It’s a tech Tuesday, friend! To get your noggin going, let’s start with the trivia. Which song is the most-streamed on Spotify to date? Is it … A.) "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran, B.) "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd, C.) "Rockstar" by Post Malone or D.) "Dance Monkey" by Tones and I? Find out if you hit the right chord at the end.

💁‍♀️ Be tech-ahead and never tech-behind. If you find something interesting today, why not share it with a friend? Your clicks, shares and comments help me reach more amazing people like you. Thanks for spreading the word! — Kim

Did you know most online services have policies that allow them to delete inactive accounts and all associated data? In fact, Google is in the process of deleting old Gmail accounts as we speak.

It's amazing how that can turn a simple mistake or moment of forgetfulness into a full-scale data catastrophe.

Andrew, my podcast cohost, found that out when Shutterfly deleted thousands of his photos — pics of his kids that weren’t stored anywhere else. Shutterfly's account inactivity policy requires a purchase every 18 months. Otherwise, yep, all your stuff gets the boot.

The clock is ticking

For all kinds of reasons (storage, privacy, security, compliance with laws and regulations), companies don’t let old accounts sit longer than they have to. Each has its own time frame for holding onto your info, and it’s up to you to keep track.

So, how long are we talking? I did the work to find out how much time you’ve got with the major tech companies:

At the very least, you need to log into your account and do something (send an email, run a report, upload a pic — whatever) within the time frames above.

Have I convinced you this is important yet? Good. Keep going.

Here’s your game plan

Your digital life needs upkeep, just like your house and your relationships!

If you do nothing else, do this: Secondary email accounts you use for password recovery and emergencies will sit idle for long periods, and you can't afford to lose them. Log in a few times a year, send yourself an email, and you're good to go.

📋 Ahh, I love a good plan. Now it’s just up to you to go and do it. If you need a push, forward this to a pal and ask them to join you. Sharing is caring!

Preparing for emergencies isn't exactly a blast, but boy, will you be thankful if you ever need to use that gear. It's all about peace of mind.

🚨 Watching you, watching me: Nearly 1.3 million Android TV boxes across 197 countries are infected with Vo1d malware. Compromised devices include the R4 TV Box, the KJ-SMART4KVIP and TV Box models that use Android 12.1. All run outdated Android versions with unpatched security holes. If you have an Android TV box, make sure the firmware is updated and that it’s Play Protect certified.

Neuralink rival: Tech company Synchron’s brain implant lets people control Amazon Alexa with their thoughts. One patient, a 64-year-old man with Lou Gehrig’s disease, can turn on lights, watch TV, make video calls and shop on Amazon using a Fire tablet. Even cooler? They connected the implant to an Apple Vision Pro so he could control the cursor and play Solitaire.

👁️ Billionaire Larry Ellison’s prediction: He says AI will power a massive surveillance system to monitor all of us. Doorbell cameras, police body cams, dashcams — you name it — will be analyzed to keep everyone in check. If something’s off, the AI will report it to the “appropriate” authority (paywall link). Yikes.

Spankin’-new Macs and cheaper iPads coming soon: Rumor has it Apple will release the M4 MacBook Pro, M4 iMac and M4 Mac mini, plus the iPad mini 7 and iPad 11, soon. Bonus: Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature just got FDA clearance and will hit the Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9 (25% off) and Ultra 2 later this month.

Teamwork makes the dream work: Copilot Pages is Microsoft’s answer to Google Docs. Ask Copilot for research, drop the responses into a new page, then edit with your colleagues in real time. Try it now if you use Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30 per month); it’s coming free for Copilot customers with Microsoft Entra accounts soon.

Last messages from the Titan submersible: The crew experienced communication issues en route to the Titanic but said things were "all good here." At about 3,350 meters deep, with pressure at 4,900 pounds per square inch, they sent a final text — “dropped two wts” (weights) — and then contact was lost. So sad.

👾 The science of fun: Action video games like Space Invaders Extreme 2 can help kids at risk of dyslexia improve word-identification skills. How? Fast-paced games require fast cognitive and motor skills, activating brain areas that control attention and process memory. Out of 79 kids with a family history of dyslexia, more than 80% showed improvement in word-identification tasks after playing.

🏃‍♂️ Anything for likes: Strava users are paying mules to fake their workouts. Prices vary by region, but one account on Fiverr charges $16 for a five-mile run. Why on Earth? Some folks are injured and want to maintain their in-app activity streaks, and others just want to impress their online followers. Bizarre.

When a service is free, you're the product. Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook aren't really free. You’re constantly paying with your security. From where you are to what you click to who you talk to most, they know it all.

StartMail is the secure alternative email provider I trust. It’s free from invasive tracking and ads, and it’s packed with privacy features, including unlimited disposable email addresses and easy-to-use encrypted communication.

They now offer a business subscription, too, with extra storage, shared email aliases and the flexibility to add unlimited domains. I negotiated a special deal just for you! Right now, StartMail is offering an exclusive 60% off annual subscriptions, including the new business plan. You can’t beat that. I made sure!

Update your iPhone: iOS 18 is live for every model newer than the iPhone X. No Apple Intelligence (aka Apple’s take on AI) until next month, but it’s still worth updating. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Follow the on-screen steps, then you’re good to go.

🌞 Smile for the camera: The sweet spot to mount your video doorbell is 48 inches from the ground. Most doorbell cams have a wide scope, so you don't need to put them any higher. If you do, you might get notifications every time the sun crosses your porch.

Save data: Chat apps like WhatsApp are excellent for keeping in touch but can eat up a ton of data. If you use one, open its settings and customize how media is downloaded. If you pick Wi‑Fi, you won’t download videos and pics until you’re on a recognized network. Nice.

Your Windows PC has a hidden emergency restart: Use it when nothing will respond. Hold down Ctrl and click the power icon in the Start menu. You’ll get a dramatic-looking message warning you’ll lose any unsaved data. Click OK to restart immediately.

Free AI test drive: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim. No one does data better than Oracle.*

If it weren’t true, it wouldn’t be so funny.

The answer: B.) "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd. The song also earned The Weeknd a Guinness World Record for being the first song to spend an entire year (52 weeks) in the Billboard Hot 100's Top 10.

🎵 A little boy was listening to Spotify in the car with his father. “Dad, what music did you like growing up?” “I was a huge fan of Led Zeppelin,” his father replied. “Who?” the son asked. “Yeah,” said the dad, “I liked them, too.”

I know you smiled. Leave a thumbs-up review if you liked this newsletter. I’ll be right back here tomorrow with a few of the scam emails that have ended up in Komando inboxes this week. Knowledge is power; let’s stop these jerks. Until then, be tech‑smart! — Kim