A tech-wonderland Wednesday is upon us, friend! It’s trivia time to start us off. Prime Day is in full swing. Amazon started as an online bookstore back in 1994. Did Jeff Bezos pick books because … A.) His mom was a librarian, B.) He read four to six books a week or C.) He thought he’d never run out of books to sell? Answer’s at the end!

I need your help: If you don’t have tech smarts, you will be left behind. Help me get many more people in the know, and there’s something in it for you, too. Use your shareable referral link at the end of this email. For every person who signs up using your link, you’ll earn points toward awesome stuff, including up to $1,000 in cash! Let’s do this! — Kim

Today’s the last day to snag these Prime Day steals. They should really rebrand it to Prime Days … I found these fabulous deals to help you work hard and play hard, at home or on the go.

Around the house

• Blended options: Smoothies for the whole fam (64 ounces) or single-serve? This Ninja blender works for pitchers or blending directly in to-go cups. It’s 27% off.
• Eyes everywhere: The Ring indoor camera is half off at $30.
• Healthier crispy food: Make wings or fries for your summer cookout and into football season with an air fryer, now 41% off.
• Get smart: Save on the Amazon Echo Show 5, on sale for $50. It’s a smart home hub, virtual photo gallery frame and streaming device, all in one. Or get a few more bells and whistles (and a bigger screen) with the Echo Show 8, now $85.
• Rosie 2.0: Leave the cleaning to the robot. This Shark Robot vacuum is more than half off at $250.
• Counter space saver: A roll-up drying rack over your sink saves space when you need it. This one is a steal at $8.
• Yes, filter: A Brita filter pitcher keeps your drinking water healthier and colder than from the tap. Different colors are 32% to 38% off.
• Really clean: This high-pressure washer works faster than a garden hose connection with its 15-inch surface cleaning power. It’s 40% off for Prime members.

On the go

• Add to cart suitcase: This women’s packable sun visor is stylish, fits in your luggage and keeps the sun off your face. It’s 29% off.
• Influencers love ‘em: These compression biker shorts are on sale for $20 and come in sizes from XS to 3XL.
• Echo buds: Amazon-brand Bluetooth earbuds are 50% off for Prime Day, making a pair $25.
• No hands: This airplane phone mount will save your neck and it’s only $14. A deal for in-flight amenities? Sign me up.
• In case of emergency: A first aid kit comes in handy. Pick one up for under $15 (42% off).
• Campsite cooking: For campers (or tailgaters), this portable butane-powered stove is an affordable upgrade, and it’s 34% off for Prime members.

Fun and games

• Type A: A gaming keyboard will level up your current setup, even if all you do is type emails. It’s 16% off.
• Roku in 4K: Improved picture quality from earlier models and voice commands will help you find where you put that darn remote. It’s 30% off.
• Better than a sale: A five-month free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited for streaming music and podcasts.
• Read and write: The Amazon Kindle Scribe is part digital notebook, part e‑reader. It’s 31% off.
• Listen up: These Sony over-ear wireless headphones have a mic and are a deal at $38. It’s a good lightweight, longer-lasting option if you don’t need noise cancellation.
• Attention, music snobs: This portable Marshall speaker is tops for sound quality and durability. Plus, it looks really cool. It’s 29% off.

Home office

• No slouch: An ergonomic office chair is a must if you’re sitting at a desk for long periods of time. This one is on sale for $150.
• Stop searching for pens: Load up on the essentials. Get these 144 everyday ballpoint pens for 40% off.
• High-powered surge protector: This power strip tower (48% off) has 16 outlets and five USB ports, so you can plug in up to 21 devices.
• Sleek extender option: Love this one from Anker with six outlets and two USB ports, too.
• Holy storage, Batman: A 20TB external hard drive that’s 46% off? You’ll never run out of room!
• Get creative: This set of 12 Sharpie markers is 67% off for all your color-coding or creative work.
• Quality sketch pads: A four-pack of small sketch pads is 15% off, a deal for artists of all ages.

🛒 If you’re still shoppin’ around, hit this link that takes you to the Prime Day sales. I’m sure you’ll find something for yourself or to give as a gift.

Didn’t have time to shop yesterday? Here’s a link to the deals I picked out just for you. And tomorrow, no more deals — just tech goodness in this prime newsletter slot.

Amazon’s big Prime Day sale is almost over, but there are more deals being added. Want to see extras I don’t have room for here in The Current? I’ve got your back.

🔴 Trump shooter update: The FBI successfully broke into the phone of the man who shot former President Donald Trump just two days after the assassination attempt. No word yet on the findings, but they’re continuing to analyze all his devices. If you have any info on the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, visit tips.fbi.gov or call 1‑800‑CALL‑FBI.

Hackers are using Facebook ads to spread malware: The ads push Windows themes, video games and software ... but the zip file they direct you to download can steal all your passwords. If you’re interested in a product, visit the company’s site directly.

🛡️ Switch now: Antivirus provider Kaspersky is shutting down all U.S. operations after the government banned it. Why? The Moscow-based company works with the Kremlin. Need a new option? My pick is the award-winning TotalAV.* It’s just $19 for the first year on up to five devices.

Tech to the rescue: An experienced surfer swept away by rough seas used his Apple Watch to call emergency services. With the smartwatch’s built-in cellular connection, the surfer stayed on the line with a respondent for an hour until help arrived. He was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, which has a more rugged design and is water resistant up to 100 meters.

💩 Poop ruined a family business: A customer returned a kid’s stink pickle swim diaper to Amazon, and it was then resold as “new.” The unlucky recipient wrote a one-star review, which over 100 buyers flagged as helpful. The mom-and-pop shop went from a million-dollar business to $600,000 in debt. I know firsthand running a business means paying attention to all the crap-tivating details.

🚘 Side hustle black market: A woman was busted renting out Uber, Lyft and DoorDash accounts to immigrants. She gamed the system by using stolen licenses and editing in her “customer’s” faces to bypass security checks. She was pulling in $10,000 a month until the FBI came knocking. Read the whole crazy story here.

Parenthood is the scariest “‑hood” of all: A new study shows that kids who are glued to TVs, phones, computers and tablets are more likely to have emotional and social issues later in life. Early warning signs include brattiness, possessiveness and addictive behavior around screen time. Share this fact with parents of young kiddos.

🪐 Space jam: NASA sent the first ever hip-hop song into deep space. Missy Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” is now on Venus, which just so happens to be Missy’s favorite planet. Interesting fact: Even though it traveled at the speed of light, the song took nearly 14 minutes to reach the planet.

File cleanup: You have separate PDFs that should all be in one file. In Adobe Acrobat, go to Tools > Combine Files to merge multiple PDFs into a single file. Don’t pay for Adobe? No sweat. Here’s a free site I like for editing PDFs.

Stream 4K for free: If you have Sling TV, you’ll be able to stream sports in 4K starting this week, including NFL games and the Olympics. You’ll see two versions of an event as you browse. Just click the one labeled “4K” to watch. You’ll need a Roku or Fire TV with 4K in the name, too. Here’s the full list of compatible devices.

Beta blocker: Apple Safari 18 beta’s new Reader mode lets you read any article without ads or auto-playing videos. To use it, you’ll need to update to the Sequoia OS beta. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > toggle on Beta Updates > macOS Sequoia developer beta > Upgrade Now. Now, when you open an article in Safari, click the square icon in the URL bar, and then click Show Reader to scroll ad‑free!

🤳 How to go viral on TikTok: Since 2020, the most liked video on TikTok is a woman making funny faces while lip-syncing a catchy song. Today, a new, viral post is pretty much the same thing. So many people ask me, “How can I go viral?” The winning formula: Be young, attractive and do something easily replicated.

Don’t suffer in silence: If you get scammed, report it. You’ll save someone else from being a victim and leave a paper trail if the crook that scammed you ever gets caught. You can report online scams at the Internet Crime Complaint Center and even share your story on Reddit’s r/scams.

Bet he was ordering catnip again.

The answer: C.) He thought he’d never run out of books to sell. Bezos initially wanted to call his site "Cadabra" (as in "abracadabra"), but he quickly changed it to “Amazon” due to the resemblance of "Cadabra" to "cadaver." Smart move.

👋 Hey, Alan, you just won a $25 official Kim Komando Show ball cap for being the first person to write me a note about miscalculating how much interest Elon Musk’s money earns. It was a test to see who was paying attention — a sine of ingenuity and certainly not my mistake!

Back in your inbox tomorrow, my friend. I appreciate you being here, and don’t forget to share this newsletter with a friend or two. Every little bit helps when you’re growing! — Kim