Welcome to a very wonderful Sunday, friends! Let’s jump right in with trivia. As you’d probably guess, New York City is the most expensive city for an Uber ride. Which city takes the No. 2 slot — Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Seattle or Nashville? Answer’s at the end!

🛟 Have tech troubles? Drop your questions in my members-only Q&A Forum, and let me and my team of tech wizards guide you! Because you’re a Current reader, enjoy a 30-day free trial of the Komando Community on me. After that, it's less than $5 a month to support our work. I’m thinking about upping the price, so if I were you, I’d get in now. On to the news! — Kim

When I read how some grieving parents are using AI to grab the emotions of lawmakers, I thought you’d want to know about it, too. I’ll warn you: This isn’t one of my usual happy stories.

I’m sure you remember six years ago, when a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three staff members. One of the students who died that day was 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver.

Oliver’s parents are now using his voice — and the voices of six other kids who have died in shootings — to advocate for firearm law changes. Their website, The Shotline, lets anyone send a call directly to their reps, in which the kids do the talking. So far, more than 40,000 calls have gone out.

All the parents involved in the project recreated their children’s voices with AI using audio taken from home movies, voicemails and social media. Take a listen here.

Wait, aren’t AI robocalls illegal?

I warn you a lot about AI scammers using family members’ or employers’ voices to fool you into handing over money or info. And you probably heard the faked voice of President Biden encouraging people not to vote.

Both of those call types are now illegal. The FCC just outlawed AI-generated deepfake telemarketing calls. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act also bans pre-recorded calls, messages, automated dialers and calling you without consent.

But calling lawmakers is different than calling consumers. For now, at least, AI-voiced messages sent to lawmakers are legal.

But are they ethical?

Whenever we talk about AI voice cloning, we have to discuss ethics, both for the “owners” of the original voice and the “listeners” of the cloned version.

Most of the time with AI deepfakes, the ethics are pretty obvious. A scammer has stolen someone’s voice to try to dupe people. Both the mark and the person whose voice has been stolen are victims — case closed!

The calls created by The Shotline all clearly state they were made using AI. They aren’t trying to dupe lawmakers, just get their attention. That feels OK to me. Lawmakers can handle it.

Planning ahead

AI now just needs a small sample of audio to recreate a voice. Consider including your wishes about the use of your voice and likeness in your estate planning. If you don’t want your family to be able to recreate your voice or image with AI, say so in your will.

I know this is a heavy topic. You can read the entire story here (WSJ, paywall link). I’d like to know what you think. Reply to this email, respond when you rate this issue or drop me a DM on social media. I’m @kimkomando everywhere.

🙏🏻 Before we leave this topic and move on, a prayer: Dear God, we ask for your comfort to envelop the families, friends and entire communities affected by senseless acts of violence. Grant them the strength to endure the pain of loss and the courage to continue their lives with purpose and hope. Amen.

• It’s easier to get out of bed when there’s a space heater going.
• Or use a towel warmer for your robe and PJs, too. ($15 off!)
• When did you last replace your shower rug? This one is so fluffy!
• Your morning cup of joe basically makes itself with this.
• Or go all out with a Breville espresso machine if you’re a coffee nerd.

Seriously scary: The White House just dropped a major bombshell: Russia's developing an anti-satellite weapon that has Congress and SpaceX sweating. It's not yet a clear and present danger, but with Starlink helping Ukraine stay online, tensions are high. Rumors suggest the weapon could be nuclear-powered.

A life in politics is full of parties: A study reveals many political sites collect personal data — everything from your photos, resume and political views to how you donate — without giving you a place to consent. And yes, they might pass or sell your info to other campaigns. You’ve been warned.

🚨 Bad news for Facebook Marketplace: 200,000 users just had their personal deets leaked to a hacker forum — phone numbers, emails, Facebook IDs, the works. If you use it, change your password and be on the lookout for sketchy messages. Could be a phishing attempt.

🍆 She’s not talking about eggplant parm: University of Nottingham research shows older generations often misread emojis … OK, not those kinds. Participants were shown six face emojis and had to identify the emotion. Less than half of folks could identify this one: 😖. (It’s disgust!)

Retro riches: Remember when your mom nagged about toys and games everywhere? That old stash could be worth a fortune. That mint Pikachu card? A cool $6 million. Pristine SNES games and special-edition Barbies? Thousands. Even an old Nintendo 64 is worth a pretty penny.

Sure, it’s nice to see who is at the door or when you get a package — but for true home security, you need more than that. SimpliSafe makes it easy. Take a quick quiz to find your perfect system, then install it all yourself in a few minutes. Or SimpliSafe offers professional installation services, too!

Cameras are important, but there’s so much more:

• The glass-break sensor picks up the sound of a smashed window.
• The temperature sensor alerts you if your home gets cold enough for pipes to freeze and burst.
• The water sensor detects leaks before you even see them.

Keep yourself and your family safe with whole-home security. There’s no reason to live in fear.

Nothing’s free: This includes top-notch antivirus and internet security software for your Windows or Mac computer and iOS or Android device. Get a year of my antivirus software pick, TotalAV, for only $19.

🌎 Don't leave home without it: If you're a globetrotter, SmartTraveler for Android and Apple is the go-to app from the State Department. You’ll find updated official country information, travel alerts and warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more. Happy travels!

Fun, free video editor: Microsoft's Clipchamp is perfect for beginners — plus, it has advanced features for cutting, cropping, resizing, screen and webcam recording, green-screen editing, and even AI voiceovers. Give it a whirl.

App intrusion: Stop apps from listening by turning off access to the mic. On iPhone: Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security. Locate the menu labeled Microphone and tap it. Find the app you want to turn off the mic for and toggle off its switch. Get steps for Android here.

💸 Don't be a sucker by wasting hard-earned money on extended warranties for electronics. Most devices and TVs will break within the first 90 days if there's a problem. Otherwise, they'll probably fail after around five years. Now you know!

💬 I talk to the best folks on my national radio show. Catch it on a station near you, get the show’s podcast commercial-free on Apple and Spotify, or join the Komando Community with a 30-day free trial on me!

• Catherine in Manchester, New Hampshire, has a small-biz scam warning. Bots are flooding her website with fake quote requests.
• Cindy in Virginia has received 100 Amazon packages she didn’t order. They contained 1,000 headlamps, 800 glue guns and dozens of kids’ binoculars.
• Diane in Springfield, Massachusetts, owns a naughty Great Dane who likes to run off into the woods. She’s looking for a good way to track him without Wi‑Fi.

Plus, James wants to detect spy cams during his travels, Patrick needs password manager help, Becky seeks Microsoft Word alternatives, Julie looks for a computer sans Google and much more!

Eat: Fresh fruit! This site shows farms near you to pick your own. Yum!

Laugh: 13 of the world’s worst bike lanes. No. 8 is a real rollercoaster.

Listen: The ”Marie Antionette” soundtrack from 2006 holds up as excellent dance-around-the-house music.

Watch: “One Day” on Netflix is all the rage. Check it out if you’re feeling like a romance that’s not sappy.

Upgrade: I’m eyeing fancy spices to make cooking a little more fun.

It’s lunar‑tic!

💰 The answer: Nashville. Did you get it right? A 6.21-mile (10-kilometer) ride will set you back $34.63. In NYC, it’s 11 cents more. No. 3 on the list is Denver. You’ll find cheap fares in El Paso and Detroit.

I tried to be an Uber driver, but it didn’t work out. My passengers didn’t appreciate it when I went the extra mile.

🤓 Spread the love and share this email with a friend who wants to be as tech-smart as you. And be sure to rate this issue below so we know how we’re doing. Have a great day and I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow! — Kim