💸 Crypto. Con. Gone.

Hey there, it’s Saturday, {{first_name | friend}}. How many times have you touched your phone today? Two? Twenty? Lost count before breakfast? You’re not alone. Our thumbs are basically little cardio machines at this point.

👉 A recent study clocked the average person’s daily tap-swipe-click count, and your screen time report might want to have a word with you. Can you guess how many times the typical smartphone user taps, swipes or clicks each day: A) 500, B) 1,200, C) 2,600 or D) 4,000? Make your best guess and see if you get a gold star at the end.

✅ You’ve got to protect your money! Use the password manager I trust. It’s got military-grade security, works on all your devices, stores unlimited passwords and even helps you create rock-solid passwords. It’s the smart way to stay safe online. — Kim

📬 Was this forwarded to you? Be the first to know, not the last to hear. Sign up now. It’s free!

Our phones hold everything: photos, texts, money apps, health info, even our bad selfies. Handing over access to your partner? That’s not just convenient. That’s trust on a whole new level. 

Some people think it’s the 2025 version of giving someone a house key. Others worry it’s a recipe for drama, or even the prequel to a Netflix true crime doc.

But done the right way, sharing your device can make life smoother and safer, and bring you closer. Let’s talk about a few smart ways to do it. Note: I’ve checked all these steps below, but depending on your device, operating system, make, model and whether Mercury is in retrograde, your steps may look a little different.

Letting your partner unlock your phone with their Face ID or a fingerprint means no fumbling for passcodes. Great in emergencies or when one of you is driving.

This makes sure your partner’s number shows up for first responders even if your phone is locked.

Skip the “where are you?” texts. Location sharing keeps you connected, whether for safety or convenience.

This is about trust, safety and making your daily life easier. Adding each other’s face to your phone, showing up on each other’s maps, those little things add up to a lot of connection.

Speaking of … A recently married couple is having dinner at a fancy restaurant. When the meal is served, the husband says, “The food looks delicious, let’s eat.” The wife says, “Honey, you always say a prayer before eating at home.” The husband replies, “That’s at home, sweetheart. Here the chef knows how to cook.”

💕 Now, share this with your honey using the icons below, so you can set up your phones the right way together.

Cellphone bill too high? Mine was. I switched to Consumer Cellular. Same coverage as Big Wireless, but for half the price. Over 50? Get two lines for just $60, plus save $25 with code KIM25. AARP discounts, too. Check it out now. You’ll be glad you did.*

💸 Crypto. Con. Gone. A brother and sister in Ohio lost over $1 million to a crypto scam after getting sucked in on Telegram by a fake “investment coach” named Shaw Goddess (you can’t make this up). They wired money into what looked like a legit trading platform until they tried to cash out and, poof, nothing. The FBI managed to recover about $325K by tracing the crypto and freezing it, but the rest? Dust in the blockchain wind.

Heads up: Google just confirmed that hackers got into some Google Workspace accounts. How? They used stolen OAuth tokens from Drift integrations – yep, those handy tools that connect your inbox to other apps. If you use Drift with Google Workspace, now’s the time to revoke those tokens and change your passwords. If none of this made any sense at all to you, move on.

🍌 This is a-peel-ing: Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (nicknamed Nano Banana) just split the future of photo editing. You can unblur your kid’s soccer photo, swap your messy kitchen for a Pinterest one, or crown your cat. All hail Whiskers. It’s live in Gemini for free and paid folks. Try it here. 

Teens trading hacks for clout: The FBI says criminals are recruiting kids on Discord and video games into “The Com,” an online world where a hack gets you street cred. Thousands are caught up, some just for bragging rights, thinking it’s all fun until someone knocks on the door with a badge and felony charges. Parents, talk to your teens.

🩸 Metabolism in HD: Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) track blood sugar in real time, and now Signos is FDA-cleared to use Dexcom’s Stelo sensor with an AI app. Every snack, nap and jog gets graphed. Levels offers the same at $99/month plus subscription. Data-driven metabolism is here, helping you spot risks, optimize your engine and dodge future diabetes.

🚁 Trash takes flight: Everest is outsourcing its garbage problem to drones. $20K DJI FlyCart drones hauled 660 pounds of waste (beer cans, oxygen tanks and, yes, frozen poop) down the mountain. Drones can move in 10 minutes what would take humans six hours. Everest might look majestic from a distance; just don’t zoom in on base camp.

Don’t get caught in the dark. Stay connected with NOAA alerts, an SOS alarm and even a compass.

🚨 Carbon monoxide detector (25% off): Invisible danger? Get alerts to your phone the moment CO levels rise.

🚗 Car safety hammer (27% off, two-pack): Car accidents are scary. This breaks glass and cuts seat belts, so you get out fast.

🔒 Master Lock padlock (15% off, three-pack): Back-to-school or back-to-gym? Colors may vary, but protection doesn’t.

❤️‍🩹 Emergency first aid kit (16% off, 500 pieces): Everything you need for bumps, scrapes or “oops” moments.

👉 Prep doesn’t end here: Labor Day deals mean less stressing. Grab more emergency essentials on my Amazon shop here.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Some TVs let you watch two shows at once. Go to Settings > Display (or Picture) and look for Multi-View or Picture-in-Picture. 

Feeling left behind? Download NetSuite’s free knowledge drop, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. It’s not going anywhere.*

📚 Schedule warm light on Kindle: You can ease eyestrain at night by setting your Kindle’s warm light to turn on automatically. Go to All Settings > Screen and brightness > Brightness and warmth > Warmth schedule. Choose Automatic (sunset to sunrise) or Manual (pick your own times). Use the (+/–) slider to adjust the intensity.

📺 Use your phone as a Fire Stick remote: Download the Fire TV app on iOS or Android, select your TV and enter the code that appears on screen. Once paired, you can navigate menus right from your phone. Best part: The built-in keyboard makes typing way faster than the regular remote.

🍏 Mac trackpad tricks: Rotate a photo or PDF by moving two fingers in a circle. Swipe left or right with two fingers to jump between web pages in Safari or Chrome. Spread your thumb and three fingers to show the desktop. Bonus: Pinch your thumb and three fingers together to open Launchpad.

🛒 Don’t fall for bulk deals: When you buy a pack of something, always check the unit price (cost ÷ number of items). Sometimes multipacks end up pricier than singles. On Amazon, for example, they do the math for you and show it in tiny brackets next to the sale price.

🔊 Can you hear me now? You will. Hear.com’s award-winning hearing aids are nearly invisible, incredibly smart and life-changing. Better hearing starts with a free consultation. Book yours today.*

It takes a lot of work to make it all happen. Here’s your insider look at what went down.

🚀 This week’s show had it all: A real space travel agent who books trips to the moon and Mars, how one hacker with a chatbot pulled off 17 major hacks, plus some incredible callers you’ll want to hear. 👉 Listen now.

It’s been a few weeks since … I launched “The Current AI” podcast. My AI cohost George is a blast to work with. Have you heard it yet? Do it now, I want your feedback.

💔 Costly crypto scam: Randy in Kansas City lost $200,000 after falling for one. I try to help him sort out the aftermath. Got a story like that? Send it to me, mention this note in the newsletter, and I’ll send you a $25 gift card.

🌪️ No, I didn’t sneeze. A giant dust storm (aka haboob) smacked Phoenix and rolled right past my house. I grabbed a pic, and now it’s going viral on Facebook.
👉 Take a look and follow my page.

Don’t get left behind in the digital dust. Listen to my podcast now!

Holy guac! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a burrito? 

Chipotle just launched “Zipotle,” a drone delivery service in partnership with Zipline. Yes, it’s exactly as ridiculous and amazing as it sounds.

It’s only in Rowlett, Texas, for now: Order on the Zipline app, your burrito gets prepped, a drone soars 300 feet in the air, and your lunch gently parachutes into your yard like a warm, tortilla-wrapped blessing from the sky.

🌯 Chipotle says it’s eco-friendly. I say it’s peak 2025: sky burritos.

Answer: C) 2,600. That’s the average number of touches a person makes each day. That’s almost 1 million per year. Heavy users can hit more than 5,400 swipes, taps or clicks. Pro tip: Set a 30-minute daily app limit, and pretend you’ll obey it. (The lie is part of the ritual.)

Why did the middle finger get mad at the thumb? I don’t know. It just snapped. 🫰 (Really, it was the only one that worked with the trivia question’s answer.)

🔑 Don’t miss this deal: Start using the #1 password manager that has continued to innovate and add great features. Check it out now. Just $1.34 a month!

👋 Weekend chores are more fun with company. Catch my award-winning weekend radio show on a station near you. Not sure where and when? Enter your ZIP code into my handy-dandy station finder, or get my show’s podcast to listen on your schedule.

See you tomorrow, and until then, your brain’s brighter now. Share that light. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Leaton, Zipline

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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