Welcome to your Sunday, friend.In 2024, a church in a Dutch town went viral for driving their neighborhood absolutely bananas. The town council threatened fines. Residents filed noise complaints. Sleep-deprived locals reached their breaking point. The church's response? "Deal with it."
⛪️ What exactly pushed an entire town to the edge? A) Ringing church bells at 6 a.m. every single morning, B) Sending automated prayer reminder texts to everyone in town, C) Broadcasting sermons through outdoor speakers or D) Using a drone to drop leaflets on people's yards every Sunday. Take your best guess, the answer's waiting at the end. Hint: It's gloriously petty on both sides. — Kim
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TODAY'S DEEP DIVE
Hackers love you
Image: Gemini
⚡ TL;DR (THESHORTVERSION)
Despite constant warnings, admin, password, and 123456 remain the most common passwords.
While Gen Z is using slang as passwords, older generations prefer certain names.
With over 80% of breaches caused by weak passwords, AI tools now crack simple passwords in seconds rather than hours.
Read time: 2 minutes
If your password is admin, you're not alone, but you should be worried. NordPass released its seventh annual report on the world's most common passwords, and the results show we still make it ridiculously easy for hackers.
Despite years of cybersecurity warnings, simple words, number sequences and keyboard patterns continue to dominate.
🤦♀️ Top 20 most common passwords
admin
password
123456
12345678
123456789
12345
Password
12345678910
Gmail.12345
Password1
Aa123456
f**k*ngsl*t (Profanity)
1234567890
abc123
Welcome1
Password1!
password1
1234567
111111
123123
One interesting trend: Special characters are making a comeback. Unfortunately, most aren't any more secure. Think P@ssw0rd or Admin@123. Duh.
📊 Interesting trends
You'd think younger generations who grew up online would know better, but the data says otherwise. Password number combinations like 12345 and 123456 top the charts across all age groups. Jeez.
Gen Z and millennials prefer combinations like 1234567890 and skibidi (yes, really).
Older generations use names more often. Generation X favors Veronica, maybe from the Archie Comics. Baby boomers go with Maria, say from West Side Story. And the Silent Generation picks Susan, one of the most popular baby names from their time.
Names make passwords memorable but also make them sitting ducks for hackers.
A truly secure password should be at least 16 characters long with a random mix of letters, numbers and symbols. Basically something impossible to remember.
🧐 Why does this matter?
Around 80% of data breaches are caused by compromised, weak and reused passwords. Hackers use dictionary and brute-force attacks to crack simple passwords in seconds. And now, AI is making it easier than ever to break into accounts.
Sophisticated algorithms can test millions of password combinations in minutes, turning what used to take hours into a matter of moments. That's frightening. Imagine a hacker draining your bank or retirement account before you even asked for a vowel playing Wheel of Fortune.
I use NordPass because it generates impossible-to-guess passwords and fills them in automatically. I never reuse passwords anymore, and I sleep better knowing hackers can't brute-force their way into my accounts.
This password manager generates strong, random passwords for every single account, stores them securely and fills them in automatically when you need them. You'll never have to remember (or reuse) a weak password again.
NordPass also alerts you to compromised passwords and helps you enable multifactor authentication for an extra layer of protection. Stop making hackers' jobs easy, let NordPass handle your password security so you don't have to.
Razer's Project AVA sits in a glass chamber on your desk and watches you through cameras. Creepy or the future? I also cover LG's new home robot CLOid, which folds laundry and makes dinner. Plus, a mirror that predicts your health, Meta's Neural Band and Lego Smart Bricks.
🎧 Or search "Komando" wherever you get your podcasts. I'm everywhere.
WEB WATERCOOLER
🌍 Houston, we have a problem (and it's raining rocket parts!) Imagine cruising at 37,000 feet when air traffic control calmly says, "Heads up, a rocket just exploded." That's basically what happened during a recent SpaceX test. Planes over the Caribbean had to suddenly reroute, airspace was closed for over an hour, and one packed flight with 283 passengers was so low on fuel, it declared an emergency to land. Nobody got hurt, thankfully. It only takes a small chunk of metal at high speed to destroy a plane. I would have freaked out.
💰 Betterment's crypto scam nightmare: Thousands of Betterment users woke up yesterday to push notifications promising to "triple your crypto" if they deposited $10,000 in Bitcoin. Classic scam, except it came through the official Betterment app. A third-party system got hacked, and scammers hijacked the notification system. Betterment says no user data was breached, but the damage is done. When your trusted financial app is telling you to send crypto to random wallets, time for you to quit them forever.
Truman Show investing: This is nuts. Scammers are building fake investment worlds around people, like reality TV you didn't sign up for. They lure victims with spam texts or ads, funnel them into WhatsApp or Telegram groups, then surround them with AI experts and fake peers posting staged wins for weeks. When it's time to invest, you're told to download an app called O-PCOPRO from the official app stores. A hollow shell fakes balances, profits and activity on their own servers. Warn your loved ones. Greed gets you every time.
♻️ Trash is having a moment: Recycling plants are ripping value out of garbage (paywall link) with AI faster than humans ever could. Machines scan, weigh, price and sort recyclables in real time, while only a few people watch. AI examines garbage flying past at up to 7 mph, decides what it is, what it's worth and where it should go, then blasts it there with air. There's serious money buried in American trash. I wish I would have invented the trash bag. You buy it just to throw it away and then go buy more. Brilliant.
📝 Tax forms are arriving: Fun times. You might not be filing yet, but W-2s and other forms are hitting your inbox. Don't download sensitive docs unprotected. Hackers are waiting. I use ExpressVPN to encrypt my connection and keep my info private. Secure your data today. Use my link to get 4 extra months free.*
🛍️ Gifts for Granny: OK, so grandma showers are all over social media. It's where the grandma-to-be gets a baby shower party. Some folks bash them as attention grabbers or gift grabs, but there's a practical side. With one‑third of U.S. grandparents raising grandkids, families use these to supply strollers, car seats and other baby gear. I think this is a great idea! Get ready to see more "Promoted to Glam‑Ma" sashes. I used to love building sandcastles with my granny. Then my parents glued the urn shut.
THE KIM KOMANDO SHOW
Need a job? Hop on the dating apps
With unemployment rising, job seekers are turning to Hinge, Tinder and more to get hired. A new survey found 39% landed interviews this way. I also cover Meghan Markle's business fail and a DoorDash driver who faked deliveries with AI photos.
Phones die at the worst times. This is the charger I use. You get 20W fast charging, and it works with USB-C cables or wirelessly. The solar panel is clutch in a pinch. Bonus: dual flashlights for blackouts or camping.
Image: BLAVOR
🚗 Glove box must-have: These car safety hammers(16% off, $16) break windows and slice seat belts in seconds. Keep one up front and one in back, because accidents don't ask where you're sitting.
Light the way: Clip this tiny LED flashlight(24% off, $13) onto your pocket, shirt or bag. Great for runners, outages or repairs.
🔥 Guard your goods: Think of these fireproof document bags(38% off, $20, two-pack) as lightweight safes. Zippered and easy to grab.
Accidents happen: With 500 pieces, this first aid kit(10% off, $45) covers cuts, burns, sprains and more. Toss it in your trunk and thank yourself later.
⚠️ Prep like a pro: Check out my Amazon shop for 20 more lifesavers (just updated with new picks).
Prices and deals were accurate at the time of publication.
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Printer not responding? Try a quick power reset. Unplug it and hold the power button for 20 seconds. Then plug it back in and turn it on. It's simple, but it clears the temporary memory and fixes common glitches.
🚀 Is your antivirus slowing you down? Old security software makes your computer drag. I use Webroot because it's cloud-based, scans in seconds, blocks new malware and uses almost no system memory. You stay safe, and your PC stays fast. Stop compromising speed for security. Save 75% on Webroot Essentials today.*
Know what files really are: Windows hides file name endings like .jpg, .pdf and .mp4 by default. That's risky, since a malicious file you accidentally downloaded could look like a photo but is actually an .exe (malware). Stay alert: Open File Explorer, click View in the top row, scroll to Show and tick File name extensions.
Stuck with a dying phone and no charger? On iPhone, swipe down to open Control Center and tap Low Power Mode. Don't see it? Long-press in Control Center and tap Add a Control. On Android, swipe down for Quick Settings and tap Power Saving. Performance dips and brightness drops, but you'll squeeze out extra hours.
❤️ See your old Instagram likes: Want to track down that meme you double-tapped and lost? In the mobile app, go to Settings and activity > Your activity > Likes. Voilà, all your favorite posts and reels in one place. FYI, at the top, you can sort by newest to oldest or set a custom date range to narrow it down even more.
SUNDAY TO-DO LIST
📧 Reader win big time! "I found $26,435 with your tip!" Mike R. Amazing! Go check your name at MissingMoney.com, the official state-run database of unclaimed property. There's a decent chance your name is sitting in there with money attached. If you get any, let me know!
Stir up: Some easy, healthy Crock-Pot chicken and dumplings. Pro tip: Add in a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of celery for extra goodness.
🦠 Replace: Your kitchen sponge. One study found 54 billion bacteria per square centimeter. EW. These are my favorites(39% off, $5).
🎧 Your commute called: It wants company. Catch my latest episode on Apple, iHeart, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora or your podcast app of choice. Also pairs well with dishes, dog walks and existential dread.
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: Lepro
🧠 Love in the Time of OLED
Your coworker doesn't listen, your smart speaker interrupts and now tech companies think what you really need is eye contact with a screen.
Lepro unveiled Ami, a desktop AI companion with an 8-inch curved OLED and eye-tracking cameras that make it feel like someone's actually in the room with you. It reads your facial expressions, voice tone and body language to gauge your mood.
The pitch? Tamagotchi meets FaceTime therapist. Launch is slated for this year.
Great, another device watching me eat lunch at my desk.
LOGGING OUT …
🤖 Coming tomorrow: The AI breakthrough nobody's talking about (yet). Forget ChatGPT. There's a new type of AI about to go mainstream in 2026, and it's going to change everything from your phone to your car to the robots packing your Amazon orders. Tomorrow, I'm breaking down what the models are, why they matter and how to sound ridiculously informed when everyone else catches on six months from now. If you want to be ahead of the curve instead of playing catch-up, don't miss this one.
🔔 The answer: A) Ringing their bells at 6 a.m. every single morning. Yep, that quaint Dutch church keeps their ancient alarm system alive and clanging. That town council? They told residents when you move next to a 400-year-old church, you accept the bells. Younger residents tried to replace the bells with a modern solution in a church app that sends prayer push notifications. Studies show that church bells are the #1 noise complaint in European cities, beating out traffic and construction. Talk about a rude awakening!
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.