🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July! Tonight, you might catch America’s sky doing some synchronized stunts, but not only from fireworks. I’m talking about drone shows. 

How close can drones fly to each other during these performances? Take a guess: A) 10 feet, B) 6.5 feet, C) 4 feet or D) 1.5 feet apart. Answer’s at the end!

🔥 Help me save the world. Forward this newsletter to that family member who still thinks drones = aliens. Yes, that one. — Kim

July 4th is all about independence, fireworks and maybe reinventing how many hot dogs a stomach can physically hold. 

But financial freedom? Nothing says “I’m a prisoner of the bad side of capitalism” like paying for three streaming services just to rewatch The Office on a loop.

Here’s how to break free from the subscriptions you forgot about (but are still paying for). 

Spoiler: You might save hundreds in under 15 minutes.

✂️ Cut ties the easy way

Here’s how to catch subscription suckers on your own:

• On iPhone: Go to Settings > tap your name > Subscriptions. You’ll see every active Apple-billed subscription. Tap to cancel what you’re not using.
• On Android: Open the Google Play Store > tap your profile pic > Payments & Subscriptions > Subscriptions. Cancel with a couple taps.
• On Amazon: Head to Accounts & Lists > Memberships & Subscriptions. This shows every Subscribe & Save, channel, Kindle Unlimited and more.

💬 Try this AI trick: Upload your last bank or credit card statement (delete the private stuff), and let ChatGPT or your favorite AI bot sort through it like your own digital accountant.

Use the prompt: “List all the subscription charges in this statement. Mark which ones are essential and which I can probably cancel.”

🧾 Find the vampires

You can also use a free app with paid premium features like Rocket Money or OneMain Trim. These scan your bank and credit card accounts to uncover recurring charges hiding in plain sight. That $7.99 magazine app you downloaded during a dentist appointment in 2019? Busted.

PSA: You will need to link your bank accounts and credit card accounts with the app so it can do its job. Yea, that’s a lot of data you’re sharing right there.

⏰ Stay unsubscribed

Set reminders for free trials in your phone or calendar. Even better, create a Gmail filter for keywords like:

• “Trial ending soon”
• “Monthly statement”
• “Renewal notice”

You’ll catch them before they catch you.

Independence isn’t just about sparklers and flags. Burn your subscriptions, not your wallet. Freedom never felt so financially smart.

🎇 Amidst all of the distractions on this 4th of July, let’s not forget what we’re celebrating. The British blew a 13-colony lead.

🇺🇲 Land of the free (from clutter).

• 🧺 Level up laundry day: These drawstring bags (10% off, two-pack) hold up to three loads. 4.6 stars and 19,000+ reviews.

• Need more space? Go vertical. Floating shelves (9% off) show off your things. No more desk clutter.

• 🛏️ Moving made easy: Zip up your mattress in a bag with handles (14% off). Perfect for college move-ins and outs.

• No more hidden messes: You’ll say, “Wow, I didn’t know I had that much room” with these under-sink organizers (33% off).

• 📁 File under “smart”: A rolling cabinet (15% off) that moonlights as a printer stand? Yes, please.

• Sneakerheads, rejoice: Tidy up your kicks with clear organizer boxes (25% off). They’re stackable for tight spaces.

👉 Don’t miss out: If you’re 18-24, Prime for Young Adults gets you all the perks with a $0 trial for six months, then it’s 50% off after that.

⚠️ AI ate the home page: First, the good news. ChatGPT’s referrals to sites are way up (25x!) from zero. The bad news? Nearly 70% of Google searches now end in zero clicks to sites. It just doesn’t matter if you’re top of Google search results anymore. SEO used to be gold. Spoiler: I predicted this over two years ago and got laughed at.

Crypto wallet trapdoor: Just do yourself a favor and don’t download any crypto extensions. Why? Over 40 sketchy extensions spoofing legit crypto wallets flooded Firefox’s store, all rigged to steal seed phrases and passwords. Thieves copied open-source code from Coinbase, MetaMask and co., then slid in exfil tools hiding behind glossy logos and fake reviews. 

🤡 Alienating your customers is bad for your brand: Jaguar’s sales plummeted 97.5% after it released that super weird ad last November with nonbinary models wearing a rainbow of colors with slogans like “Copy Nothing” and “Live Vivid” but excluded any images of its new electric cars. In April, they only sold 49 cars in all of Europe. Wow.

Apple v. Everyone: This isn’t surprising news, but you should be aware. Apple tried to block a DOJ antitrust suit saying it rigs the smartphone market, and lost. The case will go to trial, with feds claiming Apple bullies devs, locks out competition and basically gatekeeps iOS. Apple says it’s just “innovation.”

🎬 Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years: Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide. Watch the trailer here.

👂🏻 Gene therapy restores hearing: I love this. Scientists helped people with lifelong deafness hear for the first time using an experimental treatment. They injected the OTOF gene (needed to send sound signals to the brain) into patients born with a mutation. The outcome? After six months, everyone tested gained some level of hearing. Amazing. 

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 42,000 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: Swipe in with three fingers on your iPad or iPhone from the side to copy/paste or undo/redo. It’s the gesture shortcut pros (and now you) use.

Baby, you’re a firework: For better Fourth pics, turn off your flash and try Burst mode. Hold down your finger on the picture button to enter Burst mode and take dozens of rapid-fire photos. Or do what I do and just enjoy it IRL. No one’s gonna want to see the fireworks video you took with your phone, just sayin’.

🤖 Use Canva inside ChatGPT: You can now design directly in ChatGPT without switching tabs. Here’s how: Open ChatGPT, go to Tools > Run deep research > Sources and connect your Canva account. From there, you can pull in brand assets, reuse existing designs or whip up something new based on your current chat.

Time to go viral: Want more likes, views and comments on your Instagram Reels? Post during peak hours. Noon is prime time, especially on Fridays. Chasing likes? Try midnight. But timing isn’t everything. Click here to find the best days and hours that match your niche.

🍏 Turn Spotlight searches into shortcuts: Always using Spotlight on your iPhone to find the same apps? Save yourself the trouble. Just long-press the app in the search results, drag it out and drop it onto your Home Screen. It’s quicker than digging through your App Library every day.

Swipe to type on Samsung: If you have a Galaxy smartphone, you don’t need to tap each key. Open a message, select the keyboard settings icon, and go to Swipe, touch, and feedback. Choose Keyboard swipe controls, then hit Swipe to type. Now just glide your finger across letters to spell out words. Easy.

🚨 A sneaky virus could be lurking. It’s better to be safe than sorry, which is why I trust TotalAV. For just $19 for the first year, you get rock-solid antivirus protection on up to five devices. It’s smart, simple and keeps your tech safe without breaking the bank.*

Answer: D) Just 1.5 feet apart. Yep, these aerial overachievers are flying closer than the sides of the family that don’t get along in a group photo. 

Thanks to ultra-precise GPS and military-grade coordination, these drones can pull off their delicate sky ballet with zero midair drama. It’s like synchronized swimming, but with rotors and zero chlorine. 

Ever wonder … Why aren’t there any Independence Day knock-knock jokes? Because freedom rings. 🔔

Remember: This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s the #1 tech newsletter in the USA. Tomorrow, I’m going over smart gadgets that basically pay for themselves, like thermostats that slice your energy bill, bulbs that dim when no one’s in the room, and leak sensors that can save you hundreds. 

You made it to the end. Gold star for you. ⭐ — Kim

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