Plus, Twitter p*rn bots, Microsoft hack, Chrome security upgrade and more
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ 

July 6, 2023

View online

The Current Logo

In partnership with Babbel

It’s Throwback Thursday! We begin with trivia, and today's is about the "Harlem Shake" viral video trend. What year was this popular? Make your best guess, and at the end, get the answer and see my “Harlem Shake” video from that year.

🌐💡 Do your part to keep these great newsletters free by checking out today’s sponsor, Babbel. Learn a new language at your pace. Babbel makes sure you're not just memorizing but truly mastering your chosen language. — Kim

📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!)

IN THIS ISSUE

  • 💰 Make that money
  • ⚔️ Meta is coming after Twitter
  • 🧯 $100 hot sauce

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Shopping under the influence

Shopping under the influence

I bet you’ve seen them on Amazon: Average people demonstrating different products in a small video window. It's the perfect, profitable pairing of real people selling real products. 

The "influencer economy" has been gaining steam for about 10 years. If you've even briefly visited TikTok, Instagram or the like, you know what an influencer is and how they make money.

But a new player just entered the influencer arena: Amazon. They’re going to make so much money with this idea, and you might, too.

If you've ever wanted to have an online store, this is for you. Amazon has created a way to let anyone have a shop with products and promote it through social media. You don't have to be young and good-looking with a hot bod to make serious money.

But wait, there’s more

You select the products for sale on Amazon to put in your store. It could be anything you're interested in, or maybe it’s what you know your followers or customers would like. Think jewelry, fishing lures, books, crafts, teaching supplies, makeup — you name it.

The best part? You don’t have to carry any inventory or ship the goods, either. Amazon will do all the heavy lifting for you. Your only job is to sell what’s in your virtual store. You'll earn a commission every time someone purchases something from your storefront.

How much can you make?

Take Brooke JuLyn, who reported she can make between $5,000 and $50,000 per month on the new Amazon influencer platform Inspire.

While that seems like a huge spread, it’s an inspiring income, especially given this new storefront opportunity has only been available to the public since May.

Your earnings depend on what and how much you sell. The commission is a percentage rate, and those vary per category. Luxury beauty? Earn 5% of the sale price. Home products and furniture? Earn 4%. (The percentages are pretty low for tech products, btw.)

How to get started

Maybe you’ve seen the new shopping links on Instagram or another social media site that lead right to Amazon. Become an early adopter and try your hand at building your income stream. To qualify, you need to:

  • Be based in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan or India.
  • Have a social media following of 1,000 or more on one platform (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and/or TikTok).
  • Be approved by the Amazon Influencer Program once you fill out your application.

Once approved, you can create a dedicated storefront. From here, add products and promote your storefront on social media or other online marketing techniques. 

And that's it! It's that simple. You could do this — really! Speaking of, how can you tell an influencer from a computer nerd? Ask them to pronounce bios.

✅ Want to learn more about how this all works? Read on and get Inspired!

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share via email

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH  

Logo

Finally learn a new language — and save 60%

Always wanted to learn a new language? Check out Babbel. Unlike the other apps, Babbel’s lessons are taught by real language teachers instead of AI. You’re able to learn phrases about travel, business, relationships and more — not textbook talk you can’t use in real life.

In just three weeks of daily lessons, you can start speaking Spanish, French, German, Indonesian or another language you’re interested in. All levels are welcome, even total beginners.

All you need is 10 minutes a day, and there are podcasts, games, videos and other methods to help you learn faster and make it fun.

I have a special discount just for you. Babbel is offering 60% off for all Komando subscribers for their Fourth of July sale! Don’t wait! Sign up now while Babbel is on sale.

Hurry! This is a limited-time offer. Get 60% off now! →

WEB WATERCOOLER

🌪️ Hacker havoc: Hacker group Anonymous Sudan says they’ve snatched over 30 million Microsoft account emails and passwords. Microsoft says no, it’s a bluff. Either way, the group is trying to sell whatever they have on the Dark Web for $50,000. It’s probably a good time to change your Microsoft account password, just in case.

Cover your eyes: Twitter’s been swamped by p*rnbots filling feeds and DMs with X-rated content. Despite Musk’s promise to kick bots off the platform, they’re still there … and multiplying. 

Lighting up Vegas: Sphere in Las Vegas, the world's largest spherical building, lit up its exterior for the first time on July 5 with a stunning display of 1.2 million LEDs. See it here. So cool! 

🙌🏻 Privacy win: Google is rolling out its Privacy Sandbox project to 3 billion Chrome browsers. The part that matters? You’ll have the option to disable website tracking with third-party cookies. Watch for a pop-up in your browser to turn it on.

Knock knock: A Texas woman is living a nightmare after her Facebook account was hijacked. The hacker put chicken coops, couches and other stuff up for sale on Marketplace under her name, leading to angry visitors at her door wondering why they didn’t get the things they’d purchased. PSA: Be sure your FB password is hard to crack.

(A)I do: Colorado couple Reece Wiench and Deyton Truitt wanted to get married — fast. With no one to officiate, they enlisted ChatGPT and an AI voice app. The AI refused at first, saying, “I can’t do this, I don’t have eyes.” Yep, it’s legal! You don’t have to have a witness in Colorado.

File swap: You can now quickly transfer files between Windows PCs. Samsung's Quick Share app for Windows also works with other PC brands. You can download it here. FYI, the app only runs on devices with Intel's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi drivers right now.

📺 Say that three times fast: Many brands have strange names on Amazon, like BUXKR, XGIZMOO or HNHYGETE. No, no one thinks those are good names. There's actually a reason for these unconventional names. Watch this eye-opening video for the scoop.

🎧 Want great content on the go?

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Listen to my podcast, Kim Komando Today, here.

TRENDING

Can Meta make a better Twitter?

Can Meta make a better Twitter?

Stumped as to why you can't endlessly browse Twitter? Sorry, but you have to pay up. Twitter now limits how many tweets you can see. Pay for Twitter Blue ($84 a year) and you can read 6,000 daily. Free accounts are limited to 600 tweets, and newbies can read just 300 per day.

OK, let's be honest. If you have time to read 6,000 tweets a day, you need to go outside and get off your device. Mark Zuckerberg and the crew at Meta are hoping that paying for it — and other changes at Twitter — is enough to drive people to their new clone: Threads.

Like Instagram, but all text

If you use Instagram, Threads will certainly feel familiar. It’s all text, though, and no photos. Just picture it like Instagram’s comments section.

Meta planned to launch Threads at the end of July, but they're jumping on the chance to strike while Twitter is (proverbially) down.

Want to try it?

Use your existing Instagram account or make a new one. Of course, Meta will use your IG account — and all associated data — to target you with ads, so get ready for those.

😂 Speaking of threads … A man walks into a doctor's office with a very deep cut. “I need to close up this wound, Doc. I can't afford for you to do it, so can you just give me the needle and thread so I can do it myself?” The doctor says, “Sure, suture self.”

DEAL OF THE DAY

Powerful, affordable tablet

Powerful, affordable tablet

This Amazon Fire tablet may be your perfect summer entertainment companion. It has a vibrant 8-inch HD display, a powerful quad-core processor and up to 12 hours of battery life on a charge. Plus, at just 12% of the price of an iPad, it won't break the bank. You’ll still get access to millions of apps, games and entertainment options without compromising performance. Win, win.

It’s 45% off right now!

DEVICE ADVICE

Smart ways to protect your bike

If you ride your bike everywhere, it’s like carrying a “steal me” sign. Almost 2 million bikes get stolen every year. That’s more than cars stolen! 

Here’s how to keep your bike safe this summer and beyond:

  • Get a smart lock. No key to carry or combo to remember — unlock it straight from your phone. Pair it using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and if anyone tries to nab your ride, you'll get an SOS alert. 
  • Get a GPS tracker. You can hide an AirTag or Tile in your bike's frame, wheel or seat. You'll be able to keep an eye on your bike right from your phone and see where it goes if someone takes it. 
  • Don't forget bike alarm systems. Stick one of these on your bike, and if a thief tries their luck, it'll set off a huge alarm.

You asked, we listened: Get more tips like this every day with our Current Life Hacks newsletter, coming soon. Be the first to get it!

BY THE NUMBERS

85%

The accuracy of the TidyBot in putting away clutter. Researchers at Princeton say their household robot can sort laundry, pick out recyclables and do more chores to make life easier. It's just a school project right now, but I sure want one.

18%

The rumored battery size increase for Apple’s iPhone 15. The 15 Plus and Pro reportedly will have a 14% bigger battery, and the Pro Max is getting a 12% bump. Size matters.

$100

The going rate for Sriracha on eBay and Amazon. Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods, Inc., says there's a chili pepper shortage. If you hit "buy" before they sell out, two 17-ounce bottles will run you three figures. I used to love Sriracha, but now I'm obsessed with Tabasco Sweet & Spicy.

WHAT THE TECH?

What the tech?

I loved listening to my granny’s stories and remember so many to this day!

UNTIL NEXT TIME ...

📺 The answer: 2013. The “Harlem Shake” video begins with a helmeted person dancing unnoticed in a crowd. At the song's bass drop, the view switches to a group doing the eccentric freestyle dance. Despite its name, it was unrelated to the 1980s Harlem Shake dance in New York.

Watch our “Harlem Shake” video from 2013. Ah, the memories! 

✅ Help keep this newsletter free by checking out today’s sponsor. Don't wait another moment to dive into language learning with Babbel. With its personalized, practical lessons and state-of-the-art speech recognition technology, mastering a new language is now at your fingertips! I’ll see you tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the universe! — Kim

How'd we do?

What did you think of today's issue?

Follow us on Facebook!   Follow us on Twitter!   Follow us on Instagram!   Watch us on YouTube!

📫 Was this forwarded to you? Sign up free here.

🎧 Ready to hear more? Check out my podcasts.

🎙️ Want to listen to my show? Find your local radio station.

👍 Thinking about upgrading? Try the Komando Community free for 30 days.

❓ Got a question (or comment) for Kim? Ask away here.

💲 Looking to advertise in this newsletter? Email us.