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December 5, 2023 |
In partnership with Pendulum |
Itโs a terrific tech Tuesday, friends! Letโs start with a little trivia. Many of todayโs big tech companies have a โChief Evangelist,โ whose sole job is building a community of passionate users. Was the first company to adopt this โฆ A.) Amazon, B.) Apple, C.) Microsoft or D.) Zoom? Youโll find the answer at the end. ๐ Do your part and keep this newsletter free by clicking the link to check a top probiotic endorsed by the Mayo Clinic, Pendulum. Gut health is essential! Now, on to increasing your tech know-how, which is so, so important in todayโs digital world! โ Kim ๐ซ First-time reader? Sign up here. (Itโs free!) IN THIS ISSUE๐ Your car is tracking your every move๐ฆ Ignore this fake delivery call or text๐งซ 23andMe hack update |
TODAY'S TOP STORYThe privacy nightmare that is your carWhen I read this report, I knew it would be important for you to know even though you do all the right things. Today's cars are an absolute trainwreck when it comes to privacy. Mozilla recently researched 25 top car brands under its *Privacy Not Included warning-label project. Not a single vehicle passed the test, making cars Mozilla's worst privacy product category examined to date. Here's the scoop on what was uncovered and a couple of steps to make a difference. ๐ง Btw, I interviewed super-smart Jen Caltrider from Mozilla. Watch our convo here on YouTube. 25 car brands tested, 25 car brands failedOut of the 25 car brands studied, these companies received at least four out of five of Mozilla's privacy red flags: Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai, Cadillac, GMC, Buick, Chevrolet, Kia, Acura, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lincoln, Ford, Lexus, Toyota and Volkswagen.Tesla received all five of Mozilla's privacy "dings" thanks to its unreliable AI-powered autopilot. It was reportedly involved in 736 crashes and 17 deaths and is undergoing multiple government investigations. Big yikes. Perhaps Mozilla's strangest finding: Nissan collects data on the super-intimate part of your life, and Kia says it can collect information about your "sex life" in its privacy policy. No joke. Maybe, uh, save "it" for when you get home. Subaru and Nissan spell out itโs up to you to let anyone in your car know the tracking applies to them, too. Imagine that! โHey, before you hop in to go to lunch me, my Nissan really wants to know who youโre texting.โ Driving us madThese vehicles gather personal data based on your interactions with the car, the connected services utilized within the vehicle, the car's app (which accesses everything on your phone), and details about you from other sources, like SiriusXM or Google Maps. Carmakers can even collect medical and genetic information. Of course, they can then use this info to create more data on you by assuming your abilities, interests and intelligence level. Mozilla also found: 84% of the researched car brands share your personal data with service providers, data brokers and other businesses you know nothing about.76% of car brands admit to selling that personal data.56% say they can share your information with the government or law enforcement upon "request."The definition of "request" is murky. We're talking pretty informal โ no court orders needed. So, what can you do?Thereโs no magical place to opt out of all this tracking. Your carโs fancy features, like GPS and the ability to text someone with just your voice, come at the cost of your privacy โ and car manufacturers take advantage. I wish I could tell you thereโs a brand that protects your privacy and isnโt using your info to make a buck. Again, nope. If you really canโt stand the idea of the data collection: Drive a car from 1995 or older. Seriously. In 1996, the government mandated the On-Board Diagnostics II (OBDโII) in all vehicles sold in the U.S. This is what monitors and stores data related to vehicle performance and driver behavior.Donโt connect your phone. I know most of us arenโt going to do this โ but itโs an option, folks. Youโre handing over more data than you realize the minute you connect your phone.๐๏ธ If youโre so inclined, Mozilla has a petition to stop car companies from collecting massive amounts of user data. Head here to sign your name and join the fight for driversโ privacy. Now, spread the word to other drivers. Hit one of the buttons below to send this research via email or social media. True story, speaking of cars โฆ I had to pick up some paperwork at the county offices. I found what I thought was a parking spot. A cop approached me and said, "Ma'am, you can't park there. This is where our politicians work." I said, "Oh, don't worry, I locked it." He didn't laugh. |
Holiday the healthy way with Metabolic DailyWhat do you get when a probiotic company is founded by doctors from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Berkeley and Stanford, and the Mayo Clinic is one of their first investors and continuing research partners? You get Pendulum. โTis the season for gingerbread, sprinkle cookies and eggnog, which is why itโs also the season for Pendulumโs Metabolic Daily. Probiotics make a perfect present for everyone on your list โฆ Self-gifting totally encouraged! This multi-strain probiotic helps metabolize sugars and carbs, converts food into energy more efficiently,* and it sustains energy levels โ perfect for the busy holiday season. * Based on in vitro studies |
WEB WATERCOOLER๐ฆ New scam spreading holiday fear: It never ends. Donโt fall for a text or call from someone claiming to be from UPS, FedEx or USPS delivering a package to your home. Theyโre just trying to get you to hand over your personal info or tell them when youโll be gone so they can rob your house. Rebel without a Claus: Parents are complaining to Google about spilling the beans after their kids searched, โIs Santa Claus real?โ Google Assistant and Alexa give better answers when asked about St. Nick, so direct your curious kiddos there this Christmas. ๐ China intentionally sunk a 1,400-ton data center: Yep, the power of 6 million PCs is 115 feet at the bottom of the ocean. Why? Not only is it more difficult to physically sabotage the center, but itโs nearly freezing down there. Just one module can process 4 million high-definition images in 30 seconds. I can't edit a single selfie in that time. Data leaks are gonna take on a whole new meaning. ๐งซ Gene Hacked-man: After a huge data breach in October, 23andMe said, โNothing to see here. It only impacted 0.1% of customers.โ Uh, nope. They just told TechCrunch there are 6.9 million victims โ about half of its customers. As I told you in October, remove your 23andMe account. And like I told you years ago, donโt send your DNA to 23andMe. Amazonโs AI isnโt ready for prime time: Q is Amazon's new business AI chatbot. Danger, Will Robinson: Qโs making things up and revealing confidential information about Amazon businesses and even unreleased features to users. Obviously, AI hallucinations are in the queue. ๐ Dust off the DVD player: If you paid to "own" a movie or show on a streaming service instead of renting it, you don't actually own it. PlayStation customers who bought Discovery shows like "Mythbusters" and "Shark Week" will soon lose access, thanks to the Discoveryโ /Warner Bros. merger. P.S. This could happen even with movies you bought on Amazon. Do you have โrizz?โ Oxfordโs 2023 Word of the Year refers to someoneโs โability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.โ It beat โSwiftie,โ which is a Taylor Swift fan; โbeige flag,โ which is used to describe someone or something boring; and โsituationship,โ which means a relationship that isnโt really a relationship. Groovy! ๐ Cursive comeback: More than 10 years after Common Core removed cursive teaching requirements, about half of U.S. states have passed laws mandating kiddos learn it. Why? So they can read documents like the Constitution or letters from grandma. Why donโt pirates like writing in cursive? Because itโs scurvy. |
DEVICE ADVICESqueaky-clean secretsMicrofiber rags are household heroes, especially when wiping down electronics. Repeat after me: No paper towels โ ever. They scratch delicate surfaces. Itโs not worth it. Follow these tips to get the most out of yours: Some microfiber cloths have two sides. The fluffy side is for picking up dust, while the scrubby side is for removing stubborn dirt.Use them dry to pick up dust, then dampen them to clean fingerprints, smudges and stuck-on gunk.Wet microfiber rags with distilled white vinegar to disinfect and sanitize surfaces.๐ Are your cleaning rags stained and worn? Get this 50-pack of microfiber cloths for under $20 right now. Makes a great gift for your spouse โ kinda like the year my sister got a vacuum cleaner. That sucked! |
Stream your way to gadget genius!Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!" |
TECH LIFE UPGRADESOne manโs trash: Microsoft's Trade-in Program turns old gadgets into green. Head to its site, pick what youโve got (laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, whatever), and receive up to $500. Amazon has the same program, so check to see which offers you more moolah. ๐ Al dente: Pasta night? Pour yourself a glass of something nice, then turn on the Barilla and Spotify playlist. Pick your pasta, like โMixtape Spaghettiโ or โBoom Bap Fusilli.โ When the music stops, your pasta is at al dente perfection. Way more fun than just setting a timer. Now, who's up for some โMoody Day Linguine?โ ๐ Say goodbye to the same old ping: Apple iOS 17.2, currently in beta testing (and Iโm using it), lets you personalize the default notification sound on your iPhone. Head to Settings > Sounds & Haptics, and tap Default Alerts to choose your tone. You can even tweak the haptic feedback now. It's the little things, right? |
DEAL OF THE DAY
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BY THE NUMBERS8 Months in advance you should book an international trip in 2024. Kayak says you can save between 8% and 18% on trips to Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America or the South Pacific if you plan ahead. Want to jet this next summer? Nowโs the time to start looking for flights. 49% Value the average EV holds after three years. Yikes. Part of the reason is that prices on new EV models are dropping, so older (higher-priced) ones canโt fetch the same money. This weekend, I went to an electric car dealership. I asked how much they charge. The guy just shook his head. 1 A single teaspoon less salt per day could lower your blood pressure as much as hypertension meds. This is something! Researchers put folks ages 50 to 75 on a lower-sodium diet, and it worked as well as prescription medication. Talk to your doc! |
WHAT THE TECH?Wait, whatโs going on with her hands? See the explanation on my Instagram! |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ...The answer: B.) Apple. Guy Kawasaki became Apple's first Chief Evangelist in 1983, and his job was to make the world love a Mac. Yeah, he did a great job. If youโre looking for something to listen to, I was recently on Guyโs podcast, โRemarkable People.โ ๐ Speaking of privacy and people, Adam and Eve were the first not to understand Appleโs terms and conditions. (Ah, I heard you chuckle at that one!) If youโve been here for even a short time, you know how important health is to me. Do yourself a favor and check out Pendulum. Theyโre doing things the right way. Thanks for reading, friend. Back in your inbox bright and early with fresh tech news you can use. Make it an amazing day! โ Kim |
Komando Referral ProgramShare this newsletter โ Earn prizes!Step 1: Copy your unique referral link:https://www.komando.com/friends/?referralCode=0rvmdp6&refSource=copy Step 2: Share your link!Post it on social media, send it in a text or paste it into an email to a pal. If they sign up using that link, you get the credit! |
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Photo credit(s): ยฉ Iuliia Lisitsyna | Dreamstime.com |
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