It’s a tech-spectacular Saturday, friend. The latest social media drama: Justin Bieber unfollowed his wife, Hailey, on Instagram. Oh, no, could they be divorcing? Nope, someone hacked his account. I wonder how bad his password was … Maybe it was “Yummy123?” Call me, Justin. I can help.

📻 Catch up with my award-winning national radio show. Find your local station and tune in, or get my show’s podcast. I share so much there I just can’t get to in this newsletter. See ya on the radio!

🤑 Your Social Security number is for sale online. Between data brokers, advertisers, stalkers and scammers, there’s too much personal info of ours out there, free for the taking. I used Incogni to remove it all for me. More below. Glad you’re here and ready for massive tech know‑how! — Kim

Location sharing helps you worry less. Whether your friend’s late for dinner, your kid’s almost home or your partner’s on the way from the airport, it sure beats sending a bunch of texts back and forth.

The bad news is more and more location-sharing apps have been caught selling your data to third parties. You don’t need a separate app for location sharing; it’s baked right into the apps you already use.

🍎 Use an iPhone? Start here

Before we jump in, make sure your iPhone is updated. If it’s not, you might not see these settings, or they could be tucked away in other places. To update, go to Settings > General > Software Update. (Cue hold music.)

All right, now we'll tell your phone it’s OK to share your location with certain folks. (We’ll get to the “who” and “how” in a second.) Hit Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and toggle on Share My Location.

The easiest way to share your location is in a text. To request someone’s location or share your own, open Messages, then pick a text thread and tap the + icon in the bottom left. Scroll to Location and select one of these options:

▶️ Share location: Tap Share in blue on the bottom right to pick the length of time you want the other person to see your location: For 1 hour, Until End of Day or Indefinitely. You’ll see a map. Hit the blue arrow on the right-hand side to send it like a regular text. If your recipient taps the icon showing minutes or hours, they’ll receive directions to your location using Apple Maps.

▶️ Request location: Hit Request in gray on the bottom left. Press the blue arrow to send a text. From there, your recipient can choose to share their location with you.

What if you change your mind? Open the text chat, tap their name at the top, and choose Stop Sharing My Location. You’ll both get a notification.

One of my favorite iPhone safety features is Check In. It’s an easy way to automatically let a pal or family member know you made it to your destination safely, and it’s much better than trying to remember to text! Hit my site here for steps to try that out.

🤖 Use an Android? This is all for you!

Every Android works a bit differently, but Google Maps is loaded with all the tools you need. Ready … set … let’s go!

First things first, you’ll need to log into your Google account and make sure your location-sharing recipient’s email address is in your Google Contacts.

Once that’s done, open the Google Maps app on your phone. Tap your profile pic (top right) and hit Location sharing > New share. Pick how long you want to share your location using the clock icon on the left.

Finally, tap the profile of the person you want to share your location with, then hit Share. To stop sharing, reopen Google Maps, tap your profile pic > Location sharing and select the recipient’s profile. Press Stop, and you’re done!

▶️ For tracking your kiddo, try Google Family Link. You’re still in the Google ecosystem with this one, and, yes, it’s free. Tap on the three lines (top left) and select Location. Pick your kid (or kids) and tap Turn on. It might take some time, so don’t panic if the app doesn’t spot them right away.

Hit my site for steps to know when your little one gets to school or anywhere else.

True story, I met the guy who invented the part of a map that explains what each symbol means. What a legend. (Oof, sorry.)

🤗 Where else do you get tech know-how like this for free? Do the people in your life and favor and share it using the icons below.

Here’s a stat that’ll make your jaw drop: Spammers are pushing out over 150% more texts every year. That’s millions of junk texts cluttering our inboxes. Ever wonder how they got your number in the first place?

Your personal info is sold online dirt cheap. Data brokers and people-search sites make billions packaging it up and selling to anyone willing to pay. And yes, it’s all legal as long they give you a way to opt out.

Here’s the catch: They make the opt-out process as difficult as possible and change it up just when folks figure it out. My pro tip: Try Incogni. Create an account, then they scrub your personal details from the web for you. Goodbye, spam texts and calls. Use my link to save 60%.

😱 If you’re looking for info on Reddit, heads-up: There are at least 1,000 malware-infected sites that look just like Reddit. It starts with Google search results that lead to phony threads. Once you’re there, a bogus comment links to WeTransfer to download the program. If you do that, all bets are off; hackers get your login credentials, passwords and more.

Apple Intelligence was supposed to make Siri better: So far, it’s worse. Someone asked the iPhone assistant to name the winners of all 58 Super Bowls, and it only got 34% of ‘em right. This is basic stuff. When asked, “Who won Super Bowl 16?” Siri replied, “Do you want me to use ChatGPT to answer that?” Until updates roll out, Siri isn’t worth your time.

🚗 Here’s the kind of math I like: For car dealerships, a 60-day supply of vehicles is healthy. All across the country, some are hitting 75 days’ worth of supply, and that means they’re much more likely to negotiate with you. Nissan, Dodge, Ram and Jeep are the most oversupplied brands right now (paywall link). Pass this along to someone looking for a new car!

I take mine every day: Collagen is scientifically proven to help increase bone density, support cartilage regrowth, smooth wrinkles, strengthen nails and make your hair thicker. Hit my special link to get 45% off.*

Keep calm and robot on: This is something. OpenAI’s new Operator AI agent is like having a real personal assistant. Prompt it with something like, “Find me a family-friendly campsite at Joshua Tree this weekend,” and it’ll look up options, select dates, check pricing and even book it for you if you give the OK. Right now, it’s only available with ChatGPT Pro accounts ($200 per month). I’m going to try it next week when I have a spare moment.

✈️ Faster flights? Yes, please: If all goes well, an XB‑1 commercial plane nicknamed the “Son of Concorde” will hit Mach 1, or about 767 miles per hour, and break the sound barrier next week. How will it feel as a passenger? No extreme g‑forces — just a slight pull as it reaches supersonic speeds. You’ll be finishing your peanuts in the baggage claim!

Isn’t this just cable? We’ve come full circle. Comcast’s new $70 monthly Sports & News TV streaming bundle includes live NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB games; over 50 channels, like ESPN, CNN and ABC; a Peacock subscription; and access to over 100 free streaming channels. If you want it, hit the Xfinity Stream app on your phone (iOS and Android) or smart TV.

🎶 You’re simply the best: Tina Turner passed away in 2023, but a new song has been released with the 40th-anniversary edition of “Private Dancer.” The “lost” tune, “Hot for You Baby,” was cut from the original tracklist. Critics say it’s meh, but I think it’s classic Tina Turner and those amazing legs of hers! Take a listen and see what you think.

🔐 These gadgets are no-brainers to bring on your next trip to protect yourself and your stuff.

🛍️ Miss window shopping? I do mine on Amazon. Hit this page for my “I didn’t know I needed that!” picks.

This section is brought to you by hear.com: They’re not like the hearing aids your grandpa wore. Today’s tech is so much better. These hearing aids* have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.

“What’s that song?” On a Google Pixel, you can see the title and artist on your lock screen when your phone detects a song. Neat. Open Settings > Sound & vibration > Now Playing. Tap the toggle to turn it on. On newer Samsungs, look for a music note at the bottom of the screen next to the Google search and tap that.

On an iPhone: Open Control Center, then tap the Add Controls (+) button > Recognize Music. Next time you want to know what a song is, swipe down from the top of your screen and hit Recognize Music.

Is it me? When a site isn’t loading, hit Downdetector. I used it this week when ChatGPT was acting weird. Enter the name of the website you’re having problems with to get real-time info, including a live outage map and the most reported problems. FYI, Downdetector doesn’t monitor all websites. Here’s a complete list.

🎞️ Look better in pics: Don’t face the camera straight on. Instead, position your body at a far more flattering 45-degree angle. Put your weight on your back foot and lean your torso slightly forward. This tip was brought to you by 20 years of broadcasting and looking fabulous each time … well, most of the time!

Feelin’ lucky? Get in on the playoff action with DraftKings Sportsbook. Use code KIM to get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks. Play online or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app for iPhone or Android.**

Mark Zuckerberg hit “love” on a photo that went viral on Facebook. The horse made of challah bread is an AI-generated warning about garbage flooding social media … and millions of people think it’s real.

I’m still laughing about Gen Zers who won’t change a light bulb. You’ve got to see this video. If you want more of me after that, catch up on my show’s podcast.

💡 How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two — one to change the bulb and another to give it an unexpected twist at the end.

Get your privacy back. Incogni works in the background to get my info off scummy data-broker and people-search sites. Try it yourself for 60% off, exclusively for my readers. I get no more spammy calls or texts, and neither does Barry.

On that happy note, give yourself a high-five because you’re tech-ahead, not left tech-behind. See you tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim