Hey there, it’s Thursday, friend. Quick pop quiz: I’ve seen the word “bop” go through several rebirth cycles; can you guess what the current one is? A) old-school dance floor throwback, B) Something involving awkward tuxedos and punch bowls, C) A long time or distance or D) a shaming slur. Make a guess, and you’ll find the correct answer at the end.

🤑 Yikes, your Social Security number is for sale online. Between data brokers, advertisers, stalkers and scammers, there’s too much personal info of ours free for the taking and selling. I used Incogni to remove it all for me. Be sure to check out their new unlimited plans and ways they can work to remove whatever is online about you. It’s really a game changer! More below.  — Kim

Maybe this photo is a little bit dramatic. BUT, electronics are exploding. 

Everything from your phone to your e-bike runs on lithium-ion. While batteries are small energy wonders, they’re also tiny explosives just begging for an excuse to ruin your day. Or your house. Or your entire block.

As temps rise, so does the risk, so let’s talk about how to stop your tech from turning into a five-alarm fire.

💣 Why batteries go boom

Lithium-ion batteries are basically Red Bull for your gadgets: compact, high-energy and way too volatile to be taken lightly. 

That’s why I don’t mess around, and neither should you. I had a staffer who wanted to charge his e-bike in the studios. When I told him nope, I got a dirty look that said, “She has no idea what she’s talking about.” Oh well, my name’s on the building, not his.

These batteries contain flammable electrolyte fluid, and if something goes sideways, like a short circuit, a fall, a shady charger or just a hot day, they enter a self-immolating spiral called “thermal runaway.” 

Translation: It cooks itself until BOOM. Larger tech like e-bikes and EVs carry bigger batteries, which mean bigger flames that are almost impossible to extinguish.

💻 Laptops and smaller gadgets

• Never leave your laptop in a hot car, near a heater or in direct sunlight.
• If it feels hot to the touch, shut it down and let it cool.
• Monitor its temp with apps like TG Pro (for Mac) or Core Temp or Real Temp (for Windows). If it hits 176° F,  that’s emergency spicy. 
• Got an old phone or device you’re not using? Don’t toss it in a drawer. Use a fireproof battery bag (10% off) for safe storage. Cheap insurance.

🚲 E‑bikes (and other big battery tech)

• Only buy e-bikes with UL 2271-certified batteries. If you don’t see the cert, assume it’s a firestarter with wheels. This tip alone is worth the price of my newsletter.
• Use the original charger only. Not the $11 one named “China’s Best ZappyFire” from Amazon.
• Store your e-bike in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, and not inside your home or garage while charging.
• Never leave it charging overnight or when you’re not home.
• If the battery smells like chemicals, looks bloated or starts whispering “soon” … STOP.

Take special care of your e-bike before it goes full Ghost Rider. Lithium-ion battery fires have burned down homes, garages and entire apartment buildings. I’m super picky about where I store and charge my e-bike. You should be, too.

💡 Now do your friends a favor. Share this article so they don’t learn the hard (and smoky) way.

“Sell the rumor, buy the news” goes too far: This is crazy. A tiny finance account on X (with just 1,100 followers!) posted a fake claim that Trump was pausing tariffs. The market exploded with joy. CNBC ran with it, Reuters picked it up, and traders literally cheered on the NYSE floor. The account? Verified. The source? Sketchy. And the lesson? Maybe next time, before CNBC hits the banner button, they need to check who’s posting.

🚨 Use WhatsApp? Watch out. There’s a nasty bug going around that lets hackers send you what looks like a JPEG, but it’s actually malware. Click it, and boom: A hidden .exe file could run and infiltrate your system. Blame WhatsApp for misreading certain file types. The fix? Make sure you’re running a version higher than 2.2450.6 to be safe.

📦 “Help me”: A brave woman in Florida whispered that to her Amazon delivery driver, who saw marks on her neck and called 911. The police arrested her ex-husband, Frank Mandolini, for allegedly choking her. He still lives with her and their daughter. His excuse? He told the cops he didn’t “cause her to lose her breath.” Sound familiar to you? Call 911 or 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233), text START to 88788 or go here. I care about you.

Do you see what AI sees? If you like Microsoft’s Copilot Vision for exploring the web, get ready. Microsoft Insiders are testing it this week for Windows computers and mobile devices. You’ll be able to use it with Windows apps and your camera. Need tips for decorating your house? Just fire up Copilot Vision. Watch out, Google Lens. Soon it’ll just whisper “beige” every time you try to decorate.

🌳 Want beautiful trees without the wait? At Fast Growing Trees*, use promo code KIM to save an extra 15% on fast, easy and expert-approved planting. They have the perfect trees and plants for your location, shipped right to your door. No messy trips to the garden center. I love my avocado tree! 

Google’s AI is helping businesses: Mattel used it to figure out why people were returning the Barbie Dreamhouse. The culprit? A stuck elevator door. AI spotted the issue fast, and Mattel tweaked the assembly. And just like that, ratings went up. Oh, they added Ken’s favorite cheese, bar brie. (What a nice smile you have!)

🐎 Kawasaki’s making a robot horse: Yes, seriously. It’s called “Corleo,” and one day you might actually be able to ride it through snow, over rocky cliffs and more. Thanks to goat-like feet and AI. Yeehaw meets Skynet, what could go wrong? Watch the action here.

😋 Useful and cute? And you thought that was only me.

• Carry your hot food without the “ouch” with these microwave bowl huggers (12% off).
• This little frog (24% off) holds your spoon and lets out steam from your boiling pots. 
• An adorable gnome knife (12% off) will have you smiling while you slice.
• Whip up creamy milk for café-style drinks at home with a mini frother ($5).
• Gunky espresso machine? Keep it in shape with these cleaning tablets (15% off). 

🧽 Soak it up: From spills to drying dishes, you’ll be all set with a 24-pack of kitchen dish cloths (10% off). Nice.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: OLED = Organic Light-Emitting Diode. TVs and phones with OLED have insane contrast — true black, vivid color. Downsides? Burn-in risk if a logo sits too long on screen. Looks gorgeous until SpongeBob is forever etched into your screen.

🙌 Shout-out to Steve Wolfe! He scored a Kim Komando Show ballcap yesterday just for saying, “I love The Current.” Let’s keep the good vibes rolling. How about 10 winners today? Just hit reply or leave a comment when you rate the newsletter. It’s that easy. The stars are yours. 

🎶 Binge-worthy tunes: Stream music from your favorite shows on Spotify and Apple Music’s hubs for Netflix, Disney+, Max and more. Just tap Search > TV & Movies (Spotify) or Film, TV & Stage (Apple Music) for playlists filled with hits from those iconic moments.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Eyes on your teens: If your kid is between 13 and 17, set up Supervision on Instagram. You or your teen can send the invite by going to your profile, tapping Menu (three lines) > Family Center > Invite your teen. Find their name and hit Invite. Then, open their account and tap the invite > Next > Allow. Simple.

🤔 Is that surface flat? Your iPhone can check. Just open the Measure app. If you can’t find it, swipe down from your home screen and search for it. Tap Level and place your phone down to see if it’s even. On Android, there are free third-party apps like Bubble level. 

💸 Unused subscriptions? Fix that on Amazon. Hover over Account & Lists and click on Memberships & Subscriptions. You’ll see what’s active there. Pick the one you want to cancel and hit Cancel subscription > Cancel my subscription to confirm. Stop paying $7.99/month for “what even is this?”

Answer: If you said “bop” primarily means an old-school throwback song, you were … wrong. At least in teen TikTok land, where “bop” has taken a nosedive from retro track to shaming slur for a supposedly promiscuous woman who “bops” between different men, popularized by a song called “’Lala Bop.” 

🕺 Speaking of dancing … A guy takes his wife out for the night, and they end up at a club where there’s a guy breakdancing, moonwalking, doing backflips, every dance move going. The wife turns to her husband and says, “See that guy on the dance floor? 25 years ago, he proposed to me and I turned him down.” The husband replies, “It looks like he’s still celebrating.” Ouch.

👀 It started with a weird credit card charge: Then I found out my personal info, including my Social Security number, was floating around online like confetti at a hacker convention. Incogni contacts data brokers for you and scrubs your personal info from the internet automatically. Now they’ve launched unlimited plans, so you can stay protected no matter how many places your data’s hiding. If your info is out there, Incogni knows how to get it back.

Thanks for getting tech-ahead with me and the best newsletter in the USA! Now, go drop some tech knowledge like it’s hot. 🔥 — Kim

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