🚀 Welcome to your Monday, friend. What do nuclear missiles and your Wi-Fi have in common? Apparently, not much, except maybe … a really bad password. Take a guess which of the following was actually once used as a real computer password at a U.S. nuclear missile site for years: A) Password123, B) LetMeIn C) 00000000, or D) GodMode4Launch. You’ll find the right answer at the end. 

(By the way, if I just wrote any of your passwords for a million people to read, you should change it immediately.)

📬 Introducing my new free Crypto Smart newsletter: Your once-a-week dose of everything you need to know about crypto, without the hype. You’ll get the basics explained (think Bitcoin, Ethereum, wallets, blockchains), smart tips to keep your money and identity safe and the week’s hottest headlines that actually matter. No fluff, no jargon — just one awesome email, once a week. ✅ Sign up here and get crypto-smart! — Kim

Are your carefully crafted social media posts getting the same amount of attention as a tree falling in the forest with no one around? As the French say, that’s no bueno.

Running a business is hard enough without your social media posts falling flat. You spent 30 minutes picking the perfect image, debated emojis for another 12, added hashtags that deserve a Pulitzer, and then? Radio silence.  

Truth is, timing matters. A lot.

Social media platforms don’t care how good your post is if you’re posting when nobody’s watching. So here’s the inside scoop on when to hit publish, plus some quick-hit tips to help you win the algorithm game.

📅 Best times to post by platform

Instagram: Reels get better engagement during lunch hours (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
 ✔️ Best: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
❌ Avoid: Late nights and Sundays

Facebook: Go live or ask a question. Facebook likes conversations.
✔️ Best: Weekdays, especially Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
❌ Avoid: Weekends after 2 p.m.

X: Short, punchy posts with a strong hook work best. No rambling.
 ✔️ Best: Weekdays around 9 a.m. or 12 p.m.
❌ Avoid: Friday evenings

LinkedIn: Lead with insight or value, not a sales pitch.
 ✔️ Best: Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
❌ Avoid: Evenings and weekends

TikTok: First 2 to 3 seconds matter most. Hook your viewer instantly.
✔️ Best: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
❌ Avoid: Posting just once a week

✅ Schedule posts in your PJs

Want to stay consistent on social media without being glued to your phone 24/7? Here’s an insider tip. Use smart scheduling tools like Buffer, Later or Hootsuite to post at peak engagement times even if you’re still in bed sipping coffee.

• Buffer: Clean, simple and does exactly what you need: schedules posts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Pinterest. Free for three channels. Paid plans start at $6/month. Perfect for onesies and small teams.
• Later: Plan your grid, schedule stories, drop hashtags in first comments and manage your bio links like a pro. Works with Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, too. Paid plans start at $25/month.
• Hootsuite: The social media control room. Post, reply to DMs, track mentions, pull deep analytics, all in one dashboard. No free plan here. Starts at $99/month for power users who need everything and then some.

Bottom line: Posting at the right time increases your “not shouting into the void” odds by, like, a lot. These time slots? They give your posts the best chance of actually being seen.

You don’t need to work harder on social media, you need to post smarter. 

🐸 What social media do frogs use? Rebbdit, rebbdit. (I saw you smile!)

🧽 Cleaning isn’t exactly fun. But the right gear? Total game changer.

• Suck up dust mites and allergens with this UV bed vacuum (41% off).
• This double-sided laptop cleaner ($12) digs into tight corners.
• The Pink Stuff ($6) is internet-famous for a reason. It cleans like a pro.
• Grab these tablets ($25) because even your washing machine needs cleaning.
• Microfiber cloths (50% off) handle the smudges without leaving scratches.
• Puppy training? These washable pee pads ($21) help you take care of business. 

👱🏻‍♀️Anna in Miami asks, “Kim, your hair looks so healthy and thick. What shampoo do you use?” This one right here, all the time.

🤖 Robocop is real: Thailand just showed off the Cyborg 1.0, and yes, it’s a bot dressed in full police gear. This thing has 360-degree cameras for eyes, facial recognition to spot suspects and the ability to detect weapons. The creepiest part? Its AI can analyze CCTV and drone footage from anywhere so it can keep tabs on everything. Coming soon near you, there’s a robot dude with WALL-E eyes and a badge.

AGI, but then what? While most companies are figuring out how to responsibly build AI, Google’s DeepMind is already hiring for what comes after, AI being smarter than humans. The job description should include “Please stop Skynet.”

🛡️ Google scrambles to fix Gmail phishing mess: I told you about this on Saturday, but it’s still going in full force. Don’t fall for spoofed emails claiming your Gmail account is about to be closed down. These are passing Gmail’s scam filters, slipping into inboxes looking squeaky-clean. You know it’s bad when the scammer gets better deliverability than your friend’s birthday email.

Mind over metal: Move over, Neuralink. Precision Neuroscience, started by a Neuralink cofounder, just tested a brain patch thinner than a human hair on Tim Fisher, a 63-year-old with Parkinson’s (paywall link). Unlike Neuralink, this patch sits gently on your brain without poking it. The FDA just approved it for use for up to 30 days. Tim even fist-bumped the robotic hand used in the test. Love that.

🧠 ChatGPT can “think with images”: OpenAI’s latest models, o3 and o4-mini, take ChatGPT’s visual reasoning to unsettlingly sharp levels. They can describe what’s in a photo, zoom, crop and enhance images. “Thinking with images” sounds cool until your AI starts judging your handwriting and that stain on your shirt.

Feeling the sting of sky-high cloud costs: Here’s a smart move — switch to Oracle. Companies are saving up to 50% on their cloud bills without sacrificing performance. Want to see how much you could save? Check it out for yourself.*

😒 Comcast’s sneaky offer: New Xfinity customers can now lock their internet price for five years. Talking $55/month for 400 Mbps or $105 for 2.1 Gbps. The catch? It doesn’t include taxes or fees. Plus, internet deals will get cheaper with competition from Starlink and AT&T’s satellite service. Locking in your price for five years sounds great, until you realize the fees are multiplying in the dark like gremlins.

🏠 Zillow’s new rule: If a home is advertised anywhere online, it now has to be listed on Zillow, too, or they’ll blacklist it. Why? Some brokerages have been posting homes on their own sites first to give their clients early access. Harsh. Long story short: If you’re selling, now you know, thanks to me.

Studies show that starting in our 30s, some key cellular processes begin to slow down, making us feel tired and weak over time. Luckily, a group of scientists spent 15 years developing a way to combat this decline.

Meet Mitopure®, by Timeline, a clinically proven way to increase cellular energy, giving our bodies the energy they need to function optimally. The results? Significant increases in muscle strength and endurance without any change in exercise.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On YouTube, press K to pause/play, J to rewind 10 sec, L to fast-forward. You’re now a keyboard video ninja. (Mac & PC)

Mouse moves: Move text around with just your mouse. Just highlight the words you want, hold Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac), then click and drag them to a new spot. Let go, and boom, your text will be right there. No need to copy and paste.

📱 Swipe to write: Try swipe typing to write faster by sliding your fingers over your keyboard instead of tapping each letter. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > toggle on Slide to Type. For Android, head to Settings > General management > Keyboard settings > Swipe, touch, and feedback > Keyboard swipe controls > turn on Swipe to type. These names may vary by Android.

⌚ Watch for noise: Your Apple Watch’s built-in Noise app can check if the sounds around you are too loud. Open the app on your watch and tap Enable to start tracking. To see how often you’re in noisy spots, go to the Health app > Browse (bottom right) > Hearing > Environmental Sound Levels. Now your watch can judge your eardrum choices, too.

LinkedIn lesson: Want to give someone a shout-out, boost your post’s visibility, or simply say thanks in a more public (and professional) way? Use the @mention feature! And for a limited time, use my special link to post a job for free on LinkedIn.*

🤳 Look your best: Ever been caught checking your hair in a video call? Kind of embarrassing. Adjust yourself and the lighting before the meeting. On a Windows PC, open your Start menu and search for the Camera app; on a Mac, open Photo Booth.

🚀 The answer: C) 00000000. Yep. During the Cold War, U.S. nukes were protected by a password flimsier than a free yogurt lid. Eight zeroes. Because nothing says “nuclear deterrent” like the digital version of leaving your front door open with a sticky note that says, “Please don’t.”

Why? Because military leaders were afraid complicated codes would slow down a launch in a real emergency. The Permissive Action Links (PALs), which are supposed to prevent unauthorized missile launches, were set to all zeros from 1962 to 1977. So for over a decade, the keys to global annihilation could have been guessed by a toddler.

One for the road: Why didn’t NASA name Apollo rockets with letters? Because if Apollo F crashed, they would have to make an Apollo G. Oof.

🙏 Thanks for letting me in your inbox. I’ll be back tomorrow with the answer to a reader question about smart thermostats and tracking here in the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, may your passwords be strong, your AI benevolent and your TikTok algorithm merciful. Catch you in the cloud, superstar. ☁️💖— Kim

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