🚫 Don’t plug your phone into a rental car

Welcome to your Thursday, {{first_name | friend}}. Taylor Swift may be the voice of a generation, but even she knows when to log off. While we’re out here inhaling screen time like it’s free samples at Costco, she’s guarding her digital peace like it’s another Grammy category. 

Pop quiz: Which app does Taylor straight-up ban from her phone? A) TikTok, B) Instagram, C) X or D) All of the above. Stick around, the answer is at the end! Haters gonna hate!

🎟️ Only 8 days left in my massive Christmas Cash Giveaway. One reader wins up to a $500 Amazon gift card every day, and the $1,000 grand prize is still up for grabs. Check the Golden Ticket section below to see if you’re today’s winner. Psst! There’s also a secret way to boost your grand prize entries.

This inbox party gets better with friends. Forward it to someone who could use the tech upgrade. Let’s make sure they’re not left tech behind. — Kim

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You land after a long flight, drag your bag to the rental counter and finally hop into that Chevy Malibu or Ford Explorer. The first thing you do? You pull out your charging cable and plug your phone into the car’s USB port.

You need Waze to find the hotel and Spotify to keep you awake. The screen pops up: “Sync Contacts?” or “Allow access to data?”

You’re in a rush, so you hit “Yes.”

Congratulations. You just uploaded your digital life to a car you don’t own.

When you pair your phone via Bluetooth or plug in for CarPlay/Android Auto without being careful, the car doesn’t just play your music. It gets your entire contact list, your recent call history, your text messages and your navigation history.

I can’t tell you how often I get into a rental, press the “Phone” button and see the previous renter’s entire life, entries for “Mom,” “Hubby” and “Boss.” I once saw that a person called their cardiologist three times in a 10-minute span. I hope they made it. 

I hit the “Nav” button and see a stored location for “Home.” If I were a creep, I’d know exactly where that person lives and that they are currently out of town.

If you rent a car this December, follow my rules:

You wouldn’t leave a credit card in the cupholder. Don’t leave your digital life in the dashboard.

🚙 Know someone traveling this month? Use the share icons below. I slammed my finger in a rental car’s door once. Damn, that Hertz.

Watch out, gossipers. A new Android update allows employers to intercept messages on company-managed Pixel devices. Plus, a $200,000 blue-collar job, the end of high-tech hunting and AI country songs.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

📵 Legally logged out: Australia banned under-16s (paywall link) from having social media accounts, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit. Platforms have to delete teen accounts or verify ages with IDs or facial scans. Teens say the ban ignores their voices. That won’t stop some parents from being thrilled. Kids are already dodging the system with sibling selfies because of course they are. It sounds like the new, “Hey, can you buy me a six-pack?”

Trillion-dollar liftoff: Here’s one for your things used to be simpler file: SpaceX is prepping an IPO for 2026 that could raise over $30 billion and value the company at $1.5 trillion (paywall link). Yep, trillion with a big fat T. For perspective, the biggest tech IPO ever was Alibaba in 2014, valued at about $170 billion. Most of SpaceX’s momentum comes from Starlink, which basically has become the internet’s interstate system. Feels wild, right? We used to argue about long-distance minutes. Now we’re pricing rockets into stock predictions.

🚕 Clicks, rides, cookies: You know that trip to a friend’s house for wine and takeout? Uber remembers. It’s launching “Uber Intelligence,” a tool letting brands access your travel and food data to sell you stuff. They say it’s anonymous, but it still knows enough to flood you with ads, right in the app or mid-ride. Uber made $44 billion last year, and its ad business already brings in $1.5 billion a year. Now it wants to watch what you eat and sell what you see.

Sprayed and betrayed: I don’t know about you, but when I order takeout, I’m mostly worried they forgot the sauce, not that my DoorDash driver might allegedly pepper-spray the bag. That’s what happened to this Indiana couple. The wife takes a few bites, starts choking and vomiting. Their doorbell cam caught the driver misting the Arby’s order. DoorDash refunded their order. Gee, thanks. 

Groceries at warp speed: The idea of ordering bananas and a USB cable in the same breath feels like peak 2025. Amazon expanded fresh-grocery Same-Day Delivery to 2,300+ U.S. cities, with more coming in 2026. Produce accounts for nine of the top 10 items people rush-order. And yes, bananas are number one.

🍼 Digital diaper duty: I love a good shortcut as much as anyone, but when Sam Altman said he “can’t imagine raising a newborn without ChatGPT,” I had to laugh. Sam, Sam, Sam. Humans have been raising kids without AI forever. He admitted to hiding in a bathroom at parties to ask if his 6-month-old should be walking yet or why the kid drops pizza and laughs. You know who really gives kids a bad name? Elon Musk.

Whether it’s a silly bedtime story or a tale about your pet’s wild adventures, this is a project that turns into a keepsake.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: If you’re watching YouTube on a laptop, the trackpad sucks for rewinding important moments. For more accuracy, press L to jump forward 10 seconds or J to go back 10 seconds. You can tap 0 to restart and 1–9 to jump to that percentage of the video. Then tap comma or period to move frame by frame.

🚨 Patch Tuesday alert: Microsoft released security fixes for Windows, Office and more, addressing 57 flaws and three zero-days. Heads up, one’s already being exploited, which could allow hackers to gain control of your PC. Not fun. The update should appear when you start up, but if not, open Settings > Windows Update and install it ASAP.

New video tools in Google Photos: On Android, you can make highlight reels in seconds. Pick a template with preset music and text, choose your photos and clips, and Google Photos builds a video that matches the beat. Go to the Create tab and tap Highlight Video to get started. FYI: They redesigned the video editor for both Android and iOS, so it’s easier to use.

📘 Smarter business: AI isn’t hype when it actually saves you time and money. This free guide “Demystifying AI” explains how smart companies are using AI to run financials, operations and inventory without the guesswork. Download it at NetSuite.com/Kim.*

One-handed iPhone trick: I’m sure you’ve tried to tap the top of your screen with one hand and nearly dropped your phone. There’s a setting to help with that. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turn on Reachability. Next time, flick down at the bottom of the screen and the top will slide halfway down, making it easier to reach.

📺 Disney+ live channels: Sometimes you want to hit play and zone out. Disney+ has continuous playlist streams that run 24/7, like old-school cable. Scroll to Live or Streams to find options like Hits & Heroes (Marvel and Star Wars), Throwbacks (’90s classics) or The Simpsons. Nothing like some good ol’ nostalgia vibes for the holidays.

If you’ve ever wondered what holiday cheer would look like run through a funhouse blender, McDonald’s new AI-generated Christmas commercial is for you.

Not only did they call Christmas the most terrible time of the year, the ad was so bad that they turned off YouTube comments. Then they tried to wipe it from the internet, which is the corporate equivalent of sweeping a broken ornament under the tree. 

The production studio claims they barely slept while “crafting prompts,” which might explain why it looks like how food poisoning feels. Shame on you, McDonald’s. Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of year.

🎸 The answer: D) All of the above. That’s right, Taylor Swift doesn’t keep TikTok, Instagram or X on her personal phone. Zero social apps. Zilch. Nada. While you’re refreshing comments for a dopamine hit, she’s choosing peace over pings. Share this with the kids who can’t get off social.

🍊 And show the kids this too! Did you know that the state of Florida looks like the Grinch? Watch and I will show you how. Incredible!

Tomorrow, I became a record producer, really. You can too! This is the #1 free tech newsletter in the U.S.

💗 Whatever you’re working on today, give it your all like your grandma taking care of a newborn. I’ll never forget looking at my mom the first time she held Ian. So much love in that very instant. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Gemini, Solo Stove, McDonald’s

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