A bright and shiny tech-wonderful Thursday is upon us, friend! Let’s start with the weirdest thing I’ve seen on the internet all week. A 27-year-old influencer from Kansas City spent $17,000 to have six ribs removed, all in the name of a teeny-tiny waist. Emily James got to keep the bones and was going to gift them to her best friend, then changed her mind. (I’m sure the friend is heartbroken.) The new plan? Turn them into a crown. Talk about a boneheaded decision. 🦴

❓ Need help? If it’s anything tech or business, I’m your gal. Drop me your question here. I read every single note. Now, on to your daily dose of tech smarts to keep you ahead in this digital world! — Kim

Every morning, I sit down with my amazing executive producer, Madi, to plan what tech tidbits I’m going to bring you in my national radio shows, podcasts and this newsletter. Today, she came in with a doozy.

Her boyfriend got an email from the IRS with a tax form he wasn’t expecting. Last year, he made about $20,000 on eBay selling comics, some bikes and a few other things. Like most folks getting a 1099‑K for the first time, he has no idea just how much he’ll owe yet.

If you got paid through an app like Cash App or Venmo, made money online through Etsy or Upwork, or sold a big item on OfferUp last year, you’re going to get a form, too. A big tax change the government’s been hinting at for years is finally here. Disclaimer: I am not a tax expert. If you need tax advice, see a professional.

‘Does this impact me?’

If you raked in over $5,000 through a third-party payment app in 2024, then yes. Next year, that limit drops to $2,500. Look out for a 1099‑K from any applicable payment app if that’s you. This includes payments for:

• Goods you sell (think clothing, furniture, electronics, etc.) on apps and sites like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Etsy, Poshmark and eBay.
• Services you provide, like delivery gigs through Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart.
• Freelance work through sites like Fiverr, Upwork and Guru.

If you used Zelle, you’re off the hook for a 1099‑K. Why? Its parent company is backed by big banks like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and more. Don’t think you can ignore reporting. File it like usual.

So, what if … ?

The IRS doesn’t care about the money you get as gifts or reimbursements. But they will care if you sell upcycled furniture or otherwise through an app. Here are a couple of examples.

Q: My friends paid me back for the concert tickets. Do I have to report that?
A: Nope. Look for an option that indicates you’re sending money to family or friends when you make the transaction, and it won’t show up on your 1099‑K. Here’s how to do that on PayPal.

Q: I run a small business, and these payments are my main income source. What should I do?
A: You should already pay taxes on all your income, no matter where you receive it. This isn’t a new rule — it’s just a change in how you report. If you were paid through third-party payment apps, you’ll get a 1099‑K form.

Pro tip: Start keeping detailed records of everything you sell online. If freelancing is your main source of income, think about making quarterly tax payments to spread it out. You might find that easier.

Now that tax season is here

Double-check everything once you get a 1099‑K form. If you spot errors like a personal transaction marked as a business, contact the app. They can reissue a corrected version. The apps will be swamped as Tax Day approaches, so get this done ASAP.

✅ Save these tips and bookmark the IRS guide so you have it when your forms arrive.

According to unofficial sources, a new simplified income tax form coming soon has only four lines: 1.) What was your income for the year? 2.) What were your expenses? 3.) How much have you left? 4.) Send it in.

😉 Don’t wait until the day before Valentine’s Day. I’ve got your shopping covered.

• This massage gun ($33) will hit all the right spots. If you’d rather go the old-fashioned route, grab relaxing oil ($17).
• Build Lego roses (10% off) together. They won’t wilt after a week.
• Feeling steamy? These shower bombs (35% off) are packed with aromatherapy.
• The man in your life will dig these scented candles (24% off). Use this flameless lighter (23% off) to set the mood.
• Cement your bond in stone with a hand-casting kit (10% off). Cheesy but cute!
• Nothing says “romantic” like new socks, right? This magnetic pair (10% off) is adorable.

🍫 Maybe romance isn’t on your mind: Grab yourself some chocolate truffles you don’t have to share.

🚨 DeepSeek gets all your deep secrets: I said this when DeepSeek first came out, but maybe you weren’t paying close attention. If you use DeepSeek AI, your login information to various sites, documents, pics, searches, videos and more goes straight to China. They’re not even trying to hide it. PSA: Only use DeepSeek the secure way if you have to at all. Steps here on my site.

This is why I don’t change at the gym: A 68-year-old creep in Kaysville, Utah, planted a camera in a gym’s private tanning room. He connected it to the gym’s Wi‑Fi for remote access to the footage. It was there two whole days before anyone noticed. Before you tan, change clothes or go to the bathroom in public, look around for a camera first. There are so many creeps in the world.

😱 Apple, we have a problem: For the first time ever, crypto-stealing apps made it into Apple’s App Store. (Yes, they’re on Google Play, too.) The infected apps snoop through your images, looking for crypto wallet recovery phrases. One of them, ChatAi, has 50,000 downloads on Google Play. I sure hope you’re using malware protection* on your phone.

They only care about money: Searching “undress app” on Google brings up paid-search promoted results for AI tools that create nonconsensual naked pictures. All you need is a photo of someone’s face to make a very lifelike fake. Google’s ad policies prohibit deepfakes, but these links keep showing up. When there’s money to be made, enforcement gets blurry.

No-drone zone: Don’t even think about trying to fly a drone over the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The FAA is ready to slap anyone who flies over the Caesars Superdome with fines up to $75,000 starting Sunday at 1:30 p.m. local time.

🐾 I’m a dog person: My Abby makes life better. It turns out that’s true even if the pet isn’t real. Ageless Innovation makes meowing cats, wagging dogs and chirping birds that respond like the real thing, minus the walking, feeding or litter box duty. Now they’re all over assisted-living facilities and even hospice care centers. Some 93% of folks say they feel more joy after getting one. They’re for sale on Amazon.

A real-life nightmare: Imagine random people showing up at your door, primed and ready for a good time. That’s what happened to a university professor who was stalked for seven years. The creep behind it fed her info into an AI chat site where people hang out, looking for sex. The first line of his ad? “[Victim] Is University’s Hottest Professor. How Will You Seduce Her?” She wasn’t his only victim, and the 36-year-old guy could spend up to 20 years in prison.

This makes cents: If you’re looking to make some extra cash, this might be for you. Instacart is rolling out a new side gig where you can make money by just taking photos of products on store shelves. This way, brands see what’s selling and how their products look to customers. The pay? Around $12 for 10 minutes of work (paywall link). I made $15 taking pics of store shelves at Costco while writing about the TaskRabbit app years ago. Too bad I walked out with 50 boxes of animal crackers and a kayak.

AI is changing the game, and small to large businesses are transforming at lightning speed. But here's the good news: It's not too late to get in on the action and take your business to the next level. That’s where Oracle comes in.

• Simple AI integration: Oracle makes it easy to bring AI into your business — no headaches, no fuss.
• Top-tier power: Oracle uses Nvidia GPUs, the best for processing power, so your AI solutions run like a dream.
• Affordable: Get more bang for your buck, with high performance at a lower cost than other cloud providers.
• Built to grow: Your business is always changing, and Oracle will grow right along with you, offering scalable solutions.
• Hands-off maintenance: Don’t worry about the techy stuff — Oracle handles updates and infrastructure management so you can focus on what really matters.

You know AI is the future — now’s your chance to cut your cloud bill in half with Oracle. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

“Make me a template”: Try this with your AI chatbot of choice. I use ChatGPT. Instead of starting a report, spreadsheet or agenda from scratch, ask AI to create a template you can use again and again. Bonus: Your boss will think you have it all together when your monthly report always comes in a nice, tidy package.

👁️📢 No snooping: If you have sensitive pics like your driver’s license on your phone, set up a locked folder in Google Photos. Open the Google Photos app > Utilities > Set up Locked Folder. Follow the on-screen directions to finish up.

Have an iPhone? Store for-your-eyes-only pics in the Notes app. Open the pic in the Photos app, tap the share icon and select Notes. Open the note you want to protect, tap the three-dot icon in the upper right, then choose Lock.

Hearing loss happens in phases: With mild hearing loss, whispers and soft sounds fade away. Busy places like restaurants make keeping up with conversations tough. When it progresses to moderate, subtle sounds like ticking clocks or birds are hard to hear. With moderately severe, voices sound muffled. If you or someone you love is dealing with anything beyond mild hearing loss, let me introduce you to the Horizon IX hearing aids.*

TikTok is addictive for a reason: It’s the algorithm, but the format helps, too. If you want something a little smarter than mindrot videos, try WikiTok. It’s a visual way to browse random articles. Hey, that’s how I just learned there’s an Amsterdam, New Jersey.

Get paid to blab: Don’t Google “paid surveys,” or you’ll end up on junk sites. User Interviews is legit. You may have to apply for several before you get approved, but they pay well. A Komando staffer made $40 for a 10-minute call. The downside? They pay in gift cards. At least Amazon and Visa are both options.

The coast is clear: If you were waiting while Apple ironed out the bugs, it’s now safe to download the new iPhone update, iOS 18.3. Reader Cara T., who just asked, there you go!

💡 Technical difficulties: Some of you couldn’t access my free e-book, “50 Smart Ways to Use AI.” We hit the server with a wrench and all is well now! Pro tip: If you’re still getting a 404 error, try in a different browser or an Incognito mode tab.

Looks totally sci-fi. The Navy’s high-energy laser with integrated optical dazzler and surveillance, or HELIOS, zapped a drone right out of the air during testing. The 60-plus-kilowatt laser was developed by Lockheed Martin.

Free money, because I care about you: Progressive Insurance is paying out a $3.25 million class-action lawsuit for exposing data. If you suffered a data breach, you can get up to $5,000. No word on how much you’ll get if you didn’t, but it’s worth registering. Deadline is Feb. 18!

🦭 An aquarium took out an insurance policy on its trained seal. One day, the poor thing got hurt and needed to see a specialist. Sadly, the insurance company rejected the claim: “Warranty void if seal is broken.” (Come on, that was so bad, it was good!)

Hey, you. Are you subscribed to my YouTube channel? I have some big, big things coming you don’t want to miss. Hit this link. Appreciate you and all your support! I’ll be right back here in your inbox tomorrow with the best tech newsletter ever! Congrats, you’re officially tech-savvier than 99% of all people. — Kim