A bright and shiny Sunday to you, my friend! Let's start this tech party with trivia about playlists before they were a thing. What was the most common length of a standard blank audio cassette for making mixtapes in the '80s and '90s? In minutes, was it … 30, 60, 90 or 120? You'll find the answer at the end.

🤖 Feeling like everything is an AI bot or Big Tech algorithm? Nope, it's me, real-human Kim Komando here! I handpick everything in this newsletter just for you. Need a hand? Drop me your questions here. I read every single one! Now, on with massive tech know-how! — Kim

The top-tier Netflix plan is now a whopping $22.99 a month. I remember being shocked when it got to $19.99. Disney+ and Hulu are up, too, and you can bet everyone else will follow suit.

Now’s the time to take a good, hard look at what you pay for. Here are some of my best cheapskate secrets to help you save a buck (or lots of them!).

They slipped under the radar

My rule of thumb: If there’s a show I’m watching, I keep the service. Otherwise, I’ll cancel and only sign up again if a new show drops I want to watch. While you’re at it, note when each charge goes through.

All about timing

It’s annoying when you plan to cancel a service and get hit with another charge before you do. Add renewal dates to your calendar and check them before you cancel.

Put down the phone

Companies don’t want you to cancel, so they can make it tricky. That’s especially true if you’re trying to cancel a service from your smartphone. Take care of it from a computer to make it easier.

Don’t forget freebies

You can watch movies and TV shows on Prime Video with an Amazon Prime account. If you have T‑Mobile, you get free Netflix. Check with your cellphone provider and credit card company to see if you have these or similar perks.

It never hurts to ask

If you’re on the fence about canceling a streaming service, go through the process online. Some services will offer you a discounted rate to stay. But if you haven’t watched anything on that platform by the end of the month, say goodbye.

You need a backup plan

Ah, the magic of broadcast television. Attach a simple antenna to your TV to watch free, live content in HD from popular networks.

How do you choose an antenna?

• Amplified antennas: Usually meant to be used inside houses with a medium-strength signal. Here’s an affordable one I like.
• Large outdoor antennas: Ideal for areas with a weak signal. They can be amplified or unamplified. This antenna works great and won’t break the bank.

Zap2it is a solid online directory to find local TV listings by provider or time zone once you’re all set up.

😂 I’m not feeling so hot. Might spend the day with some Netflix and chills.

This is so tragic and preventable: A 17-year-old girl overdosed after she bought counterfeit pills that contained fentanyl via Snapchat. Now, her parents are suing. They say Snapchat's disappearing messages make it easier for kids to get drugs — and for dealers to avoid prosecution. Please, please talk to your kids.

🤖 Dōmo arigatō, Dr. Roboto: How about some good news? AI can detect Type 2 diabetes just by listening to your voice. In a new study, AI was nearly 90% accurate at diagnosing diabetes within six to 10 seconds. Signal-processing tech can “hear” notes the human ear can’t. Isn’t that amazing?!

How not to hire a North Korean spy: North Korea has an army of digital freelancers stealing company secrets and planting malware. It's gotten so bad, there’s now an official guide on how to spot spies. Red flags include the person not wanting to be on camera, no social media profiles, and "Language preferences are in Korean, but the individual claims to be from a non-Korean speaking country or region." Thanks, Captain Obvious.

🎤 Kar-AI-oke: Can’t sing? Me, neither. YouTube will soon let you create a song using the voice of your favorite musician. Hope they figure it out soon. I really want to hear AI Luciano Pavarotti sing “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

✈️ Cheap flight cheat code: Go to Google Flights, select your departure location for a round-trip flight, then choose Anywhere as your destination. Leave the dates blank, and watch a map populate with the cheapest round-trip tickets available. From Phoenix, I could vacay in Cancún for $229, Seattle for $38 and Bora Bora for $1,341. I know what you’re thinking: “Kim, I’ve always wanted to go Bora Bora but I’m poor’a‑poor’a!”

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

Choose your platform below to listen:

Every weekend, I talk to interesting folks on my national radio show that airs on over 420 stations across the U.S. and in 175 different countries on American Forces Network Radio. Here’s a sneak peek of this weekend’s lineup:

• Geoffrey Fowler, a tech columnist at The Washington Post, found out the $123 ink cartridges he bought for his HP printer cost about $2 to manufacture. He even tried to make his own printer ink!
• Heidi in Tucson, Arizona, wants to start a podcast to drive more customers to her business.
• Loreen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, needs a reliable way to track her mom as she drives across the country.

Plus, Benjamin’s tech life is under attack, Steve’s kiddo just got a computer and he wants to track him, Tasha needs an online waiver for her dog-sled tour company, and Bob needs an easy way to organize his tennis group.

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Work jams: Music with lyrics can be distracting. Content Queen Allie loves this YouTube playlist for getting things done. It’s free, and the stream never ends. No ads interrupting, either.

📺 400+ free channels: Have an Amazon Fire TV? Check out the Fire TV Channels app. It includes ABC News, Fox Sports, MLB and CBS Sports. In the app, click Your Apps and Channels, then Free. Yes, there are commercials.

Random package show up? If you receive something addressed to you from Amazon that you didn’t order, report it using the Report Unwanted Package form. You still get to keep it — and fight scammers.

Get out of data broker sites: I signed up for Incogni* and in less than 5 minutes, my personal information was removed from 74 data broker and people-search sites, most of which I’d never heard of. Use promo code Kim55 to save 55%.

On the road again: Living that RV life? Here’s how to get Wi‑Fi.

🐈 Copycats: I sent a security alert this week, and it’s a doozy: Scam ads that mimic a popular password manager. Sign up to get my next alert.

Snoops, beware: Reading someone’s texts is one thing. (And it's not great.) But other forms of surveillance can land you in jail.

✋ Count the fingers: That’s one way to spot AI images. Here’s a whole list of giveaways and tools to try.

To pay or not to pay: Social media sites are starting to charge for certain features — and scammers are hard at work trying to fool you into paying them instead.

It’s a “ruff” life for sure.

The answer: 90 minutes. Yep, 45 minutes per side gave you just enough time to impress your crush or best friend with your impeccable taste in tunes. Whether it was rock, pop or a sprinkling of '90s grunge, a 90-minute tape was usually the go‑to.

💿 Cassette tapes have sides A and B, so it’s only logical their successor would be the CD.

👩‍🍳 I like to cook on Sundays. Today, it’s chicken pot pies. A few timesavers: I use my Instant Pot to cook the chicken and mix in cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup and cream of potato soup. Rather than one big pie, I make them in these individual dishes.

Thanks for all you do to support me and the team behind the radio show, podcasts, newsletters and website. We wouldn’t be here without you! See you tomorrow morning with another issue of the best tech newsletter on the planet! — Kim