It’s Tuesday, friend. We’re flashing way back to the early days of the internet, when dial-up tones screamed and “away messages” reigned supreme. 

☎️ Back then in the cyber stone age, texting shorthand was basically its own foreign language. This may come as a shock to you, but “LOL” didn’t always mean “laugh out loud.” Can you guess what “LOL” originally stood for? A) “Lots of love,” B) “Let’s only listen,” C) “Line of logic” or D) It’s always meant “laugh out loud”? Find the answer at the end!

🤾🏼‍♀️ Trick the Big Tech algorithms. You know, the ones that say what should hit your inbox or not. Mark me “Not Spam” and hit reply or comment at the end when you rate this newsletter. I appreciate that! — Kim

I’ve been hearing lately from more and more people who believe they’re being watched or listened to through their phones. Whether it’s an ex, a snooping spouse or someone with too much time and too little ethics, digital stalking is real and it’s sneaky. 

If your gut is telling you something’s off, don’t brush it off. Here are a few simple checks you can do right now to take back control.

🔁 Check for text message forwarding

This is a hotbed for creep behavior. Someone could be reading your texts, and you wouldn’t even know.

• On iPhone: Go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding
  If you see a device you don’t recognize, that’s a red flag. Turn it off and change your Apple ID password ASAP.
• On Android: Open Messages > More (three dots) > Settings > Permissions > SMS
  If there’s an app listed you don’t know, it could be intercepting your texts. Contact your carrier right away.

📍 Who’s tracking your location?

Built-in location sharing is helpful, but only if you control it.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Share My Location
  Tap Find My and check who can see you. Remove anyone suspicious.
• Android: Open Settings > Location > Location services > Google Location Sharing
  Look at who has access. If you don’t recognize them, cut them off. 

🎤 Check your camera and mic access

Apps don’t need to be spying tools unless you let them.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera and Microphone
  Turn off access for apps that don’t absolutely need it.
• Android: Settings > Security and privacy > Permission Manager, then check Camera and Microphone permissions.
  Be ruthless. You’re the boss of your phone, not some creepy app. 

👤 Review your account access

If someone has your Apple ID or Google login, they don’t need your phone. They’ve got a digital backdoor.

• iPhone: Settings > [your name], then scroll down to see your Devices. Boot out any ones you don’t recognize.
• Android: Go to myaccount.google.com/device-activity and sign out of anything shady. 

Look, I hope no one’s stalking you. But if they are? These steps put you back in control, fast. Share this with someone you care about, you could save them a whole lot of trouble.

🥬 Just because after all that, you need a smile. What did the lettuce say to the celery? “Are you stalking me?” LOL!

🐶 Don’t miss your chance to snag some barking good deals.

• Pet hair everywhere? This fur removal tool (15% off) scrapes it all away.
• Lavender-scented poop bags (23% off) sure make scoop duty easier.
• Grab a two-pack of containers (10% off) to roll and scoop your pet’s food.
• These rubber balls (45% off) are way better than your old tennis ones. 
• Large pups? This back seat extender (33% off) holds up to 400 pounds.
• Take your cat anywhere in a backpack (14% off) with a built-in fan and light.
• Btw, no need to pay Apple prices for high-quality earbuds. These give you great sound, noise isolation and are 15% off.*

🦴 More to chew: Click here to see everything Amazon’s got for your furry friend in their full sale.

🛒 Visit my Amazon store for more of my recommendations.

⚠️ Using a Cisco Linksys router? Check the model number. The FBI says tons are vulnerable to attacks. They don’t get security updates anymore, which makes them easy targets. Hackers install malware and turn them into botnets for cyberattacks or worse. The fix? Replace it. Here’s one that’s 18% off. 

Major data breach at HR firm: A cyberattack at Kelly Benefits exposed personal info from over 400,000 people. Hackers got basically everything needed for identity theft. The company says there’s no sign of misuse yet, but they’re offering 12 months of free credit monitoring. Never stops.

🍆 Hard pill to swallow: Scammers on TikTok are using AI deepfakes to sell Viagra-like pills. One classic? A jacked guy holding a giant carrot, saying the product boosts testosterone and energy levels. PSA: They’re using fake doctors and celebs, too. Don’t buy it, you never know what they are putting in those pills.

Jeff Bezos’ prime day: Rumor has it the tech billionaire is tying the knot on a Venetian island in an open-air theater. As for entertainment? Oh, just Elton John and Lady Gaga, nothing too extravagant. And the guest list? Think Kardashians, Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio and maybe President Trump. Yeah, subtle isn’t really his thing. I am still waiting for my invite.

🤑 Teen crypto heist plot: Two Florida high schoolers allegedly kidnapped a millionaire at gunpoint, blindfolded him with a towel and dragged him into the desert to steal $4 million in crypto. How’d they know to target him? Loose lips sink ships.

Canon event POV: You can now “walk” around Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Disney+, and there are zero stroller traffic jams. The new immersive POV special lets you explore Black Spire Outpost, spot Rey and Mando and vibe in theme park peace. It’s like a Disney vacation, minus $18 hot dogs and sunstroke.

🎸 Be brief, be wrong: A new study shows that telling AI to “be concise” makes it hallucinate more. Yup, your polite little prompt for brevity might be the exact thing making ChatGPT write, “Elvis is still alive, trust me.”

Top performers don’t leave energy to chance. They optimize it at its source: the cells.

Your mitochondria power 90% of your body’s energy, but they slow down in your 30s, dragging down strength, endurance and recovery. Mitopure® from Timeline is a clinically proven supplement that recharges your mitochondria, increasing cellular energy and delivering significant increases in muscle strength and endurance, without changing your workout routine.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Use dictation in Microsoft Word: Click “Dictate” in the ribbon and just start talking.

🔔 See old notifications: Swiped an alert away too fast? Turn on Notification history on your Android. Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Notification history and toggle it On. Bonus: If a text or DM popped up before it was deleted, you might still catch it here.

🖨️ Print with your voice: Got a 3rd-gen Echo or newer? You can link it to your printer. Make sure both are on the same Wi-Fi network and say, “Alexa, discover my printer.” In the Alexa app, it’s Add (+) > Device > Printer to set it up manually. This only works on some models. Click here to see what’s compatible.

⌨️ Shrink your iPad keyboard: Hate how the keyboard takes up half the screen in apps like Messages? You can make it smaller. Just place two fingers on the keyboard and pinch inward. It’ll turn into a smaller, floating keyboard you can drag anywhere. Want it back to full size? Pinch outward with two fingers.

🤐 Mute yourself: When you call customer service and hear, “This call may be recorded,” it’s not just while you’re talking with a rep. They can hear everything, even when you’re on hold. So hit that mute button next time you want to vent your frustrations.

🔎 I spy a virus: If your connection’s dragging, a virus might be the culprit. I trust and recommend TotalAV. It’s just $19 a year to protect up to five devices on Windows, Mac, Android and more. That’s total peace of mind for your phone, laptop and tablet.

Spy Crab risks it all to get close. Yes, Spy Crab.

It’s not your typical undercover agent with a side hustle. Built by John Downer Productions, this robotic crustacean infiltrates marine life to capture intimate footage for documentaries like the BBC’s Spy in the Ocean. 

In one daring assignment, it shadowed a peacock mantis shrimp, the underwater heavyweight boxer known for its lightning-fast, bullet-strength punch, leading to some really cool footage. 

Sometimes, the best stories are the ones barely lived to tell.

🎉The answer: A) “Lots of love.” Yep, before “LOL” meant you were pretending to laugh at your friend’s seventh pun of the day, it was basically the internet’s version of “hugs and kisses.”

So if your older friend texts “LOL” after your breakup message, now you know. Personally, I’m fed up with LOL, ROFL and LMAO. I say we ban all acronyms in the USA.

The #1 tech newsletter in the world is sending you lots of love, as well as a reason to laugh out loud. Tomorrow, I’m going to tell you about all the data tracking and selling going on. Until then, may you be smarter than your smartphone today (and every day). 📱🧠— Kim

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