A tech-tacular Saturday is upon us, friend. You look marvelous! Let’s get right to it with today’s trivia. Which tech company made headlines in 2018 for airing a TV commercial in which someone repeatedly said the device's wake word and ticked off everyone watching it? Was it … Google, Amazon, Apple or Samsung? Answer’s at the end.

🏈 Who will win the Super Bowl? On a recent Kim Komando Today video stream, we asked an online psychic who would win the Super Bowl. Now, only click if you want to know. Here’s her answer. I have some sweet tech life upgrades below for the sporty and not-so-sporty among us. Put me in, coach! — Kim

What's the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? It's just that — they're always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don't want them to hear.

It's like having a nosy neighbor eavesdropping on your every word. Don’t worry, you can stop it.

The tech you can’t see

“Ultrasonic” refers to radio waves humans can't hear. It's like a secret language for your smart devices. And guess what? Apps are using this tech to listen in.

Sneaky apps listen for "beacons" to determine where you shop and what you buy. They then pair browser cookies to your device to track you. The good news is you can outsmart this technology, and it's as simple as flipping a switch (well, almost).

Turn off microphone access for apps without a logical reason to use it. Think flashlights and other apps that don’t need to listen.

On iOS:

On Android:

Stopping voice assistants

Now, let's tackle those helpful (yet sometimes nosy) virtual assistants.

Use Google Assistant on your iPhone? Get those steps here.

With your devices no longer playing detective with your conversations, you can finally relax and enjoy some privacy. You can always turn those microphones back on if you need them.

😂 Speaking of listening … Barry swears the CIA put a listening device in our yard disguised as a tree. I told him it was just a plant.

📧 Email a link to this article to a friend. Just use the email icon below or share it on LinkedIn, Facebook or X. This tip is one more people need to know about!

🕵️‍♂️ Fake news, real agenda: Keep your eyes peeled. Over 100 sites pretending to be bona fide local news outlets are posting pro-China propaganda. A Beijing PR firm is behind it, pushing conspiracy theories and slamming the U.S. directly. China knows all the tricks.

Google's Bard chatbot is now Gemini: If you want a smarter AI, go for Gemini Advanced. It’s $19.99 a month and you get 2TB of cloud storage and Gmail integration. FYI, most people are fine with the free version. Try it for a few weeks before you hand over your credit card.

📦 TikTok wants to be Amazon: Six months in, TikTok Shop is raking in millions of shopaholics. But it's not all smooth sailing — sellers are struggling with shipping issues, and buyers can’t escape the ad avalanche.

Surgical nightmare: A 78-year-old Florida woman died when a da Vinci surgical robot burned a hole in her intestine. They’re blaming faulty rubber sleeves. This isn't a new event; there were over 20,000 da Vinci injuries and deaths reported to the FDA from 2008 to 2018.

Techy turn-on: Berlin unveiled the world's first AI brothel called Cybrothel, where clients book private suites to mingle with VR sex dolls. The fun includes VR headsets and AI sexting. It's like Netflix and chill … in the matrix.

🔑 Don’t rely on a crappy password to lock down Amazon. Do this instead.

Cheese! Take the perfect selfie for social media. And yes, LinkedIn is definitely different than Instagram.

Your VHS tapes are degrading as we speak. Digitize your memories while you still can.

😶 Please shut up. Stop letting notifications rule your digital life.

Travel is one of my favorite hobbies — and lucky for us all, I’m always looking for ways to save money. Don’t make this money mistake.

Not into football? Watch me! Yep, there are a bunch of episodes of my fun daily tech video podcast waiting for you on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook. Prepare to laugh — a lot!

📺 You might be tempted to change your TV’s picture mode to Game for the Super Bowl. Don't — that's for video games. The best setting for football? Cinema or Movie. Sports is generally too bright, making the game look washed out.

🛍️ While you’re pretending to watch the game … Here are two lesser-known ways to save a buck on Amazon: 1.) Warehouse has excellent deals on used and open-box products, and 2.) Outlet is your spot for low prices on all the “Oops, we have too many” items.

🏈 If you’re a procrastinator: Super Bowl LVIII kicks off at 6:30 p.m. EST tomorrow on CBS. Stream it on Paramount+ if you don't have live TV. Not a subscriber? Sign up now for a free one-week trial. (Don't forget to cancel before the $5.99 fee kicks in.)

Just tell me how long to cook the wings: Use Ctrl + F (Windows) or Cmd + F (Mac), then search “ingredients” or “print” on a cooking website. This will shoot you right down to the recipe.

Still need something to do on your phone? Color-code events and tasks in your calendar app. Assign specific colors to categories like work, personal or appointments, allowing for a quick visual overview of your schedule.

You need the right tools to get the job done. Yeah, sorry, but Quicken, Excel and QuickBooks just aren't going to get it done.

After 20-plus years operating a business in the radio and tech industry, I know you have to let the data do the talking. I wish someone had told me this a long time ago.

That’s what is so great about NetSuite by Oracle. In one easy-to-use dashboard, you see everything — revenue, inventory, sales, employees, expenses, you name it. Over 37,000 businesses rely on NetSuite.

Susan, you totally made my day! Thank you!

The answer: Google. A Google Home commercial had actors repeatedly saying, "Hey, Google," which triggered devices in viewers' homes and caused chaos. Oops! That's why I'm careful not to say “Siri” or “Alexa” too much on my national radio show and podcasts. I don't want your devices to freak out!

🥁 I saw the CEO of Google driving a brand-new car. The rims were all chromed out. Ba‑dum‑tss!

👋 Thanks for reading, friend. Be sure to rate this issue below and leave a comment. I read them all! (And before you sass me, I just don’t have time to respond to every single one!) I will be back tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim