A metallic ring 8 feet in diameter and 1,100 pounds fell from space into a village in Kenya. No one got hurt, phew. It seems to be a piece of a rocket launch vehicle.
Why you should use Google to search for your email address right now
© Rawf88 | Dreamstime.com
We’ve written a lot of articles about Google searches and online databases. Our online safety is important, and much of that comes down to regulating our searches and learning how to protect ourselves. Tap or click here for seven things to never search for on Google.
If you haven’t tried Googling your email address, though, this is a new tip that you should try. While you can scroll through the internet and look for your old accounts one by one, there is an easier way.
Searching for your email address can bring up all sorts of stuff you weren’t expecting. The most common thing you’ll find is your information on people-search databases. Let’s look at those and how to remove yourself from those sites. This tip is brought to you by our sponsor, TotalAV.
People-search sites
If you type in your email, you’ll see many results like Spokeo. These sites are gold mines to look up other people’s data. Type in someone’s email, phone number, or personal data and it will offer to sell you all of their information for a certain price.
Terrifying, isn’t it?
How do you delete your information from these sites? It isn’t easy. Some of the biggest sites make it nearly impossible to remove your data. Some sites will allow you to opt out directly to their site, like Spokeo. Tap or click here for step-by-step instructions to opt out of Spokeo.
We recently gave instructions on how to opt out of many people search sites. Unfortunately, many of those sites either changed the process or removed the option altogether after our coverage. Keep checking in on komando.com for updates as we get them.
Dating sites
This may seem weird, but if you’ve had some experience with online dating, you might see yourself cross-referenced on several of these sites when you Google your email. Take care not to click on the links, though. Some of them are hacker sites set up to lure you in.
Dating sites not only have a treasure trove of your data but can also be dangerous. There are tons of bots and scammers on these types of sites trying to rip you off. Tap or click here to find out how to spot them.
If you are worried about what information about you is available online and how to keep yourself off the web entirely, here are ways to protect your data and delete yourself online.
Bit by the DIY bug?
🔨 It doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some little products that make a big difference.
- Fill up paint pens ($25 for a set of five; 17% off), and touch up scratches on doors and walls without having to redo an entire area. Easy!
- If there’s one thing that ruins the front of a house, it’s oil stains in the driveway. It’s a good thing concrete oil stain remover is under $20.
- While you’re waiting to scrub the oil remover, why not install new garage door handles ($10)? They make a boring door look way classier.
- Decorative stick-on ceiling tiles add a ton of personality to a room. Click the box for $10 off.
- Motion-sensor cabinet lights ($30) are a game-changer. We have them in our garage.
🔋 Charged up: I found this battery organizer ($24) after spending 20 minutes digging through my junk drawer for one AA. The name’s so funny, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Someone always thanks me for this: You want to print the content on a site but not the ads and junk. Drop the URL into PrintFriendly.com. You’ll get a clean, print-ready PDF. Sweet.
Make $ while asleep, town texts fertility plea & space junk collision
Plus, getting paid to dream? I talked to Twitch streamer StanleyMOV about his sleep streams. They’ve made him enough to pay his rent. Find spy cams with your phone, the latest on a big cybercrime bust, and quick tips to get work done faster.
Ditch the algorithm junk: Facebook is adding a new Friends tab that only shows posts, stories, Reels and birthdays from people you actually know. No sponsored content, suggested posts or group clutter. Look for it in the navigation bar.
Easy printer cleanup: Soak a piece of paper with rubbing alcohol (not too much — leave the edges dry), and run it through your printer’s roller to clean off the junk.
New scam: The government won't ask for gold
Share with someone who might be at risk of falling victim to this junk. So sad.
NASA’s new mission to deal with space junk is Apollo G: Over 11,000 satellites orbit Earth. When they crash into each other, it creates junk. (We’re talking 40K pieces of debris in low orbit.) The fix: ELROI (Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier). In you and me terms, it’s a solar powered, stamp-sized device that’s a license plate for space identification and communication.
The valuable old phones hidden in your junk drawer
Got an old cellphone hidden away that could be worth a lot of cash? Let me tell you why now’s the time to find out—in just 60 seconds!
Too many photos? Insider tricks to organizing, sorting and storing for the long-term
Do you have more photos than you know what to do with? Kim, Allie and Ben dive into the best ways to get rid of all the junk and duplicates — like memes and screenshots — hiding the important pictures you want to keep. Plus, how to back-up and store your collection for easy browsing and long-term storage.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices