“Kim, I’m concerned that my phone is going to give me cancer. My wife tells me I’m paranoid. What do you think? Thank you for your newsletters and shows. It helps me keep up with our two teens.” — Robert in San Antonio, Texas

I understand your concerns, Robert. The FCC says the radiation coming from your cellphone is no big deal. A cancer surgeon friend told me he begs to differ. I play it safe and keep my phone away from my body and head as much as possible. (Yes, I’m that person taking calls on my AirPods or speakerphone.)

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Sensors in today’s smartwatches can detect your heartbeat, track how you sleep and even monitor blood oxygen levels. If Apple gets its way, your watch will be able to track your blood sugar (and possibly send reports about it to your doctor).

If you’ve ever wondered, “Just how accurate are these smartwatch readings?” You’re far from alone, so I took a look. Smartwatches and fitness watches have some serious flaws you should know about.

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Your mobile phone is a lifeline to many daily activities. It is often the first thing we reach for in the mornings to check social media or pour over the latest news with a cup of coffee. It also keeps us in touch with family and friends.

So, when you forget to charge your iPhone overnight and it dies unceremoniously at lunchtime, you might feel lost or incomplete. Luckily, it doesn’t mean that all the functions are dead. There are a couple of handy features on your iPhone that still work.

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Buzz, buzz! Nope, it’s not a message from a friend. It’s another scammer pretending to be anything from your bank to an old high school friend, usually with an obvious trap included. In 2022, Americans lost almost $330 million through text message scams alone.

There is a way to handle text spam, but many people make things worse instead of better. Here are the answers everyone with a phone (including kiddos) needs to know.

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Color me shocked. I knew you’d like the CES updates about new tech coming down the pipeline, but wow, I got so many notes about how much you enjoyed it.

I aim to please, so here we go with the rest of the gadgets, gizmos and updates you’ll want to know.

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The airports? Crazy. The weather? Unpredictable. Travel is tough enough. But the FBI recently threw a wrinkle in the sheets with a new warning to avoid public phone charging stations.

Those charging kiosks in airports, hotels and malls can be big timesavers, especially for a family on the move. Good news! Owners promise they’re safe. The government disagrees — and so do I. Groan, I know.

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I’m always astounded by the number of people who go to the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This year, over 130,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitors are descending upon the city. CES used to be the least profitable week in Vegas for casinos since no one was gambling … but it was still the biggest week for prostitution. Go figure.

Here are a few items that have caught my attention at this year’s CES — for better or worse.

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Nope, you’re not paranoid. If you feel like your smartphone and speakers are listening to your private chats, it’s because they are. 

In a now-deleted blog post, Cox Media Group revealed it can (and does) gather information from conversations and use it for targeted ads. They thought they were slick by removing the evidence, but we caught all the details. Don’t they know the internet is forever? 

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All I want for Christmas is to help keep your data safe. The bad news is there are a ton of cybercriminals out there doing their best to stop me.

Apple recently shared the results of a study from MIT on the growing threat of cyberattacks around the globe. A mindblowing 2.6 billion personal records were breached in 2021 and 2022. I’d say it’s time to act if you haven’t already.

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OK, honesty time: I bought the new iPhone 15 Pro Max. I opened up my fancy $1,600 smartphone to realize … it was the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max I was already using.

The big (only?) change I can spot is the charging port on the bottom. After all these years, Apple is ditching its Lightning cable for the one every other tech company uses for charging and data transfer: USB-C. Some new AirPod models are getting the same treatment.

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When I saw this malware report, I wanted to pass it along because hackers and scammers are no longer just going after adults. They’ve got a huge pot of gold for anyone looking for Sonic the Hedgehog, Taylor Swift or “Boss Baby.” 

Innocent searches for movies, shows and celebrities are turning up awful results. A new study found the most common search terms to infect kids’ devices with malware. I admit even I was surprised by some of these.

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I remember my parents saying, “Kim, stop wasting the film.” Oh yes, the days of putting film in a camera, taking up to 36 pictures and then waiting for it to get developed to see if any shots were good. Those days are long gone.

Today, the average American takes around 20 photos every single day. And I bet many of those are three shots of the same thing. So, how do we tackle the deluge of doubles? 

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Trying to squeeze every last drop of life out of your smartphone? I know many of you put up with crappy battery power and random glitches longer than you should to avoid costly upgrades. 

But using your phone past its end of life is risky business. I did the work to figure out the lifespan of popular models, plus I’ll help you find out how old your phone is and if you’re still using a model you need to ditch. Why? Because I want to help you.

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Mozilla, the folks behind Firefox, has another big project I keep an eye on. Its Privacy Not Included buyer’s guide. The latest way to measure digital privacy is its Annual Consumer Creep-O-Meter. 

It takes a hard look at the most popular consumer tech devices and assesses the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Mozilla uses a scale from one to 100, with 100 being the worst. 

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Apple’s fall device drop gets all the love, but Google wants you to remember it’s here, too — with lots of shiny new tech and some seriously impressive AI upgrades coming soon to a phone near you.

Let’s break down everything Google just announced and see how the Pixel 8 stacks up against the new iPhone 15.

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Ah, malware. These insidious little programs crawl into our phones, laptops and other smart devices and wreak havoc.

Usually, you can trust the Google Play Store, Apple’s App Store, Amazon apps and all other official sources. That said, it’s just plain smart to “trust but verify.” 

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I hate using dressing rooms at retail stores. I’d rather buy two different sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit. Plus, those mirrors are awful and don’t get me started on the lighting. The last thing you want to worry about is being spied on while changing. 

Women nationwide are reporting a new kind of dressing room violation — one using a smartphone.

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Humble brag: I do a lot. Between the national radio show, this newsletter, my website, podcasts, Sirius XM show and columns for sites like the Daily Mail, Fox and USA Today … I’m willing to bet you missed something.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s trending right now.

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Set a reminder for Monday, Sept. 18. That’s when iOS 17 is dropping — and it’s the one thing Apple just announced at its big Wonderlust fall release event that won’t cost you anything.

I’ve been on the beta version for months and wrote up my favorite new features for the Daily Mail. Today, let’s take a closer look at the latest hardware dropping this fall. 

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The leaves change colors, you grab a scarf, pumpkin spice is back and Apple has a big announcement — all classic signs of fall. Sept. 12 is Wonderlust — yeah, Apple’s naming them now. I know. 

Fear not if your eyes glaze over at yet another camera and processor chip upgrade. Apple’s big promos can start to feel a little same-old, same-old, but some big things are coming this year. Here’s what my grapevine is vining about.

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