It’s a tech-tastic Tuesday, friend! Lots of you asked, and nope, I’m not at CES this year. I’m in Paris! But I’m keeping a close eye on the new consumer tech dropping, and this one caught my … ear.

HumanPods are open-ear wireless headphones that bring AI right into your head — no phone, no screen, no problem. Just tap an earbud and ask to chat with your therapist, travel guide or even a personal trainer. They call them “AI People,” and each develops its own personality and beliefs over time. Remember when this was a movie plot and not real life?

🏄 We have a big day, so let’s jump into the rest of the tech know-how you’re here for to keep you tech‑ahead! — Kim

Last year, my husband Barry got sick. We thought it was just a cold, but then, the strangest thing happened: He lost hearing in one ear because of a virus. After months of waiting, endless consultations and a lot of research, we learned how common this is.

About 1.5 billion people suffer from some kind of hearing loss, and viral infections are a major cause. That whole time, we struggled to talk to each other. Barry couldn’t hear me, and he didn’t want to try hearing aids.

One conversation changed that. “I use glasses to see. What’s different about using hearing aids to hear better?” He agreed to try them if I could find a good option he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable wearing. I got to work and found one I wanted to share with you, too.

First, how do hearing aids work?

The old clunky models you probably think of did one thing: Amplify sound. The microphone captures sound, the amplifier makes it louder and the speaker delivers it to your ear. Done.

Some of today’s hearing aids have an added high-tech component: Tiny processors that analyze the sound around you.

This means they don’t just make everything louder; they focus on the sounds you want to hear, like your friend’s voice in a loud restaurant. They even reduce annoying background noise.

Here’s where it gets cool

New hearing aids are packed with features you’d expect in a pair of high-end earbuds:

• Bluetooth connectivity: Stream music, podcasts or phone calls directly to your hearing aids. It’s your own personal sound system.
• Directional microphones: These focus on sound coming from specific directions, like zeroing in on a conversation and muting the chatter around you.
• Automatic adjustments: Some models can detect if you’re in a quiet library or a bustling restaurant and adjust their settings accordingly.
• Feedback suppression: No more awful high-pitched whistling.

Not all models are created equal

Barry asked for the best, and I took that seriously. Now, AirPods can work if your hearing loss is mild to moderate, but for anything more severe, you need tech built for the job. I looked into a lot of brands and found hear.com.

Their Horizon IX hearing aids pack not just one but two state-of-the-art computer chips for dual-processing. They process speech and background noise independently, then recombine them for the clearest possible sound, even in busy, loud places.

The Horizon IX’s lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable, and they’re practically invisible and comfortable, even if you wear glasses. You can see a doctor near you, and if you’re not happy, you can get a full refund.

So, what does Barry think?

He told me he wished he’d gotten them sooner. That’s what readers and listeners who email me about the Horizon IX say, too.

Reader Ross wrote in to tell me, “This was one of my best purchases.” That makes me so happy!

✅ Hit this link to see if you qualify for a 45-day no-risk trial now, while you’re thinking about it.

There’s enough annoying stuff in the day-to-day. Let’s knock out a few little troubles so you can focus on what matters.

• You scrub and scrub surfaces, and they’re still dirty. This drill brush attachment pack for under $20 does the hard work for you.
• When twisting the lid off the pickle jar is a real struggle, try this grip jar opener (17% off) to win the battle. It mounts under a cabinet, so it takes up no space.
• Does your dog get nervous or too excited in the car? This seatbelt tether (around $10) keeps your pooch safe so you can focus on the road.
• Every time you need brown sugar for Grandma’s cookie recipe, it’s rock hard. Never again! This $5 fired clay bear will help maintain its moisture.
• This handy-dandy vegetable chopper (9% off) is a no-tear solution to make soup, stew or anything else a lot faster.

🤑 Good deal alert: A bunch of home essentials (think cleaning products, toilet paper and batteries) are part of Amazon’s buy $50, get $15 in Amazon credit promo — a no-brainer if it’s stuff you already buy!

Microsoft is getting sneaky: If you search for Google on Bing, the page scrolls and hides the Bing logo so you think you’re searching on Google. It even adds a Google-like search bar and mimics a Google Doodle. Always double-check the URL so you don’t get fooled.

🚘 No Waymo: A guy in LA almost missed his flight after his Waymo was stuck driving in circles in a parking lot. Waymo didn’t even follow up on his calls for help. The autonomous vehicle ride-hail service says the glitch was fixed, and they returned his money. It happened in Phoenix at Sky Harbor, too! I’m still not getting in one.

🚨 Android malware alert: FireScam is sneaky Android malware posing as Telegram Premium. It drops malware directly into your device, steals your data and spies on what you’re doing. It’s spreading on fake app store sites, so always download from the official Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

🖥️ Money grab: Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, and the idea is to sell a ton of new AI-powered computers. They predict 80% of businesses and 70% of consumers will upgrade to Windows 11 in the next two years. Microsoft needs the cash for the $80 billion it’s spending on AI data centers this year.

Do you see what I see? Apple opted you into its Enhanced Visual Search feature, which scans your photos for landmarks, and they didn’t ask your permission. Apple promises it’s all anonymous and encrypted, but you know as well as I do that some features don’t always work exactly as they should. To turn it off on an iPhone, head to Settings > Apps > Photos and toggle off Enhanced Visual Search. On a Mac, toggle it off in Photos under Settings > General.

This is frightening: The New Orleans attacker used Meta’s smart glasses to record Bourbon Street months before his rampage. With the glasses’ video recording capabilities, he was able to quietly survey the area and plan the attack that killed 14 people. Tech has incredible potential for good; the opposite is true in the wrong hands.

Bye-bye, Gogo: Whoa … fast, free in-flight Wi‑Fi that actually works! Starlink’s satellite broadband is coming to United. Testing starts next month, and it’ll launch across hundreds of Airbus and Boeing jets if all goes well. You’ll need to sign up for a free MileagePlus frequent-flyer program for access.

👜 Spoiler … It’s sold out: The internet’s going crazy over Walmart’s Hermès Birkin purse lookalike that’s only $78. The real thing runs up to $40,000 new or $300,000 for the rarest resales. Walmart’s version is real leather and looks similar for sure. It’s called the “Kamugo genuine leather handbags purse for women” on their website. I’d be shocked if they didn’t restock.

💡 AI trick of the day: “Priming” is the insider term for telling a chatbot exactly what you want from it. With ChatGPT or any other, the more constraints you give, the better your answer. Examples: “Limit your response to 250 words,” “Give me the list in bullet points” and “Format the results as a table.”

Small-biz smarts: When you have contracts with different companies and vendors, you’ll never remember those dates. Create a shared work calendar that gives everyone who needs it notice when a contract is renewing. Pro tip: Build in time in case you have a 30- or 90-day out.

😶 Secret button in your Windows 10 and 11 taskbar: Clicking it will minimize everything you have open. It’s located in the bottom right corner of your screen, past the time and notification icon — a tiny sliver. Click it again to bring your stuff back. Good one!

Someone always thanks me for this shortcut: You probably already use Ctrl/Cmd + V to paste. Try Ctrl + Shift + V on PC or Option + Cmd + Shift + V on Mac to paste text without the formatting.

💵 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.

It never hurts to ask: Some credit cards offer extended warranties on anything you buy with the card. If your expensive vacuum or laptop craps out, it’s worth asking Amex or Chase if they’ll pay to repair or replace it.

AI trick for you: Barry wanted something equivalent to a cabernet at a Paris cafe yesterday. I took a picture of the menu and asked ChatGPT. It recommended the Saint-Émilion Grand. The waiter agreed!

This will be a bestseller: Ever seen Samsung’s The Frame TV? It looks like a piece of art on the wall instead of a big, ugly black box. The downside to The Frame has always been its just-OK picture quality. They recently announced The Frame Pro at this year’s CES, complete with all kinds of spec upgrades and AI features. No word on the price yet, but the OG models are already discounted by 33%.

What’d Master Yoda say when he saw himself in 4K? “HDMI.” (Oof, I know, that made me groan, too.)

👏 Three cheers for your staying tech-ahead. I’m glad you’re here, and I want you to know I’m cooking up so many good things to share in 2025. See you right back here tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim