Hearing loss happens in phases

February 6, 2025

Hearing loss happens in phases: With mild hearing loss, whispers and soft sounds fade away. Busy places like restaurants make keeping up with conversations tough. When it progresses to moderate, subtle sounds like ticking clocks or birds are hard to hear. With moderately severe, voices sound muffled. If you or someone you love is dealing with anything beyond mild hearing loss, let me introduce you to the Horizon IX hearing aids.

Tags: love, restaurants

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Got a side hustle? Watch out for this tax change

Every morning, I sit down with my amazing executive producer, Madi, to plan what tech tidbits I’m going to bring you in my national radio shows, podcasts and this newsletter. Today, she came in with a doozy.

Her boyfriend got an email with a tax form he wasn’t expecting. Last year, he made about $20,000 on eBay selling comics, some bikes and a few other things. Like most folks getting a 1099‑K for the first time, he has no idea just how much he’ll owe yet.

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Hey! You look good

NativePath.com

Ever wonder why some people just seem to glow with health? No, it’s not a filter or some secret Hollywood lighting trick. (OK, for some people it is.) But for the lucky ones, it’s what’s happening inside their body. And one of the biggest factors? Collagen.

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AI how-to: 10 prompts to try with ChatGPT or your favorite bot

Twenty-five-odd years ago, CBS and ABC execs told me tech was just a fad and passed on my national radio show. So, I syndicated it myself. The rest is history.

Now, I hear the same thing about AI: It’s a phase, and it won’t last. Hate to break it to you, but AI is here to stay, and it’s already changing everything. Start using it now or risk getting left behind.

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Freebie alert: Apps that pay you to play

There are plenty of apps that reward you for doing things you probably already do. I’m sure you’ve seen ads for them. You’re not going to pay your rent from the rewards you earn, but you might get enough perks to make your otherwise pointless scrolling worth it.

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Tech how-to: 4 secret things your TV can do

I always want you to get the most out of the goodies you buy. Your TV isn’t just for watching Netflix or live sports; with a little know-how, it can become a productivity powerhouse, a charging station, a photo album and a streaming hub (even if it’s old). Let me show you how.

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Protect your data before catastrophe strikes – after is too late

Amazon.com, © Jakub Zerdzicki | Dreamstime.com

I know you felt it because I did, too. Watching coverage of the Los Angeles fires and, now, the destruction left in their wake, has been heartbreaking. A reader emailed me: “People had very little time to gather anything before they had to leave their houses. I’d appreciate your advice on what to do before a catastrophe.”

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DeepSeek told me some weird things

chat.deepseek.com

DeepSeek, the blockbuster AI chatbot from Communist China, told me that 95% of global internet traffic flows through undersea cables. That wasn’t surprising, but what came next was:

This is from the state-approved chatbot that’s gone viral for blocking anything Communist China deems inappropriate.

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Sky-high car insurance rates? Blame it on all the tech in our cars

My car insurance just went up 32%. Did I have an accident or get a few tickets? Nope. Across the U.S., the average full-coverage car insurance bill went up 25% last year. In some states, it was closer to 40%. Geez.

The main reason? Today’s high-tech vehicles cost way more to repair. You don’t need to own a high-tech car to feel the pinch, though; it’s hitting everyone.

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Hacked on social media? Steps to take right now

The chances of your Instagram, X, Facebook, Amazon, Threads, Rumble, Twitch or other accounts getting taken over by spammy bots and data-stealing thieves have never been higher. So, don’t sit there all smug, thinking, “Oh, Kim, that could never happen to me!”

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Delete location sharing apps – How to share in the ones you use

Support.Google.com, Apple.com

Location sharing helps you worry less. Whether your friend’s late for dinner, your kid’s almost home or your partner’s on the way from the airport, it sure beats sending a bunch of texts back and forth.

The bad news is more and more location-sharing apps have been caught selling your data to third parties. You don’t need a separate app for location sharing; it’s baked right into the apps you already use.

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