It’s Tech Tuesday! Let’s start with our trivia. What was the world’s first text message? Was it … “Hello world,” “Did you get this,” “LOL” or “Merry Christmas”? The answer’s at the end, friends!

💪 We’re coming in heavy today, folks. Prepare to be tech-infused! — Kim

Companies using tech to keep an eye on employees is nothing new. But the spyware that tallies productivity and ensures you're logged in on time is so last decade. We’re living in an AI world, folks.

Let’s look at what might be taking a close look at you or someone you know who’s working remotely. 

It all started back in the good ol’ days …

… when we were sitting on our couches, baking bread and hoarding toilet paper. Employee surveillance software exploded in 2020, when millions of workers went home during the COVID-19 lockdown. Employers wanted ways to check if their employees worked their hours, did their jobs and generally toed the line.

Three years later, life has generally returned to normal. But many employees are pushing back, saying they’re working at home and loving not commuting. There's a big push on why employers need software to track workers' productivity. They say this kind of surveillance is invasive and a sign of petty micromanaging, judging everything from time on work chat apps to employees’ computer keystrokes. 

But 85% of leaders report remote work makes them worry employees are slacking on the job. Spoiler: Many are, and that’s life. I can tell you I’m not one of that 85% of leaders. My team busts their butts every single day. I don’t need to track anyone.

What AI will track

AI’s marketing propaganda promises surveillance can lower stress and help employees feel better. That’s a lofty goal. So what’s out there? Here’s a short list:

• Listening to customer service reps to detect stress in tones of voice and remind them to take a break. That’s nice. Imagine, though, you get too many notifications. 
• Let's say you're in a meeting. AI is analyzing your facial expressions to see if you're paying attention (you're probably not) or getting stressed asking for a pay raise (you probably are). All this tracking goes right into your employee file.
• How'd you like to wear wrist sensors on the job to track your heart rate, perspiration and movements throughout the day? When I worked at IBM, my manager told me I went to the bathroom too many times a day, as tracked by my badge that opened the door. I went three times, which she said was "excessive." And that wasn't anything close to AI.
• New AI sensors can assess your mood through recognition technology and automatically adjust your office, such as lowering the temperature and dimming the lights. Maybe you’re just hungover? I mean, even working on an elevator has its ups and downs.

Remember, while AI is having a kumbaya moment with your feelings, it’s also tracking what you’re doing. This brings up a ton of HR and legal issues. What happens with all this data? Who has access to it? Where does it go? No good answers to any of these questions yet.

Is this such a good idea?

Here’s the thing: Studies have shown AI can lower workplace stress, but only when it’s doing busy work for employees. Reducing stress is a noble goal, but adding AI eyes to the mix isn’t great for our at-work blood pressure.

Required workplace surveillance can track what we're doing at home for hours — that's already approaching mother-in-law levels of stress. Now tech is promising to watch our facial expressions and listen to our tone of voice?

No wonder workers are saying, “I’m sorry, HAL, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

🎦 Maybe AI is best left to making Wes Anderson parodies. For now, I prefer people-based solutions to stress.

Recall alert: Some Kia, Toyota and Land Rover vehicles are part of a new 247,000-car recall. Got a 2023 Kia Sportage? Your brakes could stop working. Toyota Corolla Cross? Your front passenger airbags might not deploy. Check to see if your car has been recalled.

Console me: Microsoft announced the new Carbon Black Xbox Series S. Priced at $349, it has a terabyte of storage (double that of its predecessor) and a matte black finish — a salute to the Xbox One.

Office freebie: Unless you absolutely need MS Office, don’t waste your money. I’ve recommended LibreOffice, the free office software suite, for years and it just got a major update. Works on Windows, Mac and Linux. 

⛑️ PTSD cure: You have to hear about how an Apple Watch is helping people suffering from PTSD. I spoke with a soldier who’s using this solution, PTSD specialists and the app developer. Know someone with PTSD? Share this life-saving news and listen to the podcast here. 

Reddit’s going black: Reddit communities are going dark to protest the company’s new fees they’re charging apps. Reddit plans to charge $12,000 for every 50 million data requests for third-party developers. 

Disney dance bot: A roving baby Groot robot is being tested at Disneyland in California. The little bot can walk, dance and say, “I am Groot,” to guests. Watch out, Pinocchio, there’s a “real boy” in town. 

📍 Jog near home? Strava wearables’ “heatmaps” might broadcast your home address. This feature, which highlights popular exercise spots, could mark your home as a workout hotspot for others to see. Remove your personal deets from your profile to be safe.

Starstruck: NASA's welcoming anyone to put their name on the Europa Clipper, bound for a 1.8 billion-mile journey to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa. Sign up here to make your cosmic mark.

📺 A great vid: How do noise-canceling earbuds … cancel noise? It seems simple, but it’s super high-tech. Watch this video to see how layers upon layers of algorithms work together to figure out sounds that need to be dropped. It’s fascinating!

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.

I’m sure you’ve heard this story in the news. A Utah mom, Kouri Richins, was arrested last month. Police say she killed her husband by poisoning him with fentanyl … before she wrote a children’s book about grief. 

Things don't look good for Richins. She took out a $2 million life insurance policy on the guy and then went to Google with some very pointed searches:

• Luxury prisons for the rich in America 
• Utah prison information
• Whether police can see deleted messages
• How long life insurance companies take to pay
• What is considered non-natural manner of death
• Kouri Richins Kamas net worth

She had an interesting online reading list, too. Articles she browsed included “Signs of Being Under Federal Investigation” and “Delay in Claim Payment for Death Certificate with Pending Cause of Death.” 

And, because, of course, there are some more mundane searches in there, too: "Lil Nas X married" and "What kind of doctor was Dr Pepper?" Everyone knows he was a Fizzician.

Yes, Richin’s innocent until proven guilty. But it does make you wonder why she was looking up all these things online. 

✅ You may not know it but there are things you should never Google. It’s dangerous!

Work in sales? You know how tough cold-calling is — especially now that no one answers their phone and people are still working from home. Cold-emailing is easier, but how do you not end up in the trash folder? I know a thing or two about that.

• Five words — that’s all you have. It all starts with the subject line. Get the recipient’s attention with the first five words. They may not see more than that on a smartphone. 
• Make the subject personal. Try “Referred to you by” or “Quick question” with the person’s name, like this: “Quick question, Kim.”
• In the body of the email, get to the point. If you have a mutual acquaintance, include that person’s name in the first sentence. 
• Write like you’re talking to the person. No dumb corporate-speak, like “synergy” or “paradigms.” Tell the person what you want, and be specific. They shouldn’t get done reading and wonder, “Wait, what?”
• Don’t forget to proofread before you hit send. Yeah, we all make typos, but it doesn’t make the best impression. ChatGPT is good for this! Paste in your message and ask it to proofread for you.

I got a bizarre email this morning explaining how to read maps backward. It was spam.

✅ Oh, this is sneaky smart! Wondering whether someone read your email? Here’s how to tell.

Take me on your walk, in the car, sitting at home or anywhere else with Kim Komando Today. Give me 30 minutes a day and you’ll be the tech-smartest version of yourself. Tech news, tips, advice and lots of laughs.

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Subscribe so you never miss an episode. They’ll download right to your phone or device so you can listen anytime you want. Score.

Dang, that’s just nasty looking. Is that Cheez Whiz around the sides and top?

🎅 The answer: On Dec. 3, 1992, Neil Papworth sent the first text — “Merry Christmas” — to Richard Jarvis, who was attending a Christmas party in Newbury, England. Fast forward: About 23 billion text messages are sent every day now! 

😂 Speaking of, why doesn’t Putin use his hands when he sends a text? ‘Cause he’s more of a dictator. (That was a good one, ikr?)

Hope you learned a few new things today. I will see you tomorrow morning with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the world! — Kim