🔧 Your phone has this hidden trick (you’ll use it daily)

It’s a super tech Tuesday, {{first_name | friend}}. Have you ever experienced the joy of having a chocolate bar melt in your pocket? It’s a messy inconvenience for most of us, but for one guy, it actually helped shape the future. 

🍫 Can you guess which everyday invention was discovered because a scientist walked past a machine and his candy bar melted? Was it the: A) Air fryer, B) Microwave oven, C) Toaster or D) Laser? Stick around for the sweet answer at the end.

🎄 My Christmas Cash Giveaway is almost here, and there is a simple way to score extra chances at the $1,000 grand prize. In this Saturday’s newsletter, you will get your own unique referral link. Share that link with friends and family, so they can sign up for The Current. When they sign up, you get another entry to win! If you love my tips, your friends will, too. Heck, maybe you’ll even share some of your winnings with them! Nice. — Kim

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We’ve all been there. Your screen goes black, but you can still hear the audio. You’re trying to move the cursor on your phone, but your thumb’s too big to land in the right spot. Or your Android suddenly turns into a sluggish mess, and you’re ready to throw your $1,000 phone out the window.

Pause. Breathe.

There’s a secret power-user layer baked into your gadgets that most folks never see. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill tips. These are the hidden handshakes, the ones you can drop to sound like the family tech wizard. You’re gonna love them!

iPhone user? Stop jabbing the screen to fix typos. Press and hold the space bar instead. The keys vanish, and the keyboard turns into a mini track pad. Now slide your thumb to drop that cursor exactly where you want it. So much easier.

And those four little signal bars at the top? Basically meaningless. Want the real signal strength? Open your Phone app and dial this: 3001#12345#, then hit call.

You’re in Field Test Mode. Find RSRP (that’s Reference Signal Received Power) to see the actual signal number. The closer to -80, the better. -120? You’re in the dead zone. Now you can walk around your house and see exactly where the signal is strongest.

Android users, I’ve got three hidden gems for you:

Unlock Developer Mode: Go to Settings > About phone > Software information. Quickly tap “Build number” seven times in a row. Enter your pattern, PIN or password to enable the “Developer options” menu. Pop in there and speed up animations to make your phone feel faster instantly. Do not do this unless you really know what you’re doing, please.

Use Safe Mode: If your phone’s acting buggy or crashing, press and hold the power button. Then press and hold “Power off” until you see “Reboot to Safe Mode.” Tap OK. If the issues don’t disappear, you’ve got a rogue app to delete.

Turn on Guest Mode: Handing your phone to a kid or friend? Don’t risk them digging through your messages. Set up “Guest mode.” It’s a clean version of Android, no access to your stuff.

Is your Windows screen frozen or black, but the PC’s still on? Don’t yank the power. Try this instead: Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. You’ll hear a beep, the screen flashes, and boom, your graphics driver resets. One second, no reboot.

Here’s the ultimate power move: God Mode.

Go ahead, wow your family with your tech smarts. Then grab your phone, open your browser and head to GetKim.com. Take a minute to sign up your family and friends for my newsletter. It’s the easiest favor you’ll do all day.

DMVs across the country pull in millions by selling your personal data with your license. Also, caller Dennis says he almost got duped by an AI voice clone of his daughter. Plus, MrBeast gets his own theme park, Gen Z and FB dating and how to buy the stuff Amazon throws away.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

🧨 Bot black hat: Anthropic says hackers used Claude to run global cyberattacks, with no human babysitter needed. It ID’d targets, stole passwords, built exploits and kept receipts. I’m talking chemical plants, banks, governments. The kicker is Claude believed it was working for the good guys. Congratulations, everyone. The bots have entered their criminal mastermind era. A sentient AI that hacks the world seems like the plot of every sci-fi movie, and it looks like we started Chapter One. Sleep well.

Booted up, clocked out: OK, picture this. You clock in for work at 9, right? But first you’ve gotta boot up your encrypted drive, punch in your MFA code, launch five programs and pray the VPN connects, all before you can even start the clock. Now imagine doing that unpaid. Every day. That’s what the latest lawsuit against Bank of America says it’s been doing to people. I’ve had gym warm-ups with less effort! 

🪰 Lord of the AIs: You buy your kid a talking teddy bear. It’s cute, it’s smart. It also tells them where to find knives. What? AI-powered toys are dishing out fire-starting tips and sex advice like it’s recess gossip. One even gave a tutorial on bondage. So yeah, maybe skip the AI stocking stuffers this year. They’ve got some kinks to work out. 

Most common pass fails: The top 10 most commonly used passwords floating around the internet include “admin,” “password” and the enitire lineup of 12345, 123456, 12345678 and yes, 12345678910. “Gmail.12345” made the top 10, too. Number 12 on the list is a combination of the f-bomb with the word “slut.” Who would type that in all the time? If any of these look familiar, get a password manager. The password manager I use and recommend is only $0.95 per month with this Black Friday deal. Don’t miss out, grab it now!*

🛠️ Grab a wrench: Ford’s offering $120,000 for mechanics and still can’t fill 5,000 jobs. CEO Jim Farley (Fun fact: This guy is Chris Farley’s cousin.) says we’re in trouble (paywall link), because America doesn’t have enough people who know how to pull an engine. In other words, we’ve got too many people “circling back” on Slack, and not enough ratchets. Don’t mind the grease? Go get that paycheck. 

📄 Viral résumé: So this guy at a Jonas Brothers concert scrolls a random résumé. Someone behind him records it. TikTok loses its mind. Now the résumé’s owner, Scott Kelly, is TikTok-famous, has companies chasing him and didn’t even know it had happened. Looks like we found America’s next career coach. Apparently, CV stands for concert viral.

AI host George talks about the wild new ATM in Shanghai that melts your old bling for instant cash, Terminator-style. Then, a family used AI to fight a $195K hospital bill and won, saving $160K. Plus, laugh at the cop who attended virtual court pantsless.

Listen on Komando.com →

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Want to send documents to your Kindle? Find Send-to-Kindle email under Settings > Your Account and email the files there. They’ll show up in your Library. Or visit amazon.com/sendtokindle and drag and drop them.

Paying way too much for cloud services? You’re not alone. Take a look at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. OCI gives you speed, power and real savings without the usual cloud drama. Some of the biggest names use it. You can try it for free right now.*

Check your goods for this recall: If you’ve got a Belkin BoostCharge 20K (models BPB002 or PB0003) or the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro (model MMA008), they’re recalling them after reports of overheating, fires and injuries. Go here to see what they look like and get details. I want you to be safe.

Using a Windows laptop? There’s a way to track or lock it if it ever gets stolen. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Find my device and toggle it on. If your laptop disappears, sign in to your Microsoft account from another device to see where it is. FYI, it needs an internet connection, or it will show the last known spot.

👀 Control Facebook tags: Don’t let embarrassing party pics sneak onto your timeline. Open the Facebook app and head to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Profile and tagging > Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile? From there, set it to friends or only you. Wonderful, crisis (and comments) averted.

Hiring is a total pain in the butt: Endless resumes, ghosted interviews, and trying to find someone who can actually do the job. Here's a shortcut: Use my special link to post your job for FREE. (Yours and mine favorite word!) You’ll keep your sanity, your phone number, and get U.S.-based support 24/7. Maybe you next superstar is a click away.*

There’s a new skinny in town. Say hi (again) to serif fonts. The bookish letters you last saw on your SAT prep guide and vintage Apple ads are suddenly the hottest accessory. 

“Serif font, so hot right now!” I imagine a calligrapher whispering into their quill. 

Perplexity, Nike, Oakley, New Balance, protein bars and the U.S. immigration site are rocking it, so says the WSJ (paywall link).

Finally, someone appreciates my font humor. I found this online. Thank you, Mr./Mrs./Ms. Joke Whisperer.

📡 The answer? B) Microwave oven. All thanks to a man named Percy Spencer, who strolled past a magnetron (a radar-generating thingy), felt a suspiciously warm pocket and discovered his choco-snack had self-destructed via invisible waves. Thus the microwave was born. Percy, the hot pockets of this country salute you. The first microwave was 6 feet tall and cost more than a car. You can use that to win a bet over the holidays.

Fun fact: I sometimes stop my microwave at 0:01 just to feel like a bomb disposal expert. Try it!

Tomorrow, do you own the copyright to the AI images and videos you create? It’s complicated. This is the #1 free tech newsletter in the United States. Drop a rating below and a comment. I read them all. Really.

🔋 Never quit when your battery is low. Rest, recharge and try again when you’re back at 100%. I’ll be here waiting for you. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Gemini, Ciowain, Amazon, David Protein, Perplexity, Trump card

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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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