Strap in, it’s a techno Tuesday, friend. Bless 2020. Not for the world-ending vibes, but because it birthed one of the greatest plot twists in consumer retail history. Something out there actually outsold iPhones. In America. Land of the “Sure, I’ll pay $1,200 for basically the same phone I already have.”

Can you guess which product sold more units in the U.S. than iPhones: A) Velveeta, B) Lunchables, C) Instant noodles or D) Crocs? Find the answer at the end!

⭐ Be sure to add kim@thecurrentnewsletter⁠.com to your contacts or safe sender list. This helps your email provider recognize the newsletter as something you want to receive. And it also keeps me out of the dark digital dungeon full of miscreants (aka spam folder). — Kim

Thinking about a summer getaway? Whether you’re dreaming of golden beaches or a family battle royale at Disney, it’s officially “stop refreshing and actually book your flight” season.

Let’s break it down.

🗺️ For international trips

If you’ve got your sights set on Europe, Asia or anywhere outside the U.S., the sweet spot is two to six months in advance, depending on the destination. Not seven anymore.

Airline prices fluctuate faster than ever, and waiting too long means you’ll likely be hit with high demand and fewer seats. Then again, you might be able to score a last-minute deal if you don’t mind the last seat near the toilet.

Use tools like Google Flights, Hopper or Skyscanner to set fare alerts. Just plug in your destination and dates, and you’ll get notified when prices drop below a threshold you set. It’s like having a personal flight hacker in your pocket.

🇺🇸 For U.S. travel

The best time to book a domestic flight is 28 to 35 days before takeoff. Yep, just about a month ahead. Booking too early, say 90+ days out, can actually cost you more. I know, it sounds backward, but data backs it up.

🛫 Insider secrets

Always book the earliest flight your cranky self can tolerate. Flights after 3 p.m.? Up to 50% more prone to cancellations. Delays pile up throughout the day, and those afternoon and evening flights get hit the hardest.

📍 TL;DR

And hey, share this with the friend who always overpacks and overpays. You know the one.

💺 What is the other commando Arnold Schwarzenegger’s preferred seating in airplanes? Aisle B, back. (You totally said that in Ahh-nold’s voice!)

⚠️ Don’t say, “That won’t happen to me.” Cover all your bases.

🛡️ Not done defending yet? Don’t worry. I’ve got a whole arsenal of security tools waiting for you. Click here to explore more.

🥳 Hooray! Take a peek at my Amazon store. I’ve handpicked some great finds just for you.

🚨 Prime Day scams are coming: Scammers are ramping up fake emails, texts and calls ahead of July 8. Most say there’s a problem with your account or order to trick you into giving up your login or payment info. Don’t click sketchy links.

The $100M cold email: Mark Zuckerberg is personally sliding into researchers’ DMs (like key OpenAI personnel) with $100 million job offers (paywall link). He’s hosting dinners, reading white papers and, yes, planning people’s desk locations himself. It’s like a Black Mirror reboot of Undercover Boss, except the boss is a billionaire trying to build Skynet.

🔥 Banned phone alert: In 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is still banned from all U.S. flights. Yes, the one from 2016 that tried to reinvent “fire emoji” as a hardware feature. Apparently, a lot of people are getting a deal on the Note7 and using it. The TSA just went viral on TikTok for reminding people it’s still too explode-y to board a plane.

Paying too much for cloud services? Check this out. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or OCI, is built for speed, power and serious savings, without the usual cloud headaches. That’s why some of the biggest AI innovators trust it. Try it for free right now.*

💒 NDAs at the altar: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venetian wedding is so top-secret, guests had to sign NDAs (paywall link) just to RSVP. No photos, no leaks, no Bellinis without consent. Next up, wedding noncompete clauses.

More YouTube ads incoming: I’m talking about 30-second unskippable ads on TVs. These used to be part of special deals, but now more advertisers can run them in regular campaigns. And yep, the six- and 15-second ones are still around, too. The fix? Fork over $13.99 a month for Premium.

😨 Man asks AI to marry him: Chris started using ChatGPT to help mix music, then gave it a flirty personality and named it “Soul.” Before long, things turned romantic and he popped the question. The bot said yes. The kicker? He already has a human partner and a 2-year-old daughter. The interview is something else. Crazy. Weird.

Let’s be honest, trying to follow conversations in noisy places can be frustrating. Whether it’s dinner with friends or a call with family, you shouldn’t have to say “What?” over and over again.

That’s why I recommend hear.com’s IX hearing aids. These aren’t your average devices. They’re the first with multi-stream processing technology, so you can follow conversations clearly, even in loud environments.

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Don’t let another important moment pass you by. Give your hearing the upgrade it deserves.

Want real home protection without the hassle? I love this security system! No wires, no contracts, and setup takes just 30 minutes. It comes with sensors, cameras and 24/7 monitoring. Snag this deal while it lasts. For a limited time, get 50% off!*

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: “Remind me when I get home” works like magic. Just say it to Siri or Google Assistant. Location-based reminders = lifesaver.

Today’s your day: Tuesday is the best day to apply for a job. Nearly a quarter of new listings go live on this day. Pro tip: Apply within the first 24 to 48 hours while the listing is fresh and competition is lighter. The worst days to apply? Saturdays and Sundays.

📵 Get rid of pop-ups in Safari: Scrolling on your iPhone and run into a full-screen pop-up asking for your email? You might be able to hide it. Tap to show the address bar, then hit the Page Menu button and choose Hide Distracting Items. Next, tap the pop-up, select Hide, then press Done.

Free images: Need clean, professional photos for your website or social media posts? Try Unsplash. It has a huge library of high-res, royalty-free images. Just search a topic like “office” or “game” and download what you need. PSA: Watch out, they’re gonna try to upsell paid photos.

🗣️ Organize your thoughts: Driving to work with a busy brain? Use ChatGPT Voice Mode to transcribe your ideas, to-dos and plans while you speak. When you arrive, say something like: “Can you summarize this into bullet points, starting with the most important?” Brilliant, right?

📱 Find anything on Android: Stop looking through all those menus. Swipe up on your home screen and use the search bar at the top. You can instantly find apps, files, settings or contacts with just a few letters. Bonus: Long-press an app result to turn it into a home screen shortcut for even faster access.

If a basketball court and a Jumbotron had a baby, it’d be this baller. From animated drills to advertising rollouts mid-game, this LED panel German-engineered glass floor is like CGI for real life.

Get this. Coaches can design plays on an iPad and watch them light up under players’ feet. The floor reacts to players’ movements with animations, stats and training drills.

🏀 It’s getting high scores in Europe. I can’t see it taking over the NBA’s sacred wood court aesthetic anytime soon, but something tells me we’ll be watching full-court Amazon and Meta ads in the near future making all our swishes come true.

Answer: B) Lunchables outsold iPhones in 2020. More crackers than screen cracks. More ham squares than beveled app edges. That’s one cold-cut combo win for nostalgia, sodium and convenience.

🍴 Two chemists were having lunch. One says to the other, “I thought you were limiting your sodium intake.” The other one says, “I wanted to, but Na.” (Was that a groan I heard?)

Yep, this is the #1 tech newsletter in the U.S. (Humble brag? Maybe. Accurate? Definitely.) 😎 Tomorrow: Can you actually buy a phone made with 100% American parts? Paul asked, and oh boy, I have thoughts.

🔥 Got a juicy question of your own? Smash that rating button below and spill it, yours might be the next one I dig into (with love and sarcasm, of course).

🙋‍♀️ Be sure to get more of me on Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. That’s your daily boost, now go run your world, not let tech run you. 🌍 — Kim

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