A very happy Sunday to you, friend! Do you still have a drawer of old gadgets? I sure do, and mine has inspired today’s trivia (and it’s what I’m going to clean out after church!). What percent of e‑waste — think old computers, phones and other tech — gets recycled? Is it … A.) 50%, B.) 90%, C.) 20% or D.) 10%? You’ll find the answer at the end!

✅ Share the know-how. When you see icons under the main story in this newsletter for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and email, click one to instantly share it with your coworkers, family and friends. Let’s make this world tech‑smarter! — Kim

Tech has its own language and, with that, its own pronunciations for company names, products — you name it. I want you to look and sound smart, so read through the list below to make sure you aren’t making any big pronunciation mistakes.

As you go through this list, say them out loud. And if you’re reading this newsletter with a friend nearby, quiz each other for fun!

Tricky tech terms

Adobe: Said as “ah‑DOH‑bee,” not “ah‑DOHB;” software company known for Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat.

Asus: Pronounced “AY‑soos,” not “ah‑SOOS;” a major manufacturer of computers, laptops and electronics.

Cache: Pronounced like the word “cash,” not “cash‑AY;” a hardware or software component that stores data to speed up future requests.

Huawei: It’s “wah‑WAY,” not “hoo‑AH‑way;” a global telecom giant and smartphone manufacturer based in China.

Linux: Said as “LIN‑uhks,” not “LIE‑nuhks;” open-source operating system used in servers and adored by privacy geeks. (I say that lovingly.)

SQL: Say each letter individually or like the word “sequel,” not “squeal;” short for Structured Query Language, SQL is used for managing and querying databases.

GIF: Acceptable pronounced as “jiff” (or Jif, like the peanut butter!) or as “giff” with a hard "G" like in the word “girl.” Yep, this one really depends on the person. I say “giff” for the looping image format.

Xiaomi: Pronounced like “shaw‑MEE,” not “ZOW‑mee;” a Chinese electronics company known for smartphones and smart home devices.

Router: “ROW-ter,” not “ROOT-er;” a networking device that directs data between computer networks.

Jeff Bezos: His surname is pronounced “BAY‑zos,” not “BEE‑zos;” founder of Amazon and owner of a couple of very large yachts.

Elon Musk: Say his first name like “EE‑lon” (with a long “E” like "eel"), not “EH‑lon;” CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, X, Neuralink, Starlink and the Boring Company and father of 12.

Oracle: It’s “OR‑uh‑kul,” not “OUR‑uh‑kul;” enterprise and cloud computing company — and a sponsor of my national radio show, now offering a free AI test drive of their software!*

Meme: Said as the one-syllable “meem,” not the two-syllable “me‑me;” photos or illustrations with accompanying content, usually funny, that spreads online.

Mozilla: Use “mo‑ZILL‑uh,” not “mo‑ZEE‑yuh;” the organization behind the Firefox web browser.

Sundar Pichai: Pronounced as “soon‑dar PIH‑chai,” not “sun‑der PITCH‑ee;” CEO of Google and its parent company, Alphabet.

Satya Nadella: It’s “sah‑TYA nah‑DELL‑ah,” not “SAT‑yah nay‑DELL‑ah;” CEO of Microsoft, lover of cricket and billionaire.

Gigabyte: Said as “gig‑ah‑bite” with a hard "g" like in "go," definitely not “jig‑ah‑bite;” it’s 1,000 megabytes.

👩‍💻 Now, when it comes to “data” …

Whenever I say that word on my national radio show, a dozen or more people drop me notes telling me I’ve mispronounced it. Here’s the deal: In the U.S., we typically say “DAY‑ta” with an emphasis on the first syllable, but in the U.K. and elsewhere, it’s commonly pronounced as “dah‑ta,” with the “da‑” said similarly to the “da‑” in “dad.”

Here’s a smart trick

If you run across a word you don’t know how to say, type it into Google Translate and hit the speaker icon. It’ll read it out loud for ya. Hit the settings cog at the top to slow the voice down.

YouTube is also a good pronunciation coach. Search “[word] + pronunciation” and choose one of the top-viewed videos. Just scan the comments to make sure they don’t all say, “No! This is wrong!”

Hiring the right talent is key to your business success, but the process can be such a headache. LinkedIn is here to change that.

With millions of active job seekers, LinkedIn offers an unparalleled pool of skilled professionals eager for new opportunities. We've used LinkedIn's tools to build the team behind this newsletter and our other projects.

Why LinkedIn?

• Access to over 900 million professionals worldwide.
• Advanced search tools to help you find the perfect candidate faster.
• Trusted by almost 80% of hiring managers globally to make smart hiring decisions.

Spot the fake: Change Healthcare is offering free credit monitoring after this year’s massive data breach (paywall link). A reported one in three Americans had their insurance info, Social Security number, health conditions and more leaked. The credit monitoring is through IDX. If you get anything else in the mail, it’s a scam. Just a reminder: If you haven’t frozen your credit yet, here are the steps.

🍎 Tomorrow’s the big day: Apple’s introducing the iPhone 16, Watch Series 10 and a new AirPods model. Watch the debuts here tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific if you’re a big Apple fan. Can’t be bothered? I’ll give you the rundown in Tuesday’s newsletter.

Prison changes a man: About two weeks after his arrest in France, Telegram’s CEO says it’s not fair he was held responsible for others' criminal activity on his app. Still, he calls it his “personal goal” to fix the problems. Step 1: Telegram’s updated FAQ page says users’ private chats are no longer protected from moderation. Cry me a river. Way too little, way too late.

🛰️ Mine is bigger: Jeff Bezos is way behind in the satellite internet race against Elon Musk. Starlink has about 6,000 low-orbit satellites up and running. Amazon’s Project Kuiper? Just two prototypes … so far. The FCC recently gave Amazon the go-ahead to send 3,236 satellites into space.

On the catwalk, baby: LG’s high-tech fabric, Stretchable, was on display at Seoul Fashion Week. The Stretchable displays use silicone similar to what’s in contact lenses for max pulling, bending and twisting. Get back to me when there’s a real-life invisibility cloak.

🕺 Speaking of twisting: Lenovo’s new laptop, the Auto Twist PC, opens and closes with a voice command. Say “Open lid” and yep, it does. The screen rotates almost 180 degrees, too, and it can put itself into tablet mode. Neat? Yes. Gimmicky? Absolutely.

Hide your credit card: Roblox is adding paid video games to its ecosystem. So far, they’ve relied on the free-to-play model with optional in-game purchases (using Robux, the game’s currency). Pro tip: Only connect preloaded debit cards or gift cards to games. If it’s credit, a kid can spend as much as they want.

💰 $2,000 a month for ChatGPT‑5: That’s the rumored cost for the next iteration of OpenAI’s chatbot. A Samsung exec leaked it (accidentally?) at a conference. The real question: What could possibly be worth a 100 times price increase? It’d better wash the floors, cook and be able to do all my work for that much money.

… until it dawned on me: I needed to up my game.

• This white noise machine uses an interior fan to create a soothing whoosh with no looping.
• A padded sleep mask doesn’t put pressure on your eyes and doesn’t let in a single ray of light.
• These smart stickers dim the glow from the LED lights on your bedroom tech. Goodbye, red light on the TV. (Only $5!)
• My friend who wears foam earplugs every night says she’s tried them all and these are the best — plus, they’re made in the USA.
• Hot sleeper? Try a cooling silk pillowcase. It’s supposedly good for hair and skin, too.

“What’d you say? Huh? I can’t hear you!”: If that sounds like you, check out the new, dual-processor, almost-invisible hearing aids from hear.com. The company has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, a 4.9 out of 5 rating with Consumer Affairs and a 100% money-back guarantee. Click here to find out today if you qualify for a risk-free trial.*

Buying in bulk: There’s a sweet new beta feature in the Costco app. You can search to see if what you want is in stock at your store. Go to the Warehouse tab, then see if you have the option to Search Warehouse Inventory. Log out of the app and log back in if you don’t see it. If it’s a no-go after that, sorry, you’ll have to wait.

Avoid a Wi-Fi traffic jam: Most routers let you switch channels for a clearer signal. Log into your router’s online interface. (Check the manual or online guide if you’re not sure how.) Look for Wireless Settings and find the Channel option. Channels 1, 6 or 11 are typically less congested. Reboot your router and you’re good to go.

Stop embarrassing yourself: My friend’s phone was sitting in the kitchen. I looked over, and her boyfriend was sending some spicy messages. Notifications like those can be tempting for others to read and can reveal a whole lot about you that you may not want to share. Fortunately, you can hide them from your lock screen. Here’s how:

• For Android: Head to Settings > Notifications, tap on the gear icon and select On the lock screen. You’ll have options here to not show any notifications, show all notifications or hide just sensitive notifications.
• For iPhone: Open Settings > Notifications and select Show Previews. Here, you can choose to show them always, when the phone is unlocked or never.

• Steve in Grand Rapids says his 85-year-old mom believes she’s friends with Alan Jackson and Brad Pitt. Yeah, it’s a scam, and he doesn’t know how to convince her.
• Don in Denver lost his son and is trying to recover precious photos from old iPhone backups. He’s not sure where to begin.
• Chris in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, runs a Civil War history museum and wants advice on turning a huge archive of documents into searchable PDFs for online researchers.

Plus, Maynard asks for tech career advice, Kate wonders if Perplexity AI is safe, Christine seeks data breach protection, Noelle nearly fell for a job scam, Laurice wants small-biz tips and more!

Save money: Amazon’s Buy It Again page shows all your previously ordered favorites — and if any are on sale. Check it now while you’re thinking about it.

Plan: Your fall romp through the leaves with this foliage map. Use the slider to see when your area hits its peak.

Prep: For your next trip by downloading a VPN onto your devices.* You’ll be safe using public Wi‑Fi and have no problem accessing all your U.S.-based accounts. Sweet.

Savor: The last of the summer corn. Doesn’t a bowl of corn chowder sound amazing?

Drink: Apple cider vinegar to keep the doctor away. A new study found drinking 1 to 3 teaspoons with water three times a day lowers blood glucose levels and blood lipids. More health tips comin’ at ya next week!

Find: Your new Netflix binge. This page lists the hottest shows and movies in the U.S. this week.

A life in politics is full of parties.

The answer: C.) 20%. Yup, the rest ends up in landfills or incinerated. FYI, places like Walmart, Staples, Best Buy and some grocery chains recycle electronics for you. Another easy way to find a spot? Search online for “electronics recycling [your city].” Just be sure to wipe all your data before you recycle.

📱 My 7-year-old nephew proudly showed me the “telephone” he made from a string and two tin cans. I pulled out my iPhone and said, “That's nice, but look at what kids your age make in China!”

On that silly note, enjoy the rest of your weekend. Need a hand with something digital? Drop it right here so I can read it. I’ll see you back here tomorrow with what is admittedly one of the most clever scams I’ve seen in a while — and targeting my company! — Kim