Happy Throwback Thursday, tech fans! As always, we start this ride with trivia. What was the most common length of a blank audio cassette like those used for making mixtapes in the '80s and '90s? In minutes, was it … 30, 60, 90 or 120? You'll find the answer at the end.

Click-click: This newsletter is free because of our sponsors. Support our work today by checking out TotalAV. Award-winning antivirus protection across five devices for just $19? Yes, please. On to the news! — Kim

Earlier this year, a very dear friend of mine — and a talented 47-year-old cancer doctor and researcher — fell to the ground after delivering a presentation to hundreds of colleagues. All those doctors were in the room, and he passed away. So heartbreaking.

When I heard what happened, I looked online for information about his memorial service. I found what his family posted and made a donation in his name — but I found something else, too.

It was a video on YouTube of a guy in his mid-20s in India reading my friend’s obituary. Wait, what? Turns out this wasn’t a one-off but a new business model.

You can’t make this stuff up

Anonymous YouTube creators are publishing videos about someone who died just for likes, follows and, in some cases, cash.

Take 25-year-old Tanner Kinslow. He passed away from an overdose. Within 72 hours of making a GoFundMe page, the family found almost a dozen YouTube videos across 10 channels — all about Tanner. His parents didn’t know the people putting up the videos.

The Kinslows aren't the only family dealing with these bizarre, emotionally draining YouTube videos.

Follow the money

The Kinslow family was tipped off by a friend about the videos. Tanner's father, Donovan, told ABC 70 that none of the videos contained fake donation links, as they suspected. The only goal was to get viewers to like, comment and subscribe.

YouTube channels like these are full of similar videos about other people. The accounts typically feature creators outside the U.S., and many videos aren't even in English. I saw a bunch out of India and Pakistan.

Now, the average monthly incomes in India and Pakistan are $387 and $287, respectively. Making a few hundred dollars in YouTube revenue is a big sell in these countries.

Several channels have strange, tech-related names, like "Technical Golo" and "tech with munawar." Why? Well, because those are highly searched-for terms.

Although they're not trying to fleece people out of money, these memorial video creators are still profiting off the backs of grieving families.

It goes beyond videos

It's not hard for scammers to grab death information from the internet. The Kinslow family didn't have to deal with financial scams, but others aren't so lucky. Last year, a Chicago-area family lost their 16-year-old son to suicide. Just days later, someone set up a fake GoFundMe page using information right from his obituary.

Before the page came down, thousands of dollars had been donated. It gets worse. A woman showed up at the teen's funeral, posing as someone who knew the family. She collected money from those at the service and snuck off before anyone caught her. Absolutely disgusting.

If there's a way to exploit people, even if just for internet clout, lowlifes will find it. And YouTube, a company that makes $30,000,000,000 a year in revenue, says it can’t stop it. Oh, come on.

I’ve said it time and time again. If your computer or phone is unprotected, you’re just asking for trouble. There are literally billions of malware programs already out there, and each day, hundreds of thousands more are released.

Let’s face it: It’s not a matter of if you'll be hit but when. With hackers embracing AI, it’s getting harder than ever to spot threats yourself.

That’s why free antivirus just won’t cut it. I recommend TotalAV’s cutting-edge security suite. Their advanced, real-time protection keeps you safe from viruses, malware and more.

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⚠️ This is disgusting: Google’s Gemini won’t admit pedophilia is wrong. When asked, the AI chatbot referred to these perverts as “minor-attracted persons.” It refused to classify the act of pedophilia as morally wrong or illegal. Someone at Google is writing and programming these absurd, evil algorithms — and Google apparently supports them.

Data blockade: President Biden signed an executive order to stop countries like Russia and China from buying Americans' personal data — think whereabouts and DNA. Given the free-for-all in data sales, how the heck will the Justice Department enforce this? Then again, these countries already have it all anyway.

🚔 Don't get played! A scam plaguing Los Angeles and other cities unfolds like a heist movie — thieves rent cars, sell them to unsuspecting buyers, then swipe them back with cloned keys. The LA Sheriff’s Department has nabbed three suspects. If a deal screams "steal of a century," it might just be actual theft.

🔓 It’s the company behind Fortnite: Hackers say they stole 200GB of user data from Epic Games. The data includes emails, passwords and more, all up for grabs. They gave Epic a March 4 deadline to pay a ransom. If you or the kids have an Epic account, now’s a good time to change your password and enable two-factor authorization.

Time to clean house: This is scary stuff. Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, X and TikTok are hotbeds for scoring everything from date-rape drugs to Xanax and shrooms. (I checked and found those for sale.) You can’t tell me these companies have no way to stop this.

💊 Folks can’t get their meds: Blame it on notorious cyber-gang Blackcat. Their ransomware attack on Chain Healthcare forced a system shutdown. Processing prescription claims is currently a nightmare. The FBI says hospitals should be on alert. It’s a scary time to need medical attention.

This is fire, but in a bad way: The latest Fire OS update has users seeing red. No wonder — their Fire TVs are now blocking apps that skip the default ad-filled home screen. Amazon says it’s all in the name of "security.” More like ad revenue.

💸 Hey, big spender: Come March 1, Apple’s buy now, pay later loans will appear on Experian credit reports. It won’t impact your credit score yet — but it’s a good heads-up to start saving and shopping when you have the money to spend.

Even if a hacker knows your computer's location and IP address, a firewall keeps them from accessing your system and network.

Newer Windows and Mac systems have built-in software firewalls — but one wrong setting can leave your computer vulnerable. I know it sounds complicated, but there’s a simple way to check if yours is working.

Gibson Research Corporation's (GRC) ShieldsUP!! scans your firewall to make sure your ports aren’t exposed. If ShieldsUP!! can see your ports over the internet, so can someone else with the right port-scanning tools.

🌨️ If girls are made of sugar, spice and everything nice and boys are made of slime, snails, and puppy-dog tails, what’s the cloud made from? Linux servers, mostly.

Microsoft wants onto your phone: The latest Copilot update for iOS and Android lets you set it as your default digital assistant, powered by OpenAI’s GPT‑4 and DALL‑E 3. It's free — don’t spring for the $20 Pro unless you love it. Bummer: No voice activation (like "Hey, Copilot") yet.

📦 Little-known Amazon deals: An open-box return is just what it sounds like. Someone got the product, opened it up, said "Nah," and returned it. You'll find bargains like this 65-inch 4K TV for half off. Here’s a link to Amazon’s open-box deals.

Shake it off: Stop tapping backspace a million times when you mistyped something. Shake your phone quickly, and it’ll undo your most recently entered text. Works on Android and iPhone.

Hello, sunshine: I try to take a nice, long walk every day. FYI, the built-in step counter on your phone is just OK. The Map My Walk app is way more accurate. Try it for iPhone or Android.

⚠️ Part of a data breach? Add a fraud alert to your credit report. This flags you as a potential victim of fraud to anyone processing a credit application. Timesaver: You only need to contact one of the three credit bureaus.

I bought a fast charger to see if that makes a difference.

The answer: 90. Yep, 45 minutes per side gave you just enough time to impress your crush or bestie with your impeccable taste. You know, cassette tapes have sides A and B, so it’s only logical their successor was the CD.

Before you go: Think about how much easier it is to get things done with tech. Yeah, cybercriminals have all the same resources — and lots more. Lock down your devices the smart way with TotalAV’s antivirus and malware protection. Get a year for just $19! Sweet.

👋 See you right back here tomorrow with more tech smarts! Thanks for letting me in your inbox, truly. — Kim