It’s Wednesday, friend. I bring warm and fuzzy news: Boomers AND Gen Z actually agree on something. (Yes, miracles do happen.) 

According to a new etiquette survey conducted by YouGov, snooping on a friend or family member’s device without their knowledge is officially the rudest thing you can do with your phone. A close second? Taking calls or FaceTiming on speakerphone in public. You know who you are. Stop that.

👉 Stop spam texts and calls right now. Data brokers sell everything from your address to your Social Security number. Scrub your personal info from the web today with Incogni. I negotiated a 60% discount just for you. If you’re not 100% completely satisfied, they’ll refund your money. — Kim

“Kim, I love my iPhone 16 but hate it’s made in China and apps track everything you do including your bowel movements. Is there a phone made in the USA that doesn’t track you?” — Paul in Tampa, Florida

Well, Paul, there’s exactly one, the $1,999 Liberty Phone from Purism. If the name makes you want to stand up and salute, you might sit right back down when I tell you the rest.

📱 Parts

First, it’s made in California with mostly American parts. Key components though, like the screen, battery and camera, are from China, South Korea and India.

The Liberty Phone has a 5.7-inch LCD display at 720-by-1,440 resolution (yes, 720p in 2025). The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch OLED screen at 2,556-by-1,179 resolution, with over three times the pixel density. 

The Liberty Phone is like an Etch A Sketch but grumpier.

It’s 9.5 ounces compared with your 6-ounce iPhone. The Liberty Phone battery is lame, barely gets through a full day.

🚀 Performance

The Liberty Phone runs on an NXP i.MX 8M chip, a processor used in things like smart thermostats. It’s slow. Combine that with just 3GB of RAM, and you’ll feel the lag.

The iPhone 16 runs on Apple’s new A17 chip with 6GB of RAM. It’s like comparing a scooter to a Porsche.

📸 Camera

The Liberty Phone gives you a 13MP rear camera and 8MP selfie cam. There’s no portrait mode, no low-light correction, no HDR. 

Photos look flat, grainy and lifeless compared to your iPhone 16’s 48MP wide and 12MP ultrawide cameras. You’ll hate it.

🔐 Privacy

Liberty Phone’s true strength is privacy. No Apple, no Google, no tracking. It runs on a version of Linux (not Android or iOS). 

It has physical switches to cut off the mic, camera, bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Oh, the catch. Big one. You won’t find any mainstream apps such as Instagram, Gmail, Uber, Maps or even a decent camera app. 

💥 Bottom line

You have to give credit to the innovative folks at Purism. Building a phone in the U.S., with a clear focus on privacy, is a huge undertaking. But freedom comes at a cost. This is half your paycheck and all your creature comforts.

I wouldn’t want one. I like my phone’s camera, apps and integration into my life. The Liberty Phone is great if you’re a programmer living in a cabin off the grid though.

The rest of us? We’ll keep letting our iPhone track those bowel movements… It’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s a solid number two. 💩

One Google search is all it takes and someone could find out where you live. Whether it's a stalker or scammer, your personal info is out there and that’s just scary.

But you can stop it with Incogni. They go beyond removing your name from Google results. Incogni works in the background to erase your data from people-search sites, data brokers, and shady databases you didn’t even know existed.

This is what one of my readers said about Incogni:

“Always value your information. On your suggestion, I signed up for Incogni and I love the results. Thank you!"

You can protect yourself too, and it’s easier than you think.

🧃 H2 Oh no: Be smart if someone wants to sell you a bottle of water. Two drivers lost $1K+ after handing over their phones to pay $2 for a bottle of water on the Cash App. The kids allegedly drained entire bank accounts. PSA: Never let strangers handle your phone.

Windows 11 backup warning: Microsoft confirmed it automatically deletes System Restore points after 60 days. ICYDK: They’re like save buttons for your settings, letting you roll your PC back to a previous state when something goes wrong. The fix? Create one yourself every few weeks. Just search Create a restore point and follow the steps.

 🍳 AI hits Applebee’s: This is flipping great!IHOP and Applebee’s are rolling out AI for everything from upselling pancakes to spotting dirty tables. The idea? Less drama, more sales. Soon, a robot won’t forget your preferred side of ranch dressing and spin an iPad with a 25% recommended tip.

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: It’s finally here for $399, a year after it was announced. For $100 more, you get a black-and-green theme, a pre-paired Xbox controller, the Xbox Cloud Gaming app pre-installed, an Elite Strap and three months of Game Pass Ultimate. Specs match the regular $299 3S, so think of it as a collector’s item.

💳I’m not overdrawn, I’m under-deposited! FICO has two new types of scores that now include Buy Now, Pay Later loans. Lenders can now see that debt or your on-time payments. Just passing it along.

Such a smart move: Starting this October, you’ll be able to send photos and videos straight to 911, thanks to faster, fiber-based tech. When something goes wrong, you can show emergency responders exactly what’s happening instead of trying to explain it while panicking.

👩🏼‍⚖️ Siri’s no-show sparks suit: Apple is getting sued by shareholders for hyping Siri’s AI glow-up before it was anywhere near ready. The suit claims Apple pushed phantom features to boost stock prices, then quietly delayed everything till 2026. Siri can’t read your screen yet, but it might need to read legal briefs soon.

👩‍🍳 You don’t need a personal chef, just the right gear.

• 🫒 Greasy bottles? This glass oil sprayer & dispenser (10% off) even comes with labels for your go-to oils.
• Tag before you sip: Metallic markers (23% off) let your guests mark their glasses. No more “Wait … is this mine?”
• 🫙 Power up, pop off: Watch this electric jar opener (36% off) twist open that stubborn lid you were just wrestling.
• Crumbs, begone: These oven liners (39% off) catch spills before they become charred fossils.
• 🛍️ Shark Tank approved: Haul all your bags in one trip with a Click & Carry holder ($22). Holds up to 100 lbs.
• Bye, soggy dishrags: Waffle-weave cloths (23% off) soak up spills fast. 4.5 stars with 33,000+ reviews.

“Kim, what’s in your kitchen?” Here’s my list of must-haves. All clean, smart and built to work.

👉 Don’t miss the rest: Head over to my Amazon shop for more favorites.

Running a business is tough: Download NetSuite’s free guide, “Navigating Global Trade: Three Insights for Leaders.” It’s packed with smart, no-nonsense tips to keep you ahead of the game, avoid costly mistakes and spot new opportunities in today’s market.*

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Press Command + T (Mac) or Ctrl + T (Windows) to open a new tab in your browser without touching your little mouse.

💸 Buying from an overseas seller? PayPal lets you choose to pay in your own currency or theirs. Pick yours, and you’ll get slapped with a 3% to 4% conversion fee (it’s in the fine print). Go with the seller’s currency instead. Your bank or card usually gives you a better rate.

Need video clips? Mixkit has free 4K stock footage, royalty-free music and sound effects. Use the search bar or browse by category. Best part: You don’t need to sign up.

📸 Fix the iPhone Photos app: Yep, the redesigned iOS 18 layout kinda stinks, but you can clean it up. Open the Photos app, scroll to the bottom and tap Customize & Reorder. Untick what you don’t need, then drag the rest into whatever order you want. Nice.

🎙️ Voice typing on Windows: Press Windows key + H to activate voice typing anywhere you’d usually type, like in MS Word. You can speak punctuation (“period” or “question mark”), or click the Settings icon and toggle on Automatic punctuation to have it added as you talk.

Hate mosquitos? Despise being recorded without your permission? You might want to skip this one.

🦟 Absolutely buzzing with potential, China’s new mosquito-size drone might just be the creepiest crossover between nature and national security threats. 

Its battery life is about as short as your willpower on a juice cleanse, so operators must recharge constantly. I’m imagining a spy standing outside my house with a backpack full of USB cords, whispering, “Hang in there, little guy.” Talk about a swat team!

✅ Before you go: Incogni is the reason I have zero spam calls and texts on my phone. They’ve sent over 1,600 requests on my behalf to people-search and data broker sites to remove me. Incredible. Try it yourself for 60% off right now. Money-back guaranteed.

Have a story about the rudest (or funniest) phone behavior you’ve ever seen? I’m collecting the best ones for an upcoming story called “Phone Fails: The Etiquette Edition.”

Need inspiration? Picture this: I’m in the waiting room while my mom is getting a chemo infusion. It’s quiet, tense, emotional. And the guy across from me, maybe mid-50s, is watching YouTube real estate “get rich quick” videos at full blast like he’s in his living room. No headphones, no shame. Yeah … that guy might make the list. Your turn. Let’s hear it!

When you rate today’s newsletter at the bottom, leave me your story, too. Don’t forget to include your name and email, so I can give you credit. 

This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States. Catch you tomorrow when I’m passing along the best 13-second tech fixes. Until then, take a break from the screen, even superheroes need naps. 🦸‍♀️💤 — Kim

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