Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s. We are on many of the same radio stations across America. She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do: Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better. Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.
With her permission, I comb her newsletters each week and curate a list of her tips and advice that I think you'll find relevant and interesting. Here's what I have for you this week!
As shared in Kim Komando's newsletters:
Fake room roulette: I trust bargain hotel sites about as much as gas station sushi. Hotel workers were asked what scams they’re seeing, and spoiler alert, fake hotel reservations are surging. People book some miracle rate online, show up with luggage and the hotel has nothing. It’s not sleep logistics either. One staffer said a family bought New York attraction tickets, Statue of Liberty included, but nothing was booked. Which, to be fair, feels like an authentic New York City experience.
Floors that catch you: This is for anyone caring for a parent. A new wave of contactless sensors can spot a fall and alert family or 911 with no wearable and no button to press, just quiet monitoring in the background. And here’s the wallet news: Medicare loosened its remote-monitoring rules for 2026, making this kind of at-home check-in easier to get reimbursed. Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults, so catching one fast is everything. Looks like the safety net finally hit the floor, in the best possible way.
Hate thy nAIghbor: America built the cloud, then parked it by people trying to sleep. Residents near data centers in New Jersey, Michigan and Massachusetts filed noise lawsuits even though the sites claim they meet local limits. Why the gap? Many ordinances measure regular loudness, not low-frequency throb from fans and generators. We’ve got 3,000+ data centers running, 1,500+ coming and nearly 40% of all homes within 5 miles of one. AI’s making your bedroom sound like an idling truck.
3-second tech genius: Shopping for furniture and forgot the tape measure? Open the Measure app on your iPhone, move the circle to one edge, tap to add a point, then drag to the other side. It gives you a quick estimate before you buy something that blocks half the hallway. Bonus: Switch to Level and plop your iPhone on something to check if it’s straight.
Tap water target: I didn’t enjoy learning that my tap water has geopolitical enemies. California Water Service is investigating claims from Iranian hackers who say they breached the utility’s systems. Cal Water says it has found no sign that water or wastewater operations were disrupted. Love that sentence. The crazy part? Water utilities are among America’s most targeted infrastructure, and plenty still run on old tech. No action needed today, but keep your eyes peeled for a boil water notice.
Dad versus sewage: Imagine several dads standing around a manhole like it has a hidden fishing spot. That was the scene in Florida after an IT dad tracked his daughter’s stolen phone into a sewer using Find My iPhone. He had packed it with security features, which seem to have made the thief give up and toss it. Once the cover was off, Dad reached into the municipal soup himself to fetch the phone. Somewhere in that sewer, a rat is explaining two-factor authentication to his family.
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