🔥 Deadly batteries

Here’s to a great Tuesday, {{first_name | friend}}. In the days before your smartwatch reminded you like a bossy little wrist coach to hydrate, breathe or stand up, people had to get creative. No screens, no notifications, only clever hacks and a little brainpower.

⏳ How did folks keep track of time way back when? Was it: A) Burning candles, B) Bird calls, C) Magnetic stones or D) Earth tremors? Hit the end for the answer, and no cheating, time traveler! I’ll know.

✋ Quick favor? Now and then, I send out questions to learn more about how to help you in your digital life. Take my three-minute survey here and as a thank you, you’ll be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Now, let’s do this! — Kim

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I had a staffer who liked to ride his e-bike to work. One day, I was shocked to see him charging it in the lobby. I politely asked him to unplug it and move it outside in the bike parking area because, yes, lithium-ion batteries can be a serious fire hazard. He was obviously not happy and actually told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. Ahem, who’s name is on the building, buddy?

🚨 In New York City alone, fires caused by lithium-ion batteries have more than doubled in the past few years. In 2023, there were 268 fires, 150 injuries, and 18 deaths, all traced back to things like e-bikes and devices charging indoors.

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, powering your phone, laptop, iPad, toothbrush, e-bike, EV and power bank. We love them because they’re compact, rechargeable and efficient.

But fires caused by lithium batteries are becoming more common and more dangerous. A small phone battery can ignite a couch. Let’s make sure you and your family are safe.

If lithium batteries are damaged, defective, overcharged or get too hot, they can enter something called thermal runaway. This is a chain reaction where the battery explodes violently, burns and spreads faster than most people can react.

And no, it’s not just cheap knockoffs. Fires have started in brand-name devices, too. But cheap chargers, off-brand batteries and poor storage make things way worse.

Got an old phone, laptop or e-bike battery? Don’t toss it in the garbage, it could catch fire. Use Call2Recycle.org to find a place to drop it off near you. It's quick, easy and your trash won’t explode.

🙏 Please, use the share icons to post this on your social media and send this to someone with a laptop, an e-bike or a junk drawer full of old phones. These tips could literally save a life.

Not really. Scammers want you to think so. They’re cloning Elon’s face and voice to steal thousands. Also: Meta’s sneaky new ad move, forgotten tech phrases, Kodak’s film revival. I talk with Tom from Florida, who’s using AI to bring in extra cash. Smart thinking.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

Ready to upgrade your comfort zone? These clever finds pull double duty.

🔥 Quiet space heater (15% off): Oscillates for even warmth and shuts off safely on its own. Perfect for chilly offices.

Rolling end table (17% off): Slides under your sofa to hold snacks, your laptop or that drink you swore you wouldn’t spill.

📱 Adjustable phone stand (29% off): Foldable, sturdy and ready for Zoom calls, recipes or hours of doomscrolling.

Screen cleaner kit (40% off): A few spritzes, a quick swipe, and boom, you’ll remember what HD looks like.

📦 QR code labels (12% off): Know what’s inside your bins without lifting a lid. Just stick and scan with the app.

👉 “Why didn’t I get this sooner?” Tap into Amazon’s top deals now. Your home (and FOMO) will thank you. 

✍️ Author vs. AI, the $1.5B copyright showdown: Writers are fighting back and winning. A group of authors, led by We Were Never Here’s Andrea Bartz, sued Anthropic for using pirated copies of their books to train its Claude AI. The company just agreed to pay $1.5 billion in a landmark settlement. Want to see if your published book was used? Go here to search and file a claim. You’ll get around $3,000 per title. Finally, creativity isn’t free AI training data.

🤖 Killer app idea: Eric Schmidt (the ex-Google guy) just said out loud what sci-fi movies have been yelling for decades, that AI could literally learn how to kill people if hacked. Speaking in London, he warned that guardrails can be removed and “bad actors” could teach AIs murder. Coming from the guy who helped build the internet’s brain, that’s … reassuring.

🧳 5.7 million up in the air: Hackers got their hands on Qantas customer data (names, emails, birthdays, frequent flyer numbers, etc.) and when the airline refused to pay up, they dumped the whole thing on the dark web. All 5.7 million records. The breach came through a Salesforce vendor, and the crooks didn’t even hack, they just logged in like insiders. If you’ve ever flown Qantas, change your password, enable MFA, and keep an eye out for shady emails.

🚀 Cloud without the chaos: Need serious speed and zero cloud drama? Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is built for power, performance and peace of mind. No mystery bills, no meltdowns, only the muscle your business needs. Try it free today.*

💍 Ohio says “nope”: An Ohio bill wants to legally block AI from ever being considered a person. That means no marriage, no property, no corporate board seats. Rep. Thaddeus Claggett says it’s about keeping “humans in charge.” Probably also to avoid getting more “Save the Dates” as Zoom call invites. 

🧠 Too many tabs, huh: Microsoft quietly admitted OneDrive sync could be tanking Windows 11 performance. It’s enabled by default, which is cute until File Explorer takes three years to open. If you’ve got Windows, right-click that cloud icon and pause syncing to see if your PC stops wheezing. If you’ve got Apple, keep laughing until that monthly iCloud bill comes in. 

📞 Party like it’s 1999: In Seattle, parents are reviving the landline, thanks to “Tin Can,” a Wi-Fi-enabled corded phone (paywall link) that lets kids call friends without screens or TikTok. It’s spreading fast: tens of thousands sold, and they’re now back-ordered. Kids are actually thrilled to call friends. Next thing you know, they’ll be making mix tapes.

Tired of digging through folders trying to find one file? AI in Google Workspace and Microsoft Copilot can do it for you in seconds.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: You can change what ChatGPT calls you. Go to Settings > Personalization > About you > Nickname, type what you like and hit Save.

Big sound, small price: I love my Raycons, premium audio without the premium price tag. With 20% off for their anniversary, now’s the time to grab the Everyday Earbuds Classic. Comfy fit, fabulous sound, 32-hour battery life. Get them on sale now while you can.*

🚨 Upgrade to Windows 11 ASAP: Microsoft is ending Windows 10 support today, so it’s time to move on. Go to Settings > Update & Security and select Download and install Windows 11 (at the top). If you don’t see the option, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant online and follow the steps. Need a new PC? This Acer mini (30% off, $168) only needs your keyboard, mouse and monitor. Lovely.

Find links in Messages: Can’t find that link someone texted you? In iOS 26, open their chat, tap their name at the top, and choose the Links option. You’ll see every link they’ve shared with you. Tap one to open it, or long-press and select Show in Conversation to jump to where it was sent.

🗣️ Let Chrome read to you: Struggling to focus on long articles? Add the “Read Aloud” extension from the Chrome Web Store. After installing, click the Extensions icon (top right) and pin it. Highlight any text and hit the Read Aloud icon to hear it. You can also adjust the voice, pitch and speed in Settings.

🔒 Make Instagram private: If your account is public, anyone can see your posts, even without an Instagram account. To lock it down, tap your profile photo > Settings and activity > Who can see your content > Account privacy > toggle Private account. Now only approved followers can see your posts and follower list.

🖼️ Download all your Google Photos: You can make a local backup of your pictures on your PC. Open Google Photos and select the first image. Scroll to the bottom, hold Shift, and click the last one to highlight everything. Then hit the three-dot menu in the top right, choose Download, and check your Downloads folder.

Ever stared at a Rubik’s Cube and thought, “Needs more screens”? Me neither, but the WOWCube is here anyway, and it’s kind of genius.

This $299 gadget looks like a 2x2 Rubik’s Cube, but each of its 24 squares is a tiny IPS display. Twist it, spin it, and you’re not just solving a puzzle. You’re launching apps, games and even a digital aquarium.

It’s like a fidget spinner and an app store had a baby and it came out square.

The answer: A) Burning candles. Yep, before digital clocks and time-tracking apps, monks used candles with markings to tell time. As the wax burned down, they’d know how much time had passed. Some “candle clocks” were accurate to within 15 minutes, provided your cat didn’t knock it over.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Reminds me… A hungry traveler stopped at a monastery and was taken to the kitchen where a brother was frying chips. “Are you the friar?” he asked. The brother replied, “No. I’m the chip monk.”

📶 Be careful of public Wi-Fi: That “free Wi-Fi” might not be what it seems. Scammers set up look-alike networks to steal your log-ins and banking info. Always confirm with staff which network is legit and use a VPN to encrypt your data. I use ExpressVPN. (Plans start as low as $3.49/month and work on up to 8 devices.)

Did you know this is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States? Tomorrow, the new password rules that you’re not going to like because hackers are using AI to break into accounts.

🎵 Now, go forth and march to your own ringtone. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Cubios

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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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