🚘 Your car’s getting smarter ... and nosier

Happy Friday to you, {{first_name | friend}}. Ready for today’s mind bender? Which tech billionaire has long called himself a “farm guy” at heart. Back in 2011, he went through a phase when he only ate meat he personally hunted or raised, goats included, naming one Bitcoin that he served as dinner to another billionaire.

🐐 This guy also considers himself to be a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). Is it … A) Jack Dorsey, B) Mark Zuckerberg, C) Elon Musk or D) Larry Page? The answer’s at the end, I kid you not.

⚠️ You won’t believe this! Criminals can steal your home or property without ever breaking in. One forged signature is all it takes to lose it all. Protect your equity with Home Title Lock’s 24/7 monitoring and Million Dollar TripleLock Protection.
— Kim

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Remember Knight Rider? The 1980s TV show where a detective teams up with his sidekick, a talking car named KITT. This snarky, futuristic AI on wheels could leap over obstacles, drive itself at high speeds and sniff out bad guys from miles away.

Or how about The Love Bug? Herbie, the VW Beetle, had a mind of its own. That white paint job, the number 53, the red-white-and-blue racing stripe? Iconic. Fun fact: I bid on the real Herbie at an auction but backed out before it sold for $128,700. (Still hurts a little.)

Turns out, Hollywood wasn’t that far off. Qualcomm just dropped new chips that aim to turn our cars into rolling supercomputers with AI on overdrive. These aren’t just about voice commands and map directions anymore. Your car might soon know more about you than your best friend does.

We’re talking next-level personalization. Your car could adjust the seat and temp, play your favorite podcast, order your coffee and even pay for it all before you’ve buckled your seat belt.

Of course, all this personalization = data. And data = dollars. Expect to see ads on your dash like, “You seem hungry, want to swing by your favorite burger joint? Free fries today!” Or “Cold out? Heated seats for just $9.99/month.”

Even roadside billboards will change depending on your recent purchases or trip history. Welcome to AI on wheels: smart, responsive and maybe just a little too nosy.

George, your AI host, dives into a shocking cybercrime closer to home than you think. Plus Clippy’s big comeback, MrBeast’s fiery stunt and why Mercedes is going back to basics.

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🚨 Scam syndicate exposed: As I’ve mentioned before, many scammers targeting older Americans are run by huge crime families operating out of Myanmar and Southeast Asia. A Chinese court just sentenced 11 members to death after busting a mafia “fraud factory.” Holy cow, that’s hardcore. Americans lost over $10 billion in 2024 to Southeast Asia-based scams alone. This may put a dent in their operations, but you have to keep your guard up, always.

🥬 Lettuce be honest: Amazon just mashed its Happy Belly and Fresh brands into one new budget line: Amazon Grocery. I’m talking 1,000+ items under $5, like produce, meat, snacks, you name it. Kroger, Walmart, Target and Costco stocks all dipped at the news. Bezos started with your bookshelf, then your front porch, and now he’s crawling into your fridge. Chips happened.

Musk vs. Wikipedia: Elon Musk says he’s building Grokipedia, an AI-powered rival to Wikipedia using his Grok chatbot. He claims it’ll fix “bias” and “half-truths.” Meanwhile, Wikipedia’s founder basically went, “Good luck, buddy.” Hey, I’m just hoping my own Wikipedia page doesn’t get “corrected” into fan fiction. (Yes, it’s real: Kim Komando).

🚓 Steering clear of justice: So cops in California pulled over a Waymo car for an illegal U-turn, only to realize there was no driver. No ticket, no punishment, just a “we’ll look into it.” New law says police can fine robot cars but not until 2026. Until then, these vehicles are basically untouchable outlaws with blinkers, U-turning above the law. 

Apple’s October drop: Rumors say we’re getting a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2, M5 iPad Pro, AirTag 2 and maybe a Vision Pro refresh. Toss in possible M5 MacBook Pros and new Studio Displays and it’s basically tech Black Friday but without the discounts.

😳 Gullible little robots: Want AI to pick out the perfect item for you? Don’t. These new AI browsers like Perplexity’s Comet are total suckers. In tests, they clicked scam emails, typed bank logins into fake sites and even downloaded viruses if a page asked nicely. Basically, they’re your friend who still believes email from Nigerian princes. Stay away.

The average American spends nearly $200 a month on streaming. Chances are, you’re paying for shows you don’t even watch. Here’s how to audit your subscriptions, cut the fat and still catch every show you love.

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From Halloween haunts to Friday night lights, these have you covered.

⚡ Outdoor stake timer (20% off): Let your Halloween or Christmas lights shine until dawn or just a few hours to save energy.

Extension cord covers (21% off): Waterproof latches protect your plugs from rain and snow. Fits multiple sizes.

🥑 Rechargeable hand warmers (30% off): Trick-or-treat with cute avocado-shaped heaters keeping you toasty.

Stadium seat cushion (20% off): Memory foam + adjustable straps = the best seat at the football game.

🛠️ Screen repair tape (33% off): Patch holes in minutes with this 30-foot roll. Saves you from replacing your whole door.

💡 Only bright ideas: For every season and reason, I’ve got more finds waiting for you on my Amazon shop.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Following someone on Instagram doesn’t mean you have to watch every story. Tap their pic, hit the three dots (top right), and select Mute > Mute stories. Friendship intact, sanity preserved.

My pick for home security: Over 4 million Americans trust SimpliSafe for proactive home security. AI cameras detect threats immediately, alert professional monitors and, if needed, trigger sirens, spotlights and police. It’s like having a personal security guard. Get 50% off your new security system today!* 

🎧 DJ mode in Apple Music: Working on your Mac? Apple Music’s new AutoMix feature makes playlists flow like a club mix. Go to Settings > Playback > Song Transitions and switch from Crossfade to AutoMix. Instead of just fading tracks, AutoMix uses AI to speed up or slow down transitions for a smoother vibe.

Reset Kindle reading time: At the bottom left, tap to see how long’s left in a chapter or the whole book. If you fall asleep or leave it open, the estimate gets thrown off. To fix it, tap the Search icon at the top, type ;ReadingTimeReset and hit Enter. It’ll say no results, but it works.

⚙️ Unlock hidden Windows tools: On Windows 11, search “Turn Windows features on or off” to open a menu of powerful extras. Want to run Linux or Android emulators? Enable Virtual Machine Platform. Need a safe way to test unknown apps? Use Windows Sandbox. Then there’s Hyper-V that lets you create and manage virtual machines.

🐝 Sweeten online shopping: Add the Honey extension to your browser and let it hunt down coupon codes across 30,000 sites. It’ll track prices on your Droplist and ping you when there’s a discount. It even tells you when Amazon sellers are overcharging. Buzz buzz, instant savings.

Someone on eBay is trying to sell a Cheeto shaped like the Atari logo for $10,000. Yep, 10 grand for dusty corn puff “art.” 

The seller swears it’s “the ultimate showpiece” for hardcore Atari fans and promises to autograph the cheesy relic if you want. 

Backstory? They’re an Atari home brew dev, a published game designer and, curveball, a former pro wrestler. Oh, and they admit life’s gotten “weird” and cash would be a “huge blessing.” If you’re selling rare Cheetos on Ebay … yeah, I bet. 

Happy bidding! 

The answer: Mark Zuckerberg. Here’s where it gets strange. He invited Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to dinner and served the goat Bitcoin. Jack later recalled the meal was “cold.” A few weeks ago in Berlin, I told the waiter I don’t eat meat. He smiled and said, “No problem, we’ll make you a risotto.” Perfect. Then the plate arrived with a long, pink mystery item on top. I asked what it was. The waiter, without missing a beat, said, “Cow’s tongue.” 👅 Apparently in Berlin, “vegetarian” means the animal just gave a farewell speech.

You know it’s coming. A goat, a drum and a snake fell off a cliff. Baa dum ssss! (I saw you smile, so my job is done here.)

🔑 Title theft is real and can strike any property owner. Home Title Lock’s 24/7 monitoring, instant alerts and up to $1 million in expert restoration support keep your property and equity safe. Get your FREE title history report and 14-day trial today.

Tomorrow, I’ve got the scoop on Amazon’s new Echos, Kindles, Rings and more. Plus, a car scam that is spreading. You don’t want to miss it.

🤗 I told a friend this today, and maybe you need to hear it: “You’re really making a difference during this hard time for you and your family. Just don’t forget to make time for yourself, too.” 

Take care, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with more tech smarts from the #1 free newsletter in the USA! 🚀 — Kim

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Photo credit(s): MidJourney, bitpopship via eBay

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