| Plus: Don't update your iPhone, hospital tech hacked, 4 must-know TV tricks ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏  In partnership with NordPass | | Welcome to a tech-spectacular Saturday, friend! Have a spare $8 million lying around? Me, neither. That's what it costs for a 30-second Super Bowl ad this year. Remember a couple of years ago, when it seemed like every ad was for something crypto-related? No surprise, but this year, it's all about AI. Who's not spending? Streaming companies and movie studios. Yeah, they're broke(ish). Fix your password mess: My tested and recommended password management app works on PC, Mac, Android, iPhone and web browsers. Save a username, password, billing address or credit card once, and this great program will autofill it for you. More below. Let's get tech‑ahead! — Kim 📣 Don't keep me a secret: Share the email with friends (or copy URL here) | TODAY'S TECH HACK Hey there, MacGyver  I always want you to get the most out of the goodies you buy. Your TV isn't just for watching Netflix or live sports; with a little know-how, it can become a productivity powerhouse, a charging station, a photo album and a streaming hub (even if it's old). Let me show you how. 1. A big honkin' workstation Working on a tiny laptop screen is no fun, especially if you're staring at spreadsheets, giving a presentation or trying to join a Zoom meeting. Use the big screen instead. How to: Connect an HDMI cable to your TV and to your laptop. Pair a keyboard and mouse, too. If your TV has Bluetooth capabilities, you can connect directly; if not, use your laptop to pair these devices while your TV acts as a monitor. Get the gear: An HDMI cable with 4K support will give you the best display quality. For seamless compatibility, grab a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo like Logitech's. 2. An extra spot to charge Ever feel like you never have enough outlets? Here's where your TV's USB ports come to the rescue. Plug your charging cable directly into the TV. USB ports typically deliver less power than a wall outlet. How to: Plug in your charging cable, and you're all set. Get the gear: Keep a few spare USB cables handy for emergencies. A dual-purpose cable with multiple connector types (like USB‑C and Lightning) can save the day. 3. Turn your TV into a digital photo album Many TVs let you cast photos directly from your phone, but not all of them make it easy. If yours is older, you probably thought you were out of luck. How to: Upload your photos or videos onto a USB drive. Make sure they're in a file format your TV supports, like JPEG or MP4. Plug the USB into your TV's port, and follow the on-screen prompts. Get the gear: You'll need a USB drive with plenty of storage space. If you have a few extra bucks to spend, go with an encrypted model for added security. 4. Give your old TV a smart upgrade Still holding onto that trusty old TV without apps built in? Good news: Adding a streaming device is the easiest way to bring your TV into the 21st century. How to: Plug the streaming stick into your TV's HDMI port. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect to Wi‑Fi, and you're ready to stream. Get the gear: The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, Roku Premiere or Google Chromecast will all fit the bill. 🎷 That reminds me … When Ian was little, I made the mistake of letting him watch the symphony on television — way too much sax and violins. | KIM KOMANDO TODAY Julie vanished. He's turning to AI to find her. Kurt in Savannah, Georgia, called me. His friend Julie disappeared last year, and he thinks traffickers took her. Now he needs tech help to track her down. Listen on Komando.com → | WEB WATERCOOLER 🇨🇳 Numbers speak: Since DeepSeek was unveiled, OpenAI, which has attracted roughly $15 billion in funding, and Anthropic, with nearly $3 billion behind it, both have seen their valuations dip by up to 20%. DeepSeek led to a massive sell-off in AI tech stocks, with Nvidia losing nearly $600 billion in market value in a single day. DeepSeek's rise is a wake-up call: China isn't just catching up; they're proving they can compete, despite fewer resources and U.S. sanctions in place. If the U.S. wants to stay ahead, we can't just play defense by restricting China's access to chips and technology; we need to double down on innovation, AI investment and infrastructure, because, in the race for AI dominance, second place isn't an option. We need to win! OpenAI makes a move ahead of schedule: Instead of waiting until spring, OpenAI just dropped its newest AI models, o3‑mini and o3‑mini‑high, which have o1‑level reasoning with 4o‑level speed. Translation? They're fast, smart, cheap and built to crush DeepSeek (paywall link). Try them now in ChatGPT under the dropdown Model Menu. I'm using it, and it's another major jump forward in AI. 🌍 Why Greenland? It all comes back to the AI race. The country is rich in precious metals. KoBold Metals is one startup digging up raw materials there to fuel AI production. Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg are all investors. Gotta secure those resources to keep scaling up AI data centers. Follow the money, folks. I really want to go to Greenland. Update your Apple gear — except your iPhone: Apple dropped updates for new and old devices. Wait a few weeks to update your iPhone, though, because I'm hearing the new update destroys your battery life. On the bright side, the security flaws patched in iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3 and visionOS 2.3 keep malicious apps from taking full control of your device. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and get it done. Here's the full list of fixes. 🏥 Your health, at risk: Two patient monitors that track your vitals have gaping security holes. Hackers can snoop on data, mess with settings or even assume total control. The Chinese-built models completely ignore network settings, meaning someone with the right know-how can break in. The only fix hospitals have? Unplug it and keep it off the network. Ready for takeoff: Before your drone's next flight, check out B4UFLY. It's the FAA's new tool for knowing where you can and can't fly — airspace restrictions, temporary zones for special events and no-fly zones. The FAA has given the thumbs-up to four companies to use it. Try it on the web or your phone for Android or iOS. Read all about it: Does your town still have a newspaper? An average of 2.5 newspapers close each week, and 200 U.S. counties are now considered "news deserts." Facebook groups are stepping in, covering everything from events to weather. Some have almost as many members as their town's population. Search for your town's name to see if there's a group for you. 🐶 Lost and found: Such a great story! Paul Guilbeault's dog, Damian, ran away while he was moving from Massachusetts to Arizona in 2017. Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, when Paul got a text: "Damian's been found." The American Kennel Club tracked his chip all those years later! Paul drove 14 hours to Oklahoma City for the reunion. The pup's cataracts made him a bit slow to recognize him, but, once he did, it was pure joy. | DEALS OF THE DAY Drive down Deals Lane 🚘 Beep, beep! That's your car saying, "Hey, check these out." - A collapsible trunk organizer (11% off) puts clutter in the rearview mirror.
- Don't touch that dirty gas station squeegee. Snag this tool (15% off, plus click the coupon) to clean your windows.
- No heated seats? No problem. This seat cover will keep you toasty.
- Grab an air freshener for guys ($15) or gals for a fresh-smelling ride.
- Be prepared for a flat tire with this portable air pump (33% off).
🚓 If you get pulled over: Pull out this registration and insurance holder (23% off, around $5). It comes in 27 different styles! | DAILY TECH UPDATE The dangers AI brings to teens DeepSeek AI is shaping what kids see and believe. Can we trust it? Listen on Komando.com → | TECH LIFE UPGRADES Oops: To delete an entire word at a time, hit Ctrl + backspace on a Windows computer. On a Mac, it's Option + Delete. There are over 1 billion malware programs: Antivirus software scans your system for viruses, ransomware and other threats and removes them before they cause damage. Protect five devices for only $19.* Hot and cold: Ever played that game? The Find My Fitbit app is just like that. Open the app and pick your lost Fitbit from the Seen Devices screen. Hold your phone in front of you and walk slowly. The app will show Cold, Warmer and Hot (three to five feet away) on the screen. Hit the I Found My Fitbit button when you spot it. Use an Apple Watch? Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then tap My Watch > All Watches > Find My Apple Watch. Need a new LinkedIn picture? To minimize neck fat and extra skin, jut your head forward slightly so it's closer to the camera. At the same time, elongate your neck and tip your chin down a little bit. Looks strange in person but right on camera. A no-brainer if you have a dog: Fido Alert is like an Amber Alert for pets. Register your furry friend and you'll get a free ID tag that includes a QR code. In case your pet goes missing, alert the Fido network. Then, if someone scans the QR code, they'll get your contact info and you'll get a notification. I keep an AirTag on my golden retriever, Abby, and she wears a smart collar. Wordle for music: Guess the song of the day on Bandle. You only get to hear one instrument at a time, which makes it extra tricky (and fun). I take two scoops of collagen a day: It's good for bone density, makes your nails and hair stronger, and can help smooth wrinkles. Use this link for 45% off* if you want to try it, too. | WHAT THE TECH?  Fashion meets paranoia with a $5,290 signal-blocking tracksuit. It claims to block EMFs, divert infrared rays and kill bacteria, and it has a shielding pocket to stop your phone's signal. Does it work? No science backs it. Be careful … you might sheet metal. | UNTIL NEXT TIME ... 📻 I'm on over 420 radio stations coast-to-coast! Catch up with my award-winning national radio show. Find your local station and tune in, or get my show's podcast. I share so much there I just can't get to in this newsletter. Can radio be an addiction? Depends on the frequency. (I had to.) Do yourself a favor. Passwords don't stink nearly as much when you have the right tools. Hit this page for 52% off my password manager pick so you can stop hitting that "Forgot login?" button. You deserve it. See you tomorrow with more of the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, keep being your brilliant self. — Kim | How'd we do? What did you think of today's issue? | | |
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