🔌 Go ahead, walk into an EV dealership and ask how much they charge: So here’s the scoop: People are picking up brand-new electric cars for less than $100/month. One guy leased a $65,000 Kia EV9 for $189. It’s all because tax credits are about to expire on Sept. 30, and dealers are basically handing out keys like coupons. If your car’s dying, run, don’t walk to your local EV dealer.
Vacuums gone rogue
Midjourney
Remember when robot vacuums were basically remote-control bumper cars with anxiety? They’d bounce around, get stuck under the couch and scare the cat. These days, they claim to do it all – vacuum, mop, empty themselves and learn your floor plan better than your dog has.
Here’s the thing no one wants you to know: Most of them still have quirks. The one that works great in your friend’s apartment might flail in your pet-hair-filled, two-story home with rugs and stairs.
Let’s break it down, so you don’t waste money on a cute little robot that ends up just sitting in the corner.
🐾 Got pets?
Pet hair gets everywhere, and the last thing you want is to clean the cleaner. Look for strong suction and a brush that doesn’t tangle every time it sees a tumbleweed of fur.
The roborock Q7 M5+ and Shark AI Ultra are great picks. Dyson’s robot vac looks cool, but it misses corners and has a hard time with thick fur. Pretty but not practical.
🏠 Hardwood or tile floor?
You don’t need turbo suction here, but navigation is key. The eufy C10 is affordable, quiet and doesn’t ram into your baseboards. Roomba’s 105 combo is also solid but isn’t as good at avoiding obstacles.
The best part? They both mop while they vacuum. Great for spills, paw prints and everyday grime. I’ll never forget my mom saying about her Roomba in that Brooklyn accent, “Watch out, Rosie’s workin’ for a livin’!”
🥿 Lots of rugs or thick carpet?
This is where cheaper vacs usually give up. The roborock S8 MaxV auto-adjusts suction and actually lifts dirt out of rugs.
Roomba Max 705 can manage medium pile, but thick shag? Forget it. Eufy? Often skips the rug edges altogether.
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Hidden setting lets apps spy on you through Bluetooth
Midjourney
Think Bluetooth is just for headphones and car calls? Think again. It’s one of the sneakiest ways apps track you, and most people have no clue it’s happening.
Even when GPS is off, your phone is constantly “sniffing” for nearby devices like AirTags, smartwatches and fitness trackers. That’s normal.
1,289 Mbps
That’s the download speed Amazon’s satellite internet just flexed. Basically, it downloaded an entire HD movie in the time it takes you to tie your shoes. But don’t get too excited, that speed came from a fancy business-grade dish, not the one you’d actually get. Still, it’s a flashy preview of what might be coming (eventually).
🔥 Free up space on Fire Stick: You don’t need to delete apps to boost performance. Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications. Open each app on the list, select Clear Cache and hit Confirm. This removes junk files while keeping the app and your login details saved.
Smart glasses are spyware
Kim Komando
That’s me, virtually trying on Meta’s glasses on their website, doing my best Tom Cruise Risky Business impersonation. Spoiler, I didn’t buy them.
These remind me of Google Glass. Those awkward $1,500 face computers from 2013 that made you look like a cyborg at brunch. They launched with a ton of hype and died just as fast.
🏡 Don’t buy any Google Home products now: On Oct. 1, looks like at least one new Nest Cam and doorbell with Gemini built in will drop. That means natural language commands, like asking for recipes, getting info on everyday topics and troubleshooting home appliances. And yes, there’ll be both free and paid versions. I’ll keep you posted.
Makin’ a comeback: AirPods are out, tangled cords are in. Celebs like Emma Watson and Harry Styles are bringing back wired headphones, and Gen Z is riding the nostalgia wave straight to 2007. No charging. No losing one earbud at brunch. If your headphones aren’t in an impossible knot, are you even cool?
👀 Window shopping: Amazon’s new Lens Live tool lets you point your phone at anything (shoes, furniture, a dog backpack) and buy a dupe instantly. It’s like Google Lens but with a checkout button. AI even tells you if it’s a good deal. Goodbye, self-control. Hello, impulse cart at 2 a.m.
My go-to earbuds! Raycon’s Everyday Earbuds Classic are comfy, sound amazing and last all day. Active Noise Cancellation keeps distractions away, and with 32 hours of playtime, these earbuds are a must have! Get 20% off today!
📱 I finally switched, and I’m not looking back. Same reliable coverage as the big guys but at a fraction of the cost. With Consumer Cellular, I’m getting two unlimited lines for just $60. Want in? Use code KIM25 at ConsumerCellular.com/KIM for $25 in savings, and make the smart switch today.
46%
The higher your hemorrhoid risk if you linger on the toilet like it’s a spa day. Doctors now say “three minutes max,” which means your bathroom isn’t a binge-scrolling sanctuary, it’s a ticking rectal time bomb. “One more video” is how civilizations fall … and colons, too.
📺 Dolby Vision 2 announced: The next generation of TV picture quality is coming, going beyond HDR. It’ll use “Content Intelligence” (AI) to adapt your TV to what you’re watching and the room’s lighting. Think clearer dark scenes, sharper contrast, richer colors and higher brightness. Hisense will get it first.
⚡ Classic cars get plugged in: Imagine your busted Land Rover or the Ferrari 308 from Magnum, P.I., now whisper-quiet as a Tesla. U.K.’s Electric Classic Cars has converted 100+ classics since 2015, swapping gas engines for battery packs without chopping up the vintage shells. Conversions start around $57K, but wild custom builds climb past $190K. I don’t know, I love the roar of my ’67 Corvette that was actually in the movie Con Air.
🙏🏻 iPhone saves teen’s life: A 16-year-old in Greenville fell asleep at the wheel and crashed, leaving her with multiple broken bones. Trapped inside her pickup, she couldn’t call for help, but her iPhone did. Crash Detection automatically dialed 911 and got rescuers there. Want the same safety net? Go to Settings > Emergency SOS and toggle on Call After Severe Crash.
The quiet speaks: Get this, researchers built an AI tool (SeeMe) that can spot teeny-tiny facial movements in coma patients days before doctors even notice. Wild part? These little flickers, like an eye twitch or a mouth move, mean some patients we thought were unreachable might actually be conscious, and even able to answer yes-or-no questions. Amazing.
🕵️ AirTagged and bagged: Guy loses his AirTag-equipped suitcase at LAX, chases the signal, finds his clothes being modeled by squatters in a condemned building not far from the airport. The bag was trashed, but he still got most of his wardrobe back, just … pre-worn. Imagine sprinting after your underwear on Find My iPhone.
🚨 Runway crash alarms: Ever wonder how pilots know if another plane’s about to cut them off on the runway? Spoiler: They don’t. Honeywell’s testing a new system that yells, “Traffic on runway” 30 and 15 seconds before disaster. Considering we had 1,664 runway oopsies last year, I’d say it’s about time planes got their own version of Waze.
🎸 Thunderstruck the cattle patrol: To keep wolves from eating livestock, scientists are flying $20K drones that scream preloaded clips like AC/DC, gunshots and Marriage Story arguments at them. So far? It’s actually working. Wolves run. Cows live. Somewhere, a Five Finger Death Punch fan is trying to follow the drones on tour and asking where to buy merch.