💸 Amazon Prime is costing you more than you think, check your account!

Hey there, it’s Wednesday, {{first_name | friend}}. Here’s a fun little nugget, or not. If, instead of splurging on every shiny new iPhone since 2007, you’d bought Bitcoin, you’d be sitting on a cool $250 million today. Yeah, million with an M. Wow. Btw, I was right. Apple’s launching the new iPhone 17, Apple Watch and more on Sept. 9. Just take my money.

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It only takes a second, but it makes a big difference. Thank you! 💛 — Kim

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When’s the last time you checked how much Amazon is pulling from your bank account? If you guessed around $100 a year, you’re in for a surprise. You could be spending over $300 annually without realizing it. Let’s break it down.

When Amazon Prime launched in 2005, it was a sweet deal: $79 a year for free two-day shipping. That price held until 2014, when it jumped to $99. Then $119 in 2018. By 2022? We hit $139 a year, and I’m predicting it now: Next year, it’ll go up to $159.

Oh, and that’s just the base price.

Now there’s a $9.95 delivery fee for Whole Foods orders, a $36 annual upcharge if you want Prime Video without ads, and sky-high grocery minimums for Amazon Fresh (originally $35, now $100). Want more?

That $139 membership? It’s just an appetizer.

(Pro tip: The layout may shift depending on the browser, the app or which way the tech winds are blowing that day.)

⚠️ Bottom line: Check your account. Do the math. And share this with someone who needs a wake-up call.

George, your AI host, exposes how data brokers hide opt-out pages from Google. Shady! Plus: Musk sues Apple, old-school job hunting is back and Excel’s questionable new AI trick.

Listen on Komando.com →

🚨 Farmers Insurance data breach: Hackers stole data on 1.1 million Farmers Insurance customers. They grabbed names, addresses, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, everything they need to steal your identity. Farmers is notifying people, but until then, keep an eye out for phishing scams. They’re coming.

I cut the cord, and you should, too: If you’ve linked ChatGPT to Gmail, Google Drive or anything personal, listen up. Researchers found that one poisoned document can trick the AI into spilling sensitive info. No clicks, no alerts. We’re talking leaked emails, stolen files, even access to your accounts. I cut all GPT connections in my settings. You should, too.

🥊 Musk vs. Apple + AI: Let me break this down. Musk just sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of teaming up to bury his xAI startup. He says Apple’s ChatGPT deal hands OpenAI billions of iPhone prompts for free training, while rivals like Grok get shoved down the App Store. Now he’s demanding billions in damages and a ban. 

YouTube turns up the hype: Its new “Hype” feature lets you boost up to three small-creator videos a week. Those picks land on a special leaderboard, giving underdog channels a real shot at the spotlight. Look for the shiny “hyped” badge in your feed, and hit it for me now and then.

🌀 Yeezy rug pull: Kanye launched the YZY crypto coin on X, watched it rocket to $3B, then collapse in three hours flat. Retail investors? Lost $20M. Eight “lucky” traders? Cashed out millions instantly. Ye once called coins a scam, and well, he’s not wrong. Delaware shell company? Check. Cult vibes? Check. History repeating? Absolutely.

Oh, sheet: Excel’s =COPILOT() feature writes formulas for you. But here’s the catch: Microsoft says it’s not accurate, not reproducible and shouldn’t be used for finances, legal docs or … well, Excel’s entire job that’s continually regressing.

Easy, fast and clutter-clearing. That shelf full of dusty tech? It’s a moneymaker. Find out how in this quick podcast.

Listen on Komando.com →

Forget frantic gas station runs. This cranks out 26.5 lbs of cubes in a day. Plenty for parties, road trips and your iced coffee (or tea) addiction.

🍱 Meal prep containers (20% off, 50-pack): Hosting a cookout? Load these up with leftovers, and send your guests home full and grateful.

🔥 Air fryer paper liners (30% off, 400 pcs): Heat-proof, nonstick and BPA-free. Translation: less scrubbing, more snacking.

🍽️ Stainless steel tongs (27% off, two-pack): Silicone tips mean no scratches on pans. They have 4.8 stars from 33,000+ rave reviews.

💦 Rotating water filter (29% off): Goodbye, icky chlorine taste. Hello, fresh-tasting water straight from the tap.

😎 Summer’s almost over: Shop these Labor Day markdowns while they last. I’ve rounded up even more winners on my Amazon shop.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On Windows, you can hide your desktop icons for privacy. Just right-click the desktop, go to View and uncheck Show desktop icons. On Mac,  click Finder > Settings > General, and uncheck what you don’t want on the desktop. Wish I could clean my closet this fast.

Write an FAQ page with AI: Got an online biz? Let ChatGPT draft your FAQs. Prompt it with: “You’re an e-commerce expert. Write a list of FAQs with simple answers for my [insert product/service] using [insert details]. Cover use, shipping, returns and common concerns.” Now do a quick edit and add anything the bot left out.

🔍 Hide your Facebook from Google: Stop search engines from linking to your profile when someone looks up your name. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Audience and visibility > How people find and contact you. Then toggle off Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?

Set Netflix maturity ratings: On desktop, go to Manage Profiles > select their profile > Adjust Parental Controls and confirm your password. Pick a maturity rating (from All Ages to 18+) and hit Save. FYI: You can also block specific movies or series under Title Restrictions.

📶 Don’t trust public Wi-Fi: Scammers can set up “evil twin” networks that look like your coffee shop’s or airport’s Wi-Fi. Once you connect, they can intercept everything you type, from social media logins to credit card info. Always ask staff for the exact network name, and use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic. My pick is ExpressVPN.*

Stop overpaying for subscriptions: I use Rocket Money to track all my recurring payments. It shows everything in one place and makes it easy to cancel the ones I don’t need anymore. The first time I used it, I saved $435! Start saving today!*

$200+
What some fans drop every month just to binge 60-second soap operas. Forget Netflix and chill, it’s now “vertical drama and debt” (paywall link) for $20 a week. That’s more than an HBO Max + Netflix + Hulu bundle, with enough left over for popcorn. 

20%
How much worse doctors get at spotting abnormalities on their own after using AI during colonoscopies. They’ve become over-reliant on the system’s little green box that flags suspicious areas, and when it’s gone, they start missing things. Think of it like GPS: Once you’ve had it, paper maps suddenly feel impossible.

77%
That’s the chance aliens had of overhearing us during an Earth-Mars alignment. When Earth and Mars line up, NASA’s Deep Space Network beams so many signals at the Red Planet that an alien telescope would’ve had a 3-in-4 shot of catching us. Basically, we butt-dialed deep space and may have started an accidental group chat.

Cirrus just made “winging it” a whole lot safer. 

The new SR Series G7+ comes with Garmin’s Safe Return Emergency Autoland, the first FAA-approved system in a single-engine piston plane that can literally land itself. 

🔴 If the pilot’s out of commission, anyone on board can tap a red button and watch the aircraft find the nearest runway, talk to air traffic control, set flaps and touch down, all hands-free. See it with your own eyes. Incredible.

Cirrusly, this is autopilot taken to new heights. 

🔥 I’m still trying to get over that iPhone vs. Bitcoin fact. Anyway, you can’t win them all, but don’t let that stop you from trying! 

Speaking of… Pro-Tip: If a hot girl in a string bikini DMs you about a proven crypto investment, ignore him.

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This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States wishing you a strong middle of the week. Tomorrow, things get weird with a married guy who fell in love with a chatbot, and his wife is cool with it. 

🤓 Let’s keep learning, laughing and leveling up together. I love that for you! — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Cirrus

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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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