Wednesday! Already?! This week is zooming. Let’s jump in with more tech smarts. If you learn something new, rate this newsletter at the end and give me a thumbs-up!

⌛ Quick “shake it off” tip: Forget about hitting backspace if you typed something incorrectly. Just shake your phone quickly, and it’ll undo your most recently entered text. Works on Android and iPhone. The more you know! — Kim

I’ll never forget the call I took from a woman whose brother was scammed out of over $450,000. I talk to way too many people who've been scammed­­, and in almost all cases, they didn't realize they were being taken for a ride until it was too late.

It goes past a new romantic partner you met online who needs money for surgery. A friend asks, "Hey, what's up with that weird Facebook message you just posted?" or you see emails you didn't send in your outbox. Or, worse, you notice strange charges to your credit card or get a notice about a loan in your name.

That's why I want you to check your Google account before it's too late. This tip also works for spotting snoops you know, like a friend or family member poking around your Google or Gmail accounts. Let’s sniff them out.

60-second safety check

• Go to google.com/devices. Sign in if you haven’t already.
• Here, you'll see a list of devices — the computers, smartphones and tablets you're signed into currently or have been signed into within the last 28 days.

Expect to see the same device multiple times because each session or login instance is recorded. That’s nothing to worry about.

You may also see devices that have been inactive for a long time, like an old phone or computer you don't use anymore. It's wise to sign out of these devices remotely.

• Click the one you want, then Sign out. This will remove access to your Google account from the device entirely.

Here’s the red flag

What happens if you see a computer, phone, tablet or device you don’t recognize?

• Click the device and choose Don’t recognize something? or Sign out. Again, this will sign the device out remotely.

Yep, you guessed it. It's time to protect your account. Change your password to be sure whoever logged in can't do so again. Don’t reuse an old password or choose something easy to guess. Now’s the time to pull out all the stops.

Of course, I have to sneak in a password joke … “The Wi-Fi password is romeamsterdamparis, all one word.” “Any capitals?” “Uh, yeah, three.”

Keeping up with OpenAI: Three new updates coming to Google Search thanks to artificial intelligence (AI): 1. Hover over a word you don’t know in a search summary for its definition. 2. Get search summaries with article recommendations when you don’t want to read everything. 3. AI code help for developers.

🏈 First down: NFL Sunday Ticket is getting some upgrades before football season kicks off: Real-time highlights, live chats and polls, monthly payment plans, and a Key Plays feature in case you were off getting more beer. If you want in, buy it now. The current price is $299 for the season, and it’ll go up to $349 starting Sept. 19.

Pivoting: Bye-bye, TweetDeck. The once-free Twitter tool is now called X Pro and is locked behind X’s Twitter Blue subscription ($84 a year). TweetDeck launched in 2008 and was the power-user tool for seeing multiple feeds and accounts at a glance.

We love free: Look for new AI tools in Adobe Express, an in-browser design tool like Canva. Generate custom images and text effects, remove backgrounds, animate characters, and lots more. FYI, the free version has what most people need. Skip the upgrade.

🔵 Blue in the face: If you have a kiddo, you know “Bluey,” the cute cartoon dog. And I’ll bet your kid’s begging for the new Bluey: Let’s Play! app. Bummer: Less than 10% of the game is playable for free. It’s $4.99 a month if you buy now (that goes up to $9.99 per month on Sept. 15).

Got a few spare minutes during your drive? Or maybe you're chilling at home? Sounds like the perfect time to tune in to The Kim Komando Show podcast!

I keep it real, breaking down the latest tech trends, cybersecurity tips and gadget reviews into snack-sized, easy-to-understand episodes.

👉 Download an episode today!

Real deal or cheap knockoff: You find a great dress, pair of shoes, wallet, whatever online. Is it a nicely made piece or something you could buy in bulk on Alibaba? One easy way to check: Do a reverse image search. Upload a saved pic here on Google Images and see if you can spot the exact product elsewhere.

💪 Want to be a power user? Check out Microsoft’s aptly named PowerToys. These free add-ons give you new features not built into the regular versions of Windows 10 or 11. Browse the full feature list here. Peek, FancyZones and Keyboard Manager are all neat.

One more, PC users: You can use the Windows key + arrows to move a window. Windows key + → moves a window to the right, ← moves it to the left, ↑ moves it up or expands the window, and ↓ minimizes or moves down your window.

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.

📍 Where am I? You can ask your smartphone that — really! So handy on vacation or if you’re lost. You’ll get your address and location on a map, which you can then share. Just say, “Hey Siri/Google Assistant, where am I?”

Every week on my national radio show, I talk to interesting folks doing amazing things in tech, everyday people who could use a hand, and I share some of my best tips and tricks.

Missed it? All is not lost! Just tune in to my podcast, Kim Komando Today.

This week on the podcast, think your Mac is impenetrable? Bad news: It's become a big target for hackers. OpenAI is scouring the web for your data, and I’ll tell you how to opt out. A travel tip you'll use a ton, a woman who travels the world on the cheap, and so much more.

❓ Have a question for me? Drop it right here, or leave me a voicemail at 602‑381‑8200 ext. 290.

Your neighborhood’s Buy Nothing group is a wasteland, and there’s nothing good on OfferUp. Try Freecycle, where more than 10 million folks across 5,358 cities and towns are giving away things they no longer need. I found an air fryer, a swing set and a builder-grade bathroom mirror near me. Not bad!

😂 What did the printer say when it ran out of paper? Oh, sheet!

Glad you’re here, friend. See you tomorrow morning for the latest tech news of the day! Get it free here if you haven’t subscribed already. — Kim