The Current Plus: P*dophiles on IG, Temu’s Communist China ties, police take down a phone scammer In partnership with Oracle | It’s a marvelous Monday, friend! A new type of video is trending on social media: “Take a pregnancy test with me!” Women — often, couples — do everything from unboxing the test to taking a video on the toilet to the great reveal. That’s something I never thought of doing in my life. 💗 When you see a major story here and want to share it, tap or click the email, Facebook, LinkedIn or X icons at the end. Boom! You've just shared some awesome tech know‑how. — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE - 🛣️ Um, where are you?
- 👤 Creeps on IG
- 🇨🇳 Communist Temu ties
|
TODAY'S TOP STORY Share your ETA on the go I hate being late. There’s nothing worse than leaving your friends hangry at a restaurant. But if I am running behind, I always give folks a heads‑up. Today’s apps have so many hidden tricks. Here’s one I use that I wanted to share with you: Use your map app to share your ETA automatically. That way, you can keep your friends in the loop and your eyes on the road. Plus, it’s way less intrusive than sharing your location 24/7 with an app like Find My Friends. Can you imagine if we’d had this ETA notifier tool when we were in our 20s? Definite concert and party game‑changer. Google Maps in navigation mode: - Tap the card at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose Share trip progress.
- You can either pick a contact to send updates through Google Maps or a messaging app to send a link with your location.
- Tap the bottom card > Stop Sharing to stop sharing your ETA. (It won’t share your whereabouts after you end the trip.)
With Google Maps on Android Auto, you'll see the same navigation card showing the time left on your journey. Tap Share journey to let folks know where you are. Easy‑peasy. Apple Maps in navigation mode: - Tap the Share ETA link that appears as soon as you start a journey.
- If the link has disappeared, tap the arrow at the bottom, then Share ETA.
- Choose a contact to share your arrival time with.
- Tap Stop Sharing ETA at any time, if you need to.
If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll get a link to see your location on Apple Maps. Team Android gets a text saying what time you'll show up (and another text if that changes). In an Uber: After you accept a ride, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the trip details. Tap Share Status on iPhone or Share My ETA on Android. This works on the Lyft app, too. Share this with anyone who takes Uber alone. Don’t want to be late in the first place? Schedule a reminder to leave on time. Google Maps has it built right in when you look up a route! - Type a destination and choose your mode of transportation.
- Expand the route preview and scroll to the bottom. Toggle on Remind you to leave on time.
- Tap Leave to choose when you plan to leave or Arrive to choose when you want to get there.
- Set the time and Google will automatically send you a notification 15 minutes ahead of when you need to leave! Brilliant.
Pro tip: Never use GPS to go to a cemetery. It’s not very comforting to hear, "You have reached your final destination." |
WEB WATERCOOLER 🇨🇳 I told you about this over a year ago: The mainstream media is now reporting Temu’s parent company, Pinduoduo, is led by former Chinese Communist Party officials. The Chinese Amazon competitor already has over 50 million customers in the U.S., thanks to its aggressive marketing. Temu is a massive national security risk. I don’t use it. A chilling reality behind social media follower numbers: A teenage girl’s dance videos blew up on Instagram. Now, her audience of followers is gross — 92% are adult men (paywall link). She’s not alone. Once IG’s parent company, Meta, recognizes a person on social media is sexually interested in children, it recommends more child accounts, plus related sexual content. I promise you, it’s not worth the money or the fame. Protect your kids. 📞 Hold, please: Amazon has been rerouting its One Medical patients to a call center and keeping folks from getting emergency care. When a patient reported a blood clot (paywall link), the staff scheduled an appointment instead of sending them straight to the ER. They’re messing with human lives here, not shipping times. Don’t use their service. Permanent intermission: Netflix is cutting its app support for 16 Sony Bravia smart TVs from 2014 starting on July 24. See if yours is on the chopping block here. Don’t want to upgrade? You can drop around $30 on an Amazon Fire TV Stick (41% off), Roku (32% off) or Chromecast to keep streaming! Btw, these are good options for any TV that needs a streaming stick. 🪟 Recall recalled: Last month, Microsoft debuted its AI Recall feature that screenshots everything you do on your PC. Everyone said, “Bad idea.” Now, Microsoft’s walking back the release to beef up Recall’s security. Its new AI-powered Copilot+ PCs will launch without it. Thanks, I hate it: Chinese company Ex-Robots has been making humanoid bots since 2009. Their newest fleet has hyperrealistic silicon faces that respond to the environment, imitate complex emotions and even stick out their tongues! How close are we to “Blade Runner”? Check out this video. Scary, right? 🦉 “Don’t lose your streak!” If that phrase strikes fear in your heart, you’re probably one of Duolingo’s 37 million monthly users. They’re the world’s most popular language app for a reason: They’ve mastered the science of nudging you into submission (paywall link). The app’s longest user streak? 4,100 days. That’s over 11 years. You said it, mister: A good Samaritan called 911 when she saw an elderly woman in Texas being coached over the phone to pull out $40,000 from an ATM. The responding police officer took the phone and called the scammer a “freaking moron.” The footage will make your blood boil. 🤝 I want to be your secret helper and mentor: I’ve been around tech forever. My business has thrived for over 20 years without any debt or investors, and I continue to innovate or else I might evaporate. I’m a mom and have been a caregiver. If you have an issue, problem or question about your life or business, I would love to help you. Ask me your questions here on my site. I read every single note. |
LISTEN UP | Amazon sells used products as new Wonder if your purchase is a return? Take a closer look at the label — three little letters might reveal the truth. |
---|
|
TECH LIFE UPGRADES Uh-oh, your PC's monitor went blank: Before you hold down the power button, hit the Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B. This tells your computer, “Hey, the display is messed up. Can you fix it?” Just like that, this key combo will refresh or reset your graphics driver. Mac smarts: When you open a menu or hover over something, hit the Option key. Most times, you’ll see extra options. On a photo, for example, Open with becomes Always open with so you can change the default. This trick works with apps in your dock, too. “Kim, how do I take credit cards?” I still get this question from small-biz owners. Stripe is a solid option that’s safe and won’t cost you a fortune. They’re not a sponsor; we use Stripe and like it here at Komando HQ! Your keyboard, explained: Hit F2 to rename a selected file or folder. F3 allows you to search within an open or active application. Alt + F4 closes your active window, and pressing F5 lets you refresh or reload a page or document window. Google Search stinks right now: Here’s one way to make it better. On the results page, look to the top right (desktop) for Tools. Tap that, then select Any time > Custom range. A little box called Custom date range will pop up, along with a calendar. Choose your start and end dates. No ads: You can use the web without annoying video ads, pop-up ads, takeover ads and other ad types. Use the tool I use for just $19.* |
DEALS OF THE DAY Ice, ice baby It’s ice-cold drink season. This gear will have you sipping a refreshing, cold drink in no time. - Chilly in a snap: This instant beverage cooler will take your can from lukewarm to arctic in 60 seconds, and it’s on sale for $19.99. It won’t foam your carbonated beverages, either.
- A cold one (or two): This set of two glasses will keep your drink insulated and frosty cold for longer than a red Solo cup, and it’s 8% off right now.
- Coffee cooler: Keep your Starbucks or Dunkin’ cold. These pink floral reusable coffee sleeves come in a set of three (small, medium and large) and are on sale for $9.99.
- Cold-brew it: It’s better than just chilling your leftover coffee. This cold brew system is made for just that, and it’s 31% off.
- 🏆 Most versatile: It makes tea, infuses liquids and keeps it all cool. Grab this beverage system for 20% off for all your summer sips.
Bonus: They make all kinds of ice cube molds these days, but cylindrical ice cubes for your Stanley cup (or another 40-ounce water bottle) are next-level. These are on sale for $13.99. I want the pink! |
BY THE NUMBERS 8-year study Reveals less cognitive decline in single people who own a pet than those who don’t. Incredible, right? Researchers found that for folks living alone, having a pet can help prevent mental decline in the same way living with a partner or roommate can. I can vouch for this; my dog, Abby, makes every day better. ❤️ 28 years’ worth Of U.S. computer chip spending in 2024 alone. We’re on track to spend more on computer and electrical manufacturing this year than we have in every year combined since 1997. It’s all part of President Biden’s $280 billion CHIPS Act, passed in 2022 to boost semiconductor production in the U.S. This crazy graph puts it all into perspective. 0 orders For Boeing’s 737 Max. It’s the second straight month of flatlined 737 sales, following Boeing’s high-profile plane blowout in January. Worried you might be flying on one? Check amiflyingonaboeing.com. |
WHAT THE TECH? What goes around comes around.
|
Komando Referral Program Share this newsletter → Earn prizes! Step 1: Copy your unique referral link: https://join.komando.com/8818309c/ Step 2: Share your link! Post it on social media, send it in a text or paste it into an email to a pal. If they sign up using that link, you get the credit!
|
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... Do a 60-second safety check: - Go to google.com/devices. Sign in if you haven’t already.
- Here, you'll see a list of devices — computers, smartphones and tablets you're signed into currently or have been signed into within the last 28 days.
You may also see inactive devices, like an old phone or laptop. Sign out of these devices remotely by clicking one, then tapping Sign out. This will remove access to your Google account from the device entirely. Lovely. 😂 Speaking of … One minute, you're young and fun, and the next minute, you're turning down your car stereo so you can see better. Make the smart business move: You need to make sure your business can compete in this new world of AI. Take a free test drive of Oracle’s AI tech right now, before it’s too late. I’ll be back tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim |
How'd we do? What did you think of today's issue? |
|
|
|