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If your smartphone was ever lost or stolen, would you know what to do? Lock it remotely, call your carrier or use a tracking app. That’s a start.
Breaking news and tips
The $55K FaceTime car scam
Sarah’s $55,000 lesson: The online car dealership that wasn’t
Even smart shoppers can get taken; here’s how to make sure you don’t.
Sarah from Salt Lake City did everything right, or so she thought. She was looking for a used car online and found what looked like a legitimate dealership.
She wasn’t some sucker scrolling Craigslist at 2 a.m. with a bottle of wine, she did her homework. The website was clean and professional. They picked up the phone when she called and even FaceTimed her to show the car in real time.
It all felt legit. She ordered a Carfax report. She added the car to her insurance. It was that real.
She wired $55,000 for the purchase. Then came the call from the “truck driver” who said he was on his way with the delivery.
Except … the car never showed up. Then the phone lines went dead. The website vanished. And Sarah realized the truth: She’d been scammed.
🎣 $55,000 gone
No car. No recourse. No one was held accountable.
Sarah did what anyone would do. She filed reports with her bank. She contacted the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and her local police department. But the silence was deafening. She never heard back.
And just when Sarah thought that it couldn’t get worse, she saw the same scam rise from the ashes like a very annoying, very illegal phoenix, with a nearly identical site and even the same address. Crazy, right?
These criminals didn’t just steal her money, they’re still out there stealing from others.
👩🏻🏫 Here’s what to know
Down to business
📅 New week, same desk, unless you upgrade it with these goodies.
- Keep your pens ready to roll with a two-pack of rotating pen holders ($19).
- This mini desktop vacuum ($13) sucks up keyboard gunk like a pro.
- An adjustable laptop stand (25% off) lifts your screen and your posture.
- Print right from your phone with a wireless mini label maker (53% off).
- Snag a paper shredder (7% off), so sensitive docs are confetti.
- No more juggling cables with this USB-C hub (25% off) that turns one port into five.
😎 Shop my tech picks that are on sale right now!
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Your smart thermostat is basically a nosy roommate
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 those sleek little screens controlling your HVAC, they’re managing temperature while they basically stalk you, politely and with your permission.
Find missing money with one simple search: You may be owed money and not even know it! There are several easy ways to find out if you have unclaimed funds left in old bank accounts, insurance policies and other places. Don’t let your hard-earned money slip through the cracks! Subscribe to Clark.com’s free newsletter to receive more must-have money tips every day.
🦉 Don’t be such a dodo: New tech trend. Bird-watchers are trading iPhones for new binoculars that are waterproof and come with a mount. That way, you can snap photos and videos while you watch. No more “I swear it was right there!” moments. Check them out on Amazon ($130).
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
How to take a screenshot on your phone
Turns out, tons of people still don’t know how to do it. If that’s you, here’s the quick fix for iPhone and Android.
🔐 Locked up, they won’t let me in: Phone thieves are permanently locking users out of their iCloud accounts via Apple’s security features (paywall link). Armed with passcodes, they reset recovery keys, making account access impossible. Welcome to iHell: where you’re stuck screaming your mother’s maiden name when your memories are in the cloud.
7.3 out of 10
What Lenovo laptops got for repairability, according to PIRG’s annual report, considered an F rating. The catch? They only submitted one model, so they were slapped with a failing grade for not providing enough data. Other brands sent in nine or 10 models. I guess they didn’t read the terms and conditions.
100% critics’ score for Netflix’s new comedy series
That’s the critics’ score for Netflix’s new comedy series North of North. It follows a young Inuk mom who moves back to her small hometown after leaving her husband. It’s like Gilmore Girls meets snow meets 9,000 percent more gossip. The trailer looks pretty good.
Showered with love
💐 Just two weeks till Mother’s Day! Here’s your baby shower or new baby gift cheat sheet.
- Keep little hands out of cabinets with child safety locks (8% off).
- These Tide pens (13% off) are a lifesaver for surprise spills.
- Baby burps? Grab a set of anti-colic bottles ($25) for 3- to 6-month-olds.
- Trim tiny nails safely with a baby electric nail trimmer ($35).
- Stay cool on summer walks with a handheld stroller fan (15% off).
- This bassinet (24% off) easily turns into a bedside sleeper or playpen.
💝 The mother load: I couldn’t fit in all the goodies, so head over to my Amazon page for the gifts I want for Mother’s Day. Your grandma, mom, wife or daughter will love ’em, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Are you tired of watching your cloud expenses skyrocket? It’s time to take control and make your cloud spending work for you. I’ve partnered with Oracle to bring you an exclusive opportunity to optimize your cloud infrastructure and potentially cut your cloud bill by 50% or more.
Did your selfie train ChatGPT?
Ever post a pic online? There’s a good chance it was scraped and added to an AI dataset. Check this site to find out.
🍎 Minute details matter: Rick Shearman’s Apple Watch’s SOS feature saved his life after he was swept almost a mile out to sea. He used the emergency feature while treading water. The rescue team scooped him up before it turned into a “Find My Body” sort of mission. PSA: Swim parallel to shore and float, don’t fight.
🔞 Google Messages now blurs unwanted nudes: If someone’s about to send you a spicy pic, you’ll get a heads-up and the option to view it or block the sender. Accidentally sending one? You’ll get a reminder like, “Are you sure you want to send this?” FYI, it’s on by default for kids, but you can double-check under Settings > Protection and Safety.
⚠️ Hackers are changing tactics: Talk to your IT department about this. And if you are the IT department, pay attention. New research shows 30% of cyberattacks are suddenly now coming through network edge devices. That means instead of using flashy malware or phishing email, they’re slipping in through VPNs, firewalls and routers. How? People keep using outdated gear and weak passwords and skipping security updates. Stop that now.
A.I. hits the flip phone
Motorola unveiled a completely new Razr flip phone. But this time, the phone comes with Perplexity A.I. baked in.
$50 billion
That’s how much Google Chrome might be worth if Google was forced to sell it off. At least that’s what DuckDuckGo’s CEO estimated at Google’s antitrust trial. (Spoiler: DuckDuckGo will not be bidding.) The DOJ is still deciding how to break up Google’s search monopoly, and selling Chrome is on the table. AI players like OpenAI and Perplexity say they’d be interested.
4
The number of toys your toddler needs to be happy. Yep, no need for a mountain of plushies and plastic cars. A study found that kids given too many playthings got overstimulated and jumped from toy to toy. But with just four? They slowed down, focused and played longer. Oh, and no need to toss everything. Just rotate them.
Will Google sell Chrome? — April 26th, Hour 1
Google’s ad-tech was ruled a monopoly. Now the big question is how to break it up. Plus, a listener in Texas survived a home invasion. Did he pick the right security setup? Also: drones nearly hitting planes, and an Apple Watch rescue at sea.