Hello, Friday! Where ya been? Let’s kick things off with a trivia question. What did Satoshi Nakamoto invent that nobody’s really seen? Is it … artificial intelligence, bitcoin, nonfungible tokens or quantum computing? The answer’s at the end, smartypants!

📲 Help me keep this great newsletter totally free by supporting our sponsor, Robokiller. You get a deal: Use promo code “Kim20” to save 20%. Your clicks help us pay the bills. Thank you from the team and me. Now, on to the tech news! — Kim

A new car can produce up to 25GB per hour, compared to 3GB hourly for your smartphone. Crazy, right? The biggest data hogs are the sensors that gather biometrics like fingerprints and face scans, along with all the devices we hook up to our cars.

That data hides a number of sneaky ways for tech-savvy criminals to take over your vehicle. Basically, as long as your ride has a computer chip and remote connectivity, it's vulnerable. But if you have an electric vehicle (EV), you're the most at risk.

It's gettin’ vulnerable in here

The No. 1 way hackers get into cars? Connectivity features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular networks.

Software vulnerabilities are the other culprit. Complex software systems control essential functions like steering, braking and acceleration. Security flaws = Instant access.

Who's in charge?

Perhaps the biggest issue on the EV side is public charging stations. There are up to 60,000 public charging stations around the U.S., most of which are Internet of Things-connected devices.

To access a public charger, you use an app or a radio frequency ID card that stores location data, IP addresses and other key network information. Now, imagine a hacker getting that data. Not only can they use it to break into your vehicle, but they can also grab your personal information.

Home EV chargers aren't immune, either. If your home charger lets you monitor your vehicle from an app, a hacker can see it, too. Yikes.

Hackers' most wanted

Researchers tested several vehicle brands to see how susceptible they are to hacks. The bad news? Vulnerabilities were found with vehicles produced by the following manufacturers:

• Acura, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce and Toyota.

Researchers remotely hacked Kia's 360-degree camera and viewed live images from the car. On a Porsche, they retrieved the vehicle's location and sent commands to it from far away. Pretty sure they didn’t mean that by hands-free driving.

The silver lining: The research led to some serious patches to fix those issues and others.

Protect your ride

Car manufacturers and charging network companies still have work to do. That means it’s up to you to be car-tech smart.

• Avoid third-party apps that connect to your car. 
• Make sure you’re downloading any software updates from your car manufacturer.
• Avoid public EV charging stations in remote areas. Busier stations are less likely to be tampered with.
• Consider a traditional anti-theft device. They're still effective at deterring thieves.

😆 I got a new car and could not figure out the seatbelt. Then it just clicked.

Despicable new scam: A family member passes away and the funeral home calls you in a panic. Pay more now or the services are canceled. (Sure, let them blame the cost of living!) Scammers target obituaries and social media for funerals. Hang up and call the funeral home — don’t redial.

📵 Seller’s market: The iPhone 8 and iPhone X are losing security updates this fall with the new iOS 17. Sell yours now while it's still worth something. Remember your tech smarts: A factory reset isn't enough. Use the free iShredder app to remove your personal data for good.

What’s in your wallet? The Federal Reserve wants to speed up bank payments so you can get paid and access your money instantly. This is our slow-as-snails government. While the FedNow system is live, only a few banks and credit unions are on board. Ask your bank if they are.

📰 AI news: Google is pitching its new AI news-writing tool, dubbed “Genesis,” to publications like The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal’s News Corp. Fake news is one thing, but do we really want AI telling us what’s “news” and hiding what its algorithms consider unimportant?

ADHD game prescription: Only about 20% of adults with ADHD are treated, but a new video game could change that. EndeavorOTC is in clinical testing for adults with ADHD. The company’s prescription game, EndeavorRx, has been prescribed more than 10,000 times already for treating ADHD in kids. Nice to see a solution not from big pharma.

🖐️ Talk to the hand: Amazon’s palm-scanning tech, Amazon One, is coming to all 500+ Whole Foods locations by the end of the year. At checkout, you hover your palm over a biometric reader that charges your credit card. Like our facial IDs, the encrypted palm data is stored in the cloud.

I’m a Barbie girl: Spice up your meeting with Google Meet’s new AI-generated backgrounds. In a Google Meet call, click “Apply visual effects.” Type in a prompt like “Barbie’s Dreamhouse” or “minimalist brick house.” Be patient; it’s still rolling out to everyone … like the movie theater, where I saw a Barbie queue. 

📺 Free TV upgrade: A lot of complex processing happens behind the scenes when you press “play.” The settings that make sports and live TV look sharp can make movies and shows look horrible. If you’ve never delved into your settings, now’s the time to see what you’ve been missing. Watch this vid to learn how to get the best picture possible.

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

👉 Tech understanding is just a click away!

In 2014, "Serial" kicked off the true-crime podcast phenomenon. If you've never listened to one, the premise is simple: A narrator takes a real-life crime and breaks down all the people, places and things along the way in sometimes excruciating detail.

Now there are hundreds of these audio mysteries — "20/20," "Crime Junkie," "Dateline NBC" and "My Favorite Murder" might be names you've heard. New numbers from Pew Research show precisely who's listening.

Spoiler: It’s not me

True crime isn’t my cup of tea, but so many people love it.

• For context, 34% of regular podcast listeners say they’ve listened to true-crime shows.
• Women are twice as likely to tune in (44% compared to 23%).
• What about education? About 45% of podcast listeners with a high school diploma or less regularly listen; that number is 27% for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Younger people are more into it, too — 41% of crime junkies are 18 to 29, and just 15% are 65 or older.

The mafia is going to start its own true-crime podcast, but it won’t be free. You’ll have to use Pay(up)Pal.

A yet-to-be-identified, very lucky person just won an estimated $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased at the Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles.

But the winner could’ve just as easily been someone who bought a ticket online. In some states, it’s legal to purchase lottery tickets through an app.

• Use Jackpocket or Lotto[.]com (no brackets). They buy tickets for you from authorized retailers all over the world. You can choose from a wide range of lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions. 
• There are no monthly subscription fees, signup fees or fees if you win. They do charge a small service fee to fund your account. 

💰 Even better, you can’t lose your winning ticket. They store the physical copy for you, and, if you win, they’ll help you collect your loot. Good luck!

If your phone is blowing up with junk texts and calls, enlist some help. Robokiller blocks up to 99% of unwanted calls and texts.

Screen your calls to stop spammers who change their numbers all the time, ban political texts and easily block numbers so you only get the calls you really want.

Stop the wasted time and protect yourself with Robokiller. I have a special deal for my readers. Right now, get 20% off your first year of spam protection.

This quacked me up!

💲 The answer: Bitcoin. In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous person or group, released a white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” The strange part? No one has been able to find this person or group since. My guess is they took the money and ran.

Just a reminder to check out Robokiller. You get a deal: Use promo code “Kim20” to save 20%. Your clicks help us pay the bills.

💗 Have I told you lately how happy I am you’re here exploring the techverse with me? Thank you, truly, and I’ll be back in your inbox Sunday. Just wait until you see the meme … so funny! Until then, stay amazing! — Kim

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