Oh, Sunday — the day to kick back and relax! Let’s kick things off with trivia. Blockbuster had approximately 9,000 video-rental stores worldwide at its peak. In 2010, when it filed for bankruptcy, it had just 1,700 stores. How many Blockbuster stores are open today? Is it one, 10, 18 or 30? Answer’s at the bottom, friends.

🙏🏻 I need your help. Do me a huge favor and reply to this email. You can say “OK,” send an emoji or tell me what you think of my free newsletters. Heck, I'll take a blank email. Why? This one gesture tells your email provider you want my messages in your inbox, not your junk folder. Thank you for your support. Now, on with the tech know-how! — Kim

I hate passwords. I know you do, too. Tech companies also know we do, and they're finally doing something about it. Good timing, given how fast artificial intelligence (AI) can crack passwords now, eh?

Passkeys use your device's built-in security, like the fingerprint scanner on your phone or facial recognition on your laptop, to make online access tighter than the passwords you struggle to remember.

Let's look at how passkeys work and how to start using them. Bye-bye, passwords. We never loved you. We're not going to miss you, either.

What, exactly, is a passkey?

Think of it as a team-up. One part's with the website or app you're accessing, while the other's safely on your device. To use the private passkey, you must prove you're you through a PIN or biometrics.

It's great they're easy to use, but it's even better hackers have difficulty defeating them.

"But Kim, what if I lose my phone?" Don't panic. It's like current password systems: You can have backups. And if all your devices go missing, you still have traditional passwords to fall back on.

Google Passkey basics

Have a Google account? You can try passkeys right now.

Some devices might already be set up with their own — you can turn those on or make new ones. Pro tip: Stick to using this on personal devices. Don't set it up on your work computer or a shared device.

Set this up on your iPhone, too

You just need to have iCloud Keychain turned on and two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled to use Passkey.

😂 A scammer called my aunt and said he had all her passwords. She said, "Hold on, honey, I need a pen and paper. What are they?"

✅ Welcome to the future, where passwords don't exist anymore. Just kidding, they still do for now … so make sure yours don’t stink!

Oscars for weird science: This year's Ig Nobel Prize winners have been announced: Wild anchovy s*x parties and their impact on ocean dynamics, the number of nose hairs in cadavers and why geologists can't resist licking rocks. Seriously.

🎞️ Be your own Spielberg: Blackmagic Design is gifting you its professional camera tools — all packed into a free iPhone app. Play with shutter speeds and ISO settings usually reserved for high-end cams. This is a sweet vid app.

It’s not a problem to us: Apple is now updating its iOS for iPhone 12 after regulators in France said it exceeded the EU's legal radiation limit. It's OK when your phone’s in a bag or jacket but too high when held in your hand. Apple, of course, wants us all to know there really aren't any issues if you live in the U.S.

👀 Can't put down that phone? You're not alone. A new survey from Reviews[.]org reveals Americans check their phones an average of 144 times daily. That's 4 hours of screen time each day or two months yearly. Pro tip: Set specific phone-free times if this is a problem for you.

Nurses call the shots: According to OkCupid, if you’re in tech, education or medicine, you probably have an easier time getting dating app swipes. The best career for online daters? Nurses have a 37% higher chance of having a convo on the app and are 62% more likely to get phone numbers.

Got a few spare minutes during your drive? Or maybe you're chilling at home? Sounds like the perfect time to tune in to The Kim Komando Show podcast!

I keep it real, breaking down the latest tech trends, cybersecurity tips and gadget reviews into snack-sized, easy-to-understand episodes.

👉 Download an episode today!

I have a blast every week talking to smart, interesting people on my radio show. With 425 radio stations across the country airing it, I’m sure there’s one near you. Hear my convos with these folks and others, plus lots more tech knowledge I can't get to here in this email.

I also helped Pamela with her biz’s social pages, Debi build a digital scrapbook for her comatose son, Dave have his texts read aloud and Ron find his former classmates online.

✅ You have three ways to catch my show:

🤗 Need my help? Let’s talk. Leave me a note here.

Every day, my team and I work hard for you. We scour the internet, talk to smart folks all around the world, and find those hidden tips and tricks to make your digital life better.

🙏🏻 Here’s another way to support our work, like this free newsletter. Join the Komando Community.

You not only get this free newsletter, but you'll also get my show as a commercial-free podcast and answers to your tech questions from my team of superstar IT geniuses.

To get even more tech smarts, it's only $4.99 a month — or less, with discounts available for those over 50, the military, veterans, service personnel, teachers and more. Thank you for supporting all we do!

🤬 Duck off: Apple finally fixed the “duck” issue. That’s when you want to use a certain explicit word and autocorrect changes it. The new iOS 17 coming Monday will let you curse. Praise be.

Small-biz warning: Passwords matter even more if you have financial info, customer details and more to protect. Never, ever use a variation of your business name, address or important dates, like your birthday or the day you started your business. Hackers are coming after you.

I’m not easily rattled: I don’t miss using a Nokia, but there was something soothing about Snake. Want to play? Search online for “Google Snake,” and it’ll pop up right in your browser.

🔗 You gotta see this: No need to screenshot your weird ChatGPT convos. With “shared links,” you can whip up a unique URL for your chat and ping it to a friend. Try it!

Seconds matter: YouTube is running up to three minutes of ads on first-aid videos, and some are only skippable after 30 seconds. A woman recently died because help was trying to watch a how-to CPR video. Unbelievable. Forget YouTube. Take a CPR Class or call 911.

Cellphone radiation: Ever wonder if you’re exposing yourself to too much? I put together a list of phones and how much they emit here on my site.

Maintenance 101: Clean your smart TV the right way if you want it to last. Yeah, that dust’ll kill it.

Cha-ching: Are you overpaying for internet? Plug your address in to check.

Not portobellos: From mushrooms to used underwear, there's a lot of weird stuff for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

Smile! Take a selfie this weekend. It's good for you — really.

Wonder if her owner pets Lucy or Mini Lucy more.

🎞️ The answer: One. The last Blockbuster is located in Bend, Oregon, about 160 miles south of Portland. At its peak in 1994, Blockbuster was valued at $8.4 billion. In 2000, Blockbuster turned down an offer to buy Netflix.

One time, I went to Blockbuster and asked if I could rent “Batman Forever.” The clerk said, “Only three days.” OK …

Thanks for all you do to support me and the team behind the radio show, podcasts, newsletters and website. We wouldn’t be here without you! Now, go look in the mirror, smile and say, “I am a tech smarty pants!” See you tomorrow with the best free tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim