Happy Thursday to you, friend. Humans have built billion-dollar technologically advanced spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity, only to get sabotaged by a common machine that lurks in offices across America. 

📌 Take a guess what malfunctioning item once caused NASA to lose total contact with a spacecraft? A) Fax machine, B) Printer, C) Coffee maker, or D) Microwave. The shocking answer awaits you at the end. 

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If your smartphone was ever lost or stolen, would you know what to do? Lock it remotely, call your carrier or use a tracking app. That’s a start.

But you know what weapon most people sleep on? 

That weird 15-digit code called your IMEI. Your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is like a Social Security number for your phone. Every phone has one, and it’s not tied to your phone number or SIM card.

Why does this matter? 

Let’s say someone nabs your phone and jams in a shiny new SIM. They think they’re slick. But your carrier can use your IMEI to block the hardware itself from the entire mobile network. Boom. The phone is now a $900 coaster.

It doesn’t get you the device back. Think of it as your phone’s self-destruct button, minus the explosions. Those cost extra.

Find your IMEI 

This part is easy. Just open your phone app and dial: *#06#

That’s star, pound, zero, six, pound. You don’t even have to press call. Your IMEI number will pop right up on your screen.

Grab a pen. Take a screenshot. Email it to yourself. Save it in a secure notes app. Etch it into a cursed amulet you hang above your door. Whatever works. 

Just don’t only store it on your phone (reminder: likely the missing item in this future scenario). This is one of those tiny tech things that makes a big difference, and that’s exactly why I’m here. 😉

🧳 You’ve got places to go. My picks are built to come along for the ride.

• Kick back, relax and save on a folding camping chair (14% off).
• Take a quick rinse anywhere with a portable shower (20% off).
• This handy 3-in-1 vacuum (43% off) can also dust and pump air.
• Charge up with the sunshine with a solar power bank (20% off).
• Tiny screen? Grab an extra monitor (33% off) to double your real estate. 

🐶 Fur real safety: Snag a belt leash (15% off) to keep your pup strapped in while you’re on the road.

🚗 A parent’s worst nightmare: An Uber driver recently took off with a sleeping 5-year-old daughter still in the back. The mom, Julia, called 911, but Uber refused to call the driver without paperwork. It took Toronto cops over an hour to find the girl safe. Uber’s apology? A $10 future ride credit, because nothing says “sorry, we misplaced your child” like one free quarter-ride to Chili’s.

🙏 Can AI predict the next pope? Not really, but they’re giving it a shot. Grok and Gemini picked Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s former number two under Pope Francis. ChatGPT went with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. But even the bots will tell you it’s a guessing game. The process is way too secretive for data to crack … for now. 

🔒 WhatsApp’s new privacy feature: Scammers love to ask you to use WhatsApp. When the new Advanced Chat Privacy mode is on, your messages can’t be exported and pics/vids won’t auto-download. To find it, tap the chat name, then select Advanced Chat Privacy.

🕶️ Meta glasses can live-translate: Ray-Ban smart glasses owners can now have conversations with someone in English, French, Italian or Spanish and hear the translation in real time through their shades. The best part? No internet needed. Just download the language pack ahead of time, and it works offline, too. I can’t wait to try this!

I take two scoops of collagen a day: It’s good for bone density, makes your nails and hair stronger and can help smooth wrinkles. Use this link for 45% off* if you want to try it, too.

📦 Thrifting apps are booming: They’re up 18% in the first quarter compared to last year (paywall link). Folks are using apps like Depop and eBay for cheaper secondhand clothes and furniture since Shein and Temu are getting pricier because of tariffs. But hey, with all that demand, don’t be shocked when thrift prices start acting ~boutique~. 

💊 Hair-raising warning: Hims, Keeps and Ro promising to bring back your hairline? That topical finasteride they’re peddling isn’t FDA-approved (paywall link). Only the pill version is. They also don’t always spell out the side effects: erectile dysfunction, brain fog and depression that can last after you stop trying to get a head of hair. 

🚔 Publishers Clearing House scam: This is something! An 84-year-old woman was told she’d won $5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. The catch? All she had to do was pay $30,000 in “taxes” first. She handed over $19K before realizing something was off and setting up a sting with the cops. Granny wasn’t playing around, and the police caught the crooks. Reminds me of when my son Ian asked, “Grandma, how old are you?” “A woman never reveals her age,” my mom said. Ian said, “Alright, just give me the first digit.” “Seven,” she said. “And the second?” Mom sighed and said, “Two.” And Ian said, “And the third?” 😂

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 40,000 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: Streaming on your phone? Flip on Wi-Fi Assist (iPhone) or Adaptive Connectivity (Android) to prevent buffering when Wi-Fi drops.

🛜 Off the grid? Check Gmail anytime, even without an internet connection. Just log into Gmail, tap the gear icon > See all settings > Offline tab > click Enable offline mail. Click here to go right to that page. Choose your offline data settings and hit Save. This only works in Chrome and not in Incognito mode.

👔 Pro at video: Want your LinkedIn videos to pop? Keep ads to 15-30 seconds and bigger topics under two minutes. Formats like 9:16 (vertical) or 1:1 (square) look the best on phones and do better. To upload, open the app and tap Start a post (top right) > Add Media (picture frame icon) > pick your video and hit Post.

💵 A dollar here, a dollar there: It seems like every subscription is more expensive than when I signed up. Use the Rocket Money* app to see what you’re paying for. I do! They’ll even cancel a subscription for you if it’s not worth the money anymore.

📵 This will be on the test: Do your kids have Androids? School Time on Google Family Link keeps them focused by turning off notifications and limiting apps. Select your child, tap the Screen time (three bars) > Schedules > School time. You can set breaks for lunch, recess or vacations, too.

🖨️ Printer in a jam? Let’s fix that. Turn off your printer and unplug it to stay safe. Open the back panel and peek inside. See the stuck paper? Gently pull it out in the direction of the arrows (no yanking). Once it’s clear, plug the printer back in and power it on. You’re good as new.

📌 Put a pin in it: Pin your go-to apps so you can find them quickly. On Windows 11, open the Start menu > All apps > right-click an app you want and choose Pin to Start. For Macs, go to Finder > Applications > then click-drag the app you want to your Dock. Right-click to unpin.

Answer: B) Printer. In 2006, a malfunctioning printer jammed NASA’s Deep Space Network, cutting off contact with a spacecraft. The culprit? A loose cable in the break room. Talk about a paper jam gone cosmic. One small glitch for man, one giant headache for mission control.

🐮 You may not be aware of it, but NASA conducted an experiment during the Apollo mission days. They launched a collection of cows into orbit on a prototype rocket. It was a herd shot round the world. (I laughed while writing that one!)

📬 Before you vanish into the Wi-Fi ether: What’s the oldest tech you still use … on purpose? Bonus points if it hisses, spins or threatens to explode. 

Tomorrow, the world’s first three-panel foldable phone in the best tech newsletter in the USA. Appreciate you being here. Unplug when you must but never from me. 🫶🔌 — Kim

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