🍿Netflix just bought HBO?

Hey there, weekend warrior, it’s Saturday, {{first_name | friend}}. My Christmas Cash Giveaway is in full swing. Every single day, one lucky subscriber wins a $100, $200 or $500 Amazon gift card. You opened this newsletter, you’ve got a shot. Check the Golden Ticket section below to see if today’s winner is you.

📹 Today’s trivia is based on the fact YouTube wasn’t always the all-you-can-stream buffet of cat videos and cooking tutorials. It started with a dramatically different plan. No influencers, no unboxing videos, merely an idea that didn’t quite click. 

Was YouTube’s original idea for a: A) Contest site for best home videos, B) Video-based dating site, C) Pirated music repository or D) Private video storage locker? The surprising answer’s waiting at the end, no skipping ahead!

💧 For the love of water: We know we should drink more water, but plain water gets old fast. That’s why I like NativePath Hydrate. Natural flavors, good vitamins, zero sugar, and it actually makes water taste like something you want to drink. Right now you can get 44% off plus free gifts and free shipping. Try it out! — Kim

📬 Was this forwarded to you? Be the first to know, not the last to hear. Sign up now. It’s free!

Everyone has their end of the year lists. So I figured, “Why not?”

When you shop these links, Amazon throws a few coins in our tip jar to help keep the lights on. Here are the Top 10 best-selling stuff of 2025 that you guys went wild for. The best part? They are all on sale right now. Think of it like your Spotify Wrapped, but instead of embarrassing listening stats, you get stuff you actually need.

Not in a money-saving mood right now? Scroll down to the Web Watercooler to learn about the spreading copper stealing antics you need to know about.

You truly loved these cheap but effective RFID-blocking cards (53% off, $5, six-pack) that stop digital pickpockets from ruining your life. Slip one in your wallet, and boom, no one’s skimming your credit card info and stealing from you. You’ll forget it’s there.

Snag this deal on a hidden camera detector (30% off, $28) to sniff out GPS trackers and listening devices. Four modes make scanning super easy. Perfect for hotel rooms, rentals or sketchy changing rooms. Never travel without one.

In a wreck? Redtiger’s highly-rated 4K dashcam (33% off, $100) autosaves the footage when you need ironclad evidence. Sharp night vision and a 24-hour parking monitor keep an eye out while you snooze or shop. It’s a perfect gift!

This 2-in-1 handy cordless vacuum (42% off, $38) doesn’t just suck up mystery crumbs. The air duster mode blows dirt out of tight spots and lasts 30+ minutes on a single charge. Your car, couch and keyboards will look almost new.

These warm motion sensor reliable night lights (23% off, $10) turn on when you walk by and switch off automatically after a minute. No more stubbing your toes at 2 a.m. They’re adjustable, too, so you control the brightness.

A clogged vent is no joke. This super clever cleaning kit (29% off, $10) pulls out all that hidden lint before it lights your place on fire. The hose clips onto almost any vacuum, and the brush even gets those coils behind your dryer or refrigerator. Neat (literally).

Keep important papers in a dependable fireproof document box (25% off, $45). It fits perfectly in your home office and has a flat key lock, so it won’t pop open during a blaze or flood. Toss everything in and enjoy years of peace of mind.

Plug in an essential universal data blocker (6% off, $16, four-pack) whenever you use a public charging station. Stops hackers from installing malware and stealing log-in info. Perfect for airports, coffee shops, the gym, you name it.

The three-sided clever design on this amazing outlet extender (23% off, $10) turns two wall plugs into five plus four USB ports. Oh, and there’s a built-in 1680-joule surge protector to keep your electronics safe. You can thank me later.

Fighting tiny clasps behind your neck? These innovative magnetic necklace clasps (33% off, $10) will save your sanity. They click together instantly and blend into any necklace or bracelet. Such cute stocking stuffers!

✅ Get all the goods:

👉 Pro tip: Before you hit “buy now,” check Amazon’s awesome trade-in program. Send in your old gadgets, and Amazon will knock up to 20% off your new device. Total win-win.

🧵 Copper cowboys: I know it sounds crazy, but folks are ripping copper wires (paywall link) right out of phone lines in broad daylight. In L.A., it’s turned into a full-blown crisis, with outages so bad that emergency calls are going dark. AT&T’s footing the bill ($76 million so far this year). Some thieves come dressed like utility workers, opening manholes and sawing through lines, while whole neighborhoods lose service. Even the gangs are tipping off AT&T’s hotline because they’re sick of their internet going out on them. Wait, it’s nerd humor alert time! Copper is the only element that has eyes. It can Cu.

AIntibiotics: Get this, MIT scientists trained an AI to invent antibiotics from scratch. It made 29 million new molecules (yes, million), and one already beat drug-resistant MRSA in mice. It’s not remixing the old drugs, it actually creates molecules, a process that normally takes years. AI did it in a weekend with a few months of training. When this scales, we’re looking at a whole fleet of weapons to fight the worst infections.

Reality check: Meta plans to slash the metaverse budget (paywall link) by up to 30%. After spending more than $60 billion since 2020, they’re shifting focus to AI glasses and wearables. Remember when Zuck said this year was do-or-die for the metaverse? Looks like he picked “die.” I think the whole idea was doomed when no one had a leg to stand on.

🏡 The nightmare you don’t see coming: Title theft sounds like one of those “it won’t happen to me” scams until it does. Thieves forge a deed, transfer your house on paper, and suddenly you’re fighting for your own property. I use Home Title Lock because it monitors your title nonstop and flags suspicious activity before it becomes a disaster. Grab 20% off any plan and a free Title History Report while it’s still available.*

Couch to conquest: Remember when you’d rent Netflix DVDs via mail? That same scrappy startup is buying Warner Bros. Discovery for $72 billion, snagging HBO, DC Comics and basically the rest of premium TV. This started with a good old-fashioned bidding war. Paramount tried first, but Netflix outbid them. Now the streamer-turned-superpower may own Game of Thrones, Succession and Harry Potter. If the deal clears, your Netflix “Continue Watching” list got massive.

Surveillance side hustle: Got a weird flyer promising gift cards from Google? It’s real. They’ll pay you $540/year to track everything you do on your phone, if you’re cool handing over your household’s web habits for their “Device Usage Study.” Even your teen can join. No, they won’t show you ads. But they will study your clicks like you’re a lab rat on Prime Day. You’ll need a mailer with a special invite code to sign up, so unless it landed in your mailbox (or someone in your household got one), you’re not on the guest list.

🍼 Slop from the bottle: YouTubers are using AI to pump out garbage content for toddlers. Some “creators” claim they earn hundreds daily slapping together weird knockoff cartoons. YouTube says their systems catch low-quality spam and everything’s under control. Meanwhile, researchers say kids are watching hours of nonsense that might scramble their brains. Have you seen the stuff created for kids? Is “Baby Shark” (doo doo doo doo doo) the pinnacle of baby brain development film? Let me tell you, that doo doo really contaminated the shark tank.

📱 Keep your phone safe: If your case is cracked or loose, replace it before your next drop becomes an expensive disaster. I designed new tough cases for iPhone and Samsung now in my Etsy shop. They’re sturdy, clean and built to protect your phone. And since it’s the season for upgrades, use promo code SHOPWITHKIM and get an instant 20% off. Hurry, this is a limited time offer!

Clear your YouTube history: I do it when my recommendations are all over the place. Open YouTube on your computer, click the menu icon in the top left and choose History. On the right side of the screen, select Clear all watch history. FYI, you can delete specific videos by clicking the three-dot icon next to them.

Look over your phone subscriptions: You’ve probably got a few apps or services you don’t use anymore that are still billing you. On iPhone, open Settings > your name > Subscriptions and cancel. On Android, open Play Store > profile > Payments and subscriptions. Do it now and send me the money you save. Just kidding, give it to your favorite charity. 

🔐 Clean up your passwords, finally: If you’re juggling dozens of log-ins, chances are more than five are embarrassingly weak. A password manager fixes all of that in one shot. I use NordPass because it generates strong passwords, saves them securely and fills them in automatically. Their holiday deal is huge, 68% off plus 4 extra months for just $0.95/month.*

Before you wipe your PC: There’s a better option than reinstalling Windows from scratch. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC and choose Keep my files. It removes apps and settings but keeps your docs intact. Remember to back up to the cloud first.

Make Gmail easier to read: You don’t need to keep opening and closing emails to get back to your inbox. Split your screen so your inbox stays on one side and the message on the other. Click the Settings icon (top right), scroll to Reading pane and select Right of inbox for a side-by-side view or Below inbox for a stacked one. Incredible.

🎉 My national radio show is airing all weekend across the USA. With over 420 stations strong, find your closest one by using our super-duper station locator map, or listen commercial-free on Apple, iHeart or in the Komando Community.

Quick favor: Love the show? I need you to tell your local station! Hit their “Contact Us” page or send a social media shout-out. Your 30 seconds keeps the tech talk coming to your city. TY!

📺 Don’t just listen! Catch the show on my YouTube channel. It’s like our own corner of the internet, but you get to see my expression when someone asks a truly crazy question. Click here to watch, subscribe and learn!

Or search for my lovely name “Kim Komando” wherever you get your podcasts.

Say hi to Diaper Diplomacy, the AI account turning Trump, Biden, Putin, Cuomo and every other geopolitical heavy hitter into articulate toddlers delivering real quotes in tiny suits.

It launched in May, now pulls millions of views, sells baby merch and reportedly supports its anonymous creator’s entire family, all running on a 5-year-old Mac Mini, which is the hardest-working toddler in the operation. 

This one got over 350,000 views in two months.

The answer: B) Video-based dating site. Yup, before it became your favorite deep dive into conspiracy theory rabbit holes, YouTube launched in 2005 with the charmingly awkward pitch “Tune In, Hook Up.” The plan was that singles would upload short video clips to find love. The result? Crickets. Not a single person uploaded. The founders even offered women $20 to create videos. Still nada.

🐘 Thankfully, they gave up on matchmaking. The very first video? Cofounder Jawed Karim’s 19-second clip “Me at the zoo,” filmed in front of some chill elephants. This tech history is definitely not irr-elephant.

⛔️ I don’t drink coffee: It makes me too wired! I appreciate small habits that help you feel good without adding more to your plate. When your water tastes better, you naturally drink more of it, and that adds up fast. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest things you can do for everyday wellness. Give Native Hydrate a try, and use my link to get a great price with free shipping.

See you tomorrow for more truths and trivia from the #1 tech newsletter in the U.S. I’ll be talking about Google’s $5 billion hand slap.

🧡 Thank you for being part of our tech family. Go enjoy the day, let’s see you smile and be your wonderful self! — Kim

📣 I want to conquer the world: Send your friends to GetKim.com

Photo credit(s): Gemini, @DiaperDiplomacy

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.