💸 Your car’s draining you

🎃 Boo! Happy Friday and Halloween, {{first_name | friend}}. I love a good haunted mansion tale, but what about haunted microchips? Back in the early 2000s, gamers on the internet started whispering about a sinister game called Polybius. This arcade cabinet supposedly messed with people’s minds. Like, memory loss and night terrors kind of messed up. 

Can you guess the truth behind Polybius? Was it a: A) Real game pulled from arcades after one week, B) Viral marketing stunt for a horror movie, C) an urban legend that never existed or D) part of a DARPA experiment in sensory overload. Take a grab out of the trick or treat bucket and find the answer at the end! 

Haunted by the candy bowl again? I created ImproveLife GLP-1 Support to help. It works with your body’s natural GLP-1 response to curb cravings, support fat metabolism and keep blood sugar steady, so you stay full, focused and in control. Click here to get 15% off!** — Kim

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My car insurance jumped 32%. I didn’t crash. I didn’t speed. I simply exist.

Sound familiar? Full-coverage car insurance rates rose 25% on average last year, and in some states, it was closer to 40%. Overall, rates are up 55% since 2022.

It’s the tech. Modern cars are rolling computers packed with cameras, sensors, software and expensive materials. That makes them safer but wildly more expensive to repair.

Add in supply chain issues, inflation and the fact that 60% of car parts come from China, and any new tariff could make things even worse.

I’m always hunting for ways to save and sharing the best ones with you:

Pro tip: Tell ChatGPT about your car, mileage, insurance rates, and ask it to tell you who has the cheapest rates. I did that, and it worked for me!

“Should I install a driving tracker to get a discount?” 

Those things monitor everything, speed, braking, even how hard you turn. And yes, they absolutely sell that data. Personally? Not worth the discount. But talk to your agent and see what the trade-off looks like for you.

🍝 Why does pasta pay more for car insurance? Because it can’t drive without getting al dente.

Is your phone begging for more storage? AI host Mara’s got the quick way to ditch duplicate pics on iPhone and Android. Plus, a NordicTrack recall, a 3-year-old hero with Face ID, and the coolest new iOS feature you didn’t know you needed.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

🧨 Rogue laptop reroutes flight: Picture this. Midair, someone’s laptop falls behind a panel, straight down into the plane’s belly. Yeah, I didn’t know that could happen either. The crew panics (hello, lithium batteries), and the Rome flight U-turns back to Dulles. Three hours later, they fish it out and try again. Nothing like an airborne game of “Find My MacBook” to keep things exciting.

Scammers targeting retirement math: Alright, if you’re over 50 and maxing out that 401(k), heads up, starting in 2026, those “catch-up” contributions won’t be tax-deferred anymore if you make over $145K. You’ll pay taxes up-front, like a Roth. Not the end of the world, but here’s the sneaky part: Scammers love changes like this. Expect fake “plan updates” and “IRS” calls any day now. Don’t fall for them.

🎤 Fix your tone: Adobe showed off something pretty wild at its 2025 MAX Sneaks event. Its Corrective AI can change how you sound, turning a flat read into a confident speech, or even a whisper, just by highlighting text. It’s like autocorrect for your tone. Convenient for creators. Terrifying for anyone who thought voice acting was recession-proof.

Netflix cleans up the playroom: Netflix gave kids’ profiles a makeover. I’m talking about a new layout, easier menus and a “My Netflix” hub where your kid can rewatch The Boss Baby for the 43rd time. The AI even refreshes recommendations in real time. It’s basically a master class in toddler UX design: bright, simple and built for short attention spans. 

Freezing your credit isn’t enough anymore: It won’t stop thieves from opening bank accounts, filing fake taxes or stealing your identity. NordProtect goes steps further by monitoring the dark web, leaks and more. Protect what a freeze can’t. Try it now for 71% off.*

🚗 Shaq’s hacked: Have you seen a $180,000 Range Rover custom fit for a 7’1” massive human being? It’s probably Shaquille O’Neal’s, which straight-up disappeared while being shipped from Atlanta to Louisiana. Authorities think hackers hijacked the transport company’s computers, rerouted the delivery and stole the SUV. A $10,000 reward’s up, but for now … big man’s down a big ride.

Remember this: Crypto transactions are never reversible. You need to keep your investments safe.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

Your eyes called. They’re already sending thank-you notes.

💻 Laptop, meet your new buddy: Plug in a portable monitor ($125, 26% off) and instantly double your screen real estate. Slim, bright and smooth at 144Hz.

For the late-night readers: This reading light ($15, 52% off) fits comfortably around your neck. Aim it at the page without blinding your partner.

🤓 Long hours in front of screens? Same. Slip on some blue-light-blocking glasses ($16, 20% off) before work. Cut the glare and still look sharp.

See what you’ve been missing: These microfiber sleeves ($9, 31% off) protect your specs and double as lens cleaners. Your shirt can retire from smudge duty.

🎁 Time to deck your halls: Head to Amazon’s Holiday Shop for everything you need to make this season merry, bright and smart.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: iPhones don’t come with printed manuals anymore, but you can find them on Apple’s website. Select your model to get the user guide, info sheet and repair manual. 

Plan your Halloween route: Nextdoor’s Treat Map is back to help you and the kids find the best candy spots in the neighborhood. See which houses are participating and what treats they’re handing out. Yes, even the king-size bars. Open Nextdoor to start plotting your sugar haul.

🗂️ Customize your Mac folders: On macOS 26, you can give your folders some personality. Right-click a folder and pick a color like red, blue or green. Take it a step further by clicking Customize Folder to add an icon like a person, an animal or an emoji. It’s a good way to organize files without reading every name.

Let AI do the reading: Need to understand an article or report quickly? Paste it into your favorite chatbot and prompt something like, “Can you explain this easier to me in 5 short sentences?” or “What are the main points? Explain like I’m 10.” Once you’ve got the gist, follow up with “Explain this part [insert sentence] in more detail.”

Feeling like AI’s moving faster than you can keep up? You’re not alone, but you can catch up. Grab NetSuite’s free “CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” It’s simple, smart and full of practical takeaways to help you stay ahead of the curve (and sound brilliant in your next meeting).*

🖥️ Bought a high refresh rate monitor? Make sure it’s actually running at full speed and not stuck at 60 Hz. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. Select your monitor (top right), then pick 144 Hz or 240 Hz under Choose a refresh rate. If you don’t see those options, get an HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort cable.

As Jamaica reels from Hurricane Melissa, another storm is brewing online. 

Watch out! TikTok and Facebook are loaded with eerily convincing AI-generated “disaster” clips, showing sharks in flooded streets and planes circling the storm’s eye. It doesn’t help that creators are cropping and blurring logos to pass fakes as real, racking up millions of views.

The fakes are spreading faster than emergency updates and confusing people on the ground. Jamaica’s information minister warned residents to “listen to official channels.”

The answer: C) Polybius never existed. It was an urban legend! This glitchy ghost story got its start on early internet forums, fueled by rumors, creepy fan art and too much late-night caffeine. It’s one of the earliest examples of “creepypasta,” those spooky stories passed around the web like digital campfire tales.

🐌 So a guy goes to a Halloween party with a girl on his back. The host asks him, “And what are you?” The guy says, “I’m a snail.” The host says, “And who’s that on your back?” “That’s Michelle!” 

Ready to take control and keep the candy cravings from haunting you? Click here for 15% off ImproveLife GLP-1 Support plus free shipping. It’s clean, effective and simple to make part of your daily routine. No tricks, just less treats.

Tomorrow, think you know your gadgets? Wait till you see the secret restart trick, photo privacy hack and ad-tracking opt-out hiding right under your thumbs. This is the #1 tech newsletter in the United States, and yes, it’s real.

🌻 Step out there and show the day who’s boss. I’ll be cheering you on again this weekend. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Topstone, @junglejambotv via TikTok

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

**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary.

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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