✈️ A plane flew itself. Would you get on?

Beep! Happy Columbus Day, {{first_name | friend}}. Remember pagers? Those little beeping bricks of the ’90s that made you feel wildly important? They’ve mostly faded into the tech graveyard, but thousands are still alive-ish and kickin’ in the U.S. 

📟 Can you guess how many pagers are active today? Is it … A) 8,000, B) 80,000, C) 800,000 or D) 8 million? Find the answer beeping at the end!

🤗 Help me grow my free newsletter: Hit forward and share this newsletter with just one person who needs to get tech-smart, fast. We’re living in a digital world, and you’ll be doing them (and me!) a solid. Plus, you’ll finally have someone to laugh at my jokes with. Go ahead, do it now. I’ll wait. Thanks for the help. Alright, let’s jump in. — Kim

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Imagine boarding a plane, looking toward the cockpit … and no one’s there. No captain, no copilot. Just empty seats and a glowing dashboard. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Nope, it’s real, and it’s already flying.

A company called Reliable Robotics (paywall link) just pulled it off with a Cessna 208B Caravan. This is a rugged, workhorse aircraft used by FedEx and small airlines across the country. We’re talking 41 feet long, a 52-foot wingspan and a payload capacity of 3,600 pounds. It can carry nine people or a whole lot of packages. This isn’t some toy drone.

The entire flight, from taxi, takeoff, cruise, all the way to landing, lasted about 12 minutes, and not one human touched the controls. The “pilot” was 50 miles away, watching everything from a control center on the ground. Amazing, right?

This is major. The FAA just gave Reliable Robotics the green light to keep autopilot running through the riskiest parts of a flight, not just cruising altitude. We’re talking gate-to-gate, no hands on the controls.

The company already got a $17 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to test this tech on military transport planes. The big-picture goal? Cut down on human error, ease the pilot shortage and bring service to smaller airports that can’t staff full crews. 

Think emergency deliveries, remote access and cargo flights that don’t stop for lunch breaks.

Let’s get real. What happens if the comms link drops midair? Or a freak storm rolls in? Who takes the blame if something goes sideways: the airline, the coder or the joystick jockey back on land? All great questions for sure.

Reliable says their setup is “airframe agnostic,” which means it could work on just about any plane from Amazon Air workhorses to full-size commercial jets. Full FAA certification is the goal by 2028, and this isn’t a far-off idea. It’s happening. Right now.

🙋‍♀️ So here’s the question I’m asking you, and I want your honest answer: Would you feel safer in a robotic plane or a human-piloted one? When you rate the newsletter at the end, let me know in a comment. Be sure to include your email address if you want to come on my show and talk about it. That’s so fun!

I’m so happy that Ford did not invent the airplane. It wouldn’t have been Wright. Now, use those share icons below to spread this intel so more people can tech ahead in our world.

Windows 10 is officially done Oct. 14 (tomorrow). RIP. Don’t worry, you can pay Microsoft $61 per device for extended support. And it doubles every year. Plus, the “Hello, pervert” scam sweeping inboxes, side hustles that actually pay, and AI gunning for your job.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

🕳️ End times, LLC: Zuckerberg, Altman and other tech billionaires aren’t only building empires. They’re quietly buying up land, digging bunkers and whispering about AGI like it’s Voldemort. Sam Altman has an “escape ranch” in Hawaii with backup power, a stocked pantry and weapons, just in case. OpenAI’s chief scientist even said they’ll build a shelter for their engineers before unleashing AGI on the world. Is this AI doom planning or just tax shelter cosplay? Either way, it makes you wonder: What do they know that they’re not saying? You really should read the whole story. It’s wild.

🛑 Your smart display’s gone full billboard: If your Amazon Echo Show suddenly looks like Times Square, you’re not alone. We’re all seeing full-screen ads for products, services and videos showing up right on the home screen. No, you didn’t sign up for this. Amazon calls it “discovery.” I call it you paid for the device, and they’re still selling your screen. Here’s your move: Say “Alexa, start photo frame.” That gives you a clean, ad-free slideshow of your own photos with no interruptions for up to 3 hours. Then you can say it again. And again. I’ll try to find a better way to turn the ads off.

Bitcoin and bot talk: Square gave restaurants an AI that answers the phone, takes your order and won’t judge you for getting extra cheese. Also, merchants can now get paid in Bitcoin straight from the register with no fees for a year.

🤯 Planet ChatGPT: Over 700 million people use ChatGPT monthly. That’s about one in 10 adults (paywall link) on Earth. Sam Altman just updated that to 800 million weekly users, firing off 2.5 billion messages a day. For context, that’s about 29,000 “write me a poem about my ex” requests every second.

🧃 The “secret” drink I reach for instead of coffee: Tired of the jitters and sugar crashes? Same. I just found a clean electrolyte drink that tastes great and actually works. No caffeine, no junk. I’m talking all-day energy, mental clarity and zero crash. I sip NativePath Hydrate daily, and I’m hooked. Try it for 44% off with free shipping before it sells out.*

🤓 OMG DIY VR: Get this, a YouTuber just made his own virtual reality headset for $150. Normally, a good one runs anywhere from $300 for Meta’s base model to nearly $1,000 for the fancy PC rigs. Check out the video. This guy 3D-printed the shell, grabbed some screens off AliExpress, tossed in an Arduino sensor, and boom, homemade VR that actually works. Impressive.

🔌 Shocking road trip: A woman’s Volkswagen ID.4 got welded to an Electrify America charger in Athens, Alabama. Literally fused together by an electrical arc. She waited nine hours, called everyone from tech support to the dealership, and the only fix? A guy from Knoxville with a crowbar. Really. EVs may be the future, but this one needed an exorcism.

Think your neighbor’s package mix-up is innocent? It could be a scam. Here’s how the trick works and what you should do instead.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

Skip the takeout. These gadgets cut the stress and add flavor … literally. 

🫑 Immersion blender (42% off): From whisking eggs to frothing milk, this multitasking beast is five tools in one.

Titanium cutting board (40% off): Slice meat on one side, veggies on the other. Nonstick and totally dishwasher-safe.

🍋 Chef'n citrus juicer (40% off): When life gives you lemons, grab a press that gets 20% more liquid than other juicers.

Food storage containers (13% off): BPA-free, microwave-safe and stackable, keeping your fridge organized.

🍪 Baking sheets (20% off, three-piece): Your holiday treats deserve pans that don’t warp halfway through the batch.

😋 Feed your inner chef: Tap here to see my handpicked kitchen collection on Amazon. Your next favorite tools are waiting there.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Got a Kindle without ads? You can show your book covers on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Screen and brightness > Show covers on lock screen. If you’ve got ads, Amazon lets you pay a one-time fee to remove them.

📸 Try the new Photos app: On iPadOS 26, Photos got a big makeover. The sidebar now lets you jump from Library to Collections, and you can reorder sections by tapping Edit (top left). For example, drag Videos above Favorites in the Pinned area. See a hexagon icon on a pic? Tap it to add a 3D effect.

📄 Install Google Docs as an app: You can get quicker access to Docs on your PC. In Chrome, open Google Docs, click the three-dot menu in the top right, and scroll to Cast, save and share. Select Install page as app and confirm. It’ll show up on your desktop and open like a stand-alone app.

Share internet from your PC: On Windows, you can turn your computer into a hotspot for your phone. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot. Under Share my internet connection from, pick Ethernet or Wi-Fi, then choose to Share over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Toggle it on and get the password from the Mobile hotspot page.

Bathing. Necessary? Yes. Fun? Debatable. But what if the bath washed you?

An Osaka company called Science unveiled the “Human Washer in the Future,” a reclining bath pod that soaks, scrubs and rinses you, all while playing relaxing ocean scenes. It’s basically a spa day in robot form.

No loofah, no weird shower yoga and no wondering, Wait … did I already shave this leg? Just lie back and let the machine do the dirty work.

🧼 Six Japanese hotels and spas have already ordered it. The price? Think luxury car but with way more bubbles.

Oh darn it, I just dropped my phone in the bath. Now it's syncing. (lol)

The answer: C) 800,000 pagers are still operational in the U.S. Most hang out in hospitals and emergency centers, where reliability > razzle-dazzle. You can still grab a one-way pager today for about $100, plus $20/month to keep the beeps flowing. Tempted? Me, neither.  

There’s something comforting about old tech. I lost my mood ring but I don’t know how I feel about it.

✋ I need your help. Now and then, I send out questions to learn more about how to help you in your digital life. Your feedback is essential. Take my three-minute survey here. As my thanks, you’ll be automatically entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States, at least that’s what my pager says. 

Tomorrow, I’m talking about lithium batteries, those fire-loving gremlins in your pocket, your bike, your junk drawer, and more importantly, how to avoid turning your couch into a bonfire.

✌️ Until I’m back in your digital world, take time for something analog. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Reliable Robotics, Science

Companies noted with an asterisk (*) sponsor my national radio show. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

This newsletter and its content are intended for informational purposes only. They are provided without warranty of any kind. You shouldn’t construe anything provided here as legal, health, medical, technical, tax, investment, financial or any other kind of advice.

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