“Kim, I love my iPhone 16 but hate it’s made in China and apps track everything you do including your bowel movements. Is there a phone made in the USA that doesn’t track you?” — Paul in Tampa, Florida Well, Paul, there’s exactly one, the $1,999 Liberty Phone from Purism. If the name makes you […]
I test a lot of gear. Every product here solves a sneaky problem and helps you stay one step ahead of scammers, snoops and opportunists. I’ve done the digging so you don’t have to. Let’s go shopping! ✍️ 1. Pens that stop check washing Fraudsters love “washing” checks and rewriting new amounts unless you use […]
Zuckerberg might be onto something … and it’s not just world domination this time. A listener wrote to me recently, and I haven’t stopped thinking about his story. This man has been married to his wife for 56 years. She now has dementia and no longer remembers him, their children or their lifetime of memories. […]
Most people have never heard of companies like Mobilewalla or Gravy Analytics, but they know you. The FTC just clamped down on these two for secretly vacuuming up people’s real-time location data without consent. Not just estimated neighborhoods or passing GPS flickers. We’re talking exact coordinates, tied to your phone’s unique ID, showing where you […]
Ever scroll through Instagram or Facebook and wonder, Why am I still seeing goat yoga videos and political or family drama from 2009? Our social media feeds are Frankenstein monsters built from everything we’ve clicked on, liked, hovered over or even winced at for half a second. Good news: You can hit the big, shiny […]
You think keeping a secret in today’s world is tough? Try running one of the most important elections on the planet while dodging drones, AI surveillance and a smartphone in every pocket. When Pope Francis passed away, the Vatican went into immediate lockdown mode to protect the conclave, the centuries-old process where cardinals vote to […]
Charles in San Antonio asked, “Kim, I have one of those smart thermostats. It must collect a lot of my data. Where does it all go?” Buckle up, Charles, because your thermostat might know more about you than your best friend, your doctor or your cat. If you’ve got a Nest, Ecobee or any of […]
Michelle in Phoenix asks: “Hello, Kim, do you have recommendations for services that remove your phone number, home address off Google? My son is getting extremely harassing texts and vandalism at his home. We want to remove all our phone numbers and addresses from public viewing.” Michelle, you’re not alone. Googling yourself used to be […]
You can freeze your credit. Change your password. Replace a stolen phone. But there’s one thing you can’t ever change: your DNA.
I have a second number on my phone. You should, too. Your main number? Keep that locked down for the important stuff — your bank, doctor’s office and family. But when you’re ordering takeout, signing up for a one-time deal or making an online purchase, why give out your real number? That’s where a second […]
You might not realize it, but airlines and cruise lines collect a lot of data, from your seat choice to the websites you browse on their Wi-Fi.
![I spent a day on the Dark Web [Part 1]](https://www.komando.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dark_web_hitman_site-640x360.jpg)
When I say Dark Web, what comes to mind? A hacker in a hoodie? Digital drug deals and hitmen for hire? Usually what our imagination cooks up is a lot more dramatic than reality. But when it comes to the Dark Web, not so much. I fired up the Tor browser and went digging into […]
I was doing some research about Amazon and ran across a golden nugget I couldn’t wait to share with you. We all know Amazon tracks everything including what you browse, buy, watch and even ask Alexa. But here’s the surprise: You can download all of it. I’ll show you how. So, what kind of info […]
Payment apps are handy, but there are some settings you need to be careful with.
The U.S. is no longer ahead of China in terms of AI. I’ll break down their new model, DeepSeek, and how it compares to more popular chatbots.
More and more location-sharing apps have been caught selling your data to third parties. Here’s how to use the stuff built into your phone already.
My takes on this year’s winners and losers from CES 2025
You won’t believe how much info your grocery store has on you. Here are all the sneaky ways they track you and clever tips to outsmart them.
Tips for taking the perfect profile pics for social media.
How many services and apps do you use that belong to the Big Tech behemoths? Here are 10 alternatives that put your privacy first.
