Ahoy there, friend! It’s Saturday, and we’re starting with some far-out trivia. What was the first video game ever played in space? Was it … A.) Pong, B.) Super Mario Bros., C.) Tetris or D.) Space Invaders? Make your very best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

📻 A face for radio: The weekend means my national radio show is airing all across the country, loaded with tech goodness not found in this newsletter. Find your local station or hit this link to open The Kim Komando Show as a podcast on your preferred player.

Whoa, it’s a big day for tech news, and I’m here to share it all so you don’t fall behind in this digital world. Let’s do this! — Kim

Yesterday, you couldn’t miss seeing photos of the Windows Blue Screen of Death all over airport screens and news of massive problems hitting computers everywhere. Some consider it one of the largest IT outages in history. And it all started with a company you may not have heard about until now: CrowdStrike. (A few major news outlets inaccurately reported it as “CloudStrike.” Now you know better!)

Uh, what’s CrowdStrike?

CrowdStrike is a Texas-based cybersecurity company with over 30,000 customers. Its main purpose is to protect computers, laptops and networks from hackers and cybercrime.

You may be thinking, “Just 30,000? That’s not a lot.” But CrowdStrike’s customers are huge companies that collectively have hundreds of millions of Windows PCs and systems. That’s why the problem they caused was so widespread — and devastating.

So, what the heck happened?

CrowdStrike pushed out a security update that sent Windows PCs and systems into a Blue Screen of Death reboot loop. That rendered any computer completely useless. In true IT fashion, CrowdStrike tried to reverse the update to stop the chaos.

In some cases, reversing the security update worked, and bringing those systems back online just took a reboot. Other machines, though, needed to be restarted up to 15 times. How’d you like to be the IT person in charge of doing that for an entire company?

More complex systems and networks weren’t so lucky; they may not be fully operational for weeks. Yup, a massive fubar. Here are some of the industries most affected:

• Airlines: Some 2,900 flights were canceled or delayed because of system failures.
• Banking and financial services: You can’t touch your money, make trades or check account balances.
• Health care: Think patient electronic health records and computer systems. Surgeries were canceled.
• Media and broadcasting: News outlets and television stations experienced interruptions in programming. (Ahem … not me!)

The harsh truth

CrowdStrike is the largest company of its kind. That’s why its customer base includes the likes of American Airlines, Delta and United, along with other major companies, such as Amazon. And an outage of this scale shows us all just how vulnerable we are to system failures, even in this AI-driven world.

Because CrowdStrike is a publicly traded company, it’ll have to release what really happened to its shareholders, and so the rest of the world will know, too. The CEO has assured news outlets it was not a cyberattack — just human error.

But isn’t it frightening, the power one company had to take down various industries and disrupt so many lives? Meanwhile, preppers everywhere are saying, “Told ya so. We’re ready!” If you’d like to know how to put together a tech prepper kit, hit “Reply” or let me know when you rate this issue at the end. I’ll do that in the future if enough folks say yes. I aim to please, after all.

‘Is it me?’

Use Downdetector: Enter the name of the website you’re having problems with to get real-time site info, including a live outage map and the most reported problems. Downdetector doesn’t monitor all websites; here’s a complete list.

Now, use the share icons below to pass along this know-how in an instant.

Folks of all ages send me notes about hearing loss, and too many only know about those clunky and obvious hearing aids. There’s a new, better way to combat hearing loss!

The innovative devices from hear.com are practically invisible and fit comfortably in or behind your ear. Their breakthrough European technology offers crystal-clear speech understanding and Bluetooth, and they’re even rechargeable!

hear.com offers both telehealth and in-person care with insurance and flexible financing options. Getting set up with a pair of these award-winning hearing aids has never been easier. You can even try them risk-free for 45 days.

The FBI opened it in 40 minutes: Former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, used a Samsung smartphone. The FBI cracked it with Cellebrite software and found photos of Trump, President Biden and other officials. Crooks also searched for info about major depressive disorders and Princess Kate.

⚠️ Job seekers, beware: North Korean hackers are setting up fake job interviews. Their goal is to break into Macs. How it works: They ask you to join a meeting by downloading a file called “MiroTalk.dmg.” It’s hiding info-stealing malware. Next time you get an offer, vet the company and stick to using trusted software already on your computer.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 95% of teens have a smartphone: Smartphone Free Childhood is an organization that offers support for parents who don’t want to cave to the social pressure. They’ve set up local WhatsApp groups to “empower each other.” Here’s another option: Teach your kiddo to use their smartphone responsibly.

The latest and greatest: OpenAI’s GPT‑4o mini is a faster, free version of its latest GPT‑4o model. Soon, it’ll interpret images, text and audio, plus generate pics. Try it: Hit this link, log in and switch the model (top left corner) to GPT‑4o mini.

Don’t buy a new Pixel phone now: Google just teased its latest fancy phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They’re going all in on AI, dubbing it "built for the Gemini era." Here’s a vid that gives a quick glimpse at the redesigned camera and changes to the screen. Expect the Pro Fold to drop on Aug. 13.

🚢 "Cruise" into a virtual train ride: VR is coming to a new Royal Caribbean cruise ship. The restaurant is in a digital train car. Passengers sit in fancy booths with simulated sceneries on giant displays that look like windows. Subwoofers in the seats simulate the vibrations of the tracks. The first theme? Western. Giddyup!

🐰 Bunny speed-dating: Rabbits are social animals and face health risks when left alone (paywall link). The hot, new way to find a match: Let your bunny loose and see how it interacts with other furballs. Signs of good chemistry? Eating, sniffing and lying down together.

“Ghost jobs”: Many companies are posting job openings for nonexistent positions. Why? To keep the current staff on their toes and to give the appearance the company is growing. You can post a real (or ghost) job for free right now on LinkedIn.*

⛔ I hate when tech companies do this: Firefox’s new default feature, “privacy-preserving ad measurement,” actually gives your data to advertisers. Turn it off. Click the three-line icon in the top right corner, followed by Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll to Website Advertising Preferences, and disable Allow websites to perform privacy-preserving ad measurement.

Pump it up: Stream music, movies or whatever’s on your iPad to a larger screen. Just tap the AirPlay icon in the Control Center and select an AirPlay-compatible device. Score.

📺 Trying to pick the right-sized TV? Multiply the diagonal length of the TV by 1.2 to determine your ideal viewing distance. For example, a 98-inch screen would only require 118 inches, or 9.8 feet, of space between your couch and the TV for optimal viewing.

None of your business: Quickly hide message previews popping up on your Android lock screen. This is an “A” and “B” conversation, so “C” yourself out, snoopers! From Settings, tap Display > Lock Screen > Privacy.

🚀 Are you still using QuickBooks? Discover why thousands are switching to NetSuite’s* superior, all-in-one solution. Don't settle for less. Experience real-time insights and streamlined processes, and make decisions based on data, not your gut. Take a free product tour right now!

• That email you got from Social Security is legit. It’s time to update your login info. Make sure you do it securely.
• How MrBeast became the Taylor Swift of YouTube.
• Nearly 1 million Hatch Rest baby sound machine adapters were recalled. Tell a parent in your life they can get a free replacement.

• Under-sink pipes? Not a problem. This under-sink cabinet organizer works around the pipes, and it’s 20% off.
• If you’re a tea drinker like I am, grab a tea organizer station so you can toss the bulky boxes. The white one is on sale for $5 and holds nine types of teas and sweeteners.
• Organize cutting boards, cookie sheets and other items that’d otherwise lay flat with this rack, now 20% off.
• Free up space with spray bottle hangers, on sale for under 10 bucks.
• Clear plastic storage bins (20% off for a pack of four) can help you organize the clutter in your cabinets.

The answer: C.) Tetris. In 1993, Soviet cosmonaut Aleksandr Serebrov played it on a Nintendo Game Boy during his mission on the space station Mir. The Game Boy spent 196 days in space, taking more than 3,000 trips around Earth.

You know, playing Tetris has taught me a valuable life lesson: If you try to fit in, you'll disappear. (Oh, good one!)

Before you go: Stop struggling to hear the TV, your friends and family, and everything else. Hear.com’s hearing aids aren’t like the ones Grandma or Grandpa used. I like that they have a rechargeable battery, and because they have Bluetooth, you can listen to music and take phone calls right on your hearing aids. Take a free test to see if they’re right for you. You’ll be glad you did!

I’ll be back here in your inbox tomorrow at the same time, same place. We’ll learn all about a new term together: Digital twins. I bet it’s not quite what you’re imagining. See ya then! — Kim