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📬 Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Tomorrow: Halley’s Comet won’t be back until 2061, but its leftovers are lighting up the sky. I’ll tell you the best time to watch and where to look.
Let’s get this Tuesday started, {{first_name | friend}}. Once upon a time, the phone was bolted to a wall, and one line had to be shared by the whole family. I still remember talking to my high school crush and my mom picking up and saying, “Oh, sorry, didn’t know you were on the phone.” That was her way of telling me to hang up.
Now your wrist, tablet, car and possibly your fridge compete to meet your individual communication needs. There are about 8 billion of us on planet Earth, and our gadgets with cellular connections are multiplying.
🛜 Are there more mobile connections or more people? A) People, by billions, B) It’s about even, C) Mobile connections, by about 4 billion, D) Depends on whether my overpacked junk drawer counts. The answer is connecting at the end.
🥳 Every tech support call starts with the same question, and now you can wear it. My new merch drop has a crewneck, tee, jumbo tote and beanie, but only through Sunday night. After that, these are gone for good! Scroll down for more details. — Kim
TODAY’S DEEP DIVE
Copy that
Image: ChatGPT/Kim Komando
🤯 WOW! You’ll type your home address dozens of times this year, plus your email, your “running late” text and the same polite replies. Your phone, your computer and Gmail can all type those for you when you enter a few letters. It’s free, it’s already built in and almost nobody uses it.
The Short Version: Set up text shortcuts once on your phone, computer and Gmail, then make five that save you time every day. Steps below.
📖 Read time: 2 minutes
How many times have you typed your home address this year? Your email? “Running 10 minutes late”?
McKinsey found we spend about 28% of the workweek reading and answering email. A big chunk of that is typing the same things over and over.
Here’s the fix. Teach your phone and computer tiny shortcuts. Type a few letters, and the whole address or phrase appears. (It feels like magic. It’s really only a setting.)
⌨️ Set it up once
🚀 iPhone and iPad
Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
Tap the plus sign. Under Phrase, type your full address. Under Shortcut, type something like “addr.”
Bonus: It syncs to your Mac through iCloud.
🚀 Mac
Open System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements and click the plus sign.
🚀 Android
In Gboard, tap the gear icon > Dictionary > Personal dictionary, pick your language and tap the plus sign.
🚀 Gmail
Go to Settings > See all settings > Advanced and turn on Templates.
Write an email you send all the time, then tap the three dots > Templates > Save draft as template. Next time, it’s two clicks.
🚀 Windows
Sorry, PC folks. Windows doesn’t have built-in text replacement. The fix is Espanso, a free, open-source app that works in any program on your PC. Download it at espanso.org, set up your shortcuts and, for example, type “zaddr” anywhere to get your full address.
✍️ Five shortcuts to make today
These are just my type. Start every shortcut with a letter you rarely use, like z, so it never fires by accident.
zaddr: Your full mailing address
zem: Your email address
zlate: “Running about 10 minutes late. So sorry, see you soon!”
zno: “Thanks so much for thinking of me. I can’t take this on right now, but I hope it goes great.”
zty: “Thank you! I really appreciate it.”
That “zno” shortcut is the secret weapon. Saying no is hard. Typing three letters isn’t.
FYI, never save passwords, account numbers or your Social Security number as a shortcut. That’s what a password manager is for.*
I hate typing mistakes. It’s in my blood. I’m type O negative. (That was so good it was bad.)
🗣️ Text/post this stat: Office workers spend about 28% of the workweek on email. Text shortcuts on your phone and Gmail can type your address, email and “running late” notifications for you. GetKim.com
📩 Send this to someone who still types their full address into every online form.
Your family’s tech genius deserves this
They reset your router, find your missing photos and never send a bill. (If nobody comes to mind, it’s probably you.) My October merch drop was made for them.
It’s built on the oldest fix in the book: “Have you tried turning it off & on again?” Get it on a crewneck, tee, jumbo tote and beanie, starting at $20.
Grab a gift for your favorite fixer. This collection is here for one week only, and once Sunday night hits, it’s gone for good.
✅ Order yours today. →
When it’s gone, it’s gone. No restocks, no reprints.
WEB WATERCOOLER
🎙️ Wearable legal trouble: That smartwatch may be taking meeting notes and quietly handing you the legal risk. Conversation-summarizing wearables from Apple, Amazon, Meta and startups like Plaud and Friend are colliding with wiretap laws written long before AI pendants, CNBC reports. Amazon says its Bee devices don’t keep audio, but experts say recording rules may still bite. One careless tap could cost you a job, a fine or a lawsuit. Get permission first.
👁️ Smile for plumbing: I nearly volunteered my next leaking sink problem until I read the part about the body camera. HUMXN will pay for qualifying plumbing, electrical, HVAC, air duct and carpet-cleaning jobs in Minneapolis, Chicago and Miami if the homeowner allows workers to wear cameras and sensors. The technicians’ footage trains AI robots because labs can’t recreate skilled manual work. Free repairs sound lovely, but before agreeing, ask whether audio, kids or valuables get captured, who owns the recording and how long it’s kept. No such thing as a free plunger.
💸 Paying $1,000 a month for weight loss shots? You’ve got to be kidding me! I take ImproveLife GLP-1 Support daily to support my body’s natural fullness response. Six premium ingredients, no needles, prescriptions or stimulants. Made in the USA. Get up to 50% off and free shipping. Don’t pay full price!**
🚗 Mechanics and microchips: Your car has become such a rolling computer lab that your next oil change almost needs NASA support. Car repair costs have climbed 60% since January 2019, nearly twice the 32% rise in overall inflation, according to Jalopnik. Why? Even driver-assist sensors can add 36.7% to collision repair costs because they often need recalibration, and one machine for that job runs about $28,000. Two estimates suddenly sound less optional. Talk about a costly tune-up.
📚 Your free chapter: Your next audiobook could cost exactly $0 extra if you already pay for YouTube Premium. YouTube is thinking about adding audiobooks to the plan, which includes ad-free video and YouTube Music. No confirmation yet. Spotify’s audiobook listeners jumped nearly 40% over the past year. Translation: People want books with their subscriptions. Check before adding another monthly charge to your phone. Or you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free on Libby with your library card.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Infostealers are after your passwords
Saving passwords in your browser is convenient, but there’s a catch. Infostealers are designed to quietly get into computers and hunt for valuable information, including passwords stored in web browsers. They can run silently in the background, steal information and disappear before you know they were there.
That’s one reason I use NordPass. It keeps my passwords in a dedicated, encrypted password manager instead of relying on my browser. NordPass also creates strong, unique passwords for every account and stores them securely in one place, so I don’t have to remember them.
If you’re saving passwords in your browser, now’s the time to rethink that habit. I trust NordPass with mine. Moving your passwords to NordPass is one simple step toward keeping them more secure.
Thank you for supporting our sponsors, who keep this newsletter free.
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: No need to choose between a video and a photo. While filming on your phone, tap the white shutter button beside the red recording button. It saves a separate photograph while the video keeps rolling. Perfect for grabbing the birthday candle moment without missing the wish. Or asking everyone to do it again, with slightly less enthusiasm. 😂
📶 Marco? Polo! The holiday head count, solved: It’s the season of “Where are you?” texts. Your daughter’s flight lands at 9:40. Your son is driving home from college. Grandpa went out for ice “real quick” 45 minutes ago. (Every family has one.) That’s why I use HeyPolo. Your whole circle shows up on one map, so you can see who’s at the airport, who’s on the highway and who’s already into the pie. Here’s the part I love most. HeyPolo doesn’t sell your family’s location to advertisers, data brokers or anyone else. Try it free at HeyPolo.com/Kim.*
🚨 This Plex update can’t wait: If you run a server for your movie collection, update it today. Hackers are hijacking older versions without needing a password. They can then use your computer to mine crypto, leaving you with the electric bill. 😱 Now that’s a plot twist. Open Plex Web > Settings > Server > General, and make sure you’re on version 1.43.3 or newer.
📶 No, that’s a zero, not an O: Let guests scan their way onto your Wi-Fi. On iPhone, connect first, then open Passwords app > Wi-Fi > your network > Show Network QR Code. They can scan your screen, or you can send a screenshot. On Android, try Settings > Wi-Fi > your network > QR code. Some passwords are better left unspoken.
✂️ Cut the Shorts: On YouTube’s home feed, find a row of them and click the three dots > Show fewer Shorts. On mobile, you can hide them from your main feed entirely. Open the app’s Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit, turn it on and set 0 minutes. Less temptation. Instagram already has us doomscrolling.
🤢 The commute is rough enough: Using your Mac in a car or train? On compatible models, open Settings > Accessibility > Motion and turn on Vehicle Motion Cues. Moving dots along the screen’s edges help reduce motion sickness. Click into it to customize their color, size and number. Now the spreadsheet is the only thing turning your stomach.
KIM’S DAILY DEALS
As an Amazon Associate, some links pay us a commission at no extra cost to you. Keeps this newsletter free. Thank you.
🧼 Home sweet (clean) home
Five fixes for everyday household headaches.
⚡ Serious suction: Cordless vacuum cleaner (38% off, $80)
4.4 ⭐ 800+ reviews
Quit hauling that heavy vacuum from room to room. This one’s lightweight and handles hardwood floors, carpets, stairs and even furniture. Its built-in green light stops dirt you never knew was there.
Image: SVHT
🤎 Soft spot: Dry or dull leather? Leather Honey’s conditioner bottle (29% off, $20) brings back the shine with a smooth, non-sticky finish.
Better hair days ahead: This 20-stage shower filter (10% off, $15) helps cut chlorine and fluoride that dry out your skin. Bonus: spare cartridge.
✨ Bowl-buster: Grab a silicone toilet brush (25% off, $12) with bristles that bend under the rim. The vented holder lets it air out between scrubs.
Streak-free sparkle: A few spritzes of screen cleaner (17% off, $10) wipe smudges without scratching. You’ll remember what HD really looks like.
🏠 More neat finds: Your place deserves an upgrade. See what else I’ve found. →
Prices and deals were accurate at the time of publication.
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: @theiaincameron via X
📍 Location, location, salmon
I hope this email finds you the way Google Maps found this bear: thriving in a lake full of opportunity.
A satellite-style zoom into Kurile Lake on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula shows swarms of salmon filling the shallows. And in the middle of this underwater food court stands a brown bear with a fish in its paws. The lake can hold millions of sockeye, which explains the clientele.
Check out the full clip. Somewhere out there, a bear is eating fresh salmon with a mountain view. You paid $22 for a sad desk salad.
LOGGING OUT …
🎓 What you learned today: Text shortcuts can save hours of repetitive typing, AI wearables raise legal questions about recording conversations, free home repairs may come with a privacy trade-off, car repairs are getting pricier because of tech, and Plex users need to update their servers. Not bad for one email.
🔜 Tomorrow: Earth is about to drive through Halley’s comet crumbs, and yes, that means shooting stars before dawn. I’ll show you when to look, how the moon could mess with the view and the free tool that finds your best local viewing time.
📡 The answer: C) Mobile connections, by about 4 billion. Yep, the gadgets win. There are about 12 billion mobile connections worldwide versus roughly 8 billion people, according to GSMA Intelligence real-time data.
That count includes smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and connected cars. Your sedan may officially be more socially active than you are.
Here’s the money tip: Every one of those connections can come with a monthly charge. Take two minutes and scan your wireless bill for zombie lines: old tablet plans, forgotten smartwatch service, hotspot add-ons or that mystery connected device. Cancel what you don’t need, and keep the cash.
Why is the cell phone wearing glasses? It lost its contacts.
Before Sunday night, grab the crewneck, tee, jumbo tote or beanie. Your wardrobe will thank you for the reboot.
💛 Be like the bear today. Stand in the right spot, be patient and let the good things come to you. Thanks for being here, friend. — Kim
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.
Photo credit(s): ChatGPT/Kim Komando, SVHT, @theiaincameron via X
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