It’s a wonderful Wednesday, tech seekers! Let’s start with our tech trivia. What percentage of people in the U.S. have a Facebook account? Make your best guess and see if you’re right at the end.

🌅 Support this free newsletter by checking out our innovative sponsor, RYSE SmartShades, which, as you might’ve guessed, turns your existing window shades into smart shades. It’s pretty sweet when you can open and close your shades right from your couch or, better yet, on a schedule. — Kim

In just 24 hours, a YouTube video hit 59.4 million views. No, not a pop singer’s latest music video or a KIDZ BOP tune the little ones put on repeat. And it’s not anyone scantily clad, either.

It was YouTube star MrBeast hosting a global competition that millions probably agree is cooler than the Olympics. The winner (I won’t spoil it) took home a gold medal worth $250,000. Every participant got $2,000, and he’s going to do it again so viewers can join in.

At 24, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, has built an empire around his YouTube channel.

By the numbers

MrBeast posted his first YouTube video in 2012 and has since become the platform’s most-subscribed-to individual. Check out these incredible stats:

• The MrBeast channel has 178 million subscribers.
• His videos have been viewed over 30 billion times.
• Donaldson’s estimated net worth is $500 million.
• Between cash, cars, and other prizes and donations, MrBeast has given away millions of dollars.

Donaldson was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1998. He was raised in Greenville, North Carolina, graduated from Greenville Christian Academy and briefly attended East Carolina University. Turns out he had too much going on to stay.

Talk about generosity

That’s part of what makes MrBeast so popular. He’s hosted some truly wild giveaways and held crazy (and still wholesome) challenges over his nearly 750-video history.

There was a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that raised over $20 million to plant 20 million trees. And the time he donated 100 cars. Oh, and the one where he adopted out every dog in a shelter and gave their new families cash.

He raised over $30 million to remove 30 million pounds of trash and waste from oceans, rivers and beaches. He also funded cataract surgery for 1,000 people.

There are a lot of people making content to get famous — and so is MrBeast — but it sure is nice to see someone on YouTube that you can feel good about watching with the family.

Fun and games

Some of the most popular MrBeast videos are a little goofier, like counting to 100,000 and building a fort out of plastic cups. He also ran the marathon in the world’s largest shoes. Why? I don’t know, but 140 million people watched it.

You’d think a video of a young man reading wouldn’t be so popular, but MrBeast garnered millions of views by doing just that. He’s read the entire dictionary, the “Bee Movie” script and the longest English word — it’s 190,000 characters and took nearly two hours to read.

His most popular video, a real-life recreation of the hit Netflix series “Squid Game,” has been watched nearly half a billion times.

A nice change of pace

MrBeast shows you don’t need to post risky or dangerous content to get more views. While he does hold contests and challenges, they consist of spending a million dollars in an hour, hide and seek, or sitting in the world’s largest bowl of cereal.

His audience consists of millions of young people, and you won’t find him persuading them to lick batteries or lie down on the freeway. Instead, he inspires them to have fun and do good deeds for others.

Yeah, he’s had his share of controversy — he recently caught flak for asking fans to fix Walmart displays for his Feastables chocolate bars. He also gave a waitress a brand-new car covered in ads of his YouTube logo and chocolate brand.

Nobody’s perfect, and some MrBeast content is downright silly. But hey, it’s better than Tide Pod challenges and twerking videos!

✅ Look at you! All caught up on the hottest YouTube star.

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⚠️ Phone scam warning: If an Amazon customer service rep (or anyone else) asks you to download an app called AnyDesk, hang up immediately. IT pros use this remote-access software, but it’s also a handy tool for scammers. Victims have lost thousands to criminals pretending to work for Amazon, Etsy and PayPal. Watch out for this scam!

Inside job: The British Museum has some pretty fancy pieces — and a desperate curator apparently sold them for a fraction of their value on eBay. The items, some worth up to $63,000 each, went for as little as $50. The suspect’s family says it wasn’t him. I hope not because, man, what a bad deal.

Take a hike: Google Maps recently rolled out a massive update that covers our national parks. You'll see tips for navigating trails, difficulty levels, start and end points, and photos along the way. I went hiking yesterday and saw a cougar. It almost made me puma pants.

Headlines, begone: So says Elon Musk over at X (formerly Twitter). Posts sharing news links will be stripped of article titles so people can create their own. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, Musk also said “X might fail” after a glitch caused pictures posted before December 2014 to be deleted.

❌ Recalled products sold online: I’ve warned you about this before, and now Congress is getting involved. The Boppy Newborn Lounger was recalled way back in 2021 after leading to infant deaths — but used ones are for sale on Facebook Marketplace and other resellers. Now, it’s your turn to warn the new parents in your life.

Jeep recall: 340,000 Jeep SUVs need a software patch to fix the rear-view camera system. Impacted models: 2022-2023 Grand Cherokee, the 2021-2023 Grand Cherokee L, and 2022-2024 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. There’s an issue with the 2022 and 2023 model-year Jeep Compass instrument cluster lighting, too. Contact your dealership.

Phone or laptop? You might need to make that decision if the rumors are true. When Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max (with 2TB of storage) is announced in mid-September, it’s expected to cost $2,100. Yes, that means the iPhone costs about 60% more than a MacBook. Yup, people will buy it.

🔌 Smart bulb hack: Researchers discovered a big-time flaw in the top-selling TP-Link Tapo L530E smart bulb and app that let someone steal your Wi-Fi password. No fix yet. If you have one (or more), unscrew them for now. (Btw, folks who get my free afternoon newsletter that covers tech updates, upgrades, glitches and tricks learned about this yesterday. Sign up now so you don’t miss important alerts like this, too.)

Every morning, brush your teeth to my Daily Tech Update. You get fresh breath and fresh tech know-how in a minute.

Listen to my podcast, Daily Tech Update, here.

Feeling a bit confused with Gen Z slang? Trust me, you’re not alone. Gen Z speaks a whole new language, thanks to social media and texting. I have a 20-something son, so I’ll get you up to speed with all the cool kids.

• “Lit.” No, it's not like lighting a candle, but more like when someone is having a good time. "That party was so lit!"
• "Trill" is a combination of "true" and "real." If you're being an awesome friend, you're “trill.” 
• "Stan." Not just a name anymore! If you "stan" something or someone, it means you're a true fan.
• "On fleek" means looking sharp, stylish or on point.
• "Slay" means you're killing it, like, "You aced that presentation! Slay all day!"

Slang words are one thing, but what about emojis? Those can get embarrassing fast.

Pro tip: Don’t use the eggplant emoji if you’re looking forward to going out for Italian or Chinese food. Here’s why.

🥳 Text this to someone who thinks you’re out of touch: “The Kim Komando Show is so lit! Kim's advice is always on fleek and her fans are stans. She's a trill host who knows how to slay the tech game!” OK, maybe too much.

Cybercrime costs are expected to hit $8 trillion this year. One of the fastest-growing tactics? Using artificial intelligence (AI) to fool others. It could be someone using your child’s real voice on the phone or a video of a loved one in trouble. This stuff is out there, and it works.

If you ever get a call, text, email — whatever — like this, find another way to contact the person. There’s a good chance it’s fake. Here’s how you can fight back:

• Don’t say a word! Just hang up. It only takes three seconds for a scammer to steal your voice. If that happens, they can clone your voice and get into your banking apps and even extort your family members out of money.
• Try a call-blocking app. There are a ton of options out there, like Truecaller, Hiya and Robokiller. There are tools from your carrier, too.
• Don't fall for the old "press this button to speak to a person" trick. That's how those scammers get access to your info and put your number on a hot list to call.
• Report the scam call to the FTC and FCC to help protect others. Mark it down as your good deed for the day.

PSA! Get a disposable phone number: Stop giving your real phone number to every person or company that asks.

Best when you’re drinking a beer, once in a Blue Moon.

The answer: There are 243.5 million Facebook users in the U.S. That’s around 70% of our country. Isn’t it incredible to have a company’s product used by that many people? I read on Facebook there’s a Canadian political party leader everyone loves. It's probably not Tru-deau.

✅ Before you leave me, you def need to check out our sponsor, RYSE SmartShades, so you no longer have to deal with pulling cords to open or close your shades. And please do me a favor and tell a few friends about my free newsletter. That would be swell! — Kim