Plus: WTH texts, Big Tech warrants, FB photo detective โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ In partnership with NativePath | Good morning! Sunday is upon us, friend. I texted my son yesterday, โGetting in the shower,โ and autocorrect changed it to โGetting in the sewer.โ He replied, โSewer later, alligator! ๐โ Thereโs an insider secret for taking control of autocorrect on your phone at the end you donโt want to miss. โYou look so good!โ Iโve taken collagen for years for better nails, skin and hair. Itโs great for your joints and recovery, too. Hit this link if you want to try it. More info on NativePath below. First, on to the tech smarts to make sure youโre never left techโbehind. โ Kim โ
Catch my national radio show as a podcast on your schedule! Here are the links to wherever you get your podcasts. ๐ฌ Was this email forwarded? Sign up here for free | TODAY'S TOP STORY Free travel planner? Yes, please Iโm going to Europe soon, and planning my trip was a breeze. Yes, really! AI did a big chunk of the work for me โ and it can help you plan your next getaway, too. Here are a few ways to turn AI into your travel agent. For this, letโs stick with using the big bots: ChatGPT: My preferred AI chatbot; gives the best results. Gemini: Googleโs chatbot is integrated into Google Flights and Google Hotels. I donโt think itโs as thorough as ChatGPT, and it often throws in opinions. 1. Start with your likes and wants Your AI travel buddy can do so much more than suggest tourist traps โ it can help you create a truly tailored adventure. ๐จ By interests AI can curate a list of spots that match your hobbies: "Find me the best food tours in Paris that include wine tastings." "What are some scenic hiking trails within 30 miles of Denver?" "Suggest must-see art galleries in NYC for modern art lovers." โ๏ธ By weather AI can suggest destinations based on your preferred climate: "Find me a warm destination in the U.S. for January with average temps above 70 degrees Fahrenheit." "What are the best ski resorts in Wyoming for late December?" "Where can I play golf in May with mild, spring-like weather?" ๐ญ By occasion or vibe Not sure where you want to go? Let AI find the perfect match for your mood: "What are some romantic destinations in Italy?" "Suggest family-friendly vacation spots with amusement parks and beaches." โWhere can I go for a budget-friendly beach vacation in March?" The best part? AI doesnโt just offer generic lists; it crafts your dream trip based on what you love or need โ or just want to experience. 2. Ask the right questions This one hit the jackpot for me: "What are unique experiences in Berlin and Vienna during the first week of January?" The results? Festive Christmas markets, snowy countryside escapes and a hot springs spa. Not bad, right? For every city on my trip, I got creative with prompts: "Help me plan a route between Paris and Vienna. My family loves unique experiences, scenic drives and amazing food." "Iโm visiting Berlin. What are the tourist things I shouldnโt miss?" "Whatโs a day-by-day itinerary for Paris that includes local food, hidden gems and cultural mustโsees?" Donโt stop at the basics! Dig deeper: "Whatโs an underrated restaurant where locals eat in [destination]?" "Which festivals or seasonal events are happening in [destination] on [dates]?" "Whatโs the easiest way to save on tickets and/or skip the lines for [popular attraction]?" 3. Time to pack like a pro! Weโve all forgotten our phone chargers or overpacked like weโre moving abroad for a weekend trip. Pack perfectly: โWhat should I pack for a [length of trip] to [destination] in [month]?โ Weatherproof your wardrobe: โWhatโs the weather typically like in [destination] in [month]?โ Stay document-ready: โWhat documents do I need for [destination]?โ This way, youโre prepped for customs if youโre leaving the country. (Btw, you can now renew your passport online.) ๐ I hope this tip inspires you! Share this with your favorite travel buddy and start planning for your next getaway. Bon voyage! |
MY TRUSTED ADVICE ๐๏ธ 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 find my weekend show as a podcast in your favorite podcast player. Hadlie in Utah met a guy on Tinder who seemed perfect โฆ until he wasnโt. After a few dates, he took her to a park and tried to kill her. Kirk and Jacob McKinney, the "Junk Teens," started collecting junk in high school from the local dump to sell on Facebook Marketplace. Now, theyโre set to make $1.2 million this year! Rick in Portland, Maine, has a collection of tapes recorded by his uncle, a Lutheran pastor born in 1898. He has a hundred years to transcribe. Plus, Dr. Moore talks job scams, Judy needs help with an old disk, Randy protects his mom from phone fraud, Kurt keeps butt-dialing, Monique wants a secure diary and much more! ๐ Letโs talk about anything digital in your life, whether itโs family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here. |
WEB WATERCOOLER ๐ก WTH? Black people in over 20 states are receiving racist text messages ordering them to report to plantations for slave labor. These hate-filled messages, which target kids and adults alike, are sent from unknown numbers, many of which are through the anonymous TextNow app. Job scam warning: Retailers and shipping companies are hiring in droves ahead of the holidays. UPS, Amazon, FedEx, Target and all the rest are looking for folks, but they wonโt make initial contact with you via email or text. Go to a potential employerโs website and find the โCareersโ section to apply directly. Feature or bug? Criminalsโ iPhones are rebooting on their own when seized by the cops, and it's all tied to a recent iOS 18 security update. Law enforcement is calling it a nightmare when it comes to retrieving evidence. Here's the issue: When the phone reboots, it defaults to a โBefore First Unlockโ state. Even if police use third-party tools to try to access the data, they can only get limited information. No word yet on a fix. ๐ฎ โChatGPT saved my lifeโ: Thatโs what a Redditor says after he asked the bot about chest tightness, dizziness and nausea. ChatGPT confirmed his shortness of breath and sweating, too, and suggested he might be having a cardiac event. The bot was spot on: He was in the early stages of a heart attack. Pro tip: Call 911 instead of using a chatbot. โBratโ: Thatโs the Collins Dictionaryโs word of the year, describing a โbratโ as someone with a confident, independent and hedonistic vibe. Singer Charli XCX, whose album, โBrat,โ inspired redefining the term, adds a โbratโ is a girl whoโs a little messy, volatile, loves to party and says dumb stuff sometimes. Use this one with your favorite teen. Working the system: Cybercriminals are using hacked government and law enforcement email addresses to request customer data from Big Tech companies. Police usually need a search warrant for files and messages, but for basic details like phone numbers, login credentials and approximate locations, a request is all it takes. 27 bids later: The first painting by a humanoid robot just sold for $1.08 million. Auctioned by Sothebyโs in New York, it was expected to go for $180,000, tops. The piece, titled โAI God,โ is a portrait of Alan Turing, a renowned mathematician and computer scientist. The buyer got ripped off. Retailers donโt want me to tell you this: Prices change on some websites depending on where you live. The fix is a VPN. Turn on ExpressVPN,* then switch servers until you find the lowest price. Buy through there, then ship it to your home address. |
Your own fountain of youth OK, weโre not getting any younger. Thatโs why we all need the boosting powers of collagen, scientifically proven to help with the signs of aging. Hereโs what happens to our bodies. Starting in our 30s, collagen production naturally slows down. This is part of the reason we start to feel creakier in the morning and never look quite as refreshed, even after a good nightโs sleep. Thatโs where NativePath Collagen comes in. It can help with: Reducing wrinkles and skin elasticity Easing joint pain Supporting bone density Strengthening hair and nails Itโs so easy to get the collagen your body wants. Just add two scoops of NativePathโs flavorless, single-ingredient supplement to whatever you want. I like it in my morning coffee. Voila, just like that, you get 20 grams of collagen protein. Easy. I take NativePath, and, just to let you know, if youโre not completely satisfied with NativePathโs results, youโll get your money back โ no questions asked. For a limited time, get 45% off and free shipping! โ Please support our sponsors! |
TECH LIFE UPGRADES Channel your inner detective: Every Facebook photo has an ID number that lets you find exactly who posted it. On your computer, right-click on a photo on Facebook, then hit Open in New Tab. In the new tab, look at the address bar, and copy the middle set of numbers in the URL. Then, type https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= in the address bar and paste in the numbers right after the equal sign. Press Enter and badaโbing. Cheaper phone bill, please: Not everyone has unlimited data. If you use Chrome on iOS, hereโs an easy way to lower your data usage. In the lower right corner of Chrome, tap the three dots > Settings > Bandwidth > Preload Webpages > Only on WiโFi. Done! Android split-screen trick: Did you know you can create a home screen shortcut for apps you use frequently together, like your fave recipe app and Spotify? Just tap the appโs icon > Split screen. Tap between the two apps > Save app pair. Less work, double the apps. Like all things Android, these steps may vary on your device. ๐งฝ No scrubs: Raise your hand if your air fryer is disgusting inside. Try this viral cleaning tip: Instead of scrubbing, squirt in some dish soap, add a little water and run it for about 3 minutes. Voila, all clean! Hear ye, hear ye! Give yourself the life-changing gift of better hearing and stop blasting the TV volume, getting frustrated in conversations or asking people to repeat what theyโve said. Take a free hearing assessment right now* to see if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial of top-notch hearing aids. |
DEALS OF THE DAY Cozy season is upon us ๐ These are great to gift yourself โฆ or, you know, someone on your gift list. Put up stained glass window film (18% off) and never worry about your neighbors judging you for watching nine hours of โJudge Judy.โ Add pizazz to your football-watching with a TV backlight (under $30). Woo, get $10 off if you click the coupon box! Too cold to get out of bed? You need a lap desk. Missed the northern lights? This cube (17% off, under $20) projects them onto your ceiling for some funky cosmic ambiance. A hanging disco ball planter adds sparkle and comes with a self-watering insert. Click the coupon box for 7% off. With a cute candle warmer, your favorites last longer than if you burn them all day. Donโt miss the 15% off coupon. |
SUNDAY TO-DO LIST Count: All the ways youโve handed info over to Google. On this dashboard, youโll see everything from the number of emails youโve gotten over the years to how many of your passwords are in Chrome. ๐ช Indulge: In a gooey skillet cookie sundae. โWhipped cream optional,โ said no one ever. Illuminate: The room with an LED handbag that comes in seven colors with four color modes. Perfect for holiday parties. ๐ถโโ๏ธ Walk: Get your steps in with my free podcast to learn a ton and laugh along the way. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... One for the road: On both iPhone and Android, you can add text shortcuts to your autocorrect settings. For example, type "omw" to change your text automatically to "On my way!" You can make up any shortcuts, such as "ott" for "On the toilet," โlolโ for โLiving on Lipitor,โ โkdmcโ for โKids driving me crazyโ and โomgโ for โOh, my gout.โ On iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. On Android: Head to Settings > System > Language & Input > Personal Dictionary. ๐ฟ Gotta run! I just got a notification from Amazon about the spices I ordered. The thyme has come. โ Before I go, hereโs a reminder to hit this link for 45% off NativePath. Their collagen mixes into coffee and smoothies, no prob. Itโs great for your joints and recovery. See you back here tomorrow for another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! โ Kim |
Komando Referral Program Refer one person That's all you need to get my latest eBook, "50 Smart Ways to Use AI," a $9.95 value โ yours for FREE! 1๏ธโฃ Copy your link: https://referrer.komando.com/8818309c/3 2๏ธโฃ Share your link on social media, through email, in a text โ your call! 3๏ธโฃ Kick back and relax! When someone uses your link to sign up for my newsletter, I'll send my new eBook to your email address. CLICK TO SHARE โ Or copy and paste this link to others: https://referrer.komando.com/8818309c/3 In "50 Smart Ways to Use AI," Kim shares helpful prompts for today's most common AI chatbots. Whether you're tackling spreadsheets, planning rainy-day activities or developing a wellness plan, let AI handle the heavy lifting for you! | |
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