It’s a terrific Thursday! Let’s get started with our tech trivia. In which U.S. city do Uber drivers make the most money? Make your best guess, and the answer’s at the end.

✅ Do your part and help keep these newsletters free to you. Today’s sponsor is Incogni. They scrub your Social Security number, address, phone numbers and all the rest from the web — something it would take hundreds of hours to do all on your own. Now, that’s a mission I can get behind. — Kim

Let's get ready to rumble! In this corner, we have our reigning champion, gas cars. They're reliable, affordable and tried-and-true.

In the other corner, showing up brand-spankin' shiny and new, are electric vehicles (EVs). And the government is comin' in hot with incentives to get you to buy one.

EVs have been going head-to-head with gas-powered cars for quite some time now, but who would win in a cost-to-fill-up cage match? Say what your answer is out loud. Let’s see if you’re right.

Results are currently grounded

Sure, EVs might be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to maintain, but are they the overall winner? New data shows 70% of potential EV buyers say their No. 1 reason for the purchase is to save money on gas — but calculations aren't that cut and dry.

Average gas prices and kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity are easy to calculate. The tricky part is calculating the cost to recharge.

Charge me

The rates for electricity vary from state to state. They also vary by the type of outlet you use and the time of day you charge up your ride. Don't forget, many EV owners charge at home or work but then pay a premium at a charging station on the road.

To complicate things even further, the type of vehicle you have also comes into play. Calculations for an electric pickup truck, like Ford's F-150 Lightning, differ from a sedan or an SUV.

If that all sounds like a headache, you're right. Luckily, the Washington Post did comparisons that cleared things up.

Road trippin'

The detailed analysis looked at everything from daily driving to a cross-country road trip.

When it comes to everyday driving, the average American, who drives 14,000 miles annually, would save around $700 by charging an electric SUV or sedan versus buying gas. That number increases to $1,000 for a pickup.

Longer road trips get a little more complicated, as stations have different charging levels depending on how quickly you want to power up. Level 3 chargers cost the most. If you choose the middle-of-the-road Level 2 option, you'll still likely spend less than at the gas pump.

Start your engines

If you're thinking of making the switch to an EV, the decision is about a lot more than the cost of "filling" the tank.

• If you want to charge at home, you'll need to install the correct charger and make sure it's up to code. Many EV makers say not to charge your car in your garage due to fire hazards. So, there’s that.
• Do you live in an area with plenty of public charging stations? If not, you risk being stranded if you stray too far.
• Because EVs cost more than gas cars, your insurance will increase. On average, EV owners pay up to 25% more.

Here’s one more consideration: The time and effort it can take to charge.

Komando Content Queen Allie told me a story about her brother. He and the fam have two electric cars — but they rented a gas SUV for a recent road trip. The last time they made the trek from California to Arizona, they were stuck waiting way too long at the (few) charging stations along the way.

For data brokers, your personal information is big business. They collect your Social Security number, birthdate, address, health info, contact details — you name it — and sell it all to the highest bidder. It’s nearly impossible to remove all that from the web yourself.

That’s where Incogni comes in. It’s a personal data removal service that scrubs your info from the web. They handle the hard work for you. Seriously, it’d take hundreds of hours to do it all on your own.

If you’ve ever agreed to a privacy policy online (we all have!), this is a solid way to protect yourself from identity theft, health insurers jacking up your rates, robocalls and more.

⚠️ Attn. website owners: Unless you put a few lines of code on your site immediately, OpenAI’s new GPTBot will suck up all your articles so it can train AI. It can’t get around paywalls, though. I made sure this code is on Komando.com. Why should I give away my years of work and expertise for free to AI? I suggest you do the same.

Mac attack: Many people (you included?) used to think Macs are immune to malware. The truth is Windows was just a bigger, easier target. That’s changing. Since 2019, we’ve seen 10 times the number of cyberattacks against Macs. Remember, antivirus is your friend. I recommend TotalAV.*

911 gets video: A new app for first responders, Prepared Live, is catching on across the country. Once the dispatcher is sure a 911 caller is safe, they send a link to their smartphone. The caller taps the link and can start livestreaming. That helps emergency responders jump right into action when they arrive. So smart.

Another AI casualty: Tarot readers. Bet they didn’t see that coming. Instead of paying for a palm or card reading, millions are turning to AI fortune tellers that use algorithms to predict what’s to come. Here’s one to try. (Warning: Tons of ads.)

💼 WFH over: What do Zoom, Meta, Google and Grindr (yes, the dating app) have in common? They’re all asking workers to come back to the office. Funny that Zoom, which powered who-knows-how-many WFH calls, says it’s two days a week at the office or bust.

App helps special needs students: As part of a new study, the I-Connect app will send periodic alerts to ask students if they’re doing things to help them meet their goals, like paying attention and participating in class. It’ll also track progress, which teachers, staff and the students themselves can analyze.

🚨 Intel bug: Intel just fixed “Downfall,” a critical bug in billions of processors. A UC San Diego researcher found it impacted Intel processors released between 2015 and 2019. Here’s a complete list of affected chips if you’re nerdy like that. The fix will install automatically, but if your machine slows, that might be why.

Check your 401(k): A whopping one in five Americans has an inactive 401(k) account sitting around. The average value? $55,400! If you left a job and never dealt with your account, call human resources and ask if you have an inactive account. You can also try this site.

In my no-nonsense, straight-talking podcast, I serve up everything tech in digestible, fun-sized pieces. New to the tech scene? Or maybe you're a pro? Doesn't matter. I’ve got you covered.

👉 Get my podcasts today!

Pop quiz: Where's the most popular place in the U.S., according to TikTok views?

Nope, not LA. It’s not NYC, either. It’s Miami!

With hopping nightlife, beautiful beaches and a whole lot of people filming vids, it makes sense to me. Portland Real Estate analyzed travel-related hashtags on TikTok for the most popular U.S. cities. 

Did your city make the top 10?

1. Miami (52.3 billion views)
2. Los Angeles (39 billion views)
3. Chicago (34.4 billion views)
4. Las Vegas (26 billion views)
5. Houston (23.7 billion views)
6. New York City (17.1 billion views)
7. Dallas (15.7 billion views)
8. Atlanta (15.4 billion views)
9. Boston (12.9 billion views)
10. Nashville (9.5 billion views)

🏙️ San Francisco, Manhattan, Chicago and Miami were having a lively conversation until St. Louis passed by, looking depressed. Chicago said, "Why are you so sad?" St. Louis replied, "I'm always in a state of Missouri."

It’s so easy for your phone number to land on a marketing list, whether it’s because you bought something or simply made a call. There’s a way to stop this, and you really should.

• The easiest is *67, which hides your landline or cell number. Just punch in star, 6 and 7, followed by the number you’re calling and that’s it. The caller will see “Private” or “Blocked.” The bummer is you have to do it for each and every call.
• If you want your number hidden all the time, change this setting on your smartphone. On an iPhone, tap Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID. Toggle it Off. On Android, the option is called Hide Number.
• You can also ask your carrier to hide your number or use a burner app like Google Voice or Hushed. Here’s help to set that up.

😆 It must be brutal trying to make legitimate phone calls from the headquarters of Hormel Foods. The caller ID always shows up as “Potential SPAM.”

Me: What kinda dog you got? Him: Husky. Me (in a lower voice): What kinda dog you got?

The answer: New York City, where an Uber driver averages over $30 per hour. If you need a ride in NYC, cab prices average 35% to 83% less than Uber or Lyft.

🚖 What did the taxi driver say to the wolf? “Where-wolf?” (Eesh, even I groaned at that one!)

Thanks for reading, friend. Don’t forget to check out Incogni. Removing your personal details from the web takes a long time, and you better believe those sites make it difficult. Save 55% right now. — Kim