Tech life upgrade: Best wildfire safety app

January 9, 2025

Happy news: After I shared about Barry’s hearing loss, a few of you reached out to tell me how much better your new hearing aids are making life. If you could use a pair, too, hit this link to see if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial.* It makes a huge difference!

Best wildfire app: I’m praying for everyone in California near the wildfires. I went looking for the best source for folks dealing with wildfires and found the nonprofit Watch Duty. I talked with CEO John Mills after reading their story. They’re totally volunteer-run and deliver real-time updates across 13 states. Get their app on iPhone, Android or in your browser.

📈 Turn your text into visuals: Napkin.ai turns words into flowcharts, infographics and diagrams. Just paste your text and click the lightning icon to generate a few options. Pick one you like, make tweaks and hit Export. FYI, all their plans are free while it’s in beta, but you may have to deal with some bugs. Triple-check numbers if you’re using this for work.

Saving car rental evidence: My pal Clark Howard always recommends taking pictures of a rental car before you drive away from the lot to prevent false damage claims. But when is it safe to delete them? Clark suggests keeping them for two months. Subscribe to Clark’s free newsletter* to receive more must-have money tips every day.

Butt out, Big Tech: Sick of Gmail’s tracking? Your ISP does it, too, if you use their email. StartMail is my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail. Save 60% with my special link.*

So you want to get up earlier: Instead of relying on self-control, disable the snooze option altogether on your phone. All you need to do is tap on an alarm in the Clock app. Toggle off the Snooze option. Rise and shine!

⭐ Gold star: You take a picture, thinking, “Wow, this is a winner,” and you never see it again. In your photo app, look for the heart or star icon. This adds an image to your favorites. It works with your music apps, too.

Every parent should read this

This topic hits me personally, and I don’t like to discuss it at all. You never know who’s a child predator. I was molested by a trusted family friend when I was 6 years old. I told my parents, and they took immediate action — well, not the action my Dad wanted, which was to cut off the guy’s hands.

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Get your business up to speed: AI isn’t going anywhere, but using it in your operations can get expensive. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim to see if they can cut your bill in half.

How does everyone get their IG posts so fancy? I’ve gotcha! Add text to photos by tapping the text button, or throw in stickers via the gallery. For Reels, you’ve got the text, animations and effects buttons.

Social media addiction is real: Every like, share or funny video triggers a dopamine hit. It’s that feel-good chemical your brain loves. But too much scrolling and your brain will produce less dopamine, leaving you craving more screen time just to feel normal. Taking a break can reset those pathways. A few days offline does the trick.

🖨️ Ink outside the box: Dust can cause unexpected problems with your printer. Open the paper trays, remove any paper and use a handheld vac to suck up the dust. You can also blow it out with compressed air.

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Brush up: Microsoft offers free online training for Office programs, including video tutorials, interactive guides and practice exercises. Sorry, there’s no secret for making Teams better.

💪 Wanna get in shape? Ask your favorite AI chatbot to create a custom fitness plan. Try this: “Create a 30-day fitness plan for fat loss and muscle gain tailored to a [male/female] beginner at [your age].” Or get specific: “Create a four-week fitness plan to help me run a mile for the first time.” Don’t sweat it.

“Hey, Kim, what was the name of that …” I get so many questions about our security sponsors. You need five security products. I put together a handy resource where you can find what they do, links and deals I’ve negotiated just for you.