answer at the end.

💛 Hey, I have a big change coming to my YouTube channel. Subscribe right now so you don’t miss a thing! You know, the internet can be a rough place. That’s why I want to make sure you know today just how grateful I am for YOU! This fast-growing community of tech-smart folks is why I’m here every day doing what I do. Let’s do this! — Kim

I don't mean to start with something sad, but whenever I talk about class-action lawsuits, it reminds me of the day my father died back in 1997. He and my mom were about to go on a cruise in a few days when suddenly, his allergies kicked in. He took an over-the-counter (OTC) allergy pill that interacted with his heart medication, causing him to suffer a fatal heart attack.

Years later, my mother received a letter stating the OTC allergy pill was yanked off the market, along with a settlement check from a class-action lawsuit for $432. She spent countless hours on that paperwork.

Thanks to the internet, it's easier than ever to be a part of a class-action lawsuit. No more hunting down lawyers and cases. You just fill out a form online. Here are a few I thought you might be interested in.

Classic hidden fees

A lawsuit alleges Verizon charged some customers "undisclosed administration fees in a deceptive and unfair manner." Oops.

If you had these charges on your account between Jan. 1, 2016, and Nov. 8, 2023, you may qualify for up to $100. You have until April 15, 2024, to file your claim.

At least you didn’t have to wait in that line

Chick-fil-A is paying out $4.4 million. It called its delivery service “free” or “low-cost” and then raised its prices on delivery orders to bury the hidden fees. Oh, nuggets!

Anyone who made a delivery order through the app or website between Nov. 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, in California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey or New York is eligible for this one. Submit a claim by Feb. 15, 2024, to receive up to $29.25.

Markup madness

Photography products company Shutterfly (think a mug with your kid’s face on it) posted products at discounted prices based on fake regular prices. That math ain't mathin'.

If you made a purchase on Shutterfly at an advertised discounted price between April 1, 2018, and Aug. 25, 2023, you may be eligible for a $25 voucher. You have until Feb. 5, 2024, to file a claim.

Sharing is caring

Apple is paying $25 million to settle allegations of misleading customers about its family-sharing plans. It made it seem like you can share any app subscriptions with family members. Nope, you can't.

If you bought an app subscription through the Apple Store while enrolled in an Apple Family Sharing plan with at least one other member, you may be entitled to $30. Submit your claim by March 1, 2024.

Ain’t very clean

Fabuloso products were the subject of a major lawsuit around deceptive advertising … and bacteria. Bad testing meant people were exposed to no-good cleaner.

If you bought any of its recalled items between Dec. 14, 2022, and Nov. 14, 2023, you're eligible for a refund for up to five products — with proof of purchase required. If you don't have your proof of purchase, you may get a refund for the average retail price for up to two products. File a claim by March 13, 2024.

All the better to see you with

Did you or someone you know purchase a pair of prescription glasses from LensCrafters within the last 10 years? The company is now paying $39 million over deceptive advertising of its AccuFit system.

If you bought glasses between Sept. 5, 2013, and Sept. 20, 2023, you may qualify for up to $50 per pair. You have until March 27, 2024, to submit a claim.

Anytime I mention a class-action lawsuit …

… Someone's gonna write to me and say, "Kim Komando, you didn't mention how much the lawyers made! Shame on you!" Oh, grumpy-face, does it really matter?

Yes, the lawyers make the lion's share because there would be no lawsuit without them. In my father's case, the money wasn't important. The product was taken off the market. Maybe someone else didn't suffer a loss like my family did. I was very close to my dad. I miss him still so much.

You love your tech (when everything is working), but I bet you hate all the cords. There are plenty of tools to clean ‘em up.

• Wiring across the floor can be a tripping hazard. A floor cord-management kit will make things safe again.
• An under-the-desk cable tray is perfect for tables, desks without storage compartments and even bookcases.
• Cable ties that aren’t just an ugly piece of plastic? Yes, please!
• Consider a cable concealer to hide your cords along the wall, across the floor or attached to furniture.
• Some outdoor equipment comes with excessively long power cords. Roll them up in an easy-to-use storage wheel.

🦈 Did you hear about the sharks eating underwater internet cables? I guess they needed more fiber in their diet.

It was only a matter of time: Google and Bing are in hot water for letting nonconsensual deepfake porn pop up in search results. A simple search for a celeb’s name followed by “deepfakes” leads you right there. Google's fix? Making victims ask to remove this stuff. Bing's AI terms say no deepfakes — yet they're still a click away. Step it up, or a lawsuit will.

🚀 Bitcoin's big break: The SEC just said yes to bitcoin ETFs — a huge step to bringing cryptocurrency into the mainstream. ETFs let you invest in bitcoin through the stock market — no crypto wallets needed. Big names like BlackRock are jumping in, and bitcoin's price is skyrocketing. This is 100% not financial advice, and remember, only ever invest what you’re willing to lose.

Talk about a cosmic leap: SpaceX and T‑Mobile just sent texts through Starlink satellites — a huge step for those still dealing with terrible cell coverage. SpaceX plans to launch text services this year and expand to voice, data and internet by 2025. Imagine that … a phone that works no matter where you are.

You are the weakest link, goodbye: Starting Jan. 26, say Sayonara to 17 Google Assistant features, including sending an email with your voice and checking travel itineraries. Meditation app Calm is getting the boot from Assistant, too. Google suggests using YouTube. Gee, thanks. See the complete list of changes here.

They lost $245 million on this: Hertz is saying goodbye to one-third of its Teslas and other electric vehicles. Why? There’s less demand for EVs and repairs are expensive. This is a real U‑turn from its big electric dreams — like snagging 100,000 Teslas. Want to purchase one? (I wouldn’t.) Big discounts here.

👓 Try before you buy: Apple's Vision Pro hits stores Feb. 2 for the low, low price of $3,499. Just kidding, that’s nuts. I suggest you try it before you buy it. Demos kick off at Apple Stores at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2 on a first-come, first-served basis. No details yet on what the demo includes or how long you can play with it — but hey, it's a chance to test drive their newest tech. Prepare yourself for big lines.

Then there’s the line you can skip: Amazon is bringing its cashier-less tech, Just Walk Out, to hospitals, starting with St. Joseph’s/Candler in Savannah, Georgia. Healthcare workers can flash a badge to buy at the cafe, and visitors will swipe cards or use mobile wallets. No more lines — just grab and go as cameras and RFID tags handle the billing. I’d love to see this in more places!

It was all a computer glitch: Nearly 1,000 U.K. postmasters were wrongly convicted of theft from 1999 to 2015, all thanks to faulty software. The cost? Bankruptcies, jail time and even suicides. PM Rishi Sunak is overturning convictions and lining up compensation. It's a legal nightmare and so very sad for the folks who lost their lives based on lies.

You can set "Do Not Disturb" to automatically turn on an hour before bedtime and turn off when you usually wake up. No more late-night pings or dings that tempt you to check your phone when you should be catching Z's. I have it set on my phone, and I set Barry’s to work this way, too.

On an iPhone:

• Open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
• Scroll to the Set a Schedule section and tap Add Schedule. Here, select Time and set the From and To times that you want your phone to be in this zen-like state.
• Want calls from certain people to come through? Under Allow Notifications, select People > Add People and choose from your contacts list.

On an Android:

• Swipe down from the top of your screen and hit that gear icon.
• Find Do Not Disturb. Different Androids have this in slightly different places, but it's often under Sound or Notifications. Tap Do Not Disturb.
• Look for an option like Turn on automatically or Schedule. Set your start and end times there.
• Look for the Allow exceptions option to let important contacts reach you.

Steps may vary depending on your Android model, so look for options in your Do Not Disturb settings if what's above doesn't work for you.

Pro tip: Sleeping while wearing a watch isn’t very comfy. The Withings Sleep Tracking Pad fits under your mattress and tracks your sleep cycles and heart rate. It can also detect snoring and breathing disturbances — perfect if your bedfellow claims they don’t snore.

😴 Do you think Jeff Bezos sleeps naked? Or with paj‑Amazon?

MacBook fix: You bought an Apple laptop and can’t figure out how to click anything without your mouse. No worries. Click the Apple menu > System Settings > Trackpad. Enable Tap to click. Now, you can tap on the trackpad with just one finger.

👁️ More than meets the AI: Is that photo you found online real or fake? With Google’s "About this image" tool, you can look at the metadata to see if AI generated it. Click the three-dot button next to an image in Google Search to try it out.

Secret button in your Windows 10 and 11 taskbar: Clicking it will minimize everything you have open. It’s in the bottom right corner, past the time and notification icon — you’ll see a tiny sliver. Click again to bring your stuff back.

🤑 Amazon’s 25% discount: Send your old tech to Amazon through its Trade-in Program and get a gift card for the value. They’ll take just about anything, but if you trade in Amazon gear like a Kindle, eero router system or Fire TV Stick, you get 25% off a new qualifying device. Nice.

Beep-beep: With a cheap setup, someone can copy the signal from your keyfob to open your car. You can buy a signal-blocking pouch that can hold your keys, like a shielded RFID-blocking pouch. Free options: Stick your fob in the fridge (all the metal blocks signals) or wrap it in foil. No joke, it works!

Running a successful business comes down to having the right people in the right roles. Hiring is a big job and a huge time-suck — unless you use the tools that make it easier.

LinkedIn is a no-brainer. Millions of people are there every single day hunting for their next career move. We’re hiring for freelance writers, an editor for this newsletter, a video guy or gal to edit clips, and a marketing manager to grow our team.

I know, it’s a lot! But trust me when I say I have big goals this year, and we need the right folks to make it happen. (Psst, if you know anyone, send them my way!)

On my to-do list for 2024!

The answer: C.) 86% of people try to plug in their USB devices upside-down. Pro tip: Most USB cables have the USB logo on the top side. It's not just branding; when plugging it in, ensure this logo faces up or towards you (if the port is vertical), and you'll get it right every time! No more guesswork.

🔌 Reminds me of that old joke … Security officer: “If you find a USB outside, don't bring it into the office.” Note to self: “Only bring international bees into the office.”

🎭 If you laughed, thanks. If you didn’t, thanks for sticking around anyway. Make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel — this way, you see when we create new, fun vids. Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss what’s coming your way Jan. 22. See you back here tomorrow with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim