It’s a techy Tuesday, friend! Here’s something you never thought of: Meta’s WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger apps on your phone look like buttons. Spotify’s app icon resembles a fingerprint reader, and YouTube’s icon is a big, shiny play button. These aren’t just cute designs; they’re really attention-grabbing psychological traps. Why? Because we instinctively love to push buttons. Now you know!

📤 Signal to your email provider what you want to see. It’s simple: Reply to this email and leave a comment, too. It tells the algorithms you want to see my newsletter so Big Tech doesn’t shove me in your promotions or junk folders. Make your inbox your choice! Thank you! Now on to smarts to keep you tech-ahead, never tech‑behind. — Kim

This is a heartbreaking story out of Florida. Megan Garcia thought her 14-year-old son was spending all his time playing video games. She had no idea he was having abusive, in-depth and sexual conversations with a chatbot powered by the app Character AI.

Sewell Setzer III stopped sleeping and his grades tanked. He ultimately committed suicide. Just seconds before his death, Megan says in a lawsuit, the bot told him, “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.” The boy asked, “What if I told you I could come home right now?” His Character AI bot answered, “Please do, my sweet king.”

You have to be smart

AI bots are owned by tech companies known for exploiting our trusting human nature, and they’re designed using algorithms that drive their profits. There are no guardrails or laws governing what they can and cannot do with the information they gather.

When you’re using a chatbot, it’s going to know a lot about you when you fire up the app or site. From your IP address, it gathers information about where you live, plus it tracks things you’ve searched for online and accesses any other permissions you’ve granted when you signed the chatbot’s terms and conditions.

The best way to protect yourself is to be careful about what info you offer up.

10 things not to say to AI

1. Passwords or login credentials: A major privacy mistake.
2. Your name, address or phone number: Chatbots aren’t designed to handle personally identifiable info. Plug in a fake name if you want!
3. Sensitive financial information: Never include bank account numbers, credit card details or other money matters in docs or text you upload.
4. Medical or health data: AI isn’t HIPAA-compliant, so redact your name and other identifying info if you ask AI for health advice.
5. Asking for illegal advice: That’s against every bot’s terms of service. You’ll probably get flagged.
6. Hate speech or harmful content: This, too, can get you banned.
7. Confidential work or business info: Proprietary data, client details and trade secrets are all no‑nos.
8. Security question answers: Sharing them is like opening the front door to all your accounts at once.
9. Explicit content: Most chatbots filter this stuff, so anything inappropriate is a ticket straight to “bans‑ville.”
10. Other people’s personal info: Uploading this isn’t only a breach of trust; it’s a breach of data protection laws, too.

Reclaim a (tiny) bit of privacy

Most chatbots require you to create an account. If you make one, don’t use login options like “Login with Google” or “Connect with Facebook.” Use your email address instead to create a truly unique login.

FYI, with a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type in. For Google Gemini, you need a paid account to do this. Figures.

No matter what, follow this rule

Don’t tell a chatbot anything you wouldn’t want made public. Trust me, I know it’s hard.

Even I find myself talking to ChatGPT like it’s a person. I say things like, “You can do better with that answer” or “Thanks for the help!” It’s easy to think your bot is a trusted ally, but it’s definitely not. It’s a data-collecting tool like any other.

😂 Speaking of … What do you do if your AI chatbot catches a virus? Give it some Robo‑tussin!

🎁 Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

• A pair of socks ($8) that hold hands. So cute and a little mischievous.
• You’d be a silly goose not to get someone this magnetic key holder ($16).
• A Michael Scott dishwasher magnet ($9) for your favorite fan of “The Office.” Don’t let Prison Mike catch you putting dirty dishes in the sink.
• Indoor air hockey pucks ($20) that work on any flat surface! Fun. Just watch out for ankles.
• For the animal lover, a mini dog park for their desk that comes with a little fire hydrant or a zen garden cat litter box (under $9).

Patch your PC pronto: It’s Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, the second Tuesday of every month when they clean up bugs and flaws that put you at risk. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and hit Check for updates.

🛸 UFOs over New Jersey? Mysterious drone-like crafts the size of cars have been hovering over the Garden State every night for a week. No one’s saying why, but the FAA banned drones from flying over Trump’s New Jersey golf course. Are these the newest Communist China spy tactics? The FBI says there’s “no known threat” to the public.

Booking⁠.⁠com is not my typo: One man got a complete stranger’s trip details when the person shared their itinerary with a contact and made a typo. The site says it’s not a security breach; it’s how their system works. That’s pretty standard, so double-check your recipients’ email addresses when sharing any personal information.

Don’t count on math teachers: Across 266 school districts, K‑12 students are testing a new AI tutor. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo runs on OpenAI’s tech. It creates lesson plans for teachers in seconds, answers students’ questions and flags kids’ AI-generated info. Watch it in action. “Conmigo” means “with me” in Spanish.

🪦 RIP landlines: AT&T is cutting the cord on copper landline connections by the end of 2029. Only about 5% of customers still use ‘em, and broadband should cover 50 million locations by then. I’m required to have a landline at our house because Phoenix city code says we have an elevator. I never understood that logic.

More like POS: Half of all videos tagged with “PCOS” on TikTok and Instagram include false info about polycystic ovary syndrome. Debunked claims include everything from birth control causing the hormone condition to a keto diet curing it. Those vids get a ton of views, given one in every 10 women has PCOS. Talk to your doctor, not a social media influencer.

Downvoting Google: Reddit Answers is the site’s new AI chatbot rolling out to select users. Type in a question for summaries and direct links to posts. Fwiw, OpenAI has access to Reddit’s posts, too, so I don’t see a reason to use it unless you’re a Chatty Cathy.

🚨 Now, here’s a deal alert: Amazon is selling 1,000 $25 plane tickets every day next week. Prime for Young Adults members (ages 18 to 24) can snag tickets valid between Dec. 9 and Jan. 14. Pass this link to the college-aged guys and gals in your life!

Finding the perfect candidate for an open job can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Enter LinkedIn.

With millions of job seekers at your fingertips, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of skilled folks ready to make a difference. I’ve used LinkedIn to assemble my standout team who help put together this newsletter, my national radio show, our podcast and everything else we do.

LinkedIn’s advanced tools make the hiring process smoother than ever. They even help you put together the ideal job description so you can focus on what matters — growing your business.

👻 Now you see it, now you don’t: “Vanish mode” turns Instagram into a Snapchat copycat, where messages disappear after you’ve viewed them. To try it, open a direct message in IG and swipe up from the bottom of your screen. That’s it. Swipe up again to turn it off.

Listen up: Tell Alexa to turn the volume up or down on your Echo without tapping the buttons. Say, “Alexa, volume up” for a gradual increase or “Alexa, turn the volume to five” for precise control. Choose a number from one to 10. Warning: 10 is really, really loud.

⌛ Quick TV tip: You might be tempted to change your TV’s picture mode to Game for football, but that mode is for video games. The best setting for sports is Cinema or Movie. Sports mode is generally too bright, so the game may look washed out.

Use Excel a lot? Set up a macro to automate anything you do often, like formatting a monthly report the same way. Full guide here. So worth the time it takes to set up.

50% off your cloud bill: The cost of using AI in your business adds up fast. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim* to see if they can cut your bill in half. Hurry — this offer ends on Dec. 31, 2024.

Attention, parents: Facebook Marketplace is a goldmine for deals on kids’ clothes and toys. In the search bar, type in what you need, like “baby gate.” Press enter and hit Notify Me so you’ll know when something pops up. Under Categories, click Free Stuff and check there, too. Remember, free doesn’t always mean safe. Check for recalls.

Don’t hope for the best: Antivirus software scans your system for viruses, ransomware and other threats and removes them before they cause damage. Protect five devices for only $19.*

Stop being so elfish …

Sneaky, sneaky: Online retailers love using tricks called dark patterns to push you into buying things you didn’t plan. Ever felt panicked by an “Only 2 left!” message or rushed by a fake countdown timer on a “deal?” Maybe you’ve fallen for inflated prices designed to make discounts look amazing. These tactics are everywhere, but now you’ll know how to spot (and dodge) them!

😂 Did you hear about the giant psychic Amazon hired to manipulate the stock market? He’s a tall medium who shorts. (Was that a groan I heard?)

I’ll see you back here tomorrow for another issue of hot-‘n’-fresh tech news, tips and more designed to empower you into the future. Until then, stay your awesome self! — Kim