🛑 Gone at midnight

In partnership with 

📬 Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Tomorrow: One Microsoft data center got $38 million in tax breaks and created 20 jobs. Your town might be next. 

Welcome to your Friday, {{first_name | friend}}. Today’s flight includes complimentary pretzels, recycled air and possibly Dave in 14C getting hacked.

Airplane Wi-Fi feels fancy, but it’s still public Wi-Fi with wings. And yes, someone was even arrested for allegedly setting up a trap mid-flight. Because apparently being stuck in a metal tube flying 400 mph with a few hundred total strangers isn’t dramatic enough.

✈️ You want to check your bank account on airplane Wi-Fi. What’s the safest move? A) Use the browser and trust vibes, B) Use the official bank app and a VPN, and check the network name, C) Never bank on Wi-Fi, ever, D) Wait for turbulence to distort hacker signals. The answer’s taxiing at the end.

📸 Gone in an instant: You delete a folder. Google Drive deletes it everywhere. That’s not a backup, that’s sync. Dave from Indianapolis lost five years of family photos that way. Carbonite runs quietly in the background, backs up your entire computer automatically and never asks you to remember. My readers get an exclusive offer: 50% off.* — Kim

⚡ TL;DR

📖 Read time: 2.5 minutes

You’ve got less than 24 hours left to score Prime Day deals before they’re gone. If you waited until the last minute to save, it’s officially the last minute.

I looked through thousands of deals, so you don’t have to. These picks are useful, not just cheap. I checked each one for quality and value. Let’s shop before the clock runs out.

Good food starts with the right tools.

1. Wireless meat thermometer (40% off, $36): Stick the probe in, and track temps on your phone. It pings you when it’s done. Works with air fryers, grills and ovens. Brillant.

2. Titanium cutting board (44% off, $28): Slice raw meat on one side, veggies on the other. The nonstick surface is dishwasher safe and won’t hold onto smells or stains.

3. Keurig coffee maker (52% off, $100): Bold, iced or piping hot? You’re covered. There’s even a hot water setting for oatmeal or tea drinkers like me.

4. Rapid egg cooker (20% off, $24): Cook up to six eggs exactly how you like them. One of you recommended it: “Even I can make hard-boiled eggs without screwing up.” — Stephen D. I agree!

5. Salt & pepper grinder set (34% off, $20): Press the button for fresh seasoning. They’re rechargeable with an LED light, so you don’t oversalt dinner. Love it!

🧑‍🍳 Head to my storefront for 25 more favorites. Don’t miss out.

Genius gadgets don’t have to be complicated.

6. Kindle Paperwhite (28% off, $145): The Signature Edition auto-adjusts the screen for reading under bright sunlight or in the dark. Waterproof and charges wirelessly, too.

7. Bluetooth headband (45% off, $16): Doubles as a comfy sleep mask. Stereo speakers are tucked into the fabric and won’t dig into your ears. Great for travel.

8. Compressed air duster (39% off, $31): Ditch the canned air for good. This rechargeable blower blasts dust from keyboards, PCs, your car and more.

9. Handheld turbo fan (16% off, $15): A must-have for summer trips when shade is just a rumor. Five speeds and up to 12 hours of breeze on a charge.

10. Apple AirTag (17% off, $24) or Tile (28% off, $18): Team Apple or Team Android? Either way, a Bluetooth tracker helps you find your keys, luggage or wallet before the panic sets in.

💻 Upgrading your computer? Many of my top picks are on sale.

These all punch way above their price tags.

11. Clip-on flashlight (33% off, $12): Hits up to 500 lumens. That’s as bright as a full-size flashlight. There are 10 modes, like a blinking SOS and a beam for night runs.

12. Under-eye patches (20% off, $12): My secret weapon before filming every show. They de-puff before the camera rolls. Men and women, they things work.

13. Compression packing cubes (32% off, $12, two-pack): Squeeze more into your suitcase. Outfits stay separated, so you’ll find everything when you land.

14. Rotatable cord holders (29% off, $9, six-pack): No more fishing cables off the floor. Stick them to your desk, nightstand or TV stand. Peel off clean if you want to move them.

15. Webcam covers (20% off, $6, two-pack): Hackers can’t spy through a covered camera. At only 0.023 inches thin, your laptop will still close flat.

🛒 Restock your daily essentials before prices bounce back. Now is the time.

📩 Send this to someone who forgot Prime Day ends tonight. Use the handy links below.

Share this now:

OnlyFans influencers’ salaries tell a very different story than the rumors. They take home about $180 a month! The platform made $7.52 billion last year. I smell a pyramid scheme.

▶️ OnlyFans made billions. Creators got $180 →

Or for audio only, click your favorite podcast player below:

🧫 The germ rectangle: I wiped my phone after reading this. The dirtiest thing in the hospital might be the rectangle asking if you want to update later. Health care workers’ phones repeatedly test positive for bad bacteria, antibiotic-resistant nightmares hospitals spend millions trying to contain. We’re talking MRSA, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, the whole microscopic Arkham Asylum. Some studies even found multidrug-resistant bugs on about one-third of phones. Clean hands help. Clean phones would also be nice. 

The invite economy: The hottest career tool this year? It’s offline. A table for 12. Private business dinners are beating the sad badge lanyard big mixer. In a survey of 1,000+ professionals, 60% said curated dinners create more meaningful connections, and 25% got access to people normally out of reach. Nothing says career potential like pretending you know which fork is for fish. Sixty-three percent of folks felt being left off the right dinner list damaged their career. Classic high school lunchroom pressure. 

🪟 Windows 10 hits snooze: Still clinging to Windows 10? Microsoft handed you a gift, quietly. You get free security updates through October 2027. If you’re already enrolled, you don’t lift a finger. Coverage continues automatically. Not enrolled yet? Back up your settings to a Microsoft account for free, redeem 1,000 Rewards points or pay a one-time $30. Do it. An unpatched PC online is a sitting duck for hackers. Looks like Windows 10 got a fresh window.

Apple takes a byte: Bad news if you’re shopping for a new Mac or iPad. Apple raised prices on both by $200 or more. The base MacBook Pro jumped $300 to $1,999, the MacBook Air climbed to $1,299 and the iPad Air starts at $749. The reason? AI is hogging the world’s memory chips, so the parts cost more. 

📈 Googling your 401(k): Quick one for anyone with a 401(k). Google’s parent, Alphabet, is joining the 30-stock Dow Jones on Monday, shoving Verizon out after the phone giant spent years hanging out on the list. Now the five biggest tech giants (Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google) all sit in the famous index. If you own an index fund, it got a little more tech-heavy without you lifting a finger. Looks like Verizon finally dropped the call.

Nothing ruins your day like spending 45 minutes on hold. I have the cheat codes to talk to humans fast. Plus, Laura lost $250,000 to a romance scam. We break down every red flag.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Newer cars can usually control Apple CarPlay or Android Auto from the steering wheel. Long-press the mic button for Siri or Google Assistant. Use the arrows to change songs or move through menus, then hit OK to select. Green/red phone buttons handle calls, and +/- controls volume.

Pack less, wear more: Before your next trip, lay out the clothes, shoes and accessories you’re considering. Snap photos, then upload them to your favorite chatbot. Tell it your destination, dates, forecast, luggage limit and plans. Here’s my favorite prompt: Ask for mix-and-match outfits, what to cut and what’s missing.

🎧 Free focus noise: iPhone has built-in background sounds for focusing or drowning out the world. Open Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Background Sounds. Pick Rain, Fire or Balanced Noise, then adjust the volume to your liking. Works on Mac, too, same path. Android folks, YouTube “relaxing sounds” playlists are the next best thing.

📺 Why movies look fake: That weird, ultra-smooth TV picture isn’t your imagination. It’s motion smoothing, and it can make films look like a cheap soap. Go to Settings > Picture > Motion and turn it off. FYI, Samsung may call it Auto Motion Plus, LG TruMotion and Sony Motionflow. Save it for sports.

🛒 Prime Day hangover: Bought shiny new tech this week? ICYMI, don’t let the old stuff collect dust. Amazon takes used phones, tablets, smart speakers and more. Tell ’em what you’re trading in and its condition to get an estimated gift card value. Still on the fence about this sale? An Amazon device trade-in might knock another 20% off.

A DoorDash bot in Chandler, Arizona, accidentally turned a police standoff into an awkward contactless sport. 

Dot, DoorDash’s red autonomous delivery robot, reportedly rolled into a SWAT scene, ignored the general vibe of “maybe not” and had to be removed by a DoorDash technician. The little cooler can carry up to 30 pounds, hit 20 mph and navigate sidewalks, bike lanes and roads, but it has the survival instincts of a moth near a porch light. 

Read the room, Dot. 

Check out the aftermath of the standoff.

🔜 Tomorrow: That new data center near town may look like progress, but the real story is in your electric bill, water supply and tax breaks. I’ll break down how the cloud runs on local resources and why residents can get stuck with the costs.

In tomorrow’s trivia, your iPhone’s face-scanning magic meets the awkward math of look-alikes.

The answer: B) Use your bank’s official app, turn on a VPN and verify the network name first. Wi-Fi in the sky is still public. Open, shared and a target. Banking isn’t off-limits on an airplane, but you can stack the deck by switching to a VPN, and verify the network name with a flight attendant first. 

The Wi-Fi at my farmhouse was terrible, so I moved the router out to the barn. Now I finally have stable Wi-Fi. (Oh, that was a good one!)

💾 Your hard drive is on borrowed time: Every computer eventually dies. When it does, recovery services charge up to $3,000 to maybe get your files back. I use Carbonite instead. It backs up every photo and document to the cloud automatically. It’s cheap insurance against a guaranteed disaster. Get my exclusive 50% right now.*

Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily

🏆 THE KIM CHALLENGE: Forward this to ONE person who needs to hear it today. Pick the person who popped into your head while reading. You know who it is.

Your referrals get you great rewards!

Send your unique link below to friends and family.

👉 Your link is: thecurrent.komando.com/subscribe?ref={{rp_referral_code}}

They get tech-smart. You get prizes. Win-win. The more referrals, the more prizes. (Yes, even a meet and greet with me. I’d love that!)

Your referral count is: {{ rp_num_referrals }}. FYI: This only changes if the people you refer actually click to sign up for this free newsletter.

You’re {{ rp_num_referrals_until_next_milestone }} referrals away from {{ rp_next_milestone_name }}.

🎉 Keep it going! You got this! — Kim

Photo credit(s): ChatGPT/Kim Komando, CBS8

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.