It’s Tuesday and you know what that means — tacos! Let’s kick things off with trivia. In what year was the first electronic tortilla maker patented, changing how tacos, burritos and quesadillas are made and causing social unrest? Was it … 1968, 1979, 1986 or 1993? The answer’s at the end, amigos!

💪 Brace yourselves for a tech-loaded experience with extreme know-how to live a safer digital life. That’s the Komando way! — Kim

Let's rewind to 2020. Keith Gill, a 33-year-old investing enthusiast, was frequenting a Reddit forum dedicated to investing. During one discussion, someone said GameStop's stock, priced at $5 per share, was a great bargain.

Over the next year, Gill invested his life savings into this stock. By January 2021, the value of his initial $53,000 investment had skyrocketed to nearly $50 million. Yikes!

Gill wasn't the only one who made tens of millions of dollars (or lost even more). Sony just released the trailer for a movie based on GameStop that shows how interconnected the world of technology, finance and social media is. You're not going to believe this story.

David vs. Goliath showdown

Here’s the skinny. In late 2020, folks hanging out in the Reddit group r/WallStreetBets were chatting about GameStop. They saw big hedge funds were betting on GameStop's failure and thought, "Hey, what if we could change that?"

So, they started to work together to buy lots of GameStop stock. They hoped to increase each share's price and show those hedge funds they were wrong to bet against GameStop.

Hedge funds had been "shorting" GameStop's stock, effectively gambling on its price to keep dropping. This involved borrowing and selling shares on the open market, intending to repurchase them later at a lower price and profit from the difference.

Here’s where things get wild

More investors were now following the stock and began buying GameStop shares and call options in droves, leading to a "short squeeze." 

This sudden influx of activity drove up the stock's price, putting the hedge funds in a very tight spot. Their bets weren’t working — to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

At the peak of the frenzy, GameStop's stock price skyrocketed from around $17 per share to a high of $483. That's how Gill's $53,000 investment grew to $50 million. Talk about an incredible ROI!

✅ I couldn’t fit the entire story about GameStop’s wild ride in this email. Read more about it and watch the movie’s trailer on my site.

✈️ 5G flight turbulence: Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Airlines have until July 1 to sort their tech out to dodge interferences from 5G wireless signals. If not, new regulations say they won’t be able to land in poor visibility. Travelers, download your airline’s official app to automatically get notifications of flight delays and cancellations.

No EVs for your teen drivers: Electric vehicles (EVs) are fast — too fast for rookies. A new study found EVs can out-accelerate 43% of gas-powered cars. AAA warns this could make it dangerous for teens still learning the ropes. I agree.

⌚ (Smart)watch out: Some U.S. Navy personnel are finding random smartwatches delivered to their doors. Sadly, they’re not tokens of appreciation. The NCIS fears they might carry data-stealing malware. If you get a smartwatch in the mail you didn’t order, throw it away.

Everyone delivers for Amazon: Your local barista might be handing over your Amazon package soon. Amazon is using small businesses as delivery partners — think local coffee joints, florists or yoga studios. If you have a small biz, this might be a way to earn mo’ money! Apply here.

🤖 Chatbot celebrities: AI won’t replace Samuel L. Jackson after he dies. The actor always makes sure the studios won’t be able to use AI for his likeness or voice. When signing contracts, he said, “I cross that sh*t out.” How are we going to get snakes off a plane in the future?

Galactic joyride: Got a cool $450,000? Virgin Galactic is ready to blast off with its first commercial spaceflight on June 29. The company will schedule monthly flights after its second mission in August. This seems scary to me, especially after the Titanic situation.

Say no to Apple for now: It's coming out with a ton of new products in a few months. We'll get the Vision Pro VR headset, Apple Watch Ultra, iMacs and MacBook Pros with M3 chips. No Apple car yet — it's working on installing Windows.

📺 Campsite goldmine: I get this question all the time: "How can I pivot and still pay the bills?" Mark and Karla Lemoine swapped a $200,000 government job to start a campground. Crazy move? Nah. Their campsite rakes in $1.2 million annually. Watch how they did it in this video.

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

Listen to my podcast, Kim Komando Today, here.

Hey there, ocean lovers! Who doesn't love a good day at the beach, right? The sand, the surf and, of course, a refreshing dip in the ocean. It turns out there's more to the sea than meets the eye. Cue the "Jaws" theme. 

Know the numbers

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, which monitors shark-human interactions, shows that in the U.S. alone:

• 40% of shark attack victims were "walking, wading or swimming" during their unplanned meet and greet.
• 32% of the attacks were linked to regular watersports like paddleboarding or water skiing.
• 12% of shark attack victims were snorkeling or freediving. 

Shark Central, aka Florida

The International Shark Attack File also breaks down shark bites by state. Here are the numbers for 2022: 

• Florida: 16 attacks
• New York: 8 attacks
• Hawaii: 5 attacks
• California: 4 attacks
• South Carolina: 4 attacks
• North Carolina: 2 attacks
• Alabama: 1 attack
• Texas: 1 attack 

I'm not telling you this to freak you out. Trust me. Rather, it's about realizing when we're in the ocean, we're in shark territory, and respect is critical. It's important not to just jump straight to fear and movie-inspired panic. 

🦈 A friend of mine took his new puppy to the beach over the weekend. Turns out, it was a bad idea to name the dog “Shark.”

Microfiber rags are household heroes, especially when it comes to wiping down electronics. Repeat after me: No paper towels — ever. They scratch delicate surfaces. It’s not worth it.

Follow these tips to get the most out of yours:

• Some microfiber cloths have two sides. The fluffy side is for picking up dust, while the scrubby side is for removing stubborn dirt.
• Use them dry to pick up dust, then dampen them to clean fingerprints, smudges and stuck-on gunk.
• Wet microfiber rags with white distilled vinegar to disinfect and sanitize surfaces.

👉 Are your cleaning rags stained and worn? Get this 50-pack of microfiber clothes for under $20 right now.

Most tech issues take only 10 minutes to fix. You just need a tech pro who actually knows their stuff.

That’s where the great folks over at GetKimsHelp.com come in.

These tech support pros are patient and smart, and can help with your tech 24/7 — whether your computer is slow or you just don’t know how to hook up your new security cam. Their team can remote into your device and do it for you, so no trying to figure out complicated steps when something goes wrong. I vetted them myself, and it’s very safe to use. They get one-time access, then they can’t get on your machine again unless you know about it.

The best part? If they don’t fix your problem, you don’t pay!

Two days into my diet, I removed all the junk food from my pantry. It was delicious.

🌮 The answer: 1968. When the electronic tortilla maker first came out, it caused protests from folks worried about losing their jobs. But it actually ended up creating more jobs in manufacturing and maintenance. It completely changed tortilla making.

Want to tell us something about this newsletter? Hit reply to this email and let us know.

🤝 Hey, do you need a hand with your online business, a digital dilemma or getting something done? Drop me your questions here. Thanks for being such a loyal reader of the best dang tech newsletter in the universe! — Kim