A super-happy Saturday to you, friend! Let’s start with some low-tech trivia you can use to stump your pals. A phillumenist is a collector of what? Is it … A.) Beer mats, B.) Matchbooks, C.) Teddy bears or D.) Coins? Think you know the answer? Find out at the end!

🤑 Your personal info is for sale everywhere. Between data brokers, advertisers, stalkers and scammers, everything from your phone number and address to your Social Security number is for sale and out there for anyone willing to pay. I used Incogni to remove it all for me. You really need to do the same. — Kim

I’ve heard from the presidential candidates, their families and every politician within a 100-mile radius. The texts don’t stop in October of an election year, especially when it comes to a presidential election.

What’s worse, the closer we get to Nov. 5, the more these texts are going to bug you. Here I am to save the day (and your sanity)!

Who’s allowed to text you?

Mass texting campaigns are legal if the sender uses an official text messaging organization. These orgs verify the sender is legit and complies with all opt-in and opt-out rules.

This means campaigns need your consent before they text you. They also have to comply when you respond with "STOP" and not send you any future messages.

Scam-paigns

Real political organizations are good at following the rules. But, shocker, scammers pretending to be associated with political candidates aren't. Once you block one number, they move on to the next. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Crooks pounce at the opportunity to blend their scams with legitimate political campaigns and hope you can't tell the difference. They'll use political-sounding messages to push malicious links. They might even ask you to donate to a bogus campaign.

Psst, this is all the more reason to try Incogni. They stop spammers from getting your number in the first place.

Stay smart and stop them from bugging you

• Your obvious first step is to text back "STOP." But if you don’t remember opting into these messages, don't respond. Doing so tells the sender — likely a scammer — you're a real person, which could lead to even more texts.
• Instead, report it to your cell provider by forwarding texts to 7726 (SPAM). If enough complaints come in about the same number, the wireless carrier will investigate and block future messages.
• Don't donate money through a link sent in a text. If you'd like to donate to a political campaign, go directly to their official website.

iPhone:

• Messages from unsaved numbers will have an option beneath to Report Junk. Tap that, then tap Delete and Report Junk to delete the thread and send the message to Apple and your carrier, letting them know, too, it’s junk.
• Block the number. Open the message, tap the number at the top of your screen, and choose Info > Block Caller.
• Turn on your spam blocker. Go to Settings > Messages > Filter Unknown Senders to sort texts from unknown contacts into a separate list.
• Stop receiving notifications from unknown texters. You’ll find this under Settings > Messages > Customize Notifications (at the very bottom). There, toggle off Unknown Senders.

Android:

• Block the number. Open the message, tap the number or menu at the top of the screen, then tap Block. Note: Your steps may vary based on your phone manufacturer.
• Turn on the spam blocker. To do this, open Messages > tap your profile icon > Messages Settings > Spam Protection.

🎦 If you’re more of a visual-learning type, I have a YouTube video that walks you through these steps, too.

Friends or family complaining about political texts? Pass this along using the handy share icons below. They’ll be glad you did.

Data brokers make big money gathering your personal sensitive info and selling it to the highest bidder. What’s included? Your phone number, birth date, where you’ve lived, your location history, your Social Security number, your driving habits, what you buy at the grocery store and more, much more.

All your data is sold, over and over and over again. Best-case scenario: Companies target you with ads. Worst case: Scammers, identity thieves and stalkers know everything about you.

I did the research and used Incogni to remove my personal data from all broker types, the privacy-stealing databases and creepy people-search sites. It’s time for you to do the same.

Help protect yourself from spam calls, spam texts, identity theft, stalkers and insurance companies raising your rates. I negotiated an exclusive discount for you.

💳 PayPal update: Starting Nov. 27, PayPal will share your purchasing data with third-party merchants — think products, preferences, sizes and styles. Yes, you can stop it. In the app, tap your profile photo at the top right, followed by Data and privacy. Under Manage shared info, tap Personalized shopping, and toggle off the switch. On desktop, click the settings gear icon in the top right, then select Data & Privacy > Personalized shopping to toggle off the slider. It never stops …

End of an era: Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on Nov. 14, 2025. No more “free” updates, security fixes or tech assistance. Your best options? Upgrade to Windows 11 or, if yours doesn’t meet the Windows 11 upgrade requirements, buy a new PC (this $299 one is a good pick). You can also pay Microsoft for extended security updates (up to three years) or switch to a different OS, like Linux or ChromeOS Flex.

Told ya this was going to happen: Google Search is losing money with so many of us relying on ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity and other AI bots instead. Now, Google’s serving up AI search results with a twist — ads. You’ll see “sponsored” next to the content. Say you search for “how to get grass stains out of jeans.” Along with the tips, Google will display ads for cleaning products. Be careful where you click.

📦 If you see this trick online, it doesn’t work anymore: A Walmart shopper found the ultimate moving-day hack: Ordering 24 boxes online. Each box arrived individually packed in a Walmart delivery box with bubble wrap, basically doubling his single-box order for free. Someone at Walmart caught on, of course, and now they’ll be shipping box orders altogether.

Jeff needs the money: Amazon is going to double its Prime Video ad volume in 2025. Right now, you’ll see two to three-and-a-half minutes of ads per hour, with no commercials in the middle of content. How much worse will it get? Expect around six minutes of ads per hour. Bet that’s long enough for some people to cough up the extra $36 a year to go ad-free. Btw, Netflix and Disney+ run five minutes of ads per hour.

No woofin' around: The U.S. Army is testing robot dogs armed with AI-enabled gun turrets in the Middle East. The robo-pups pack some serious heat, like a rotating AR‑15/M16‑pattern rifle and an electro-optical targeting system. They’re way cheaper than using missiles to take down drones. FYI, China showed off its own four-legged war dog in May.

🐔 Best of cluck: If you see someone “bawk”-ing at their phone, they’re probably playing TikTok’s new chicken filter game. It’s a 2D platformer (like Mario) where you can control the on-screen chicken with your voice to navigate obstacles. Soft “bawk”s make the chicken walk forward, and loud “bu‑gawk”s make it jump. What a world we live in.

“What’d you say?” If those words ever come out of your mouth, check out the A+ BBB-rated Horizon IX* hearing aids that are almost invisible. Russell wrote to me, “Thanks to you, I hear like a kid again. And I forget these hearing aids are even in my ears!” See if you qualify for a 45-day risk-free trial now. You’ll be glad you did.

• I was cutting a bagel with a big serrated knife the other day and scared myself. That’s why I got this bagel guillotine (31% off).
• This 5-in-1 tool opens any bottle, jar or whatever else. It’s only $8.
• Wish I had this when Ian was a kid: An automatic drink dispenser for the milk or anything else heavy in the fridge.
• Amazon’s bestselling veggie chopper is 50% off. No more onion fingers! Press down and you’re done.
• When the kitchen is full of fruit flies, plug in one of these sticky traps. All the grossness is on the back, phew.

🫶🏻 I want to be your secret helper and mentor: Take a second and record a voice memo with a question about anything digital, something you want to know more about, getting your business to the next level, or just a comment. I’ll play the best ones on my show or podcast. Be sure to tell me your name and where you’re from. Send it to podcasts@komando.com.

Update your iPhone: iOS 18.0.1 fixes bugs and patches a few security vulnerabilities. One is in the Passwords app, so don’t wait! Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Install Now.

👻 If the broom fits, fly it: Most smart doorbells let you change the tone to something more festive around the holidays. For Halloween, yes, I’m talking about a witch cackle or howl. Open your doorbell app, go into the settings, and look for something like “chime tones” or “doorbell theme.” In the Ring app, it’s under Devices > Audio Settings > Chime Tones.

Speaking of Ring: Ring’s subscription prices recently jumped 50%. Now’s a great time to check out SimpliSafe* for whole-home protection. Click here to save 50% on a SimpliSafe security system, and claim a free indoor camera, too! Nice.

Check your consumer report: It contains real estate transaction and ownership data; lien, judgment and bankruptcy records; professional license info; and addresses. Go to the LexisNexis Consumer Disclosure Report page and click Request a Consumer Disclosure Report Online. Fill out your name and address, then click Submit Request. The waiting is the hardest part.

🔐 Smart lock: You can set your Windows PC to lock itself when you walk away. Pair your phone via Bluetooth, then activate Dynamic Lock in your Windows settings. When you step away and your phone loses its Bluetooth connection, your PC locks itself. So cool.

Not to toot my own horn, but I really Excel at Microsoft puns.

The answer: B.) Matchbooks. The other multiple-choice options also have official names for their collectors — tegestologists collect beer mats, arctophiles collect teddy bears and numismatists collect coins. But what do you call someone who collects tech tips? A Kim‑ist! 🤓

Before you go: It’s time you got your privacy back. Incogni has worked in the background to get my info off scummy data-broker and people-search sites. Try it yourself with my 60% off link, exclusive for my readers. I get no more spammy calls or texts. Love that.

📻 The real, true Kim-ists listen to my national radio show. Find your local station and tune in, or get my show’s podcast. I share so much there that I just can’t get to here in this newsletter. See you back here tomorrow, and keep being the shining star you are! — Kim