Hello, Monday! Trivia time. Which branch of the military created the first satellite navigation system back in 1959? Answer at the end!

Before we dive in, I have a favor to ask. We send you this great tech newsletter totally free thanks to our sponsors. Check them out to support our work. Thank you! Let’s get onto the important tech news to know and use. — Kim

Modern cars are basically computers on wheels — and the more complex our cars get, the more at risk we are. I’m not talking about theft. I’m talking about remote carjacking. Imagine this: Someone with enough skill and bad intentions could stop your car while you’re driving it.

It’s up to manufacturers to protect us, just like we expect from the companies that make our phones and computers.

Want a car with all the honks and whistles? That’s gonna cost ya. Charging a subscription for heated seats or to go faster is one thing, but doing the same for an important safety feature? That’s shady.

🐴 Straight out of “The Godfather”

Car makers are now charging for “protection.” Automatic crash notification, or ACN, uses your car’s communication tools or a paired phone to notify emergency services in case of a crash. If you’re knocked unconscious or otherwise unable to make the call yourself, this is truly a lifesaving feature.

Some carmakers include ACN for free, while others charge as much as $100 per year. If you don’t pay the bill, you lose it. Despicable.

• Brands that offer ACN for free: Acura, Audi, BMW, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Polestar, Porsche, Volvo.
• Brands that offer ACN as a 5-year (or more) free trial: Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes, Ram, Toyota, Volkswagen.
• Brands that charge for ACN before 5 years: Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Dodge, GMC, Infiniti, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, Toyota.

Next thing you know, there’s going to be an upcharge to deploy your airbags.

From the critical to the comical

Paying extra for add-ons when you buy a car is nothing new, but these subscription costs will make you laugh, groan or roll your eyes.

• Audi wants you to cough up $260 annually for “dynamic lighting.” If you have to ask, it’s not worth it.
• BMW offers a dash cam function for $19 per month or $430 for the life of the vehicle. You can buy a pretty sweet model for a lot less.
• Cadillac’s hands-free driving system goes for $25 per month.
• Mercedes charges $1,200 per year to get you from 0 to 60 mph one second faster.
• Porsche will help protect your vehicle from theft for $280 per year.

We’re not there yet, but I’d bet the trend of charging for what should be standard protection will continue.

✅ Even if a company offers automatic crash notifications for free, they may not be available on every model. Check this detailed list for yours.

🔌 Meanwhile, two electric car owners were seen fighting over a charging port. The police said it was a charged environment and they will amp up patrols around the area. A lot of witnesses were shocked and some saw someone socket to the other.

Smart storage: Security-focused storage company Cigent’s new SSD (solid-state drive) is the first drive to come loaded with built-in ransomware prevention. The Cigent Secure SSD+ uses an AI microprocessor to monitor for attacks and respond. Can’t wait for this to make its way into all laptops.

Get out, bots: In the fight to keep scammers and bots out, Tinder is making the process to get the coveted verified blue checkmark harder. Trying to score a date? Instead of just pics, you’ll now need to submit a video selfie via the app if you want to captcha their hearts.

Bye-bye, Bezos bracelets: Amazon’s line of Halo health trackers will “no longer function” starting Aug. 1. Meaning, you’ll have a worthless strap. You won’t get a refund or credit from Amazon, either. Seriously, if you own a Halo, erase and factory reset it before Aug. 1.

The Sims on steroids: The home of your dreams is only a search away. Open up realtor.com/ai, type in your dream home and the tool will generate an image of that house and search hundreds of thousands of similar real-life listings. Prepare to spend too much time playing around.

Call me maybe: iPhone and Windows don’t play together nicely … till now. Microsoft’s Phone Link app is getting an update later this month that supports iOS for the first time. That means you can connect your iPhone to your Windows 11 PC to send and receive iMessages and calls. Happy day!

Dead giveaway: Forget ghosting (when someone just disappears and doesn’t respond to you anymore). Getting “zombied” is the new dating trend. Mariel Darling posted about it and I honestly can’t say it any better: “It’s like ghosting, but he comes back from the dead after a couple of months and hits you up.”

Sound like a tech pro, even if you’re not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with “K” wherever you get your podcasts and “Go Komando!”

Listen to my podcast, Kim Komando Today, here.

It’s easy to hate on selfies and think they’re only for the self-obsessed. But a new study from the University of Ohio and the University of Tubingen in Germany shows selfies can be more than just a way to show off your looks.

Not just skin deep

The study found selfies can help us capture the deeper meaning of moments and document physical experiences. In one experiment, participants rated the importance and meaningfulness of an experience by looking at a photo they weren’t in.

🤳 Another group looked at photos featuring themselves — and that group was more likely to think of the bigger meaning of the moment. Makes sense when you think about it. When see yourself there, you can picture a memory more clearly.

In real life

Maybe you don’t take many photos because you think selfies are silly. Hey, try it out. Next time you’re spending time with loved ones, grab your phone and take a pic of everyone (you included)! That way, your selfies won’t just be alonies.

🙃 P.S. We all want to look good in pics. After all these years in broadcast, I’ve got the tricks that work.

In real life, the pricier the neighborhood, the more expensive the grocery store. Guess what? Websites work the same way. Only one in three Americans know online shops use your location to adjust the price.

Here’s what you can do about it.

• Get a VPN and change your virtual location to one you suspect gets lower prices on products. You can always switch servers until you find the right one. Buy through there, ship to your same home address. I use ExpressVPN.*
• Compare prices with sites like PriceGrabber and Google Shopping. They analyze the cost of items all over the web.
• Track prices on the product you want. Keepa is a powerful Chrome extension you can use to keep tabs on price history charts for Amazon items. CamelCamelCamel is another solid option; there’s a browser extension or just use the website.

💡 Tech is expensive. Don’t waste money making these mistakes.

Today’s cyberattacks are tricky, and even the savviest people can be fooled. Don’t let that be you.

You need powerful software that can sniff out malicious files for you. I trust TotalAV. It’s simple to install and use, and they’ve received the VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row.

You won’t find a lower price anywhere. You get a year of protection on five devices for just $19!

The internet is crazy about this 1860 painting.
Do you think she’s a time traveler looking down at a smartphone?

⚓️ The answer: The Navy. TRANSIT was designed to find submarines. It started with six satellites then grew to 10. I was just thinking … If you’re too short to join the Marines but can make it to the Navy, are you then a sub-marine?

Thanks for reading, friends. Anything you want to see this week? Rate us below and drop a note! I read them all. — Kim