Hi, hello, it’s Thursday, friend! Trivia time, with summer vacation on my brain. About 75% of travelers agree cleaning before a trip is at the top of the to-do list. Is the No. 1 priority … A.) Doing the dishes, B.) Laundry, C.) Mopping the floors or D.) Emptying the fridge? You’ll find the answer at the end!

🥳 Ain’t no party like a tech news party, and everyone knows parties are better with friends. Tell one of yours about this free newsletter! — Kim

When I was growing up, my dad worked for United Airlines, and I traveled a lot. I would always sneak a portable AM radio in my backpack, and as the plane crisscrossed the country, I would tune into various stations along the way. Never would I have imagined what that little hobby would become for me.

While FM radio listening is huge, AM radio is still massively important. When hurricanes knock FM stations off the air, AM stations are often more resilient.

AM radio is so crucial that FEMA is installing emergency studios, transmitters and generators at 77 mostly AM radio stations nationwide to maintain communications in the event of the worst (with special thanks to all ham radio operators!).

The car companies making decisions

You need to know several automakers told a Senate committee they'll nix (or have already nixed) AM radios in all their vehicles. This includes BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Porsche and Mercedes.

Ford has since reversed its decision (at least temporarily) after considerable negative feedback. Ford says no one listens to AM radio anymore. Huh?

Know the numbers

Every day in America, at least 4,185 AM radio stations broadcast news, talk shows, sports and other important programming. AM radio draws an audience of 82.3 million people — more than one in three American radio listeners — each month.

Get this: 57% of AM radio listeners tune into news/talk stations, the very outlets that carry breaking local news. Plus, in rural areas where FM radio signals are iffy, people rely on AM to stay plugged in.

Thanks to its long broadcast range, listeners can still tune into an AM station, regardless of where they are. Think about that the next time you're road-tripping off the grid. So, why remove AM radios?

The REAL reason

Electromagnetic interference in electric vehicles. Because the electric motors in EVs throw off harmful static, AM radio quality suffers in an EV to the point where it's unstable and unlistenable.

Car manufacturers simply do not want to pay for the necessary research to develop AM radios that work in ALL vehicles, EVs or gas.

Don't touch that dial

So, Congress has stepped in. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2024 has the bipartisan support of 60 U.S. Senators and 251 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

If it becomes law, all new cars would be required to have working AM radio, free of charge. That's right, no pesky subscription fees. The bill now has a supermajority (read: the “magic number” to be filibuster-proof) in the Senate and a simple majority in the House, meaning it’s likely to become law. Fingers crossed.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D‑NJ) wants any vehicle without an AM radio to display a safety warning on a window sticker. He says that it should read, “Warning: No AM Radio. Vehicle Unsafe in Certain Emergencies.” See an example sticker here.

What’s next? It still needs to be scheduled for a vote. Want to do your part to keep AM radio alive?

1. Sign this petition to voice your opinion to legislators.
2. Text "AM" to 52886.

🤝 We need to get behind this effort. Tell your family and friends, or share this article with them now using the icons below. Thank you!

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.

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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.

⚠️ You can’t spell “crypto” without “cry”: A new wave of fake jobs is a front for cryptocurrency scams. Red flags: “Employers” don’t check references, they lure you with easy tasks you can do anywhere, and they pay you in crypto. They show you fake “earnings” and encourage you to invest your own money, too. After you do, they disappear — along with your money.

Apple’s WWDC 2024 is all software: Next week, Apple won’t announce new gadgets, focusing instead on major updates for iOS 18, iPadOS, macOS 15, watchOS 11 and visionOS. You can expect hardware updates this fall. So, say it with me now: “I will not buy an Apple iPhone, laptop, AirPods, Vision Pro headset, watch, iPad or iMac right now.”

In other Apple news: This is interesting. Apple has been adding Thread radios to Macs and iPads since September 2023, with no mention in the specs. What? Thread is a low-power protocol for mesh network connectivity, like Amazon’s Sidewalk tech. Apple will use this to boost the range of Find My and other to-be-announced stuff.

🙏 Talk to your kids, I’m begging you: A 17-year-old boy from Ohio was conned into sending explicit photos to a scammer. Over 19 hours, the boy received more than 200 Instagram messages before he took his own life. Parents, share this story with your kids and tell them that if this happens, you’ll help them no matter what, no questions asked.

What would 60-year-old you think? MIT researchers made an AI chatbot that lets you talk to your future self. Powered by OpenAI's GPT‑3.5, this tool uses your info to spin convos that inspire wiser life choices. Early tests show volunteers felt less anxious about their future after using the bot.

😱 $100,000 in Legos stolen: Thieves hit six Bricks & Minifigs stores across Southern California, stealing rare mini-figures worth up to $600 a pop. It’s a coordinated effort, with one bad guy grabbing while the other waits in a getaway car. The blocky bandits are still at large as police piece together the clues.

Play as you go: Uber wants to make your ride more fun. Hidden code in Uber’s latest iPhone app update hints at mini-games coming soon with data or an internet connection required. Why? It’s another way to serve you ads, of course.

At a boss’s funeral, I said to myself, “Who’s thinking out of the box now, Harry?” Asana’s “AI teammate” is set to be your new micromanager living right in your browser. It’ll assign you work based on your skills and project history, and it’ll tell you if you’re not moving quickly enough. Talk about HR‑rific problems.

You’re here because you’re smart: If you want to add a smarty-pants to your team at work, start with LinkedIn.* Use my link to post a job for free. Try it and I bet you’ll find your next superstar.

Copy that: Google Lens can transcribe words in the real world (think a billboard or sign, menu, handwritten note, book page) to digital. Super useful. To try it, open the Google Lens app, point it at the text in question, then select it with your finger. Bam, now you can copy and paste anywhere.

Quick iPhone cleanup: Duplicate contacts are annoying and Apple knows it. Now there’s an easy way to merge them. Open Contacts, then scroll all the way up. At the top, look for Duplicate Found. Tap View Duplicates > Merge All. Done! Sorry, Android pals — it’s not so easy for you.

Buzz off: WhatsApp is full of scammers, and they can add you to a group with others without your consent unless you change a setting. Open the app, then head to Settings > Privacy > Groups. Choose My Contacts or Nobody.

Your social media profiles should be private: Unless you’re a public figure, there’s no reason to let anyone and everyone see your posts. On Facebook, click your profile pic in the top right > Settings & privacy > Settings. Choose an option under Audience and visibility. Steps for IG here.

PSA: Don’t be lazy: Next time you’re signing up for a site, do it the right way. You’ll probably see the option to just connect your Google account or a social media account, like Facebook. It’s easy but it’s unsafe. Just use your email address and make a login specific to that site.

Sunscreen is so important — and not just here in Phoenix. Here are some handy accessories to make applying it way easier:

• If you have kids or grandkids, get one of these applicators. Squeeze in your favorite sunscreen and then you (or the kiddo) can rub it on, easy-peasy. I’m getting myself one …
• No one around to get your back? Do it yourself with this applicator that gets all the spots you can’t reach.

Need a new sunscreen?

• Grab a two-pack of SPF 50 Banana Boat spray sunscreen ($13.97) that’s sweat- and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
• On your face, this cream from Coola is SPF 50, fragrance-free and has antioxidants.
• If you want to buy only once, this massive jug will last you the whole summer.

OK, this is genius.

The answer: B.) Laundry. Of 2,000 travelers, 77% said they take on what is my least favorite task. Makes sense, right? You want all your favorite underwear for the trip. Speaking of … Barry and I were arguing about whose turn it was to do the laundry. Finally, I threw in the towel.

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🎉 That's a wrap, folks. Back tomorrow with travel smarts I just used to book a sweet hotel room for a great price and get one night free. Oh, that’s the best price! Until then, don’t let the silly things in life steal your happiness. — Kim