Welcome to your Thursday free newsletter, friend! Scientists have been working to bring back the woolly mammoth (yep, the extinct giant fuzzy elephant) and they’ve made tiny progress. Woolly mice. 🐭 By tweaking eight key genes, these little guys have the same thick, fluffy coat that kept mammoths warm. Fun fact: The last real mammoths roamed in the Arctic about 4,000 years ago! 🦣What do you call a mouse that swears? A cursor. I saw that smile.

😁 Fix your password mess for good: My tested and recommended password management app autofills your super secure logins on PC, Mac, Android, iPhone and web browsers. More below. Let’s get tech-ahead! — Kim

A few weekends ago on my national radio show, I shared an amazing gig that pays up to $65 an hour being an AI tutor. You’ll help the chatbot refine answers, prompts and images. Now my inbox is overflowing with people asking how to apply. Here are the sites to check out!

Many of you thought that it was a fake job. No, it’s legit. Fake job posts are everywhere. They might just waste your time, but they can also scam you out of cash and personal info. 

How many job posts are fake?

Uh, a lot! About 20% of postings right now are “ghost jobs” aka roles that don’t exist. The field with the most fakes? HR roles. 

An active job board makes it look like a company is growing. Nearly two-thirds of hiring managers say it boosts revenue and helps improve morale. Wow, 84% of employers contact applicants who apply for fake positions just in case something opens up later.

🚩 Red flags

Look out for generic job descriptions. Vague phrases like “competitive pay” or “rapid career growth” may signal no real budget or role. Ghost jobs pop up and disappear fast just to stay in search results.

Pro tip: To check a job status on LinkedIn, go to Jobs > My Jobs > Applied. If you see “No longer accepting applications,” but that same listing just got reposted, it might be fake.

🛑 Watch out for scams

Ghost jobs aren’t the only issue. Scammers love using fake listings to line their pockets with your paycheck. For starters, research the company before you reply. Scammers mimic big names by slightly misspelling the URL. Here are some other tricks:

• Weird application process: Legit jobs don’t ask you to apply via personal email or chat apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.
• Too good to be true: If you’re offered a job you never applied for, rushed through an interview and pressured to accept, run. 
• Personal info requests: No real employer asks for bank details, Social Security numbers or passports before hiring.

Trust your gut. If something feels off with a job offer, move on. If you’ve been scammed, file a complaint with the FTC. You can also let your state’s attorney general know. Find info on yours at naag.org.

✅  Know someone looking for a job? Use the icons below to share this post with them and save them from getting scammed. I’m so glad I found a career in broadcasting and journalism. I just don’t have the patience to be a doctor.

Have digital confidence with NordPass. If you’re tired of struggling to remember passwords — or, worse, using the same one everywhere – it’s time for a smarter solution. Get all your passwords in one safe, encrypted vault and take back control of your digital life.

We all need to take steps to stay protected online, and NordPass makes it easy with powerful built-in features:

✅ Instant security check: See if your current passwords are weak, reused or exposed.

✅ Identity protection: Hide your real identity when signing up for services to reduce your risk of data leaks.

✅ More than just passwords: Securely store credit cards, IDs, bank details and even important photos in your encrypted vault.

✅ Trusted security: ISO & SOC certified, HIPAA compliant and built with top-tier encryption to keep your data safe.

🚨 YouTube creators, don’t fall for this: Scammers are using an AI video of CEO Neal Mohan to trick you into giving up sensitive info. They’ll send it privately, claiming YouTube is changing its monetization policy. It’s your credentials they’re after. Reminder: YouTube will never contact you or share updates through a private video. 

🖨️ Oh Brother: The printer manufacturer quietly pushed a firmware update that blocks third-party ink cartridges. It gets worse. They scrubbed older firmware versions from their support site, so there’s no way to roll back. If you haven’t updated, keep your device offline and reject firmware updates. 

Beam me up, Kimmie: By the end of this year, Google and HP are set to make video calls freakishly realistic. Their new tech uses AI and multiple cameras to create real-time 3D images, making it look like the other person is right in front of you. Yup, think “Star Trek”! No price yet (paywall link). 

Run a business account on Facebook or Instagram? Apply for Meta’s AI for a 24/7 support pilot program. It’s free right now. Customers will be able to chat with your ads or send DMs to get more info. I’m going to try this out myself.

🖥️ New Macs on the block: The new Mac Studios ($1,999) are here. You can choose between the M4 Max or the faster M3 Ultra. The new MacBook Air ($999) starts $100 cheaper than before. It has MagSafe 3 charging, a new webcam that centers you during video calls and fresh colors. Preorders are live and ship on March 12.

Uncanny valley: Hit play on the 1980s sitcom “A Different World” on Netflix, you’ll notice something is … off. The streamer used AI to make the old footage HD quality. The result is nightmare-inducing. Faces look warped, and words or objects in the background are all pixelated. Check out this video to see for yourself. Dumb.

🐓 Egg prices got you scrambling? Rent a chicken. Seriously. Rent The Chicken lets you “borrow” hens for fresh eggs at home. For about $140 a month, you’ll get two hens, a portable coop, feed and instructions to keep them happy. Expect one to two dozen eggs per week. I had a hen who could count her own eggs. She was a mathemachicken. That was bad. I agree. Watch the video here. 

🪫 Never run out of juice again! Here are my picks for you:

• An all-in-one charging dock (39% off) for your phone, watch and headphones? So sweet.
• If your iPhone uses a Lightning cable, this three-pack of braided ones is only $7 right now.
• A slim power bank that’s so. on. sale.
• Or grab this highly rated solar power bank with a flashlight for camping for 35% off.
• If you travel, these little guys pop into the end of your phone, no bulky battery necessary. So easy to throw in your bag. Click the box for 30% off.

📚 Need something to read? Browse bestsellers on Amazon. 

A cluttered desktop = a cluttered mind: Do a 30-second cleanup. On Windows: Right-click > New > Folder, then drag everything in. On Mac: Right-click > New Folder, then group files manually or use Stacks to auto-organize. Next time you’re in a boring meeting, sort your folder!

Your boss sent you a Word doc again … And you don’t have the program installed. Not all is lost. Get a basic, free version of the Office app on the web, as long as you have a Microsoft account (yes, this is free, too).

Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said “yes” to any of those, you’re a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.*

Laptop getting warm? It happens when you’re doing intensive stuff like rendering a video. Besides annoyingly loud fans, your system might throttle performance to cool down. A cooling pad helps improve airflow and keeps things running smoothly. Here’s a good one on sale.

⏩ Choose your speed: On YouTube and most other video players, press Shift + > to speed things up or Shift + < to slow them down. It usually adjusts in 0.25 increments. Heads up, the audio might get a little funky!

Tech-free zones: A friend of mine started making “screen-free areas” in their house, like the kitchen and dining table. Genius. The kids get a break from screens, their eyes get a rest, and family time actually feels like family time again.

💵 A dollar here, a dollar there: It seems like every subscription is more expensive than when I signed up. 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 anymore.

This Pokemon-shaped Flamin’ Hot Cheeto just sold at auction for $87,840. Keep an eye out while you’re snackin’.

🪤 Since I opened today’s newsletter about the new mouse, let me leave you with some computer mouse tricks. Try clicking the scroll wheel to open links in a new tab instantly. Double-clicking a word highlights it, while triple-clicking selects the entire paragraph. Need to zoom? Hold Ctrl and scroll up or down. 

No one can remember every password. With my thoroughly tested recommendation, NordPass, store all your logins in one safe spot and access them from your phone, computer, tablet, whatever. 

I’ll never forget when a scammer called my mother and told her that he had all her passwords. She got a pen and paper and said, “Thank God for that. What are they?” 😂 See you back here tomorrow for another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim