Happy Friday, friend. Since we’re talking streaming today, I wanted to let you know that Netflix is showcasing this legendary director’s filmography, starting June 1. Take a guess who’s about to crawl into your Netflix home page in two days: A) Christopher Nolan, B) Quentin Tarantino, C) David Lynch or D) Alfred Hitchcock? Find the answer in the credits (at the end!) 

🤩 Quick favor before we dive in: Hit Reply to this email and just say hello. Then, at the end, rate this newsletter and drop me a comment. It helps tell the Big Tech and internet provider algorithms that you actually want my free newsletter. Weird, but true. Thanks for keeping me out of spam-land!  — Kim

The average household coughs up nearly $70 a month on streaming subscriptions, and that’s before your internet tab. But let me tell you, I spend a lot more than that. It’s closer to $125.

Add it all together, and congratulations, you’re back in 2011 with your overpriced cable bundle, except this time, there’s no DVR to save you. 

Good news: You can cut your bill without cutting the fun. Here are 10 legit, totally free streaming services you can start watching now.

1. Pluto TV: With 250+ live channels and a huge library of on-demand content, Pluto brings the binge without the bill. Owned by Paramount, so expect solid picks.

2. Tubi: Backed by Fox, Tubi serves up over 50,000 titles from big studios like MGM, Lionsgate and Paramount. It’s on every platform you can think of.

3. YouTube: You already use it, but explore the “Free with ads” movies and shows. You’ll find full-length features, classic TV, and yes, my shows, too.

4. The Roku Channel: No Roku device needed. Stream 500+ live channels, thousands of movies and TV shows, plus originals like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

5. Freevee: Amazon’s ad-supported streamer has fewer commercials than regular TV and some fun originals. Jury Duty is Emmy-nominated for a reason.

6. Kanopy: This one’s the sleeper hit. All you need is a library card to unlock a curated library of indie films, documentaries and foreign titles. It’s ad-free, too.

7. Xumo Play: Built by Comcast and Charter, Xumo delivers 350+ live channels and an on-demand library with everything from news to nostalgia.

8. Plex: Once just a media server, Plex now streams movies, TV and live channels. Plus, if you have your own digital movie collection, Plex organizes it beautifully.

9. Hoopla: Another library-connected gem. It offers free movies, TV, audiobooks, comics and more completely ad-free. Perfect for families or book lovers.

10. LocalNow: Need local weather and news along with free movies and shows? LocalNow blends live info with a surprisingly solid entertainment lineup.

Bonus: CW App: Yes, the same CW Network (iOS, Android). Stream full episodes of Walker, All American and more. No sign-in or cable required. Just hit play.

🎬 🥂 There you go. Free TV, no contracts, no regrets. OK, maybe some regrets if you watch a made-for-TV thriller at 3 a.m. Hit the share button below and help someone break up with their streaming bill.

Speaking of … Henry in Phoenix sent me this one: “Hey, Kim, Nothing is built in America these days. I just bought a TV, and it said, ‘Built in Antenna.’ I don’t even know where that is!” Alas, I can only help so many people. 😔

🙈 No matter the surface, I’ve got you covered (literally).

• Keep that dirt outside with an all-season doormat (8% off).
• Slippery shower? This bathtub mat (25% off) sticks in place.
• An under-sink mat (15% off) catches any pesky leaks and spills.
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⚡ Power up: This mouse pad (20% off) wirelessly charges your tech while you work. No juggling cables.

🛒 Visit my Amazon store for more of my recommendations.

🫠 All sizzle, no sauce: This is a crazy story. Builder.ai pretended to be AI-powered while secretly running on cheap human developers in India. Founder Sachin Dev Duggal raised $445M from Microsoft, SoftBank and Qatar, faked revenue, and vanished into bankruptcy. The company was valued at $1.5 billion. Turns out its slogan, “as easy as ordering pizza,” meant microwaving frozen code.

Phishing got a glow-up: Scam emails used to scream “Nigerian prince” with typos galore. Now, AI makes them sound more legit than your actual bank. No weird phrasing, no broken English: just a well-written lie in your inbox. Even tiny languages like Icelandic aren’t safe. Slow down reading your email, and don’t jump to act.

🍎 Apple’s rebranding its software: Leaks say instead of iOS 18, you’ll soon see iOS 26. Same goes for macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26 and more (paywall link). The goal? To cut down on confusion and unify the branding, since some of the OS versions use different numbers. We’ll hear more at their developers conference starting June 9.

🗣️ Claude found its voice: Claude Free just leveled up with two new features: voice mode and web search. Now you can talk to Claude like it’s your AI roommate: Ask it to summarize your day, fetch docs, even send emails. And yes, it finally joined the “can Google stuff” club. Bonus: All this without paying a cent; well, you are paying with your data.

🐶 Puppies vs. cancer: A biotech company is developing a home test to detect cancer using specially trained dogs and AI. You breathe into a mask for three minutes, mail it back and the pups sniff for signs of cancer while AI tracks their reactions. Does it work? Clinical trials showed 94% accuracy. They ain’t woofin’ around.

🏃🏼‍♂️ Fake it ’til you jog it: There’s now an app called Fake My Run that lets you draw made-up jogging routes and upload them to Strava like you’re a cardio god. Inspired by “Strava mules” (yes, people pay others to run for them), the app’s developer says it’s a comment on running’s toxic clout-chasing culture. I was running down the street where the houses were numbered, 64k, 128k, 256k, 512k and 1MB. What a trip down memory lane!

Big Tech are email snoops: Gmail, Yahoo and all those other Big Tech companies track your email activity. StartMail puts privacy first! No ads, no tracking, includes encrypted emails and disposable addresses. Get 60% off your first year, and try it free for seven days.*

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Some VPNs slow your connection or, worse, track your internet activity and compromise your security. Not ExpressVPN. Plus, you can connect in just one click from a Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, iPad — you name it.

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⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Facebook Messenger, type @everyone to notify everyone in the chat. It’s great for urgent messages.

🥦 Struggling with meal planning? You don’t have to keep guessing what to buy every week. Try prompting ChatGPT with something like, “Plan a week of simple, healthy meals I can actually cook, and make a grocery list with the exact ingredients.” You can take it a step further by also asking it to stay within your budget or avoid foods you don’t like. Amazing.

Fix cramped handwriting on iPad: Used your Apple Pencil and wrote your words too close together? No need to erase. Just tap and hold between the words with your Pencil. When the vertical line appears, drag to space them out as much as you want. Quick, easy and no do-overs needed.

🖥️ Clear taskbar clutter on Windows 11: You can remove most apps by right-clicking them and choosing Unpin from taskbar. But some, like Widgets and Chat, need extra steps. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and toggle them off under Taskbar items. Finally, room for the stuff you actually use.

Chromebook lagging? Press Search + Escape to open the Task Manager. You’ll see a list of apps, browser tabs and extensions. Look for anything using a lot of memory or CPU (processing power). If something stands out, click it and select End Process to force it to close.

💬 Add and view Instagram captions: Want auto-captions on your story? Tap the (+) icon, upload your video, then tap the Stickers icon and select Captions. To see captions on other people’s stories and reels, go to your Profile > Menu > Settings and activity > Accessibility > Captions, then toggle on Always show closed captions.

The answer: D) Alfred Hitchcock, the original king of suspense and shower-scene sabotage. The Netflix showcase kicks off June 1 with six of his best: Vertigo, Rear Window, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Family Plot and The Birds. They should remake that today as The Drones.

🎥 Hitchcock directed over 50 films between the 1920s and 1970s, and once said actors should be treated like cattle. (Yikes, OK, Alfred.) If you’ve ever felt a little uneasy staring out your window, you’ve got him to thank. Get cozy, but keep the lights on. 

One more thing: The birds used in Hitchcock’s 1963 movie were well-trained, especially the ravens, which are also very intelligent. During the making of the movie, some were even given names. All Hitchock had to say when directing them was “Gregory, peck.” (Get it, the actor? Tough crowd!)

That’s it for the #1 tech newsletter in the United States for a day. Roll credits. 😎 You’re now encrypted with greatness! 🔒🌟 — Kim

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