The Current Plus: First “AI PC,” Roku is blocking content, EVs aren’t as green as we thought | In partnership with Oracle | | Happy tech-tastic Thursday, my friends! It’s World Book Day, so here’s a fun fact: 40% of American book purchases happen on Amazon — and that number jumps to 80% for e‑book sales. Dang. If you miss a good old-fashioned local bookstore, use this handy search tool to find one near you. ✅ Share the know-how. When you see icons under a story in this newsletter for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and email, click one to instantly share that story with your coworkers, family and friends. Let’s make this world tech‑smarter! — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE 🤑 Side hustle success 📲 Siri and Google Assistant warning 🚫 The first “AI PC" |
TODAY'S TOP STORY I found your next side hustle “Kim, how can I make money from home?” I’ve been getting this one for years and years. And guess what? Between new apps and the rise of the gig economy, it’s never been easier to make an extra buck. Entrepreneur (paywall link) gathered some weird and wonderful side hustles, plus real examples of regular folks who make a pretty penny. Don’t worry, no Uber on this list — but I did include an option for those who love to drive. Without further ado, four surprising ways to stack some cash on the side. Paved paradise Turn your unused space into a rentable parking spot to rake in some serious dough. The Neighbor app allows users to rent garages and parking spots to drivers. It also lets you rent out attics and basements for personal storage. Justin Cambra makes over $1,300 monthly by renting out a paved lot on his property. He's close to an airport, and his lot is a bargain compared to the competition. Justin also has long-term parkers who take extended trips, which helps him bring in even more cash. Armchair expert Know a lot about a niche topic? Post that long-winded lecture on the web! JustAnswer pays experts a dollar for every question they answer. The average expert makes between $2,000 and $7,000 per month. Jennifer Sheffer is an antique dealer in New England who’s been working on JustAnswer since 2012. She puts in around 40 hours per week and brings in as much as $20,000 a month. Drive in style If driving is your thing but you’d prefer something a little classier than Uber or Lyft, try a high-end car service instead. Alto is a ride-sharing app that makes its drivers actual employees, complete with hourly pay and training. It also hooks drivers up with an all-white Buick Enclave. Nice! Printing money … Literally. Craft lovers and creatives can make a killing selling printable templates online. People are always looking for new word games, meal planners and hobby how-tos. Have a sewing pattern you love? Turn it into a printable PDF and sell it on Etsy! Voila — you’ve got a passive income stream. Former teacher Lisa Fink makes a whopping $65,000 a month selling printables through Etsy and her personal website. She started making five figures a month within her first six months of sales. Not too shabby, eh? Btw, you can pick up official Komando merch at my Etsy store. Not sold on any of these side hustles? I’ve got six more on my site that might be more up your alley — check ‘em out here. 🍞😂 My friend just started a bakery. Now he’s making a little extra dough on the side! |
DEALS OF THE DAY Yes, you need solar eclipse glasses A total solar eclipse is April 8. Yup, right around the corner. So prepare now and repeat after me: Do not look directly at the sun, even if most of it is covered by the moon. You need the right kind of glasses to keep those peepers safe. FYI, buy them soon. All the certified pairs sold out before the last eclipse! A 10-pack for you and all your pals. A 2-pack if you don’t need that many. |
WEB WATERCOOLER Watch this: Roku's latest terms of service update slaps a big box right over content — unless you hit “Agree.” If and when you do, you’re saying you won’t sue Roku. The real kicker? Opting out requires mailing a letter. So tricky. 📲 Don’t ask Siri or Google: Think twice before asking your voice assistant to call customer service. Scammers are manipulating search results to make sure their fake numbers are at the top. Imagine paying $125 to a fake United Airlines agent or an $80 “activation fee” for Hulu. Ouch. Always grab numbers from official sites. Bon appetit: GE Appliances’ Cookcam AI recognizes your dish and automatically sets the cooking mode. Surprise, it’s not even an upsell! If you have a GE Profile or Café model equipped with in-oven cameras, it’s a free software update. What’s on the menu? Turkey, cookies, pizza, cakes and brownies for now. 🚫 Don’t buy a Surface tablet: Microsoft is dropping the first "AI PCs” on March 21. The OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are decked out with next-gen processors, upgraded displays, and all the AI bells and whistles. Copilot essentially turns everything you do on the PC into something you can search for later. Feature or flaw? That’s up to you. TikTok videos are getting longer: Why? Money, of course. TikTok's new Creator Rewards Program is pushing creators to make content over a minute long if they want to see any cash. No more 10-second dance vids for you … and just as I was practicing my sweet moves. So much for going green: A study says EVs cough up more toxic emissions than gas vehicles. EVs generally weigh 30% more than standard cars, too, so their tires wear out faster, sending nasty particles into the air at a rate 400 times that of exhaust fumes. And they find this out now? ✏️ RIP, No. 2 pencils: You were No. 1 in my heart. It’s official. The SATs are going digital. Students will take the new version of the college admission test on a laptop or tablet. It’s also an hour shorter and packed with digital tools like highlighters and graphing calculators. It’s not an open-browser test, though; it’ll still be administered under strict watch in test centers and schools. Did they think we wouldn’t notice? Someone manning the Samsung Brazil X account posted a Rihanna concert clip to show off the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s zoom and low-light skills. Smart marketing! Wait, nope … The video was filmed on an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple couldn’t have planned a better iPhone ad. |
DEVICE ADVICE ‘Hey, have you landed yet?’ Don't wait for them to call or text. There are better ways, friend! My favorite option is FlightAware. Type in the flight number and you’ll see where that plane is in the sky. You're not limited to tracking their flight; you can even see if rain might delay them with the weather radar overlay. Try it on the web or your phone. Flightradar24 is fun. Open your camera and point it at any airplane. You’ll see its flight number, departure point and destination. It’s powered by ADS‑B receivers and can get signals from the aircraft. Download it here. For the basics, Google Flights gets the job done. Search for a flight number on Google and a box with details like arrival time and gate info will pop up. ✈️ I've got this terrible disease where I can't stop telling airport jokes. Sadly, my doctor tells me it's terminal. Sorry, I had to. |
LISTEN UP | | If you don't want an EV, try a hybrid Not sold on electric cars yet? There's a middle ground that could be just what you're looking for. Play Now • 5:37 ▶ |
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TECH LIFE UPGRADES Thank you, next: Mint goes away (for real this time) on March 23. I rounded up these free alternatives that can easily import your Mint data. PocketGuard’s free version has handy pie charts and bill tracking. RocketMoney analyzes your spending habits and reminds you about pesky subscriptions you forgot to cancel. Wally will import Mint info, too. One-handed snaps: The Camera app on your iPhone has a big shutter button — but it's not the only way to take a photo. You can also use either of the volume buttons! It's on by default and can be much easier, especially for group selfies. 🍿 Before movie night: Turn off your TV’s Motion Smoothing feature. It’s a setting made for sports that makes everything else look … weird. Find it in your TV’s picture settings. Steps here if you need help. Permission revoked: Can't remember which permissions you've given to which apps on your Android phone or tablet? There's an easy way to check. From Settings, tap Security and privacy > Privacy > Permission manager. 🛫 Meet your new travel planner: Not me — Kayak. Screenshot a seemingly good flight. Next, upload it to the new PriceCheck AI feature on Kayak's app. It’ll show if it’s really the best. Another AI alternative? Ask Kayak your travel planning questions. “Direct flights to the beach under $500, please!” But always double-check Kayak’s results against Google Flights. |
BY THE NUMBERS 90% less manual work At J.P. Morgan, thanks to its Cash Flow Intelligence AI tool. The biggest uses? Analyzing and forecasting cash flows. The bank expects AI to produce $1.5 billion in business value this year. Those summer interns are gonna have a lot more time for coffee runs. $49 for Target Circle 360 The annual fee goes up to $99 on May 18. A membership will get you same-day delivery in as little as an hour with no extra charge. Eh, I’ll stick with Amazon Prime. 46% more nearsightedness In the last three decades. That’s from a U.K. report that blames increased screen time and decreased outside time. Next time you see a Gen Zer, remind them to touch grass (if they remember what it looks like). |
WHAT THE TECH? Remember accidentally recording over your favorite cassette? Hey, we all make mixtapes. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... And that’s a wrap! I’m in the market for a new book to read — got any suggestions? I’m looking for something novel. But really, reply to this email and let me know what you’re reading! If you’re more the “free” type, the Libby app is great for downloading audiobooks and e‑books from your local library. Links here, plus two more solid options. Before you go: Help keep this newsletter free and check out Oracle if you own a business. You haven’t missed the AI boat — you just need the right tools. Thanks for reading. I’m glad you’re here. Otherwise, it’d just be me talking to myself! See ya right back here tomorrow. We did tremendous testing on the different AI chatbots you don’t want to miss. Until then, stay your amazing self! — Kim |
Komando Referral Program Share this newsletter → Earn prizes! Step 1: Copy your unique referral link: https://www.komando.com/friends/?referralCode=0rvmdp6 Step 2: Share your link! Post it on social media, send it in a text or paste it into an email to a pal. If they sign up using that link, you get the credit! |
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