Happy back-to-work Tuesday, friend! You might have tossed gold into the Goodwill bin. Yep, talking about a sealed VHS tape that sold for an amount that should come with a security escort.

Pop quiz before the regret sets in deeper: What movie holds the record for selling for the highest amount ever, $125,000: A) The Goonies, B) Back to the Future, C) E.T., or D.) Ghostbusters? Answer’s at the end, and, yeah, you’re gonna want to search your home for this one.

🚀 Hope you had a restful holiday weekend, and I’m super glad you’re aboard the Komando tech rocket! No algorithms here. I handpick every single item in these newsletters, so no cloud is left unexplored in cyberspace. Let’s blast off to be sure you’re tech ahead! — Kim

It doesn’t bother me anymore, but it used to. Maybe it’s happened to you. You’re in a Zoom call, wearing pajama bottoms, and someone casually says, “Oh, my AI assistant is taking notes of everything everyone is saying.”

Wait, what?! There’s a digital stenographer silently documenting every sigh, awkward pause and half-baked idea you mutter?

AI meeting assistants like Otter.ai, Fireflies, Notion and others are the new must-have workplace tool. They can:

• Transcribe every word, so you can focus instead of frantically typing.
• Summarize key points, so you don’t have to rewatch the whole meeting.
• Highlight decisions and deadlines, so you know what matters.
• Assign tasks automatically based on what’s said. No more “Who was supposed to do that?”
• Even integrate with your apps like Slack, Trello or email to keep the ball rolling.

Super helpful, right? But just because you can bring AI into the boardroom doesn’t mean you always should.

🤖 Rule #1: Be up front

If AI is eavesdropping, slip in a casual, “Hey, I’ve got AI taking notes.” Be cool about it. Don’t drop it like a Bond villain mid-meeting: “Ah yes, my transcription robot is always listening.”

📩 Rule #2: Offer the summary

Want to be everyone’s favorite? Share the AI-generated recap. 

People love walking away from a meeting with clear notes, even if they were only half-paying attention (you know who you are). Sharing = good karma.

🛑 Rule #3: Respect boundaries

If someone isn’t comfortable being recorded or transcribed, don’t push. Hit pause on the AI. Forcing it makes you look tone-deaf and can even lead to people opting out of the meeting entirely.

Think of AI as a super intern who doesn’t ask for a “positive sandwich.”

True story: One intern once said to me, “I really need you to give me positive sandwiches.” I asked, “Ahem, what is that?” She said, “Instead of just telling me to rewrite the customer service email so it has steps and our phone number, it would be better to say, ‘Sarah, you’re so incredibly talented, and I love having you on the team. You make a wonderful difference every day!’ Then give me the feedback like, ‘Make it more personal and upbeat, like you and your personality.’ And end with, ‘I know you’ve got this, Sarah. You’re amazing!’” 

I paused, smiled and said, “Sarah, I think you’re looking for a manager with time to give you a standing ovation with a participation trophy. That’s not me.”

💸 Life savings wiped: Think these scams only happen to older adults? A 26-year-old lost over $30,000 after getting a fake text from “Wells Fargo” about a $1,300 charge. He replied no, got a call and scammers convinced him to transfer his money to a new account. Poof, all gone. FYI: Banks will never ask you to move your money to stop fraud.

Days of hanging out drinking coffee are ending: Cafes across the country are cutting off Wi-Fi or banning laptops altogether. Why? They’re tired of remote workers hogging tables for hours on Zoom calls with a single cup of joe. Yeah, can’t say I blame them.

🤖 Smarter than any human alive: Google cofounder Sergey Brin and DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis popped up like your weird cousins at Thanksgiving to say: AGI might land “right before or after 2030.” Brin thinks smarter algorithms matter more than horsepower, Hassabis says we need a few big breakthroughs. Nobody knows what “thinking” machines will do, though. Sleep well. 

Power banks on blast: Starting May 28, Southwest Airlines wants your power bank out and visible while charging. Lithium batteries are tiny arsonists with 19 in-flight incidents already this year. Portable chargers are the second most flammable vibe onboard after e-cigs. Reminder: “Unattended fire” is not a boarding group. Pro tip: Buy a reputable portable charger like this one (21% off)!

✍️ Faulty AI detectors: More students are being accused of using tools like ChatGPT when they didn’t. Like Leigh, who got a zero on her assignment after Turnitin said it was bot-written (paywall link). She appealed, but now records herself working. Others even track their keystrokes to avoid false positives. What a mess.

Instagram’s teen accounts don’t work: A group of testers created fake profiles to see what the algorithm would push. Instead of the so-called protection enabled by default, they were still shown sexual reels, eating disorders, drugs or worse (paywall link). Meta’s clapback? The report is flawed and most of the content is “PG-13” at worst. Sure. 

🦴 Help for arthritis is here: A 58-year-old woman got a tiny bio-implant that stopped her symptoms cold. It sends signals through the vagus nerve to calm inflammation, so no more pain or swelling. The best part? She only needs one minute of treatment a day. If all goes well, the FDA could approve it this summer.

Finding the perfect candidate for an open job can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Enter LinkedIn.

With millions of job seekers at your fingertips, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of skilled folks ready to make a difference. I’ve used LinkedIn to assemble my standout team who help put together this newsletter, my national radio show, our podcast and everything else we do.

LinkedIn’s advanced tools make the hiring process smoother than ever. They even help you put together the ideal job description so you can focus on what matters — growing your business.

🛟 From power outages to self-defense, you’ll want this gear.

• Stay charged up and get alerts with a hand-crank radio (17% off).
• A smoke & carbon monoxide detector (25% off) lets you act fast. 
• Roadside trouble? Keep a car safety tool ($29) in your glove box.
• This first aid kit ($40) has everything for bumps, cuts and burns.
• Clip one of these personal alarm sirens ($19) to your key chain.
• The meals in this emergency food bucket (5% off) last 25 years.

🚨 Don’t stop now: Stock up smart with more emergency must-haves on my page to stay prepped for anything.

🛒 Visit my Amazon store for more of my recommendations.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Send your exact location via text: Tap the “i” or “+” in your Messages app and choose “Send My Location.”

🤖 Fast AI help: You don’t need to leave Chrome to ask Gemini anything. Just type “@” in Chrome’s address bar and select Chat with Gemini. Ask your question, and you’ll be sent to gemini.google.com for your answer. First time using it? You’ll see a quick setup page.

Boost iPhone downloads: When you download multiple apps at once, your iPhone tries to install them all together. That’s fine on fast Wi-Fi, but not great if your connection is spotty. To speed up the one you need, go to App Library > Recently Added > long-press the app > tap Prioritize Download. It’ll go first.

👇 Android app shortcuts: Long-pressing certain apps gives you quick access to the features you use most. For example, Google Maps shows your favorite locations like Home or Work. Gmail lets you compose a new message or switch accounts. And Instagram? You can post something new or hop straight into your DMs.

I spy a virus: If your connection’s dragging, a virus might be the culprit. I trust and recommend TotalAV. It’s just $19 a year to protect up to five devices on Windows, Mac, Android and more. That’s total peace of mind for your phone, laptop and tablet.*

Your Echo knows movies: Planning your next movie night? Just say, “Alexa, tell me about the movie [title].” She’ll give you a quick rundown on the plot, director and cast without spoiling anything. It’s an easy way to help decide what to watch.

Sick of your cloud bill eating your budget alive? I negotiated with Oracle to bring you a limited-time offer to slash your cloud costs. We’re talking 50% off or more.* Why keep overpaying when you can run faster, leaner and smarter? 

The answer: A) The Goonies. A sealed VHS copy of the Richard Donner classic (based on a story by Steven Spielberg) shot in Astoria, Oregon, sold for $125,000 on eBay. Sealed original VHS copies of Back to the Future and Ghostbusters have each sold for $75,000, while a VHS copy of E.T. went for $40,000.

🏀 Did you know Steven Spielberg and John Williams play basketball together? He shoots, he scores! (You’re welcome, movie nerds.)

That’s a wrap for today’s edition of the #1 tech newsletter in the United States. Bytes, belly laughs and big vibes. Until tomorrow, may your hustle run on turbo boost all day! 🚀💼 — Kim

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