TGIF, my friend! Let’s wrap this workweek up with some titillating tech trivia. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense experienced the worst breach of military computers ever. Was the source a ... A.) Phishing email, B.) USB flash drive, C.) Compromised employee or D.) Stolen laptop? Find the answer at the end!

Friday fun-day! Today on my podcast, I’m sharing all about my trip to Japan — videos, pics, the whole shebang. If you’ve ever wanted to go there, def tune in. Watch live at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern) on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook. Soredewa mata aimashō! (That’s Japanese for “See you then!”) Oh, and if you miss the live show, you can always catch up on demand. — Kim

Spring has sprung, and I don’t know about you, but I’m gearing up for a big weekend of hiking and biking! Before you clock out for the week, I’ve got three things to put on your weekend radar.

1. For the nature chasers: A big moon‑day

The solar eclipse is on Monday, and NASA has a great interactive map to help make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. Don’t worry if you’re not dead center in the path of totality; you’ll still get a pretty good view of the action.

🚘 Pro tip: The American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Task Force says the frenzy will be like having “20 or 30 Super Bowls all at once.” Plan to get to your watch spot hours ahead.

• Oh, and don’t fry your eyes. Yes, you need eclipse glasses. Scroll down to today’s “Deals of the Day” section for safe picks.
• Don’t fry your phone, either. Common sense says if looking at the eclipse isn’t safe for your eyes, it’s not safe for your phone’s camera. Special phone filter link below, too!

The best way to keep your phone safe? Put it in your pocket. You won’t be able to see a solar eclipse again in the U.S. until 2044, but some things are best appreciated with your own two eyes and the right protection.

2. For the savvy senders: Your inbox is screwed

Use Gmail, Outlook, Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail or AOL? I think that covers 90% of you. New research shows these platforms are pretty awful at catching malicious code in attachments. Cases in point:

• Apple iCloud, Yahoo! Mail and AOL all delivered a malicious file sample posing as a PowerPoint presentation. Btw, 40 different virus scanners flagged it during testing.
• Yahoo! Mail and AOL also didn’t block a fake Excel spreadsheet that 35 malware scanners caught.

The takeaway: Be very, very careful with attachments. Criminals can sneak something malicious right into your email with just a few tweaks to the metadata. If you weren’t expecting a file, trash it. Oh, and use antivirus software,* please and thanks.

3. For the job seekers: Paging Dr. Roboto

If you’ve got a teen or undergrad in the family, pass along the next big job: Brain-chip surgeon (paywall link). Brain-computer interfaces like those used in Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, turn brain signals into software commands.

The implications are huge. For example, the first successful Neuralink patient can play chess just by thinking about his moves. Amazing, right? Well, someone had to put that fancy chip in his head.

Feeling squeamish? The process isn’t as invasive as you think — no skulls cracking, and the whole thing is done in a few hours.

♟️ The last time I played chess, I found myself caught between a rook and a hard place. Don’t worry — I won.

These protective finds aren’t optional if you’re going to check out the eclipse! They’re all AAS-, CE- or ISO-certified, too.

• Grab a five-pack of glasses with a retro look to share with the fam.
• Keep your whole block’s eyes in tip-top shape with a 20‑pack.
• Add this two-pack of phone photo filters to protect your camera.
• Grab a 10-pack of phone photo filters in a starry blue, plus get a bonus lens.
• If you skip the glasses, you can still watch the magic on the ground! Using a colander, let the sun shine through the holes and view the eclipse via shadows on the ground. Looks seriously cool.

The times, they are a‑changin’: Google is going to start charging for AI search results. Gemini queries reportedly cost 10 times more than standard searches, with ad revenue from Google searches reportedly tanking. We’re seeing a huge shift in how we use the internet now. If you’re concerned about how this will affect your business, make an appointment to talk to me here.

Smile! You’re on karma: Amazon sellers are up to their necks in scam returns. Buyers scoop up premium products, then they send back cheap lookalikes (like old hats with Nike stickers slapped on) and keep the refund. Expect a major crackdown on Amazon’s return policies soon.

🚫 AI-witness: Here’s what not to do with a cellphone video in a legal case: Run it through AI to make it “better.” A Washington state judge threw out an AI-enhanced cellphone video as evidence in a triple homicide case. Lawyers for 46-year-old defendant Joshua Puloka hired a video producer to size up and sharpen the video, making it misleading and inaccurate.

Memory master: Microsoft Edge will soon let you control your browser’s RAM usage with a slider ranging from 1GB to 16GB. For now, the feature’s in beta. Smart idea … but it’s still Edge.

📱 Rx app: The FDA just approved Rejoyn, the first-ever “prescription app” for major depressive disorder. Crazy times, friends. The six-week app course offers cognitive exercises and therapeutic lessons for folks age 22 and up and currently on antidepressants. The best part? If you qualify when it goes live this summer, your insurance should cover it.

Wrap trap: If you get an email promising big bucks to wrap your car in ads, don’t take the bait. Scammers pose as a big brand like Pepsi, send you a “check” upfront, then ask you to send money online to an “installer.” Spoiler: The check bounces and you just paid out of your own pocket.

Hold onto your buds: Spotify is officially charging for audiobooks. Starting “later this year,” you’ll pay up to $2 more a month to stream stories. And their new “basic tier” will cost $10.99 monthly for music and podcasts alone. Dang … Everywhere you turn, it’s a buck or more a month. Check your subscriptions for increases with what I use — Rocket Money.*

🌍 Tech tremors: A 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan briefly shut down the world’s largest chipmaker, TSMC. The quake killed nine, injured over 900, and sparked supply-chain paranoia from cars to smartphones. News sites are buzzing with clickbait about how this event will cause a chip shortage. TSMC is already up and running again, though, with minimal damage.

What's my password again? The dogsitter wants to use the Wi‑Fi, but you forgot the password. On an iPhone, tap Settings > Wi‑Fi, select your network and tap the password field to reveal it. In Android, go to Settings, tap the gear icon next to the network, then select Share, and the password is under the QR code.

Travel often? Stop tearing apart the house for chargers before every single trip. Grab an inexpensive tech bag and buy duplicates of all your most-used chargers (or find them in a drawer). Before you leave, think, “Phone, watch, headphones,” and just grab and go.

Keep it up: Health is all about consistency. Whether you’re trying to drink more water every day or get in your steps, try a free habit-tracking app. The whole idea is not to break your streak. Give it a shot on iPhone or Android.

Hey, Mikey: On your Mac, you can change mic settings depending on the app. Click the Control Center (it’s the slider-looking icon next to the date in the top right corner), then Mic Mode. “Voice Isolation” filters out background noise, and “Wide Spectrum” includes sounds around you.

TMI: Next time you sell something online, keep this in mind when arranging a pickup time. An online stranger doesn’t need to know when you’re at work or out of town. It’s like yelling, “Rob me!” Just say you’re unavailable.

The only way to keep it your business do that is with a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts your data and hides your IP address, giving you an extra layer of protection from snoops, advertisers and Big Tech companies looking to profit off you.

Some VPNs slow your connection or, worse, track your internet activity and compromise your security. Not ExpressVPN. Plus, you can connect in just one click from a Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, iPad, you name it.

🚨 Deal alert: Get an extra THREE months free since you subscribe to my newsletter.

I hope I never have to go to the pun‑itentiary.

The answer: B.) USB flash drive. A DOD employee found one in a parking lot, popped it into their work laptop and unleashed the malware on the whole network. It took 14 months to clean up and was eventually attributed to Russia.

🤣 Barry says if I don’t stop making puns about Russia, he’s going to stop talking to me. If that’s the way it’s going to be, then Soviet.

Thanks for reading, friend. Remember, you can keep your tech know-how going with my national radio show’s commercial-free podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I’ll see you right back here tomorrow with insider tricks for finding out who the heck keeps calling from that random number. — Kim