⏳ The voicemail I’ll never delete (and why you shouldn’t either)

Happy Sunday, {{first_name | friend}}. Hope your day’s smooth sailing! I’m off to church this morning, then fingers crossed, I can sneak in some time on the water. Last race, I placed sixth, so this time I’m aiming to tack a little higher. ⛵️

Let’s get those brain gears spinning. Guess the gadget: I fit in your palm, snapped open with a click and needed a pencil when things got messy. I captured your favorite songs straight off the radio, commercials and all. What am I? 🎵 Find the answer at the end! 

😳 It’s rough out there: You need to be proactive. You really need to protect your identity. Don’t wait till it’s too late, sign up for NordProtect today and get 65% off. Bet you save a ton of money making the switch to NordProtect, too! I sure did. — Kim

📬 Stay tech-ahead with my daily newsletter. Sign up free!

There’s one voicemail I’ll never delete.

It’s from my mom. She’s been gone for almost four years, but every so often, I play it back. It’s nothing dramatic, just her voice asking if I could buy her a gallon of milk on my way home. (In her Brooklyn accent, “Kim, make sure it’s 2%, not the fatty whole milk please.”) 

If you’ve got a message like that saved, maybe from a spouse, parent, partner, child or friend, you know exactly what I mean. It’s like a little time capsule in your pocket. 

But here’s the part no one tells you: Your phone might delete it. Automatically. Especially if it’s a visual voicemail or stored through your carrier, it can vanish when you switch phones or if your inbox gets full.

So let’s talk about saving it the right way forever.

Whether it’s from someone you lost or just a message that makes your heart smile, here’s how to keep it safe:

On iPhone

On Android

Pro tip: Rename the file with the person’s name and date, so you’ll always know what it is. 

Want to back it up with extra security? Try:

Voices fade from memory. But these recordings? They last. 

They’re a hug you can replay. A laugh you can hear again. Don’t wait until it’s gone. Take five minutes and save it now. You’ll be so glad you did.

A doctor who lost half a million says greed got the best of him. Plus, an Uber driver takes off with a sleeping child, and my go-to tip to lock in the lowest hotel price.

Listen on Komando.com →

🚨 Jury duty scam: An Arizona woman lost nearly $50,000 after a fake cop called, telling her she missed jury duty. The scammer said she had to pay citations and a bond to avoid jail until she could meet with a judge. This one’s spreading in every state. PSA: Police will never ask for money over the phone.

🧠 Pick your personality: ChatGPT dropped a new feature on the web app that lets you change how it talks to you. Want sarcasm? Choose “Cynic.” Prefer nerdy enthusiasm? Go with “Sage.” To try it out, click your Profile icon, select Customize ChatGPT and choose your vibe under Personality.

🤖 AI gone wrong: A Florida man was arrested after facial recognition tech said he matched a suspect trying to lure a 12-year-old at a restaurant. The system gave a 93% confidence score, two witnesses ID’d him from a photo lineup, and that was enough to put him in cuffs. But nope, it was a false positive. Case dropped.

Venmo the government: Yep, a viral post on X says you can actually Venmo the U.S. Treasury to help pay off the $36.7 trillion national debt. But before you get generous, know it’s growing by $55,000 a second. To cover it all, every person in the U.S. would need to chip in around $100,000. Yikes.

🔍 Tour de Fraud? Cycling officials are now X-raying sweaty bikes for secret motors. Tadej Pogacar’s winning ride once got flagged, alongside seven others. Mechanical doping (like riding a stealth-mode eBike) is the new fear (paywall link). One guy’s whole job is catching battery-powered frauds at the finish line. What happened to good old-fashioned steroids?

🚨 A sneaky virus could be lurking. It’s better to be safe than sorry, which is why I trust TotalAV. For just $19 for the first year, you get rock-solid antivirus protection on up to 5 devices. It’s smart, simple and keeps your tech safe without breaking the bank.*

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Google Docs, you can open web pages with fewer mouse clicks. On Windows, hover your cursor over a link and press Alt + Enter. On Mac, it’s Option + Enter.

 Move around faster on Kindle: Need to jump back a few pages? Open your book, then swipe up from the bottom. Tap the Grid icon to see previews of multiple pages. Use the arrows on the sides to flip through your book.

🍏 Share specific text in Safari: On iPhone, you can send someone a highlighted section from an article you’re reading. Just tap and hold the text, drag to select the part you want, then tap the Share button at the bottom. Choose Messages. Your link will include the quote you picked, right in the message. Neat.

TV turning off on its own fix: If it’s like clockwork, it might be a setting you didn’t mean to enable. On most smart TVs, go to Settings > General and look for something like Sleep Timer, then turn it off. Still happening? It could be a bug. Try Settings > Support > Software Update.

🤖 Polish your writing: Working on an essay or report? Ask your favorite chatbot to make it easier to follow. Try this prompt: “Reorder the sentences and paragraphs to improve clarity and flow. Add transition words where needed, but keep the original tone.” Voila. More readable, still totally you.

Pin apps on Chromebook: Here’s a quick way to get access to your favorite apps. Open the Launcher (bottom left), find the app you want, right-click it (or two-finger tap) and select Pin to shelf. Want to remove it? Right-click again and choose Unpin.

🛍️ When your hands are full, the right helpers make all the difference.

🎁 Want more like this? Head to my Amazon storefront. And psst … click this secret link for more best-selling organization faves.

🎙️ Every weekend on my award-winning national radio show heard on over 420 stations, I talk with interesting folks like you. Catch these convos on a station near you, or find my weekend show as a podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Plus, Cornelius wants advice on coding boot camps, Tim asks about creepy AI ad tracking, Julie’s mom gets caught in a scam, Justin shares a dog training trick, and so much more!

📆 Let’s talk about anything digital in your life, whether it’s family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here.

⭕️ Press a button and cure your boredom: Get taken to fun, odd or oddly fun corners of the web.

Pretend to hack the planet: Mash your keyboard and watch code spew out like you’re a Hollywood super hacker. Great for looking legit at a coffee shop! 

🧠 Small-business owner? Download NetSuite’s free guide, “Three Insights for Leaders,” and find out how to stay ahead, even when the rules keep changing.*

Escape the horrors of the internet: Take a break and look at something cute on autopilot. 

🐮 Find the invisible cow: The louder the “moo,” the closer you are.

Friend me: I’m on Instagram, X, YouTube, Facebook and everywhere else! 

Paper planes peaked in third grade, or at least that’s what I thought until I saw this thing in action.

For $48, you can get the POWERUP 4.0 Dragon Edition, a smartphone-controlled paper airplane kit with a gyro stabilizer, autopilot and launch assist. The app tracks your flights and ranks you on a global leaderboard.

Just fold, snap on the Bluetooth module and watch what was once upon a time your recycled homework do aerial stunts you couldn’t pull off in a Red Bull dream.

Answer: Cassette tape. Before Spotify playlists and Bluetooth speakers, we had a pocket-size plastic rectangle to hold our music. 

📻 Kids, you’d sit by the radio with your finger on the “record” button, hoping the DJ didn’t talk over the intro to your favorite song. And if the tape got chewed up? Grab a pencil, stick it in the hole and twist like a pro surgeon. Bonus points if you ever made a breakup mix or hand-labeled your tapes in bubble letters. 

Cassette tapes have side A and side B. It’s only logical their successor would be the CD.

Before you head out, think about this: If your identity gets stolen, the damage is devastating. NordProtect helps stop it before it starts. I’ve lined up 65% off for my readers. Sign up today!

This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States. Tomorrow, I’m peeling back the pastels on buy now, pay later apps, and what’s underneath is a privacy mess dressed like a shopping miracle. You’re gonna want to see this.

Until then, don’t just survive. CTRL + ALT + THRIVE. 🌱 — Kim

📣 Don’t keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here)

Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, POWERUP

Companies noted with an asterisk (*) sponsor my national radio show. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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.

Missed something? View past issues

Join the lists for my weekly small biz and cryptocurrency newsletters!