🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July! We start today’s tech party with trivia. Every July 4, there’s a spike in a certain type of smartphone activity in the U.S. Is it … A.) Calls to 911, B.) Texting, C.) Taking photos or D.) Listening to “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood? Answer’s at the end!

Because getting tech know-how never takes a day off, neither do I! And I’d love for you to try out my show’s podcasts with the extra time you have today. Perfect for drives and hanging out! — Kim

If you’ve been around a while, you know I love a deal. I’m a bargain shopper through and through. And you can always count on me to share a good holiday sale.

Before you get to the flag-waving, hot dog grilling, pool splashing and sparkler lighting, browse this list. Happy shopping and happy Fourth!

Hit the road, Jack

Or get cozy at home

✅ There are more deals to be had, of course. Hit the full list here on Amazon.

🇬🇧 Amidst all the distractions this Fourth of July, let’s not forget what we’re celebrating: The British blew a 13-colony lead!

Prudential Financial just dropped a doozy: The data breach they reported in March is way worse than initial estimates. They originally notified around 36,000 victims about stolen info, like names and driver's license numbers. Now, they're saying over 2.5 million folks were hit. Someone needs to be held accountable.

The future is now: A Texas hospital now lets patients see their doctors via hologram. The Holobox beams a high-quality 3D image that makes it seem like the doc is sitting right there. Why this over Zoom? Doctors can see the patient's full body. The catch? The machine costs $42,000, so expect to pay up for 3D visits.

❤️ Let the drama begin: The Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion pack drops July 25 for $40, and it’s a full-on Tinder experience. Sims can use the Cupid’s Corner app to snap selfies, create a profile and set partner preferences. Matches spark chats, and your Sims can date as many partners as you’d like. Def not one for the kiddos.

Not exactly K-pop going viral: “Friendly Father” is a North Korean propaganda tune praising dictator Kim Jong Un. The video features, uh, heartwarming scenes, like a military officer crying in Kim’s arms while children sing along. Gen Zers are dancing to Communist remixes for views and likes, but not everyone gets it. Here’s the full vid.

🚨 Mac alert: Hackers are rigging search results with fake ads for the hot, new Arc browser. Clicking leads you to a copycat site that hosts a malicious DMG file. (Do not go there, folks.) It sneaks past macOS security to steal your passwords and files. The legit Arc browser URL is arc⁠.⁠net. Stay aware!

Put AI on your resume: Gone are the days of needing only a polished resume and solid references to land a job. Now, it's all about AI skills. A whopping 77% of business leaders believe being able to use AI lets new hires handle more responsibilities. Lay it on in your qualifications.

RIP, Astro: Amazon’s Astro for Business roving bots won’t work anymore starting Sept. 25. The $2,349.99 surveillance bot was designed to buzz around your office night and day. It was really only a matter of time until someone tried to hack these.

🌊 Sail-ebrate the good times: A guy who quit his job to sail the Pacific is over 1,000 miles from land — the furthest point you can go on the planet. He says it’s incredibly disorienting. Why? He’s in the “doldrums,” where there’s no wind at all. My sailing friends told me about that! Watch the vid here. Could you do this? Not me!

✈️ I download the official app for every airline I fly: Here’s a pro tip. Look for the live activities feature in your app of choice. This generally gives you a countdown until boarding time and a real-time view of your gate and seat info in case anything changes at the last minute. Nice.

Like Photoshop but free: Try Generative Erase in the Windows Photos app. It uses AI to remove something you don’t like in a pic (a rando in the background) and fill it in with something you want (the sunset). Open a pic in Photos, then click the editing icon on the far left. Select Erase, “paint” whatever you want to get rid of, and then click Erase again.

🫧 Cleaner search: Google packs AI answers, ads and a bunch of other junk into its main search results pages now. Go back to simpler times with the Web view, found alongside options at the top like “Images” and “Shopping.” (If you don’t see it, it’s under More.) Was that a sigh I heard?

Baby- or snoop-proof your iPad: Activate Guided Access. Just triple-click the home button once you’re in the app you wish to lock, then triple-click again to exit and enter your passcode. Now, your kid can play a game or your pal can scroll photos — and nothing else.

Quickly trash it: On Windows, choose a file and hit Ctrl + D to delete and send it to the trash. On a Mac, that’s Cmd + Del. (Bonus: Cmd + D on a Mac duplicates the file.)

Looking for something interesting? Catch a bald eagle livestream here.

📸 The answer: C.) Taking photos. The number of photos taken spikes every July Fourth as people across the U.S. celebrate with fireworks, parades and barbecues.

So, remember to charge your phone — or be sure you have a charger! This portable charger gets an iPhone 14 to 50% battery in 30 minutes. Works on any 14 and older models. Here’s one for Androids and iPhone 15 models with a USB‑C port.

🧨 And finally, one for the kids this holiday: What did the ghost say to his friend on the Fourth of July? “Red, white, boo‑o‑o!” Enjoy your Fourth, and I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with tips on how to snap better family pics you’ll actually want to use for cards or gifts. — Kim