“Sorry to bother you, but do you order on Amazon?” Move along if you see this line or a slight variation in your inbox. If you respond, some jerk will try to convince you they have Amazon gift cards they’ll trade you for cash. The scammers never sleep.
How to find a hidden GPS tracker on your car
Photo 232030196 © Ifeelstock | Dreamstime.com
The latest stats say 80% of stalking victims are tracked using tech. One of the most popular ways to do it? GPS trackers, like an AirTag. They’re small enough to slip into a bag, pocket or your car undetected.
“Kim, this doesn’t impact me.” I wish that was true. Maybe you have an ex or friend who won’t buzz off, or maybe you met a stranger at a bar or store who was acting creepy. You’re at risk. Did you drive across the U.S. border? Yep, crooks are targeting tourists, too.
The good news is your phone can alert you when an unknown tracker is with you. If all else fails, good old-fashioned sleuthing works, too. I’ll show you how.
⏰ The clock is ticking
An AirTag will start beeping only after 24 hours away from its owner. That gives the stalker plenty of time to reach you, especially if they’re local. If a carjacker tags your ride, they could learn your routine and follow you home before you even know what’s going on.
The rumor mill says Apple’s AirTags 2, coming later this year, will have antistalking tech. With the most current AirTags, tech-savvy stalkers can rip out the built-in speaker so you won’t get alert, but the new ones should make it harder. For now, you need to do everything you can to stay safe.
On your iPhone, make sure a few settings are enabled:
- Go to Settings > Notifications > Tracking Notifications and toggle on Allow Notifications.
- Now, open your Find My app and tap Items at the bottom of the screen. Tap on Identify Found Item.
On Android, the process is similar as long as your phone is running Android 6.0 or newer. If it’s not, you really need a new phone!
- To make sure alerts are enabled, go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Find Unknown Tracker Alerts. Toggle on Allow Alerts.
✅ You need to make sure your location and Bluetooth settings are enabled, too.
On iPhone:
$11.99
Monthly price for Amazon Music Unlimited after the latest $1 hike. The Family Plan went up $3 to $19.99 a month, or $199 a year. Sick of paying an arm and a leg for subscriptions? No kidding, the first time I logged into Rocket Money, it saved me $360.
🪦 Microsoft is killing off its free VPN: Not enough people use it, and they want to “invest in new areas.” Funny how they can’t do both after hiking their subscription prices. Need a new VPN? Never go looking for free options — too risky. Try my pick.
One curse word breaks AI: Sick of the crappy AI Overviews in your Google Search results? There’s an easy workaround: Add a swear word. Seriously, type “How do I factory reset my iPhone?” and you’ll get a generic blurb. Change it to “How do I f *ing factory reset my iPhone?” (without the asterisks) and you’ll get normal, clickable results. For an equally effective but less fun option, add -ai to the end of your search.
Hey, overachievers: OpenAI’s new “deep research” ChatGPT agent is like a super-smart assistant that does all the work for you. It digs through multiple sources and creates a full report about whatever you want. It’s included in the $20 Pro tier for now and takes up to 30 minutes per search. Want to try it? Select Deep research in the composer.
🚗 Wow, 300,000 recalled: Some Honda and Acura models have software issues that can cause you to stall out while driving. Select Subaru, Toyota and Lexus models have major faults, too. Don’t wait for a letter in the mail. Run your VIN through the NHTSA database. It takes just a sec to make sure your ride is safe.
📦 Don’t scan it: Watch your porch or mailbox for a fake UPS delivery notice or InfoNotice. Yep, they’re the ones that say “Sorry we missed you,” but the fakes have a shady QR code. Scan that code and you’ll land on a phishing site. Someone on Reddit got one claiming they owed $81.45, and it came with a handwritten note from the “driver” asking them to “please pay online.” If you have delivery issues, go straight to ups.com/track.
$1.6 billion
DeepSeek’s actual development cost, according to a new report. The Communist China AI company lied when it said its ChatGPT-killer cost $5.6 million, including testing and gear. Still, it’s 30 times cheaper to run, and that’s huge.
$65,000
Potential bill for the guy who flew his drone straight into the wing of a plane battling the Palisades Fire. The plane was grounded as a result. He’s now pleading guilty to flying the DJI drone beyond the legal limits and will have to complete 150 hours of community service if the court accepts his plea. Fool
🪑 Fidgeting at your desk? Science says that’s your body’s way of telling you to get off your butt. Even if you feel comfortable, sitting too long can cause pain and mess with your concentration. Every 30 minutes, stand up and stretch, or at least switch your seating positions. You’ll boost your blood flow, lower stress and even keep your brain sharp. And no more cankles!
Attention, parents: New research says 77% of educators think kids are losing their fine motor skills because of tech. Kids aren’t playing outside as much or using their hands to draw and build, so they’re having trouble holding pens, turning pages and tying shoelaces (paywall link). Remember, Play-Doh is cheap, fun and doesn’t need Wi-Fi.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Think you’re being cheated on? I told you to check the Notes app a year ago. Now, a private investigator is going viral on TikTok with the same advice. Yes, the Notes app is the same one for grocery lists. PSA: Cheaters also use a password-protected Google Doc, too.
Free AI test drive: You need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim.
73 days
Average length of time it takes to sell your house in the current market. Blame the high 30-year mortgage rate, which is around 7%. Not all is lost, though; rates could fall to 6.5% by the end of the year.
🔊 Say no to Sonos: Last summer, Sonos dropped a redesigned app that bricked half its speakers. Since then, they’ve pushed out 20 updates, their market value has tanked $500 million, and their CEO just got the boot. Somehow, the software is still unstable and key features are missing (paywall link). What a mess.
A new way in: “Syncjacking” starts when you install a Chrome extension that secretly logs you into a hacker-controlled Google account. Later, a pop-up (think a fake Zoom update) appears. Hit “Install” and you’re downloading malware.
💰 Modern gold rush: I thought you’d like this interesting analysis from the Wall Street Journal. AI will reshape the world, but the companies behind it need boatloads of cash. Just ask Nvidia, whose stock plunged $600 billion last week thanks to DeepSeek. The WSJ says big bets are now on Digital Realty, Blue Owl and up-and-comer CoreWeave (paywall link). I don’t have any opinions on these stocks, so use your best judgment.
Website owners, beware: There’s a war brewing between the WordPress co-founder and WP Engine, a major managed WordPress hosting provider. What does this mean for you? Fewer updates and security fixes. If your site runs on WordPress, it’s not a bad idea to consider other options. I like Wix and Squarespace.
🚨 Still waiting on that data breach notice? UnitedHealth’s massive hack hit one in every two Americans, and some of us still haven’t been notified. Change Healthcare is offering two years of free credit monitoring if you were affected. Odds are your data was breached, so sign up now at changecybersupport.com.