Kim Komando

I’ve been hearing lately from more and more people who believe they’re being watched or listened to through their phones. Whether it’s an ex, a snooping spouse or someone with too much time and too little ethics, digital stalking is real and it’s sneaky.  If your gut is telling you something’s off, don’t brush it […]

Your brain is meat. Beautiful, magical meat.  But it loses things. Important things like “brilliant 4 a.m. business idea” slip into the gray matter of the most sophisticated organ on the planet.  That’s why the smartest people I know (including me!) have a “second brain.” A digital vault that catches ideas, plans, reminders and projects […]

The other day, I was digging through a drawer (you know the one: cables, old remotes, mystery chargers … where old gadgets go to die), and I came across an old SD card. No label. Just a little piece of forgotten tech from another time. Curious, I popped it into my computer. After a few […]

Ever scroll through Instagram or Facebook and wonder, Why am I still seeing goat yoga videos and political or family drama from 2009? Our social media feeds are Frankenstein monsters built from everything we’ve clicked on, liked, hovered over or even winced at for half a second.  Good news: You can hit the big, shiny […]

It’s Friday, and while I have my usual mix of news and tips to keep you tech ahead and not tech left behind, let’s have some fun, too. I’m sure you know that companies toss millions of dollars into the marketing volcano, hoping to birth the next “Just Do It.”  More often than not, what […]

Every Thursday, the internet gets doused in nostalgia: cargo pants, weird bangs and MySpace screenshots. Here’s a vintage revival you didn’t know you needed. Throwback tech hacks that still solve real problems. No hard drive whirring required. 🔄 Alt + Tab = Instant multitasking  Feeling overwhelmed with too many open windows? Instead of dragging your […]

You deleted that weird photo of your ex’s mom from your vacation three summers ago … or did you? Hidden folders on your phone are holding your “deleted” pictures and videos hostage, quietly clogging your storage and embarrassing you long past their expiration date.  Time to go folder spelunking and clear out these digital cobwebs.  […]

Would you let someone scan your eyeball in exchange for some free cryptocurrency?  Yes, your actual eyeball. This isn’t an audition for Season 4 of Black Mirror. It’s the premise behind OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s new project called World.  Before you roll your eyes, let me break it down for you. What’s the deal? Sam […]

Have you ever joined a Zoom call and thought, “Why do I look like a vampire who doesn’t know where the camera is?” Since it’s the start of a new week, here are easy tricks to make you look brighter, smarter and significantly less like you’re broadcasting from a cave.  🎥 Fix your camera placement […]

Your phone is dying as you’re reading this. Many people don’t realize that, like milk, condoms or your favorite hot sauce that’s been in the fridge since 2018, your phone has an expiration date.   Here are the average lifespans for some of today’s most popular phone brands and makes: To be clear: These are averages. […]

How to make any USB drive self-destruct  “Kim, I’m paranoid about losing my USB drive. Is there any way to make it so if someone steals it, they can’t see or open anything?” — Dave in Denver Dave, losing a USB drive isn’t just annoying. It’s the secret nightmare of anyone who’s ever stored files […]

It’s Friday, and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. Let’s take a fun walk down memory lane back when our gadgets were clunky, slow and somehow magical. Remember when flipping your phone shut made you feel like a movie star? Or hearing the sound of a modem? Good times. Take a look at this list and […]

Let me tell you a true story that’ll shake you and hopefully protect someone you love from heartbreak or a well-rehearsed scam call. It happened to a 90-year-old grandmother in Nashville. She picked up the phone because that’s what she’s always done. On the other end was a young woman, her voice trembling, the connection […]

When you’re the tech-savvy friend, it’s basically your job to fix everything that plugs in. Who saves the saviors? Me! Now, depending on your OS, model, updates and general tech karma, your screen might not match mine exactly. Don’t panic, just keep moving forward. You’ve got this! Secret Windows restart trick A simple reboot can […]

You think keeping a secret in today’s world is tough? Try running one of the most important elections on the planet while dodging drones, AI surveillance and a smartphone in every pocket. When Pope Francis passed away, the Vatican went into immediate lockdown mode to protect the conclave, the centuries-old process where cardinals vote to […]

Just last year, I had an IT pro on my team with over 20 years of experience. Smart guy. Talented. But when it came to AI, he dug in his heels. “It’s a fad,” he told me. “In two years, people will go back to Google and search the web. They won’t trust AI.”  Yeah, […]

It wasn’t planned. Unlike the 17,397 pics cluttering my camera roll, recipe screenshots of dishes I’ll never make and reminders I never needed, this one was completely accidental. I was walking with my phone and accidentally double tapped. It turned out to be the most accurate snapshot of life I’ve taken in ages. Abby, my […]

You pay for high-speed internet, but your current connection is slower than your mom who took nine months to come up with a good joke. Something’s off, and no, it’s not Mercury in retrograde (this time).  Enter: DNS. 🧠 Wait, what’s DNS? DNS stands for Domain Name System. It’s like your computer’s address book. When […]

You made it through the week. Time to treat yourself! I dug through the sea of fake reviews and gimmicks for sweet savings on gadgets you’ll actually want. Let’s dive in. 🚘 Eyes on the road 24/7: Redtiger’s 4K dual dash cam ($118.99, 30% off) covers your ride from front to back, even when parked. […]