🥶 The privacy threat no one blocks

It’s Thursday, {{first_name | friend}}. Heads up, a ton of new tech has been released lately. Be sure not to miss today’s Web Watercooler. And you know, tech history is full of bold ideas. Some change the world. Others? They stink, literally. Back in 2001, a bizarre gadget promised to send actual smells over the internet. Think perfume, fresh-baked cookies and ocean breezes. Spoiler: It flopped, but not before raising millions.

👃 Can you sniff out the real name? Was it: A) SmellMail, B) AromaJet, C) iSmell or D) OdorCloud? Follow your nose to the answer at the end.

⚠️ Scammers are getting smarter every day. I’ve seen AI-generated emails and fake calls trick even the smartest people. That’s why I rely on NordProtect. It watches my info 24/7, sends alerts if anything suspicious pops up, and gives me expert help if fraud strikes. Use my link to sign up for just $5.22 a month. — Kim

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

You mention Antarctica once. Just a throwaway joke near your phone, “Wouldn’t it be cool to go freeze my face off?” Suddenly, your phone, laptop, smart TV, smart speaker and even your fridge are pitching you parkas like it’s QVC Arctic Edition. 🥶

Chances are, you were hit by ultrasonic cross-device tracking.

This high-frequency sound is too high for your ears to notice, but it connects your devices without your knowledge. No clicks. No cookies. Just vibes.

It’s audio surveillance in stealth mode. Ultrasonic tones (usually 18–22 kHz) are baked into ads, websites and retail kiosks. It’s crazy smart. You won’t hear the tone, but your devices do. 

Advertisers use it to link your laptop, phone, smart TV and speaker together as belonging to one person. That’s how you get hyper-targeted ads across your devices and platforms.

Because it’s invisible and almost no one’s blocking it. Unlike cookies, this doesn’t ask for permission. You can’t even hear it, how are you supposed to know it’s going on? 

The FTC isn’t thrilled about this tech. They issued warnings to companies using it without proper disclosure, especially those embedding code into apps and ads. Marketers are still pushing the limits, quietly experimenting without you clicking a thing.

The basic steps might vary by device. If it’s not exactly where I say, just poke around. You’ll find it.

✅ Limit mic access on your devices

✅ Turn off tracking on your smart TV

✅ Stop your smart speaker from storing recordings

Silent tracking is real, but now, you’re putting your hands over tech’s ears, saying, “La la la, I can’t hear you.”

A Georgia couple found hidden cameras in their Puerto Rico Airbnb capturing private moments with their kids. Here are four smart steps to spot hidden cameras, protect your privacy and stay safe while traveling.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Subscribe on your favorite platform:

⚡ Gemini’s got the mic now: Google Assistant is NLWTF (no longer with the firm). Every Google smart speaker’s voice assistant is Gemini, its new AI brain. Yup, even your dusty 2016 Google Home. Gemini gets real context, better natural language and can actually answer “When’s a good day for a barbecue?” instead of pleading, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” The catch? The cool stuff is locked behind a $10/month “premium” account, because of course it is.

Lord of the blings: Oura’s Ring 4 got a ceramic makeover. It’s supposed to be lighter, tougher, fancier and less likely to look like it survived a lawn mower. Made from zirconia ceramic, it comes in four colors (Cloud, Petal, Tide, Midnight), won’t fade or chip and starts at $499. And don’t forget the $6/month subscription. On a budget? Just grab a ring protector for under $10.

🏋️ Peloton’s $7K treadmill: Peloton’s trying a full reboot with new bikes ($1,445), Bike Plus ($2,495), Row Plus ($3,995) and Tread Plus ($6,695). AI will track your form, count reps and suggest weights, plus a massive swivel screen eases your switch from cardio to strength. Yes, they finally upgraded the crummy bike seats, because apparently our butts unionized. Oh, the app’s monthly subscription is now $49.99/month.

DIY movie star: Picture this. Tell OpenAI’s new Sora app, “Make me doing a sick skateboard trick,” and boom, it spits out a movie-quality clip (paywall link), up to 20 seconds. There’s even a “Cameo” mode that drops your likeness into AI worlds. The first viral hit? A fake Sam Altman stealing graphics cards. The app works like TikTok or YouTube Shorts: You can follow, like and comment on other AI slop.

🚀 My rocket’s bigger: I just finished reading the book Rocket Dreams, and wow, Elon and Jeff have turned space into a billionaire soap opera. Through secret meetings, Twitter spats and NASA bidding wars, the book shows Musk and Bezos chasing space, not just for ego but because they actually believe we’ll live there. It’s messy but so interesting. 

📅 Screenagers and schedulers: Parents are so busy as tech is taking over family life that half now schedule quality time with their kids like it’s a dentist appointment. And even then, phones interrupt 52% of parent-child conversations. You’re not imagining it. Your dog is the most emotionally available family member.

A smart tip to help protect your retirement savings: With the economy so unpredictable, I don’t want 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.* 

Cracker Barrel changed its logo after an online backlash, but nearly half the outrage came from bots. Real customers followed the fake mob, and the chain’s growth stalled almost overnight.

Listen on Komando.com →

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⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Don’t feel like typing? In Google Docs, press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + S on Mac to start voice typing. Works in Chrome, Safari and Edge and most programs, too. 

🥊 Google Drive fights ransomware: Using Drive for desktop? A new AI security feature senses ransomware tampering with your files and pauses syncing to stop the damage. You get alerts on your PC and email, and your cloud files stay safe until you restore them. The catch: It only works on certain Google Workspace plans.

Remove ads in File Explorer: Windows 11 sometimes slips in ads for OneDrive and other Microsoft services. To turn them off, open This PC, click the three-dot menu at the top, and select Options. In the new window, go to the View tab > Advanced settings, untick Show sync provider notifications, then hit Apply and OK.

🔥 Keep your Fire TV Stick updated: Running the latest software fixes bugs, improves performance and prevents apps from crashing. Go to Settings > My Fire TV (or Device & Software) > About > Check for System Update. Once it’s done downloading, your system should restart and run smoothly.

Share YouTube videos from a time stamp: On desktop, pause the video where you want it to start. Right-click and select Copy video URL at current time. Or copy the top link from your browser and add &t=2m30s to the end (swap in your own time) to go straight to that moment.

💸 Cancel sneaky subscriptions: Bet you’re still funding some random app you forgot about. On iPhone, go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions and cancel away. Android? Open Play Store > profile > Payments and subscriptions. A few taps, and bam, you’ve got extra coffee money each month.

Imagine boarding a plane, buckling in and looking to your left: No windows. 

Just a smooth wall with a 6-foot HD screen projecting the sky. That’s the idea behind the new Phantom 3500 jet from Otto Aviation. 

By ditching windows, which weaken a plane’s structure and add drag, the Phantom can fly at Mach 0.95 (that’s about 728 mph) and uses up to 60% less fuel. The view? It’s all digital.

I don’t know about that. There’s something comforting about glancing out at the clouds, spotting mountain ranges or city lights below. Check out the video about the plane here.

First flights: 2027.

😳 The answer: C) iSmell. Yup, the iSmell was a real USB device that puffed out scents based on websites you visited. It flopped hard but somehow raised $20 million before crashing. Imagine hackers making your entire house smell like rotten eggs. Yikes.

Oh, I love the smell of the F5 key. It’s so refreshing. (lol)

Identity theft happens every 5 seconds. NordProtect monitors your personal information 24/7, tracks your credit activity and sends actionable alerts, so you can stop fraud before it starts. Keep your money, credit and identity safe at nordprotect.com/kim. 

Thank you for being here with the #1 free tech newsletter in the USA. Tomorrow, Apple’s releasing more new products this month and what you need to know about cars tracking (and selling) your every move.

🌟 Until then, keep shining, you’ve got momentum on your side. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Otto Aerospace

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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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