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Happy Monday, {{first_name | friend}}. How about we start the work week with tech startup trivia?
Imagine raising $17 million for a passion project. You spend four years building it, hiring the perfect team, and launching it, only for the internet to collectively shrug and say, "Meh." That’ s exactly what happened to the company Tiny Speck. Before it turned into Slack, they bet the farm on a completely different product that flopped hard.
💬 Can you guess what original failed product birthed Slack? A) A dating app for software engineers, B) A multiplayer game, C) A project management tool for architects, or D) A music streaming service for indie bands. The answer’s hanging out at the end!
Tired of deciphering your wireless bill every month? Big carriers love to hide fees and lock you into long-term contracts. Consumer Cellular is the antidote. They offer simple, honest pricing you can actually understand. Right now, anyone over 50 can grab two unlimited lines for only $30 each. That’s reliable coverage for half the price of the big guys. Make the switch today and they’ll even give you the 2nd month FREE.
🎟️ Remember to check the Golden Ticket below to see if you’re today’s winner in my Christmas Cash Giveaway that surprises one subscriber every day with a $100, $200 or $500 Amazon gift card. — Kim
📬 Was this forwarded to you? Be the first to know, not the last to hear. Sign up now. It’s free!
TODAY’S DEEP DIVE
Folks, we need to have a serious talk about names. Yesterday, I told you about Google Chrome’s Incognito getting slammed with a $5 billion settlement because it wasn't anywhere as private as they claimed. Immediately, I started getting panicked notes like the one above.
No! Please don’t confuse the villain with the hero.
One steals your data. The other deletes it. Big difference!
Moving on…
Image: Gemini
You’re walking through the clearance aisle at T.J. Maxx or Marshalls, or scanning Best Buy’s discount shelves. A sleek smart thermostat or a security camera kit catches your eye. It looks brand new, and the price tag looks even better.
Original price: $249. Your price: $49. It feels like you’re getting away with something. Not so fast, deal hunter!
📠 Old stock is a problem
Retailers are sitting on piles of old unsold gadgets. The wrap is crisp, and the hardware looks fresh. What you don’t see is the support life. Smart home devices work only as long as the company keeps the cloud service alive. Once support ends, the gadget loses its brain.
We watched Google do this with the Nest Secure alarm system. Everything still powered on, but the cloud service vanished and the device became decorative. And when Apple retired the iPhone SE this month, owners got a reminder that update clocks eventually run out.
Even if the gadget turns on, old smart devices often stop receiving security patches. Hackers love abandoned tech because it stays vulnerable forever.
🪦 How to avoid dead tech
Step 1: Check support status
Head to https://endoflife.date. This site tracks support timelines for thousands of products, and not only tech. If the model in your hand is listed as unsupported or nearing end of life, put it back. Or go AI fancy. Take a pic and ask your favorite AI chatbot what year it was made and whether it’s still supported.
Step 2: Look at the generation number
If the current version online is Gen 5 and the one you are holding is Gen 1 or Gen 2, support is dead or ending soon.
Step 3: Inspect the companion app
Open your app store and search for the device’s control app. Tap the version history. Look at the date of the last update. Updated within the past six months is good. The latest update in 2023 means it’s living in the past.
Step 4: Follow the 70% rule
If a smart home gadget is discounted more than 70%, it’s almost never a bargain. It’s usually an end-of-life dump.
Saving a few bucks is great. Bringing home a gadget that quits the moment you set it up is not.
🛍️ Know a bargain hunter? Forward this newsletter or share this post on your social media using the icons below, so they don’t buy junk as presents, or worse, they give it to you.
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
The truth behind “free phone” offers
You’ve probably seen those “free phone on us” deals from the big wireless companies. They sound tempting, but here’s the truth. They’re almost never free. The carriers stretch the cost with tiny credits, and those only stick around if you stay locked into their plan. Want to switch? Now you’re on the hook for the balance.
I use Consumer Cellular because they don’t play games. The math is simple: what the big carriers call a “free” iPhone can end up costing $600 or more. Consumer Cellular keeps it honest. No hidden fees, no surprise charges, no long-term contracts.
“Thanks for the Consumer Cellular tip. I switched from Verizon today and will save $75 a month.” – Mike
You’re welcome, Mike! And for anyone over 50, get two lines of unlimited talk, text, and data for $30 each line. Plus, switching today will get you a 2nd month FREE!
Make the switch and get your 2nd month FREE with code KIM. You’ll be so glad you did! →
Please support our sponsors! Thank you!
THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW
Your boss reads your texts
Do you text on your work phone? Watch out. A new Android update allows employers to intercept messages on company-managed Pixel devices. Plus, a $200,000 blue-collar job, end of high-tech hunting, and AI country songs.
🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”
WEB WATERCOOLER
🍎 Apple gets cored: Big trouble in Cupertino. Apple’s facing its biggest leadership exodus since Steve Jobs died. Key VPs, including AI chief John Giannandrea and UI boss Alan Dye, are heading for the exit. Why? The iPhone hasn't changed in years and they have absolutely zero AI. While competitors zoom ahead, Apple is stalling out. When the suits start running, you know they’re falling behind.
Chips, not flips: I read about this ex-Realtor, 45, tired of the ups and downs. She took a 10-day training course, and now she’s working in a chip plant. Not theory, not a side hustle, a real job with steady hours, solid pay, actual benefits. Arizona’s adding 115,000 chip jobs in four years (paywall link) with programs fast-tracking locals into six-figure tech roles. Something to consider if a chip plant or data center is going up near you.
📘 Smarter AI for real-world business: AI isn’t just hype when it saves you time and money. NetSuite’s free guide, “Demystifying AI,” breaks down how smart companies are using AI to run financials, operations and inventory without the guesswork. Grab it for free now.
Your Playlist Is Lyin’: Confused why your Spotify Wrapped Top Artist is The Wiggles or The Beach Boys? Spotify counts everything played over 30 seconds, including your kids’ bops and luaus. If you share an account, your data is toast. The fix? Use “Private Session” or “Exclude from Taste Profile” to save your stats for next year.
Sea dog: I love a good lost dog found story. Sadie, a black Lab mix in San Diego, slipped out of her home while her people were watching a football game. Then, a rip current swept her out into the ocean. Bad situation, meet worse. Lifeguards found her half a mile offshore, thanks to a surfer spotting her and her AirTag pinging from the waves. Someone give that girl (and that AirTag) a steak.
BEST GIFT DEALS OF THE DAY
😋 Unwrap kitchen MVPs
Give your loved ones something they’ll actually use for years.
🍷 Smooth operator: Electric wine opener (23% off, $15)
Tired of mangled corks? Same. Just press the button, and pop, your bottle opens in seconds. The gift set even comes with a snazzy pourer and stopper.
Image: Circle Joy
🫑 Slice ’n’ dice: A 6-in-1 essential food chopper (43% off, $20) makes meal prep so much easier. It’s sharp, dishwasher-safe and stores everything in one handy container.
Host without hassle: Roll out a portable warming mat (30% off, $46), and voilà, toasty bites all night long. Covers a ton of space and has a child lock to keep little hands out.
🔥 Fire it up: Alpha Grillers’ digital meat thermometer (30% off, $14) makes a great stocking stuffer for grill masters. No more “Is this done, or am I risking salmonella?”
Meals on the move: A handy electric lunch box (17% off, $25) heats up leftovers in 30 minutes or less. Saves you from fast-food lines that move slower than Monday mornings.
⚡ Blink, and you’ll miss them: Check out all of today’s lightning deals before they sell out.
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Stop asking AI to write things for you, use it to fix your thinking. Paste your email, article or business idea into your favorite chatbot and type: “Roast this. Tell me 3 reasons why this will fail or be misunderstood.” It turns the AI into a devil’s advocate, saving you from embarrassing blind spots.
Struggling to sleep? Your iPhone has free sleep sounds. Open Control Center, long-press to enter edit mode, then choose Add a Control. Scroll to Ambient Music and select Sleep. Next time you’re heading to bed, swipe open the Control Center and tap the sleep music button to play.
🐢 Speed up your Android screen: If your phone feels slow when you unlock it, your home screen widgets might be to blame. Long-press any widget you don’t need and tap Remove. Do the same for apps on your home screen you’re not using.
💸 Stop paying for subscriptions you forgot about: You know that app you signed up for in 2021 and haven’t opened since? It’s probably still billing you. Rocket Money finds those sneaky charges, shows you everything in one clean dashboard and can cancel the junk for you. I use it because it saves time and money. Try it now!*
✋ Skip the Apple Store: Try your iPhone or Mac’s built-in diagnostic tool. Pop your iPhone or Mac into diagnostics mode, enter the serial number and start troubleshooting. FYI, it’s designed for techies, not total newbies.
Need a new book? If you have Amazon Prime, grab two free e-books from their monthly First Reads selections. It’s early access to popular new books. Sweet!
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: @FutureJurvetson via X
💩 Art’s got the runs
Art Basel in Miami is hosting Beeple’s newest nightmare. Flesh-toned robo-dogs with the heads of Zuckerberg, Musk, Picasso, Warhol and Beeple squat every few minutes and drop Polaroids of the crowd.
Cameras in their skulls scan the audience, generate images and eject them from their business end, complete with a flashing “POOP MODE” alert.
Buyers paid $100,000 each. They probably need a shoulder to crayon.
LOGGING OUT …
The answer: B) A multiplayer game called Glitch. While building the game, the team hated using email, so they built their own internal chat tool to talk to each other. When the game died, they realized the chat tool was actually the billion-dollar idea. They polished it up, renamed it Slack, and the rest is history.
Here’s the wildest part. This was the second time founder Stewart Butterfield pulled this off. Years earlier, he tried to build a game called Game Neverending. It also failed, but the photo-sharing feature built for the game became Flickr, which he sold to Yahoo for $25M. Basically, this guy has failed his way into two separate billion-dollar companies. I wish I was that bad at my job.
Before you go, be sure to check out Consumer Cellular: two lines with unlimited talk, text and data for just $30 each line. And right now, your 2nd month is FREE!
🛍️ I opened a new Etsy shop. I designed iPhone and Samsung cases, AirPods protectors, cozy hoodies, beanies and more. Use coupon code SHOPWITHKIM for 20% off anything through tonight only.
Tomorrow, stop paying lawyers by the hour. This isn’t just any newsletter. It’s the #1 free tech newsletter in the U.S. Tomorrow,
😊 Tech connects us, but it’s your smile that lights up the room. Go share it. — Kim
📣 Don’t keep me a secret: Send your friends to GetKim.com
Photo credit(s): Gemini, Circle Joy, @FutureJurvetson via X
Companies and products denoted by an asterisk (*) within this publication are paid sponsors or advertisements. As an Amazon Associate, the publisher earns from qualifying purchases. Statements regarding products denoted by a double asterisk (**) have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration; such products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This newsletter is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice of any kind. Readers should consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on this content. The publisher disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or injury resulting from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein.