Hi there on tech-spectular Sunday! I love seeing Bible stories come to life so I’m definitely going to watch “House of David” coming to Amazon Prime Video this Thursday, Feb. 27. Yes, it includes his fight against the giant Goliath. The actor playing him is 6’8”! I envy tall people. They sleep longer. 

Need a password manager you can trust? Use the one I do. It locks down your data with zero-knowledge encryption and military-grade security. It works on all your devices, stores unlimited passwords, auto-fills logins, and even monitors for breaches. Stay secure without the hassle. Now, let’s dive into high-tech dreamland. — Kim

I spent the first 10 years of my life in New Jersey. I still remember when I knocked out my front tooth on the swings and the time I threw a snowball at a police car and hit the cop inside on the head. That was bad.

Seeing the house on Google took me back. Yup, click that link to see where I grew up. And while you’re at it, take yourself on a walk down memory lane, too.

🏠 Blast from the past

There’s something nostalgic about revisiting the house where you grew up or experienced major life moments. 

With Google Street View’s time travel feature, you can see how it’s changed over the years, flashing back as far as Google’s cameras have been rolling in that area.

• Open the Google Maps app and search for a place.
• At the bottom, tap the place name or address.
• Scroll and select the photo labeled Street View, or select the thumbnail with a Street View icon.
• While viewing a location in Street View, tap anywhere on the image, then tap See more dates.

How fun is that, right?

🌎Check out these interesting Google Earth images

Open Google Earth. Copy one of the coordinates I listed below. Paste it into the Search box in Google Earth (you’ll find it on the left side of the screen). Press Enter to zoom into the exact location instantly. Repeat.

• Airplane storage facility: 32°08’59.96″ N, 110°50’09.03″W
• Mysterious desert pattern: 27°22’50.10″N, 33°37’54.62″E
• The Badlands Guardian: 50°0’38.20″N, 110°6’48.32″W (Zoom out a bit to see it.)
• Strange target in Nevada: 37°33’50.17”N, 116°51’4.44″W
• Weird shape in Nevada: 37°24’5.66″N, 116°52’4.11″W
• China desert roads: 40°27’29.33″ N, 93°23′ 35.32″E
• Big giant in Chile: 19°56’56.96″S, 69°38’1.83″W
• My studios: 33°31’35″N, 112°03’51″W
• Shipwrecks all over the world.

🤣 I once met the man who invented the part of a map that explains what each symbol means. Wow! What a legend.

👻 FBI warns about Ghost: A network of Chinese hackers are ramping up and going after people and businesses, locking up victim’s files until they pay up in Bitcoin. Be extra careful where you click, especially on social media. Remember, have a backup so you can tell the ransomware hackers to pound sand.

Second set of eyes: Meta’s AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses (paywall link) are helping blind folks like Allison Pomeroy feel more independent. She used to need her husband to read things like menus and signs. Now, she just has to say, “Hey Meta.” Love this.

Two apps, one bug: Check if you have the stalkerware apps Cocospy and Spyic secretly installed on your phone. Over 2.6 million snoops and victims just got their data like emails leaked from both apps. The app makers haven’t even fixed it yet. Here’s how to protect yourself.

😙 Whistleblowers swear it happened: Did you get banned on social media? The new FTC chairman opened an official investigation into whether Facebook, YouTube and Twitter (before it became X) censored opinions. Submit your story here by May 21. 

Need a change? Try Google’s Career Dreamer AI tool to find your perfect job. Answer questions about what you’re best at, and it’ll suggest roles that fit your experience. It’ll pump out a cover letter and resume, too. It’s in beta and free to try. Triple check anything it writes for you.

👼 Patron saint of PlayStation: Carlo Acutis, who passed away from leukemia at just 15 in 2006, was a tech-savvy teen who loved video games and built a website documenting miracles. Now, he’s about to become a saint, after reportedly performing a few miracles of his own, including healing a child with a birth defect. One Italian pediatrician credits Carlo with curing her cancer. His canonization is set for April 27.

Coming soon: YouTube Premium Lite. It cuts out the most annoying part of YouTube (the ads) but you don’t get all the bells and whistles of the $15/month tier like offline viewing and YouTube Music. Rumor has it it’ll be $7 a month.

🙈 Sleep tight: The internet is collectively freaking out over a viral vid of the first bipedal (two feet) musculoskeletal robot. Protoclone is made to look like it has muscles, joints and tendons. My favorite comment: “We had a good run, fellow humans.” Watch it here.

Ready to tackle messes and clutter? I’ve got you covered.

• Your skin’s gonna glow after using an exfoliating mitt (33% off) for the shower.
• Is that a stain on your washing machine? Zap it away with remover gel ($10).
• Need to save space? Hang a laundry hamper ($13.57) on the door.
• Speaking of doors… refrigerator organizers (17%) are perfect for your favorite hot sauce packets.
• If you dread draining tuna, a can strainer (21% off) is your new buddy.

🏠 Still looking? Swing by my list of winners you might need at home.

🏫 Let’s eat Grandma: It should be, “Let’s eat, Grandma.” Paste your writing into ChatGPT or your favorite chatbot and include this prompt: “You’re an English professor who is an expert in grammar. Please check this writing for any issues and suggest changes.”

Take AI for a spin: If you run a business, there’s no better time to embrace AI. Stay ahead of the curve while the experts handle the heavy lifting. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.*

Stop the nighty argument: Kids thrive on routine. In Apple Screen Time > Downtime or Google Family Link, set hours when devices lock automatically. During dinner or bedtime sure makes sense to me.

Vroom! When you’re watching a YouTube video, hit > to speed up the playback rate and < to slow down. About 1.5 is perfect for me.

I order supplements online: They’re more affordable that way and I never run out. On my daily list: Collagen for joint health and recovery. Hit this link for 45% off NativePath.* 

♥️ Best way to get cute animal pics: Get down on their level, then press and hold the shutter button. Burst mode takes lots of photos faster than you could and I bet there’s a winner in the bunch.

Little-known Amazon deals: An open-box return is just what it sounds like. Someone got the product, opened it up, said “Nah,” and returned it. Here’s a link to Amazon’s open-box deals.

• Laura from Apple Valley, California, fell for an Elon Musk crypto scam. She sank nearly $1,700 into fake “Teslacoins.” Ouch. 

• Mark from Toledo, Ohio, spends a ton of time talking to people in Japan for work. He wants a real-time AI translator that won’t butcher the language. 
• Nancy from Fort Worth, Texas, signed a fake Docusign, and now she’s freaking out. She wants to know her next steps. 

Plus, Kory wants a car maintenance app, Kevin looks for better bank security, Bill needs AI transcripts, Gennady hopes to digitize old tapes of her family … and so much more!

🦠 Replace: Your kitchen sponge. One study found 54 billion bacteria per square centimetre. EW. These are my favorites.

Explore: Pathfinder 1, a new take on the airship. 

Reminder: You’re being secretly tracked by 3 settings on your phone. 

Stir up: Some easy, healthy crockpot chicken and dumplings. Pro tip: Add in a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of celery for extra goodness.

See what’s on sale on Amazon that you buy already: Hit this special link so you don’t miss out on any sales and deals on your regular stuff.

📻 Catch my weekend radio show: As a podcast, you can listen to me right now or later, your choice.

Is that a library in your pocket? I like the Libby app for borrowing e-books, audiobooks and magazines from your local library, free of charge. Pro tip: If there’s a long wait for a book, look for it in a different format, like an audiobook.

📚 I once asked a librarian if she had a book about Pavlov’s Dog and Schrodinger’s Cat. She said it rang a bell but wasn’t sure if it was there or not. (Oh, so good!)

✅ Now is the time: You start using the #1 password manager that has continued to innovate and add great features. Check it out now and get a deal. Just $1.24 a month!

Forward this newsletter to your pals. They get free, fun insights and you get more buddies to talk with about tech stuff. Win-win, right? Appreciate you. I’ll see you again tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim