Welcome to your wonderful Wednesday, friends! Let’s start with a fun fact. Not only do you blink less when looking at a screen, but science proves most people read more slowly on a screen than on paper. Is it slower by 5%, 10% or 20%? Make your best guess and you’ll find the answer at the end.

🌟 Be a winner! Share your referral link at the bottom of this newsletter for a chance to win a $1,200 iPad or laptop. Each signup equals one entry. Post your referral link on social media, text it to friends and get it up on Nextdoor. I want YOU to win! — Kim

I've got some urgent news you need to pay attention to. The nefarious Xenomorph Android malware I told you about in March is back in full force — and it's targeting a whopping 100-plus banking and crypto apps. Yeah, that's just about all the major ones.

The Trojan (like the horse) is now even stealthier. The upgraded Xenomorph is launching a fresh assault on Android users — and there's a tricky way it's worming in: Fake updates.

Get outta here, copycat

Xenomorph uses overlays to make you think you're logging into your banking or crypto app, then it inputs the details you’ve provided to drain your account. You think everything’s fine until you find all your money or cryptocurrency wiped out.

How is it spreading? This is interesting. Scammers have a new weapon of choice: Sites that fool you into thinking Chrome needs an update. Of course, what you really end up downloading is a malicious file loaded with malware.

Guess which apps are in the crosshairs?

• We're talking major players here, like Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Capital One, PNC, Santander Bank, TD Bank and Wells Fargo.
• On the crypto side, Coinbase, Binance and MetaMask aren't safe.

The cherry on top? The overlays this malware uses can differ based on your physical location. This definitely isn’t a one-trick pony.

Be on high alert, keep your apps updated, and whatever you do, don't fall for sketchy “Upgrade Chrome” messages. Always double-check sources and stick with the official Apple App Store and Google Play Store for downloads.

My words of wisdom: To update your browser, you only need to shut it down and restart. Updates are auto-installed. Don't trust any site that tells you it's the place to score the latest version — or tries to convince you downloading a file is necessary to update your browser.

🫡 Stay smart, stay safe and keep those digital shields up! I’ll do my very best to keep you in the loop. Share this important info you won’t find at the big news sites with someone you care about using the buttons below.

🎁 The A-word: Yeah, antitrust. The FTC and 17 states sued Amazon, accusing it of acting as an illegal monopoly and hurting smaller companies — even destroying them. Amazon stopped online merchants from offering lower prices on items that compete with its products. Jeff Bezos, traveling the world in his new 417-foot super yacht, couldn’t be reached for comment.

A tricky processor flaw: Anyone smart enough to cook up a phony site can steal all your logins. Say you put in your password at website[.]com. Because of this vulnerability, researchers say attackers can fire up website[.]net to get your details. Bad news: Chrome and Edge are at risk, and there’s no fix yet. Good news: You’re OK if you use Firefox or Safari.

Stopimus crime: Drone maker Skydio’s new X10 can fly up to 45 miles per hour, fits in the trunk of a police car and has infrared sensors that can track someone running in the dark. It could eliminate high-speed police chases. The argument against it? There aren’t many laws regulating what police drones can and can’t do.

✝️ WWJD? The Turin Shroud is a piece of fabric reportedly wrapped around Jesus Christ after the crucifixion — and AI has revealed the clearest image imprinted in it. You can see it here. Of course, we can never be sure, but it's pretty neat.

What are the odds? Not great if you want a fully remote job. Business Insider reports you’re 60 times more likely to get into Harvard than you are to score a job that’s fully work-from-home. Remote positions are becoming a thing of the past. For most roles, you’re looking at all (or nearly all) days of the week in the office.

Passing gas: The U.S. military has the first electric flying taxi set to patrol Edwards Air Force Base in California. It has six propellers, space for four people plus a pilot, and zooms through the skies at 200 mph. See it in action.

Downward-facing dog: I bet Elon Musk’s humanoid robot can do it better than you. No offense meant — watch the new vid and you’ll see this thing definitely has better balance and coordination than most of us. Don’t get too excited. Optimus isn’t expected to hit the scene till 2027. But since this is Musk we’re talking about, 2031 is my best guess.

Got a few spare minutes during your drive? Or maybe you're chilling at home? Sounds like the perfect time to tune in to The Kim Komando Show podcast!

I keep it real, breaking down the latest tech trends, cybersecurity tips and gadget reviews into snack-sized, easy-to-understand episodes.

👉 Download an episode today!

Fall means changing leaves, sweaters, football and, of course, pumpkin spice everything. Most people either love or hate pumpkin spice, but no matter what, it gets a lot of buzz. Google Trends dug into search data to see what each state’s talking about in the world of pumpkin spice this year.

Things like pumpkin spice latte are out of the running — everyone looks those up. Here are a few weird ones. How many do you want to try?

• Pumpkin spice Cheerios: Making an encore appearance this year, these Cheerios have won the hearts of folks not just in Alaska but also in Utah, Missouri, Massachusetts and Maine. Honestly, pretty good idea.
• Pumpkin spice donuts: Folks in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Tennessee love Krispy Kreme's seasonal donut. Move fast if you want one; they're in stores till Oct. 8.
• Pumpkin spice SPAM: I … what? Why? Come on, Arizona! "Hints of cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg give this new, limited-edition variety a subtle sweetness." Ahem, I'll pass.
• Pumpkin spice dump cake: No wonder Hawaiians are digging these. A dump cake is easier to make than a standard recipe — you just dump all the ingredients in one bowl and mix it up. Adding a little pumpkin spice? No prob.
• Pumpkin spice deer jerky: This isn’t a food everyone’s craving in Delaware — it's a meme. It's basically tough guys poking fun at the pumpkin spice fanatics. "Forget your pumpkin spice; it's deer jerky time!" No kidding, you can find merch online.

Ah, the vast landscape of pumpkin spice across the U.S. I know, not my normal hard-hitting news, but I bet you're going to tell someone about pumpkin spice SPAM.

😂 How do you cure someone with a pumpkin spice addiction? Apply the pumpkin patch. (Ba-dum-tsss!)

If scammers can figure out how to get your bank’s name to appear when they call, you can bet they can get their numbers high in searches.

I tracked down all the Big Tech tech support phone numbers you might need, as published on their websites:

• Amazon: 888-280-4331
• Microsoft: 800-642-7676
• Apple: 800-275-2273
• Google: 650-253-0000
• Meta (Facebook, Instagram): 650-543-4800

Need to call your bank? Be smart. Don’t just Google the name and click the first number that pops up. Call the number on the back of your credit or debit card — or open your banking app to find it.

✈️ Airlines are another recent focus for scammers. You know the drill: Don’t just call the number that pops up in search. Go to the airline’s website and find it in the contact section. If it’s hidden, you can almost always find the contact page in the site’s footer.

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A kangaroo's favorite music? Hip-hop!

The answer: 10%. Why? From screen glare to eye strain, our peepers are navigating a whole obstacle course just to process those words. The next time you're in a reading marathon, remember: It's not you. It's the screen!

👋 Don’t you feel smarter? I’ll see you tomorrow morning with the latest tech news. Now, dear, be sure you’re also getting my Tech Hacks email for smart ways to get more out of your everyday gadgets. Tap or click here to get on the list! — Kim