💔 He was supposed to help

Happy Wednesday, {{first_name | friend}}. Let’s pour one out for the brick-size phones of yesteryear, the ones that doubled as both communication devices and upper-body workouts. Flash back to 1973: Marty Cooper, a Motorola engineer (and low-key legend), made the world’s first-ever cell phone call. 

📞 Pop quiz! What were the very first words spoken on a cell phone: A) “Can you hear me?” B) “It works!” C) “Hey, Mom!” or D) “Guess where I’m calling from”? Answer’s at the end. No Googling, cheater, I’ll know. 😉

Tired of data brokers making money off your info? Incogni does the dirty work of kicking your personal data off sketchy lists and shady databases. You stay private, they handle the takedowns. Fast, simple, done. 👉 Try Incogni today and reclaim your digital privacy. — Kim

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I love looking through the stamps in my passport. It’s proof that yes, I really did spend three hours at Charles de Gaulle waiting for my lost luggage. 

Sad news. Europe’s pulling the plug on those little inked-up souvenirs and going high-tech. 

Starting Oct. 12, 2025, when you enter the Schengen Area, you’ll face the new Entry/Exit System (EES), a fancy name for biometric border control. Instead of a stamp and a friendly “bonjour,” you’ll head to a kiosk where your face and fingerprints will be scanned, and your entry digitally logged into a giant EU database.

Yup, it’s basically like checking into the world’s fanciest club, except instead of bottle service, you’re getting your digital identity recorded for up to three years.

This is important if you’re flying into popular European spots like France, Germany, Italy or Spain after mid-October. You’ll need to build in extra time to make a connecting flight. 

You see, under the new system, you’ll need to do the full scan, i.e., passport, face, fingers and all. And here’s the sad kicker: no more passport stamps. That’s right. 

Once the system fully rolls out in April 2026, border agents won’t stamp your passport, even if you ask nicely. 

Planning to take the Eurostar from London to Paris? Driving through the English Channel? Biometric border processing will be there, too. 

Even if you’re coming in by ferry from the U.K., you’ll be scanned. The EU isn’t playing around with this digital gatekeeping.

While the EU’s going full sci-fi with its border tech, don’t forget the U.S. has its own digital shortcuts, and unlike that guy in line with four carry-ons, these actually help.

Here are the best apps for breezing through U.S. customs like a pro:

So if you’re traveling this fall, get your passport one last stamp while you still can. True story: I used a publicity shot for my passport photo. Let me tell you, I’m always so relieved when Border Patrol waves me through. 😅

George, your AI host, reveals how scam factories use blackmail to turn victims into scammers. Plus, clout-chasing hacker teens, Everest cleanup drones and smart gadget tips to make life easier.

Listen on Komando.com →

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😲 Google gets a slap not a split: Google just dodged a breakup in its big monopoly trial but don’t break out the champagne in Mountain View just yet. A judge says Google can’t keep cutting those sweetheart “default search” deals and has to open up some of its secret search data to rivals. Chrome stays safe, and Google keeps its crown, but this ruling cracks the door for competitors, especially with AI nipping at Google’s heels.

📩 He was supposed to help: A U.S. postal fraud inspector, the very person meant to protect elderly scam victims, allegedly stole over $330,000 from them instead. He rerouted packages meant for evidence and used the cash for cruises, escorts and home renovations. Investigators say he even tried to cover his tracks by laundering the money through family members. There’s a special place for people like this; hopefully, it’s a prison cell with some great roommates.

The quiet speaks: Get this, researchers built an AI tool (SeeMe) that can spot teeny-tiny facial movements in coma patients days before doctors even notice. Wild part? These little flickers, like an eye twitch or a mouth move, mean some patients we thought were unreachable might actually be conscious, and even able to answer yes-or-no questions. Amazing.

👨🏻‍⚖️ Tesla said, “No data here” … Oopsie: Tesla told a jury there was absolutely no data showing what happened in a 2019 Autopilot crash that killed 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and left her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, seriously injured. Then a hacker in a Starbucks found the so-called “missing” evidence, and it was game over. The jury hit Tesla with a $243 million verdict.

📼 Own it? Not really: A new lawsuit says Amazon’s “Buy” button on video downloads is misleading, because what you’re really buying is a long-term rental they can take back anytime. A new California law backs the claim. So if your “purchased” movie vanishes next week, well, that’s legal. Somewhere, your dusty DVD collection is cackling. 

🙏🏻 iPhone saves teen’s life: A 16-year-old in Greenville fell asleep at the wheel and crashed, leaving her with multiple broken bones. Trapped inside her pickup, she couldn’t call for help, but her iPhone did. Crash Detection automatically dialed 911 and got rescuers there. Want the same safety net? Go to Settings > Emergency SOS and toggle on Call After Severe Crash.

A smart tip to help protect your retirement savings: With the economy so unpredictable, I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. I protect a portion of my savings with real gold and silver from Goldco. And right now, Goldco is giving up to 10% back in FREE silver when you open a qualified account.*

Podcasting is changing fast. The era of big-budget true crime and long investigative series is fading. Here is why your favorite podcast may never return.

Listen on Komando.com →

Flossing is a chore … this makes it fun. Compact, cordless and travel-ready, it won’t hog your countertop space.

🧼 Silicone body scrubber (42% off): Bacteria love loofahs. Swap yours for soft bristles that gently exfoliate and last way longer.

☁️ Cotton hand towels (36% off, six-pack): So fluffy and soft, you’ll swear you’re staying at a fancy hotel.

💚 Face roller & Gua Sha (20% off): Roll away puffiness and redness, and look like you actually got eight hours of sleep.

🪮 Detangler hairbrush (20% off): Stop ripping your hair out. Glide through knots, wet or dry, curly or straight.

✨ Little luxuries, big difference: From self-care staples to gift-worthy finds, my Amazon shop has plenty more goodies waiting.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On iPhone and Android, double-tap the space bar while typing to insert a period and a space. Nice, you’re now texting 0.002 seconds faster.

Protect your Word doc: Got sensitive info you’d rather keep private? Lock the file with a password. Go to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password. Enter and confirm your password, then click OK and Save. Just don’t forget it, because Microsoft can’t recover it for you.

🥳 Canva for invitations: Canva’s one of my favorite design tools, with free templates for almost any occasion. Log in with your Google account, search “dinner party” (or whatever you need), pick a free option, and hit Customize this template. From there, you can edit the text and drop in your own photos.

Send Chrome pages to your phone: On your computer, open the website you want and click the three-dot menu (top right). Go to Cast, save and share > Create QR Code. A QR code will pop up. On your phone, open the Camera app (or Scan QR code), and the link opens in your mobile browser. Nice. 

🍏 Turn off iPhone auto-renewals: Subscriptions like streaming apps can sneak up and hit you with surprise charges if you forget to cancel. Go to Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions, then find the ones you want to stop under Active. Tap Cancel Subscription. FYI: If you’ve prepaid, you’ll still have access until the listed date.

17 inches
That’s the neck size where men’s health risks spike. For the ladies, it’s 14 inches. A thicker neck isn’t just a linebacker flex, it’s a red flag for heart disease, diabetes and sleep apnea. Turns out your shirt collar might be better at predicting your future hospital visits than your bathroom scale.

$60,000
The median annual pay for HVAC techs, no bachelor’s required. That’s about the same as a liberal arts grad, minus the $43,000 student debt. Hot take: Installing AC might actually be the cooler job. Blame “AI-xiety,” but better a wrench in hand than a résumé lost in the algorithm.

2 hours
That’s the school day for core subjects at Alpha, the AI-powered private school. Kids in this $40K-to-$65K-a-year program blast through math, reading and science on personalized software before lunch, then spend afternoons on bike rides, hobbies or “life skills.” Imagine that.

Arcade mode engaged

Porsche is teaming up with AirConsole to turn its cars into rolling arcades. 

Scan a QR code, your phone becomes the controller, and suddenly the back seat is screaming over UNO Car Party! like it’s family game night without your cheating cousin Kenny. 

🎮 It only works parked, or shifts to the passenger screen while moving, so the driver doesn’t cause an IRL Game Over for everyone. Launching first in the Macan this year, then rolling out across Porsche’s lineup. BMW, VW and Audi have already signed up.

The answer: D) “Guess where I’m calling from.” Marty called his rival at Bell Labs just to flex. Savage. Imagine inventing the cell phone and your first move is a prank call. Iconic. That phone weighed over 2 pounds, had a 30-minute talk time and took 10 hours to charge. So yes, it was almost the original portable microwave.

🧞‍♀️ Long joke time, we haven’t had one of these for awhile: A genie appeared in front of a woman. “Whatever you want, as many things as you want, just ask,” the genie said. “My husband’s eyes should be only on me during all waking hours.” “And then…?” “He should not be concerned with anything else in life except me.” “And then…?” “He should never sleep without me by his side.” “And then…?” “When he wakes up in the morning, he should only see my face first.” “And then…?” “He should not go anywhere without me.” “And then…?” “If there is even a single scratch on me, he should go crazy with grief.” “And then…?” “That’s it.” And, bingo, the genie turned the woman into a smartphone! (lol)

🔒 P.S. Your personal data is being bought and sold without your consent. Data brokers collect everything from your home address to your browsing habits and sell it to the highest bidder. Incogni fights back on your behalf, requesting removals from over 400 of these companies automatically. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

You’re reading the #1 tech newsletter in the United States. Tomorrow, glasses that record every single thing. Incredible. Frightening, too.

🔁 Thanks for spending time with me today, and when life crashes, always reboot with purpose. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Operan, AirConsole

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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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