The Current Plus: Ford F-150 recall, Mark Cuban got hacked, AI girlfriend gone wild | | Happy Wednesday and happy birthday to the humble barcode! It’s trivia time, of course. The first UPC code was scanned 50 years ago today. Was the product a … A.) Can of soup, B.) Bottle of soda, C.) Bag of chips or D.) Pack of gum? Answer’s at the end! “Kim, is there a tracker on my car?” It happens way too often. If you’ve ever been worried about a GPS tracker or AirTag hiding, watch this video. I lay out five telltale signs for you. Share it if there’s someone in your life who could use this intel. Let’s blast off with today’s tech know‑how! — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE 🛑 No more junk ✂️ Copy-and-paste scam ❗ Recall warning |
TODAY'S TOP STORY Spam texts stink Remember back in the day when you didn’t think twice about putting your cell number and email address into any form that asked for it? If you’re thinking, “Uh, Kim, I still do that,” I’m about to make your life so much easier. Even if you know better, all those years of sharing your contact info have left their mark. Add in the websites that peddle your details to anyone willing to pay, and most of us are left dealing with a ridiculous amount of spam texts. Before we get to spam text do’s and don’ts, allow me to brag: I don’t get any spammy texts. Really, zero. After I signed up for Incogni, all that crap stopped. Use this exclusive link to get 60% off. Incogni removed me from 218 privacy-stealing data-broker sites, and all it took was three minutes of work on my end. A tangled web Why are you a target for so much spam? Ah, let me count the ways: Your data was breached and then compiled into a huge list sold on the dark web or through a people-search or data-broker site. You’re in a hacked database, like a list of homeowners or app subscribers. Yours is one of countless autogenerated phone numbers scammers took a shot on. After all, it’s not that hard to come up with a list of numbers. You downloaded malware that dug into your contacts. You installed an app that sold your phone number. You replied to a spam text (see below). I can just text ‘Stop,’ right? If only. Never reply to a scam text. Doing so confirms your number is active, and you’ll start getting even more scam texts. There are a couple of safe ways to stop the spam storm: See if your phone provider lets you forward texts to 7726 (SPAM) to auto-block them. Most do, including Verizon, T‑Mobile and AT&T. Look in your message app settings for a spam filter. On Android, you can find a Spam Protection feature. On iPhone, open Settings and tap Messages, then enable Filter Unknown Senders. Select the texter’s ID or number and look for an Info or Details section. You can usually find a way to block that number directly here. This stopped spam texts for me for good I’ve told you about Incogni before. They pull your info from data-broker sites that sell it to anyone willing to pay — including spammers. No joke, since I used it, my spam texts have totally disappeared. I just don’t get them anymore. ✅ Use this link to get 60% off when you sign up. Nope, I don’t get any residuals or kickbacks. It worked for me, and I know it will work for you. I’d love to hear how many data-broker and people-search sites Incogni removes you from! You can try Incogni for 30 days. If you’re not completely satisfied, get your money back. You’ve got nothing to lose and all your privacy to gain. |
DEALS OF THE DAY Affordable upgrades Problem, meet solution. Inexpensive hacks that make life easier: This fridge lazy Susan spins around the stuff that gets stuck in the back of the top shelf. It’s on sale for $19.99. Fix loose outlets — no more half-in, half-out plugs! Get a 15-pack on sale for $6.99. Food storage lids can be a mess. This bamboo organizer keeps ‘em all in check. Hang up your cooking tools with under-cabinet rotating hooks. A space saver and an organizer for just $7.99. Your coffee mug, drink and remote will fit in this pillow. Plus, it's 14% off in black. Movie night perfection. |
WEB WATERCOOLER 📧 Mark Cuban scammed: The billionaire received strange notifications in Gmail before answering a phone call from someone ready to fix his account. He bought it, hook, line and sinker. Reminder: Google will never ask for passwords or verification codes over the phone, email or messages. A dangerous Google Chrome scam: It’s planting malware that starts with a pop-up when you try to open a webpage or document. It’ll then tell you to copy and paste text into Windows PowerShell. No, don’t do this. Time to add a trusted ad blocker to your browser to avoid this scam and the thousands of others that get you the same way. AI gone wild: A social media influencer created an AI clone to act as a virtual girlfriend. She charged followers $1 per minute for audio chats and raked in $70,000 a week. Then, the AI went rogue, playing along with dark fantasies and initiating explicit conversations the influencer says horrified her. Yeah, I warned you about this. 🔥 Heads-up, Costco shoppers: About 567,000 myCharge PowerHub All-in-One 10,000 mAh power banks are being recalled due to overheating and fire risks. Look for model numbers AO10FK‑A, AO10FK‑B and AO10FK‑C on the unit. Stop using it now and get a free replacement. Speaking of recalls: Ford is recalling 552,188 model-year 2014 F‑150 pickup trucks after reports of unexpected downshifting into first gear. Scary stuff, since it could lead to a crash. Call Ford’s toll-free number at 1‑866‑436‑7332 or contact your dealership. Glassdoor's new rule? Full name and job title on your profile. You can still post reviews anonymously, but many folks are jumping ship over privacy concerns. I wouldn’t bet on those reviews staying anonymous. 💣 Underwater tech for my history buffs: Remote-controlled German robots are tackling a massive task — clearing WW2 bombs from the North and Baltic seas. As 1.6 million tons of old munitions rust, they’re releasing carcinogenic substances and other toxins. Free AI test drive: Nothing has changed our lives quite like AI has — and will. That’s why you need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim. No one does data better than Oracle.* |
LISTEN UP | | 46% of all EV owners want to go back to gas-powered cars The popularity of electric cars has plummeted. The reason behind the downturn? Get my take in this short podcast. Play Now • 5:37 ▶ |
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TECH LIFE UPGRADE 🏨 I have no reservations about this travel tip: Google Wallet now lets you add hotel keys directly to your phone. Open the hotel’s website, app or email, and hit the Add to Google Wallet button. When you reach your room, hold your phone near the door handle to unlock it. Btw, Team Apple already had this trick since last March. Stop looking at posts that make you mad: If you can’t unfriend your annoying cousin or old coworker, mute ‘em. On Instagram, go to the account in question, then tap the Following button. Choose Mute. When you need iSpace: You don't have to keep all your apps on the iPhone home screen. Press and hold on an app icon and pick Remove App > Remove from Home Screen to get rid of the shortcut. You can still launch the app from the App Library. 🆘 Text 911: In an emergency situation where you can't talk on the phone, start a new text, type “911” in the recipient field, add your exact location (no pics or emojis) and press Send. A dispatcher will respond via text with instructions. If this feature is unavailable in your area, you’ll receive a reply text alerting you. It’s tough finding people who really want to work: I tried all the job sites, word of mouth and even talking up openings on my shows. It didn’t work. But I’ve had great success finding really wonderful, hardworking people on LinkedIn.* You can post a job for free right now using my link. |
BY THE NUMBERS 280 million Chrome users who have installed shady extensions in the past three years. These extensions included malware and often asked for advanced permissions during installation. On average, dangerous extensions stayed in the Chrome store for over a year before getting the boot. Good job there, Google. 1 in 10 executives Say their company has faced a deepfake attack. This year, one worker joined a deepfake video call with his “teammates” that was so convincing, he wired $25 million to the scammers. Companies going through IPOs, mergers or reorgs are most at risk. 72% chance Of an asteroid hitting Earth in 2038. If it does, NASA says there’s a 50/50 chance it will affect more than 1,000 people across the globe — and an 8% chance it will affect over 1 million. Surely we’re prepared, right? Nope, we’re nowhere near ready. |
WHAT THE TECH? What happens when you overclock a monitor? It hertz. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... The answer: D.) Pack of gum. The first Universal Product Code was on a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. 😂 What's the moon's favorite gum? Orbit. What’s a flat-earther's least favorite flavor of gum? Sphere‑mint. (I know, that was bad.) I need a favor. I’m really trying to get more subscribers to my free email. You can help me by sharing your referral link below with at least one or two people and encouraging them to sign up. That would be amazing, and thank you in advance. On the docket for tomorrow’s newsletter: A voice-cloning warning every American needs to read. And in case no one told you today, I think you’re awesome! 🥳 — Kim |
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