Howdy and happy Wednesday, friend! Yesterday was all things Apple, so let’s jump in with some Android operating system trivia. It wasn’t designed for smartphones at the beginning. Did they develop it for … A.) Digital cameras, B.) Smartwatches, C.) Gaming consoles or D.) Home automation systems? Answer’s at the end!

Your email data is gathered, tracked, recorded and sold. Don’t like it? Stop complaining about Big Tech and do something about it. My privacy-first pick is StartMail — get a free trial and 60% off. More on that below! Let’s get into the news. — Kim

If your late-night Zillow scrolling has gotten more desperate lately, you’re not alone. Home prices are going bonkers. In the past decade, home values shot up 47.1%, beating out the 2010s and 1990s. U.S. home prices are expected to rise another 1.6% over the next year alone. And I found a few markets that are growing nearly five times faster than that.

Red-hot real estate markets

💰 Where home prices are increasing by 3.7%:

• 22. Clarksville, Tenn.: $268,967
• 21. Greenville, N.C.: $215,500
• 20. Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.: $371,083
• 19. Wilmington, N.C.: $411,583
• 18. Albuquerque, N.M.: $322,333
• 17. Boise, Idaho: $448,317

💰💰 Markets where home prices are rising between 3.8% to 4.5%:

• 16. Yuma, Ariz.: $283,300
• 15. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: $192,867
• 14. Fayetteville, N.C.: $218,500
• 13. Muncie, Ind.: $137,377
• 12. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.: $852,250
• 11. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.: $348,667
• 10. New Haven-Milford, Conn.: $307,817
• 9. Johnson City, Tenn.: $226,160
• 8. Manchester-Nashua, N.H.: $434,489
• 7. Portland-South Portland, Maine: $475,000
• 6. Jackson, Tenn.: $183,167
• 5. Athens-Clarke County, Ga.: $323,333
• 4. Syracuse, N.Y.: $193,667

💰💰💰 And the top three fastest-growing markets are:

• 3. Rochester, New York: Homes here don’t just sell quickly (think eight-days-on-the-market quickly), but average home prices are expected to increase by 5% this year. It’ll still cost less to live in Rochester than other locations on this list; the median home price here is $199,975.
• 2. Flagstaff, Arizona: Mountains, desert and an expected 5.3% price hike in the next 12 months. The median home value here is $593,833, but it’s a less competitive market; it typically takes around 27 days for a listing to become a pending sale.
• 1. Knoxville, Tennessee: This riverside town is expected to see the highest home price increase by far, at 6.1%. The median home sales price is $321,000, and the average listing sits on the market for two weeks.

Looking to buy?

If you’re in the market, tech tools are your friend.

• Set up alerts on sites like Zillow for homes that match your buying criteria so you never miss a listing. I’ve got a how-to on my site!
• Use MortgageCalculator.org to see your estimated payments.
• Check your credit for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. Click that link or type the address directly into your browser’s address bar. Scammers love to lure you in with “free” reports on fake sites that trap you with monthly fees.

😂 Why do the Rolling Stones need a realtor? Because no one moves like Jagger! (Oh, sometimes, I crack myself up!)

When a service is free, you're the product. Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook aren't really free. You’re constantly paying with your privacy. From where you are to what you click to who you talk to most, they know it all.

StartMail is the secure alternative email provider I trust. It’s free from invasive tracking and ads. Plus, it’s packed with privacy features, like unlimited disposable email addresses and easy-to-use encrypted communication.

They now offer a business subscription, too, with enhanced storage options, shared email aliases and the flexibility to add unlimited domains. And I negotiated a special deal just for you! Right now, StartMail is offering an exclusive 60% off annual subscriptions, including the new business plan. You can’t beat that. I made sure.

🚨 Buddy, can you spare a phone? If a stranger or someone you don’t know very well asks to borrow your phone, don’t fall for it, even if it's a teen. They'll quickly access your payment apps and transfer money directly into their accounts. If you really want to help someone in need, offer to make the call for them and keep it on speaker.

Stop using Good Earth Lighting: Over 1.2 million of their rechargeable lights are being recalled after a customer died. The batteries in models RE1122, RE1145, RE1362 and RE1250 can overheat, ignite the plastic housing, and pose serious fire and burn risks. Check the back sticker for a model number, and visit their website for a free replacement.

⚠️ Still using a Netgear WNR614 N300 router? It's hit end-of-life status and won’t get any more security patches. It already has six scary vulnerabilities, including storing passwords in plain text. You’ll need a new one. Here’s an affordable option for medium-sized homes and a budget mesh system for larger homes.

Where did the hacker go? He ransomware: Microsoft and Google are offering free or discounted cybersecurity to nearly 1,800 rural hospitals across the U.S. Why? Because, without IT resources and cybersecurity training, they’re sitting ducks for ransomware. These places are often the only health hubs for miles, so if they're hit, real lives are at risk.

Seoul you wanna start a revolution: I thought this was super interesting. Korean activists are using 3D-printed smart balloons to send messages deep into North Korea. Each balloon costs up to $1,000 and can carry up to 16.5 pounds of cargo, like leaflets or mini speakers. The mission: Undermine dictator Kim Jong Un.

When a bot is not a bot: People are calling folks a “bot” when they don’t agree with them or they question their intelligence. It’s getting political, too. Research shows it’s largely left-leaners hurling it at right-leaners who speak up on social media.

🫶 Don’t play heart to get: I make a “hand heart” sign by touching my thumbs and curving the rest of my fingers into a “C” shape. Gen Z says nope, that’s the old way. The new way? Touch your middle and index fingers together. Having trouble picturing? Here it is in action.

Like Uber but with guns: BlackWolf’s rideshare drivers must have at least four years of police, military or private security experience. Why? For high-profile folks seeking extra protection. The service was shut down in Phoenix for operating without the necessary permits. You can still snag a BlackWolf ride for the price of an Uber Black in Atlanta, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

🫰 Isn’t that snappy?! On Windows 11, you have all kinds of options for snapping multiple windows into place. Hold your mouse over the Maximize icon in a program (it’s the square next to the “X”), then choose your favorite. I like one large window and a couple of small ones.

Sneak peek: In Safari, preview a website before you click the link. Using your mouse, hover the pointer over the link, then press Cmd + Ctrl + D. Voila, a pre-click preview. Click outside the preview, and it disappears.

✈️ Get through the airport faster: Over 3 million people a day are expected to pass through the TSA’s security screenigs this summer. If you’re traveling internationally, download the free Mobile Passport Control app. It’ll let you submit your travel docs, photo and customs declaration info ahead of time. Get it for iPhone or Android. You’ll thank me so many times for this tip!

When your pic turned out blurry: AI-powered “upscalers” are all over the internet. The challenge is finding one that's reliable and safe. With DGB.LOL, uploads are for your eyes only, and your photos vanish from their servers after 24 hours. It's free, too. Score.

🩻 Doctors get paid by drug and medical device companies: That can influence what they recommend to patients. You can look up your doctor on this site for free.

• This wireless 3‑in‑1 charging station is sweet and works with iPhone 8 models all the way up to iPhone 15.
• For the handy dad, a laser tape measure he’ll play with like a kid on Christmas. (Be sure to click both coupons for a total of 20% off!)
• A cool Carhartt insulated bag is perfect for the office, the lake, the car or anywhere else he goes.
• No one likes warm beer or soda. Love these freezer glasses that’ll keep his beverage of choice ice cold.
• OK, I want this … Press the Dad Joke 3000 to hear, yep, a dad joke (20% off!).
• A smart dashcam on sale for $39.99, and check the box for another 10% off!
• A phone stand with a built-in Bluetooth speaker so he can watch his shows and hear the dialogue.

You have to admire the honesty.

The answer: A.) Digital cameras. Android’s original plan was a camera platform that would store images and videos in the cloud. It didn’t work, so they pivoted to smartphones. Good move, seeing how Google bought the little startup, Android, in 2005 for $50 million.

What's the difference between a digital camera and a sock? A camera takes photos and the sock takes five toes. (I heard you laugh at that one!)

Before you go: StartMail is easy-to-use, privacy-first email. What a beautiful thing! Check out this page for your 60% off deal. You can’t beat that — I made sure!

See you back here tomorrow. Until then, give a smile and I bet you’ll get one back. It works for me! — Kim