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A high hello and happy Saturday, {{first_name | friend}}. Before Genius Bars and chatbot pop-ups, tech support looked a little ... different. Think fridge-size computers, rotary phones, punch cards and a mess of cables waiting to trip you. And if your machine broke in the 1960s, your fix wasn’t a Stanford engineer, it might’ve been someone totally unexpected.

🛟 So who saved the day back then? A) A trained psychic, B) A firefighter, C) A telephone operator or D) A janitor with a knack for electronics. Take a wild guess, and check the answer at the end!

⏱️ Every five seconds, someone’s identity is stolen. Don’t let it be yours. I trust NordProtect for real protection and real alerts. No gimmicks, just results. Get 65% off now while you still can.Kim

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

TODAY’S DEEP DIVE

Kitchen appliances that are ‘smart’

Image: Bing Image Creator

“Smart” gets slapped on everything these days. Most of it’s just hype. (Looking at you, touch screen toaster. Cool trick, but bread doesn’t care.) So I dug through the noise and nonsense to find the kitchen tech actually worth your money.

Not in the mood to save? Skip to the Web Watercooler section below. Be sure to check to see if your videos have been used to train AI. Otherwise, let’s get cooking.

🔥 Portable induction cooktop ($187, 15% off)
Get 94 temp settings in a countertop package. And it shuts itself off when the timer ends, because safety first.

🥗 Digital food scale ($45, 10% off)
Count macros without reliving math class. The app’s barcode and AI scanner do the hard work for you.

🌡️ Wireless meat thermometer ($38, 37% off)
Forget hovering by the hot stove. Track temps from your phone while you’re chilling on the couch.

🛜 Smart pressure cooker ($160, 20% off)
Wi-Fi? Check. Built-in scale? You bet. With 500 guided recipes, it’ll help you more than cooking classes.

Toshiba microwave oven ($164, 11% off)
This isn’t your dorm-room zapper. It works with Alexa and a humidity sensor reheats your leftovers perfectly.

🍽️ Portable countertop dishwasher ($260, 10% off)
Tiny kitchen? No prob. It even cleans fruits and sends you updates when it’s done.

Keurig coffee maker ($155, 14% off)
Wake up, tap the app, and boom, coffee’s ready. It’s the future, fueled by caffeine.

🫖 Electric tea kettle ($40, 33% off)
For my fellow tea lovers, schedule it the night before, and your hot water is ready when you roll out of bed.

🥤 Cold press juicer ($90, 36% off)
Drop in whole veggies and let it work totally hands-free. But, if you lift the lid, it stops automatically.

🧊 Nugget ice maker ($250)
Control it from your phone, or just ask Alexa. Your fresh chewable cubes will be ready in 10 minutes or less.

😋 Still hungry for deals? Head over to my Amazon shop for 35 more kitchen gadgets. Shop today, and make tomorrow’s dinner a whole lot easier.

     

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Real identity protection starts now

Hackers aren’t your only threat anymore. Everyday companies from shopping sites, health apps, to even old accounts you forgot about are leaking your personal details. And with AI, criminals can turn scraps of data into convincing scams, fake IDs, or even deepfake videos that put your identity at risk. Terrifying, right?

That’s why I trust NordProtect. It gives you more protection for less, including:

  • 24/7 dark web monitoring, credit tracking, and financial alerts

  • Tools to secure social media, browsers, and apps

  • Up to $1 million in identity theft recovery coverage

Most protection plans barely cover the basics, but NordProtect goes further. No gimmicks. No upsells. Just real protection for what matters most—your identity. With NordProtect, you can protect more, spend less, and enjoy true peace of mind for just $5.22 a month.

Please support our sponsors!

WEB WATERCOOLER

🗨️ Kirk suspect plotted attack online: Discord, a chat app originally built for gamers, is used for everything from group chats to niche communities. The Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson’s roommate showed investigators Discord messages that laid out his plan in shocking detail, including stashing the rifle in a bush, which is exactly where police later found it. I’m sure more digital trails pop up over the next few days. Agents are also looking into video doorbell footage of Robinson talking about the murder. I’m heartbroken that something so horrific happened in a place meant for open conversation and ideas.

Talk global to me: OK, so YouTube just made subtitles feel like a flip phone. They’re rolling out AI dubbing that copies your own voice and tone but in other languages. Early testers like Jamie Oliver saw their views triple. Plus, thumbnails get the translation glow-up, too. Repeat after me: J’adore The Current.

⚠️ Keep your email private: Big email providers like Gmail and Yahoo track what you do. I use StartMail because it keeps my inbox secure, stops spam with unlimited aliases, and it keeps my personal info private. You can try it free for 7 days, and when you sign up, you’ll get my 60% off deal for the first year! It’s a terrific service.*

🏁 Drive‑by hacking? It’s a thing: Researchers discovered serious security flaws in Apple’s CarPlay systems that allow attackers to remotely take control of a car. Once inside, they can play music, hijack in‑car displays, eavesdrop on conversations and track a vehicle’s location. No patch from Apple yet.

Arnold says, “Get to the choppah!” Uber’s about to add them to its app. Joby Aviation bought Blade’s urban air taxi biz for $125M and plans to swap the noisy helicopters for electric flying taxis once the FAA signs off. You’ll be able to book a chopper to JFK, Newark or even Saint-Tropez like it’s a dinner ride, starting next year.

⌚️ Don’t mess with Larry: Not tech, but this is great! A scammer thought she could hustle 87-year-old Larry outside a senior center by swapping his nice Rolex for a fake one. She pulled her move, he pulled a judo-like arm twist. Boom, she face-planted into her own car. TikTok is eating it up. Larry is basically John Wick but with early bird specials.

🚨 Scrape me up before you go-go: The Atlantic just dropped a seriously creepy tool. Type in your name, and it’ll show whether your YouTube videos were quietly scraped to train AI. No permission, no payment, just … surprise! You helped build someone else’s billion-dollar model. I popped up 75 times. Unreal. Search for your name here.

DEVICE ADVICE

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Chrome, right-click any tab and select Duplicate. It opens the same page in a new tab. Handy when you want to compare two sections side by side.

Fix Android lag when unlocking: If your phone stutters when you wake it, home screen widgets could be the issue. Long-press any widget you don’t need and hit Remove. Your phone should feel smoother.

📦 Gmail’s getting a Purchases tab: Instead of making you dig through your inbox, all your order-related emails (like Amazon confirmations and shipping estimates) will now show up in one spot. On mobile and web, you’ll find it in the left panel. And yes, the package tracker for deliveries arriving within 24 hours still appears at the top of your inbox.

📱 I finally switched, and I’m not looking back. Same reliable coverage as the big guys but at a fraction of the cost. With Consumer Cellular, I’m getting two unlimited lines for just $60. Want in? Use code KIM25 at ConsumerCellular.com/KIM for $25 in savings, and make the smart switch today.*

Control app volumes on Windows: Not everything needs to play at the same level. Right-click the volume icon in the task bar and select Open volume mixer. You can lower system sounds while cranking up Spotify. Just remember the Device slider moves everything at once, so the mix stays the same.

💬 Check linked devices on WhatsApp: Make sure no one’s snooping on your chats. Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Linked devices and log out of anything that looks suspicious. FYI: WhatsApp auto-disconnects inactive linked devices after 30 days.

Microsoft 365 update: The Microsoft 365 app on iPhone is now Microsoft 365 Copilot. You can use AI to summarize docs and answer questions about them. The catch? You won’t be able to edit Word, Excel or PowerPoint files in the app anymore. Rollout starts Monday.

🎙️ CLICK. LISTEN. WATCH. 🎬

👏 I pack each show with everything you need to know: the stories that matter, the scams to avoid and the smart tech that actually makes life better. 

This week’s episodes are loaded with info, insight and a few surprises you won’t want to miss. Catch up now and stay ahead of the curve.

On this week’s show: A former Facebook exec says the platform tracked teen girls right as they deleted selfies, then pushed beauty ads. Ugly move. Plus, New York City is testing crime-predicting AI, and Ken from Ohio shares how his Apple Watch saved his life. 🎧 Listen now.

👽 Not your average space rock: Astronomers say 3I/Atlas is just a comet. Harvard’s Avi Loeb says it’s too fast, too weird and way too perfect. Could it actually be alien tech? Beam me up and hear the podcast

💬 Want to share your story? I’d love to hear it straight from you. Make an appointment to speak with me, and you could be featured on the show. Book your spot.

Don’t get left behind in the digital dust. Hit the links below to check out my podcast now!

WHAT THE TECH?

Image: Ferrari

🐴 This prancing horse is a plug-in beast.

The iconic Ferrari Testarossa is back, this time as a 1,035-horsepower plug-in hybrid. A turbo V8 plus three electric motors launch it from 0 to 62 mph in under 2.3 seconds, topping out at 205 mph. 

It’ll even do 15 miles in full-electric mode if you feel like silently flexing in traffic. U.S. deliveries start in late 2026 at around $540,000 for the coupe and $590,000 for the spider, before tariffs. 

🏎️ Half a million bucks never moved this fast. Red-y, set, go!

LOGGING OUT …

👩🏼‍🚒 The answer: B) A firefighter! Back in the 1960s at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, computers ran so hot that they sometimes set their paper tapes on fire. Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters, but actual firefighters were on standby to douse flaming tech.

Speaking of… My niece asked me if I thought the Ghostbusters wear crazy or zany socks. I said, “I bet they wear pair a normal socks.” She actually laughed. I hope you did, too!

🚨 Hackers and scammers use AI to steal your identity, wreck your credit and even sell your Social Security number on the dark web. That’s why I use NordProtect, and right now, you’ll save 65% with my special deal. I trust NordProtect with protecting my identity.

That’s it for today’s edition of the #1 tech newsletter in the United States. Tomorrow, I’m hopping into Sam Altman’s world, so you don’t have to. You need to know who he is and what he’s planning to do with your data, your job and your future. Trust me, this one’s worth your time.

✌️ Until then, drop a rating below. Keep that smile going, and remember, the best ideas come when you stay curious. — Kim

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HOW'D WE DO?

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Photo credit(s): Bing Image Creator, Ferrari

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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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