Welcome to a fantastic Friday, friends! Let’s kick things off with our tech brain teaser. Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy and science fiction writer. His 2022 Kickstarter campaign for four new novels raised how much? Was it … $1.2 million, $10.7 million, $20.8 million or $42 million? Answer’s at the end.

📄 Now, on to another issue loaded with tech news, tips and mediocre-to-great jokes. — Kim

I've been playing with ChatGPT almost daily since it dropped in November. At this point, I've got this art down to a science.

Sometimes, I toss in an oddball question to see what happens. It can be a delightful journey into the creative capabilities of AI. Last week, I threw in a peculiar prompt asking, "What if cats could fly?" The response was a whimsical tale of feline aerial adventures that left me in stitches. (By the way, ChatGPT wrote those last three sentences.)

With months of experience under my belt, it feels like high time to share some of the best tips and tricks I've picked up along the way.

1. Honey, not vinegar

Like a human, ChatGPT responds better to politely phrased prompts. It might feel strange to say "please" and "thank you" to a computer program, but subtly positive responses tell AI it's on the right track.

2. Put on your thinking cap

Three magic words will improve the quality of your answers: "You're an expert." You can include these words to begin your prompt, like, "You're an expert in home improvement" or "You're an expert on ancient Roman history," depending on what you need.

Imagine you want to market your company or pet project. Ask ChatGPT to generate a blog or social media post to share. You’ll get a better answer if you simply preface it with, "You're a marketing expert."

Now, ChatGPT will do its best to think like a marketing professional. This kind of specificity can help you get more detailed answers. Its language can sometimes be vague or generic, so asking it to answer from a position of expertise adds to its authority.

3. Explain it like I’m 5

Think of this one as the inverse of the last tip. You’ll get very different results if you tell ChatGPT to respond like it’s speaking to a kindergarten class versus a corporate boardroom. Think about the kind of audience you want it to write for and include that in your prompt.

4. Give before you get

Using examples as part of questions helps ChatGPT generate what you're looking for. You can say, "You're a marketing expert. Write 10 social media posts promoting a daily newsletter that tells readers about the technology news and tips they need to know in a fun and readable way. Here's a sample post."

If you don't have a complete sample, give as many details as possible for the outcome you want.

5. Refine, refine, refine

This is what separates pros from novices. By refining your question or asking for different kinds of answers, you can improve your results until you actually get what you need.

Let's say those social media posts you asked for were too formal. Say, "Please rewrite those social media posts in a more casual and conversational style." Or maybe you had it draft an email to your boss asking for a raise — and the tone is way too goofy. Oops. "Write three more versions for me to pick from."

Kim 🤝 ChatGPT: FYI, I've caught ChatGPT making up things, too. AI "hallucinations" happen more often than you'd think, so always fact-check anything you plan to use for business, academic or other important reasons.

Missile-measuring contest: Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper space initiative is launching its first two satellites into space this afternoon. If the mission succeeds, Amazon is officially in the race to own the satellite broadband market, which Musk and SpaceX have worked on since 2019. They currently have 4,812 working satellites. OneWeb, based in London, is the other major player, with 632 satellites.

💵 Ouch, my achin’ wallet: Netflix prices are going up again, according to WSJ. An insider says the next increase is coming a “few months” after the actors’ strike ends, which could be very soon. Right now, the Premium plan is $19.99. How much higher can they go? We’ll see.

Nessie: No, not that Nessie. It’s the codename for Amazon’s pricing algorithm that decided how high to inflate prices and then monitored if other retailers did the same. If competitors held steady, Amazon restored its regular prices. The slimy details are part of the FTC’s antitrust complaint against the retail giant.

🐕 Quick thinking: A postal worker in Georgia noticed a family’s dog in pain. The beagle, Ginger, had been bitten by a copperhead snake, but no one was home. Hollee Keene Prigmore jumped into action, typing a note on her phone and pointing it at the family’s video doorbell. She grabbed a pic of the snake and took Ginger to the vet. The pup is recovering. You rock, Hollee!

Dating 101: NYU professor Scott Galloway thinks young men are watching too much p*rn and ditching real-life women for AI s*xbots. His solution? Teach them mating dynamics at school, like how to put on a clean shirt and ask out a girl. I agree it’s a problem, but shouldn’t parents be talking to their kids about this?

Failure to launch: The Gen Z dream job? Influencer. Yep, nearly half of Gen Z thinks this is a viable career — and now you can get a degree in it. The South East Technological University in Carlow, Ireland, offers a Bachelor’s in Content Creation and Social Media. Courses include digital strategy, content writing and Intro to Selfies. OK, I made up that last one.

💸 Down the toilet: Sorry if you bought an iPhone 14. Analysis shows it has lost the most value when comparing new and used phone prices. The 14 lost 24.69% of its value, compared to drops of 16.62% for the iPhone 13 and 10% for the iPhone 12. Not much of a surprise, given how close the 14 was to the 13.

New kid on the block: Precision Neuroscience just bought a manufacturing facility in Dallas to produce the key component of its brain chip implant. (Same idea as Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink.) Precision has started human trials and says its tech could help people with paralysis use brain signals to move again.

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

👉 Tech understanding is just a click away!

Apple's fall device drop gets all the love, but Google wants you to remember it's here, too — with lots of new tech and some seriously impressive AI upgrades coming soon to a phone near you.

Batting 1,000

That's how much the Google Pixel 8 Pro costs (OK, it's $999) — up $100 from the top-tier 7 model. For a grand, it includes Google's zippy Tensor G3 chip and a camera good enough to rival the iPhone 15. Neat feature: Zoom Enhance lets you go in and add details after you've taken the shot and want to zoom in on a pic.

The other random-but-cool addition is a temperature sensor that can accurately measure how hot or cold a surface, object, and maybe even your forehead is.

The Pro model comes in black, porcelain and light blue, and shipping is expected to start on Oct. 12.

What about the non-Pro?

The Pixel 8 is going up $100 from the 7, too. It's faster and slightly smaller than its predecessor and, like the 8 Pro, gets access to Google's new AI photo-editing tools:

The 8 is $699, or $799 if buying from Verizon. It comes in rose, black and hazel and is expected to ship on Oct. 12, too.

🥊 Your next question: How does it stack up against the iPhone 15? Read the comparison here on my site.

We all should know better by now. We aren’t going to remember to cancel subscriptions or free trials just by hoping the end date comes to our minds in 30 days. Use these smart steps to make sure you actually do it.

💰 Pro tip: It does more than just track subscriptions. The other day, I got an alert from Rocket Money about an overdraft charge on my checking account. What the heck?! I called my bank, and they reversed the charge and apologized for their mistake. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t have noticed without getting that notification.

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Each sign-up using your link equals one entry into the contest. The person with the highest number of referrals will win the grand prize. Start sharing and rack up those entries for a chance to bring home some fantastic tech!

Talk about a margarine of error.

📚 The answer: On Kickstarter, Brandon Sanderson got 185,341 backers who pledged $41,754,153 so he could come out with four novels. Amazing Content Queen Allie loves his work. Reminds me of the book “Don’t Fall Off the Cliff” by Eileen Dover.

Phew, that was a jam-packed newsletter, eh? Now, do me a solid and tell three folks to get my free newsletter, too. Post your unique referral link below on social media and recommend they sign up. Every sign-up is one entry for you to win a brand-new $1,200 laptop of your choice!

Thank you so much! Every reader counts, especially YOU! — Kim