It’s your fantastic Friday tech finds, friends! Say hello first to trivia time! Which of your modern home comforts has its roots in 1960s outer space? Is it … A.) Headphones, B.) Memory foam, C.) Digital cameras or D.) LED bulbs? You’ll find the answer at the end.

😎 Big news today from my pals at Bark: The best smartphone for kids just got cheaper. Check it out now. Your support of our sponsors helps us keep this newsletter free to you! — Kim

How much do pirates pay for corn? A buck-an-ear! How much do they pay for streaming services? Uh, they don't.

On a recent Friday podcast, Andrew mentioned all the subscription services he uses just to watch football. A reader sent a note with a suggestion: “Just watch on an illegal streaming site. Oh, and be careful what you click.”

Streaming service costs are increasing by the minute, and more folks are turning to illegal downloads. I'm all for saving money, but that isn’t the way. Let's dive into how expensive things have gotten and explore better ideas than riding the stormy seas of stolen content.

Rising tides

Today, half the major streaming platforms cost twice as much as they did when they hit the market. Sorry, sports fans, but ESPN+ has jacked up its price by 120% since it launched.

Just last week, Apple TV+ raised its monthly subscription rate from $6.99 to $9.99. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Netflix all took their prices up a notch in October.

Oh, and Amazon Prime customers now have to pay an extra $3 a month to avoid ads … that weren't originally there. Netflix charges extra to share passwords. Want to watch Max in 4K? That's extra now, too. Sheesh.

Abandon ship

Piracy is making a comeback, and it costs the U.S. economy at least $29 billion in lost revenue each year. Yep, billion with a B. So far in 2023, it’s accounted for 24% of the global bandwidth.

Piracy isn't just illegal; it's bad for your privacy and security. Hackers use pirated content to spread malware. The risk just isn't worth it.

To catch a flick at home without breaking the bank, try these tips:

• If you can deal with commercials, opt for a streaming service's basic plan.
• Ditch streaming services you’re not using right now. You can always sign up again.
• Take advantage of free trials. Set a reminder on your calendar to cancel before you're billed.
• Check out free movie and TV streaming services.
• Invest in an HDTV antenna to watch broadcast TV.

📺 Need to figure out what to keep and what to ditch? Here's a shortcut to keep track of where your favorite shows are streaming.

Bark is the best smartphone out there for kids, and there’s a brand-new plan I’m so excited to tell you about. This is the perfect solution for all the parents and grandparents who have asked me about a phone that only has calls, texts and that’s it.

For just $29 a month, it includes:

• Unlimited talk and text: Stay connected with your child through unlimited calls and text messages, ensuring seamless communication whenever they need it.
• No web browser, social media, apps or games: You don’t even have to think about all the inappropriate content that could pop up.
• Automatic text monitoring: Bark’s advanced technology scans conversations and lets you know if there’s anything concerning.
• Mandatory contact approvals and disabled voicemail: You’ll give the OK to every single person your child wants to message — no exceptions.
• Monitored camera: Choose whether to allow the device’s camera. If you do, any problematic photos and videos trigger alerts.
• 24/7 location tracking: Keep an eye on your kid no matter where they are.

⚠️ Sugar, we’re goin’ down: It’s not just you. ChatGPT has been lagging and throwing out error messages all week. OpenAI says a good old-fashioned distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is to blame. They claim all is well now, but many users (including some here at the office) say otherwise.

Adding a human touch: Here's your reminder conversations with AI are not private. Chats with Google's Bard are undergoing "human review" to identify and improve low-quality or potentially harmful responses. Google says the conversations will be anonymized for reviewers, but they'll still store them for up to three years — even if you delete your account.

Disney + Hulu = … Brundlefly? Disney is combining the Disney+ and Hulu streaming apps into one. The beta version is coming in December for $9.99 per month. The bizarre name originates from Jeff Goldblum's hybrid insect-human character in the 1986 movie, “The Fly.” I have to ask … Brundlewhy?

In the palm of your hand: The Ai Pin, developed by former Google execs, sits on your chest and uses lasers to display information on your palm. They hope it’s the smartphone killer, but I’m not convinced. Orders for the $699 AI-powered device open on Nov. 16.

🚀 Houston, pass the popcorn: NASA's free streaming app, NASA+, is here. You can watch it for free on NASA’s website or download the app on your phone or favorite streaming device. All 25 series currently available are family-friendly and ad-free.

📱 Android alert: Pay attention if you’re on Android 13. Researchers found a type of malware, SecuriDropper, that can bypass the OS’s restricted settings feature that blocks apps from outside the Google Play Store from making unwanted changes to your phone. The malware can trick your phone into thinking compromised apps are from the Play Store. Tricky, tricky. Always stick to the official app store, folks!

Predator becomes prey: A camouflage-wearing game warden snuck onto a Virginia man's private property earlier this year. He stole the guy's security camera and looked through his pictures without a warrant. It may have been legal under the obscure "Open Fields Doctrine," which allows law enforcement to enter empty fields on private property. Yeah, the man is suing anyway.

🧱 Another brick in the wall: BrickLink, a Lego-owned marketplace for colored-brick enthusiasts, is the latest cyberattack victim. Accounts were compromised, so change your password if you’ve ever used it. What’s the most common procedure in a Lego hospital? Plastic surgery.

News and social media apps are designed to keep you scrolling. Do yourself a solid and tell your phone to limit your time looking at Reels, Shorts, articles or your kryptonite of choice.

You can do this for individual apps. (Yes, you can override it once time runs out, but don’t! You set that limit for a reason.)

On an iPhone:

• Go to Settings > Screen Time.
• Tap App Limits > Add Limit.
• To set limits for individual apps, tap the category name to see everything there, then select the ones you want to limit.
• Tap Next at the top right, then set the amount of time allowed.
• When you finish setting limits, tap Add.

On an Android:

• Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls, then tap the chart.
• Select the app you want to limit or tap the hourglass icon.
• Choose how much time you can spend on that app. Then, tap OK or Set.
• The app will switch to black and white when you have one minute. After that, you’re locked out.

🌇 There’s a lot more you can do to control what you see and when. Bright idea: No notifications after 8 p.m.! Get steps here.

Every morning, brush your teeth to my Daily Tech Update. You get fresh breath and fresh tech know-how in a minute.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Grab a (virtual) pen: Did you know you can mark up your presentations during a meeting? To annotate a Google Slides presentation, ​​open Slideshow mode by clicking the Slideshow button in the app bar. Next, mouse over the bottom-left side of the viewer and open the three-dot menu by clicking the ellipsis icon, then select Turn on the pen. Now you can circle things, scrawl notes or cross out the ideas everyone hates.

📖 Welcome to the future: Kindle is ditching its old browser for a version fit for 2023. You can download v5.16.4 on the Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite (gens 10 and 11), Kindle (gens 10 and 11) and Kindle Oasis (gen 10). Check your model in Settings > Device Options > Device Info.

For the lazy clean freak: I’ve purchased this 210-pack of screen-cleaning wipes from Care Touch many times. Use them on smartphones, tablets, monitors, TVs and remote controls. Scratch-free, anti-static and no streaks.

Stop saying you’ll DIY: Incogni* gets your info off people-search sites so you don’t have to. I did it, and it seriously took me three minutes.

🖥️ PC slo-o-o-o-wing down? Click Start > Settings > System > Storage. You’ll see how much storage is being used and how much is still free. Under that, you’ll see a breakdown of what’s taking up the most space. Bet you don’t need anything under Temporary files.

🎖️ This Veterans Day, let's take a moment to honor the heroes who've bravely served our country. Their dedication and sacrifice have shaped our nation, and today, we express our deepest gratitude.

The answer: C.) Memory foam. NASA initially whipped up that material in your mattress to keep astronauts comfy and safe in aircraft seats. What a cushy job — literally!

Thanks for reading, and one more reminder to check out the Bark Phone. Their new deal is awesome, and I know so many families who were waiting for something like this. See you tomorrow! — Kim