Welcome to your Monday tech know-how explosion, friend! I hope you’re keeping warm today. Trivia is always first. Which one of these social media concepts became a reality? Is it a platform that allows users to … A.) Post two-second videos, B.) Find others to cuddle with, C.) Become their favorite superhero or D.) Share soap carvings? You’ll find the answer at the end.

😜 Correction: “Kim, come on, man! It’s a hip or crossbody pack! Jo Jo.” My bad. I said you could win an official Kim Komando Show “fanny pack.” I should’ve called it something else because I also got this message: “I’m laying in bed dreaming of your fine fanny.”

So, to enter to win your very own fanny pack, crossbody bag or whatever you call it, reply to this email with the word “fanny.” I’ll pick a winner tomorrow morning. Thanks, Jo Jo! And now, on to the tech, with a story I’m just over the moon to share with you! — Kim

Where’s the safest place to store data? If you said “the cloud,” go a little higher. Nope, higher than that.

The ultimate backup is literally out of this world. I recently chatted with Chris Stott, CEO of a Florida-based startup called Lonestar. Alongside NASA, Lonestar is about to send backup servers to the moon. This is so fascinating to me, and I thought you’d like to hear more about it, too.

Not your average storage unit

Here on Earth, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. That's equivalent to a million brand-new MacBook Pros full of data every 24 hours. Phew!

So, why put it all on the moon? Chris says there's no better place.

"It's a beautiful, stable platform. We're just far enough away that we can stay in contact 24/7, but we're far enough away to make it really good on encryption and cybersecurity."

Backing up is so moon‑dane

When we store things in the cloud, they're backed up to soccer-field-sized warehouses full of servers. These servers are safer than your laptop, definitely, but they’re still susceptible to all sorts of earthly damage. Think natural disasters, theft and war.

The backups on the moon are a redundancy in case things here at home go really, really bad.

"You'll still store your data here, but you'll want to keep it on that lunar cloud. All we're doing is transferring that cloud out to the moon." How's that for an added layer of protection? “Lunar cloud!” Love that.

What about disasters on the moon?

The biggest concern is a massive solar event, but there's a plan for that, too. "We get warnings when the sun sends a flare our way, and we literally batten down the hatches and depower the equipment,” Chris says. “The charged protons wash through everything, and we power back up on the other side.”

Oh, and there's also a plan to protect against meteorites crashing into the moon, which happens fairly often. Those are all those pockmarks you see when the moon is extra-visible.

An entire network of lava tubes also exists up there. “Our eventual goal is to move below the surface into the massive tunnels and lava tubes that are there.”

Have data, will travel

OK, now that we're sold on how safe the moon is, how does our data get up there?

Chris is working with a Houston-based company called Intuitive Machines to get the first mission going in February. They're building special lunar landers that will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket with the help of Elon Musk's company, SpaceX.

It’s a moon‑umental task

As you’d expect, you need a heck of a lot of permission to do this. According to Chris, building the rockets is the easy part. It's the red tape that gets a little sticky.

"Space is the most regulated of all human activities,” he says. “When you're putting anything into space, you have to be licensed in terms of the [radio] spectrum you use and also have permission to launch and operate."

In 1967, the UN came up with the Outer Space Treaty that outlines everything you can and can't do on the moon. There are strict rules around equipment, disposal, and the kinds of materials and fuel you can use. Chris says the treaty is a fascinating read. I’ll take his word for it.

What’s going to space first?

Yeah, I had to ask — and I’m glad I did!

"We have to do something that is meaningful, so we're sending the Declaration of Independence,” Chris says. “Then the first documents we're pulling back are the Constitution and the Bill of Rights." How cool is that?

Now, anytime I mention the moon, someone’s guaranteed to drop me a comment along the lines of, “Oh, Kim, the moon landing was obviously fake.” If you haven’t noticed, the moon is still up there. It didn’t land anywhere. (I heard you laugh!)

🌗 This is such a great story! Don’t keep it to yourself — use the share icons below, and “launch” it to friends and fam. They’ll think you’re so smart!

The Komando Content Queen is on a cleaning kick and just bought a bunch of bestselling supplies to see if they live up to the hype. I’ve heard her mention the first one to three people in the office! Guess it works!

Real-life soap opera plot: Roxanne Doucette, a 64-year-old in Massachusetts, fell for a romance scammer posing as Thorsten Kaye from “The Bold and the Beautiful.” The catfisher convinced her to make a soup to poison her husband, who ended up in the hospital. Doucette’s daughter found her mother’s texts to the scammer, including, “Making an amazing soup" and "Maybe I can collect life insurance." Unbelievable.

Log into your old Google accounts: Google is deleting Gmail and Google Photos accounts with zero logins over the past two years. This affects 1.8 billion Gmail and 2 billion Google Photos users. If you've logged in recently, you’re safe. But if it's been a while, log in to keep all your stuff.

The next big millennial parenting trend? “Inchstones.” Think milestones but smaller, like celebrating a baby's first tooth or potty training success with a mini fiesta. Pinterest searches for monthly milestone ideas are up a reported 90%. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking — I’d like an inchstone for a good bowel movement.

AI love you: OpenAI's GPT Store for user-built chatbots is open, and guess what’s selling? Yep, AI girlfriends. A quick search results with a bunch of bots with names like "Your girlfriend Scarlett" and "Korean Girlfriend." Romance bots are against GPT Store rules, and yet there they are. OpenAI’s gonna have a hard time keeping things PG.

Not getting your z’s? Packed with 23 sensors, the $8,250 DeRUCCI T11 smart mattress tracks your every move at night, like heart rate spikes and whether you're overheating under the covers. The mattress uses all that data to adjust the bed as you sleep. Yes, it’s tracking your non-sleep activities, too.

Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll: Parental controls are coming to Snapchat's MyAI chatbot. Not surprising, given these real searches from kids: "How can I set the mood for sex?" and "How can I cover up the smell of weed?" Snapchat says its bot will have "age-awareness" and restrict users who misuse the AI. Yeah, right.

I want one: To preorder the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro next week, you need an iPhone or iPad with Face ID to get the right headbands and size for your headset. If you wear glasses, you need a "valid, unexpired prescription" for Apple to build custom optical inserts. I’m bummed I have to wait until my cornea transplant is more stable.

About time: The FCC is asking automakers about plans to stop abusers from using cars to stalk partners. This comes after a domestic abuse survivor told The New York Times her Tesla's GPS let her abusive husband, whom she had a restraining order against, track her via the Tesla app. Getting a divorce? Make sure you take these steps to separate your digital life.

You’re headed out the door, and — ugh! — you realize your phone’s dead. A few tricks can speed up the charging process:

🤖 How many chargers does Mark Zuckerberg carry when he travels? Three — one for his laptop, one for his phone and one for himself.

You're off work today: This means other people are, too. If you need to hire for your company, post for your open roles now. Why? Because many people search for new jobs on federal holidays. Use this link to get a free job posting on LinkedIn.*

Talk it out: On a Windows PC, hit Windows key + H to open a handy-dandy speech recognition tool so you can use your voice with any active program in which you’d normally type. Cool!

Mac shortcut: You have a whole folder full of photos, and they’re all named “IMG_2348” or some nonsense. Open the folder, hit Cmd + A to select all files in that folder, then right-click on your selected area and select Rename. Replace “IMG” with something like “Hawaii,” for instance, so you know what the heck those pics are and where they’re from.

Free e-books and audiobooks: I love the Libby app. You can get a library card right within the app and use it to borrow e‑books and audiobooks to your heart’s content. It sure beats paying $15 a pop!

🚘 Wrap it up: You’ve seen them on the street — cars wrapped in giant advertisements. Believe it or not, doing this to your ride pays pretty well. You can make $100 to $450 per month! Want to try it out? Go with Carvertise if you also do a rideshare; otherwise, check out Wrapify.

Got a pic to show off? Share it in crystal-clear HD on WhatsApp. Just hit the plus sign (+), then Photo & Video Library. Tap the image you want to share. Look for the HD option on the top of the screen, and you’re set!

After 20-plus years operating a business in the radio and tech industry, I know you have to let the data do the talking. The numbers show you where your company excels — and where it’s not doing so great. I wish someone had told me this a long time ago.

You can’t run a successful business with Quicken. Sure, you get a basic P&L, but that’s not enough. You need more than just accounting software.

That’s what is so great about NetSuite by Oracle. In one easy-to-use dashboard, you see everything that makes your business tick — revenue, inventory, sales, employees, expenses, you name it. Over 37,000 businesses rely on NetSuite.

This dish really ap‑peels to me.

The answer: B.) Find others to cuddle with. The Spoonr app connects people looking to cuddle — no intimacy, just hugs and cuddles. You know, the ancients spoke of a wise healer who hated to be hugged. He lived by one rule: “Don't squeeze the shaman.” (Sometimes, I crack myself up!)

🍑 The secret word is “fanny.” Last chance! Reply and send me an email that says “fanny” to win your very own Kim Komando Show body, booty or hip pack (a $24.95 value). I’ll pick the winner tomorrow!

Did you know? Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a day of service. Even if you’re not doing something official, join me in helping someone in your life today. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim