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Even Queen Bey ain’t safe

You’d think Beyoncé’s secret files crew would be protected by a force field of security, privacy settings and Sasha Fierce energy. But nope, real-world crime doesn’t care how many Grammys you have.

Right before her recent Atlanta show, thieves smashed the glass of a rental Jeep used by her crew and made off with two suitcases. Inside? A laptop, five thumb drives filled with unreleased, watermarked music, confidential tour plans and one very important piece of tech. 

No elaborate heist, no cybercriminal with a keyboard on fire. Just your average smash-and-grab with potentially Grammy-winning consequences.

The suitcases belonged to Beyoncé’s lead dancer and choreographer. They had just wrapped rehearsals and left the gear in the car. Moments later, it was gone.

But here’s the part that made me smile and the lesson for you.

👮🏼‍♀️ Tech cracked the case

One of the stolen items was a pair of Apple AirPods Max. These are Apple’s $450 headphones, and fortunately, the Find My feature was turned on.

Here’s what that means. When activated, “Find My” sends a sneaky little Bluetooth signal from your Apple gadget. Then any nearby Apple device (of which there are a billion+) picks up the signal and sends the location back to you, anonymously, quietly, undetectably.

That’s exactly what happened. Police tracked the AirPods, found a suspect vehicle on surveillance video, and now there’s an active warrant. All thanks to one little toggle in your settings.

🍎 Team Apple

The Find My app is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac. It’s how you track your Apple devices if they’re lost or stolen, and it works with AirTags (21% off), too. 

Those are the little discs you can drop in your luggage, attach to your keys or even hide in your car. I’ve got one on my dogs. Not kidding.

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Your calm, clear, AI-powered action plan

Kim Komando

That’s my son Ian with me and my amazing mother. When my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given three months to live, I was devastated. But I did what I always do when life gets tough. I focus on the problem. 

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🍏 Mac not responding? Sometimes apps freeze and won’t close with Cmd + Q. If you’re stuck with the spinning beach ball, press Cmd + Option + Esc. Select the frozen app, click Force Quit, and it’ll shut down completely.

🕳️ Who left the door open? Texas-based adoption agency Gladney left 1.1 million records sitting in an open 2.5 GB database like it was a lemonade stand. Data about kids, parents, even employees, all up for grabs, no password. Could’ve been weaponized for scams, blackmail or the worst Facebook friend request ever. It’s now locked, but the damage? TBD.

Gen Beta will never drive a car

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Learning to drive isn’t a rite of passage anymore. Here’s why you should blame automation.

By the numbers

77%

The accuracy rate of EchoNext spotting structural heart disease, higher than 13 cardiologists combined. In a medical version of John Henry, AI went head-to-head with humans, and it won. EchoNext nailed diagnoses from ECGs more often than the docs’ 64%. It’s basically the Sherlock Holmes of heart scans, minus the Victorian outfit.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Take a screenshot. On iPhone, press the Side button + Volume Up. On Android, it’s usually the Power button + Volume Down.

3 secret things your TV can do right now

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These hidden features make multitasking easier than ever. Try this today!

Fake views, real gas money: A couple drove three hours to visit a scenic cable car spot … that doesn’t exist. It was conjured by Google’s Veo 3 AI video maker and posted by a fake AI news channel on TikTok. Deepfake scams are up 2,137% since 2022, and now your vacation plans might be, too.

Too many deals in the kitchen

😋 Your kitchen is the heart of your home … and sometimes the messiest.

  • 🍞 I loaf this: You deserve a bread cutter (10% off) that makes even slices and catches crumbs.
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  • 🍴 Drawer glow-up: Guess how many labels come in this silverware organizer (37% off). Spoiler: It’s 80!
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🛒 Stuff that just works: Hit up my Amazon storefront to see the kitchen staples I swear by (my order history proves it).

China’s spherical spybot is terrifying

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It rolls like a tire, fires nets, and sprays tear gas. Plus, NASA lost pricey footage, Hertz nickel-and-dimes with tech, and McDonald’s big password problem. What’s your childhood home look like now? Google Maps lets you time travel. Let’s go!

Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years

Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.

📧 Prime-time panic: Amazon just mass-emailed 220 million Prime users about a rise in account impersonation scams. Phishing, phone calls and fake Prime renewals are the flavor of the month. Frequent scams include phony iPhone purchases and “click here to cancel” traps. You’re not special. Everyone got this email. But don’t click anything. Seriously.

💪🏻 Your body’s made of collagen, so why not give it the good stuff? NativePath Collagen is clean, pure and backed by science. Two scoops a day, and my body gets it. Get 45% off, free shipping and a bonus gift! Sweet!

Kim Komando Show

Amazon packages pile up on her porch  — July 19th, Hour 1

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What if your house became an Amazon warehouse? Listener Karen from California is stuck in this nightmare. Plus, AI superintelligence, Beyoncé’s secret music files stolen, and how a bad Yelp review could cost you thousands.

Fortify your life

🧑‍💻 From snoops to trackers, these tools give you peace of mind.

  • 🔑 Fort Knox at home: This smart lock (42% off) unlocks automatically. Great when your hands are full.
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🚨 Don’t stop lockin’: Dive into Amazon’s smart security gear, and hit up my shop for more handpicked privacy gadgets.

🔍 Change your Chrome search engine: You don’t have to stick with Google. Chrome also gives you options like Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo and Yandex. Go to Settings > Search engine > Change, pick one, then hit Set as default.

📱 I’ve gotta tell you something, switching to Consumer Cellular was one of the smartest moves I’ve made. You can keep your phone and number, or get a deal on a new one. Same reliable coverage at a fraction of the price, and real U.S.-based support folks who are patient and want to help and listen. Check it out! Get $25 off by using code KIM25.