Happy Monday, friend. Let’s talk QWERTY. That cryptic, clunky alphabet soup you touch 500 times a day on your keyboard. Ever wondered why we didn’t just go with the classic ABCDE? It’s befuddled many a typist and trivia nerd. But there’s a reason this oddball layout stuck around. 

⌨️ Take a guess. Why do you think the computer keyboard has a QWERTY layout? A) To make typing slower so typewriters wouldn’t jam, B) It spells out the name of the inventor, C) Random luck, someone just mashed keys, D) To confuse secretaries and keep jobs secure. I’ve got the answer waiting for you right at the end. 

⚠️ Sharing is caring. Pass this on to that one friend who still types with two fingers and yells at autocorrect. — Kim

Have you ever joined a Zoom call and thought, “Why do I look like a vampire who doesn’t know where the camera is?” Since it’s the start of a new week, here are easy tricks to make you look brighter, smarter and significantly less like you’re broadcasting from a cave. 

🎥 Fix your camera placement

The fastest way to look smarter is simple: Stop looking down at your screen.

1. Position your webcam at eye level, even if that means stacking some books under your laptop.
2. Sit 18 to 24 inches from your camera. Too close = awkward giant face. Too far = tiny distant speck.

⭐️ Bonus move: Drag whoever’s talking to the top-center of your screen, right under your webcam. This way, you’re naturally looking at the speaker and into the camera. No more looking down, off to the side or like you’re secretly reading something else.

Turns out the fastest fix is good old eye contact. Not like “date night,” but like “I’m kinda interested.”

💡 Master your lighting 

Good lighting is an instant upgrade.

1. Face a natural light source like a window if possible.
2. No window? Place a soft lamp behind your monitor shining toward you, not overhead. Overhead lighting makes you look like you’re telling ghost stories. 👻 Save the oOoOoOoO for the Halloween campfire. 
3. Avoid bright lights directly behind you, they turn you into a mysterious silhouette.

⭐️ Bonus move: In Zoom, turn on Touch up my appearance under Settings > Video for a little automatic soft-focus magic. Google Meet has “Apply visual effects” > “Slight” or “Studio Lighting” options.

If you do need the right light to look fabulous, here’s a great one ($25).

🏡 Clean up that background

You don’t need a Pinterest-ready office. You just need less distraction.

1. Tidy up what’s behind you. Go for neutral walls, simple art, maybe a plant.
2. Avoid virtual backgrounds unless they’re high quality and don’t glitch around your head. 

⭐️ Bonus move: In Zoom, try “Blur” background under Settings > Background & Effects. In Google Meet, click Apply Visual Effects > Blur.

The trifecta of camera, lighting and background is your shortcut to looking 10x more confident and polished. It’s not about vanity, it’s about making sure people focus on what you’re saying, not wondering why you look like you’re lost in space.🍽️

Turning off your Zoom camera is like getting food from a buffet. You want to do it, but you don’t want to be the first, and you definitely don’t want to be the only person.

📝 You’ve got the ideas, and I’ve got the gear to keep up.

• Get three mechanical pencils and 120 lead refills in this drawing set ($10).
• This pencil sharpener (23% off) can work both manually and electrically.
• Jot things down with a pack of 800 sheets of transparent sticky notes ($8).
• Hold up to 4.4 pounds with some waterproof double-sided tape ($25).
• These zip-up bags ($16) keep your posters wrinkle-free and organized. 
• If your cables like to wander, a five-pack of clips (33% off) will help them stay neat. 

🌻 Shop my Mother’s Day Ultimate Gift List now. You’ll find the perfect gift for the special person in your life.

🛒 Visit my Amazon store for more of my recommendations.

⚠️ Scammers are back at it: This time using fake Facebook posts about a “missing police officer” named Carolyn Lynch. The goal? Tug at your heartstrings so you’ll share it, unknowingly flagging yourself as an easy target for future scams. Don’t fall for it.

Electrician army: AI isn’t just eating jobs, it’s eating power. Google just dropped a cool $10 million to train over 100,000 U.S. electricians, trying to unclog a grid bottleneck slowing its AI expansion. Data centers are guzzling so much electricity that they could triple U.S. power usage in three years. 

🪖 Welcome to drone country, soldier: The Army just launched its biggest makeover since the Cold War, and it’s all about drones. Think 1,000 drones (paywall link) per combat division, replacing aging gear with swarms of flying surveillance bots, delivery drones and attack craft that would make a Call of Duty dev blush. 

🏠 Hackers are targeting homes, not just bank accounts: With just a few clicks, cybercriminals can steal your home title and rack up huge loans in your name. It’s one of the fastest-growing crimes in America. Home Title Lock is your watchdog, monitoring and protecting your most valuable asset. Sign up with code KIM to get a free home title history report and a 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.*

NYC wants subway cams to predict trouble: The MTA is piloting AI that watches for risky behavior before a crime happens. If someone’s acting off, it can alert police in real time so they can respond faster. FYI: The new system won’t rely on facial recognition. It’s strictly focused on behavior, not people. Well, at least for now.

🗣️ ¿Hola, como estas? Live translation is coming to AirPods later this year with the iOS 19 update (paywall link), real-time convo decoding straight into your ears. Your iPhone talks, your AirPods whisper. It’s Google Translate meets sci-fi earpiece meets coffee shop small talk in multiple languages. As the Germans say, das is pretty cool. 

🐓 Cluckin’ wild: The Minecraft movie is meh, but Jack Black’s unhinged chicken ballad, “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” shot up to # 78 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s now the shortest song ever to hit the famed list, clocking in at 34 seconds, making it both a record and maybe a cry for help for our attention spans. Listen here, you have been warned.

Are you still relying on QuickBooks? There’s a smarter, more powerful solution waiting for you. Here’s why NetSuite by Oracle is the right choice for your business:

• All-in-one solution: Manage financials, HR, inventory and more from one platform.
• Boost efficiency: Eliminate tedious paperwork and get real-time insights to grow your business.
• Proven success: Trusted by over 41,000 companies.

Whether your business earns hundreds of thousands or hundreds of millions, who wouldn’t want less manual work, better decision-making and higher profits? Now’s the time to make the switch.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Google yourself and add “site:facebook.com” or “site:linkedin.com” to see what strangers can find about you.

🖥️ Rest your eyes: Switching to dark mode can help reduce glare. On a Mac, click the Apple menu > System Settings > Appearance > choose Dark. For Windows, open the Start menu > Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode > and select Dark.

Tape over your webcam? Hackers can hijack your webcam, spy on you and use the footage for blackmail. But tape leaves a sticky mess. Grab a webcam cover. This two-pack ($7) fits most laptops and tablets. Pro tip: You can’t always trust that little green light to tell you if your camera is on or off.

👥 Walk down memory lane: Just open the Facebook app, go to a friend’s profile, tap the three dots (on the right) then select See friendship. You’ll see all the posts and photos you’re in together plus any networks you share. Try it with your best buddies.

Watchful gestures: Get around the YouTube app faster with these tricks. Swipe up in the video player for full-screen mode, then swipe down when you’re ready to exit. Head over to my YouTube channel and give it a try (I know, shameless plug).

🔎 Skip the scroll: Need to share a specific spot on a web page? In Google Chrome, highlight the text, right-click your selection and choose Copy Link to Highlight. When someone opens your link, they’ll land right on that exact section.

The answer: A) It’s QWERTY to make typing slower so mechanical typewriters wouldn’t jam. Yup, QWERTY is an artifact of a time when humans moved faster than machines. How the tables have turned. We now ask machines to slow down so it’s us that doesn’t break and be qwerty. 

Instant emoji keyboard shortcut: On your PC, press Windows + . (period) and on Mac, Control + Command + Space. I use this a lot! Speaking of … What’s management’s favorite keyboard shortcut? Shift + Blame.

Tomorrow, I have the scoop on a new company that wants to scan your iris to prove you are you. Forward this newsletter to one person who needs to also get the best tech newsletter in the USA. Now, be sure to swipe right on yourself today. You’re amazing. 💖📲— Kim

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