Hey, hi, it’s a fantastic Friday, friend! Go ahead, say that out loud three times real fast. Speaking of speed, the average Wi‑Fi zips along at 260 million bits per second. What about your brain? Just 10 bits per second. Yep, Wi‑Fi is 26 million times faster. But don’t worry, your senses process smells, sights and sounds 100 million times faster than your thoughts. Share this brainy tidbit with a friend and say it was just published in the journal “Neuron.” They’ll think you’re a genius.

You deserve privacy. It’s not impossible; it just takes work. I used Incogni to wipe my info from scummy people-search and data-broker sites. More below. On to the tech smarts! — Kim

Who do you imagine when I say “social media influencer?” I’ll bet a young, hot model or a chiseled guy into cars. It’s time to expand your horizons.

I love that Joy Ryan didn’t even get her passport until she was 91. At 94, she’s on a mission to visit every continent with her grandson. So far, she’s at four out of seven. Joy is also the oldest person to visit all 63 U.S. national parks.

She’s posting “Grandma Joy’s Road Trip” on Instagram. She’s part of the trend of “grandfluencers” (“grandparent” and “influencer”) racking up millions of followers and fans of all ages. Maybe this is your sign to get this idea going with your grandparents, parents or even yourself.

Defying stereotypes

You probably think grandfluencers’ fans are older adults, too, right? Nope, most are young adults.

Take 94-year-old Lillian Droniak, aka “Grandma Droniak.” She went viral by laying down the three rules she wants people to follow at her funeral: Cry, but not too much (don’t embarrass yourself); Bertha isn’t invited (Who’s she?); and get drunk afterward.

Her 14.6 million TikTok followers love her sass, and I do, too. After she was hospitalized for breaking her leg, she shrugged it off, saying she “slayed too hard.” Love her.

Then, there’s 78-year-old Joan MacDonald. She was overweight and struggling with health issues. With the help of her daughter, a fitness coach, she now deadlifts 175 pounds for her 2 million Instagram followers and sports a bodybuilder’s physique, along with crop tops. She’s proof it’s never too late for a glow‑up.

Offering up wisdom

Navy vet Kenny Jary, or “patriotickenny,” tells stories and tries out new tech with his 2.7 million followers. The 82-year-old has a chronic lung condition and gets around with a mobility scooter.

When Kenny’s last scooter broke down, his followers raised money for a new one. He’s since paid it forward and helped 119 other vets with their mobility needs. How awesome is that?

Be yourself

You don’t need to be a lifelong entertainer to gain a following on social media. Just share what you love.

That’s what second-grade math teacher Irvin Randle did. At 63, he moonlights as a fashion influencer and is a role model for his students. He gained fame after a photo of his sharp style went viral.

The dashing gentleman’s 1.7 million TikTok followers call themselves the “Silver Fox Squad” and have given him the title of #MrStealYourGrandma. Don’t worry, fellas — he’s been married for almost 40 years.

💸 ‘OK, how much money can I make?’

Fine. I know half of you skipped right to this section. It depends on how large your following is, your platforms and your niche.

Got just a couple thousand followers? You might pull in $20 for a sponsored post. If you have millions of followers, you could pocket $150,000 for one post. Most folks with a decent following make $1,000 to $5,000 per post.

Anyone can be an influencer

If you have a story to tell, skills to share or wisdom to pass down, get your butt in gear.

• Find your niche: What lights you up? Pick a topic where your passion will shine through.
• Choose your platform: Each social media site has its own thing. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are all about video, and that’s where the money is right now.
• Make a standout profile: Make it short, sweet and packed with personality. Don’t forget a great picture. Smile, you star!
• Post regularly: Even once or twice a week can get you noticed. Pro tip: The best times to post are early morning, lunchtime and evening, when people scroll.
• Connect: Respond to comments, ask questions and chat with people. The more you engage, the more they’ll stick around.
• Be real: People love authenticity. They can get drama from reality TV.

Go on, hit “record” and share what you’ve got! You might just become everyone’s favorite follow.

😂 How can you tell the difference between an influencer and a computer scientist? Check how they pronounce the word “bios.”

Search for your name online. It’s a quick and easy way to see just how much is out there, floating around for anyone to find. The scary part is there’s even more info anyone willing to pay a few bucks can access.

I don’t just mean your phone number and address. I’m talking relatives, legal documents, your kids’ information and even your Social Security number. I went searching for the best company to help remove all this for you and found Incogni.

Incogni scrubs your private details from data broker and people-search sites. Once they get you removed, they make sure you stay off. You’ll love this, too: Since I signed up, my spam calls and texts are down to zero.

🚘 Turo in trouble: The terrorists in the New Orleans attack and Cybertruck explosion outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas had one thing in common: They used the same car-sharing app, Turo. With Turo, you rent from a person, not a big car rental company. Turo’s no small app; it had 3.5 million bookings last year.

I spy a killer: This is a strange story. Ring camera footage caught Maria Munoz confronting her husband’s mistress and giving her cheating spouse, Joel Pellot, an ultimatum on the doorstep. Maria died days later. Her husband said she overdosed, but toxicology results didn’t add up. He secretly poisoned her with drugs he stole from the hospital he worked at just to avoid an expensive divorce. He’s serving a life sentence.

🍏 Bad apple: This doesn’t happen often. Move over, Newton (the $700 tiny pre-iPad), Pippin (the $600 gaming console) and Portable (the 16-pound $6,500 laptop). Make room for Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro AR headset, which has sold fewer than 500,000 units since launch. They’re not making it anymore. About 600,000 are stocked up to last the rest of the year. Don’t buy one.

Don’t worry, she woke up: Instagram influencer Victoria Rose (aka @woahvicky) faked her own kidnapping. She posted bogus ransom notes to her 3.5 million followers, then called it a prank because she was “bored.” Her followers weren’t laughing, and she wrote them a terrible apology. What a narcissist.

🤖 Everyone thinks it’s the guys who want it more: Futurist Dr. Ian Pearson says nope, women will lead the sex robot craze. Given that human-like bots cost over $15,000, Pearson thinks it’ll be 2050 before people are doing it more with affordable robots than humans. Btw, his past predictions have an 85% accuracy rate. I know what some of you are thinking: “And I don’t need to pick up his dirty underwear!”

Nothing’s more expensive than a cheap boat: Facebook Marketplace is full of deals, but this one might take the cake. Jason Morrison scored a full-sized Cruisers Yacht for free. It’d been sitting abandoned for 15 years. With mold, engine issues and structural problems, it’s gonna need lots of expensive parts and tons of work before it can set sail. No, thanks!

💍 Introducing the future MrsBeast: Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, proposed to his girlfriend, author Thea Booysen, on Christmas Day. She said yes. They met in her home country of South Africa in 2022. He’s been ready to pop the question for a while, but she told him to wait until she finished her master’s program. Now she’s got a ring and a diploma.

Tough love: After Kelly’s 73-year-old mother-in-law lost $150,000 to a scammer over nine months, the family took over, and the MIL is pissed. The family froze her credit, moved into a bigger home so they could live all together and took over her finances. Kelly’s MIL has shown no signs of being mentally incapacitated. What do you think? Let me know when you rate this newsletter at the end.

Make it easier on yourself.

• Store this collapsible cup ($20) in your bag whenever you’re not using it. Great for getting through the TSA lines! Click the coupon box for 25% off.
• Ever tried fixing your makeup in a plane bathroom? Horrible. A travel vanity mirror ($15) solves that problem.
• A security belt keeps cash safe from pickpockets.
• For the over-packers: Compression packing cubes ($23) are a lifesaver (and space saver).
• These mini portable chargers plug directly into your phone so you won’t have annoying cords hanging around. Click the coupon box for 15% off.

🧳 Replace your crappy old suitcase with nice new luggage. Amazon is having a big sale! Pro tip: Get a bright color so it’s easy to find at the airport.

AI prompt of the day: Try this one with your chatbot of choice: “How can I make this better?” Then, add in anything you’ve written — a blog post, a travel plan, a resume or even a heartfelt email. This prompt works wonders for polishing your work and pointing out improvements — like a personal editor at your fingertips.

Game changer: Snap a pic with your phone’s camera, and you can copy, search or translate the text. On iPhone: Open the image in Photos. Tap and hold the text and select an option. On Android: Open a pic in Google Photos, then tap on the Lens icon. Select the text, then tap the action you want to take.

Cash back on gas, groceries and dining out: No gimmicks — it just works! Download the free Upside app* and use promo code Kim to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.

🆓 Free magazines: With an Amazon Prime account, you get access to a rotating library of popular magazines for free. Check them out here. Now you can read the latest weird royal rumors without paying for the mag.

I hope you don’t need these: Reporting junk can help officials stop these creeps. Forward spam texts to the FCC at 7726 (that’s SPAM). For scam calls where you lost money or info, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For quicker reporting, go to DoNotCall.gov.

Start fresh: You can reset your browser’s settings to wipe out bugs and improve its performance. In Chrome, go to Settings > Reset settings. Look for a similar option in your browser of choice.

Must-know AI info for 2025: Download “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning,* free from NetSuite, no matter what you do. You need to know more about AI; it’s not going anywhere.

How to tell if a $100 is fake: Stick a toothpick through it!

Need something to watch this weekend? “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever” just dropped on Netflix. It’s a documentary following Bryan Johnson, a guy who decided, “Ya know, aging and death aren’t for me.”

▶️ Because with me you’re always tech-ahead, you already know some of his story. I interviewed him almost a year ago about the tactics he uses and you can try, too. Watch it on YouTube or listen to the podcast. Here’s another chat with Bryan if you’re fascinated by him like I am!

I should have asked him, “If you sat with your hands in the fountain of youth, would your hands get wrinkly?” (Oh, that was a bad one!)

👉 Ready to reclaim your privacy? I negotiated a 60% discount on Incogni just for you. Take back your privacy today. Incogni comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you really have nothing to lose. I’ll see you right back here tomorrow for more tech know-how and the best newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay your awesome self. — Kim