🐶 Your dog has something to tell you (AI cracked the code)

Hi there, welcome to your Wednesday, {{first_name | friend}}. Thought space was all titanium suits and laser beams? Think again. In 2024, scientists launched a satellite made almost entirely of wood. Like, actual tree-in-the-forest wood. 

🪵 Why wood? Were they looking for that rustic vibe in orbit, or is something sneakier going on? A) It’s cheaper to manufacture in bulk, B) It protects from solar radiation, C) It reduces pesky space junk, or D) Wood lets Wi-Fi breathe free? Stick around, the answer’s floating in later. 

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⚡ TL;DR (THE SHORT VERSION)

📖 Read time: 2 minutes

Hold on. We’re about to crack one of humanity’s oldest mysteries. What is your pet really trying to tell you?

Is that bark excitement, anxiety or a dramatic demand for cheese? Is your cat affectionate or quietly plotting your demise? I’d love to be able to have a conversation with my golden retrievers, or at least better understand what they want. 

They know certain phrases for sure, from “Let’s go potty” to “Do not go in the pool.” But how cool it would be if, when I walked in the door, Bella would say, “Hey, Mom, sorry. I didn’t mean to chew up your Peloton bike shoes.” Yeah, that happened yesterday.

There aren’t a lot of products that really do interspecies communication (that’s what it’s called, btw).

MeowTalk analyzes your cat’s meows against 40 million recordings. That sounds great, but it has a really bad 1.5-star rating on Google Play. Folks report connection errors, translations that don’t match obvious context, and one reviewer’s cat apparently only says, “Hello,” no matter if he’s hungry, sleepy or happy. Consider it entertainment. Free with $6/month premium.

FluentPet takes a different approach, teaching pets to communicate using recordable buttons. They say over 70% of dogs learn two buttons within a month. My golden retriever Abby could not grasp it. I’m ready to try again with Bella. 

In case you want to see it in action, Bunny the Sheepadoodle on TikTok, with 8 million followers, is an apparent Mensa canine member.

The big leap is about to come from applying the same AI world models used to teach machines how humans move and behave. (ICYMI, I told you about that a few days ago.) AI is being trained on massive libraries of animal video and audio, mapping ear position, tail movement, posture and vocal patterns to predict actual outcomes.

Companies like SatellAI unveiled AI collars that create a digital twin of your pet, combining behavior, biometrics and environment to spot stress or illness early.

Others went further. Ecovacs introduced LilMilo, an AI robotic pet companion that recognizes voices, learns routines and responds emotionally. Think of it as a social robot for pets and humans.

Meanwhile, Petkit showcased AI-powered feeders and litter systems that track diet, hydration and health trends. This isn’t translation. It’s care.

Right now, from what I have read, pet interspecies communication is about 60% verifiable science and 40% bull. AI is excellent at pattern recognition, but we’re years away from philosophical debates with a pug. Still, detecting distress or pain before symptoms show is a big deal.

If AI finally translates your cat knocking a glass off the counter as, “Observe my mastery of gravity, you mere human,” that would be amazing. So yes, the animals are finally getting a voice. And I have a feeling they’ve got strong opinions about the kibble. 

And just because, if all dogs go to heaven, where do cats go? Purrrgatory. Meow.

🐾 Share this with a pet parent before they waste $6/month on an app that only says, “Hello.” Hit the share icons below. People are fascinated by this.

Swipe right, and you’re hired. With unemployment rising, job seekers are turning to Hinge, Tinder and more. I also cover Meghan Markle’s business fail and a DoorDash driver who faked deliveries with AI photos.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

💡 Watts the damage: You know how AI gets blamed for draining all our water to cool off its servers and skyrocketing our bills? Microsoft says its new AI data centers won’t raise your electric bill. They’re locking in utility deals up front, skipping local tax breaks and even promising to replenish more water than they use. Sounds nice. But I’ve seen enough utility bills over the years to know “your rates won’t go up” usually means “maybe not today.” I know a spin when I hear one. 

Death by forgetfulness: “Are You Dead?” might sound like a punk album, but it’s a top iPhone app. Android already has this feature. You tap a ghost button every two days. Miss it, and your emergency contact gets pinged. It’s like a wellness check but with less small talk. It’s the top app in China for some reason, rebranded as Demumu, which honestly sounds catchy.  

Mamma mia: Get this. After his ex cheated with his best friend, one Atlanta student tapped out of human dating and into Julia, an AI chatbot who loves long walks in the cloud and raising real-life children someday. He’s serious. Millions are turning to AI companions for emotional support, romance, even parenting. It’s not just the lonely teens, either. Sure, the tech is filling real gaps in people’s lives, but I don’t know about you, when the cloud starts co‑parenting, it feels like we missed a meeting.

📘 Stop feeling confused by AI: It’s moving fast. I see a lot of hype out there, but I only share resources that are actually worth your time. NetSuite’s free “Demystifying AI” guide is the real deal. It cuts through the noise to give you a clear breakdown of how to win. Download it for free.*

Click, chat, buy: So Google turned Gemini into a personal shopper. Tell the AI what you want, and it buys it, no tabs or websites required (paywall link). They built a universal shopping protocol with Target, Walmart, Shopify, everyone. First it’s socks, then it’s a kayak, then it’s me explaining to Chase why my AI thinks I camp. ChatGPT and Copilot got purchasing options last year. Expect to see the new buy button rolling out soon in Search and Gemini. 

🧘 Just sit there: When’s the last time you sipped the experience of doing nothing like tea? Turns out, daydreaming is kind of elite (paywall link). Studies show letting your mind wander helps you think deeper, solve problems and connect with people emotionally, way more than compulsively flipping through your phone ever will. One study found people preferred electric shocks to being alone with their thoughts, which totally explains TikTok.  

Landing a gig is tough. In these industries, it’s brutal. I reveal which ones to avoid in this short podcast.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or search “Komando” wherever you get your podcasts. I’m everywhere.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On the desktop version of Gmail, you can change how spaced out emails appear in your inbox. Click the Settings icon in the top right, then under Density, choose Default, Compact or Comfortable. You can see more emails at once and cut down on scrolling.

Precise screenshots: Want to capture only part of your screen? Press Windows key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool, then click and drag around what you want. It’ll save in your Screenshots folder. On a Mac, hit Command + Shift + 4, click and drag, and the image drops right onto your desktop. 

📸 Scan QR codes on iPad: No phone nearby? No problem. If a QR code pops up on your screen, take a screenshot using the Power button + Volume Up button. Open the image, tap the live text icon in the top right, then tap the QR code. It’ll open directly in your iPad’s web browser. Easy work-around.

Your Fire Stick is hot: Yes, literally. If it’s jammed behind your TV, it can overheat and slow performance. That’s why you should plug in the HDMI extender cable it came with. It moves the dongle away from your TV’s warmth and helps with airflow. Oh, and you’ll probably get a better Wi-Fi signal, too, since there’s less interference. Win-win. 

📱 Android glitching out? Whether it’s freezing or crashing, clearing the cache usually does the trick. Go to Settings > Apps > App name > Storage and tap Clear cache. FYI, don’t tap Clear data. That will log you out of the app entirely and wipe your settings.

That free charging cable someone left at the airport gate? Congrats, it might not only charge your phone, it will rob you. 

This isn’t spy-movie gear. It’s for sale online for $200 a pop. Now you know to watch out for it.

Coming tomorrow: Your smart TV is taking screenshots every few seconds of what you’re watching, then selling the info. Yes, really. I’ll show you how to shut it down.

🛰️ The answer: C) It reduces pesky space junk. Yep, in 2024, scientists launched the LignoSat, a satellite made almost entirely of magnolia wood. Not because lumber is having a space fashion moment but because when wooden satellites burn up on re-entry, they leave no trace.

We’re launching more satellites now than at any other time in human history. There will likely be 100,000 in orbit by 2030, and what goes up must eventually come down. We’ve got over 130 million pieces of space debris smaller than a centimeter orbiting Earth at 17,500 mph. Even a tiny metal bolt can hit a space station with the force of a hand grenade.

🖱️ One click at a time. That’s how you get anywhere. — Kim

Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily

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