Since Halloween’s in the air, let’s talk about something spooky: vampire electronics. These everyday gadgets quietly suck electricity (and money) when you’re not using them. They’re called “phantom loads” or “standby power,” and they’re everywhere from your cable box to your soundbar to your printer. Even when they’re “off,” they’re drawing power. The Department of […]
Here’s something smart to start your week. Get a free, private second phone number you can use from your smartphone. It’s perfect for keeping your personal number personal. With Google Voice, you get a real U.S. phone number that rings to your cell, computer or tablet. You can call, text, screen calls and get your […]
Tech myths have a way of sticking around like those 99 browser tabs you keep open, harmless at first, but over time, they slow everything down. They spread in group texts, get repeated by well-meaning relatives and pop up like spammy ads from 2003. Let’s bust five of the most common myths I hear all […]
I bet you imagine the internet as a magical cloud floating wirelessly between satellites and Wi-Fi routers. Nope. It’s mostly underwater. Nearly all of your “in the cloud” traffic actually travels through fiber-optic cables laid along the ocean floor. These thin strands of glass are buried in some places and simply resting on the seafloor […]
You’ve probably seen the sales pitches. “Get blazing-fast Wi-Fi 7 with internet speeds like you’ve never seen before. Just $600 for a new state-of-the-art router!” Let me save you money. 🤑 The reality check Yes, Wi-Fi 7 is fast. Theoretical speeds reach up to 46 Gbps. That’s 46,000 Mbps, compared to Wi-Fi 6, which tops […]
Picture this. A farmer is out in the fields when his $300,000 John Deere tractor shuts off with an error code. He knows what’s wrong. But he can’t touch it. An authorized (pricey) technician must come to his farm, unlock the tractor’s operating system and fix it. You see, the farmer doesn’t own the right […]
Your smartwatch is great for counting steps and buzzing you when you’ve been sitting on your butt too long. But have you ever stopped to think where all that personal data is going? From sleep patterns to how stressed you are on a Tuesday afternoon, it’s all being logged in a digital diary. And guess […]
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: […]
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. Here’s where it gets shady: Some […]
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 […]
Our phones hold everything: photos, texts, money apps, health info, even our bad selfies. Handing over access to your partner? That’s not just convenient. That’s trust on a whole new level. Some people think it’s the 2025 version of giving someone a house key. Others worry it’s a recipe for drama, or even the prequel […]
Think your phone is just for calls, texts and scrolling? Think again. You’re carrying around a secret lab in your pocket. The accelerometer that flips your screen when you turn it? That’s what your fitness app uses to count steps. The barometer that helps your weather app? It can tell if you’ve climbed a flight […]
I’ll never forget the time I was in Paris, sitting at a café, staring down at a menu I couldn’t read. Out came Google Translate on my phone, and suddenly I thought, Wow the future is here. Fast-forward to this fall, and that “future” looks downright primitive compared to what Apple and Google are about […]
Here’s something used car dealers and private sellers won’t shout from the rooftops. The average new car has 1,400 to 1,500 semiconductor chips. And high-end EVs? Try 3,000. Those computer chips power everything from heated seats to emergency crash alerts. The problem: When the car’s network or software support ends, so do those fancy features. […]
You know that little GPS icon that pops up when an app is using your location? That’s the polite part. The tip of the iceberg. The warm handshake before your phone whispers your every movement to Big Tech behind your back. Your phone has more than one way to know where you are. Cell towers, […]
“Kim, I heard the call with the man who lost $60,000 in a crypto scam. You said anytime someone wants to move the conversation to WhatsApp, it’s a scam. Why is that?” — Dennis in Washington Thanks for the question, Dennis. I’m glad you heard that call. Heartbreaking. And unfortunately, it’s not rare. When someone […]
It starts like any typical night out. You’re sipping something overpriced and half-listening to your friend’s relationship drama. Then, you check your pocket. Empty. You think maybe it was a pickpocket. But the reality is far stranger. Dozens of iPhones stolen in cities like Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago have resurfaced thousands of miles […]
There’s one voicemail I’ll never delete. It’s from my mom. She’s been gone for almost four years, but every so often, I play it back. It’s nothing dramatic, just her voice asking if I could buy her a gallon of milk on my way home. (In her Brooklyn accent, “Kim, make sure it’s 2%, not […]
I read a geeky article that I think you’ll also find amazing. Google quietly used its Android operating system to turn billions of phones into the largest earthquake detection network in human history. Your Android phone can warn you about an earthquake before the shaking even starts. It’s built right in. You can do the […]
I would love a foldable phone. It’s fun to imagine strutting into a coffee shop, flipping open your phone like you’re Batman calling Alfred. But now Samsung’s dropped the seventh-gen Galaxy Z Fold and Flip, Google threw in the Pixel Fold, Motorola whipped out retro with the modern Razr+, and I’ve got questions. It all […]
