Laden...
| December 1, 2023 |
| In partnership with Tractive |
| Hello, Friday! Can you believe it’s December already? That leads me to today’s trivia. On this day 24 years ago, the domain business.com sold for $7.5 million, the most expensive at the time. What’s the most expensive domain name today? Is it … A.) hotels.com, B.) sex.com, C.) NFTs.com or D.) voice.com? Answer at the end! Have a furry friend at home? You have to take a sec to check out today’s partner, Tractive. They make the best dog (and cat!) GPS trackers out there. Unlike AirTags and Tile trackers, which rely on Bluetooth, Tractive uses a sophisticated cellular network. I can’t imagine how heartbroken we’d be if Abby went missing! — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE🎄 I want one of each🔋 Do EVs hold up better than gas cars?☎️ Talk to a real person at Amazon |
TODAY'S TOP STORYYou asked! More tech gifts for everyone on your listSo proud of all you early shoppers trying to knock out your holiday lists. I love hearing how much I’m helping you find the perfect present. Here are some more tech gifts that’ll definitely score you some points! Bird lovers will appreciate this smart bird feeder with a camera. It connects right to their phone and has a great app, too.Upgrade their home security with a smart door knob that features a biometric lock.Barry loves his DJI drone. This one is good for beginners and pros.This smart shower head has tremendous pressure, saves water and has a ton of settings. Ahhh!For the budding star or casual player, a smart basketball is perfect for shot training.See who’s at the door from an app on your phone with a Ring smart peephole camera.I love this vintage-looking portable record player. It comes with Bluetooth — and a really great price.Fore! This cool smart golf swing simulator has a stick for the driver.This is a really great 3D printer for the maker, inventor or tinkerer.The fix-it person will love an HD endoscope inspection camera with a super-long cord and light.Here’s a great electric toothbrush that I use. Love the timer!Earbuds aren’t comfy when you’re trying to rest. This sleep headphone mask is wonderful at home and for travel.For the iPhone person in your life, Apple AirPods will be a hit.Shaving stinks. This laser hair removal device for men and women just works.For kiddos, the Amazon Fire HD Kids Pro tablet is easy to use and comes with a smashproof guarantee.I use my Amazon Echo Show all the time in the kitchen. It’s perfect for older adults, too, especially if they have a caregiver.It’s a splurge, but everyone who tries it loves an Apple iPad. Barry uses his all the time.Get your steps in at home with this ultra-slim folding treadmill.This great dashcam from Garmin records while you’re driving and watches your car when you’re away.Oh, luxury at last! Always have hot towels within reach with this warmer.For the hosts or iced coffee lovers, this countertop ice maker makes fantastic nuggets like Sonic sells.Get this sound system for the person who loves to watch shows and movies. It’s super for those with hearing loss, too.This hat with Bluetooth will keep their head warm while they’re listening to music — and taking or making calls.It’s time already! Get them into the streaming age with this great Roku system.✅ In case you missed my first list of the best 25 tech gifts from the other day, check it now while you’re thinking about it. 🎄 What do you call a Christmas wreath made out of $100 bills? Aretha Franklins. (Was that a laugh I heard?) |
Never lose your dog or cat againYou’ll always know what your beloved pet is up to with Tractive GPS, the world’s most trusted pet tracker. Whether you’re at home or across the world, you’ll be able to follow your furbaby’s every step right from your phone — bringing you 24/7 peace of mind. Live GPS: Get location updates every 2 seconds.Virtual fences: Set no-go zones and get alerts when your escape artist wanders too far.Wellness tracking: Monitor their activity, sleep and get health alerts so you can spot potential issues early.Unlimited range: Tractive GPS has the highest connectivity on the market, with plans starting at just $5 a month.Perfect fit: From the CAT Mini to the classic dog tracker to the XL Adventure edition, Tractive protects all pets of all sizes.I negotiated a deal just for you. Use code KOMANDO to save 40% at checkout! → |
WEB WATERCOOLER💸 “The government wants to give you $6,400.” The viral Facebook post and video show folks celebrating imaginary bank boosts. Click a link, chat with a “rep,” and poof — money! Right? Wrong. It’s just another way to steal your identity. Don’t fall for these scams. You’re smarter than that. What if Mr. Onion rings? Cell reception in cities is getting worse thanks to overcrowded airwaves, no matter the carrier. In 2023, there are more dropped calls and sluggish data than ever. Wi‑Fi and mesh networks ease the pain, but really, things won’t get better unless we get more towers. No wonder satellite phone service futures are so hot right now. Dollar Tree data breach: After an August hack, about 2 million former and current Dollar Tree and Family Dollar employees had their names, birthdays and Social Security numbers swiped. They’re offering a year of identity protection. Scammers will never leaf them alone. 🔋 ¡Ay, car-amba! Consumer Reports says EVs and plug-in hybrids are high-maintenance hogs, with 79% and 146% more problems than gas cars, respectively. What kind of problems? Everything from battery issues to transmission troubles. When it comes to reliability, gas cars win. I think I’ll take my 1964 Mustang out for a spin today to celebrate. Useful or creepy? Google's Nest cams just learned a new trick — alerting you if your garage door's ajar. You'll need a Nest Cam and a Nest Aware subscription but no extra hardware. This is handy for the forgetful among us. Look for this option in the app's settings. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”: Rolling Stones superfans, ready to rock, crashed the AARP's website in a mad dash for presale tour tickets. Hit this site for the general sale — it’s a gas, gas, gas! |
DEVICE ADVICEHow to talk to an actual person at AmazonOnline chat is a good starting point if you only need a delivery date or to return something. For confusing situations, you’re better off talking to an actual person. An Amazon customer service rep will call you if you know this trick. While logged into your Amazon account, hover your cursor over Account & Lists and click Account.Next, click Customer Service > Something else > I need more help, which will open a chat box.Tap OK, then type, "Talk to a representative." The chat assistant will offer a couple of options. Select Request a phone call. I’ve never waited more than 3 minutes for a phone call. Have your order number handy.📲 Know the secret number: Rather call Amazon yourself? Whatever you do, don’t Google a big company’s support phone number. Odds are, it’ll be a scam. Here’s the secret phone number to call Amazon’s customer service: 1‑888‑280‑4331. You’re welcome! |
🎙️ Your 2-minute tech genius boostWhile you're brushing your teeth, waiting for your toast or sipping your first coffee of the day, I deliver the top tech news story and a digital life hack, all within two minutes. No rambling, no fluff — just straight-to-the-point tech talk. |
TECH LIFE UPGRADESiPhone speedster: There’s a new, faster way to send pics to your friends in iOS 17. Open Messages, then tap and hold the + button until you see your photo gallery. Tap the picture or video you want and send away. 📺 If you’re shopping for a TV: Don’t. Wait till the new year. Lower-end models are usually the ones on sale around the holidays. Before the Super Bowl in February, higher-end models are discounted, too. What the heck does that mean? Let’s say you read a word or phrase online and want to know more about it. Just highlight it, right-click and select Search Google. Sweet. Get a FREE post on LinkedIn: Lori in Carmel, Indiana, wrote me that she’s having a heck of a time finding help for her small business. Do what I do. Post your job opening on LinkedIn. Use this link to get a free post.* You’ll find qualified candidates quickly! |
BY THE NUMBERS73% Internet traffic attributed to malicious bots. Bad Bot attacks include those programmed to create fake accounts, take over real accounts and scrape data. No surprise, technology, shopping and social media sites are the biggest targets. 52% Increase in veggies kids will eat if you make it fun. Researchers at BYU tested this out with peas and carrots in the same bowl as potatoes cut into smiley faces. Potatoes (ahem, fries) make me smile, too. 51 Years since the U.S. has been to the moon. On Jan. 25, the lander Peregrine is expected to touchdown. Astrobotic, a private American company, developed it. Fun fact: The moon moves about an inch and a half from Earth each year. |
WHAT THE TECH?I saw a post on Facebook Marketplace that read, “TV for sale, $25, volume stuck on full.” I thought to myself, I can’t turn that down. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ...The answer: D.) voice.com sold for $30 million in 2019. The other answers were top sellers, too; hotels.com sold for $11 million in 2001, sex.com sold for $13 million in 2010, and NFTs.com went for $15 million in 2022. I don’t think this trend is going to continue. As more people use AI, websites will have to innovate or evaporate. Speaking of … I’m thinking about starting a cooking website for chefs to show their skills. Going to call it OnlyPans. (Oh, that was a good one!) 🐶🐱 This is super important: Research shows your cat or dog dreams about how much fun they have with you. That’s one reason you need to make sure they’re always safe with a Tractive tracker. Works better than AirTags or Tile trackers! See you right back here tomorrow! — Kim |
Komando Referral ProgramShare this newsletter → Earn prizes!Step 1: Copy your unique referral link:https://www.komando.com/friends/?referralCode=0rvmdp6&refSource=copy Step 2: Share your link!Post it on social media, send it in a text or paste it into an email to a pal. If they sign up using that link, you get the credit! |
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| Photo credit(s): Amazon.com |
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