Hi, hey, it’s Wednesday. Put on your thinking cap for today’s trivia. Before customizable ringtones took over our mobile phones, what was the original ringdown? Was it … A.) Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5," B.) the theme from "Star Wars,” C.) Nokia's "Gran Vals" or D.) The sound of a rotary phone? Answer at the end!

💝 I’m here to bestow tech know-how you'll use time and time again. I’ve packed in lots of goodies to share with your family and friends, so be a pal and pass me along! On to the tech. — Kim

It's a known fact smartphones emit radiation. So, how worried should you be? Health and government experts say there’s no evidence of harm. A cancer surgeon friend of mine says the opposite. I'll go with what he says and keep my phone away from my head whenever possible.

Wondering how much radiation is coming from your phone? Here's how to find out.

How much is too much?

The SAR, or Specific Absorption Rate, is the amount of radiation your body absorbs from your phone's handset.

The legal limit in the U.S. is 1.6 watts per kilogram, but we know that even low levels of radiation aren't good for our health.

Luckily, I found a comprehensive database of every smartphone and the amount of radiation they emit from the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection.

Tip in a tip: If you hit that link, it’s in German. Just look at your browser’s address bar for a one-click translation. In Chrome, it’s on the far right side.

I did the work for you and I translated the SAR data for the 10 bestselling smartphones to English so you don’t have to:

Find your phone’s SAR

It’s easy to find out the SAR for most smartphones. That includes the one you’re probably using to read this story. Now, these steps work on iPhones and most Androids. Your mileage may vary.

Play it safe

The powers that be tell us we shouldn't worry. Protect your body (and peace of mind):

Young folks have the most exposure to cellphone radiation over their lifetimes. Do your good deed and share these tips to keep them (and their future generations) safe.

We’re less than a month out from Labor Day (and football season). A cookout without lawn games is a very sad affair.

It’s a scam: On Facebook, posts are popping up asking you to share photos of missing kids or folks in need. The goal is to get a ton of shares, and then the posts are edited to include malicious links. Spot the fakes: If it's a real story, local news or law enforcement accounts will post about it, too.

💸 Wads up? Cash App is paying out a $15 million settlement, up to $2,500 per person. You qualify if your account info was part of a data breach or if someone made fraudulent withdrawals or transfers between Aug. 23, 2018, and Aug. 20, 2024. Submit your claim form by Nov. 18, 2024.

Wildfire drones: Startup Rain is equipping helicopters with software that lets them fly and drop water autonomously. The shorter response time could help catch fires early — before they get out of control. Firefighters can then step in to finish the job (paywall link). Talk about lifesaving.

Some 60% of Roblox’s 70 million active players are under 16: And those 13 and up can buy a ticket to “Beetlejuice 2” directly through the game. It includes a special game avatar to lure ‘em in. If your kid uses your card for in-game currency, know they’re being heavily marketed to.

🖥️ Pricey pixels: Get your hands on a rare piece of digital art by Andy Warhol … for a cool $26 million. The portrait of Blondie’s Debbie Harry was made on a 1985 Commodore Amiga 1000 computer. Only two copies are believed to exist. NFTs from restored Amiga images sold for $3.38 million back in 2021.

MILF (Man, I Love Football!) alert: The NFL is rolling out facial authentication at stadiums starting with Thursday’s season openers. The new system will verify the identity of thousands of staff, players and media. No scanning for fans (yet). Get your ticket scanned as usual on game day.

🛰️ Lookin’ fresh: A satellite designed to remove space junk captured a 360-degree view of a discarded rocket floating around. The 36-foot-long rocket, about the size of a city bus, has been orbiting Earth for 15 years and has barely aged. The orange foam insulation is intact and the engine nozzle looks polished.

🍹 Hola, beaches! “Quiet vacationing” is all over the internet. Millennials and Gen Zers are sneaking in time off work without taking PTO. The ruse takes a few fake meetings on the calendar and strategically timed emails to make your boss think you’re working. Yeah, this is also called stealing.

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.*

Tired of Big Tech tracking your every move? Join the growing number of people who prioritize their privacy with StartMail.

Don't let Big Tech invade your privacy any longer. Your email deserves the best protection.

🪦 RIP, Chromecast: After 11 years, Google is upgrading its streaming device to something that feels suspiciously like the Apple TV. Google TV Streamer plugs in via HDMI and is a lot more powerful than the old Chromecasts. Preorder is live now with September delivery.

Bet you didn’t know this: You can reset your browser's settings to wipe out bugs and improve its performance. In Chrome, go to Settings > Reset settings. Look for a similar option in your browser of choice.

✌️ Gestures, activate: You can control a Google Nest Hub via gestures — useful if your hands are covered in soap or flour. To enable it, open the Google Home app > tap the gear icon (top right) > tap Quick Gestures on the hub page.

Voice-to-text: Newer Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones have built-in tools to turn voice audio into text via the magic of AI. Check under the Recorder app for Pixels or Voice Recorder app for Galaxy phones, respectively. Apple iPhone peeps, expect something similar in iOS 18, dropping next month.

No, thanks: Elon Musk wants to use your tweets to train his Grok AI. You can opt out. From X on the web, click More > Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Grok and uncheck the box.

Crash into me: If your computer freezes when you save a file, you might have a big problem on your hands.

👍 Who has two thumbs … and a better emoji choice for you? This gal. Here’s my guide to outdated emojis.

Cat-napper: An Amazon driver has been accused of stealing a beloved family pet, Fifi. Watch the vid.

The answer: C.) “Gran Vals.” During its peak popularity in the late ‘90s, the Nokia tune was heard an astounding 1.8 billion times per day worldwide — 20,000 times per second! It’s still stuck in my head.

🤐 Speaking of … Now, I can’t tell you who it is, but there is a big-time national radio host who has my phone number. When this person calls me, they just complain about anyone and everything. I don’t want to block their calls because they’re older and I will help, as I have before in an emergency. So, I set their ringtone to a silent one. Basically, you record 30 seconds of silence and use it as a ringtone. When this person calls, I hear nothing, but see the transcription of their voicemail. I thought maybe you could use this trick, too!

Back in your inbox tomorrow with a school-year must-have: 🎒 Apps and gadgets to protect your kids and grandkids. I know it’s going to help you or someone special in your life. See you then! — Kim