| The Current-Sat Fake IT call, $20K house on Amazon, Android phone life gotcha -  In partnership with NordPass | | Welcome to the first day of March, friend! Ever heard of dropping an aspirin into a vase to keep flowers fresher, longer? The science on that is sketchy. But aspirin in the garden makes plants more resilient to pests, disease and drought and makes your fruits and veggies taste better. 🌱 The magic formula: Dissolve 300mg of baby aspirin in a liter of water and spray your plants every couple weeks. I'm rooting for you! A note in my inbox this week: "Are password managers safe to use? What if someone gets in?" My pick, NordPass,* has military-grade encryption, so no one is getting in when they shouldn't be. More below. Let's jump into today's smarts to keep you tech-ahead! — Kim 📣 Don't keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here) | TODAY'S TECH HACK It knows so much  New cars are computers on wheels, tracking just as much about you as your phone does. Before you sell your car or return a lease, you need to take the time to wipe all that data. Otherwise, you're handing over a digital diary of your life to anyone who knows where to look. Your car tracks where you've been, how fast you got there, your contacts and text messages and what radio stations you listen to most. Don't let that info go along for the ride! 🚗 It starts when you leave the lot Almost every new vehicle connects to the internet. Even worse, they're notoriously bad when it comes to keeping your data safe and private. Most folks don't know newer cars have privacy settings. They're just very well hidden. Privacy points: Don't bother with your carmaker's app if it's not a must. Check the policies: When you're buying a car, kick the tires, check the mileage, look for flaws in the paint ... but also read through the privacy policy to see what's at stake. If you can't be bothered, tools like Privacy Analyzer from security.org can help. Put in a URL and it'll flag anything especially concerning. Opt out … and out and out: When setting up your car's software, you'll get hit with a bunch of questions. Don't feel like you have to say yes to everything. If you don't like or understand something, skip it. Just know that you might lose out on certain features. That's how they get ya. Take the third-party route: Using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay from your phone rather than your vehicle's software can limit the data carmakers get. Google and Apple collect a ton of data, too, but at least it stays with your phone and isn't too hard to delete. ✌️ When it's time to say goodbye … It's up to you to delete your data. If you're using your car's connected app on your phone, that's a good place to start. In the settings, look for options to wipe your account. Then do this: Privacy4Cars has a free iOS and Android app. With it, you can wipe out your phone book, call logs, text messages, navigation history, home address, garage door codes, passwords, biometrics and vehicle credentials. File a privacy request: In some states, car manufacturers are obliged to tell you about the data they have on you and how you can wipe it. The EFF has a good guide with links here. It's worth a few emails to know that you're not leaving a trail of data behind. Do a reset: Like your phone or laptop, some cars have a factory reset option to wipe the car's memory and disconnect your account. Check your owner's manual or search for steps online. The data collection never ends, I know. At least you have me! 😂 Rumor has it Microsoft is working on software for self-driving vehicles. Can't wait until my car suddenly stops in the middle of the highway and reboots to install updates. | | IN PARTNERSHIP WITH |  | Why you need a password manager Let's face it: Keeping track of dozens (or even hundreds) of passwords is a nightmare. Writing them in a notebook? Too risky. Storing them in a spreadsheet? Not secure. And relying on memory? Forget about it! That's why I use and recommend NordPass, the secure and intuitive password manager designed to organize your complex passwords and keep them safe in one encrypted vault. Nordpass has tons of great features like: 🔒 Secure encryption: Keeps passwords, passkeys and personal info safe. ⚡ Autofill capabilities: No more typing or copying passwords. 🔑 One master password: The only one you'll ever need to remember. 📱 Works on all devices: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and browsers. 📂 Unlimited storage: No limits on passwords, passkeys or personal information. Get NordPass with my exclusive 58% off deal! → Please support our sponsors! | The Current Powered by Kim Komando Harvard professor says he's found proof of alien life Dr. Avi Loeb found tiny magnetic spheres in the Pacific Ocean, which he claims are extraterrestrial. Listen on Komando.com → | WEB WATERCOOLER 📱 Ring, ring, it's not IT: If you get a call from your help desk or IT asking for a password reset, check if it's legit. Scammers are getting good at tricking people over the phone to sneak into their systems. CrowdStrike found voice vishing scams (that's voice phishing) jumped 442% last year. Will AI surpass us in 2026? Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, thinks we'll achieve the singularity — when AI passes human intelligence. Around 8,590 scientists think it'll be closer to 2040. A few years ago, they thought it would be 2060. Keep reading the singularitea leaves. (I heard you groan). The future is clear: Meta's new Aria Gen 2 glasses check your heart rate, and more health tools are coming. They're working with Envision to help folks who are blind walk around safely with the glasses' AI assistant. If that's you or someone in your life, sign up here for updates. 🏠 $20K for a two-bedroom home? This isn't the 1960s. It's a tiny home that comes folded in a box, complete with a porch, kitchen and bathroom. One model sold out on Amazon thanks to viral videos with over 20 million views. Read the reviews if you're tempted to buy one. Some models have low ceilings, no electrical outlets and no instructions to build them. Lease on life: If you buy a new Android phone, it could last up to eight years. The catch? Only pricey phones like the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 with upgraded chips get this long life. The iPhone 16 may be supported until 2036, and the almost 7-year-old iPhone XS is still getting security updates. To share or not to share? Moms like Cait Scudder asked that question before posting a video of her water birth at home. She says it got 99% positive feedback, and other moms said it helped by being real and honest. Just keep in mind that not everyone may react kindly. | DEALS OF THE DAY Keychains that double as … I love it when things are functional … and mini. Mini is great, too. I order supplements online: Mix two scoops of collagen* into your coffee or smoothie. I do this every morning to keep my skin, bones and joints happy. (Psst, it's 45% off and you'll get free shipping with my link.) | DAILY TECH UPDATE Did Google's AI rip off Chegg? The online tutoring company says Google's AI stole its business. Listen on Komando.com → | DEVICE ADVICE I love the weekend: My national radio show is airing all across the country. With over 400 stations strong, find your closest one using our super-duper station locator map. And because I aim to please, you can listen to my show as a podcast or watch it on YouTube. 🔍 What the heck does that say? You can magnify a Mac app. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and toggle on "Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom." Set your modifier key to Control. Now, with an app open, hold Control + Scroll Up with your mouse. Dress like your favorite TV character: ShopYourTV tells you exactly what they're wearing and where to buy it, down to the season and episode. The site links to Amazon and they get a commission on what you buy. 📱 Less clutter, more focus: Too many apps on your home screen make it way too easy to get distracted. Clear them out! On iPhone: Press and hold the app > Remove App > Remove from Home Screen. On Android: Long-press the app > Remove. You can find them later in your App Menu or Library. Two heads = better than one: In Google Docs, look for the star-shaped icon next to your pic that says Ask Gemini. Click to open a sidebar and check out its writing tools. If you want to mention another file in your prompt, type @. RIP: Check your phone's end-of-life (EOL) date. That's when it'll no longer get security updates aka when you really should stop using it. Try endoflife.date to find your EOL. Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said "yes" to any of those, you're a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.* | BY THE NUMBERS 61% Of folks who cancel Netflix come back within a year. They're better at luring back subs than all the other streaming options (paywall link). That's my strategy, btw. Cancel when your show ends and come back when something new pulls you in. Psst, I use Rocket Money* to find subscriptions I'm paying for and cancel them. $236,835 If you invested $1,000 in Nvidia 10 years ago. If you were smart enough to throw them a grand when they went public in 1999, you'd have $5.2 million. Excuse me while I cry. Once a week How often the NSA says you should turn off your phone. Turn off your phone, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. This works to combat zero-click exploits where a hacker can get in simply by sending you the right code. | UNTIL NEXT TIME ... Need a smile? Hit up the Eyebleach subreddit. Bad name for the cutest videos you'll see all week. Dang it, now I want a baby cow. Don't tell Barry. 🐮 Reminds me, how rare is it for a cow to be struck by lightning? Medium rare. (I know you're stealing that one.) Do yourself a favor. With my thoroughly tested recommendation and pick, NordPass, you can store all your logins in one safe spot and access them from your phone, computer, tablet — whatever. So, so handy. In tomorrow's issue, I'll have your Sunday to-do list and an AI video that freaked me out. And I'm not easy to freak out! See you then with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim | How'd we do? What did you think of today's issue? | | |
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Keep a civil tongue.