💺 The ‘secret’ button that unlocks more legroom

Hey there, it’s Friday, {{first_name | friend}}. Before there were iPhones and Androids in every pocket, there was a literal brick in very few pockets. When Motorola released the DynaTAC 8000x in 1983 (cue synth music), it was tech magic for its time. Behold, it was wireless, mobile, and yours for $3,995. But this pricey pioneer had one jaw-dropping flaw.

🪫 With its chunky battery tech, how long could you actually talk before this behemoth flatlined? A) 0 minutes, B) 30 minutes, C) 1 hour or D) 4 hours. Hold the phone, the answer is coming up at the end. 

⏰ Four days to go in my Christmas Cash Giveaway. Daily Amazon gift cards worth up to $500 are still rolling out, with the $1,000 grand prize drawing right around the corner. Check today’s Golden Ticket at the end. Good luck!

🚂 Thanks for hopping aboard the Komando Tech Train. Whoo-whoo! No AI-curated content or loco motives here, only tremendous, valuable intel you can use to impress your family, friends and coworkers. Let’s keep making inbox history together. — Kim

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It’s not your imagination, airports are packed. AAA says 122.4 million Americans are expected to travel this holiday season. That’s an all-time record, and it means longer lines, bigger crowds and more frustration at security.

Let’s start at the airport.

Some major airports let you book a time slot for TSA screening, so you don’t have to stand in a 45-minute line. Let me tell you, it works great!

Airports including Phoenix (PHX Reserve), JFK (JFK Reserve), LAX (LAX Fastlane), Seattle (SEA Spot Saver), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP Reserve) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW Reserve) offer this through Clear Reserve and similar programs.

👉 This isn’t TSA PreCheck or Clear+. There’s no background check, no biometrics and no fee. If you do have PreCheck, you can still use the Reserve lane to skip the wait, but you’ll probably have to take off your shoes and remove electronics.

You pick a 15-minute entry window on the airport’s website or the Clear Reserve page. When you show up, you flash a QR code to a staff member at the special Reserve lane and go through security like a celebrity ahead of the general line. Most airports open reservations 3 to 7 days before your flight.

Pro tip: Each airport uses its own name. To find yours, search: [Your airport name] + “security reservation.” 

You landed, and Uber or Lyft is showing ridiculous surge pricing. Don’t take the bait.

Hop on a free airport shuttle to a nearby hotel or the rental car center. These spots are often outside the surge zone, and your fare can drop by $20 to $30 or more for the exact same ride.

No shuttle? Force-close the app and wait five minutes. The algorithm often backs off once it thinks you’ve given up or chosen another ride.

Also check both Uber and Lyft, then toggle between regular and shared ride options. Sometimes switching to Lyft Shared or UberX Share (even if you’re solo) instantly cuts the price in half.

Pro tip: Booking at :17 or :42 past the hour sometimes sneaks you in at a lower rate. Surge pricing usually spikes at the top and bottom of the hour, especially during flight dumps.

On aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, the aisle armrest usually isn’t fixed. There’s often a small hidden button or latch underneath it, near the hinge at the back. Press it, and the armrest lifts all the way up. 

Pro tip: On some newer slimline seats, the button is a small recessed lever right where the armrest meets the seat back.

It’s there for accessibility, but it’s a big win. You get more hip room, it’s easier to stand up, and getting off the plane is faster. Not every plane has it, and flight crews will ask you to lower it for taxi, takeoff and landing.

Speaking of, a photon is going through airport security. The TSA agent asks, “Do you have any carry ons?” The photo replied, “Nope, I’m traveling light!” (lol)

✈️ Know someone who’s traveling over the holidays? Forward this newsletter or use the share icons below.

Move over, NYC cabbies. Waymo cars have an attitude update. They honk, cut people off and break traffic laws. Wow. Then I talk to a woman facing a high-tech nightmare. Thieves use Wi-Fi jammers to blind security cams and break into her cars.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

💸 Scammed at the pump: Gas stations aren’t high on my “safe and normal place” list. Police and employees say older adults are being tricked into feeding thousands of dollars into crypto ATMs inside the stores, thinking it’s official payment. Scammers use fake tech support or even “law enforcement” voices to get victims to deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMs. Circle K earns rent on these machines but won’t remove them, even as scams, and losses, pile up. Nice, right?

Game on: Buy games or videos from DirectToU or Alliance Entertainment the last few years? You might see some cash soon. The companies agreed to a $1.57 million settlement after a lawsuit said they shared customer info with third parties (like Facebook) without consent, a violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act. You can get up to $145 if you bought stuff or got notifications between 2022 and 2025. File a claim by Jan. 20, 2026. 

📱 ChatGPT app store: You know how your phone has apps for music, food delivery and more? ChatGPT got its own version. The new app directory lets you browse tools that work inside the chatbot. Early launches include Apple Music (make playlists, find songs) and DoorDash (plan meals, fill your cart). OpenAI says more will come, and eventually it might make money from it. You know it!

Inbox butler beta: If you’re the type who forgets appointments until they’re five minutes out, this might be for you. Google’s new “CC” AI sends a daily “get-it-together” email every morning to keep you on track. It scans your Gmail, Calendar and Drive for tasks, reminders and messages, then lays it all out before you’ve finished your coffee. It even includes quick links and draft replies, so you can act fast. 

Not-so-self-driving: So Tesla’s been hit with a ruling in California for misleading people about “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” vehicles. Surprise, they’re not. A judge says the marketing made it sound like the cars could handle way more than they actually can. Tesla’s got 60 days to clean up the language or risk a 30-day sales ban in California, its biggest U.S. market. Tesla says no one complained. Ahem, I did. The DMV says, “Fix the ad copy or else.”

📺 I’ve been saying this for years: Texas is suing all the big TV brands (Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, Hisense) for allegedly spying on you (paywall link) while you watch your shows. The state says these TVs secretly use something called ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) to track everything. Not just Netflix but also your Blu-rays, YouTube, even your security cams or laptop if it’s plugged in. Texas AG Ken Paxton says it’s basically “mass surveillance” and wants it stopped. Good luck with that. The TV makers earn more money selling data than TVs.

A new company makes over 4,000 podcasts a week with artificial intelligence. Here’s the scoop.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Google Docs, you can check your word count in a flash. Hit Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows or Cmd + Shift + C on Mac. Bonus tip: Tick the checkbox in the pop-up to keep the word count visible while you type, so you don’t have to do it again.

💥 Your hard drive is going to crash. It’s not a question of if, but when it decides to die. When that happens, all your crucial documents, your financial history and every photo and video you’ve ever taken are gone forever. Data recovery for a dead drive can cost you anywhere from $300 to over $3,000, if they can even save your files! We all need digital insurance, and that’s why I use and trust Carbonite. It runs automatically, backing up every file to the cloud without you lifting a finger. Stop playing Russian roulette with your memories! Get total protection right now and save a massive 50%. Don’t wait for the inevitable, go do this today!*

iOS 26.2: Apple’s improved the Podcasts app. AI automatically generates chapters for episodes, even if the creator didn’t add them. You’ll see them in the scrub bar, where you can swipe between sections, or tap the list icon at the bottom to view them all at once. Speaking of podcasts, follow mine, too. 😉

📬 Share your Gmail account: Taking some leave? You can let a friend or coworker read or send emails on your behalf without sharing your password. Open Settings > Accounts and Import > Grant access to your account, and tap Add another account. Enter their email, and they’ll get an invite. Once they accept, they’ll have access to your inbox.

There’s no excuse for dull messages: On Windows, you don’t have to manually look up emojis while you type. Press the Windows key + period (.), and an emoji panel pops up right where your cursor is. Search for your favorites, or switch to the GIF tab to drop a spicy meme into your clapback. 🍑👋

🎮 Shopping for tech gifts this Christmas? You don’t have to pay full price for that PS5 or Xbox your kid wants. Check out Amazon Renewed, where big brands sell open-box and refurbished gadgets for less. Everything’s tested, inspected and looks new. Plus, there’s a minimum 90-day guarantee if you ever need to swap it out.

🏡 A silent paper robbery: A Georgia couple’s recent ordeal confirms that home title theft is no longer a distant threat, it’s a growing crisis. Scammers tried to sell the couple’s property not just once but three times, forcing them into a legal battle to prove ownership. A 2025 survey by the National Association of Realtors reports a 60% increase of title fraud. Don’t assume your equity is safe simply because you live in your home. Only a dedicated 24/7 title monitoring service can alert you to the fraudulent filing before the disaster hits. Get a free Title History Report today.*

Meet Medi Water AI 2.0, a Class II medical-grade countertop device that fingerprints you, scans your health data, then custom-builds your water in real time. I think this is rather innovative.

It comes up with your version of water. It weaks minerals, pH from 4.5–9.5, and even spits out capsules with vitamins or probiotics like a responsible gumball machine.

It’s kind of like your Keurig went to med school. No official cost (or launch date), but expect that “post med school” price tag if it ever does arrive. It’s going to be announced at CES in a few weeks, but you got a glimpse here first.

This is the #1 tech newsletter in the USA. Tomorrow, passwords are getting fired. I’m sharing how passkeys work, why your password sucks and the one tool that makes this whole upgrade easy.

🔋 The answer: B) 30 minutes. That’s how long the OG Motorola DynaTAC 8000x could keep you talking before the battery tapped out, after which it needed a solid 10 hours to recharge. Truly the mullet of the tech world: business for half an hour, party at the charger for the rest of the day.

The thing was nearly 2 pounds. While it didn’t come with gains, it did come with a guaranteed bicep workout. 

One for the road: What did the battery say on his blind date? I have a lot of energy and I am a pretty positive guy. But I do have a negative side.

✌️ Phew, that was a lot today. Now, power down the worry, reboot your confidence, and charge into the rest of your day. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Gemini, Lisen, Ceragem

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