Sunday, lovely Sunday. You’re going to really like today’s top story! First, let’s jump in with trivia. In 1981, Nintendo debuted Mario as the hero pitted against Donkey Kong. What was Mario’s name in his first game appearance? Was it … A.) Jumpman, B.) Plumber Pete, C.) Mr. Mustache or D.) Super Joe? Answer’s at the end. Wahoo!

Get out of Big Tech’s tracking grip. Your inbox is the perfect place to start. My pick for a secure alternative to Gmail, AOL, Yahoo and your ISP’s email is StartMail. Get 60% off and a free trial now. Btw, if you buy, I get no kickbacks or residuals. It’s safe and easy to use, and they won’t sell you out. On to the tech smarts! — Kim

This is one of the coolest things I’ve learned recently: Foreign intelligence agencies still use good ol’ radio to share top secrets. Even with all the powerful tech at their fingertips, radio use in espionage has actually gone up in popularity since the 2010s. Pretty wild.

Russia in particular loves this technique. Why? Intelligence agencies don't trust the internet. Makes sense.

A brief history of spy radio

Foreign agencies have been using shortwave radio frequencies to broadcast coded messages for decades.

Starting in the mid-1960s, if you tuned your radio to shortwave frequencies between 5.422 and 16.084 megahertz (MHz), you might hear music … or you might hear a woman’s voice with an English accent reading number combinations.

The U.K.'s MI6 intelligence agency and other spy networks used these “number stations” until at least 2008 to talk to operatives in the field. Whoa.

Old tech, new tricks

This tactic is still very much alive and well. In 2020, the FBI discovered messages being sent to Russian deep-cover officers living in Massachusetts. Just this past March, researchers caught Russia's foreign intelligence agency, SVR, broadcasting a test transmission in French.

So what's the advantage of old-school radio? Even encrypted phones can be hacked. It’s also easier than ever to plant spyware on an internet-connected device.

Number stations aren't so easily cracked

In each broadcast, the sender and receiver use what's called a "one-time pad" to encrypt and decrypt the message. It's basically a matching list of random numbers, no fancy spy gear required.

Of course, anyone listening could pick up on other patterns and blow up an agency's spot. For example, a broadcast pattern could reveal how many agents there are and when or where they're active.

When the FBI discovered the 2020 broadcasts, they realized the messages corresponded to the specific rooms active operatives were in!

Maybe try a homing pigeon instead

The moral of the story: Sometimes old stuff is more reliable than the new. Even in today's AI-powered digital and internet age, spies trust radio!

If you really want to geek out and slide into the underground world of secret radio messages, check out Priyom, a group of international radio enthusiasts who track number stations around the world. They have chatrooms to swap stories, and their website follows intelligence, military, and diplomatic communication via shortwave radio. Happy listening!

😂 The FBI is raiding an alleged spy’s apartment when they discover a hard drive labeled “KGB”. One of the agents holds it up and asks, “Why wouldn’t he just write 1TB?” (Oh, geek humor … Sometimes, it’s harder to get than a ground-floor hotel room in Moscow for a Russian operative!)

Free isn’t always the best option, especially when it comes to those Big Tech email providers we all know ... and think we love! They say it’s “free,” but you’re actually paying with your privacy. From what you click to where you are to who you communicate with, it’s all tracked.

StartMail is the secure alternative email provider I trust. There’s no invasive tracking or ads, and they include premium privacy features, like unlimited disposable email addresses and easy-to-use, encrypted communication.

Run a business? They now offer a subscription for that, too, with enhanced storage options, shared email aliases and unlimited domains.

I negotiated a special deal just for you! Right now, StartMail is offering an exclusive 60% off annual subscriptions, including the new business plan. Score!

🪣 Leaky bucket: Two free PDF makers, PDF Pro and Help PDF, have somehow made public over 89,000 documents uploaded by their users We’re talking passports, driver’s licenses, certificates and more. People are still using these PDF tools, even as their private data leaks onto the web. Don’t be one of them.

Spy versus spy: mSpy is a surveillance app used to track children, relatives and romantic partners without their consent. Hackers just exposed the identities of millions of customers, and the list includes senior U.S. military personnel, a U.S. federal judge and a government watchdog. Juicy stuff.

“Let’s double-click”: The latest corporate buzzword, “double-click” (paywall link), means to dig into something further, like, “I’ll double-click that media plan tomorrow.” Fun fact: The creator of the double-click, Apple designer Bill Atkinson, regrets it. He thinks an extra mouse button would’ve been better.

👊 Fighting deepfakes: Teen girls like Elliston Berry are sharing their horror stories with AI nudes that left them feeling “shameful.” Now, lawmakers are doing something about it. A new bill would criminalize nonconsensual deepfakes (paywall link) and make platforms and websites take down pictures within 48 hours of notice from the victim. Finally!

Holy Moses: Archaeologists have uncovered stone walls and pottery that line up with Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. The artifacts date back more than 3,200 years. The Bible says they reached the Promised Land around 1406 to 1407 B.C. Isn’t this amazing?

Calling all renters and DIYers! You just found your next weekend project.

Hear the world: If you ever ask anyone to repeat something they said, check out the new, dual-processor, almost invisible hearing aids from Hear.com. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a 4.9 out of 5 rating with Consumer Affairs and a 100% money-back guarantee. Click here now for a risk-free trial.*

🌊 Stream on: Make your music flow more smoothly with crossfade. This forces your songs to transition from one into the next instead of ending abruptly, pausing and starting the next track. On Spotify, go to Settings > Playback > Crossfade. In Apple Music, head to Settings > Apple Music > Crossfade.

Print text messages for court (or anything else): For iPhone, iExplorer lets you access, view and transfer music, messages, photos and files from any iOS device to Mac or PC. On Android, you can use SMS Backup & Restore.

Get a little space: Virtual desktops on Windows let you keep work, play, vacation planning and whatever else separate. Hit Windows key + Ctrl + D to create a new virtual desktop. Use Windows key + Ctrl + the left or right arrows to move between your desktops. When you’re done, hit Windows key + Ctrl + F4 to close your current virtual desktop.

📶 Calling all RVers, travelers and campers: The new Starlink Mini dish gives you Wi‑Fi anywhere, fueled by a power bank or solar generator. Price: $599 for the hardware, then $150 a month for unlimited data, or $50 per month for 50GB of data.

Plus, Phil searches for AI hunting tools, Dillon wants a dashcam for Snapchat, J.B. needs a Quicken alternative, Larry seeks help with 1099s, Mary Jo sets up online church donations and so much more!

Watch: Our nation’s drinking water is under attack. That’s one topic you’ll learn about watching my podcast. And there’s fun stuff, too!

Celebrate: Summerween. Now, if someone invites you to a spooky pool party, you’ll understand why.

Upgrade: Pasta night with the right bowls (39% off right now, and be sure to click the 10% off coupon!). Yum, makes me want this corn pasta without the bacon. I don’t eat pork or beef, but maybe chicken once in a great while.

Shop: Here’s the secret link to early Amazon Prime Day deals.

Breathe: Clean air, without dropping $300. You can make a DIY air filter with a box fan for about $50. Wildfire season is here. Be ready!

There’s no message you need to read or send that badly.

The answer: A.) Jumpman. Well, he does jump around a lot … The character’s name was soon changed to “Mario,” and the little plumber became the most recognizable video game character ever.

“Kim, I’m sick of all the Big Tech tracking and spying.” Do something about it with StartMail. They make it easy with an inbox that looks just like what you’re used to, but without all the data collection and ads. Give it a shot and use my link for 60% off. You won’t find a better deal.

☀️ Hope you took away something from this newsletter that’s good enough to use. Follow me on social: I’m on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and everywhere else! See you tomorrow with tips on how not to get scammed on Amazon Prime Day. Until then, pat yourself on the back because you just got tech‑smarter! — Kim