Honor their service: How to get official military records

If you’ve ever lost someone who served, or even just want to understand your family better, listen to this. I was poking around online, and I found my dad’s actual WWII draft card application. His name, his handwriting, his signature, where he lived. It was all there. I didn’t expect to get so emotional, but wow.

I remember him telling me a few stories. In the Korean War, he put up radio towers. I always found that ironic.

🔍 Get official military records and medals

You can request service records, replacement medals, even discharge papers (the famous DD-214) from the National Archives. It’s free. You just need the person’s name, service branch and birth/death dates if you have them.

Dig up old draft cards and enlistment records. It’s hard to beat Fold3 (offers a free seven-day trial). It has a massive military record collection, including digitized WWII draft cards like the one I found. You could also try FamilySearch (totally free).

🇺🇸 This Memorial Day, help a veteran

We honor the fallen on Memorial Day, but it’s also a chance to make sure the veterans still with us aren’t forgotten.

If someone in your life served, ask them to talk. Their stories matter. One of my favorite projects is StoryCorps’ Military Voices. They record and preserve veterans’ memories for future generations. 

The Veterans History Project from the Library of Congress also makes it easy to submit interviews, photos and memoirs. Many local VA hospitals offer writing or oral history workshops, and even your local American Legion or VFW may help document life stories.

I can’t tell you how cool it is to find that piece of someone’s story and hold it in your hands. Someone who stood in line, filled out forms like we do … then shipped off into history. 

Memorial Day isn’t about sales or hot dogs. It’s about remembering and sometimes, rediscovering. If you find something amazing, I’d love to hear about it. Know someone who needs this info? Use the handy icons below to send it via email or post a link on your social media.

Real tagline or fever dream?

It’s Friday, and while I have my usual mix of news and tips to keep you tech ahead and not tech left behind, let’s have some fun, too. I’m sure you know that companies toss millions of dollars into the marketing volcano, hoping to birth the next “Just Do It.” 

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🏠 All it takes is one forged signature: Cybercriminals can steal your home, take out loans and leave you buried in debt. Get a free title history report and 14-day trial at Home Title Lock with code KIM.  

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Press Windows + V to see everything you’ve copied lately. Yes, your clipboard has a history.

Real-life prompts that go way beyond work, from sleep to date night

After I shared my list of the best AI prompts for work, the comments poured in. “OK, Kim, but what about real life?” 

What, my work life isn’t real enough for you? Kidding, great question! You know AI can plan a trip and meals or write a to-do list. But let’s go beyond that. 

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🏠 All it takes is one forged signature: Cybercriminals can steal your home, take out loans and leave you buried in debt. Get a free title history report and 14-day trial at Home Title Lock with code KIM.

🤖 Gemini gets beefy: At tomorrow’s Google I/O conference, I expect to see the next-gen Gemini Ultra and two heavier subscription tiers. Also coming: AI agents that browse the web for you (finally someone to blame for your weird search history), shelf-worthy Android tweaks and some spicy fake podcast upgrades. Also on deck: XR smart glasses collab with Samsung. 

Recover copied items: Ever copied a link or some text and wished you could get it back later? On Windows, turn on Clipboard History to save your most recently copied items. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard and toggle it On. Next time you need something, just press Windows key + V to view and paste.

🏠 Hackers are stealing home titles: They can take your deed and borrow big money in your name. Home Title Lock monitors your title 24/7. Use code KIM for a free title history report and a 14-day trial of Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection when you sign up.

🔔 See old notifications: Swiped an alert away too fast? Turn on Notification history on your Android. Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Notification history and toggle it On. Bonus: If a text or DM popped up before it was deleted, you might still catch it here.

👨🏻‍⚖️ When dead men speak: In Arizona, a family used AI to recreate a murder victim’s voice and face in a video to deliver his own impact statement in court. The judge gave a harsher sentence after hearing the victim’s synthesized testimony, marking a surreal, and possibly cathartic, first in American legal history. Nothing says “closure” like a ghost dropping the mic in court.

🏠 Hackers are targeting homes, not just bank accounts: With just a few clicks, cybercriminals can steal your home title and rack up huge loans in your name. It’s one of the fastest-growing crimes in America. Home Title Lock is your watchdog, monitoring and protecting your most valuable asset. Sign up with code KIM to get a free home title history report and a 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Alexa overload? Say, “Alexa, delete everything I said today” to wipe your voice history instantly. If only that worked during an argument with your spouse, right?

Hackers can steal your home: With just a forged signature, cybercriminals can take out loans in your name, drain your equity and leave you with the mess. Click here to get a free home title history report, when you sign up using code KIM. You’ll also receive a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.

↩️ Shake it off: Made a typo on a message, note or email? Just give your iPhone a good shake. You’ll see Undo Typing pop up. Tap Undo, and poof, your mistake’s history. Shake your phone again and select Redo Typing to get them back. On Android, Gboard has an undo button for quick fixes.

Hackers want your home: Cybercriminals can steal your home title, take out massive loans in your name and leave you stuck with the fallout. It’s one of the fastest-growing cybercrimes. Get peace of mind with a free home title history report when you sign up with Home Title Lock using code KIM. You’ll also get a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.

Hackers can steal your home: With just a forged signature, cybercriminals can take out loans in your name, drain your equity and leave you with the mess. Click here to get a free home title history report, when you sign up using code KIM. You’ll also receive a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.

🧠 ChatGPT got a memory upgrade: It can now remember your old conversations to give you more personalized replies. Two new features dropped: one for saved memories (stuff you ask it to remember) and one for chat history (info you’ve mentioned before). Want it off? Go to Settings > Personalization > Memory. FYI: It’s for Pro users now, Plus users later.

All it takes is one forged signature. Cybercriminals can snatch your home title, rack up loans in your name and leave you drowning in debt. Scary stuff. Get peace of mind with a free home title history report when you sign up with Home Title Lock using code KIM. You’ll also get a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Hackers can steal your home: With just a forged signature, cybercriminals can take out loans in your name, drain your equity and leave you with the mess. Click here to get a free home title history report, when you sign up using code KIM. You’ll also receive a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.