Happy Wednesday, techie! Gmail just had a big birthday — Google’s email launched 20 years ago. Back then, you had to have an invite to join. It wasn’t till later they introduced perhaps my favorite feature: “Undo send.” Was that in … A.) 2007, B.) 2009, C.) 2012 or D.) 2015? Make a guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

☎️ You and me, let's talk! I’m taking calls for my show today at 12 p.m. Pacific (3 p.m. Eastern). I’d love to chat with YOU! Call me at 1‑888‑825‑5254, and we'll talk tech, your business, making money or whatever ails you! Bonus points if you have some tech drama going on with a family member. Now, on to the news! — Kim

“Call me for a good time.”

A woman called me for help on the show after someone posted that message — along with her cellphone number and home address — on a porn site. That simple message prompted more creepy calls and texts than you can believe.

So, how’d it happen? A pervert who was stalking her college-age daughter found her number online — and it’s easier than you might think. I bet you can find your cellphone number online within just a few minutes. Some people-search sites even offer it up for free. Others charge a few bucks for that … and a lot more.

Data brokers know it all

They scour the following to build a rich profile of exactly who you are:

• Public records: Think birth certificates, marriage licenses, voter registrations, and property ownership and court records. It’s all up for grabs.
• Social media: They use automated tools to collect any publicly available info about you.
• Commercial sources: This includes companies you interact with, like retailers or loyalty programs. Surprise — many of them sell your purchase histories and other website traffic to data brokers.
• Self-reported info: Ever filled out a warranty card, entered a contest or taken a survey online? Yup, they have that, too.

The list goes on and on. Every time you drive a late-model car, buy something online or offline, browse the web, interact with an app, or use a service, you leave a data trail.

These data dealers gather all that up, package it and sell it to people-search sites, which then turn around and hawk it again to anyone else willing to pay. This opens you up to problems, from identity theft to doxxing to an inbox and phone filled with spam texts, emails and calls.

Make yourself hard to find

Listen, you can’t delete yourself from the internet totally, but you can make a big dent in how easy your details are to find for data brokers. Think of it like locking your car or putting in a home security system. Will these stop all crime? No, but they’re deterrents.

Here’s the problem: Doing it yourself is a huge chore, taking literally hundreds of hours. Then, bank on spending at least 40 hours a month after, making sure you haven’t been readded to data brokers’ lists and other data-hungry sites.

Luckily, there are services that do the dirty work for you, and Incogni is the best I’ve found.

They have a massive list …

… Of all the creepy databases storing your info, and they’ll send them removal requests faster than you can say, “Spam overload!” No kidding, Incogni saved me 113 hours. Told you it’s a pain to DIY.

Creating an account took me a few minutes, but then Incogni got to work. My info is totally wiped from almost 200 shady sites, and my spam calls and texts are down to zero. It’s seriously amazing.

✅ Ready to take back control? I snagged a sweet deal just for you: 60% off Incogni with promo code KIM60. Don't wait — hit the reset button on your privacy today. I’m sure glad I did.

Actually, yes filter — for screens, fans and more.

• This privacy filter for iPhones helps ward off prying eyes so they can, you know, solve their own Wordle.
• The same handy filter is also available for the Samsung Galaxy.
• These personal water filter straws are so cool. You could slurp from a puddle, and it would be clean! (But don’t, please.)
• A TubShroom is the best filter for hair in your shower. It’s also easy to clean.
• A cut-to-fit carbon filter for your air purifier, AC or fan.

Major scam alert: Scammers stole $500,000 from an Ohio retiree by posing as the Social Security Administration on her caller ID. (It’s easy to do, btw.) They told her criminals had stolen her Social Security number, and they conned her into buying gold to avoid prison time. They even came in person to collect. Warn the older adults in your family.

New AI warning: If you use AI to produce content or provide legal, medical or other advice, you’re legally responsible (paywall link) for everything AI does for you. That makes you completely exposed and fully liable for whatever it generates — and AI makes a ton of mistakes. This is important for any business owner to know.

Run like your phone’s at 1%: Use Verizon between Jan. 1, 2016, and Nov. 8, 2023? You might get up to $100 from a class-action settlement. Check your mail or inbox for a claim form, then mail it back or head to the settlement website to submit a claim by April 15.

🚨 Travel advisory: If you’re driving back from Canada, check your car for unfamiliar AirTags. Car thieves use them to jack your car, and it’s a huge problem north of the border. Look under your wipers, in the front grille or even inside your car. FYI, if you have an iPhone, it’ll flag any unknown AirTags traveling with you. On Android, you need this free app.

It’s weird being the same age as old people: Gen Z says capitalizing letters is for “old” folks. Now, 20-somethings entering the workforce are calling the death of their lowercase texting the “end of an era” … Oh, brother. If you can pay taxes, you can hit the Shift key.

The truth is out there: A two-pound cylinder that crashed through a Naples, Florida, man’s roof is likely a piece of a space station. The impact lines up with the trajectory of a 2.9-ton pallet of old batteries the ISS launched back in 2021.

🍔 Fast-food shakedown: Shake Shack’s CEO says in-store digital kiosks make your order cost 10% more on average. The machines are designed to make you spend more by letting you take your time and nudging you towards supersizing everything.

🕷️ Creepin’ it real: A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student used AI and cheap mics to make a scientific breakthrough. He found wolf spiders prefer to signal to each other on top of crunchy, dead leaves instead of bark. Sounds small, but this kind of research used to take thousands of hours and lots of expensive equipment! Super cool.

Hands-free upgrade: You can now ask Google’s Gemini AI for directions with your voice, and it’ll automatically open up Google Maps. Pretty sweet if you’re, you know, driving … or just lost and flustered. Works on Android 12 or higher or in the iOS Google app.

Strike a pose: Don’t face the camera straight on. Instead, position your body at a far more flattering 45-degree angle. Put your weight on your back foot and lean your torso slightly forward. You’ve got it, cover girl (or guy).

Calling all night owls: Have an older Roku model and a house full of light sleepers? Upgrade to the Voice Remote Pro (on sale right now) and get Headphone mode. Plug in your headphones, and enjoy the full sound of your favorite show without waking anyone up. Sweet!

Save your TikToks: I can’t tell you if the government’s TikTok ban will happen, but it’s not a bad time to download your videos if you use the app. Doing it from a desktop is easier than on a phone. Right-click on a video you want to save and select Download Video.

Quick-wipe your phone searches: For Chrome, hit the three dots at the top, and choose History > Clear browsing data. Use Safari? Open Settings, and tap Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Choose a timeframe and tap Clear History. Phew, it’s gone.

AI is changing the world at a pace we’ve never seen before in the history of mankind. That’s why you need to take a free test drive to learn how you can save time and money using AI in your business.

The problem: Buying the tech to make it happen is expensive — and who knows if you’re even choosing what you truly need?

The pros at Oracle will bring AI to your company the easy way. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure uses NVIDIA GPUs, so you know you’re getting the gold standard in processing power. Let them worry about updates and maintenance so you can focus on the future.

Here’s what you see says about you.

The answer: D.) 2015. What the heck did we do before we could “undo send” our emails? Oh, yeah … We just dealt with the embarrassment of forgetting the attachment once again. Fun pics here of the early Gmail. Back then, you got 1GB of storage. Today, it’s 15GB.

Speaking of email … I keep Barry from reading my email using a special strategy. I renamed the folder “Instruction Manuals.”

Need a laugh? You’re in luck — I’m podcasting live! Tune in at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern). I’ll deliver your daily dose of puns, and I have an incredible guest: Guy Kawasaki. He’s interviewed so many fabulous people, including me! Hope you can watch. See you right back here tomorrow with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim