It’s Friday, friends! Let’s begin with a brain-buster trivia question. What was the first toy advertised on television? Was it … Barbie, Hula-Hoop, Mr. Potato Head or Slinky? Discover the correct answer at the end of this newsletter.

👋 A long holiday weekend is coming, folks! I’ll see you in your inbox for our special weekend edition on Sunday, but we’re taking Monday off to rest. As you might imagine, putting these free newsletters together is a ton of work. Fresh tech news back at you on Tuesday. — Kim

I couldn’t believe the number of records breached. I actually looked at the email alerting me to it again to make sure I wasn’t reading it wrong.

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler says he found a significant Cigna data breach. That’s an understatement. Cybercriminals are drooling over this one, I assure you. That's why I wanted to give you a heads-up just as soon as I could.

Unbelievable … not even a password used

You might wonder, "Why do I care if my doc's info was leaked?" Well, because all your health care records are attached to your doctor's records. This means if you're under Cigna Health, your medical info could’ve been exposed.

And the more a savvy cybercriminal knows, the easier it is for them to convince you to hand over money. Here's how bad it can get.

Linda's nightmarish bill

Linda was shocked to receive a medical bill for a surgery she never had. The Texas woman contacted the California hospital where the surgery took place. After a bunch of back and forth, Linda discovered a thief had used her medical ID for cosmetic surgery — sticking her with the $50,000 bill.

Proving her identity, disputing the fraudulent charges and cleaning up her records took years. Plus, she had to worry whether the incorrect medical information in her records would come back to haunt her.

Kevin's mysterious diagnosis

Kevin in Florida started receiving calls from a medical lab about test results out of nowhere. When he accessed his medical file, he saw diseases he didn't have and treatments he'd never received. Um, what?

Yep, you know where this is going. Kevin's medical ID had been stolen, and someone else racked up thousands of dollars. Kevin faced increased insurance premiums because of the bogus claims.

The dirty deets

The problem is that if a stranger uses your medical benefits, you won’t be able to. This latest breach could open up a whole another can of worms. Think Medicaid and Medicare scams, medical identity theft, and, of course, potential ransomware and malware attacks.

It's up to you to keep an eye on your medical info. There are a few ways to check what medical procedures and bills are associated with your account:

✅ Over at Komando.com, I put together important safety tips to help prevent ID theft. Stay alert, folks!

Silence is golden: Your bank and financial organizations use your voice to make sure you're the one calling. Problem: Voice-authentication vendors say deepfake attacks where someone uses a clip of your voice are skyrocketing. So, think twice before posting videos of yourself talking on social media.

Eye see you: Tech bloggers are whining that the new X/Twitter privacy policy includes access to your biometrics and job details. Back down, Barbie. Musk needs to verify people paying for the $8-a-month blue checkmark subscription. If you don’t like it, don’t sign up.

AI helps the paralyzed speak: Brain implant chips for people are getting closer to real-time communication. The latest devices are at 62 and 78 words per minute — a whole lot faster than previous devices. The natural conversation rate for English speakers is about 160 words per minute.

⚾️ Foul ball: Columbus Dispatch readers noticed the paper's new sports writer had a pretty strange way with words, like calling one game a “close encounter of the athletic kind.” Another game “was in hibernation in the fourth quarter.” Turns out it was artificial intelligence (AI). Lede AI takes game scores and writes automated sports recaps. It's not ready for prime time. The Gannett paper axed the bot after readers had a field day with it.

Speak your piece: Public comments are open around AI and copyright issues. The U.S. Copyright Office wants your thoughts on how AI models should use copyrighted data, whether AI-created material can be copyrighted and how copyright liability works with AI. If interested, leave your comments here.

Take it elsewhere: Apple is getting rid of its social media support advisor roles, so don't look for help from a real person on X, YouTube or the Apple Support community website starting Oct. 1. I can see the social media sites, but its own support site? Ouch.

Hate when this happens: I’ve recommended a site before, critter[.]camera, that allows you to turn your phone or computer into a security cam. Don’t use it anymore. The site redirects through lots of unsecured (and potentially malicious) URLs.

💵 No more visiting the ATM: We all have someone in our life who prefers cash over other gifts. New Hallmark cards make it easier with a QR code printed inside. Buy the card, scan the code to add money, and your recipient can then scan it to receive cash right in their Venmo account. Smart move: You can lock the QR code so only the person you intended can use it and no one can steal it.

In my no-nonsense, straight-talking podcast, I serve up everything tech in digestible, fun-sized pieces. New to the tech scene? Or maybe you're a pro? Doesn't matter. I’ve got you covered.

👉 Get my podcasts today!

It's easy to hate on selfies and think they're only for the self-obsessed. But a joint study from the University of Ohio and the University of Tubingen in Germany shows selfies can be more than just a way to show off your looks.

Not just skin-deep

The study found selfies can help capture a moment’s deeper meaning and document physical experiences. In one experiment, participants rated the importance and meaningfulness of an experience by looking at a photo they weren't in.

🤳 Another group looked at photos featuring themselves — and that group was more likely to think of the bigger meaning of the moment. Makes sense when you think about it. When you see yourself there, you can picture a memory more clearly.

In real life

Maybe you don't take many photos because you think selfies are silly. Hey, try it out. Next time you're with loved ones, grab your phone and take a pic of everyone (you included)! That way, your selfies won't just be alonies.

🙃 P.S. Look your best! After all these years in broadcast, I’ve got the tricks that work.

If the whole family uses iPhones, this is a must-do: Set up Family Sharing. This feature lets you share your location with family members and help them find their lost devices. But even if your phone isn’t lost, the people you share your location with can ping it when it’s in Do Not Disturb mode to get your attention.

📍 After sharing your location with members of your Family Sharing group, they can see your device in their Find My app and send an alert to your phone if needed.

OK, that’s AFTER you’ve read this newsletter. But you’re here so you’re doing that!

🦷🥚🚽 While you’re brushing your teeth, cooking eggs or, uh, using the bathroom, update yourself with my Daily Tech Update podcast. In just 60 seconds, I’ll catch you up on the big tech news story of the day.

Use the link below to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Annie Lennox would be "fondue" this display.

🥔 The answer: In 1952, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy advertised on TV. The ads ran during “The Howdy Doody Show.” Today, Mr. Potato Head has a smartphone in case Mr. Onion rings.

I sure hope you feel tech-smarter after reading my newsletter. Now, forward it to a few folks who you think would benefit from this intel, too. Thank you! See you in your inbox on Sunday. — Kim