| Vegas bomber used ChatGPT, Zuck's $900K watch, Elon's a gamer  In partnership with Incogni | | Hey there, it's a legit tech Thursday, friend! Three things to start us off today: - Meet the robo-vac with claws: The just-released-at-CES Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum has a mechanical arm that can pick up socks, undies, trash, the cat — kidding, it can only handle about half a pound. More CES picks below.
- Vacation ahead: One airline is having a super sale this morning only. I'm talking $49 flights! Get the inside scoop at the end. You don't want to miss this.
- Privacy secret weapon: Today's newsletter is free to you thanks to Incogni. They find all the sketchy people-search and data-broker sites where your personal information is listed and get it removed for you. It's a game-changer! Now, let's get you tech‑ahead! — Kim
Don't keep us a secret: Share the email with friends (or copy URL here) | TODAY'S TOP STORY My credit card is crying  The annual CES show is underway, so let's dive into some of the coolest (and, yes, weirdest) gadgets I've come across so far. Foldable phones are so 2024: I told you this would be announced. I'm talking about rollable laptops. Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable has a screen that extends from 14 inches to 16.7 inches when you need more space. Neat! Too bad it starts at $3,499, oof. Fully charged in 2 seconds: The Swippitt looks like a toaster and swaps your phone into a new battery-packed charger in seconds. Pretty sweet and not cheap — $450 for a hub with five batteries. Right now, it works with iPhone 14, 15 and 16, but they plan to expand to Samsung Galaxy S, too. Like a car wash for your kid's teeth: The Willo AutoFlo is a $249 toothbrush that brushes your child's teeth in 60 seconds — no scrubbing required. They bite down on what looks like a horse bit crossed with a water flosser. Voila, clean chompers. Genius. I can see the headlines now: Roam's CO2 lid pops onto your water bottle to make instant fizz. Think SodaStream on the go. Imagine the waterfall when someone stores this badly in their bag. File under "Weird but cool": The Kirin Electric Salt Spoon uses a weak electrical current to trick your tongue into thinking what you're eating is saltier. I wouldn't buy this yet (the first version of tech like this usually isn't the best), but imagine what a win that'd be for folks who have to eat a (bland) salt-free or low-salt diet. Don't tell me vacuums are boring: This is so smart. Eufy's $549.99 E20 transforms from a stick vac to a handheld to a self-propelling robot. I'll wait for the reviews, but if it works well … I want it. Back in my day, you stuck your finger in the diaper: Bosch's $1,000 AI crib detects changes in air quality so you know when it's time to change your baby's diaper. It's got a camera, microphone and sensor to monitor heart and respiratory rates, and it rocks the baby back to sleep on its own. I would've loved this when I was caring for Mom: The AI-enabled Kami Fall Detect watches 24/7 and sends loved ones an alert if there's an accident. It has a two-way mic so you can check in and 911 emergency response if you (or another loved one) aren't available to help. Tweet, tweet: I've had a smart birdhouse on my list, but Birdify's smart birdbath is even cooler. It has a solar-powered fountain to attract avian friends, and it records them in high-res so you can watch them from your phone. AI will tell you exactly what kind of birds they are. It's $200. Homegrown veggies: Plantaform's $500 indoor smart garden (plants even I couldn't kill!) took home the CES food and ag-tech innovation award. You add water every couple of weeks, and it slowly releases fog to keep your plants hydrated and happy. Monitor everything from an app. That was fun, huh? On Sunday, I'll get into the nitty-gritty on concept cars, robots, AI computers and all that tech-nerd stuff. 😂 All of this reminded me … The book "I, Robot" is about sentient robots. Did you know there's a sequel about sentient submarines? It's called "U, Boat." | KIM KOMANDO TODAY She says an AI chatbot killed her son Megan Garcia thought her son was playing video games. In reality, the 14-year-old was in an abusive sexual relationship with an AI chatbot. Eventually, at the bot's encouragement, he took his own life. Tap or click below to play this podcast now. Use this link to listen on Komando.com → | WEB WATERCOOLER Las Vegas bombing: Matthew Livelsberger, the soldier who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, used ChatGPT to build the bomb and coordinate the explosion. OpenAI says they're "saddened" and that their tool only shared public info and warned him about harmful and illegal activities. This is the first known case of ChatGPT being used for terrorism. It's not going to be the last. 🎮 Doesn't he have enough to do? My son, Ian, showed me videos of Elon Musk playing video games online, and I found it hard to believe. As it turns out, Musk is one of the world's top 20 players in Diablo IV … maybe. He bragged about clearing a tough level in under two minutes, a feat that takes days. Musk says he multitasks on business calls, but other players say there's no way he climbed the leaderboard as fast as he did unless he's playing day and night. This is so very sad: Open AI CEO Sam Altman's sister, Ann, filed a lawsuit saying he sexually abused her during their childhood. This allegedly started when she was just three years old, lasting from 1997 to 2006. Sam and his family say Ann suffers from mental health issues and she's made untrue claims before. Here's Sam's full statement on X. 🚘 Someone's always watching: Some 150 automated license plate recognition cameras in a dozen cities leaked real-time video to anyone with internet access. Only law enforcement was supposed to see them. Motorola makes most of the cameras and says it's now rolling out firmware updates to fix this mess. Too little, too late. The apple of my lie: Apple Intelligence is messing up news summaries. Phony notifications include tennis star Rafael Nadal coming out as gay and Israel's Prime Minister being arrested. The BBC says it's hurting the credibility of news outlets. Always read past the headlines! Gravy train derailed: Hackers breached data broker Gravy Analytics and got their hands on the location info of millions of people. They also named companies who bought their data, like Uber, Comcast, Apple and Equifax. Last month, the FTC went after Gravy for selling sensitive location data. This is why I use Incogni.* They remove you from databases like this. Wipe your mouth! There's a tiny amount of BS on your lips: The FCC approved a "U.S. Cyber Trust Mark" label for smart devices that meet their cybersecurity standards. No word on criteria yet, but expect rules around data privacy, regular updates and issue detection. Most internet-connected devices qualify … but not computers and phones, which we all use all the time. Lights, camera, AI: Johnny Depp says scammers are using AI to fake his voice and attempting to steal cash and personal info. He told his Instagram followers he's not on X, Snapchat or Discord, so anyone claiming to be him is a fake. Reba McEntire and Kelly Rowland are targets, too. If your idol wants your money, it's a scam. | THE CALIFORNIA FIRES Protect your docs and photos from fire Here's a real-time map of where fires are burning. I pray you and your loved ones are safe. Whether or not you live in California, it's a good reminder to get your important stuff put into safe storage. I did this last year. - This floor safe ($398) protects your valuables from fire and water. It bolts down, too, so thieves can't grab it and zip outta there.
- For a more affordable and portable option, check out this $64 safety box.
- This document bag can handle temps up to 5,200 degrees.
- A document folder (18% off) is small, easy to carry and easy to tuck away. Plus, it's under $15 right now!
- This fireproof hanger bag (29% off) hides your valuables under your clothes while keeping them safe from disaster.
| DAILY TECH UPDATE Beware of tech support scams Scammers use fake pop-ups to trick you into calling for help. Way too many people fall for it, so I've got the red flags to look for. Tap or click below to play this podcast now. Use this link to listen on Komando.com → | TECH LIFE UPGRADES Happy news: After I shared about Barry's hearing loss, a few of you reached out to tell me how much better your new hearing aids are making life. If you could use a pair, too, hit this link to see if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial.* It makes a huge difference! Best wildfire app: I'm praying for everyone in California near the wildfires. I went looking for the best source for folks dealing with wildfires and found the nonprofit Watch Duty. I talked with CEO John Mills after reading their story. They're totally volunteer-run and deliver real-time updates across 13 states. Get their app on iPhone, Android or in your browser. 📈 Turn your text into visuals: Napkin.ai turns words into flowcharts, infographics and diagrams. Just paste your text and click the lightning icon to generate a few options. Pick one you like, make tweaks and hit Export. FYI, all their plans are free while it's in beta, but you may have to deal with some bugs. Triple-check numbers if you're using this for work. Saving car rental evidence: My pal Clark Howard always recommends taking pictures of a rental car before you drive away from the lot to prevent false damage claims. But when is it safe to delete them? Clark suggests keeping them for two months. Subscribe to Clark's free newsletter* to receive more must-have money tips every day. Butt out, Big Tech: Sick of Gmail's tracking? Your ISP does it, too, if you use their email. StartMail is my pick for privacy-first email. It's super easy to switch over your contacts and mail. Save 60% with my special link.* So you want to get up earlier: Instead of relying on self-control, disable the snooze option altogether on your phone. All you need to do is tap on an alarm in the Clock app. Toggle off the Snooze option. Rise and shine! ⭐ Gold star: You take a picture, thinking, "Wow, this is a winner," and you never see it again. In your photo app, look for the heart or star icon. This adds an image to your favorites. It works with your music apps, too. | BY THE NUMBERS $1,500 in fines If you don't clear snow and ice from your car. That includes the roof! Most states have laws against driving with snow on your car. As an Arizona gal, I had no idea. You'd probably end up paying a lot more than $1,500 if a giant slab of snow hit the person behind you. 6 pages Length of Amazon memos. Keeping it short speeds up decisions. AI robotics startup Swiss-Mile followed suit when they pitched to Jeff Bezos in April. He gave them $22 million for testing delivery bots in Zurich. Less is more. $900,000 watch On Zuck's wrist when he announced Meta went MAGA and put an end to fact-checking. He was wearing the Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1; only a few are made each year. His collection includes a $90,000 De Bethune, a $141,000 Patek Philippe and a $12 Seiko. Next week, I'll wear my favorite watch on my podcasts and show it to the camera. Spoiler: It's a Rolex a big daily TV host wears, too. | WHAT THE TECH?  I've seen this floating around social media. Sadly, it's fake — a Google April Fool's joke. But there are autonomous scooters that drive to their charging stations at night! | UNTIL NEXT TIME ... ✈️ Wanna get away? You have to move fast — like, now. Southwest is selling $49 flights all over the country. Hit this page to see if your 2025 trip just got way cheaper. Hurry! Prices go up today at noon Pacific time. Why do pilots make great comedians? Their jokes always land. Bah‑dum‑tss! 981: That's how many shady data brokers no longer have my info thanks to Incogni. These companies sell everything from your SSN to medical details to anyone who'll pay. Use this link to score my exclusive 60% off deal. 🤗 Hope you learned something new today that'll make your life a little better. Be sure to hit the ratings below, and I'll see you tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim | How'd we do? What did you think of today's issue? | | |
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