The Current-Sun Plus: The FBI’s phone company, Gen Z brings parents to job interviews, passport photo hack In partnership with Oracle | Hello, hi, hey, it’s Sunday, my friend! My favorite day of the week. I saw an $82,000 Cybertruck driving down the road in Phoenix. I still say slap a gun on the back and it’s Halo in real life. More than 1 million people have ordered the EV truck-slash-tank, but how many have actually been delivered? Is it … A.) 3,878, B.) 42,184, C.) 122,101 or D.) 201,032? Answer’s at the end. 👆 Just one, uno, un. That’s how many people I need you to share this newsletter with. It helps us grow, keeps this newsletter free and makes the world tech-smarter. Plus, it’s your good deed of the day! Thanks in advance. I knew I could count on you! — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE 🤳 Hold me farther 🕵️ FBI burner phones 👔 Backseat interviewers |
TODAY'S TOP STORY A danger that’s always nearby Apple has an official warning about the dangers of its products — and it’s a scary one. Before you sit back all smug and say, “Oh, that doesn’t affect me. I use Android,” that is just not true. If you’re one of the nearly 4 million people with a pacemaker or defibrillator (or have a loved one with one), pause on your barbecue prep and listen up. Mag malfunction Magnetic fields from everyday tech can make your lifesaving devices go haywire. It’s not just iPhones, either. We’re talking iPads, Apple watches, AirPods, Macs, HomePods and even Beats headphones. And, yup, Android phones or any brand of earbuds, wireless headphones or smartwatches can cause problems, too. 📏 Remember the 6-inch rule Keep this distance between your pacemaker or defib and electronics. Make it 8 inches to be on the safe side. What about your head? Some studies found a link between cellphone use and cancer, especially brain tumors. Others say pressing a phone to your head is fine. Nope. Your phone emits radiofrequency radiation even when you’re not using it. It’s always pinging the nearest cellphone tower. The FCC and FDA both say there’s no consistent scientific proof cellphone radiation causes cancer, but they’re basing that decision on data collected 20 years ago. I know, right?! Some steps to take now Don’t play it by ear: Avoid putting a cellphone right up to your ear. Use speakerphone or headphones when possible. Check your bars: Use your phone only when it has good reception. When your phone works harder to get a signal, the levels of radiation it emits are higher. Speakerphone is the best: Now, Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are OK because they use lower power levels. Distance is your friend: Women, don’t put your phone in your bra. Men, don’t carry your phone in your pants pocket. Here’s why. Keep your know-how going There are other ways to minimize your exposure to cellphone radiation. I can't fit them all here in my newsletter, but I’ve got your back on my site. 🔗 If you learned something or think this could help a pal, do me a solid and use the buttons below to share it. This is important intel that, for some reason, doesn’t get a lot of coverage. |
DEALS OF THE DAY Father’s Day picks: For the grill master 🍗 You love your dad (or a dad in your life), and he loves his grill — perfect gifts. Rolling grill baskets (54% off, $9.99) so he doesn’t scorch the veggies. The best grill brush, period (42% off, $8.62). Sturdy and good-lookin’, too. A grill cleaner (25% off, $11.24) to help Dad deep clean the smoker or grill. You may be thinking, lame, bad gift — but if Dad’s a meat man, he’ll be so pumped. Having a reliable thermometer (52% off, $9.99) means no overcooked burgers! Set of magnetic lights to see what you’re doing (10% off, $11.69) when dinner is late. Or how about something really special? This official Komando fan grilling apron! Oh, it’s perfectly lit! |
WEB WATERCOOLER 🍯 High-tech honeypot: The FBI wanted to spy on criminals doing business on untraceable phones, so they started a phone company. “Anom” sold encrypted phones that secretly sent copies of every message straight to the FBI. Even Anom’s employees knew they were a part of the sting. Their slogan? “Keep secrets safe!” Ahem, not sure spilling the beans about Anom was a great idea ... Lipstick on a pig: The feds now consider buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps a type of credit card. Uh, ya think? Now, buyers will get the same refund and fraud protections they do with plastic while they’re putting off those payments. BNPL companies say they’re a totally different model. Nope. A 30% pay gap: No, not between men and women (that’s still about 16%) — between engineers. AI software engineers now make a median salary of $300,000, or about $100,000 more than other software engineers. Meanwhile, non-AI computer science grads say the job hunt is tougher than ever. Never thought I’d see the day. ⚡️ Not everything can be AI: Microsoft says to advertise as an “AI PC,” computers need three things: Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot (how convenient), a special Copilot button on the keyboard (OK, sure) and an NPU (NP‑who?). The NPU, or Neural Processing Unit, is a processor specially designed for machine learning algorithms. Will that make them work better than a regular PC? TBD. Interview plus-ones? One in four Gen Zers says they’ve brought a parent to their job interview. Another 25% have had their parents submit a job application for them. PSA: If your kid asks you to join their job interview, say no. No matter how badly you want them out of the house, they’ve gotta learn to fly on their own. 👊 Protect your personal info: Ensure your online privacy and keep your sensitive data safe from hackers and identity thieves. I use and recommend ExpressVPN.* Literally one click and you’re protected. Use my link to get three months free. |
LISTEN UP | Google's AI answers are a joke The only way to truly delete iPhone pics, deepfake law written with help from ChatGPT and a warning if your Samsung phone breaks. Play Now • 42:54 ▶ |
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TECH LIFE UPGRADES 💲 If you put a Ring on it: Ring’s raised its Basic video doorbell subscription costs from $3.99 to $4.99 a month. Always something, huh? More than ever, getting SimpliSafe* to protect your whole home is a smarter and cheaper choice. I’m leavin’ on a jet plane: Don’t wait in line for a bad passport pic. Head to Passport Photo Online and follow a few steps to take the perfect shot. It’s easy, and the site tells you exactly what to do. That means you won’t get rejected once you submit the pic. 🌈 Android weather app upgrade: The latest Google redesign is live on most Samsung, Pixel and OnePlus phones. Looks better and has smarter rain predictions, like the ol’ iPhone favorite, Dark Sky. Before you need it: Enable the setting that lets you find your lost iPhone from another device, even if it’s powered off. Go to Settings > Apple ID > Find My > Find My iPhone. Turn on the slider next to Find My Network. Cool way to contribute to science: Nope, not taking some weird pill (or placebo). Researchers need helpers for creating studies, analyzing data and lots more. |
MY TRUSTED ADVICE 🎙️ Every weekend on my award-winning national radio show heard on over 420 stations, I talk with interesting folks like you. Catch these convos on a station near you or as a podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Sarah in Portland, Oregon, received an AirTag from her husband, then he asked for a divorce. She called me asking if it’s still safe to use. Brad in Pensacola lost track of all the sites he’s created accounts with over the years. Sound familiar? Now he needs a solution to wipe those logins. Doug in Sioux Falls is dealing with a nasty case of identity theft. Not his identity, though — someone is pretending to be his business and charging customers. Plus, Don needs a better way to chat with colleagues, Theresa wants to see if her info is on the dark web, James needs a Bluetooth mic to host a dinner for his car club, Kevin is worried about AI voice cloning, and so much more. 📆 Let’s talk about anything digital in your life, whether it’s family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here. |
WHAT THE TECH? “Hold on, gimme amen‑nut!” |
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UNTIL NEXT TIME ... The answer: A.) 3,878. Yeah, that’s it. Wonder if the people who already got their Cybertrucks wish they’d been further down the list so they’d gotten one without the busted accelerator pedal. Oops! 🌿 Did you see Tesla is coming out with an electric lawnmower? It’s called the E‑Lawn. (I know you’re gonna tell someone that.) Car companies are trying to shut down AM radio. Tell your legislators that’s a really bad idea; it’s critical for emergency broadcasts Thank you for reading. I’ll see you back here tomorrow with my annual reminder for how to find free money (yes, really!). Give us a rating below so we know how we’re doing! 🥳 — Kim | |
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