Happy Monday to you, friend. Apple’s big product announcement conference starts today in Cupertino, California. So let’s see if you know the answer to this fun trivia question that you can use to impress your family and friends.

🍎 Which of the following is a real product Apple once created? Was it a … A) Smart surfboard, B) Digital notepad for pets, C) Line of clothing and accessories or D) Bike with a built-in iPad? You’ll find the answer at the end!

🎧 Confession time: You skipped my show this weekend, didn’t you? The beauty of technology (and let’s be honest, my show) is that you can catch up anytime, anywhere. Pajamas optional, smart devices mandatory. Here’s a one-click link to my show on the most popular podcast players. Now, let’s jump in to keep you and your loved ones tech-smart and safe. — Kim

I’ve got bad news: Today’s online scammers know everything about you. They’re scraping your info and everyone else’s from the web and buying the rest from data brokers and people-search sites. 

📈 The stats are scary

Folks age 60-plus are the biggest target. Almost 72% of scams start with personal data grabbed online. Data brokers vacuum up your info like phone numbers, emails, past addresses, income, favorite takeout spots and then auction it off like eBay for creepers.

With this data, they use personalized weapons.

🎯 Criminals know who to target

Study this list. Here’s what these attacks look like:

• AI phone calls that sound like your grandkids.
• Medicare fraud quoting your last doctor visit.
• Calls from “your bank” that know your address.
• Investment traps tailored to your retirement income.
• Romance scams where your “lover” has the same interests.

Live in a state with higher retirement incomes? 

You’re in the bull’s-eye. Texas seniors lost an average of $51,700 per complaint. My state, Arizona, had the highest elder fraud rate per capita (3.5 cases for every 1,000 seniors). Yikes.

🛡️ How to fight back

1. Freeze your credit:
Even if you’re not worried about identity theft, a credit freeze keeps crooks from opening accounts in your name.

2. Use call filtering apps:
Try tools like Hiya, Nomorobo or your carrier’s spam call protection. And never answer unknown numbers, voicemail is your friend.

3. Get a password manager:
Weak passwords make you easy prey. Use a manager like NordPass to generate and store secure logins.*

4. Talk about scams with loved ones:
The people most at risk often don’t think they’re at risk. Share this article with your spouse, parents, grandparents and neighbors.

5. Don’t trust caller ID:
Scammers spoof numbers from banks, hospitals, even relatives. If something feels off, hang up and call the official number directly.

🧠 The smartest move

Truly, the best way to protect yourself is using a data removal service like Incogni. It scrubs your personal info from shady people-search sites and data brokers, so scammers, spammers, stalkers and creeps have nothing to work with. 

Incogni has sent out over 1,400 removal requests for me. The results? No spam texts, no scam calls and way fewer creepy ads that know too much.

✅ Click here to get 60% off with this limited time offer. You can now flag specific links you find online (like your address, phone number or that article that shares way too much). A real person handles the takedown and keeps you updated every step of the way.

You can cover up to five people on one family plan, and there’s a 30-day risk-free trial. Don’t love it? Get your money back, no hoops to jump through.

These scams aren’t slowing down. But if you stay informed and take a few smart steps, you’ll make yourself a much harder target.

📱 Job text scam-a-palooza: Scammers are texting people fake job offers (i.e., Target hiring you to click buttons for $200/hr), and folks are falling for it (paywall link). Losses topped $470 million last year. AI makes these scams dangerously believable, and Gen Z is out here click-click-clicking their way into identity theft. 

Floppy air control: Terrifying fun fact, U.S. air traffic control still partially runs on actual floppy disks and Windows 95. And yep, Newark’s had three major outages in five weeks. The FAA wants a $10B-ish tech glow-up, but politics and duct tape might kill the plan before takeoff. If Clippy pops up mid-landing, we’re all in God’s hands.

🚁 Walmart’s drone army: Wing and Walmart are dropping drone deliveries in 100 more stores. If you’re in Atlanta, Charlotte or Orlando, your box of Pop-Tarts might arrive like it’s a military op. Drones now deliver within 30 minutes for orders up to 5 pounds. Those aren’t UFOs, Samantha. That’s your emotional support rotisserie chicken.

EV range lies: Consumer Reports drove 30 EVs dry at 70 mph and found over half underdelivered on range. Some like the Ford Lightning were off by up to 50 miles. BMW and Merc went the extra mile. Reminder: highway range ≠ sticker range. Especially not when it’s 95° and you’re blasting AC. 

📺 Rated B for bogus: That $7.99/month YouTube Premium Lite plan is about to get a lot less ad-free. Starting June 30, you’ll see ads on Shorts, music videos and while browsing or searching. It’s all part of the push to get folks on full Premium for $13.99/month with no ads or background play.

💸 $742 million fortune lost: After 12 years, the guy who tossed a hard drive with 8,000 Bitcoin has to give up the search. It’s buried in a landfill in Wales, but officials won’t allow a dig because of environmental risks. And to top it off? A judge says it likely didn’t survive anyway. At least his story’s getting a documentary. 

🧽 Only tools that don’t mess around … unless it’s to clean one up.

• Poof! An expandable wand (10% off) makes windshields shine.
• Stick on these ceiling fan filters ($22) to catch dust for you.
• Toss in some dryer balls (13% off) for softer, fresher laundry.
• Scrub your cup’s crusty crevices with a brush set (17% off).
• Keep your gear handy in this cleaning apron (8% off).

🐱 Fur be gone: Snag a steam brush ($26) to comb and de-shed your furry friend in one go. Your couch will thank you.

🛒 Visit my Amazon store for more of my recommendations.

“What’d you say?” Barry doesn’t say that anymore since he got hearing aids. Horizon IX hearing aids deliver clear sound, smart comfort and seamless connectivity. Try them risk-free for 45 days, and enjoy lifetime support.*

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Use a “silent” contact for 2FA backup. Set up an alt number (like Google Voice) as a second factor. But don’t tie it to your main inbox.

Meet me at the address bar: Press Ctrl + L (PC) or Command + L (Mac) to instantly highlight your browser’s URL bar. No dragging your mouse or fumbling to click. It’s a simple trick that saves me time every day.

🛜 Who’s on your Wi-Fi? Angry IP Scanner is a free app that scans your network for IP addresses and tracks everything that’s connected to it. Perfect for spotting moochers, catching suspicious activity or just troubleshooting tech issues.

Stack iPad widgets: Want weather for two locations? Add the Weather widget twice: Tap and hold the Home Screen, hit Edit, then Add Widget. Drag one onto the other to stack them. Tap and hold the stack, select Edit Weather and set a location for each. Now just swipe through to view both.

🎞️ Compress videos: Is your 10-minute clip 2GB? Use HandBrake to shrink the size. Drag and drop the file, pick a save location, choose a preset like Very Fast 1080p30 and click Start Encode. Be sure to check out this tutorial. 

Answer: C) A line of clothing and accessories. In 1986, Apple launched the Apple Collection, apparel and gear featuring the iconic rainbow logo. Think polo shirts, track jackets, tote bags and hats. Today, collectors pay big money for originals. Some pieces have sold for over $5,000 at auction. Yes, really.

🔮 I’ll let you know tomorrow what Apple has in store for new products. Apple really is the most futuristic company out there. They have already adjusted their prices for the next 50 years of inflation!

This is the #1 tech newsletter in the USA, maybe because it’s the only one that explains lasers, scams and Walmart drone armies in one shot. Talk soon, you’ve got the confidence most people wish they had about all things digital. Congrats to us both! 💬 — Kim

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