Hello there on a tech-tastic Thursday! Let’s kick this party off with trivia. What’s the most expensive phone number ever sold: A.) 222‑2222, B.) 555‑5555, C.) 666‑6666 or D.) 8888‑8888? Make your very best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end!

😂 Inchstones. We talked about that on the Kim Komando Today podcast yesterday. And my joke at the end … ! Well, I was crying because it was so dang funny. If you missed it, watch it now on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook.

Now, on to the tech news! — Kim

“Kim, what’s coming soon that’ll change the world?” I get this question a lot. “AI” is a definite answer. But what about life changers that have nothing to do with AI?

For instance, infection after surgery occurs in one of every 10 patients. A genius high-schooler created a special suture that changes color when an infection is present. Amazing, right? Here are some others that I bet you’ll want to tell your family and friends about.

Mush more shelf life: Food preservatives aren’t good for us. A couple of chemists discovered a natural way to preserve food using a mushroom-fiber extract made from ‘shrooms that farmers usually throw away. They extended the shelf life of organic cream cheese from six weeks to 10. Bagel lovers, rejoice!

One smart dresser: Imagine a closet full of clothes … with only a few pieces. Researchers at MIT made "smart" material that shape-shifts when exposed to water, heat or light. Its 4D clothing can be lengthened, folded, flattened and bent, and it can do everything from changing colors to releasing microdoses of medication. Whoa.

Cool as a cucumber: A professor at Purdue created a special white paint that reflects sunlight into the atmosphere. It reduces a roof's temperature by up to eight degrees during the day and air conditioner use by 40%. Pretty cool, indeed.

Secret SOS: In South Korea, the Knock Knock campaign is helping domestic violence victims. They can report abuse secretly by dialing 112 and tapping any number twice. Police get their location through GPS tracking and can even see a livestream through the phone's camera.

Oceans of love: There are an estimated 171 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. TrashBoom is a floating barrier that stretches the width of a river, acting like a net to block trash from heading out to sea. Since April 2021, TrashBoom’s barriers have kept around 2 million pounds of waste from entering the ocean.

🤯 If something on this list blew your mind, use those handy buttons below to share it with a friend.

Speaking of … The invention of the shovel was groundbreaking, but the invention of the broom swept the nation. (I crack myself up sometimes!)

• Qi2-certified is the latest wireless charging standard. Anker has an ultra-fast MagSafe version for iPhones.
• Keep an eye on your furry friends with this automatic pet feeder and monitor.
• For gals who like to stay fit, check out the Garmin Lily 2 smartwatch.
• Have a gamer in your life? They'll love a new MSI Vector gaming laptop. Pricey, but the specs are impressive!
• Whip up brisket, pork butt, ribs or whatever with this smoke-free indoor electric smoker. (I can’t believe I just wrote “pork butt.”)

Sleep and tell: Shawn Mackey thought he was slick dodging $960 in fees on his Memphis Airbnb stay. When he left a salty review, his host clapped back HARD by emailing his wife a pic of him cozying up with another lady. Mackey's now crying about his invasion of privacy and emotional distress. Drama level: Expert.

📞 Stay skeptical: In Maine, a man lost $9,000 to a fake-cop scam. The crook used caller ID spoofing to make the call look real, then scared the guy with a story about identity theft. The giveaway: Real cops don't ask for bitcoin.

💘 She just gets me: Derek, a 39-year-old from Michigan, caught feelings for Joi … an AI gal from an app called Paradot. He’s just one person ditching the dating scene for digital love. Swapping cuddles for code? Smells like we're trading privacy for pixels and leaving reality.

Goodbye passwords, hello you: Imagine your face, voice or gait being the key to everything — your work computer, phone login, you name it. Biometrics could replace old-school passwords and badges. But what about privacy? You can't exactly get a new face or fingerprints if someone hacks in.

🕵️‍♀️ Oops, they did it again: The fertility app Glow let slip details on 25 million peeps — names, selfies, the works. Kudos to security researcher Ovi Liber for catching the mess. Glow's reply? Crickets. Ladies, remove the app now.

What the … No, you're not imagining chirpy sounds while scrolling Facebook. Meta confirmed it's a bug, not a cool update, coming from the app. Here's a quick fix: Settings & Privacy > Settings > Media > Sounds > toggle off In-App Sound.

On thin ice: By 2025, scientists say things could get dicey in Europe, North America and Asia. They predict freezing temps, weird weather, and a serious crunch on global food and water supplies. Time to bundle up and worry. Take a look at the story — it’s interesting.

📶 Outsmarting the smart homes: Burglars in Edina, Minnesota, are using $40 Wi‑Fi jammers to put security systems like Ring, Blink and Nest into a deep sleep. Yup, your high-tech home defenses could be useless. Pro tip: Set up signal-loss alerts in your system’s app. Better yet, get a real security system from SimpliSafe.*

Is your phone’s browser a complete mess? Those tabs running in the background eat up valuable memory. There’s a quicker fix than closing tabs one at a time.

On iPhone:

• Open Safari. Tap and hold the icon that looks like two overlapping squares. From the pop-up, choose Close All Tabs. Done!

On Android:

• It’s even easier if you use Chrome. Just say, “Hey, Google, close all tabs.” If you’re using a different browser, there’s usually a menu in the top right corner. Look for the Close All Tabs option. That’s it!

🏁 Speed Rx: Do this once a week to keep your phone’s performance top‑notch.

Relationships are like smartphones. You look at your iPhone 8 and think, “It used to be a lot quicker to turn this thing on.”

It's alive: OpenAI is testing a memory feature with ChatGPT, and it’s rolling out for some users this week. As you chat with the bot, you can ask it to remember something specific or let it pick up details itself. Its memory will improve as you use it.

💳 Still carrying a physical wallet stuffed with cards? Switch to a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Not only is it convenient, but it adds an extra layer of security to your transactions.

📍 Where am I? You can ask your smartphone that — really! So handy on vacation or if you’re lost. You’ll get your address and location on a map, which you can then share. Just say, "Hey, Siri” or “Hey, Google,” followed by, “Where am I?"

📶 No bars: When your cell service is wonky, switch your phone to Airplane mode, wait a few seconds, then change it back. This will reconnect you to the nearest cell tower. Sweet!

So gross: Want to be shocked? Take off your smartphone case. I can only imagine your face when you see all the grime trapped underneath. Grab a microfiber cloth and wipe it all away. Bonus points if you use a disinfecting wipe, too. Avoid ports and speakers.

Fun fact: Dell Technologies powers The Kim Komando Show and The Current. Yep, we’ve got Dell computers and servers hard at work.

For a limited time, you can save on Dell’s best tech — including select next-gen PCs, like the XPS 13 Plus. Create your dream set-up with great deals on select monitors, mice, and must-have electronics and accessories.

When you shop at Dell.com/deals, you’ll have access to leading-edge tech at great prices. Hurry to get the most advanced features at a great price (plus free shipping on everything) before the sale ends!

What rock group has four men who don't sing? Mount Rushmore.

The answer: C.) 666‑6666. The most expensive phone number sold for $2.7 million in Qatar. The previous record holder was the Chinese number 8888-8888, which sold for $280,000.

🤣 I accidentally deleted all my German friends' phone numbers. Now my iPhone is Hans‑free.

If you laughed, you’re my people. If you groaned, you’re still my people. Now, be my person and help me out. Tell someone in your life about this tech content. You can forward this email, text about my podcast or show, or even just tell ‘em one of my jokes. Let’s get this world tech-smarter together! See you right back here tomorrow. — Kim