Hello there on a wonderful, cold Sunday! This party starts with trivia. It took radio 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million and just 13 years for television to hit that mark. How long did it take Facebook to reach 50 million users? Was it … A.) Six months, B.) One-and-a-half years, C.) Three years or D.) Five years? You’ll find the answer at the end.

🎉 Win an official Kim Komando Show fanny pack! To enter, just reply to this email right now with the word “Fanny.” I’ll even autograph it if you’d like. Hurry! I’m picking the winner on Tuesday morning.

📩 Loyal reader Joan asked me if I post these newsletters on my website. Sure do! Go to komando.com and click that yellow “Latest issue” button at the top right for today’s issue, or browse the archive here. And now, on to enriching your digital life! — Kim

If you’ve listened to my show or read my newsletter for a while, you know I’m a car gal. There really isn’t much rhyme or reason to my car collection; you might see me rolling around in my 1946 Chevy truck, 1964‑1/2 Mustang or 2015 gull-wing SLS Mercedes. My daily ride is my G‑Wagon.

I always pay special attention to the automotive tech at CES. Sure, this year’s show in Vegas revealed flying taxis and Honda’s DMC DeLorean clone. But let’s check out some of the tech coming to our cars sooner rather than later. I’m talking about things like:

What else is on the way? Let’s dive in.

¡Ay, car-amba!

You’re driving down the highway and the car alongside you changes colors from black to white. You’re not losing your mind. It’s going from heat-absorbing black to a reflective white to deal with the blazing sun.

Sounds like sci-fi, but BMW is experimenting with a car covered with "digital ink" that can switch to one of 32 colors on the fly. Yes, I def would make sure my car matched my nails.

Drive-thru discounts

Ever used an E-ZPass toll? That same RFID technology can allow your car to pay for your fast-food order, and some people are thinking even bigger — like the Volvo VP who said they want their cars to become “essentially just like Apple Wallet.”

Look, Ma! No hands!

Cars will be equipped with a sophisticated array of sensors, along with multiple high-resolution cameras, advanced ultrasound features and radar systems. Plus, LiDAR technology will be baked in for precise distance mapping and AI-driven analytics.

Cars will even know when emergency services vehicles are on the road. Yes, that means they’ll hear your commute karaoke, too.

Dude, where’s my car?

All this tech also means our cars become even more vulnerable to hackers. A new smart car runs with over 100 million lines of code.

Thankfully, next-gen cars will likely get software updates automatically from manufacturers. I just hope they don’t come as annoying pop-ups in the middle of my windshield as I’m about to make a left-hand turn.

🅿️ The other day, I had to go to my local city hall to finalize the permits for my new house. Just when I found the perfect parking spot, a cop came up to me and said, “Ma’am, you can’t park there. That’s for our politicians.” I replied, “It’s OK! I locked my car.” He didn’t laugh.

You’ll notice they’re all from the same brand. Nope, they’re not sponsored; Thorne just makes high-quality supplements I never have to worry about taking. I’m not a doctor, though, and I don’t play one on the internet, so check with your physician before taking any supplements.

💊 Not sure what a supplement does or how much to take? This site compiles the scientific research for you. Super cool!

Bravo’s Andy Cohen makes a $100K mistake: He lost his debit card, then he got a phony email from his "bank" and clicked the link. Scammers tricked him into sharing money transfer codes and rerouted bank calls. Cohen's advice? Double-check email addresses and don’t rush financial decisions that push for “urgent” action. PSA: If you know Andy, tell him if read this newsletter, this wouldn’t have happened to him.

🎤 George Carlin is back: He died 15 years ago, but now, comedy AI Dudesy mimics Carlin in "I’m Glad I’m Dead." Virtual George jokes about everything from billionaires to AI itself. But Carlin's daughter, Kelly, isn't happy about it. On X, she says no AI can touch her father's genius. It’s pretty darn good.

What's up with ChatGPT? It's been slacking off lately, leaving tasks incomplete. I’ve totally seen this! OpenAI is puzzled; they haven't updated that platform since Nov. 11. I call BS — I’ll bet they changed up the answer algorithms because they were sued for $100 billion by The New York Times, just to name one lawsuit.

If you have a Gen Zer in the fam: To dodge the embarrassment of unfiltered pics on social media, teens are hiding their faces in family photos using their hands. It’s called the “nose cover.” Parents, take note: Ask your kids before sharing their faces online.

🔒 401(k) phishing: Be careful next time you get an email about HR updates. Scammers are using the lure of 401(k) plans and benefits to sneak in fake links and QR codes that lead to fake sites. Topics like salary changes, surveys and open enrollment are red flags, too. When in doubt, call your HR department and ask them about anything directly.

💻 Kids having tech tantrums? You’re not alone. A 12-week study points to three winning strategies: 1.) Tell kids how much screen time they have, 2.) Involve kids in activities inspired by their favorite shows, and 3.) Let kids decide on screen time duration. Been there, done that. Good luck!

I love me some Hot Corners: Get your mind out of the gutter! Open your Mac’s system settings and search for “Mission Control” or “Hot Corner.” You’ll see four dropdown menus, one for each corner of your screen. Click on each to assign a specific action, such as showing your desktop on mouseover, starting the screensaver or putting your display to sleep.

Don’t get sucked in: Autoplay videos work … to keep you scrolling. If you don’t like them on Facebook, change it. On a phone: More > gear icon > Media > Never Autoplay Videos. On a computer, click the down arrow in the top right corner, then go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Video, and switch off “Auto‑Play.”

Want to turbocharge your Windows skills? Say hello to virtual desktops! It's like having multiple desktops on one computer. In Windows 10 and 11, hit the Task View button (it looks like two stacked squares) on your taskbar or use the snazzy shortcut Windows key + Tab. This is a game-changer for when you're juggling different projects. Each virtual desktop is a clean slate — no more clutter.

Wait, wait — don’t tell me! Your sleep score (reported from an Apple Watch, Fitbit, your smart mattress, whatever) can make or break your day. Researchers told people they slept horribly, and they performed worse on tests. Tell folks they slept like a champ, and they perform better. Takeaway: Don’t look at your sleep score until later in the day so you can decide how you feel.

Give me a minute: Type “breathing exercise” into Google and you’ll get a one-minute winddown that walks you through when to breathe in and out. It's for when you're lung overdue to relax.

❓ Every week on my show, I talk with fascinating folks and those who could use a little help with something digital. Catch these convos this weekend on a station near you or as a podcast.

Plus, Robert needs AI help for his small biz, Mary Jo needs an online donation setup for her church, Judy wants advice on Stripe payments, Ryan wants to document his digital pics, and much more!

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.

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Eat: Your favorite restaurant soup at home with these copycat recipes. Yum!

Sip: A pineapple upside-down cocktail. How good does that sound?

Download: The Kindle app and put a book on your phone. Perfect if you want to do less scrolling and more reading in 2024.

Laugh: This cracked me up. Historic paintings — if the subjects actually had expressions on their faces.

Fun: Go to the O’Reilly Auto Parts website and search for “121G.”

OK, fine, I’ll go camping!

The answer: C.) Three years. After launching in 2004, Facebook took just three years to gather a user base of 50 million. Since Meta now owns Facebook, the only product worth using is Meta‑mucil!

🍑 Reminder: Enter to win a super-sweet and not-at-all-dorky Kim Komando Show fanny pack. Simply reply to this email, and in your message body, type the word “Fanny.” Hit “Send” and you’re entered. That’s it!

🌛 See you back here tomorrow, in the best tech newsletter in the USA, for a special story about a truly out-of-this-world data project. (Pun very much intended!) Enjoy your Sunday and smile because you’re amazing! I am grateful you are here with me each day. — Kim