The Current
Plus: Chinese hackers target home routers, free video editing software, dating pic tips
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February 5, 2024

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In partnership with Incogni

Welcome to your tech-marvelous Monday, friend! Let’s start by talking about some blinged-out phones. What was the most expensive smartphone ever sold? Was it the … A.) Diamond Crypto, B.) Goldvish Le Million, C.) Vertu Signature Cobra or D.) Falcon Supernova iPhone? The answer’s at the end — and sorry, but they don’t extend credit.

🫡 Take back your privacy like I did: Get your name, date of birth, phone number, addresses, political leanings, income, likes, dislikes and more out of those scummy data brokers’ and people-search sites. I arranged for you to get 60% off at Incogni right now. They’ll wipe your info out of these databases. Hurry, this is a limited-time offer. — Kim

📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!)

IN THIS ISSUE

  • 🖖 Mission: Youth
  • 🇨🇳 Chinese hackers going after your router
  • 🎥 Free video editing software

TODAY'S TOP STORY

$2M a year to live forever

Don't die. That’s 46-year-old Bryan Johnson’s main goal in life.

Bryan made $400 million when he sold his credit card processing company to eBay. Today, he lives in Los Angeles as a self-proclaimed "rejuvenation athlete" and spends his time and money trying to turn back the clock.

I had such a great time talking with him. He even shared steps regular folks like us can take to feel better and, hopefully, have longer, healthier lives.

Mission: Youth

Bryan's mission combines science with a unique philosophy and everything he's researched points towards a near-future evolutionary breakthrough.

"After 4.5 billion years on this planet, we are now baby steps away from superintelligence. It's possible that with this super intelligence, we will be able to solve aging."

Bryan and his Blueprint team found stem cells to be one of the most cutting-edge treatments. In March, he’ll undergo the world's first total joint rejuvenation procedure.

"We're trying to basically say, can we get my joints back to age 18? It's a pretty ambitious goal. It's probably not reachable at this point in time, but we're curious to pose the question: Why not?"

A day in the life

Bryan's daily regimen is what he calls "the most scientifically accurate approach on how to build out longevity and healthspan." Spoiler alert: It's intense.

"I do about 100 things in a given day, and I try to make them invisible to me. I try to make it just part of my norm."

  • Bryan goes to bed at exactly 8:30 p.m. each day.
  • He wakes up naturally between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m., uses a 10,000-lux lamp to take in some light, and hops on the scale to get his body composition data.
  • He then does nervous system therapy, works out for an hour and eats two pounds of vegetables for breakfast.
  • Next, it's time for work before heading to doctor's appointments and winding down with a nighttime protocol.

Perhaps one of the most impressive of Bryan's accomplishments was a recorded eight months of perfect sleep.

How did he do it? "At the end of the day, you're ruminating on all the problems you have, all the people you're mad at, etc. If your head hits the pillow with those thoughts top of mind, you'll be in a light sleep all night."

Although Bryan's routine seems crazy, there's good news. "You don't need to spend $2 million, and you don't need to do my lifestyle."

Live long and prosper

How can the average Joe or Jane live their longest life? Bryan offers these five “Power Laws:”

  1. Don't smoke.
  2. Get six hours of exercise per week. If you can't do that much, Bryan says even one hour a week is better than zero.
  3. Eat a Mediterranean-style diet.
  4. Maintain a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 22.5.
  5. Consume alcohol moderately or abstain from drinking. This means no lemon drop martini for me. I’ll have to really think about that.

Yeah, I know, it’s something we’ve all heard before. But Bryan does a lot more than this list above, that’s for sure.

✅ Curious to learn more?

  • Take a look at Bryan’s research on his site. It’s all spelled out there.
  • Watch my interview with Bryan. Leave a comment on the video and tell me how old you think he really looks. I’ll pick one comment and give that person an official Kim Komando Show ballcap.

Following Bryan’s steps could get you to a life expectancy of around 92 years! I'll drink (a mocktail) to that. You know what they say: “Don't challenge Death to a pillow fight unless you're prepared for the reaper cushions.”

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH  

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My cellphone number was posted online

My son found it, along with every address I’d ever lived at. So creepy, right? I hear from folks all the time who are shocked by what they can find about themselves online. I even launched a whole article series on my website to get your info off these databases.

The trouble is they’re tricky to navigate, and the steps change all the time. That’s where Incogni comes in. Sign up, answer a few questions, and they do the hard work for you.

So far, they’ve removed me from 104 websites. Even better, they check regularly to make sure data brokers didn’t sneak me back in.

See just how easy it is. Use code KIM60 for 60% off! →

WEB WATERCOOLER

🚨 Router attack: Chinese hackers have been hijacking U.S. small office and home office routers to target American infrastructure. Officials warn older models, especially those no longer receiving updates, are sitting ducks for future attacks. If you're clinging to that ancient router because "it still works," it's time to upgrade. I like this one.

🏋️‍♂️ Olympics on steroids: Imagine an Olympics where steroids aren't just allowed, but they're celebrated. The Enhanced Games challenge traditional anti-doping rules, and it’s backed in part by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. The group says it's about time athletes used science to be their very best.  Yikes.

Billionaire adrenaline junkie: Meta just spilled the beans in its SEC filing. Turns out, Mark Zuckerberg’s hobbies (eh, hydrofoiling?) are wilder than a rodeo bull. The filing mentions the risk of “material adverse impact” on operations if any of his daredevil antics lead to serious injury or death.

Alert for parents: Tragic news as a 6-month-old girl dies in a Fisher-Price rocker, despite suffocation risks and warnings from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. No recalls have been made yet. If you find one online, steer clear, folks.

🎮 Early access success: Microsoft says Palworld — aka "Pokémon with guns" — is the biggest third-party Game Pass launch ever. Although the game is getting mixed reviews, it's got everyone talking with its dark take on creature collecting and hints at labor exploitation. Pick it up for Xbox or PC.

🏛️ It’s about time: Florida is taking stronger action against device stalkers (using AirTags and the like for unsolicited tracking), proposing a bill to turn this creepy behavior into a felony — think five years in the slammer and a $5,000 fine. I hope more states follow suit.

If Apple makes a car, will it have Windows? Apple stepped on the self-driving car accelerator, quadrupling its California test drives last year. Still, it’s way behind others like Waymo and General Motors. Apple is now focusing on simpler driving-assistance tech, which will be available in 2028.

📚 The plot thickens: The internet's buzzing with rumors Taylor Swift might be the brains behind the spy thriller "Argylle." Why? Well, the book's hero has a Scottish Fold cat, just like Swift does. Despite a big “nope" from the director, fans are turning her lyrics into clues.

DEVICE ADVICE

A picture is worth 1,000 dates

Looking for a Valentine's Day sweetie? When it comes to online dating, you only have a few seconds to stand out before someone swipes left. Based on millions of online dating profiles, these are the top photos that get folks swiping right.

  • The headshot: A smile feels intimate. Think eye contact and warmth. No sulking.
  • Full-body pics: Show potential dates the big picture of what you look like … and it helps to make you look less creepy.
  • Candid photos: Nobody likes a stiff, posed photo. Relax and think of something that makes you genuinely laugh or smile.
  • Glasses: Show them off. Daters like them, but keep it to one or two pictures.
  • Your furry friends: Studies have consistently shown that pet owners appear more responsible and ready for a deep relationship.

🤳 What about the no-gos? Skip group photos, gym selfies and old pics. People want to see the real you, not a filtered or outdated version.

LISTEN UP

Kids on social media make more dangerous decisions

Is your child on social? Here's what you need to know.

Play Now • 3:03  ▶

TECH LIFE UPGRADES

Join me LIVE today on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook: It’s Kim Komando Today at 10:30 a.m. Pacific/1:30 p.m. Eastern. I’ll see you there!

Bye-bye-bye: You finally read that article that’s been open in your browser all day. Leave your mouse alone and close the tab with your keyboard. On Windows, press Ctrl + W. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + W.

🍖 Meet-less Mondays: Ever been in a Google Meet and wanted to get other work done, but you need to look like you’re paying attention? Try picture-in-picture mode. Just move everyone’s faces right next to that email or doc. Bueller?

Free video editing software: We're talking 4K editing, color correction and visual effects. And the basic version is free! Whether you're a YouTuber or indie filmmaker, cut, tweak and polish footage like a pro — no degree required. Get more info about DaVinci Resolve on my site.

⌚ Keep those health goals: Fitbit’s Charge 6 fitness band is a great way to stay on track. It monitors your heart rate, cardio level and temperature around you. Gets up to a week of battery life, too. The catch: You need a Google account to use it.

🖱️ Copy that: On your computer, double-click to highlight a word or triple-click to highlight an entire paragraph. Simple little life-changer!

DEALS OF THE DAY

Best under-the-sink organizers

Take a look at the cabinet under your sink in your kitchen or bathroom. Is it a mess? Mine isn’t. I bought under-the-sink organizers.

  • For your kitchen: The Realinn under-sink organizer (45% off!) has two levels, and the bottom pulls out so you can get to stuff easily.
  • Perfect for your bathroom: The Delamu two-tier multipurpose bathroom under-sink organizer holds shampoo, soaps and more. It’s on sale, too — 28% off.
  • For your counter: Organize medicine bottles, lotions, creams or whatever else with these MadeSmart multipurpose organizers. They look nice and get the job done. Plus, they’re 26% off now.

BY THE NUMBERS

48,000,000

Americans who also act as caregivers. A new law, The Credit for Caring Act, would provide up to a $5,000 federal tax credit for working family caregivers.

2

Hours spent on a smartphone to increase one’s risk of ADHD by 10%. That’s per day. An estimated 8.7 million U.S. adults have ADHD.

1.8

Range, in miles, for the new HaLow Wi‑Fi standard. It won’t replace standard Wi‑Fi, but it could strengthen the connection for IoT devices, wearables and smart infrastructure.

WHAT THE TECH?

What the tech?

For crying out cloud!

UNTIL NEXT TIME ...

The answer: D.) The most expensive smartphone sold to date is the Falcon Supernova iPhone 6 Pink Diamond, which cost $48.5 million and has a rose-gold, diamond-studded exterior.

As we were driving down the road, "Sweet Caroline" came on the radio. I told my son, "Little-known fact, but Neil Diamond used to be called Neil Coal till the pressure got to him." He replied, “Oh, Mom, keep your coal.” I was so proud.

Get your personal deets out of scummy data-broker and people-search sites. You get 60% off at Incogni right now. They will wipe your info out of these databases. Amazing, like you. I’ll see you again here tomorrow in your inbox with the best newsletter in the USA! — Kim

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