Welcome to a fantastic Friday, friend! Let’s jump right in with a scam I don’t want you to fall for that’s making the rounds. You get a random payment for a few hundred bucks on Venmo, then comes the message from a stranger: “Oh, no, that was an accident! Can you send the money back?” Because you’re a nice person, you do. The original payment wasn’t real, but the money you sent sure is. You’ll never get it back.

🛑 Stop in the name of malware! If your computer, tablet or phone is unprotected, you’re asking for trouble. TotalAV is affordable and keeps up to five devices safe. FYI, if you buy, I don’t get any kickbacks! On to the tech smarts. — Kim

I know you felt it because I did, too. Watching coverage of the Los Angeles fires and, now, the destruction left in their wake, has been heartbreaking. A reader emailed me: “People had very little time to gather anything before they had to leave their houses. I'd appreciate your advice on what to do before a catastrophe.

”I can absolutely help. Let’s focus on what’s hardest to take with you: The files stored on your computer. I hope you never need to rely on these backups. If you do, you'll be glad you made ‘em.

Mix and match

Start with photos, documents, videos and anything else important in your personal or professional life. Ideally, you want two backups in case something happens to your original files and one of the backups fails.

Make sure both backups are stored remotely. For digital backups, that means in the cloud, not your desktop. For physical backups, I like a fireproof, waterproof safe.

👉 This $240 IslandSafe option can withstand 1,200-degree temps for up to 30 minutes.

What about old-school paper documents? Convert them to digital. Google Drive, Dropbox, Adobe Scan and the Notes app for iPhone all let you scan documents using only your phone’s camera. So easy. Keep the originals in a safety deposit box at your bank (if they still offer that) or with a trusted friend or relative who lives somewhere else.

Sync and save

Plenty of services sync files between the cloud and your computer in real time, so you don't even need to click “Back up.” Expect to pay a few dollars a month for storage. Google Drive and Dropbox are super popular for this, but there are options built into your computer, too:

Go external

For your most important digital data, get an external hard drive and set a calendar reminder to copy over your files every 60 days or so.

👉 The Samsung T7 Shield (45% off, $157) or the 5TB WD My Passport ($145) are both great picks. These drives come with backup software, but I prefer using my computer’s built-in options here, too.

Fun fact: I don’t like USB drives

They’re too easy to lose. I’ve seen recommendations to keep your important files on one and carry that on your keys so you always have it on you. Uh, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. If you insist on a thumb drive, stick it in a safe so you can grab it and move quickly.

👉 If you go this route, the SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB (16% off, $36) is durable and speedy.

While you're thinking about having to leave home on short notice, there's no harm in keeping a fully charged power bank close to hand. It means you can rely on your phone for a lot longer.

👉 The $90 Anker 737 (40% off) will recharge your phone about six times on a single charge.

Now, go forth and disaster prep. One day, you might be glad you did. And if you never need these backups, even better. Be a pal and share this with someone in your life.

Nearly half of American adults faced a cyberattack or digital scam attempt last year. It’s not a matter of “if” anymore. It’s a matter of “when.”

That’s why I use TotalAV, the award-winning antivirus software that keeps the bad guys out. No matter what’s out there — malware, ransomware, phishing scams or sneaky new threats — TotalAV has your back for just $19 for the first year.

The best part? TotalAV is simple to install and simple to use. It works seamlessly in the background, protecting all your devices while you shop, bank and browse with complete confidence. With one account, you can protect up to five devices.

Don’t wait until you become a statistic. Kick off 2025 by protecting your devices today with my exclusive deal. You’ll be glad you did.

💰 Silicon Valley’s unicorns fly: The venture capitalists are upset. Communist China’s DeepSeek AI is 30 times cheaper to run than its American counterparts. In an interview, DeepSeek’s founder said he didn't mean to start a price war; AI should simply be affordable for everyone. Oh, and he thinks AGI (that’s “artificial general intelligence,” when AI becomes smarter than humans and makes its own decisions) is two years away. Sleep well.

In security, we trust: DeepSeek’s cybersecurity team left a database wide open, exposing chat histories, API keys, backend details — you name it. And don’t forget their servers are based in China, meaning the communist government is peeking in. Here are my tips to use it safely, if you must.

📚 Spot the bot: Books written by actual humans are getting a special certification. The Authors Guild came up with a way for writers to prove their work isn’t AI-generated. Bonus: You’ll be able to search a public database so you know before you buy.

Teenagers have no faith in Big Tech: This is reassuring. In a new study of 1,000 American teens, 64% don’t trust Google, Meta, Apple or TikTok to care about their mental health, and 62% think Big Tech’s profits matter more than their safety. AI isn’t helping, since they know it’s feeding them fake images, inaccurate info and chatbots pretending to be real people.

📺 Hotel TVs that don’t suck: Next time you book a stay, ask if they have LG TVs. They’re the first to support Google Cast and Apple AirPlay in hotels. No logins — just scan a QR code to play your shows and music. The connection cuts when you check out. LG didn’t say which hotels got the update, but here are rooms where AirPlay works.

🧬 Speedrunning evolution: An AI called ESM3 created a protein researchers say would’ve taken nature 500 million years to develop. It’s fluorescent green, similar to those that make jellyfish and corals glow in the dark. Proteins help your body build muscle and fight diseases, so this could lead to the creation of new drugs that target them. Neat!

Dress for the job you want: Famous actor John Lithgow took that literally and sent a naked photo of himself to the director of his new film, “Jimpa.” The 79-year-old actor wanted to prove he was game for full-frontal scenes. He’s been nude on stage and screen before and says he likes hanging out.

🛏️ You spend around one-third of your life sleeping. Give your bedroom an upgrade.

🏡 The rest of your home? I’ve got you covered. Check out my page for more goodies I think you’ll like.

From Ed in Florida: “Kim, I want to get away from Google. If I sign up for StartMail, will it import all my email and contacts?” Yup. You can transfer your entire mailbox, including messages and contacts, with zero downtime and 100% security. Save 60% with my special link.*

No judgment: AI can explain things you might be embarrassed to ask another person. Try prompts like, “Explain this like I’m a fifth grader” or “Give me a plain English breakdown of this.” I used that last one to learn about yield curve inversions. 💅

📺 Binge in bulk: New to iPhone, you can download an entire season of a Netflix show with one tap. Season Download works on Android, too. In the app, open the show’s page. The Download Season button is on the right, next to Share. Tap it, and the season starts downloading. Easy.

Hidden HDMI hack: Look at your TV. Spot an ARC port? You can use the Audio Return Channel to connect a soundbar or AV receiver with just one cable. Sweet — better audio quality and no extra wires.

Shift + Delete is forever: On Windows, hitting Delete sends files to the recycle bin. But if you hold down Shift + Delete, the file skips the bin and is gone-gone. On a Mac, hold down Option + Cmd + Delete to say bye forever.

Netflix is $25 a month now: How much do you spend on streaming? Use the Rocket Money* app to see what you’re paying for. I do! They’ll even cancel a subscription for you if it’s not worth the money.

🎵 Cool site: Spotlistr turns any list of songs into a Spotify playlist you can stream or share. Paste in a list in pretty much any format, connect your account, and then wham, bam, a playlist without all the manual searching.

“Does it really work?” I get that question about privacy service Incogni* all the time. It does! Here’s my full review with screenshots that show you all the details.

An astronaut aboard the ISS caught a photo of Comet ATLAS. It might not return for another 160,000 years, so this is the shot of many lifetimes.

📸 I still miss Picasa. Did all the talk about files have you panicking about your messy photos? I get it. Adobe Bridge is a solid, free option for sorting pics on your computer. That reminds me … What does a Jedi use to open files? Adobe-wan Kenobi. (I’m sorry.)

“I’m smart, Kim. It won’t happen to me.” Friend, cybercriminals are just too good for you to spot all their tricks. You need software that does the job for you and is always on the lookout. Check out TotalAV before it’s too late.

And with that, I’m outta here! It’s an honor to be in your inbox. I’ll see you right back here tomorrow with more news and tips to keep you tech-ahead. Until then, stay awesome. — Kim