Happy Tuesday, my loyal flock of techies! Let’s kick it off with some science trivia I know you’ll quiz your family on. Get a whiff of this: A recent study analyzed the natural scents of toddlers and teens. Toddlers smell “flowery,” while teen scent has notes of … A.) Cut grass, B.) Cheese, C.) Goat musk or D.) All of the above. Answer’s at the end!

Before you dive in, do your part to keep this free newsletter coming at you daily. Click this link to check out RYSE. They’re changing the smart shades game, and you can invest. Now, let’s expand your tech horizons. I curate this newsletter for you using my brain and time, not AI! — Kim

When Barry and I were on the (very long) flight to Japan, he leaned over and asked, “I want to check our Morgan Stanley account. Do you think it’s OK to do it using the plane’s Wi‑Fi?”

How did we live without Wi‑Fi on a plane? Oh, yeah, we read magazines! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but airplane Wi‑Fi isn’t as protected as we’d hoped.

Fear not — I've got some tips for protecting yourself and surfing safely in the skies.

Up in the air

Hackers use all kinds of sneaky tactics to hijack your privacy in flight. One thing working in their favor? VPN connections are more likely to drop in and out while you’re in the air than on the ground. (More on that below.)

Without that layer of protection, cybercriminals using the same airline Wi‑Fi can easily tap into your devices, access your information and spread malware.

The -s is for security: Only visit encrypted websites, aka ones that start with "https" (that -s is important!). In general, this blocks a hacker from viewing your activity on a given site, including your password or credit card number.

Beware of AirDrop: Keyloggers keep track of every single thing you type, and criminals love to pass them along using Apple’s AirDrop feature. Don't accept AirDrops from strangers in flight. Steps here to disable or limit AirDrop if you need help.

Name game: Crooks can create fake Wi‑Fi networks with almost identical names to the airline’s. If you're not careful, you could plug into a copycat network instead of the legit one.

Sky-high safety

I know you’re not going to skip the Wi‑Fi altogether. That’s OK — just be smart about it!

• Update your phone, computer, tablet or any other connected devices before your trip to ensure the tightest security possible.
• Turn on your VPN and double-check it’s active before doing anything that involves your personal information or financial details. FYI, I used ExpressVPN* on my way to and from Japan, and it stayed connected. My link gives you three free months.
• Verify names. If you notice multiple Wi‑Fi networks with similar names, confirm with the airline staff which one is right.
• 2FA, my dear. Use two-factor authentication when logging into websites that have any ties to finances.
• Secure your devices. Invest in antivirus and antimalware protection. My pick is TotalAV.* Get a year for $19 for up to five devices.
• Stop looky-loos. Get a privacy screen for your laptop to prevent nearby shoulder snooping. This is a must-have for traveling.

Wonder how planes even get Wi‑Fi? This vid breaks it all down and explains why your internet access can be so crappy, even when you pay $9.95 or more. (If you’re in a rush, start at the two-minute mark.)

🪻 One of my favorite things about the flight to Japan? The lovely heated eye masks the Japan Airlines flight staff passed out. I liked them so much that I bought some for my team at the office!

Finding the next big investment opportunity and getting in early isn’t easy. If it were, we’d all be rich! Even the Sharks from “Shark Tank” get it wrong — like when they declined an offer to buy 10% of Ring for $700,000. Bet they regretted that when Amazon bought Ring for $1.2 billion.

So, just how did Ring blow up and change doorbells forever? Retail distribution.

I’ve told you about RYSE and their deal to launch in over 100 Best Buy stores. But did you know they pitched on Canada’s version of “Shark Tank” called “Dragons' Den” and received two offers?

The smart home industry has yielded massive returns for early investors. Rumor has it, the next sleeping giant could be RYSE.

Be AI aware: Facebook’s new algorithm is filling people’s feeds with AI-generated images, and older adults are falling hard for their tricks. Quick crash course: Look for unnaturally smooth textures, gibberish text, and unusual teeth and fingers. I do a deep dive in tomorrow’s newsletter about spotting election fakes online, so be sure you don’t miss it.

💻 Tech Cold War: China just banned U.S.-made Intel and AMD processors and Microsoft Windows for government use. They’re moving to "safe and reliable" choices from local companies Huawei and Phytium. How do we get more “self-reliant” with tech here in the USA and not use Communist China chips and gear? That’s a tough one.

Search warning: Google's new AI-generated answers can lead to sketchy sites that trick you into subscribing to browser notifications. Seeing these annoying pop-ups? In Chrome, go to Settings > Content > Notifications, and under Allowed to send notifications, click Remove next to any site you don’t want to hear from.

🌐 Disconnected: Millions of low-income families could lose internet access when the Affordable Connectivity Program (paywall link) runs out of funds this spring. It offered affordable, fast internet to families for $30 off each month. I’ll keep you updated in case things change.

The Feds are coming: If you watched any drone and augmented reality YouTube tutorials between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 8, 2023, congrats — you might be on a watchlist! Investigators linked a money-laundering suspect dubbed "elonmuskwhm" to these videos and got Google to divulge a list of everyone who watched them. The Feds say it was crucial for the investigation, but I think this sets a dangerous precedent.

Just duet: Hearing sounds (like music or voices) from your white noise machine? Don't freak out — it's auditory pareidolia. Your brain is trying to make sense of the noise by filling in the gaps with something familiar. Still skeptical? Here’s a quick test: Cover your ears. If the voices stop, you're fine. If not, check with a doctor.

😤 Nuttin’ good: Viral videos teach kids that eating as little as 2 teaspoons of nutmeg can trigger sensations from mild euphoria to intense delirium that lasts up to 48 hours. The crash? Not pretty. Think facial flushing, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth and hypertension. Parents, check on your kids — and your spice rack.

📝 Chatbots can’t spell: At least not in the same way you or I do. Their outputs are based on pattern matching, not reading comprehension. And image generators are the least trained in language pattern matching. That explains all the wacky words you see in AI pics. Now you know!

Now you see it, now you don’t: Give your apps and webpages a little more elbow room by hiding the Windows taskbar. You can set it to auto-hide by right-clicking on it and selecting Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviors > Automatically hide the taskbar.

👍 All thumbs (in a good way): Long press on the globe or emoji icon in the bottom left corner of the iPhone keyboard. Now you can squish your keyboard to the right or left side of your screen for easier one-handed typing. Hey, who has two thumbs and is using this tip? This gal.

Message to self: Did you know you can message yourself in apps like WhatsApp and Slack? See if your DM app of choice does it. Yeah, it sounds a little weird, but it’s a smart way to keep something you want to remember front and center. Plus, you’re the only one who’ll see it.

🎮 Power move: Save electricity (and money) by checking the power-saving settings on the game consoles in your house. On the PS5, go to Settings > System > Power Saving. On the Xbox Series One and X/S, head to Profile & system > Settings > General > Power, then choose the Shutdown (energy saving) option. Congrats, you just leveled up.

No signal, no problem: Losing cell service can really mess up your attempts to navigate from A to B — unless you've downloaded your maps first. In Google Maps or Apple Maps, tap your profile picture and then Offline maps. Don't trek into the wilderness (or anywhere else) without ‘em.

It’s spring, which means it’s allergy season (and no, I’m not pollen your leg). Here are five great air purifiers to keep what you’re breathing in fresh and clean.

• Great budget purifier for smaller spaces, like your home office.
• A highly rated model for bedrooms of all sizes.
• This Coway model is considered top-of-the-line for larger or open-plan spaces.
• This Clorox-brand purifier is perfect for a bigger living room or even a whole floor if you have multiple stories.
• Even your car can get a refresh with this portable option (20% off!).

Why are waterbeds so bouncy? Because they’re filled with spring water.

The answer: D.) All of the above. Toddlers and teens share 40 of the same sweat compounds, but teens have two additional ones called carboxylic acids that smell like cut grass, cheese and goat musk. A reminder to not for‑goat the deodorant!

🤣 Why do teenagers always travel in groups of three, five or seven? Because they can’t even.

Thanks for being here! Don’t forget to check out RYSE. Your support keeps this tech train coming free to you. Tell a friend about this email, and I’ll see your smiling face tomorrow with pro tips on how to spot election deepfakes. Super-important stuff, folks! — Kim