Tech you out, lookin’ good on this Tuesday, friend. There’s a new theory making the rounds on TikTok all about generational texting. The claim is that your texting technique is a solid tell for your age. So, how does Gen Z text? Is it with … A.) One thumb, C.) Two thumbs, C.) Two thumbs and an index finger, or D.) An index finger? Answer’s at the end!

Note about Amazon links: To help pay the bills so I can send you this free newsletter, I include links to products I recommend on Amazon, from which I earn a small commission. If you spot something you like, grab it quickly! Deals tend to fly off the virtual shelves fast!

🎙️ Missed my show this weekend? I’m not mad. I’m just disappointed. The good news is you can listen as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Listen to it when and where you want (commercial-free, by the way). Now, let’s jump in to keep you and your loved ones tech-smart and safe. — Kim

If they weren’t so despicable, you’d almost admire the creativity of scammers these days. Almost.

Here’s a scam to watch for: A “travel agent” or travel site selling fake plane tickets. I’m here to arm you with the details on how it works and ways to protect yourself from this predatory ploy.

A nasty trick

You search for tickets online or reply to a scam email. Overwhelmed by all the travel sites and apps (find the 10 best ones here!), you choose what seems like a trustworthy source with killer prices.

Maybe you end up emailing, chatting or talking to someone who promises they can get you a great rate on a ticket. So you hand over your name, phone number and payment details.

Using your information, they book what you think is a confirmed seat and say you’re good to go. You, the savvy shopper, go to the airline’s website and enter the flight information. Sweet, there’s your seat. You pat yourself on the back for saving money and consider your travel booked.

Two weeks later

You go to check in for your flight. What? Your ticket is nowhere to be found. That’s because the scammer simply reserved a seat instead of actually booking a ticket. At this point, the airline can’t do anything for you. You’re screwed.

Hopefully, you find this out long before you’re standing at an airport customer service counter, suitcase in hand! Either way, you’re out the money and the airline ticket.

Outsmart these jerks

How do you protect yourself from this scam and all the other nasty travel tricks out there? For starters, if you find a deal too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.

• Don’t pay until you see a confirmation number or e‑ticket number. Anything else could just be a reservation, and that’s not a confirmed ticket.
• Book directly from the airline’s website to be extra safe. You may not get the lowest price, but hey, at least you can get frequent flyer points.
• If you’re worried about a ticket, talk directly to the airline’s customer service department. Don’t call the travel agency booking site. Make sure the ticket is confirmed, not just reserved.

😂 While we’re talking flights … Did you hear about the new travel company I’m starting exclusively for bald people? Receding Airlines.

✅ Now you know what scammers are doing to steal your money. Use the links below to share this important information with family and friends.

It’s patio season, which, unfortunately, also means bug season. Dun-dun-dun. I rounded up three great products to keep bugs at bay.

Coils: Place these citronella coils ($10.75 for 24) strategically around you. Lemme tell you, they work.

Racket: A little sadistic, sure, but catching the mosquito that keeps buzzing your ear is so satisfying. Grab a mini one (33% off) and go for the kill shot.

E-diffuser: Make your patio a mosquito-free zone with a portable electronic diffuser ($26.50). The cartridges are scent- and smoke‑free.

🤖 OpenAI’s GPT‑4o is here: The new model responds to spoken words in real time (kinda like a human) and can “sense” changes in your tone and mood. Show it a photo and it’ll describe what’s happening in that image. GPT‑4o is available in the free tier of ChatGPT, but if you pay $20 per month, you get five times the message limit. Today, Google will announce its new AI products. The web as we know it will never be the same.

Apple + Google: The latest updates (iOS 17.5 and Android 6.0) let iPhones and Android devices know if any Bluetooth tracker is “found moving with you,” not just AirTags. You can make the tracker play a sound so it’s easier to find or disable it altogether — finally.

Buh-bye, Temu poo-poo: Will we start seeing fewer ads for Temu? You betcha! Temu has peaked in the U.S. (WSJ, paywall link) and doesn’t want to turn into another TikTok by getting banned, so it’s moving on to selling cheap junk in other countries now.

😸 You’re kitten me: Shares in GameStop are surging. Before you jump on the bandwagon, “short sellers” (those betting against the retailer) are facing over $1 billion in losses after the stock roughly tripled this month. What happened? “Roaring Kitty,” the man behind the 2021 GameStop mania, just posted on X for the first time in nearly three years.

The first mistake: A children’s jewelry maker promoted its products using photos of a 5-year-old girl on Instagram. Guess what? The ad mainly reached adult men. The New York Times (paywall link) repeated the test, attracting convicted sex offenders and solicitations. IG’s blaming the algorithm again.

You have my Word: Now, any text you copy and paste in Microsoft Word will automatically match the font, size and color of your existing document. Nice! Prefer the old way? Go to File > Options > Advanced > Cut, copy, and paste > Pasting from other programs, and choose Keep Source Formatting.

Old-school gaming: Gamma is topping the charts in the Apple App Store. It’s a free PlayStation 1 emulator, meaning you can relive some of the classics on your iPhone. Just know you’ll need to supply the games yourself — legally, of course.

🤗 Good news: After undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor, a 21-year-old woman can speak again in a new way. OpenAI’s new Voice Engine recreated her voice using just a 15-second clip. Now, Alexis Bogan simply types words on her phone, and the AI speaks in real time. One of the first things Alexis did after regaining her voice? Order Starbucks. Amazing.

The new Komando Reddit page: Find it here. I’m not sure who set it up, but it’s a nice spot to share tech intel, helpful info you read in my newsletter and anything else you want to share. I’d like each of you to make one post in this new subreddit today. Before you say, “I don’t do Reddit, Kim,” just try it. Let’s make it huge together!

👊 Close the Windows: There are pros to having your Microsoft and Windows 11 accounts tied together, but if you want to stop Microsoft from sharing your data with advertisers, disconnect from the cloud. Move to a local account with these steps: Open Settings, then Account > Your Info > Sign In. Log into a local account, then confirm your changes.

Because you’re mine, I walk the line: You just sang that, didn’t you? Say you’re editing with a group and need to reference line by line. Google Docs can save you the headache. Go to Tools > Line numbers > check Show Line Numbers, and you’re all set. Sweet!

SIRI! Someone in my life (fine, it’s my husband, Barry) gets super frustrated with smart assistants and talks too loudly to them. That just makes it worse! Use your “inside voice” for the best results.

🐽 Memory hogs: Sometimes, your system runs background apps that can tax your device’s CPU and RAM. If you’re on a Mac, check the Activity Monitor and turn off any CPU-sucking apps. On a PC, check Task Manager. Get in-depth steps here. Oh, you’re gonna be glad you did!

How much time do you waste scrolling through junk on your phone? Yeah, me, too. Why not put that time to use and learn a new language? Babbel’s lessons are taught by real language teachers, not AI. You’ll learn real-life phrases — not textbook talk.

You can start speaking Italian, German, French, Spanish or another language in as little as three weeks of daily lessons. It’s totally beginner-friendly and you’ll see progress fast. Set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming bilingual (or more!).

If you sign up using the link below, you’ll get 60% off for being a Current subscriber. Sweet!

I thought I heard an onion singing a Bee Gees tune. Turns out, it was just a chive talking.

The answer: A.) One thumb 👍 is the classic Gen Z — aka “Zoomer” — texting technique. Two-thumb texting is a millennial thing. And older adults include the index finger when texting, either along with their thumbs or solo.

😂 Here are a few texting acronyms older adults use:

• ATD: At The Doctor
• BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
• FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
• GHA: Got Heartburn Again
• LOL: Living On Lipitor

OK, I made them all up, but share them with someone who needs a laugh!

🔧 Got a burning tech question or stuck in a gadget glitch? Head to the Komando Community Q&A Forum. You’ll get a smart answer you can trust. Grab your 30-day free pass here. Your support fuels this newsletter and everything else we do. Thank you! Until tomorrow. — Kim