Friday again?! Time flies when you’re having fun. Speaking of, trivia time. What was the bestselling phone worldwide in 2022? Was it the iPhone 14, iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy A13? Answer at the end. (It surprised me!)

🦘 Let’s jump in. Today’s top story impacts just about everyone, so be sure to tap those share buttons to pass it along to a friend who could use some tech help. — Kim

When it rains, it pours — and I’m not talking about the weather! A bunch of operating systems, apps and programs just released critical security updates. To make your life easier, I rounded up the most important ones right here.

🥽 Before we dive in, if you see the term “zero-day,” that means it’s important. A zero-day flaw is one hackers know about and are taking advantage of right now.

Microsoft

The September 2023 Windows security update includes fixes for 59 known issues, like security bypasses and information disclosure vulnerabilities, and patches for two zero-day flaws.

• Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Adobe

Download the patch here to fix a zero-day vulnerability in Acrobat and Reader.

• Go to Help > Check for Updates, or download the full Acrobat Reader installer.

Google

Yikes. This is the fourth zero-day fix for Chrome this year. The good news is your Chrome browser should automatically check for updates and install them after a restart.

• To double-check in Chrome, hit the three dots in the top right corner, then Help > About Google Chrome.

The Android September 2023 update is out, too.

• Open Settings > System > System update.

Apple

For newer iPhones and iPads, download iOS 16.6.1 to secure your device from the latest zero-day vulnerabilities.

Have an iPhone 6, 7, SE or an iPad Air 2 or iPad mini? Download iOS 15.7.9 and iPadOS 15.7.9 to fix the same problem. You know it’s bad when Apple updates even its old gear.

• If you have automatic updates enabled, you’re all set. To check: Settings > General > Software Update.

Apple also released security updates for its older operating systems, macOS Big Sur 11.7.10 and macOS Monterey 12.6.9.

• Click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update.

A few more …

Linux nerds, this one's for you. Atlas VPN discovered a zero-day in its Linux client that can expose the user's actual IP address. No fix is available yet, so if you’re using Atlas VPN, stop for now.

The source code editor Notepad++ also released version 8.5.7 to fix four security vulnerabilities. Download the updates here.

Phew, that was a lot of updates to tell you about. I know it’s not the most exciting topic in the world, but hey, I’m looking out for your cybersecurity!

Faker, faker: Telegram is a secure chat app — at least, the real version is. A clone uploaded to the Google Play Store got over 60,000 downloads and infected those phones with message- and contact-stealing malware. Yikes. If you recently downloaded Telegram, double-check it’s the real developer listed in the app details.

Think fast: Dutch researchers put real patients’ symptoms, physicians’ notes and exam results into ChatGPT to test its accuracy. Get this: Docs had the correct diagnoses in their top 5 likely options 87% of the time. For ChatGPT version 3.5, that number shoots to 97%. That said, nope, it’s still not a replacement for your actual doctor.

👪 Six out of 10 parents say they spend more time on their devices than their kids do. In a OnePoll survey for Campspot, 69% of those parents say their kiddos spend, on average, three-plus hours daily on their devices. That’s a whole lot of family screen time.

Clickbait alert: Researchers dove into the claims made in 133 “informational” videos online about autism — with a combined 198.7 million views. Turns out, 73% contained inaccurate or overgeneralized info. One more reason not to rely on social media for a diagnosis.

Bye-bye, Bluetooth? The iPhone 15 comes loaded with the open-source Thread mesh networking radio. It controls low-power, low-bandwidth smart home devices — just like Bluetooth. But Thread may provide a more stable connection for things like your earbuds and smartwatch since it doesn’t rely on your devices being right next to each other to work.

🌎 We’re not so special: There are at least a trillion planets like Earth out there waiting to be discovered, says NASA administrator Bill Nelson, based on early findings from the James Webb telescope. Would NASA tell us if they found aliens? Bill says, “You bet your boots.” No joke. I like this guy.

Don’t share this junk: Fake news making the rounds online says the British MI6 busted the U.S. government for possessing weapons that can cause floods, fires and volcanic eruptions — and they’re responsible for the Maui wildfires. It’s all part of a Chinese misinformation campaign.

For city slickers: One of the best parts of “Yellowstone” is its setting — vast, beautiful ranches next to the national park. Now, these ranches are popular travel destinations and cowboy side hustles (WSJ, paywall link). Rancher Bayard Black rents out his house in Montana for top dollar; he even shows tourists how to fish and find antlers.

I turn tech complexity into simplicity with my Daily Tech Update podcast. I’ll give you the top tech news and a useful digital life hack, all in under two minutes. It's the perfect match for your daily routine — no tech expertise required.

👉 Your journey to tech confidence is a click away!

Have cash sitting around in an app like Venmo, Cash App or PayPal? Unlike what’s stored at your FDIC-insured bank or credit union, you can lose your money sitting in these apps.

Not a big deal if you keep $20 around to pay back a friend for a drink. But this is huge if you get paid directly to PayPal or Venmo for anything.

What’s the big deal?

When money makes it to your bank or credit union, it's almost certainly protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC. It's generally insured up to $250,000 per account — and it's why we can all sleep at night knowing our money is safe even if we can't see it.

PayPal, Venmo and Cash App don't send your money to a bank account automatically. They invest money in the app's customer accounts and charge you fees for using premium features like instant transfers. And if something happens … yeah, you’re out that money.

Take these steps now

What if you're a business owner who gets paid or tipped through these apps? PayPal lets you set up automatic bank transfers based on time or account balance, with a caveat: You need a Business account.

• Click the More Options icon next to your balance. Select Automatic transfers.
• Select a bank account, the frequency and the amount. Click Turn on Automatic Transfers.

❌ Venmo and Cash App users are SOL. For you, I recommend setting a calendar reminder to transfer your money out of the app every two weeks or at least monthly.

And finally, a friendship tip: Don’t request payments on Venmo or anywhere else for $5 or less. It’s bad form. Just pay for your pal’s share of the spinach dip, OK?

🇮🇹 Does the Vatican accept Venmo? No, they only take Papal.

Online chat is a good starting point if all you need is a delivery date or need to return something. For confusing situations, you’re better off talking to an actual person. An Amazon customer service rep will call you if you know this trick.

• While logged into your Amazon account, go to the Contact us page.
• Look very closely underneath the yellow Start Chatting Now box. In small letters, you’ll see a link for “We can call you.” Bingo!
• Click that, enter your phone number, and you’ll see an estimated time before you receive the call.

I’ve never waited more than three minutes for a phone call. Pro tip: Have your order number handy.

✅ Quick security boost: Check that no one else is poking around your account.

Don’t lose all your photos, videos, documents and memories if yours bites the dust. You need to back things up the right way. My pick is IDrive.

It’s safe, fast and easy. You can back up all your devices — iPhone, Android, Mac, PC — to one account and access your stuff from anywhere.

Uh, scam alert! If you get this, report it on FB.

🍎 The answer: The iPhone 13 — even though the 14 came out that year. All told, the 13 and 13 Pro Max accounted for 7.6% of global phone sales. The 14 Pro Max was third (1.7%), and the Samsung Galaxy A13 was fourth, with 1.6% of sales.

See you this afternoon with The Current Tech Hacks! Get my other daily newsletter here if you don’t already. Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim