Welcome to a tech-know-how-spectacular Saturday, friends! New here? Welcome. We start the party with trivia. Let’s go back in time to 1882, when this Christmas decorating staple was first used. Was it … A.) A miniature train under the tree, B.) Electric lights for the tree or C.) Carols played on a phonograph? Answer’s at the end!

Before we dive in … You get this awesome newsletter free because of our great sponsors I personally approve. Today, click this link to check out IDrive’s encrypted, secure cloud storage, and use code KIM to get 90% off. Appreciate you! — Kim

The holidays are here, folks, and you’ll feel so good if you knock out some of your shopping this weekend. I’ve got you covered with solid picks for anyone in your life.

Pro tip: Before you add anything to your cart on Amazon, look for the orange coupon flag under the product price. You only get the savings if you check the box.

Tech everyone wants

• Amazon Echo Show with a 5-inch screen and sweet audio (56% off!)
• Logitech keyboard that can pair with three devices (iPad, too!)
• Power bank solar charger (with a super bright built-in flashlight)
• The latest Kindle e-reader for the bookworm who needs an upgrade
• Oral-B Pro electric toothbrush that removes 300% more plaque (43% off!)
• Nespresso espresso machine for lattes at home (under $100)
• Slick Dyson Cool tower fan for the hot sleeper (32% off)
• Wireless meat thermometer you can stick in, then get a phone alert when it’s the perfect “done” temperature
• Magnetic wireless phone charger that doubles as a stand
• Killer Samsung soundbar and subwoofer (around $100)
• Gorgeous tabletop fire pit that’s on every wish list (40% off!)
• Teeny-tiny JBL portable Bluetooth speaker with big sound
• The outdoor wood-fired pizza oven I’m dying for (ahem, Barry — it’s 23% off!)
• 4-pack of Apple AirTags so they never lose anything again ($20 off)

Bestsellers under $30

• Anker’s mini power bank that can charge a phone, headphones, iPad — whatever
• A weighted blanket for cozier naps (10 to 15 pounds is good for beginners!)
• No kidding, the organizer in your life will love these plastic drawer dividers
• Silicone pot strainer that makes pasta night so much easier
• Be a hero and gift a waterproof phone holder so they can keep watching YouTube in the tub
• An affordable mug warmer for coffee, tea and cocoa
• LED dog collar to keep pooches safe on early morning or evening walks
• A rotating phone mount perfect for travel
• Funny and useful toilet nightlight with 16 changing colors

Komando bestsellers/reader favorites

• The Pink Stuff is a miracle cleaner that works on everything — toss it in the stockings!
• Handy-dandy outlet extender from Anker that gives you three outlets and USB/USB‑C slots (27% off)
• The best $10 you’ll spend on a rechargeable lighter that works even when it’s windy
• USB data blockers to safely charge at the airport, coffee shop, etc.
• The car guys and gals among us love this windshield-cleaning tool

None of these ideas fit the bill? Head to my site for even more gift guides!

🎁 How do politicians wrap presents? With a ton of red tape!

🚨 "Bank jackings": You need to know about this frightening new robbery trend. Masked criminals force victims to unlock their phones, and then they empty their accounts, including Zelle, Venmo and Cash App. If you don’t need a money app on your phone, remove it.

AI apps that undress women: Upload a photo of a woman, and the app changes the image so she’s completely naked. Just grab a photo off social, for instance, and boom, there she is — au natural. Advertisements on Reddit and X for these apps are up 2,400%. Only works for women’s bodies … for now.

Mum’s the word: Meta's rolling out default end-to-end encryption for all chats on Messenger and Facebook. Only you and your chat buddy can read what's said — even Meta can't peek. I’m all for privacy, but the child predators will see this as a win.

💬 Spicy AI: Elon Musk has a new chatbot, Grok, for X Premium Plus subscribers. Picture a bot that's snarky, anti-”woke,” and might just be a Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan fan. A chatbot that's not afraid to stir the pot? That's Elon — I mean Grok — for you. 🙃

Supermarket sweep: Amazon is testing a new $9.99 per month grocery delivery service. For that, you’ll get unlimited deliveries from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh, but with a catch — your orders must be over $35. The best part is access to 30-minute pickups.

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!"

👉 Get my podcasts today!

🙈 Oh, brother. Google’s new Gemini AI powering its Bard chatbot is impressive, but what about privacy? Here’s what they don’t want you to know.

Hang up! I wrote about the tactics scammers are using right now to fool you. Warn your older loved ones, please.

📃 It’s worth it to preserve your family stories, photos and recipes the right way. This guide will help you get started.

Wipe out. It takes so much work to get your info off data broker sites. Let the good guys do it for you.

In sickness and health: Would you let AI write your wedding vows?

It always breaks my heart when I get an email or call from someone desperately trying to get back all the files they lost when an old device gave out. Our phones and computers don’t last forever, folks.

Instead of hoping for the best, be smart and back up everything where you can always find it. IDrive is encrypted, secure and easy to access from anywhere. You’ll love being able to pull up your photos, videos, documents and anything else no matter where you are.

“Is free antivirus software any good?” Nope, not anymore. You need reliable protection from malware and scammers for your PC, Mac, iPhone and Android. You won’t find a better deal for TotalAV* anywhere. Just $19 covers up to five devices for a year. Btw, if you buy, no kickbacks or residuals for me.

Free virtual assistant: NotebookLM is Google’s AI note-taking app. It can summarize documents, highlight key points and answer questions. It’ll even format your words into an outline, study guide, email, newsletter or script. It’s def worth trying, but remember not to feed in anything confidential.

😀 Add an emoji: You can do this with just your voice when you're texting. Say the name of an emoji, like “Smiley-face emoji.” No guarantees you'll get the exact one you want; I once wanted Barry to pick up eggs, and Siri sent him the eggplant emoji instead.

Mmm, sushi at home: Amazon Prime members can get a year of Grubhub+ for free and skip the food delivery fees. Go to amazon.com/grubhub, hit Activate Grubhub+, and sign in or make an account. FYI, it’s $10 a month after a year, so set a reminder to cancel.

I think I’ll open a crab and pizza shop and call it “The Crust Station."

The answer: B.) Electric lights for the tree. Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, hand-wired a tree with 80 red, white and blue bulbs, about the size of walnuts. The tree was placed on a motor-powered, rotating pedestal so the lights could be seen from all angles.

🎄 How can you tell the age of a fake Christmas tree? Easy! Just count the tape rings on the box. (So true, right?)

Drop me a note if you need buying advice, help with digital dilemmas or guidance taking your business to the next level. Or reply to this newsletter. I’m here for you. I’ll see you tomorrow for the special Sunday edition of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim