Let's get this Monday moving, friend.You know how sometimes a name change can make everything feel new? Like when The Artist Formerly Known as Prince became a symbol, or when Dunkin' ditched "Donuts" and got all minimalist on us.
ðŽ Well, Mark Zuckerberg had a major rebrand moment, too, swapping out "Facebook" for "Meta" to match his metaverse vision. But in doing so, he triggered an awkward translation situation. Meta, in Hebrew, means what? A) Chaos, B) Nightmare, C) Dead or D) Broken. The answer is chilling at the end.
The hardest week to stay on track: Holiday meals, travel, late nights. If you want to support appetite control, metabolism and steady energy without waiting for January, this is for you. ImproveLife GLP-1 Support fits real life, not perfect routines. Get up to 30% off, plus free shipping and a free gift right now.**
ð️ Pro tip: Enter to win the grand prize at www.WinFromKim.com. Today is the final Golden Ticket in my Christmas Cash Giveaway. One more chance at up to $500 in Amazon gift cards, and then I'll select the $1,000 grand prize winner. — Kim
ðŽ Was this forwarded to you? Be the first to know, not the last to hear. Sign up now. It's free!
TODAY'S DEEP DIVE
Scam delivered
Image: Gemini
You waited until the last minute. I did, too. We're both prime targets.
I don't mean to be a downer but I'm seeing a huge spike in AI-powered delivery scams hitting right now. These aren't sloppy phishing emails you're used to deleting. They're smart, personalized and designed to catch you when your guard is down.
⏱️ They're timed and dangerous
These traps are no longer blasted out randomly. Scammers use AI to make their messages feel legitimate and real. They're showing up:
30 to 90 minutes after a real delivery notification, when you're already checking tracking.
Late at night, when you're tired and less skeptical.
Between today, Dec. 22, and Christmas Eve, when panic overrides logic and everyone is racing the clock.
That's why even people who know about scams are falling for these. The timing does half the convincing.
ðģ They look authentic
The emails and texts use carrier logos, clean formatting and your actual name. That personal detail often comes from data breaches earlier this year. Scammers feed that information into AI to generate messages that look indistinguishable from the real thing.
Some even claim a "delivery exception" tied to a specific package. It feels urgent. It feels real. That's the point.
ðŠĪ The new traps
Instead of a link, many of these messages include a "Live Support" button or a QR code labeled something like "Scan to reschedule delivery." Click it or scan it, and you're dropped into a real-time chat with a polite, professional-sounding "agent."
Perfect grammar. Calm tone. Fast replies. Sometimes even a fake escalation to another "department." That agent is either an AI chatbot trained on real carrier scripts or a scammer using AI-generated responses.
After a few friendly messages, they'll say there's a small problem. An address issue. A redelivery fee. A final verification. Then they ask for payment using gift cards, crypto or a peer-to-peer app.
Stop right there. Delete the email. Don't respond to the text. Don't answer the phone if you don't recognize the phone number. Remember, scammers can spoof caller ID, too.
If you're worried, open the official carrier app or manually type the website into your browser yourself.
ð Spread the word. Use the share icons below and post this on your social media so everyone is aware and won't be taken by scammers over Christmas.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Don't quit in December
This is the week most health plans get quietly tested.
Holiday meals, travel, late nights. Routines slip and cravings creep in. I didn't want something that demanded perfection. I wanted support that worked with real life.
You don't need to avoid the holiday table or promise yourself a fresh start on January 1. Sometimes the smartest move is simply not quitting in December.
I take it daily, especially during weeks like this, and I'm proud to share it with you.
"Love it so far. Easy on my stomach and helps me stay full." - Stephanie P.
He's had an awakening. Now he likens God to the content creator. Plus, I talk to Lucky, who ordered a Waymo and found a man hidden in the trunk. Whoa. Plus: a $300,000 flying car and Google's universal translator.
Home and Kitchen: Gift a blender, wet vac, air fryer, waffle maker, air diffuser and such.
ðŦ Brew-tiful boil: Cosori's sleek electric kettle(11% off, $32) heats up fast and turns itself off when it's done. No plastic inside, just stainless steel. An upgrade to every morning.
Forget freezer burn: This compact vacuum sealer(21% off, $76) quietly sucks out air. There's even a built-in bag cutter. Your Christmas leftovers will last till January.
ð§ Fill 'n' flip: Craving a Belgian-style waffle? Meet The Stuffer(19% off, $45). Pour batter, add filling, close the lid, and boom, breakfast is served. Great for savory fans.
Mess happens: A simple microwave splatter cover(20% off, $29) saves serious cleanup time. Made of glass with a collapsible silicone edge, so it fits most plates and bowls.
Don't make this mistake: Buying gift cards in-store. Yep, scammers steal codes before they're sold. Use this secure link and skip the risk.
WEB WATERCOOLER
ð Hollywood tragedy tracking: How did Los Angeles police find Nick Reiner hours after his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, were stabbed to death in their home? It was easy. Investigators followed his cellphone's location, phones can ping nearby towers about every seven seconds, along with app data and surveillance video, ultimately arresting him about 14 miles away six hours later. It's all so sad.
Moonshot goals: Right after astronaut Jared Isaacman was sworn in as NASA chief, Trump signed an order called "Ensuring American Space Superiority." It doubles down on Artemis: moon landing by 2028, "initial elements" of a lunar outpost by 2030, and a lunar nuclear reactor aimed for 2030. The ISS is also done by 2030, leaving room for the private sector to figure it out.
History meets brainrot: This is wild. Museums are using TikTok like a cheat code (paywall link). Worcester's digital guy slapped a viral post over a Longfellow portrait, and suddenly people who've never cared about 1869 are watching it like it's reality TV. The Getty's turquoise cat sculpture got nicknamed "Purrquoise" and pulled 289K views. Critics call it "dumbing down." I love it. Whatever gets you excited to open the door to history is cool in my book.
Plans are overrated: LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky says a five-year plan is outdated when tech (hi, AI) keeps rewriting jobs. Basically, careers don't "ladder" anymore, they pinball. He recommends aiming shorter. Pick a couple skills to learn in the next few months, stack experiences, repeat. Also, people average three to seven career changes and about 16 job changes. As good old Dwight Eisenhower said, "Planning is essential, but plans are useless." RIP, Dwight, you would have loved endorsing people on LinkedIn.
ð§ū Facebook's new tollbooth: You know how you post a link on Facebook because you're trying to send people somewhere useful? Meta's testing a cap on some U.S. creators and businesses, specifically pages and profiles in Professional Mode, limiting them to two "organic" link posts per month unless they buy Meta Verified (about $14.99/month in the U.S.). Meta says it's a "limited test." Creators? They're rubbing their palms together for warmth, saying "Please, sir, may I have one more URL."
DIGITAL LIFE HACK
Give the gift of crypto
Bitcoin is on Gen Z's wish list. Here's how to give it the safe way.
ð§ Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for "Komando."
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Most folks don't know their Apple Watch Fall Detection is only half turned on. On your watch, go to Settings > SOS > Fall Detection. If it shows Enabled During Workouts, switch it to Always On, scroll down and Confirm. This ensures your watch calls for help anytime you fall unexpectedly.
Director of First Impressions: That's the new title for a receptionist. Hiring a "Rockstar" sounds great until they demand a tour bus and smash their laptop. Save the drama for the stage. Post your job for free on LinkedIn and find a reliable human who actually shows up for the 9 a.m. Zoom call. Talent without the tantrums.*
Who needs bookmarks? You can make your browser reopen all the tabs you had open last time. In Chrome, go to Settings > On startup and click Continue where you left off. In Firefox, open Settings > General > Startup and turn on Open previous windows and tabs. Now you can jump right back into work.
Find better music on Spotify: Every Monday, Discover Weekly on your home page updates with songs you haven't heard but might enjoy, based on your listening habits. If it's not a vibe, help your algorithm learn. Open Discover Weekly > pick a song you don't like > tap the three-dot icon > and select Exclude from your taste profile.
ðŧ Still using an older laptop? Those fancy Windows 11 animations look cool, but they can slow down aging hardware. To get a mini performance boost, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects. Your system should feel snappier.
A 100% free video Swiss Army knife: You try to open an old family video or a downloaded clip, and your computer says it "doesn't support this format" or tries to sell you a $9.99 app to play it. This free, non-profit program that plays anything you throw at it, no ads, no tracking, and no "Pro" versions. Pro Tip: Use it to boost the volume on quiet videos up to 200% or to rip and convert old files into modern formats you can actually share. Get it here. It's been my favorite for years and now, yours.
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: CES
ðŠ Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's late for work again?
Getting dressed shouldn't feel like a committee meeting with your closet, but it somehow always does.
HEYMIRROR is an AI-powered smart mirror that remembers your wardrobe, checks the weather, scans your calendar, factors in TPO (time, place, occasion), shows a high-res visual (no creepy 3D avatar) and spits out an outfit via voice or touch.
Voice or touch controls let it ID different family members automatically, log-in-free. It even runs LED405 sterilization lights, plasma air circulation and dehumidifier integrations when you're gone.
All this just to find my favorite black shirt.
Look for this to be announced at CES in a few weeks. Then we'll learn the price and ship date.
ð The final round
Here are some recent winners who scored some holiday cash in this giveaway.
Solomon, Fairbanks, AK - $500
Fred, Long Island, NY - $200
Matt, Lincoln, NE - $100
Gina, Sacramento, CA - $100
Nancy, Richmond, VA - $100
Trena, Middleburg, FL - $100
James, Wilton, CT - $100
ð️ Final check
ðŽ Not this time. The $1,000 grand prize winner will be selected next week. Every single subscriber is entered to win, no extra steps needed.
LOGGING OUT …
Tomorrow, your phone's camera just became a genie. Here is how to use it this week. These are insider secrets you don't want to miss. This is the #1 free tech newsletter in the U.S
The answer: C) "Dead." When Zuckerberg swapped "Facebook" for "Meta," he might've been thinking "next-gen digital frontier," but Hebrew speakers heard something closer to a funeral announcement. "Meta" sounds like the feminine form of the Hebrew word for "dead" ("ŨŨŠŨ"), sparking a wave of memes and mock headstones.
What is the only Meta product worth using? Mucil! (lol)
Companies and products denoted by an asterisk (*) within this publication are paid sponsors or advertisements. As an Amazon Associate, the publisher earns from qualifying purchases. Statements regarding products denoted by a double asterisk (**) have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration; such products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This newsletter is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice of any kind. Readers should consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on this content. The publisher disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or injury resulting from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein.
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Keep a civil tongue.