Kim Komando Daily Tech Update

When you visit a new website, there's a good chance you’ll be asked to accept the website’s cookies. Most people say yes ... but interestingly enough, most people don’t even know what they're agreeing to. Here's how the cookie crumbles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you know it or not, your iPhone has magnets inside. But the iPhone 12 has one that's so powerful that it could affect your heart. You could be in danger and not even know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you get an email promising to protect your company from a ransomware attack like the one that brought down the Colonial Pipeline, don't open it! It's just a Trojan Horse trying to sneak ransomware into your computer. Here's how this nasty scheme works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone's vulnerable to the dangers of ransomware. On Wednesday, we learned that 60 bipartisan members of Congress were locked out of constituent data for weeks. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of my tech updates have focused on the exploding epidemic of ransomware attacks. And now the White House is saying exactly what I’ve been saying: It’s up to private businesses, large and small, to ramp up their own cybersecurity to protect America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes government operations are kept secret so that our adversaries don’t know our full capabilities. But yesterday, the FBI and the Department of Justice proved to the world that Bitcoin transactions are no longer guaranteed to be either untraceable or unrecoverable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think you’ve seen it all with Facebook’s never-ending attempts to market your personal information? Here's a brand new doozy you've got to hear about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April, Apple rolled out a new product: the AirTag. It's a neat little tracker that helps you keep track of your gadgets. But AirTags can do a whole lot more than just that! Here are some nifty tricks you've got to try. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Citizen is a new app that acts as a public safety network. Basically, it alerts you about crimes. It sounds promising — but let's see if it lives up to the hype. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian hackers have been having a field day. Not only were they responsible for the Colonial Pipeline attack, but they've also just come after the meat industry. No one's safe — not even you. Here's how to protect yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you own an Amazon Echo or a Ring security camera, you’re about to share your internet connection with your neighbors ... unless you say no. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the Memorial Day weekend, a friend said, "I use a Mac because I know that I won't be hit with viruses and spyware." Here's what I have to say on that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How fed up is America with Big Tech? I wanted to find out. Over 6,300 people answered my survey. Here's what they had to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recognitions from the U.S. military liike medals and awards are priceless family heirlooms that can be passed down through generations. Like anything material, they can be misplaced, lost, stolen or simply begin to show their age over time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever heard of vishing? Short for voice phishing, it's a scary new scam in which criminals impersonate a company. They especially love posing as Amazon workers. Here's what to watch out for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The police arrested a couple in the U.K. for distributing images of child porn online. The mom lost her teaching job, the father couldn’t work and they couldn’t see their kids. But the couple didn’t do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft president Brad Smith told a BBC interviewer that with artificial intelligence, the predictions in Orwell’s "1984" will be possible in three years – unless the government passes laws to protect us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one can logically defend Facebook’s overall impact on humanity. Overwhelmingly negative is an understatement. It’s no wonder that Facebook is being deluged with angry demands to scrap its plans to develop Instagram For Kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook and others have had a field day closing the accounts of anyone who doesn’t share their political philosophy. But one law allows Floridians the ability to sue if their accounts are shut down based on their opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re wondering whether electric vehicles cause fewer greenhouse gasses, the answer is a resounding "Probably." If you live in an area where most electricity is generated with fossil fuel, overall carbon emissions become a toss-up. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all seen this. Products are added to your cart automatically. Boxes are pre-checked when you’re setting new tech up. Apps and websites trick you. It's called Dark Patterns, and here's what you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’d think that with the pandemic ending, scammers would move on. Nope. Here are three clever COVID scams spreading online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s common knowledge that there’s always the best time and the worst time of the year to buy televisions, laptops or any other electronic device. But this year, the common knowledge is wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, weren’t bad enough, the owners just made matters worse. Their actions could have rippling effects that hurt us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April, Bitcoin was riding an incredible wave, valued at more than $66,000 each. But over five weeks, Bitcoin has lost over half its value. Here's your opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ransomware doesn't make the news unless it’s a national threat like the Colonial Pipeline attack. But regardless of how big an attack is, there’s only one way to protect yourself and your organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a public figure gets in trouble for an ill-advised tweet, the first thing they do is delete the post ... but as we all know, that doesn't fix the problem. Twitter thinks it may have a solution — and they're charging $3 a month for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon and Apple are each working towards one goal: A large-scale wireless network that doesn’t need Wi-Fi or cellular. We will spend money on their phones, cameras, trackers and more to create the network for them. It’s genius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paging Dr. Google! Do you suffer from cyberchondria? It’s the ailment best described as when you have any aches or pains, you immediately turn to Google for a diagnosis. New research is going to surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a part of the $2 trillion COVID aid plan, Congress has allocated $3.2 billion in tax money to pay the monthly internet bills of Americans who lost income during the pandemic. Do you qualify? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colonial Pipeline is getting back up and working because they paid the hackers $5 million for a decrypting tool. But the entire fiasco could have been avoided. If you run a business, here's what you can do to protect yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should ransomware hackers disrupt the power grid just as they’ve disrupted the east coast gasoline pipeline, what would happen? Let's put it this way: Once it starts, there will be no stopping it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until last weekend, you probably never heard of the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline. It's the jugular vein of fuel flow on the East Coast — but Russian hackers shut it down. Here's the full story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a global chip shortage that’s hurting airplane and auto manufacturing. It also impacts tons of electronics. Here’s why it’s getting worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we start the week with a stern warning for anyone who invests in cryptocurrencies — straight from Bank of England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If your internet connection seems slow, don’t write it off as just your imagination. Instead, follow my advice, track down the problem and, most importantly, get what you’re actually paying for! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you use an iPhone, it’s important that you update the phone’s operating system to iOS 14.5 as soon as possible. Here’s why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook's Oversight Board exists to keep the social media giant in check. Each member gets a hefty six-figure salary ... but the money flows from a fund set up by Zuckerberg and Facebook. Can we even trust its decisions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us, getting fast and reliable internet service is easy. The problem is remote, rural areas. That's why President Biden promised broadband for all in his $2 trillion dollar infrastructure plan. But do we really need to pay for this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know Marilyn Monroe has an active Twitter account? Even Elvis has one — and he's got more than a million followers! But most surprising is that both celebrities still endorse products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices