🪞 The bathroom mirror that streams Netflix, plus my top 3 picks

Welcome to your Thursday, {{first_name | friend}}. You know those tiny black holes on your AirPods? They’re not random. They have a big job, and even the most die-hard iFans are surprised when they find out.

🙉 So, what’s the real purpose of those mysterious AirPod holes? Is it for: A) Better bass, B) Air pressure equalization, C) Noise cancellation or D) Preventing earwax buildup? The answer’s tucked somewhere between your couch cushions and your missing left AirPod. Scroll down to find it.

💳 Got a weird little charge on your card? That’s what ID theft looks like now. Thieves start tiny to see if you’re asleep at the wheel, then hit you hard with the big stuff. That’s why I use NordProtect, sponsor of today’s newsletter. It watches your accounts 24/7 and catches the trouble before they clean you out. Stay sharp.

🎄 My Christmas Cash Giveaway is here, powered by Incogni. Because you’re a subscriber to my free newsletter, you already have one entry toward the $1,000 grand prize. Every day between now and Dec. 15, one lucky subscriber will win an Amazon.com gift card up to $500! See if you won each day by checking the Golden Ticket near the end! Good luck! I hope you win. — Kim

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I remember the first time I saw a bathroom mirror with a built-in TV. I was at a ski lodge in Vail and called Barry to come see it. Amazing, but the embedded TV was tiny and the sound muffled. Today’s smart mirrors are so much better. I’ll tell you the one I got below.

Smart mirrors are what your old bathroom mirror wishes it could be. While you’re brushing your teeth, they show your calendar, weather, traffic, they’ll even play your favorite podcast or the morning news. Some models stream Netflix. Yes, in your mirror.

The lighting adjusts, so you’re not guessing at your makeup, and the surface won’t fog up after a hot shower. Some even track your skin and fitness. And the best part? It doubles as a smart home hub. Lights, thermostat, security, all voice-controlled. You don’t even have to pick up your phone, unless you want to use the mirror’s app instead of your voice.

Prices range from around $500 to $1,000+, depending on size and features. 

🥇 Best overall pick: Soulaca smart magic mirror 4K

🥈 Top integrated features: Sylvox magic mirror

🥉 Budget-friendly: StarLead bathroom mirror

🛁 Know someone redoing their bathroom or obsessed with smart home tech? Forward this newsletter to them. A smart mirror might be the upgrade they didn’t realize they needed. I love mine!

You use it to write emails, now it’s orchestrating crimes. Anthropic says its AI targeted 30 global organizations (including banks) in a cyberattack campaign. Scary stuff! Plus, a Russian bot fail, Louvre password drama and deals you don’t want to miss.

🎧 Listen on Komando.com →

🔥 Pass on this smokin’ deal: Say you buy one of those “fully loaded” Fire Sticks off Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. The seller promises every channel, every game, totally free. No bills, no subscriptions. What you’re really getting? A malware-packed backdoor into your life. These things steal passwords, snoop on your network, and two out of five people end up losing around $2,000. One guy had someone buy a speedboat in his name, all for free TV.

Check the specs: That “cute e-bike” Santa is bringing Timmy? It might be a 60-mph electric motorcycle. Real e-bikes top out around 28 mph and 750 watts. But because there’s no solid federal definition, companies can slap pedals on a high-powered motorcycle and call it an e-bike. Talk about a vicious cycle.

Don’t fall for it: Listen, if you get an email saying your SSN is getting “shut off in 24 hours,” take a breath. Maybe laugh a little. It’s a scam. The SSA doesn’t suspend your number like a library for an overdue book. Scammers made off with $12.5 billion last year, and older Americans got hit the hardest. If something shows up yelling, “CALL NOW,” don’t call, please.

Epstein gamed Google: In 2010, Jeffrey Epstein was stressing about what would come up if you Googled him. Gee, I wonder what he was worried about. He spent years obsessing over his Google results. He paid tens of thousands to bury real reporting on Page 2 and beyond (basically the abyss). Wild hearing about a guy covering his tracks with the same SEO hustle someone puts into launching an essential-oil affiliate site.

🚀 Bezos needs the work: Jeff Bezos is back in the CEO chair after quitting past his prime, co-running an AI startup called Prometheus (paywall link) with a Google X scientist, and they’ve already raised $6.2 billion. Their whole mission is AI that designs physical stuff, like rockets, cars, computer hardware and so on, all built by, you guessed it, robots.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Gmail has a Purchases tab that saves you from digging through your inbox. It collects your order confirmations, receipts and shipping updates all in one spot. You’ll see it in the left panel. Sweet.

Hot Corners on your Mac: It’s a cool feature that lets you trigger quick actions by moving your cursor to a screen corner. Go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners to set it up. For example, make the bottom right open a Quick Note or make the bottom left show your Desktop when someone walks by.

No more one-size-fits-all audio: On Windows, set different volume levels for your system and each app. Right-click the volume icon on the taskbar and select Open volume mixer. The top slider controls the overall system volume, and under Apps, you can adjust things like your web browser separately. Nice.

Why I love AirTags: I use them everywhere. If something goes missing, the Find My network helps me track it down. Drop one in your luggage before a trip, or tuck one in your car for a little extra security. You can even pop one into your kiddo’s school bag for some peace of mind. FYI, a 4-pack is 34% off right now.

Introducing Pinkfong, better known as Baby Shark Inc., the only billion‑view empire powered entirely by toddlers and exhausted parents. They pull in about $67 million a year, thanks to one video that refuses to leave your head. 

Baby Shark has 16.4 billion plays (paywall link), about 10 of T-Swift’s top 10 YouTube videos combined.

Here’s the twist. Because YouTube slaps “Made for Kids” rules on the video, the ad revenue is pocket lint. It could be earning three times more. Still, that hasn’t scared off investors. Pinkfong just debuted on Seoul’s Kosdaq at a $400 million valuation.

Reminds me, what contaminated the fish tank? Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo! Tell that one to the kids for a real eye roll.

The answer: B) Air pressure equalization. Yup, those tiny black vents balance the pressure in your ear canal. Without them, your AirPods would turn your ear canal into a tiny pressure chamber where every step, chew and bass hit thumps like you’re hearing the world from inside Tupperware.

I’m wondering, if you pass your AirPods on to your kids, do they become HeirPods?

⚠️ Listen up. You checked your statement and saw a charge for $1.87. That’s not a mistake. Identity thieves use tiny amounts now. If you ignore it, they know they have full access, and next, they won’t take coffee money, they’ll take thousands. You need NordProtect watching your accounts like a hawk, catching the whisper of fraud before it becomes the roar that cleans you out. Don’t be tested. Be protected. Right now, save 71% when you sign up.

Tomorrow, how AI gets you to pay more shopping online. This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States, balancing the pressure of tech smarts in your inbox.

🎅 Special thanks to Incogni for supporting our Kim’s Christmas Cash Giveaway: Keep your personal info private and secure this holiday season with Incogni. Get my spam-busting deal, 60% off now. 

🖋️ Write your life story, even if it’s a little “rough around the edges. A messy first draft beats a perfect story that never leaves your head. Start typing, scribbling or tapping, every great chapter begins with page one. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Sylvox, Samsung, Pinkfong, Amazon

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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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