5 cool tricks for your router

You never hear anyone say, “This router is amazing. It changed my life!” It’s sad because that little guy controls your entire home’s internet.

Creepy data grab and how to make it stop
Do this to see if you got hacked

When’s the last time you looked to see who’s logged into your accounts? Yeah, I thought so.

Bin stores let you hit the jackpot

The truth about Zillow’s Zestimate

Can you trust it? And if you’re selling, how can you make sure it actually reflects your home’s true value?


Why you need a second phone number

Breaking news and tips

Insurance rates rising, here’s what you can do

My car insurance just jumped 32%. No, I didn’t get into an accident or rack up a few speeding tickets. Since 2020, car insurance rates have skyrocketed by 37%, and in 2024 alone, they climbed another 16.5%. Some states saw hikes of over 50%!

Even if your ride isn’t fresh off the lot, you’re paying the price.

🚗 New cars = $$$ repairs

Bumpers used to be, well, bumpers. Now? They’re loaded with radar sensors, cameras and computers for crash prevention and parking assist. Even a minor fender bender can cost thousands to fix. But there’s more…

💡 LED headlights are brighter: Gone are the days of swapping out a $20 bulb. A new LED headlight? $1,500 or more.

⚡ EVs cost more to repair: On average, EV repairs cost $6,618, compared to $4,437 for gas-powered cars. Why? Battery replacements, software issues and the average EV repair take 20 days. That’s 40% longer than gas cars.

🛠️ Aluminum is lighter: Manufacturers use aluminum to boost fuel efficiency and safety, but it’s harder to repair than steel and costs more.

💰 How to save on your car insurance

  • Review your coverage – Do you really need full coverage on an older car? Raising your deductible can lower your monthly payment.
  • Ask about discounts – Got an anti-theft system? Accident-free record? Defensive driving course? Call your agent and ask what you qualify for.
  • Try usage-based insurance – If you don’t drive much, programs like Mile Auto or Nationwide SmartRide could save you 30% or more.
  • Bundle up – Combining auto, home, life or even pet insurance with one provider can unlock serious discounts.
  • Compare rates –  Use sites like The Zebra or Insurify.

🧭 What about those trackers

“Just pop a tracker in your car, and boom, lower rates!” Sounds good, right?

Well, that device tracks your speed, braking and every trip you take. I hear you: “Kim, our phones already track us.” True, but I’m not handing over even more data for a tiny discount.

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Bin it to win it!

🧳 Say goodbye to clutter this spring.

🛍️ Dress to impress: Keep your fancy suits and dresses looking as sharp as you with some garment bags (8% off).

Stop making these AI mistakes

If you’re not using AI in your business or professional life yet, guess what? Your competitors are and they’re getting ahead. Time to change that. 

The secret to making AI actually useful? Asking the right questions. A lazy prompt gets you a lazy answer. A smart one is where the magic happens. Here are three power-packed AI prompts to start using today.

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10-second shortcut: You don’t need your mouse to rewind or fast-forward on YouTube. Press K to pause or play, J to rewind 10 seconds, and L to fast-forward 10 seconds. Be sure to subscribe to my channel so you never miss my podcast or radio show.

🐭 Coming to Disney next year: This is freakin’ awesome. Real Star Wars droids roaming around. They’re working with Google DeepMind and Nvidia’s new Newton model to bring them to life. This will help them walk around the parks, be more expressive and do tricky tasks on their own. What do you call a pirate droid? Arr-2 D2. (Good one, right?)

Amazon vs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission

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The feds say Amazon’s liable for unsafe third-party products. Amazon’s counter? The Safety Commission itself is unconstitutional.

Scam alert: Google’s new call-scanning feature tells you in real time if you’re getting swindled on the phone. AI analyzes conversations, and if something sketchy happens, you get an audio, vibration and visual warning. It’s for Pixel 9 or later only. Go to the Phone app > Settings > Scan Detection. PSA: Google says they’re not saving your calls. Yea, right.

By the numbers

$5.7 million

The world’s most expensive and rarest dog. He’s the first wolf and Caucasian shepherd mix called a “wolfdog.” At 8 months old, he already weighs 165 pounds. Speaking of … I can’t take my dog to the park as all the ducks keep trying to bite her. My fault for getting one that’s pure bread.

The Kim Komando Show Preview: ChatGPT called him a murderer

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A man searched his name on ChatGPT. It said he killed two of his kids. He didn’t. Plus, Apple’s intelligence troubles, a warning for “Call of Duty” cheaters, and billboards in space are on the way.

🤖 Sharing your Android? It’s easy to lock it to one app so your stuff stays safe. Open Settings > Security > Advanced Settings, toggle on App Pinning and Ask for PIN Before Unpinning. Swipe up to see your recent apps, tap the app icon and press Pin. Swipe up and enter your PIN to get it back to normal. These steps might vary by the brand you own.

🎮 Game over, cheaters: You’ll be banned forever if you’re caught selling your Call of Duty account. This is a big problem, so Activision is adding new anti-cheat tech before Season 3 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone starts. 

Pay for your Apple Watch with FSA/HSA funds

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Apple Watches can be life-saving, but they’re not cheap. If you have an FSA or HSA, you may be able to get reimbursed.
 

Tasting digital food in virtual reality: Scientists are developing tech that detects taste molecules, converts them into electrical signals and sends them to a mouthpiece that releases chemicals to mimic flavors. They can already transmit these signals from California to Ohio. Penne for your thoughts?

Egg prices got you scrambling?

Rent a chicken. Seriously. Rent The Chicken lets you “borrow” hens for fresh eggs at home. For about $140 a month, you’ll get two hens, a portable coop, feed and instructions to keep them happy. Expect one to two dozen eggs per week.

Meet your future robot coworker

Humanoid robots have come a long way. In 2000, Honda’s $2.5 million ASIMO could barely shuffle along at 1 mph. Now, robots are running, flipping and handling customer service. Let’s dive into the robot revolution.

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Apple’s shiny new modem: The iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to feature Apple’s own C1 modem, marking a move away from Qualcomm. So how’s it doing? Depends on your carrier. On AT&T and Verizon, the 16e had better download and upload speeds than the regular iPhone 16. But on T-Mobile, the iPhone 16 still had slightly better upload speeds. 

This is not humerus

👩‍⚕️ Feeling your best is serious

😉 You deserve extra: Click here to explore even more health and fitness goodies you didn’t know you were missing.

Coming to Google Gemini: Show to tell

Soon, you can open up your phone’s camera with Google Gemini to know what you’re seeing or answer questions in real time. Watch it in action. Now, imagine all the uses from knowing what you’re looking at when traveling to identifying a skin rash that your doctor will say, “You’re a sight for psoriasis.” (I saw you smile!)

By the numbers

Over $45,000

Round-trip tickets for two from Chicago to Munich. That’s if you book Lufthansa’s new “Allegris” first-class double suites. You get to enjoy a 27-inch video screen and a shared bed so you can easily … relax together and join the mile high club. 

Space advertising: Imagine stepping outside to look at the stars … and seeing a giant glowing billboard in the sky. That could soon be a reality, with Russian companies planning to launch swarms of laser-equipped satellites to project light into Earth’s low orbit. The kicker? There’s no global ban on this yet.