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Welcome to your Sunday, {{first_name | friend}}. Picture this: A dead-simple mobile game takes over the world. One tap to play, endless frustration and millions totally hooked. The developer? Raking in $50,000 a day. Then he did the unthinkable. Pulled the game from the app stores. Why? He said it was too addictive.
🎮 So let’s test your pop culture reflexes: Which viral mobile game did its maker voluntarily remove in 2014: A) Candy Crush, B) Fortnite, C) Flappy Bird or D) Subway Surfers? Give it your best shot, the answer’s playing hide-and-seek at the end. And oh, to help keep this newsletter free, be sure to click links to check out my sponsors.
⏱️ Every five seconds, someone’s identity is stolen. That’s 12 people by the time you finish reading this. Yours could be next. I don’t take chances. I use NordProtect. It actually stops threats in real time, sends real alerts and doesn’t mess around with hype. Want peace of mind? Get 65% off now before you’re the next target. — Kim
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TODAY’S DEEP DIVE
Trading spaces
Image: ChatGPT
Want to globe-trot like a baller but on a budget? Enter home swapping: the Airbnb alternative that doesn’t cost a mortgage payment per night. It’s just what it sounds like. You stay in someone’s house, they stay in yours, like Freaky Friday with better Wi-Fi.
There are entire Facebook groups dedicated to this, from “Women Over 50 Who Swap” to “Vegan Baseball Fans Who Travel.” Yes, really. But before you pack your bags, there are some things you need to know.
🧐 Start smart (and safe)
If you’re brand new to swapping, I say bite the bullet and pay to use a trusted third-party platform first. This way, the other party is verified.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt a rogue swap via Craigslist unless your dream vacation includes mystery stains, hidden cameras and a surprise roommate in the attic.
Plus, when you go DIY, you’re responsible for all the legwork, i.e., background checks, contracts and safety protocols.
🚩 Major red flag: If someone refuses to video chat or sign a written agreement, walk away. Ask about alarm systems, cameras and whether a neighbor, cleaner or family member has a key while you’re there.
🛖 What about your place?
If you rent, check your lease. Most don’t allow subletting without approval. And if you own, look at your mortgage terms. Some lenders limit short-term rental arrangements.
Protect yourself by locking your valuables in a portable safe (this one’s $19). Lock any closets and rooms off-limits to guests. For super-valuable small stuff, get a safety deposit box at your bank.
Have a local contact (a plumber, handyman or even a neighbor) around for anything that might go wrong while you’re away.
Insurance is part of this convo, too. Ask if your renter’s or homeowner’s policy extends to anyone you swap homes with. You may need additional coverage.
🏖️ Arrivederci, beaches
When you’re getting started with home swapping, going through a vetted third-party website is your safest bet. Here are a few to check out:
HomeExchange rewards members with loyalty points for each year they renew. A subscription costs $220 a year.
HomeLink has been around for over 70 years. Memberships start at $115 monthly, and you can get a 30-day free trial.
ThirdHome has a network of luxury residences in over 100 countries for folks who already have primary and secondary homes. You have to apply to become a vetted member. Fancy!
✈️ Know someone itching to travel more? Use the handy-dandy one-click share icons below. Maybe they’ll take you with them!
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
They're not just watching, they're selling
You'd be shocked at how many companies are quietly profiting off your information. That grocery store loyalty card, your old health insurance, even your fitness app. Yep, they're all collecting and selling your info. And scammers? They're using AI to turn your stolen data into real damage.
That's why I trust NordProtect to guard my identity. I've done my research, and here's why it's my go-to:
Real-time dark web monitoring
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THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW
A stolen iPhone’s trek around the world
Thomas got pickpocketed at a bar. Using Apple’s Find My to track his phone down, he watched it go from a pawnshop to a church … and then all the way to China. Plus: Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto, Epstein video updates and why you might soon get delivery in 15 minutes or less.
WEB WATERCOOLER
🧠 Mark Zuckerberg just dropped a full-blown AI manifesto: It’s a doozy. He says humanity’s future depends on each of us having a personal AI sidekick: smart glasses that listen to your life, know your dreams and nudge you toward your best self. And wouldn’t you know it? Meta just happens to make those very glasses. They lost over $4 billion last quarter building them, so clearly, the real payoff isn’t the hardware. It’s all the juicy data they’ll collect while riding around on your face. Read it here if you’re really that bored.
🛬 DJI drones aren’t banned yet: But they’re vanishing like crypto influencers in a bear market. The U.S. says all drones from communist China need a security review by December, but that review hasn’t even started. DJI says customs is already blocking shipments. You can still buy one, if you enjoy paying 2x MSRP and firmware roulette.
Privacy opt-out trap: Researchers hit up 543 California data brokers to request their data, like you’re legally allowed to do. Nearly half ghosted them entirely. The others? Dead-end forms, pointless hoops and privacy riddles that required even more personal data. So yeah, trying to reclaim your data just means giving up more of it, along with your time. That’s why I use Incogni and you should, too.*
🧠 All roads lead to AI: Google’s new AI, Aeneas, is here to help historians make sense of old Latin carvings. This Rosetta stone with a GPU scans worn inscriptions, predicts missing words and even guesses where and when they were chiseled in. It’s open-source, trained on 150,000+ ancient texts and helped date 90% of test inscriptions better than humans. Pretty nifty.
Mario gets friend-zoned: Nintendo just hard-launched emotional damage by announcing Mario and Peach are “just good friends.” This, despite years of flirty kisses, wedding attempts and Nintendo itself calling them a couple in past games. Peach watched him fight Bowser and still said, “Thanks, bestie!” Guess saving someone from 500+ castles only gets you a LinkedIn endorsement now.
🔭 Space on the sidewalk: A group called #popscope is setting up telescopes on city streets and letting people look through them for free. Imagine heading out for ice cream and getting a peek at Saturn’s rings or the moon’s craters. You can volunteer on their website. No group near you? This telescope is a stellar deal (25% off). Such a wonderful idea!
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.*
DEALS OF THE DAY
Lawn and order
🌻 Outdoor life comes with quirks. I’ve got your fixes.
🦟 Bee bite-free: Slap on a mosquito repellent bracelet (10% off, 20-pack). No more messy spray.
💦 Go with the flow: This lightweight garden hose (42% off) works year-round and doesn’t kink.
🍃 Leaf it to me: Blow, vacuum and mulch in one swoop with a three-in-one leaf blower (13% off).
🔥 Too hot to handle? No prob. These grill gloves (10% off) are like oven mitts on steroids.
💡 Backyard brilliance: These floodlights (24% off) catch any movement, like would-be creeps.
🏠 Rather be inside? There are plenty of smart finds for the great indoors waiting for you on my Amazon shop.
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Use Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac) to open a private browsing window in most browsers. No history, no cookies, everything stays incognito.
Connect Bluetooth gear to your Fire Stick: Watching TV late at night? Pair some wireless headphones. On your Fire Stick, go to Settings > Controllers & Bluetooth Devices > Other Bluetooth Devices > Add Bluetooth Devices. Make sure your gadget’s in Pairing Mode, select it on-screen and you’re all set.
📚 Turn on Dark Mode on Kindle: While reading, tap the screen, hit the three-dot menu and go to Settings > Screen and brightness > Appearance > Dark Mode. On some models, you can also swipe down from the top of the screen and toggle it there.
Fix the Apple Watch app mess: That honeycomb layout looks cool until you’re jabbing the wrong app. To switch it, press the Digital Crown, swipe down and tap List View. Now your apps are in alphabetical order. Want those tiny icons back? Scroll down again and tap Grid View.
💻 Know your Chromebook shortcuts: Need a cheat sheet? Press and hold Ctrl + Search + S to see them all. A few combos to try: Ctrl + N opens a new browser window, Ctrl + T opens a new tab, and Ctrl + Shift + T brings back a tab you just closed. Nice.
Don’t live in fear: Get the best home protection with no wires or contracts, and setup takes just 30 minutes. You’ll get sensors, HD cameras and 24/7 monitoring. Right now, get 50% off a new system when you sign up for an awesome monitoring plan.*
🔋 Don’t let your phone battery die: Letting it hit 0% too often can hurt performance and shorten its lifespan. Experts say it’s best to keep it between 30% and 80% to avoid unnecessary stress. My advice? Always carry a portable charger with you. Here’s one with multiple cables that’s 21% off.
ON MY SHOW
🎙️ 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.
Thomas from Charlotte, North Carolina, tracked his stolen iPhone around the world. It went from a pawnshop to a church and made its way to … China.
Jennifer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wrote a few books about her two poodles. She has no clue how to market them. Website? Instagram? Ads?
Jesse in Fort Worth, Texas, says scammers cloned his business online. Angry strangers keep calling, thinking he’s a crook.
Plus, Terry wants AI note-taking help, Hutch goes all in on crypto, Deana recycles old iMacs, Tom needs AI biz tips, and so much more!
📆 Let’s talk about anything digital in your life, whether it’s family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here.
SUNDAY TO-DO LIST
🌍 Preview sea level rise: Enter your hometown and see how flooding could change things a bit.
🎤 Experiments with Google: Try the latest and greatest of cool browser tech experiments.
Cat Bounce: Watch, drag and bounce cats around your browser.
🤖 Reverse guess who: Think of a character, the AI genie guesses who it is.
🛒 Your daily go-tos, majorly marked down: Don’t miss your chance to snag the stuff you’re always running out of for way less. Check the list and grab the best deals while they last.
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: ChatGPT
In Friday’s newsletter, I asked you to play detective and figure out what was wrong with the AI-generated image. And wow, you really delivered!
I got so many hilarious and sharp-eyed replies: Abby looked cross-eyed, Barry was missing a hand, the popcorn looked stale (rude, but fair), and I was wearing pajamas while he wasn’t, which is truly every movie night around here.
Some questioned my sanity for letting Barry even hold the remote. I agree. But the answer I was really looking for? I had three hands. Move over, Marvel. It’s me, Multitask Woman.
So many of you got it right that I picked 10 winners at random to get a Kim Komando Show ballcap. We’ll be reaching out this week to ask for your mailing addresses. Wear it proudly. You earned it. 🧢✨
Thanks for playing along!
LOGGING OUT …
Answer: C) Flappy Bird. The app’s sudden disappearance turned it into digital folklore, with smartphones preinstalled with the game listed on eBay for thousands. At its peak, Flappy Bird was downloaded more than 50 million times and was the #1 free app in over 100 countries.
🦤 Just remember, one bird can’t finish an entire bowl of Froot Loops but toucan.
✅ Hackers don’t need your permission, just one data breach, and your identity is theirs. I don’t take chances. I use NordProtect to stay one step ahead. Full protection, 65% off right now. Don’t wait.
This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States, signing off and wishing you a wonderful Sunday. Tomorrow, your bank app might be your biggest security flaw, and fixing it takes just five minutes.
Until then, keep it smart, but not Alexa speaker smart. — Kim
📣 Don’t keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here)
Photo credit(s): ChatGPT
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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