Hi, it’s Sunday, friend! Did you know we’re more than halfway through 2024? (The midway point was on July 1.) Scientists recently announced there would be no leap second added to universal time in 2024. Usually, one second is added to atomic clocks (UTC) when they’re out of sync with Earth's rotation. This year, the difference isn’t big enough.

💥 Important: To get around Big Tech and your internet provider’s algorithms that control which emails you actually see, reply to this email with a “Hello” or “I got it.” This tells the gatekeepers you like me so they won’t block my emails or put me in your junk or promotions folder. (The nerve, right?) Your help is crucial. Thank you! — Kim

Let's bust some tech myths wide open! I've heard them all, and it's time to set the record straight to keep you ahead of the game.

Myth: 5G causes cancer.

Fact: Relax, folks. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies have done extensive research and found no adverse health effects linked to 5G. It uses the same type of nonionizing radio frequencies as 4G and Wi‑Fi, neither of which damages our DNA or cells.

Myth: Closing apps on your phone saves battery.

Fact: Both iOS and Android OS manage background apps efficiently, keeping them in a low-power state. Reopening an app consumes more energy than resuming it from this low-power state. Instead, lower your screen brightness, disable unnecessary notifications and use battery-saving modes.

Myth: More RAM means a faster computer.

Fact: While more RAM can improve multitasking, upgrading your hard drive from an HDD to an SSD will boost performance by reducing load times.

Myth: You should always let your phone’s battery drain fully before recharging.

Fact: Older nickel-cadmium batteries suffered from the “memory effect.” Completely draining a lithium-ion battery in today’s newer phones will shorten its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries work best when kept charged between 20% and 80%.

Myth: Incognito mode keeps your browsing activity completely anonymous.

Fact: Incognito mode only prevents your browser from saving your history, cookies and form data. It doesn’t hide your activity from your ISP, your employer (if you’re using a work computer) or the websites you visit. For more comprehensive privacy protection, use a VPN.

Myth: You should always use your monitor’s highest resolution.

Fact: Higher resolutions require more graphics processing power, which can lead to lower frame rates. A resolution of 1080p or 1440p gives you a good balance between clarity and performance.

Myth: You need expensive HDMI cables for better quality.

Fact: HDMI is a digital signal, meaning the data either gets through or it doesn’t. There’s no difference between a $10 cable and a $100 cable for most home setups.

Myth: Public charging stations are safe to use.

Fact: Public charging stations can be a hotbed for “juice jacking,” where cybercriminals load malware onto your device via USB ports. To stay safe, use a USB data blocker or stick with your own charger and a cable plugged into a power outlet.

Phew, that was a lot to cover in such a short space. Here are more busted tech myths. Now, help another person and use the share icons below to spread the truth.

All right, there’s no club, but there is a better option. Join over 37,000 companies that have upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle. Manage your financials, inventory, HR, e‑commerce and more, all in one spot. No more getting lost in an endless sea of spreadsheets and docs.

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Stop running your business on gut feelings. Let the data speak to you. Take a sec and check out what NetSuite can do for you now.

👀 How FedEx is helping cops spy on you: Flock Safety makes automated license plate readers and video surveillance gear. Its 40,000 cameras are used in 3,000 communities across 40 states. FedEx has AI-powered cameras in its delivery trucks recording everything it sees. Now, FedEx is selling those recordings to Flock, which will provide them to law enforcement agencies and who knows who else. Reminds me of the book “1984.”

Watch out for scam calls: Hackers stole 33 million phone numbers from two-factor authentication app Authy. The company claims accounts are A‑OK, but you’d better believe those numbers are now bait for phishing attacks. If you use Authy, update to the latest version (Android and iPhone) ASAP.

Roku frustration: Roku’s recent update added motion-smoothing to TVs, and people are fuming since there’s no way to turn it off. This feature is meant for fast-moving scenes, like sports, and it completely ruins movies. I’ll update you when they fix it.

🦐 Anything for likes: Facebook hasn’t stopped AI slop like "Shrimp Jesus" from landing on your news feed, even though this junk is often tied to scams. Why? Well, it doesn’t violate their rules if there’s no nudity or violence. But really, they want to keep people sharing and liking. When you see a post like this, hit the three-dot icon on it and click Hide post. Hopefully, the algorithm will catch on.

Next-level laziness: Next month, Nike is canning the app that controls its self-lacing sneakers. Now, anyone who bought the ridiculous $350 sneakers will have to use physical buttons to power the kicks and adjust the laces. Yeah, dumb all around.

🎭 Better AI responses: Most folks know you can get better AI results by prompting a chatbot to roleplay a persona, like, “You’re a highly experienced research assistant.” Take this a step further: Describe the persona so you can get the exact tone you want. For example, “You are informative but concise.”

Windows user? Use “God Mode” to access all your Control Panel settings in one place. Just create a new folder anywhere, like on your desktop, and rename it to this exact string: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} Hit “Enter,” and the folder icon will change to a Control Panel icon. Opening this new folder will give you a powerful, centralized view of virtually all settings and configuration options in Windows.

Show the desktop on a Mac: Shift all your open windows to the side and get to the shortcuts on your desktop by holding down Cmd and pressing F3. Pressing F3 on its own shows you all the windows you have open. Easy‑peasy!

📱 Face ID trouble? If your Apple Face ID isn’t working properly, Step 1 is to check if anything is covering your camera — smudges, the case or a screen protector. If it’s still not working, try a reset: Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID > Set up Face ID.

“Ghost jobs”: Many companies are posting job openings for nonexistent positions. Why? To keep the current staff on their toes and to give the appearance the company is growing. You can post a real job for free right now on LinkedIn.*

Plus, Jillian gets biz help on Instagram, Anthony wants an AirTag finder, Dan’s looking for PC automation apps, Thom needs tools to manage video rights and many more great callers, just like you!

🏖️ Hit “Play”: On my fun playlist packed with summer jams everyone will sing along to. I just added some more hits!

Protect: Your hair (or the kids’ or grandkids’ hair) if you’re spending the summer in the pool, lake or ocean.

Get smart: MIT just released a current events macroeconomics course on YouTube for free.

🧋 Make instant iced tea or coffee: I do this almost every day. Put water and ice into an iced tea or coffee maker, along with this great passion fruit tea. The best!

Fix: Your resume, or pass this link to someone looking. Follow my tips here to polish yours and get it past hiring algorithms.

Don’t die: A woman bought some bad stuff on Facebook that killed her. Here are more things you should never buy on Marketplace.

Selfie from roughly 1900 using a mirror and box camera. This pic is scanned from the original 4”x5” glass negative. Neat!

🚕 What do you call it when data goes on a difficult car journey? A hard drive. Oof, I know. Even I rolled my eyes.

🌄 Have a happy, restful Sunday. See you bright and early tomorrow with a warning I can guarantee impacts you and your online security — or at least the online security of someone you love. You don’t want to miss it. Until then, the next time you see yourself in the mirror, smile and say out loud, “Damn, I’m good‑looking!” — Kim