Hello Thursday! Let’s start by going back in time. Which of these was advertised as “the first under-$1,000 computer” in the U.S.? Was it the … Commodore 64, Apple II, IBM PC 5150 or Tandy TRS-80? You get a gold star if you also know the year. The answer, my friends, is at the end.

Thanks for embarking on the Komando Tech Trek! Buckle up, as we don't take any byte for granted. We’re off on this electrifying journey together! — Kim

Passwords keep your online accounts protected from hackers … but not if they're easy to guess. Cybercriminals know what’s overused and will use that against you.

Curious as to how your passwords measure up? Read on to see if yours made the naughty list and get my smart tips to protect yourself from hackers.

Spill the tea

A recent study examined over 6 million breached passwords to find the worst offenders. No, it's not just things like "password" and "123456" — but those are bad, and if you use 'em, change 'em.

Over 1.5 million of those crappy passwords were eight characters or less. Almost 30% used fewer than 12 characters. The most popular hacked passwords used all-lowercase letters.

Take a look at the top 10 most-hacked password categories:

1. Nicknames/terms of endearment
2. TV show characters
3. TV show names
4. Colors
5. Fashion brands
6. Cities
7. Countries
8. Movie titles
9. Body parts
10. Car brands

Don't call me ‘sweetie’

If your online banking password shares your spouse's nickname, it's not strong enough (unless you call them something really weird). Terms of endearment like "king," "rose," "boo" and "love" were high on the easily breached list.

Pets’ names, swear words and video game characters (Joel, Mario and Link) weren't far behind. Sports, football teams and superheroes were in the top 20, too.

Keep it locked down

Passwords are a royal pain in the rear, but you need to take them seriously. Here are some tips:

• Create a password with 12 to 16 characters. The longer, the better! An 8-character password can be cracked in less than an hour.
• Use a mix of letters, numbers and special characters or symbols. Don’t just add a “1” or an exclamation point at the end.
• Use a password manager to keep track of all those complex logins for you.
• If you think your password has been compromised, change it ASAP. This is especially true if you keep getting texts or emails that someone requested a change and it wasn’t you. Lock it down.

✅ See the full list of bad passwords on my site. Spot one you recognize? Oops, time to change it.

😂 What's the difference between your password and glass luggage? One's case sensitive and the other's a sensitive case.

🤖 The party never ends: A radio station in Portland says it's got the first AI DJ. AI Ashley sounds just like its real host, Ashley Elzinga. It will take the midday slot — and won't ever need a potty break or vacay. Expect more AI on the radio as broadcast companies continue to lose money and cut staffers.

Wow, I’m shocked: TikTok just confessed to the U.S. government it's been storing the financial data of American creators in China, not Virginia and Singapore as previously claimed. Just another reason to get off TikTok. Need help? Hit my site.

Is your refrigerator running? DirecTV got caught making unsolicited calls to people on the National Do Not Call Registry, and it’ll cost them $16.85 million. Not cool. You can enter your phone number to see if you're part of the payout here.

Get a backup plan: If you’ve got a Google Hangouts account, it’s time to move those precious photos and videos. Google’s planning to sunset its Album Archive, which stored all the media you shared while chatting over the years.

🙈 Warning for parents: Roblox is allowing “more violence, blood or crude humor” for users 17+. Yeah, this includes naked Roblox characters. You must upload a government-issued ID to access it, but kids always find ways around it. Talk to yours.

Prime deception: The FTC is suing Amazon. It says the retail giant not only hides the fact you’re signing up for a subscription, but it’s also hard to cancel Prime and a pain to shop without a membership. “Alexa, where’s my payout?”

NSFW: Watch where you go on Reddit — there’s p*rn everywhere. It’s being posted in protest of Reddit’s new pricing changes. In the past, developers could use Reddit’s API for free. Now, it wants to charge $12,000 for every 50 million data requests by third-party developers. 

📺 Get your daily fiber: Fiber internet is fast, reliable and only touches about 43% of the U.S. Why isn’t it everywhere? The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is working to make that possible. Take a look in this video.

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.

Social media has come a long way from its roots, and most of the news is bad. But it’s one thing to put yourself out there and another thing entirely to post information about your children or someone else’s.

Consider this your tech etiquette lesson of the day.

Don’t overshare

“Dropped my daughter off at the Broadway Mall today. She’s growing up so fast 😭.” You’re expressing your thoughts to your followers, and there’s nothing wrong with that … except there’s way too much information. 

Anyone who sees your post knows exactly where your kid is. And even if your profile is private, that information can leak beyond your network of friends and family.

Do put yourself in their shoes before posting

Your son was bullied at school and came home feeling dejected. Your daughter’s heartbroken because she doesn’t have a prom date. They’re probably not in the mood to have their picture taken or let the world know how they feel. Kids deserve privacy, too.

Do pay attention to what your kids do online

You may be careful, but are your kids following the same safe practices? Sit them down and talk to them about the dangers of social media. Stumped? Start here:

• Think before you post.
• Don’t add people you don’t know.
• Never send inappropriate pictures or content.
• Never give your address or other personal information to anyone on social media.
• Never share your location.
• If you get a strange message, block that account and tell your parents immediately.

✅ There’s more I couldn’t fit! Read the rest of my tips here. I also created a Kids’ Tech Contract to help you and your family. Spread the word if you know someone else who could use it.

You don’t need a smartwatch to measure your heart rate. Check on your ticker with just an app.

It’s neat how these work. Put your index finger on the back camera, and the app measures your heart rate by detecting color changes. Be sure to hold your phone steady and keep still.

Just remember, apps aren’t a replacement for seeing a medical professional or talking to your doctor if you’re not feeling well.

• For iPhone, Cardiio: Heart Rate Monitor is a good choice. It works with iPads, too.
• For Android, Heart Rate Monitor works similarly. Cover the back camera, stay still and you’ll get a reading.

❤️ Some people say a rapid, irregular heartbeat isn't a big deal. Sorry, but that’s a-fib.

Home security is no joke, and you can’t rely on cheap junk you find from who-knows-who online. I trust SimpliSafe, and you can, too.

You build the perfect system for your home online (no annoying salesperson), and it’s shipped right to your door. Set it up yourself, and you’ll be up and running in no time. It’s easy enough for anyone to do.

SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring agents make sure you get priority police response — even if you're away or unable to respond — for under $1 a day. That’s less than half the cost of ADT’s traditional professional installed plans.

The KFC Twitter account is “Very-fried.”

👾 The answer: The Tandy TRS-80, aka “Trash 80,” released in 1977 by Radio Shack, was one of the first mass-produced personal computers and was advertised as "the first under-$1,000 computer" in the U.S.

Wow, what a whirlwind of a day in the tech universe! Thanks for being my sidekick on this digital journey. Feel free to invite your friends to join our tech-savvy squad. The more, the merrier! — Kim