The Current-Sun
Plus: $32,500 homebuyer scam, Americans targeted abroad, hot Jesus
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June 30, 2024

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In partnership with Hear.com

Ahoy, aloha and hello to a mighty fine Sunday! You might think electric cars are new. Nope! Who gets credit for inventing the first electric vehicle? This is a tough one. Was it … A.) Thomas Edison in 1893, B.) Nikola Tesla in 1923, C.) Thomas Davenport in 1834 or D.) Karl Benz in 1941? Answer’s at the end!

✅ Hear me out: Hearing aids aren’t what they used to be. If you or someone you love is dealing with hearing loss, get a no-obligation hearing evaluation at hear.com. You can even try it FREE for 45 days. Btw, I get no kickbacks or residuals if you buy. Now, on to the news! — Kim

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IN THIS ISSUE

  • 🍼 Genius baby gadgets
  • 🏡 Escar-oh, no
  • 👣 Cover your tracks online

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Gaga for gadgets

Putting smart speakers in your living room is one thing, but if you’re going to have a connected device in your nursery, you need to know it’s secure.

Case in point: A popular baby monitor that allowed hackers to spy on live video of parents and their babies. Yeah. Scary. This isn’t the place to be cheap, folks. I found these top-rated, ultra-safe smart devices to make those early days a lot less stressful.

✅ Sharing is caring. When you see icons under this story for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and email, click one to instantly share it. Bet you have new, expecting or someday-soon parents in your life who could use today’s top story. They’ll thank you for it, I’m certain.

Babysense Breathing Monitor ($127.50)

This little gadget fits under your baby's mattress and alerts you of any problems with your baby’s breathing or sleeping. There's no Wi‑Fi or internet involved, so it's hack-proof, too.

SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet ($1,695)

This bassinet helps you and your baby get more z’s. It comes with a built-in swaddle, rocks on its own, makes white noise and has an app. SNOO says your kid will grab one or two extra hours of sleep a night. It’s pricey, but if it delivers on even half that promise, it’s worth every penny.

Nanit Pro Camera ($193.52)

The Nanit Pro Camera lets you keep an eye on your kid from anywhere with high-quality video and secure encryption. It notifies you of movement, crying, breathing changes, or if your baby or toddler enters “off-limits areas” in a room, like a doorway or stairs.

Munchkin Bluetooth-enabled Swing ($198.50)

I like this little rocker a lot for entertaining your little one when they're awake. The smart part? You can choose from several rocking movements and a variety of classical and soothing sounds. You can even connect your own audio.

Diaper Genie with Antimicrobial Odor Control ($47.99)

A newborn can go through up to 3,000 diapers in their first year. Diaper Genies are old-school … but so much better now. The bags have built-in antimicrobial tech to keep the whole house from getting stinky and even inhibit bacterial growth on the film.

Hatch Rest ($59.99)

This smart lamp creates the perfect sleep conditions, with soothing colors, white noise, nature sounds or lullabies. It also acts as a subtle night light for late-night feedings. As your kid gets older, you can set it to slowly brighten in the morning and help them wake up naturally.

🐤 My farmer friend used his COVID‑19 stimulus to buy baby chickens. He got the money for nothing and the chicks for free. (Ah, I heard you laugh!)

Reminder: Have an expecting parent in your life? Share this to help them pick the safest tech.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH  

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The secret to perfect hearing

Live your best life with hear.com's ultra-discreet, high-powered hearing aid. This isn’t just any hearing aid. It’s one of the world’s fastest dual-processing devices, designed to separate speech from background noise, delivering crystal-clear clarity. Plus, hear.com’s devices are rechargeable and Bluetooth-capable, so you can stream music and phone calls directly to your hearing aids.

When it comes to your hearing, you want a company you can trust. hear.com has …

  • An A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars from Consumer Affairs
  • Over 80% five-star reviews on Trustpilot
  • 100% money-back guarantee

These hearing aids are nearly invisible, tucked inside or behind your ear. No more bulky, uncomfortable devices — just perfect hearing without the fuss.

See if you’re a candidate and on your way to better hearing now! →

Please support our sponsors!

WEB WATERCOOLER

🚨 Homebuyers, beware: A New Jersey couple was duped out of $32,500 when trying to buy their dream home. Scammers faked an entire email thread with their lawyer, the seller's lawyer and the real estate agent. They wired the down payment to crooks. The scam email addresses were one letter off from the real ones. Wowsie, watch out if you’re buying or selling a home.

Keep scrolling, saints: Hot Jesus is all over Facebook, flaunting a shredded six-pack and duking it out with the devil (seriously). The AI-generated pics are getting hundreds of thousands of views, with captions that dare you to like and comment to prove your faith. Once the page gets an audience, boom — spam links galore.

American tourists are big targets abroad: You can thank Hollywood stereotypes that paint us all as wealthy. In some countries, you could be robbed, drugged or worse. If you’re traveling, keep your voice down (everyone knows an American accent), ditch USA-branded clothes and if something feels off, get outta there.

No more standing in lines: Disney World is ditching the Genie+ system … well, kind of. Starting July 24, it’s rebranding to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. You can now prebook ride times 14 days before your vacay kicks off instead of the frantic 7 a.m. scramble on park day. Yay for planning!

🛑 Been saying this for years: A new lawsuit claims Chinese app Temu is essentially malware that accesses everything on your phone, from texts to emails, and sells your data to third parties. Temu says they’re "surprised" by the lawsuit and blame misinformation. If you still have the app, delete it ASAP.

32 hours of battery life: Hey, your old earbuds don’t have that! Raycons are so much more affordable than AirPods, have studio-quality sound and they fit securely in every ear. Score 15% off and free shipping right now at BuyRaycon.com/kim.* They come with a 30-day happiness guarantee, too!

LISTEN UP

How to make money in podcasting

We talk with Rob Walch from Libsyn about the current state of podcasting and get his top tips for starting your own podcast. Plus, X makes your likes private, SoftBank uses AI to make angry customers sound calm, and nobody likes being called a bot.

Play Now • 60:44  ▶

Subscribe wherever you listen:

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DEALS OF THE DAY

Bright idea

A ton of you asked me to share more lights since you loved my flashlight pick the other day. I did the work to find you the best ones.

  • Still need a flashlight? This one is bright, lightweight and will last forever.
  • Love a tiny flashlight for my bag and the car, too. Grab a two-pack for 20% off now.
  • Sounds nutty, but a toilet night light is sweet. Get two for under $12. Nice, no more stumbling around in the dark!
  • Love a salt lamp. Health claims aside, they look pretty and they’re calming.
  • Content Queen Allie swapped all her boring bulbs for these smart LED lights (23% off!) that can be any color and work on a schedule.

TECH LIFE UPGRADES

Call me by my name: In your iPhone contacts, fill out the Add related name field with nicknames like "Mom" and "Bestie.” Now, you can use those nicknames to call and text those individuals using Siri.

Not now, Microsoft: If you don't want a massive Windows update interrupting something you're doing, pause them temporarily. Go to Settings > Windows update > Pause updates. Just remember to undo this.

🤏 Easy zoom: If you only have one hand free to use your Android phone, zoom in or out in Google Maps by double-tapping on the map and holding your finger down on the second tap. Then, move your finger up or down.

“Alexa, who plays [character] in [movie or show]?” That phrase, which you can say to any smart assistant, just solved your next three TV-related fights.

No ads: You can use the web without annoying video ads, pop-up ads, takeover ads and other ad types. Use the tool I use for just $19.

MY TRUSTED ADVICE

🎙️ Every weekend on my award-winning national radio show heard on over 420 stations, I talk with interesting folks like you. Catch these convos on a station near you or as a commercial-free podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

  • Joseph Cox from 404 Media discusses his book, "Dark Wire,” which is all about Anom, an app used by criminals for top-notch, secure communication. The twist? Anom was secretly run by the FBI.
  • Suzi in Arizona was ready to remodel her kitchen. She wired $60,000 to someone she thought was her designer … and a scammer intercepted the wire.
  • Dennis in New Jersey is off to his family's vacation home and wants to boost the Wi‑Fi so everyone can have good coverage.

Plus, Mervin gets scammy crypto requests, Scott wants to sell PDFs for extra income, Perry asks about wrapping his key fob in foil, Sharon needs hotspot advice and so muc  more!

📆 Let’s talk about anything digital in your life, whether it’s family matters or your business. Make an appointment to speak with me right here.

SUNDAY TO-DO LIST

Listen: Amazon’s early Prime Deal is out for Amazon Music. Instead of getting one month free, you get five months free.

Save: Another early Prime Day special? Get 40% off Carnival cruises. I had no idea Amazon offered travel deals.

Bypass: The AI resume bots. Share this with anyone you know looking for a job.

Load: Your dishwasher the right way. Bowls upside down, forks right-side up.

Improve: Your cornhole game. The pros spin their beanbags like a frisbee!

And don’t skimp: On the ‘screen. The average adult needs about a shot glass full of sunscreen to cover their entire body.

WHAT THE TECH?

What the tech?

Incredible photographs by Alan Murphy showing the perfect camouflage of nature. That little guy is almost impossible to spot!

UNTIL NEXT TIME ...

The answer: C.) Thomas Davenport in 1834. The blacksmith from Vermont built a small locomotive powered by a 1.5-volt electric motor — long before the invention of the internal combustion engine.

Tesla founder Elon Musk is originally from South Africa, which is strange. You’d think he was from Mad‑at‑gas‑car. (Good one, right?)

Before you go … Kathy in Georgia dropped me a DM: “I no longer say, ‘What did you say?’ anymore. These hear.com hearing aids are just about invisible. Watching TV and taking phone calls is no longer frustrating.” So cool, and I hope you take this as your sign to take the leap if it’s been on your mind. Their tech is incredible, and it’s easier (and less expensive) than you might think.

Thanks for reading, friend. Back at ya tomorrow with the best free newsletter in the USA! — Kim

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