The Current + AT&T lawsuit payout, dumb TikTok challenge, Amazon changes and type 1 diabetes breakthrough - In partnership with LinkedIn | Welcome to your Saturday, friend. You know that lilā rectangular box of juice you used to jab a straw into like a caffeinated surgeon? Yeah, it wasnāt meant for juice at all. It was actually dreamed up for something wilder. Bolder. Less sticky. š§ Take a guess what the inventor of the juice box originally designed it for: A) Emergency medical supplies, B) Storing oil samples, C) Space travel or D) Military rations? Find the answer at the end! š Iām here to bestow tech know-how youāll use time and time again. Iāve packed in lots of goodies to share with your family and friends, so be a pal and pass me along! ā Kim š« First-time reader? Sign up here. (Itās free!) | TODAY'S DEEP DIVE You need this Image: ChatGPT The Fourth of July is coming in hot, and so is some absolutely bonkers traffic. And while fireworks light up the sky, accidents and road rage are lighting up our highways. You need a dashcam An Oklahoma City driver laid on his horn when an SUV started drifting in his lane. Things escalated quickly. The SUV driver swerved to block the honking driver, then pulled a gun and shot him. Thankfully, the victim made a full recovery, and his dashcam recorded it all. Police identified and arrested the gunman thanks to that footage. Key cam specs Letās start with the obvious. If youāre in an accident and not at fault, itās easier to prove if you have it on tape. But cameras donāt just record crashes. Good dashcams can also detect collisions, alert emergency services and even beep if you start drifting lanes like youāre in a slow-motion Fast & Furious audition. Nice upgrade for an older car! Some also have parking mode with break-in sensors that sound an alarm and record the whole thing. My picks I always like to give you three options, but if you want a dashcam, get the Redtiger one. Itās a great one at a great price! Nexar Pro ($145, 27% off): This records HD video, has GPS data tracking and anti-theft alerts. It also auto-records short clips. Pruveeo 360-degree cam ($139.99): It has dual front and rear cameras, night vision and automatically saves footage of a crash. š Best value because itās on deep discount right now. Redtiger F7NP ($89.99, 55% off): This 4K and 1080p dual camera setup captures whatās happening in front and behind your car. Itās got built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, night vision and a wide 140° lens. Love this feature: The parking monitor keeps an eye on your car when youāre not in it. Makes a great gift, too! š I went on a road trip with my friend in his Honda. We agreed on everything: what to eat, where to stay, what to see and do. We were of one Accord. (Oh, was that a groan I heard?) |
THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW Viral missing cop post is a scam A viral Facebook post says a 27-year-old cop vanished. Hereās the deal: Sgt. Katie Cunningham is alive and well. She joins us to set the record straight. Plus, the truth behind the latest TikTok ban rumors and how tariffs could boost your YouTube views. Listen on Komando.com ā |
WEB WATERCOOLER š§ Viral trend, real brain damage: Talk to your kids about TikTokās risky new āDusting Challenge.ā This brain stunt features teens inhaling computer duster spray for what they think is a quick high. What theyāre actually getting: seizures, suffocation and possible brain damage. AT&Tās $5K oops: Did your call logs hit the dark web? You might get paid for it. AT&T agreed to shell out $177M over two juicy data breaches, one from 2019, the other from 2024. You could snag up to $5K, but youāve gotta prove actual losses. Notifications begin Aug. 4. š Amazonās getting faster: Same or next-day delivery is coming to over 4,000 small towns and cities by the end of the year. Itās part of a $4 billion plan to triple the size of the companyās rural network. Bonus: Prime Day runs July 8 to 11. Click here to snag early deals. š» RIP, blue screen of death: After nearly 40 years, Windows is ditching the classic BSOD error message. You know, the one with the frowning face and QR code? Itās being replaced with a black screen that shows the stop code and the system driver that caused the crash. The update rolls out later this summer. Fashion forward AI: Googleās new app Doppl lets you upload a body pic and then deepfakes you into different outfits. It also makes videos, in case you needed CGI proof that you canāt pull off cargo pants. š Donāt wait until itās too late: Iāve said it for years, viruses attack fast. Thatās why I trust TotalAV. Rock-solid protection on up to 5 devices. Only $19 for the first year. Smart, simple, and it works!* š A note about Google watching your texts: I told you about this yesterday, and the link worked for some people but not all.Itās surprisingly tricky to turn off Googleās Gemini AI text tracking. Youāve gotta manually yank its permissions. Think of it like breaking up with a clingy ex who still has a key. Head to gemini.google.com/apps and toggle the switch off for Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, etc. These might not pop up on your end, yet, but anticipate a rollout sometime before July 7. |
| Finding the perfect candidate for an open job can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Enter LinkedIn. With millions of job seekers at your fingertips, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of skilled folks ready to make a difference. Iāve used LinkedIn to assemble my standout team who help put together this newsletter, my national radio show, our podcast and everything else we do. LinkedInās advanced tools make the hiring process smoother than ever. They even help you put together the ideal job description so you can focus on what matters ā growing your business. Post your job for FREE! ā Please support our sponsors! |
Daily Tech Update AI will take these jobs From web developers to call center reps, hereās whoās being replaced first. Listen on Komando.com ā |
DEALS OF THE DAY Keep calm and carry-on (luggage) āļø Your trip just got a first-class upgrade. šŖ« Phone dying? No biggie, grab a portable fast charger ($28.88) with built-in cords. No more digging through your bag. š Chill pills, organized: This pocket-size organizer (30% off) holds all your meds. 4.3 stars and 25,000+ reviews. š§³ Bye-bye, bulk: Fit everything in your suitcase with these vacuum storage bags (25% off). More room = more outfits. šØ Steamer on standby: Skip the sketchy hotel iron. This handheld steamer (8% off) is ready in just 30 seconds. š
Your portable vanity: Grab a makeup bag ($24.99) that folds flat for your luggage and hangs tall in your hotel bathroom. š§¼ Soap on the go: Public restroom out of soap? Whip out one of these soap sheets (23% off). You get 300 in one pack. š This is just the first stop: Explore my Amazon storefront for extra travel goodies and more. |
DEVICE ADVICE šļø Tune in this weekend! My national radio show is airing coast to coast on 420+ stations, and youāre officially invited. Iām sharing smart tech tips, digital life hacks, stories too wild for the newsletter, and chatting with listeners like you. Donāt miss it! Find your local station or get the podcast. ā”ļø 3-second tech genius: Press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the last tab you closed in your browser. Love that. š Mac save shortcut: Working in Pages and donāt want to dig through folders to save your file? After hitting Command + S, a save window pops up. If you already have a Finder window open where you want to save it, just grab the folder icon in its title bar and drag it into the Save window. Adjust text size on Windows: When you set up Windows 11, it picks the text and icon size for your screen. To change it, go to Settings > System > Display. Under Scale & layout, check your Display resolution, then try different Scale percentages (like 100% to 200%) until it feels right. š Your internet isnāt as private as you think. ExpressVPN shields your location, scrambles your data and blocks trackers from spying on you. Get four extra months free with this limited time offer.* Trying to figure out who called you? Drop the digits into Facebookās search bar and see what shows up. Use filters like Posts and Date Posted to narrow it down. š· I think, therefore I ham: Ham radio operators will be setting up in parks to talk with others across the country today. Use the Field Day Locator: Type your town and state under Location or Call Sign, click a marker and get the details. Fun times! |
BY THE NUMBERS Less than 20 years How long most film execs think the ātraditionalā cinema experience has left. With streaming taking over, the old model isnāt pulling in profits like it used to. My buddy just lost his job at a cinema that only shows Pixar films. He forgot to show Up. 1.6 million Americans living with type 1 diabetes who just got a sliver of hope. Ten people (out of 12 in trials) are now insulin-free thanks to a single infusion from a new drug. If youāre still waiting for your miracle, science is catching up. 200 eggs Thatās how many new mozzies a single female mosquito can whip up in a puddle. One inch of water, one day, and boom, youāve got a bloodthirsty startup. Time to dump those flowerpot saucers and treat your birdbath like each drop raises your tax bracket. |
WHAT THE TECH? | Image: Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) |
| The Italian Institute of Technology just unveiled the iRonCub MK3, the worldās first flying humanoid robot, and possibly also the first one to look like a haunted Cabbage Patch Kid with a vengeance. The face steals the show. The robot looks like a baby, a weird, blank-eyed, soulless baby, and people online are spiraling. Itās not AI-powered (yet). Itās tele-operated by humans and built for real-world situations where land-based robots fall short, like flying into collapsed buildings, walking over rubble and opening doors. |
LOGGING OUT ... Answer: C) Space travel. Thatās right, before juice boxes hit lunch trays, they were prototyped for outer space to transport liquids cleanly, efficiently and without spillage in zero gravity. Imagine training for orbit only to become a glorified apple juice courier. Somehow, it feels like a win. š I once had a dream that I was swimming in an ocean of carbonated orange juice. Thankfully, it was just a Fanta sea. (lol) This isnāt just a newsletter. Itās the #1 tech newsletter in the U.S., and Iām so happy to have you on board. Do me a solid and leave a thumbs-up if you learned something new or smiled at one of my jokes. Until tomorrow, youāve got the tools to stay private, protected and tech ahead. š ā Kim š£ Donāt keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here) | |
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