Welcome to your Saturday edition of tech goodness, friend. March 15th is famously known as the “Ides of March.” It’s also the day the first internet domain name was registered back in 1985. What’s the most expensive domain ever sold? A) Cars​.com, B) Insurance​.com, C) LasVegas​.com or D) Voice​.com. You’ll find the answer at the end.

Zero, zilch, nada: My privacy secret weapon eliminated spam calls and texts on my phone. Silence feels so good. I negotiated a 60% discount just for you. More below! Let’s jump into another issue loaded with tech news, tips and mediocre-to-great jokes. — Kim

What’s the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? They’re always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don’t want them to hear. Don’t worry, you can stop it.

The tech you can’t see

“Ultrasonic” refers to radio waves humans can’t hear. It’s like a secret language for your smart devices. And guess what? Apps are using this tech to listen in.

Sneaky apps listen for “beacons” to determine where you shop and what you buy. They then pair browser cookies to your device to track you. The good news is you can outsmart this technology, and it’s as simple as flipping a switch (well, almost).

Turn off microphone access for apps without a logical reason to use it. Think flashlights and other apps that don’t need to listen.

Note: The steps may vary depending on your device’s model and operating system version.

On iOS:

• Open the Settings app, then scroll and tap Privacy & Security.
• Locate the menu labeled Microphone and tap it.
• Find the app you want to turn off the mic for and toggle the green switch to the off position.

On Android:

• Open the Settings app, then scroll and tap Security & Privacy.
• Tap Privacy, followed by Permission manager.
• Tap Microphone and locate the app you want to turn the mic off for.
• Toggle the slider to the off position.

Stopping voice assistants

Now, let’s tackle those helpful (yet sometimes nosy) virtual assistants.

• Amazon Alexa: Find a button resembling a microphone or a circle with a line. Push that to mute your device or keep it from listening. Unmute it when you want to chat with Alexa again.
• Apple Siri: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, then scroll and tap Apple Intelligence & Search. Tap Talk & Type to Siri and select Off. You can also turn off Allow Siri When Locked to prevent Siri from activating if a button’s pressed in your pocket.
• Google Assistant: Open the Settings app on your phone, then scroll and tap Google. Tap All services in the top right, followed by Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant and Voice > Google Assistant > Hey Google & Voice Match. Toggle off the Hey Google slider.

With your devices no longer playing detective with your conversations, you can finally relax and enjoy some privacy. 

😂 Speaking of listening … Barry swears the CIA put a listening device in our yard disguised as a tree. I told him it was just a plant.

Sorry to break it to you, but your info can trade hands for just a few bucks. Scammers are all over that — but they’re not the only ones. Data brokers sell your address, phone number, Social Security number, family contacts, you name it to anyone willing to pay

You can go through their sites one by one to remove your data, or do what I did and try Incogni. You put in just a couple minutes of work, then they scrub your personal info from the web. No joke, my spam callers are down to zero.

Get your data off hundreds of data brokers and people search sites automatically with Incogni. They offer a full 30-day money-back guarantee, too, so nothing to lose.

💸 Scammers are posing as Fidelity, Morgan Stanley and other financial giants: Remember, they’ll never call or text asking for your password, one-time code, money transfers or remote access to your computer. If something feels off, stop and contact them directly. Stay sharp!

You have to C#: Fired web dev Davis Lu allegedly activated a kill switch, locking thousands out of his past employer’s systems. Now, the 55-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of criminal sabotage, though he plans to appeal. Anytime you need to get rid of someone in IT, minimize the risks.

👶 It’s Octomom, aka Natalie Suleman: Yep, the woman who made headlines years ago for giving birth to eight kids! Well, they’re all 16 now, and momma bear is raising them old-school and strict. No phones, no dating until 18 and zero social media. 

🌍 Heading overseas? Don’t get slammed with outrageous roaming fees! Stay connected affordably in 200+ destinations with the eSIM I trust. Just download the Saily* app, choose a plan and connect instantly — no physical SIM needed. It’s fast, secure and hassle-free. Grab yours now and save 10%!

Chase bank customers: Starting March 23, they’ll block Zelle payments tied to social media scams. Nearly 50% of Zelle fraud reports came from social media. If your payment gets denied, Chase will ask for more info. They should’ve done this sooner.

Google Shopping changes: Vision Match lets you create what you can’t find — just enter a prompt like “colorful dress with daisies,” and AI will match it to real items. Virtual try-on now works for skirts and pants, and the See this look on you lets you try on beauty products with AR tech. 

🏜️ Lost civilizations? Many are buried beneath sand making them nearly impossible to find. But now, researchers are using incredible SAR technology to send radar waves underground to detect hidden structures. Combine that with AI, and boom, it’s picking up things like 5,000-year-old settlements in Dubai. Amazing. Mummy’s home!

🧽 Let’s get your stuff looking spotless. Here are my top picks:

• Power through grease and grime with a multi-surface steam cleaner (22% off).
• Your skin will thank you after this makeup brush cleaner (15% off) removes old gunk.
• On the go? Freshen up your clothes with a travel-size Downy Wrinkle Releaser.
• From sneakers to suede leather, this shoe cleaner kit has you covered.
• Free up some space with a wall mount (41% off) for your mops, brooms and more.

😌 Breathe easy: Grab a 3-pack of air ionizers to zap away odors — no air filters needed.

🔎 Need to fact-check something? AI makes stuff up, but it can be good at verifying info, too. On ChatGPT, ask the bot to “search the web and provide sources” to see if your info checks out. Click those links to make sure these are sites you trust.

💻 Barrels of fun: Got a Chromebook? Press and hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Refresh (circular arrow key) all at once, your screen does a barrel roll. Give it a try when you need a little break but don’t … flip out.

Size matters: Find and delete large files to free up space. On a PC, open File Explorer and type “size:>100MB” in the search bar. Any files bigger than that will pop up. For a Mac, click the Apple menu icon in the top left. Then, go to System Settings > General > Storage > Documents > Large Files tab.

Alexa alerts you when your Whole Foods order is ready: Just open your Alexa app > More (three lines at the bottom) > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping and toggle it on. When you get notified, just say, “Alexa, check into Whole Foods,” so they know you’re on your way.

🧑🏼‍🍳 Cook more, talk less: Found a tasty dish but don’t wanna read a long story about its meaning? Try Just The Recipe. Copy and paste the recipe’s URL into the site. It will show you only the steps and ingredients. There’s an app (iOS & Android), plus a Chrome extension if you like it.

🚘 The answer: Cars​.com remains the most expensive domain name ever sold. In 2014, Gannett acquired Cars​.com for $872 million. And when you add in the business that came with it? The total deal hit $1.8 billion. Wow, that was some deal, right?

Maybe it’s me, but I always thought it was weird that the town in the movie Cars is called “Radiator Springs.” A radiator is essentially a vital organ to a car. That’s like humans having a city called “Liver Pool.” (I saw you smile!)

👉 Before you go: Incogni has removed my info from over 1,000 different data-broker and people-search sites. I’ve tried doing this myself over the years, and I was happy if I got to a dozen. Incogni offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Use my link for 60% off. 

Thank you for letting me in your inbox. I hope you have an amazing day. After Pilates this morning, I’m going hiking with some friends! No screentime, love that! — Kim