A very happy Saturday to you, friend! I love this, and I know you will, too. An 87-year-old guy in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is having a party tonight. Doug Turner went door-to-door with handwritten invites. The winter celebration is from “4 p.m. until the cops arrive.” His neighbor shared their doorbell cam chat on TikTok (video at the end) that went viral. No strangers at the party, but after Doug said he liked snail mail, letters are flooding into the P.O. Box his daughter set up. He’s planning to reply to each one with his special fountain pen.

🎉 Come to my party: My national radio show is on over 420 stations across the USA this weekend! Find your local station and tune in, or get my show’s podcast. I’m taking calls from wonderful folks just like you.

It’s a big day packed with smart tips, tricks and news to keep you tech-ahead. You’re invited. (You, too, Doug.) — Kim

You and a friend split some apps and cocktails. Cash? Nah, payment apps make it way easier. Type in the amount, hit send and boom, you’re set.

But every time you send money, there’s a risk it could end up in the wrong place. That’s why I’m here to help you get it to the right place. Let’s dive in.

💸 Use a money order

For my Gen Zers, you can find these at your bank, credit union, USPS and some grocery stores. There’s a $1,000 limit and a small fee of a few bucks. But it’s more secure than sending cash or a check that can get lost or stolen.

🛑 Caution: Money orders aren’t easy to reverse once they’re cashed. That’s why scammers love them. Never send it to someone you don’t trust.

📱 There’s an app for that

Payment apps like Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp and Zelle are great because they’re quick and easy. Here’s the deal: If you send money to the wrong place, you’re not getting it back.

Always verify the recipient’s username, email or phone number. A single wrong digit can send your money into the void. For pals and people you send to often, don’t type in their info each time. Your app of choice saves previous recipients.

Need to send a lot of money? Start with a small test transfer to confirm it goes to the right place.

🛑 Use Venmo? You might not know that every time you send or receive money, it's public by default. Hit my site for steps to fix that.

🔒 Add more security

Everyone (yes, that’s you) should set up 2FA on payment apps. Follow the steps below. Remember, these steps may be different depending on your phone’s make and model.

Look at that. Now you’re handling your dollars with common cents. (Yes, I heard you groan.)

Tech is on sale, and so is everything else!

🫡 None of those up your alley? Hit the rest of the Presidents Day deals here!

2.7 billion records leaked: A Communist China company that sells smart hydroponics and grow lights proved what I’ve been saying for years. Security in Internet of Things (IoT) devices is a joke. You already know about the massive breach if you’re on my Current Alerts list. Read the full story for the best steps to protect your home network.

😏 Didn’t take long: TikTok is back in the iPhone and Android app stores. The hiatus didn’t stop folks who used “sideloading” to install it from third-party sites (so dangerous!) or VPNs to fake their location. President Trump is set to make a decision about TT’s buyer before April 5.

Sorry, clothed for the winter: An Oregon woman’s naked photos became town gossip after a prosecutor looked through her phone and shared them with the county sheriff. There was no warrant, no consent and no suspicion of a crime. She sued, but he’s got "qualified immunity," a loophole that protects government officials unless a court has already ruled the exact same misconduct illegal. PSA: This is just one of many reasons not to store naked pics on your phone.

You can watch “Severance,” too: For the first time, Apple TV+ is available on Android. The app has been around for years and the reviews stink, so expect some bugs along with the $9.99-per-month charge.

🎮 Check the garage: Old Nintendo 64 games could be worth serious cash. A sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is worth over $1,000. The manual alone could fetch you $50. For you collectors, a professionally graded Super Mario 64 is worth $5,000! Time to start digging.

To the moon: The New York Stock Exchange is moving its fully electronic stock market headquarters from Chicago to Dallas. Why? They say it’s because Texas has the most NYSE listings of any state, with over $3.7 trillion in market value. You’d better believe the business-friendly taxes and regulations are a draw, too. Look at Elon Musk. Tesla’s HQ moved to Austin in 2021, and he says X and SpaceX are next.

🎨 Picasso's paint-over: If you’re into art history, this is cool. One of Picasso’s famous works, “Mateu Fernández de Soto,” was painted on top of another portrait. Infrared and X-ray imaging revealed a mystery woman beneath the guy in the final version. Picasso was famous for reusing canvases. Hmm, maybe she was an ex he wanted to forget. See it here.

Did you know 68% of Americans worry about their family’s safety online? For good reason! The average internet user juggles around 100 different passwords. That’s a lot of potential risks.

Letting your browser save your passwords is quick, automatic and doesn’t require much thought. But convenience comes at the cost of security. Imagine the fallout if someone swiped your computer and all the passwords saved to it. What you really need is a password manager like NordPass, packed with email masking, password sharing, a password generator and a password health tool to ensure you’re always protected.

NordPass keeps your most sensitive information — passwords, personal IDs, Wi‑Fi credentials, PIN codes and passport details — all in one encrypted vault, accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device.

📀 Free tool: HandBrake is open-source software that converts videos from one format into nearly any other. It’s an easy way to turn DVDs and Blu-Ray discs into digital video files, like an MP4. Then, you can create a free, private YouTube channel and upload your videos to share your home movies. Sweet.

Hearing loss progresses in stages: When it’s mild, you won’t hear whispers, and conversations in busy spots are tough. With moderate hearing loss, subtle sounds like ticking clocks or birds are hard to hear. With moderately severe loss, voices sound muffled. If you or someone you love is dealing with anything beyond mild hearing loss, check out the Horizon IX hearing aids.*

Teach Alexa your voice: I had Barry do this because she only understood me. In the Alexa app, go to More > Settings > Your Profile & Family > Your Profile > Add Your Voice. Ahem, Alexa likes me better.

Thank yourself later: Back up your data hourly, daily or weekly using an external hard drive with Time Machine (Mac) or File History (Windows). It protects against crashes, accidental deletes and other data losses.

Go back on a Mac: Plug in your drive, and Time Machine will prompt you to set it up for automatic backups. On Windows, connect your drive, go to Settings > Update & Security > Backup, click Add a Drive, and turn on Automatically back up my files.

📺 Wait, what was I watching? Roku has you covered. Go to the Home Screen, hit What to Watch and scroll to Continue Watching. Your shows are waiting to pick up where you left off.

Secure every single thing you type: EndpointLock encrypts your keystrokes when you enter usernames, account numbers and passwords so no one can copy and steal them. Hit this link for 10% off.*

A new picture from the James Webb telescope caught what happens when gas creates a jet in space. I’m too classy to make a gas joke.

Still thinking about Doug and his winter celebration? It’s going to be a rager. Here’s the video and all the funny follow-up. Everyone wants an invite!

🥰 Speaking of wonderful folks, Donna in Chicago said I was glowing. Donna, you’re a peach. I take two scoops of collagen a day. It’s good for bone density, makes your nails and hair stronger, and can help smooth wrinkles. It comes in lots of tasty flavors, too. I like chocolate. Use this link for 45% off* if you want to try it.

See you back here tomorrow for another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA. Until next time, keep digital-smart and keep going Komando! — Kim