Greetings, tech explorers, and happy Friday! Let’s start with a very timely trivia topic. In every Apple ad, the time shown on the iPhones, MacBooks and iPads is always the same. Is it … A.) 9:41, B.) 12:01, C.) 6:30 or D.) 10:10? Find the answer at the end.

Let’s party like it’s Friday! I’m livestreaming today at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern). Come say hi on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook. If I don’t make you laugh, you’ll get your money back! Uh, just kiddin’ … It’s free. Happy you’re here. Let’s move on to the tech smarts! — Kim

I watched one episode of “Is it Cake?” on Netflix. Spoiler: Everything is cake, and it’s totally not for me. And wouldn't you know it? Watching just that one episode has completely wrecked my streaming recommendations — and I’m guessing yours aren’t much better.

Good news: If you don’t want to scroll through garbage for 30 minutes every night, I found some great hacks to get your recs back on track. Grab the popcorn, because this is a good one …

Rewrite your history

Obviously, your watch history has a huge influence on your show suggestions — but did you know you can edit it?

Yep, you can clear your history just like on your browser. I try to go in regularly and remove anything I didn't like (or didn’t actually watch myself). It helps my algorithm big time.

Here's how to clean up your Netflix history. It only takes a couple of clicks.

I have steps for cleaning up your Hulu and Amazon Prime Video watch histories here on my site.

What happens in your profiles stays in your profiles

If your kids are corrupting your Netflix watch history with “Peppa Pig,” a great way to keep your preferences personalized is to use profiles — and stick to them.

Be extra smart, and for family movie or TV nights, create a separate profile for shared viewing, such as “The Johnsons.” That way, you won't have to mess up anyone's algorithm.

All the major streaming services let you create several profiles for your single account. Netflix gives you up to five profiles, Amazon Prime Video gives you six, and Hulu gives you seven.

✅ Pro tip: If you wanna get really fancy, make more than one profile for yourself and curate things by genre or mood. Example: Create a profile where you only watch thrillers and another profile just for comedies.

Crack Netflix’s secret code

Netflix has unique codes for each hyperspecific subgenre, from silent movies to political documentaries. You can use them to find interesting flicks or tailor the algorithm to your niche interests.

Bonus: Wanna save on maintenance for individual platforms? The Reelgood app lets you combine your watchlists and recommendations for all your streaming platforms in one place. You'll need to manually input your preferences and watch history to start, though.

Btw, if you’re trying to get a handle on all your streaming services and other subscriptions, I use Rocket Money.* It helped me save $532 a year — seriously. Try it free now using my link. I get no kickbacks if you use the app. It just works.

😂 What is Iron Man’s favorite movie? “Ferrous Bueller.” (No, I won’t apologize for that one. It’s actually quite clever.)

There’s something about these products — they have a pull on me.

🏝️ Pedo island: Data brokers caught nearly 200 mobile devices traveling to Jeffrey Epstein’s island. They even pinpointed guests’ moves on and off the island ("wealthy and influential individuals," btw). Sure, it's a privacy nightmare, but I’ll give ‘em this one if it helps catch these sickos.

🚨 Attack of the clones: Scammers are cloning CleanMyMac X to steal passwords and data. Cons are spreading fakes through lookalike websites and stolen YouTube channels that lure you into malicious downloads.

Keep palm and pay on: You can join Amazon One with the new iOS and Android app. Just sign in, snap a pic of your palm, link a payment method and upload an ID. Now your hand is a wallet. It works at Whole Foods, some Panera locations and over 150 spots nationwide.

No more beta: Hulu is officially on Disney+. If you're subscribed to both, Hulu shows will now automatically pop up in your Disney+ feed. Only have Disney+? Search for a Hulu show or wait for an in-app prompt to upgrade your current bundle.

Who's a good bot? Police robodog Roscoe got more than it bargained for when it went in to sniff out a Cape Cod knife-wielder. The guy also had a gun, and he shot Roscoe three times in the neck. Roscoe got his revenge, though — the crook got teargassed and cuffed. Now, the bot is being shipped back to Boston Dynamics for some TLC.

🎵 Beethoven's DNA: Analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair revealed he wasn’t born with any special talent — at least not according to his genes. In other words, the maestro’s magic was probably more about nurture than nature. You can’t beat hard work and grit.

Eat your heart out, Gen Z: A single TikTok video propelled Puneet Nanda's oil-pulling products to No. 1 on TikTok Shop, with over a million sales of a single product. On one crazy-high sales day, Nanda brought in $7,000! The kicker? He’s 56 years old. Age really is just a number, folks.

😳 ED deepfake: Scammers used clips from a woman’s online videos to create a deepfake clone promoting erectile dysfunction pills. Now it’s plastered all over the internet. Even worse? There are no federal laws against deepfakes, so this poor woman can’t do much about it. Talk about a nightmare that lasts more than four hours.

Password police: If you can’t remember the last time you changed your Wi‑Fi password, it’s time. Sure, it’s annoying to reconnect all your devices, but it's worth it to kick off freeloaders who may have gained access — neighbors, friends, your ex ... and the delivery guy? Here’s how.

Let the deals come to you: Next time you’re booking a flight, head to Google Flights. Turn on the Track prices toggle switch, and Google will email you when there's a good deal on your route in your chosen date range. Non-Google options include Skyscanner and Kayak.

💪 Free online workouts: Because this was the year you wanted to get in shape. POPSUGAR Fitness on YouTube has tons of options — and many of the videos don’t require any extra equipment. Yoga with Adriene is super popular if you need a little zen or a stretch. The Body Project has great low-impact options, too.

Write this down: Note-taking, sketching and annotating on a tablet are way easier with a stylus. The Logitech Crayon Digital Pencil does the job for $54 — less than half the price of the Apple Pencil. Just want the basics? Get the Adonit Mark for less than $10.

Save the world — or just your battery: Open up Settings in Windows, then choose System > Power (or System > Power & battery on a laptop). At the top of the screen, you’ll see recommendations for cutting down on your computer's energy use.

All right, there’s no club, but there is a better option. Join over 37,000 companies that have upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle. Manage your financials, inventory, HR, e‑commerce and more, all in one spot. No more getting lost in an endless sea of spreadsheets and docs.

Whether your business does a few hundred thousand dollars a year or a few hundred million, who wouldn’t love less paperwork, more insights and higher revenues? It’s time for you to make a move.

Stop running your business on gut feelings. Let the data speak to you. Take a sec and check out what NetSuite can do for you now.

So good. Click here to see it bigger on my site!

The answer: A.) 9:41. It’s a homage to Steve Jobs and his announcement of the very first iPhone at MacWorld 2007. The keynote was so tightly scripted that Jobs knew the image would be shown at precisely 9:41 a.m., and he had the phone set to match. I like this story, but I still think 6:30 is the best-looking time — hands down. 🕰️

Have a question you’d like to ask me? Reply to this email or drop me a line. I read every single note you send. Thanks for letting us in your inbox, and I’ll see you tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim