The Current + Scams on Meta, 23andMeās new buyer, YouTubeās creepy timing, Dodge EVs dead and more tech smarts - In partnership with Incogni | Happy Taco Tuesday, friend. Letās taco ābout it. From space-grade salsa experiments to robo-chefs with Michelin dreams, some stories are too weird not to be true. So hereās your trivia appetizer for the day... š® Which of these *actually* happened: A) A robot chef made 400 tacos an hour, B) NASA tested soft taco shells in zero gravity, C) Someone 3D-printed a taco using ground cricket protein, or D) All of the above? The answer is waiting for you at the end, just donāt get too hangry. Your personal data is floating around the web: Sold, shared and stored by data brokers youāve never heard of. Incogni fights back, scrubbing your info from their databases so creeps canāt dig up your life. Use my deal to get 60% off. Itās the best! Btw, I get no kickbacks or royalties if you buy it. ā Kim š« First-time reader? Sign up here. (Itās free!) | TODAY'S DEEP DIVE Donāt make this mistake Image: ChatGPT If youāre about to take a flight, pause for one hot second before you slide your phone into that shiny airport USB port. Both the FBI and FTC are waving red flags: Public charging stations can be straight-up hacker bait. The scam has a name, juice jacking, and no, itās not a new energy drink. Thatās where hackers use those public USB ports to sneak malware onto your device. Once theyāre in, they can lock you out, steal your passwords or worse. And no, this isnāt some fringe theory. Hereās how to charge without turning your phone into a hacker buffet: ā ļø Skip the sketchy USB ports If itās a USB port you donāt own, donāt trust it. Charging via a USB cable can transfer data, not just power. If thereās a regular wall outlet, use it with your own plug. Safer and faster. ā
Go wireless when you can Many newer public charging stations offer wireless pads, and theyāre way safer. No data is exchanged, so malware canāt hitch a ride. Itās slower than wired charging, but worth the peace of mind. š Bring a charge-only cable If USB is your only option, use a charge-only cable. These handy little cords ($10) only deliver power, no data transfer possible. Theyāre a must-pack for frequent travelers. š« Never tap āTrust this deviceā If that pop-up shows up on a sketchy plug like a clingy ex asking for a second chance? Slam āNo,ā or āDonāt allow,ā or back away slowly. Youāre not here to fall in love with malware, youāre just trying to hit 35% battery. š Carry your own power An external battery pack (7% off) is your best friend. Slim, lightweight and lifesaving when your battery dips to single digits. Keep one in your laptop bag or carry-on, and youāll never be at the mercy of a shady kiosk again. Even if the kiosk looks like itās sponsored by a legit brand or hotel, it doesnāt mean itās safe. Hackers often install malicious hardware inside kiosks without anyone knowing. š§³ TL;DR: Charge smart. Pack your own solutions. And whatever you do, do NOT trust the USB port that looks like itās been in a war with a thousand travelers before you. |
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THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW Major AI breakthrough Googleās DeepMind and Project Zero built an AI that found a security flaw faster than any human could. Wild. Plus, planning a shopping trip? The weather could impact your store discount. I also talk to the teens who made $1 million selling junk on Facebook. Listen on Komando.com ā |
WEB WATERCOOLER 𧬠Bankrupt 23andMe just got bought: Regeneron is scooping it up for $256 million. Whoās that? A biotech company big on cancer and disease research. So yep, theyāll now have access to all that juicy genetic data. They say theyāll honor current privacy rules. Sure. Metaās scam spiral: Facebook and Instagram reportedly ran God only knows how many shady ads tied to scams from fake food giveaways to nonexistent golden retrievers. Internal docs say the company avoided cracking down to keep the $$$ flowing. JPMorgan says half of Zelle scam complaints lead straight back to Meta. Turns out āmove fast and break thingsā meant āletās break trust.ā š¤ Gemini gets beefy: At tomorrowās Google I/O conference, I expect to see the next-gen Gemini Ultra and two heavier subscription tiers. Also coming: AI agents that browse the web for you (finally someone to blame for your weird search history), shelf-worthy Android tweaks and some spicy fake podcast upgrades. Also on deck: XR smart glasses collab with Samsung. T-Mobile payout: Remember the 2021 data breach that exposed info from 76 million people? A class action lawsuit followed, and T-Mobile agreed to a $350 million settlement. Good news: Checks are going out this month. If you were part of the lawsuit, you could get back your losses or a flat payment of $25. Nothing says Iām sorry like a Chipotle bowl and a bottle of CVS wine. ā” Dodge ditches the Charger Daytona: The EV base model flopped so hard they sold less than 2,000 of āem in the first few months of the year. But donāt worry, you can still pick up the Scat Pack version if youāve got $73,985 lying around. Gas-powered Chargers are coming soon. YouTube ads are getting tricky: Theyāre testing an AI tool called Peak Points that finds the precise moments when viewers are most engaged in a video. Then it drops ads right after. The goal? Help advertisers catch you when youāre paying attention and more likely to click. Kill it with fire. šØ Deliverability: Noun. The likelihood that an email will successfully land in your inbox instead of being exiled to the deadly spam folder. I switched ESPs (email service providers), and I need your help. Reply, forward or rate the newsletter at the end, so Big Tech and your email provider know you want my free newsletter. This way, Iāll stick around like guac on a chip. |
DAILY TECH UPDATE Does this stop phone radiation? Products like stickers and blankets claim to shield you from your phoneās EMFs. Hereās what works and what to skip. Listen on Komando.com ā |
DEVICE ADVICE ā”ļø 3-second tech genius: Use Ctrl + L on PC or Cmd + L on Mac in your browser to jump straight to the address bar, ready to type or paste. DIY on the cheap:Some local libraries rent out power tools. Who knew? If youāre planning a summer project, itās worth stopping by your nearest branch to ask. š¤ ChatGPT feeling off? If replies start missing the mark, it might be because itās holding onto too much old info. Over time, the bot stores bits from your chats, which can throw off future answers. The fix? Clear it out once a month. Go to Settings > Personalization > Clear ChatGPTās memory, then hit Clear memory. šø Subscriptions sneak up fast: One buck here, five there, and suddenly your bank accountās losing money fast. I use Rocket Money* to track every subscription I have. Donāt want a service anymore? Theyāll cancel it for you. Split screen on iPad: Want two apps open at once? Turn your iPad sideways and open the first app. Tap the three-dot menu at the top and select Split View. The app will move to one side. Swipe up to open the Dock and drag the second app over. Now use the divider to adjust space between them. š Speaking my language: Reading a website in another language? Chrome can auto-translate as you browse. Open the Chrome menu (three dots) > Settings > Languages > toggle on Use Google Translate. Next time you land on a foreign site, a pop-up will offer to switch it to English. VoilĆ ! Worried about hackers? Head to myaccount.google.com/security to check your Google accountās security. Review logins, set up 2FA and lock things down in seconds. This link alone is worth the price of this newsletter. |
BY THE NUMBERS $21.9 billion The price tag for Charterās takeover of Cox Communications. This will create the largest U.S. cable and broadband provider, because clearly, what we need is fewer options and more bundling. 3x The increased odds of developing Parkinsonās if you live within 2 miles of a golf course. Why? Heavy pesticide use. Critics arenāt entirely convinced, calling the link āreductive.ā Itās enough to make you think twice before dreaming of that house overlooking the 18th hole. 46% The increased risk of hemorrhoids if you scroll on your phone while on the toilet. A new survey found that prolonged scrolling sessions on the porcelain throne might be more dangerous than you think. Maybe itās time to swap the TikTok binge for, I donāt know, getting off the toilet. Whatās it called when you get a hemorrhoid in space? An assteroid. (That was a good one!) |
WHAT THE TECH? | | Itās 2025, and weāre bringing back giant floating balloons to haul cargo and tourists like itās 1935. Googleās Sergey Brin is betting on nonflammable helium-filled whales in the sky, because why not? These new-age blimps sip diesel, not jet fuel, promising to cut emissions by 90%. Pathfinder 1 just flew over San Francisco Bay, so I guess this is getting some traction or, shall I say, wind. But itās not all smooth sailing. Airships have been notoriously hard to monetize. Helium shortages and soaring costs could pop this Hindenburg 2.0 revival before it even takes off. Certified to fly? Not yet. Weāre still in the tethered-testing, baby-steps phase, but they swear itāll be hauling cargo by 2030. |
LOGGING OUT ... The answer: D) All of the above. Yes, really. A robot chef (named Flippy) did crank out 400 tacos an hour, NASA floated soft taco shells in microgravity because bread leaves crumbs, and someone 3D-printed a cricket taco because techies donāt believe in limits (or normal lunches). So if you ever feel weird about your life choices, just remember: Somewhere, thereās a bug-based space taco orbiting Earth, probably made by a robot. Today, Taco Bell is providing more value than ever. Where else can you get gas for $1.19? (Youāll use that one, I know it!) Incogni now offers personal removals, so you can pick the sites you want your data scrubbed from. Thatās huge news, I know! Use my exclusive link for 60% off Incogni today. š This is the #1 tech newsletter in the U.S. No bug consumption necessary, just sit back and enjoy the show. Tomorrow, Iāve got ways to get your digital life straightened out. Until then, run your day like itās version 10.0 ⦠perfect and powerful! š„š¾ ā Kim š£ Donāt keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here) | |
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