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A very happy Thursday, friends! As always, we start with a tech fun fact. What are the chances someone else’s face can open your iPhone? Is it … A.) 1 in 10,000, B:) 1 in 100,000, C.) 1 in 1,000,000 or D.) 1 in 1,000,000,000? You’ll find the answer at the end!

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Thanks for being here for another day of tech news and smarts. — Kim

Remember when AirTags first came out? It didn't take long before creeps started using them to track people without their knowledge. Victims were finding them in their bags and jackets, on their cars — you name it.

Apple finally changed it so you'll get an alert if someone is tracking you without your knowledge using an AirTag. Tracking cuts both ways, though. Yes, the tech got safer, but more people realized just how easy it is to follow someone secretly.

This is particularly scary if you're in an abusive or unsafe relationship or know someone who is. Even if you've stopped sharing your location through your phone and taken other privacy measures, you might be forgetting another place: Your car.

Driving me crazy

This report blew me away, and I deal with this stuff all the time. A woman shared the creepy story of how her abusive ex-husband tracked her through her Mercedes-Benz.

She moved away to stay with her daughter and noticed a weird message pop up on her car display. It mentioned a location-based service called "mbrace," so she looked it up online.

Turns out mbrace is part of Mercedes me, a collection of services accessed through a smartphone app. The woman used the app to make auto loan payments but didn't realize it could also be used to track her location.

One night, while visiting a male friend, her ex-husband texted the man a thumbs-up emoji. Even more frightening — A nearby camera caught his car driving in the area. Yeah, he was watching everywhere she went.

Blindspots

Horrified, the woman called Mercedes-Benz’s customer service to try to cut her ex-husband's access from the car. But get this: Although she’d been making payments, the car's loan and title were in her ex's name. Reps at Mercedes-Benz said her ex was a customer, so they couldn't remove him from the app.

What's even crazier is that she had a restraining order against him and was given sole use of the car in the divorce!

Desperate, she took her car to an independent mechanic, and $400 later, the remote tracking feature of the vehicle was disabled — but not without also disabling the car's navigation system and SOS features.

Highway to the gray zone

Unfortunately, this woman’s story isn't unique. It's easier than you'd think for abusive partners to use internet-connected devices to track a victim's location. I should know — I talk to these folks on my national radio show all the time.

Automakers don't have a solution, but the Safe Connections Act could help. It's a rule that lets domestic abuse victims cut their phones off from accounts shared with perpetrators. It’s time to extend that to cars, which are now just computers on wheels.

Know anyone who should read this? Be a friend and pass it along using the share buttons below. While you’re at it, this article might help if you’re worried about something digital in your life. And here’s how to tell if someone is tracking you with an AirTag.

This is a list of my newsletter readers' most-loved products of the year. If you didn't pick 'em up, what are you waiting for?

SMS spoofing is on the rise: Scammers mimic texts from your contacts or businesses. They can even pretend to be you. Beware of urgent messages like the power company threatening to turn off your service. If it’s a bill or account-related thing, call or log in to your online account. If it’s a loved one or colleague, call them and ask if they just sent a text.

🔗 Facebook's newest snoop: Meet Link History, which Facebook says is a handy tool for saving your browsing. Privacy concern? Absolutely. FB tracks and sells all your clicks. Here's how to turn it off: Open the Facebook app, tap Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Browser, and toggle off Allow link history.

H2-Oh no: Pennsylvania's Aliquippa Water Authority and others across the U.S. just got hacked. It's a chilling reminder: Our water systems are cyber targets. Many utility providers, especially smaller ones, lack the money for solid cybersecurity. This leaves them vulnerable to attacks that could control or contaminate our water. I have backup water in my house, and you should, too.

📸 AI vs. a photographer: Camera giants Nikon, Sony and Canon are fighting back. How? By embedding digital signatures in photos to confirm when, where and by whom they were snapped. News orgs and tech companies can access a free tool called "Verify" to check a photo's authenticity.

Vizio's refresh ruse: Vizio just settled a $3 million lawsuit for advertising its 60 Hz and 120 Hz TVs as having double the "effective" refresh rates. Spoiler: They didn't. Californians, if you bought a Vizio TV after April 30, 2014, you could get a refund between $17 and $50. Submit a claim here by March 30.

📡 Can you hear me now? SpaceX and T‑Mobile launched six satellites to provide phone service from space. That means coverage in the most remote spots. The coolest part is that it works with your regular phone. Right now, it’s for text messaging only, but voice and data are next.

X marks the spot: X (you know, Twitter) just realized $1,000 a month for a gold checkmark is, well, a bit much. Now, it’s offering a basic tier for “verified organizations” at a cool $200. Still a waste of money.

Before you snap a pic: Watch out for fake QR codes at airports, parking lots, bus stops, restaurants, and even on parking tickets and street flyers. They can lead to dodgy sites, phishing you out of cash or info. To avoid getting duped, check for odd placements or tampering, and think twice before you tap in your payment details. Stay sharp out there!

It's the time of year to reflect on all you’ve accomplished — what you've done, where you're headed. Go, you! Want to take it a step further? Jot down your hopes, dreams and aspirations in an email, and send it off to your future self.

It's really simple and a great way to look back. I've done it before and loved seeing my mindset from years ago and how far I'd come.

😂 "What do you want to do in the future?" asked the teacher. Pete: "I want to be a pilot." Tommy: "I want to be a doctor." Margaret: "I want to be a good mother." Michael: "I want to help Margaret!"

💻 Best way to help someone fix a computer from afar: No more frustrating phone calls. TeamViewer remote-access software lets you connect to any PC to fix it like you’re sitting in front of it. This is incredibly helpful for troubleshooting. Only use it with people you trust, and never download it if someone on the phone, text or email tells you to.

Microsoft Copilot on iOS: You can now use it on your iPhone or iPad. Like ChatGPT, ask it questions to get AI responses and pics. Neat. Find it in the Apple App Store.

Share Amazon Prime (and the bill) with someone you live with: Go to your Amazon account settings. Click the Amazon Household option. That's where you can add another person and share your Prime benefits with them.

🐦 Calling all wannabe birdwatchers: Merlin Bird ID helps you figure out which pretty birdie you can hear or see based on an audio clip or photo. Super cool. Download the free app for iOS or Android, and have fun!

The award for best font for saving printer ink goes to … Times New Roman! When it comes to ink, you’ll get almost 30% more pages printed with it over Arial. The smaller, the better. Use a font 10 points or lower if you can read it.

It's the perfect time of year to reflect on what truly matters – the people we love most. This year, resolve to keep them safer than ever with SimpliSafe Home Security.

SimpliSafe is the best of the best. It’s total protection for your whole home, including advanced sensors to detect break-ins, fires, floods and more — all with 24/7 professional monitoring for less than $1 a day.

You won’t get roped into an expensive contract (they don’t have them!), and you can order it all online and install it yourself. It’s easy, and you’ll be so glad you did.

“Alimony is like paying for a dead racehorse,” said my mom to my divorced uncle.

The answer: C.) 1 in 1,000,000 is the probability of a random person being able to unlock your iPhone using Face ID, according to Apple. When it comes to Touch ID, their fingerprint technology, the estimated probability of a mismatch is 1 in 50,000. I feel a little safer, don’t you?

Now, one final bad joke to make you smile. A Tibetan monk sees the face of Jesus in a tub of margarine. He raises his eyes to the heavens and exclaims, "I can't believe it's not Buddha!" (I warned you!)

🌴 Before I go: Imagine you’re at work and your security cam picks up someone prowling through your home. With SimpliSafe, a live agent can talk to your intruder and tell them the cops are on their way. Go to SimpliSafeKim.com to protect your home and family. Your support keeps this newsletter free, so thanks! Catch you back here tomorrow with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim