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š Donāt let this slow you down
April 5, 2025 |
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Itās Saturday, friend. Letās start with a head-scratcher: Half of all internet users think weāre living in a simulation. Seriously, like weāre NPCs in some cosmic video game. Even astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has said thereās a ābetter than 50-50 chanceā this is all one big simulation. Basically, The Matrix, minus the cool trench coats and bullet-dodging. If this really is a simulation, mineās lagging. And whoeverās coding my day needs to chill on the weird plot twists.Ā
š Tech on! This weekend, my award-winning national radio show is broadcasting on 420+ stations across the U.S. Iām talking tech tips, digital life hacks, wild stories I canāt fit in the newsletter and taking calls from listeners just like you. Find your local station or get the podcast. Now, letās get you tech-ahead, so youāre never left behind! ā Kim š« First-time reader? Sign up here. (Itās free!) |
TODAY’S DEEP DIVEDitch the digital mess![]() We all love a clean house, but what about your digital life? Clutter builds up fast: old contacts, forgotten files, 127 versions of the same photo and a desktop thatās basically an overflowing junk drawer. That doesnāt just hog storage, it slows down your tech and drains your focus.Ā Letās tackle it, step-by-step. Iām here for you. šø Delete duplicate photosYou love your pet. I get it. But do you really need all 15 blurry attempts to get the perfect tail wag? Hereās how to clean it up:
š Pro tip: Use CleanMyPhone (iOS) or Remo Duplicate Photos Remover (Android) for deeper cleanups. š Declutter your contactsIf your contact list includes āTina from that one happy hourā or someone labeled āmaybe Brad??ā, itās time to let go.
š Pro tip: Search for blank or āno nameā and get rid of those, too. š» Tidy your desktopFinding files shouldnāt be like playing āWhereās Waldo?ā Spend just 10 minutes a day organizing.
š Organize downloads & docsYour Downloads folder can fill up fast. Start by sorting your files by Date Modified. Donāt recognize something or havenāt opened it in 90 days? Dump it. For easy access, move the important stuff to cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox. š Pro tip: Try WinDirStat (Windows) or Disk Inventory X (Mac) to find large files. š Smart home housekeepingCan you tell your smart gadgets apart? Open your smart home app and remove any old gadgets, routines or automations. Then, give whatās left over unique names. āBedroom Lampā beats āPlug 4ā any day. š Pro tip: Check for firmware updates. Usually, theyāre in the app or on the hub page. Tap Devices or Settings and look for Software Update or Firmware Update.Ā š Calendar clarityDelete outdated recurring events or reminders you no longer follow. And color-code your calendar by category: work, personal, health, you name it. š Pro tip: Set a weekly 10-minute planning session, so Monday doesnāt hit you like a truck. Remember, start small. Even tackling one area gives you momentum. Wanna know why some computers run out of storage? Too many bytes at the buffet (I know you lolād). 𦸠Now, be a hero. Share this with someone whose tech looks like a digital junk drawer, using the icons below. Christine (yes, my sister), this oneās for you. Your desktop is a hot mess. No more excuses, itās cleanup time! šŖš§¼ |
Daily Tech UpdateTikTok sale won’t stop the spiesThe deadline for TikTokās new buyer has been extended, but Chinese-made drones, vacuums and cameras quietly continue collecting data. |
DEALS OF THEĀ DAYClean it like you mean itš§½ Chores donāt have to be hard. Make it a breeze with these picks.
š¤ Sit back and relax: This little window cleaning robot ($240) will make your windows shine without lifting a finger. |
WEB WATERCOOLER75 more days: Thatās how long President Trump extended TikTokās deadline to find a U.S. buyer, and the line of interested parties is wild. Everyone from MrBeast to Amazon, Oracle and even the founder of OnlyFans is reportedly tossing around offers, with numbers hitting $100 billion or more. ByteDance hasnāt said a word about selling, though ⦠so stay tuned. š§ Googleās AI just learned Minecraft: They dropped it into the game with zero training on how to play and told it to find a diamond. After nine days of learning from scratch, āDreamerā figured it out and was mining diamonds within 30 minutes (like an expert player). Folks, this isnāt just about gaming. Itās about teaching AI to think, adapt and act on its own. Slightly scary. āEverythingās computerā but in a bad way: Tucker Carlsonās brand new Chevy truck screen lit up with a message that said, āStop, weāre downloading information from the internet,ā and he took that personally. No second chances. He took the truck back to the dealer. The man wants horsepower, not spyware. Somewhere, his 1987 Silverado is grinning. PSA: Enter your VIN at Privacy4Cars to see what your car is tracking. Heads up, gamers: The Nintendo Switch 2 is dropping June 5, starting at $449.99. Itās packing a 7.9-inch 1080p screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 256GB of storage and bigger Joy-Con controllers. In docked mode, youāll also be able to run games up to 4K at 60fps. As for battery? Expect 2 to 6.5 hours, depending on the game. FYI: Preorders open April 9.Ā Ā šļø āAs everā more like āas neverā: Meghan Markleās online shop sold out ⦠for all the wrong reasons. Her āAs everā products supposedly flew off the shelves in 30 minutes. But the company running her sales, Snow Commerce, has a bad rep for selling things that donāt exist or arenāt in stock. Did Meghan even check all the one-star reviews? Maybe she was too busy putting Trader Joeās snacks for guests in a plastic bag, pretending she made them. Ouch. ā¤ļø Heartfelt science: Scientists have unveiled a pacemaker smaller than a grain of rice that can be injected and powered by light. Tailored for newborns with heart issues, this tiny tech marvel dissolves when its mission is complete. Talk about a disappearing act. š¤ On the flip side: Whatās harder than a backflip? A side flip. And Unitreeās G1 humanoid robot just nailed it flawlessly (watch it here). At 4 feet 3 inches tall, this little guy isnāt just a show-off. The G1 can jog, too. If you have $16,000 to spare, you could have this as a buddy for your morning run. Picture that going down on your street. š¤ I want to be your secret helper and mentor: Do you think youāre getting scammed? Wondering how to use AI in your business or life? Need some advice? I would love to help you. Ask me your questions here on my site. I read every single note.Ā |
Email privacy done rightāHello, I took your recommendation for StartMail two years ago. Best decision I have made for a while. Great service!ā – Monty B.Ā Monty gets it ā your email should be your business, not Big Techās. StartMail is built for privacy and is loaded with features to help keep your inbox that way. š Email encryption: Your messages stay private, for your eyes only. š« No tracking: StartMail doesnāt snoop on you, so there are no pesky ads. š© Unlimited disposable addresses: Keep your primary email safe from spam. StartMail makes it easy to transfer your contacts and mail. It works with email clients like Apple Mail, Outlook and Thunderbird. Go to startmail.com/kim now to get 60% off and a free 7-day trial!Ā ā Please support our sponsors! |
Digital Life HackHow to book a sold-out campsiteTop parks book out months ahead, but smart apps can alert you to cancellations in real time. Hereās how to beat the system. |
DEVICE ADVICEā”ļø3-second tech genius: Find your iPhone with Siri by saying, āHey, Siri, whereās my phone?ā to your Apple Watch or HomePod, and it will instantly ring your device. Say it with an emoji: Thereās a shortcut to the emoji menu on your computer. On a Mac, press Ctrl + Cmd + spacebar to find that cute little slice of š. For my Windows people, hold Windows + . (period). Impress your boss: Download NetSuiteās free knowledge e-book, āThe CFOās Guide to AI and Machine Learning.ā* No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. āļø Slash meeting times: Try Fireflies to transcribe your Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Zoom calls in real time. The bot summarizes key points and action items for you. Need to revisit something? Search for keywords and replay that part. The free plan has 800 minutes of storage. Traveling abroad? Donāt let sky-high roaming charges ruin your trip! Get the eSIM I use for affordable, secure mobile data in over 200 destinations worldwide. Download the Saily app, pick a plan and enjoy instant connection, all without a physical SIM! So easy! Learn more and get 10% now.* š¶ DJ, hit it: No need to pay for Amazon Music. Link your music service to your Amazon Echo. Open the Alexa App > More (three lines) > Settings. Under Alexa Preferences, tap Music & Podcasts > Link New Service (+) > choose your provider and follow the prompts. Now just say, āAlexa, play [song] on [Apple Music, Spotify, etc].ā š§āš§āš§ FamilySearch: This free site from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lets you build a family tree and dig into your genealogy. Itās open to everyone, no matter your religious background.Ā |
BY THE NUMBERSUp to $1,400 How much Metaās upcoming Hypernova smart glasses might cost. The shades have a tiny screen in the bottom-right corner with built-in apps for snapping photos, opening maps and checking phone notifications. Oh, and you might even get a neural wristband that lets you wave commands like a wizard.Ā 1 hour Of screen time before bed can cut your sleep by 24 minutes and increase your risk of insomnia by 59%. And no, a blue light filter wonāt save you. Bright light of any kind still messes with your bodyās sleep signals and tricks your brain into thinking itās daytime. My advice? Wind down with something chill like music or an audiobook. 3,700 miles How far a manās body was flown from the UK to Michigan to be stored in a liquid nitrogen cryogenic chamber. The goal? Freeze now and hope science figures out how to bring him back to life later. Think advancements in AI, stem cell research and nanotechnology. Hey, itās a long shot, but when youāre already dead, what have you got to lose? |
LOGGING OUT …Just a thought: As you finish deleting blurry dog pics and contacts of people who you never texted or called once in a decade, Iāll leave you with a question: If your digital life is decluttered but your brain is still tabs-on-tabs chaos, is that peace or placebo? Maybe Pavlovās hair was so messy because he didnāt condition it. šļøEver wonder what I really say when the mics are hot? This weekend, pull up a seat to my national radio show broadcasting coast to coast on 420+ stations. Itās where this newsletter comes to life: tech tips, jaw-dropping digital stories, behind-the-scenes moments and real calls from listeners (maybe even you!). Donāt miss out, so find your local station or catch the podcast on your own time.Ā Stay sharp out there. You never know when your truck might try to download your soul. OK, tech superstar! Go share your new smarts like itās hot. š„ ā Kim š£ Donāt keep me a secret: Share this email with friends (or copy URL here) |
Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, BLM Alaska Fire Service on Facebook Companies noted with an asterisk (*) sponsor my national radio show. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifyingĀ purchases. This newsletter and its content are intended for informational purposes only. They are provided without warranty of any kind. You shouldnāt construe anything provided here as legal, health, medical, technical, tax, investment, financial or any other kind ofĀ advice. |