Happy Sunday, friend. We all love a good underdog hero, but this tale? Let’s just say it stars everyone’s favorite unlikely savior: random tech. 

🦺 During combat in Iraq, a soldier came face-to-face with a flying bullet, and walked away thanks to something on a Best Buy shelf. What unusual item saved a soldier’s life by stopping a bullet? A) A TV remote, B) An iPod, C) A laptop battery, or D) A gaming controller? The answer awaits you at the end. 

Keep your logins locked down: My tested and recommended password management app works on PC, Mac, Android, iPhone and web browsers. Save a username, password, billing address or credit card once, and this great program will autofill it for you. More below. 

🙏🏻 Got an absurd “that saved me” item? I’d love to hear about it. Just reply to this email or tell me when you rate this newsletter at the end. — Kim

It wasn’t planned. Unlike the 17,397 pics cluttering my camera roll, recipe screenshots of dishes I’ll never make and reminders I never needed, this one was completely accidental. I was walking with my phone and accidentally double tapped. It turned out to be the most accurate snapshot of life I’ve taken in ages.

Abby, my 6-year-old golden retriever, and Bella, our brand-new, 12-week-old puppy, are in this ridiculous, perfectly chaotic pose. One lying on top of the other. Neither one seems bothered by it. It’s a mess. It’s adorable. It’s real life.

And it reminded me of something I often forget and maybe you do, too … the best moments are unplanned.

🐾 Abby’s been in the family for years 

She knows the routine. She’s mature (mostly). She tolerates our human quirks. Bella, on the other hand, is full of puppy chaos. She’s still learning stairs, leashes and how not to eat the furniture.

Watching them together is a lesson in patience, adaptation and unexpected friendship. Abby didn’t ask for a sidekick, but here she is, embracing the mayhem with grace. And Bella? She’s finding comfort in the shadow of someone who’s been there before.

🙋‍♀️ There’s a metaphor in here 

Like how new tech like AI, smart homes, new gadgets every week crash into our lives with bugs, excitement and zero instruction manuals. Our old faithful tools like our phones, our routines, adapt whether we like it or not. Sometimes gracefully. Sometimes awkwardly. 

And sometimes, just like this photo: tangled, weird but full of heart.

So here’s your Sunday reminder: Take the photo. Even if it’s silly. Especially if it’s silly.

Because years from now, it won’t be the perfectly centered, edited and framed shots you treasure most. It’ll be the blurry, off-balance, “what even is happening here?” pictures that capture what life actually looked like.

Wishing you a Sunday full of wagging tails, quiet moments and memories worth keeping even if they come with a bit of dog hair. In my home, I call it “golden retriever fairy dust.”

If you’re still saving passwords in your browser or using the same ones over and over, you’re putting your personal info at serious risk. My password manager pick is NordPass, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a smarter, safer way to manage their digital life.

NordPass uses military-grade encryption to protect your passwords and sensitive details, like credit card numbers. It’s easy to use and helps you create long, complex, and unique passwords for every account. No more guessing, risky repeats, or getting locked out. It even autofills your your data so you can breeze through checkouts and online forms. 

NordPass even has some great bonus features to keep your info locked down. You can store files, organize custom folders, and share passwords securely when/if needed. My favorite part? NordPass includes the Password Health tool that flags weak, reused, or even compromised passwords.

⚠️ Hackers are changing tactics: Talk to your IT department about this. And if you are the IT department, pay attention. New research shows 30% of cyberattacks are suddenly now coming through network edge devices. That means instead of using flashy malware or phishing email, they’re slipping in through VPNs, firewalls and routers. How? People keep using outdated gear and weak passwords and skipping security updates. Stop that now.

🔞 Google Messages now blurs unwanted nudes: If someone’s about to send you a spicy pic, you’ll get a heads-up and the option to view it or block the sender. Accidentally sending one? You’ll get a reminder like, “Are you sure you want to send this?” FYI, it’s on by default for kids, but you can double-check under Settings > Protection and Safety.

🍎 Minute details matter: Rick Shearman’s Apple Watch’s SOS feature saved his life after he was swept almost a mile out to sea. He used the emergency feature while treading water. The rescue team scooped him up before it turned into a “Find My Body” sort of mission. PSA: Swim parallel to shore and float, don’t fight.

Are you tired of watching your cloud expenses skyrocket? It’s time to take control and make your cloud spending work for you. I’ve partnered with Oracle to bring you an exclusive opportunity to optimize your cloud infrastructure and potentially cut your cloud bill by 50% or more.​

🔐 Locked up, they won’t let me in: Phone thieves are permanently locking users out of their iCloud accounts via Apple’s security features (paywall link). Armed with passcodes, they reset recovery keys, making account access impossible. Welcome to iHell: where you’re stuck screaming your mother’s maiden name when your memories are in the cloud.

🦉 Don’t be such a dodo: New tech trend. Bird-watchers are trading iPhones for new binoculars that are waterproof and come with a mount. That way, you can snap photos and videos while you watch. No more “I swear it was right there!” moments. Check them out on Amazon ($130).

💐 Just two weeks till Mother’s Day! Here’s your baby shower or new baby gift cheat sheet.

• Keep little hands out of cabinets with child safety locks (8% off).
• These Tide pens (13% off) are a lifesaver for surprise spills.
• Baby burps? Grab a set of anti-colic bottles ($25) for 3- to 6-month-olds.
• Trim tiny nails safely with a baby electric nail trimmer ($35).
• Stay cool on summer walks with a handheld stroller fan (15% off).
• This bassinet (24% off) easily turns into a bedside sleeper or playpen.

💝 The mother load: I couldn’t fit in all the goodies, so head over to my Amazon page for the gifts I want for Mother’s Day. Your grandma, mom, wife or daughter will love ’em, too.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Gmail power user with attachment issues? Type “has:attachment larger:10M” to instantly find and delete space-hogging emails.

🤖 Bots in session: Turn your chatbot into your private tutor. Studying for a test? Just say, “I’m a [grade level + subject] student prepping for a [topic + test type]. Based on my notes below, make a practice test to help me study.” Now you’ve got a custom quiz.

🐶 Lost and hound: Finding the right collar can help bring your furry friend home safely. Amazon’s Ring Pet Tag ($10) has a QR code that alerts you if your pet is found. No fees, batteries or subscriptions needed. Want extra peace of mind? Slide an AirTag holder ($10) onto a collar you already own.

▶️ Love it or list it: YouTube playlists save your favorite videos in one place. In the app, open a video and scroll sideways through the action menu. That’s the bar below the video but above the comments. Tap Save > New playlist, name it, set the visibility and hit Create. Head over to my channel and try it.

💸 Something borrowed: Need a tool for just one job? Renting can save you big, but most rental listings aren’t clearly marketed on sites like Facebook Marketplace. Look for keywords like “daily rate,” “for rent” or “short-term use.” If the price seems surprisingly low, it’s likely a rental fee for the day or hour, not a sale price.

Find missing money with one simple search: You may be owed money and not even know it! There are several easy ways to find out if you have unclaimed funds left in old bank accounts, insurance policies and other places. Don’t let your hard-earned money slip through the cracks! to receive more must-have money tips every day.

• Roger in rural Texas needs a high-end security cam setup. Why? A stranger showed up at his home covered in blood. Scary stuff.
• Kat from Irvine, California, placed a call and somehow rang up a private convo between her mom and brother from years ago. It wasn’t a voicemail. It wasn’t live. That’s eerie! 
• Doc from Virginia thought he was helping someone’s uncle invest. Turns out, it was a pig butchering scam. He lost $500,000 and trust in his marriage.

Plus, Cornelius wants advice on coding boot camps, Tim asks about creepy AI ad tracking, Julie’s mom gets caught in a scam, Justin shares a dog training trick, and so much more!

Take me on a walk: Listen to my show’s podcast.

🎨 Make a beat: Try Google’s Infinite Drum Machine, where you can create wild beats using sounds like matchsticks, sheep and soda cans. Daft Punk who?

🦟 Stop mosquitoes: Use this bodywash proven to turn off the bloodsuckers.

🔍 Zoom in: Zoom Earth lets you track weather systems and satellite views in real time. Is that a tropical storm … or just vibes?

🤑 Save money: Hit this link on Amazon to see if the stuff you buy all the time is on sale right now.

🏖️ Hit “Play”: Get ready for summer with my yacht rock playlist.

🎉 Mother’s Day: I put together the ultimate list of gifts sure to please for any budget.

🎯 The answer: B) An iPod. In 2005, a U.S. soldier’s iPod in his chest pocket literally took a bullet for him. Stopped it cold. Apple never marketed their tech as battlefield-ready, but maybe they missed an opportunity: iProtect, anyone? 

☘️ Just because I want to leave you with a smile: Did you hear about the Irishman who was impervious to bullets? His name was Rick O’Shea.

Do yourself a favor. Passwords don’t stink nearly as much when you have the right tools. Hit this page for 52% off my password manager pick so you can stop hitting that “Forgot login?” button. You deserve it! 

✌️ Peace out. Stay safe, stay synced and keep shuffling through life’s ups and downs. Tomorrow, I have a great list of free classes you can take to get up to speed with AI in your personal and professional life. Thanks for being here with me and the best tech newsletter in the USA! Keep shining brighter than your smart fridge’s LED display. 🧊💫 — Kim

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