The Kim Komando Show

A dog lost 50 hours after an Alaska avalanche. An AirTag 5,000 miles away. Blind veterans getting free AI glasses that talk. And a fake job interview that cost $6.3 billion.

Lauren Padawer was half a world away when an avalanche injured her boyfriend and his climbing partner in the Alaska mountains. Then their dog LouLou, a 4-year-old huskydoodle, vanished. Lauren tells me how an Apple AirTag, satellite maps and a team of volunteers brought her home.

Then, 20 blind veterans in Michigan got free Ray-Ban Meta glasses that describe the world around them. Gary Horton of the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired and veteran Arnold Thomas explain how they work and who qualifies.

Plus:

• Crooks cloned her daughter’s voice and kept her on the phone for five hours. Deborah Del Mastro lost $5,400 in an AI kidnapping scam.

• Hackers posed as recruiters and stole $6.3 billion from Binance.

• Walmart’s Vizio TVs send data even when they’re turned off.

• Starlink adds surge pricing to home internet.

• Holiday airfares hit a 10-year high. Skip this one day.

• A flying police car takes off in Florida.

• Win a working Xbox built inside an alligator.

• Author James Hunt on how texting gave his nonverbal son a voice.

I’m Kim Komando, and I’ve got the tech stories you need to know, without the geek speak.

Enjoy the show? Hit Follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a 5-star review. It’s how new listeners find us.

Show notes and every episode: komando.com/podcasts

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Free newsletter: GetKim.com

Find me @kimkomando everywhere.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Fake job interview costs Binance $6.3 billion

4:31 Visit a website, get your phone hacked

8:37 OpenAI wants to rename data centers

9:24 Old jet engines now power AI data centers

9:57 Companies rehire workers AI replaced

10:46 20 blind veterans get free Meta AI glasses

19:33 A fake online store pops up every 3 minutes

20:51 Starlink adds surge pricing

23:09 Deborah: A 5-hour AI voice kidnapping scam

32:18 5 secret ChatGPT photo editing commands

34:13 Chad: Alexa called for help when his father-in-law fell

37:09 Your phone can be your veteran ID

39:20 End of Year Tour merch is live

40:52 A mom billed another mom for a playdate

44:41 Your car sold your driving data

46:35 Your Vizio TV tracks you even when it’s off

47:45 Netflix AI picks shows by your mood

49:38 Florida unveils a flying police car

52:56 Lauren: An AirTag found her dog after an avalanche

1:04:42 Do this before you trade in your phone

1:05:20 Hackers turned grocery freezers into ovens

1:06:47 Becky: How to fight a data center in your neighborhood

1:14:34 Let AI compare your health plans

1:15:48 Bert: My AI tip helped him build an app

1:22:41 Your phone can hear your smoke alarm

1:24:50 Win an Xbox built inside an alligator

1:26:29 GTA VI is starting couples fights

1:29:13 Holiday airfares hit a 10-year high

1:29:53 Get paid $20 an hour to walk a robot dog

1:31:15 Apple’s secret tabletop robot

1:33:37 An AI singer topped the Christian chart

1:37:08 Santina: Trading her iPhone for a $50 burner

1:46:11 Your library card unlocks free streaming

1:47:18 James Hunt: Texting gave his nonverbal son a voice

1:59:21 Let AI sort out a reply-all mess

2:01:03 Allen: The safest mesh routers for your home

2:07:46 Stop Meta from training AI on your glasses
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A wrong-way driver hit their Model Y head-on on the freeway. Jeff Fantin and his son survived, and it was all caught on camera.

Jeff and his son were driving home from a Tesla fan event in Austin when the crash happened. First responders credited their safety to Tesla’s engineering. We talk to Jeff about the scary situation and Tesla’s safety features.

Then, worried AI will take your job? Idealab founder Bill Gross used AI to generate more than 1.2 million business ideas from 31 idea-generating methods and 17 million documents. Now he’s giving them away for free at idealab.ai. We talk to him about the job market and how the program works.

Plus: A joke text sent a United flight back to Las Vegas, outside AI agents showing up in customers’ bank accounts, Apple’s first touchscreen Mac, fake voter texts, an AI toy sold on Amazon that reportedly exposed 13 million kids’ conversations and The Verge’s Nathan Edwards and his neighbor are sending each other potatoes by drone. It’s spud-tacular.

If you start a business after hearing this, let us know. Head to idealab.ai to explore the ideas, and your story could be featured in a follow-up with Bill Gross.

I’m Kim Komando, and I’ve got the tech stories you need to know, without the geek speak.

Enjoy the show? Hit Follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a 5-star review. It’s how new listeners find us.

Show notes and every episode: komando.com/podcasts

Ask me a tech question: komando.com/contact-us/askkim

Free newsletter: GetKim.com

Find me @kimkomando everywhere.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 11-foot space object found in farmer’s backyard.

6:46 AI agents are getting into bank accounts.

7:50 A text prank diverted a United flight.

9:14 Elon Musk hints at Tesla-SpaceX merger.

11:15 An inventor built a flying skateboard.

13:49 Michelle’s cousins posted naked videos of her.

19:31 Fake voter texts are going around.

20:17 Hospital leaks patient records using AI.

21:11 Nathan’s potato drone deliveries.

25:32 AI finds money leaking from your account.

27:43 Bruce: Legit ways to make money using AI.

32:23 ChatGPT flagged Lauren’s cancer.

37:03 Police warn of viral door-kicking pranks.

39:04 Adults post online ads to find friends.

41:27 First robotic surgery from 35 miles away.

43:09 Amazon’s Eiliko toy exposed 13 million kids’ chats.

44:51 Apple’s touchscreen MacBook, iPad mini and Duo fix.

47:00 Tesla saved Jeff and his son in a head-on crash.

58:04 Protect files from rogue AI wipes.

59:04 Game: Brand New or Not True.

1:02:53 Michele: AI lessons and Veterans Day radio tips.

1:11:41 Beth: When to turn off phone Wi-Fi.

1:15:18 Your robot vacuum and speaker watch you.

1:17:12 “Maxxing” is the dictionary’s Word of the Year.

1:20:56 Google’s 3D booths connect military families.

1:21:51 Zoom adds eye-scan human verification.

1:23:18 Free home repairs train AI robots.

1:26:43 Unitree’s $21,600 kung fu robot.

1:29:07 John used AI to write a TV script.

1:32:38 Turn your smartphone into reading glasses.

1:34:15 Idealab’s 1.2 million new AI business ideas.

1:47:44 Don’t let AI plan your hike.

1:48:45 Charlie: Track kids’ iPhones from an Android.

1:51:26 Google Translate speaks teenager.
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John’s Tesla drove him to the hospital mid heart attack. His son sent it from the app, miles away.

John was driving his Tesla when the chest pain hit. He called his son, Jack, who sent the Tesla to the nearest hospital from the app. Doctors found a massive heart attack. We talk to the two of them about the incredible journey.

Then, comedian Jason Gowin built RoboDad, an AI version of himself for his three sons.

Also in this episode: Maria found a security camera outside her exam room at the gynecologist, the peace sign selfie may leak your fingerprints, AI made copies of itself, how to catch a cheater with their own phone, AI chats can be used in court, Southwest banned robots from flights, and wait until you hear how Tom’s drones tell lost delivery drivers where to go. It’s the future.

I'm Kim Komando, and I've got the tech stories you need to know, without the geek speak.

Enjoy the show? Hit Follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a 5-star review. It's how new listeners find us.

Show notes and every episode: komando.com/podcasts

Ask me a tech question: komando.com/contact-us/askkim

Free newsletter: GetKim.com

Find me @kimkomando everywhere.

Chapters:

0:00 Robots fought each other.

5:14 $260,000 electrician AI data jobs.

7:50 AI copied itself onto another computer.

10:17 Peace sign selfies leak your fingerprints.

11:36 Airbnb’s checkout list is four pages long.

13:36 Kathleen: Get paid up to $100/hr to review AI.

17:09 Is flirting with AI cheating?

20:24 John’s son directed his Tesla to the hospital mid heart attack.

27:50 Ask AI what it looks like.

29:47 Deborah uses AI as a city manager.

36:11 Catch a cheater with their own phone.

37:35 Unitree’s insane rideable robot.

42:00 Alexa heard things you never said.

46:02 AI is replacing parts of IVF.

48:02 Managers are endangered species with AI.

49:28 Qwen’s smart glasses track your habits.

50:21 Maria: Security camera outside OB-GYN exam room.

55:14 Comedian Jason Gowin created AI Robo-Dad.

1:02:49 Google’s Mixboard turns ideas into visual boards.

1:05:16 Lisa: Is my smart TV spying on me?

1:07:19 Chuck wants to use AI to enhance his songs.

1:12:17 A Waymo “stole” a passenger’s luggage.

1:13:19 Four AIs ran radio stations and failed.

1:15:25 The Air Force wants oil rigs for rocket landings.

1:16:39 Chatbot chats could be used in court.

1:18:17 Section 8 voucher scams.

1:20:05 LaGuardia’s AI hologram & Southwest robots.

1:22:39 Sophia’s viral TikTok saved her grandmother’s restaurant.

1:27:16 Matt: Monitor my kids’ school email address.

1:30:07 Set up phone Emergency SOS. 1:30:51 Ginny saved $12,000 by using ChatGPT to design her wedding dress.

1:36:01 AI can spot scams.

1:37:35 Jennifer: How does Starlink work?

1:41:38 Tom’s drone swarm guides lost delivery drivers.

1:47:05 Fake Claude websites spread malware.

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A YouTuber built a $180 camera that only tracks police cars. Then two officers showed up at his door.

Police in thousands of American towns use Flock cameras to log your license plate everywhere you drive. Anthony Sistilli wanted to know what happens when the watched becomes the watcher. When officers asked what he planned to do with the data, his answer was simple: it's the same question citizens ask when cops do it to them. We talk to him about the encounter.

Then, tech CEO Autumn-Kyoko Cushman thought her picker was broken, so she let her mom and dad swipe through her Hinge account. 577 notifications later, she's going viral.

Also in this episode: Warren Buffett's late-night YouTube habit, the Kardashians' AI intro gone wrong, a burglar who stole 50 empty Mac mini boxes, Elon Musk's AI shopping demo that exposed his private info, Jeff Bezos on a 3-day work week, and the Halloween TV trick that makes your house look haunted.

I'm Kim Komando, and I've got the tech stories you need to know, without the geek speak.

Enjoy the show? Hit Follow so you never miss an episode, and leave a 5-star review. It's how new listeners find us.

Show notes and every episode: komando.com/podcasts

Ask me a tech question: komando.com/contact-us/askkim

Free newsletter: GetKim.com

Find me @kimkomando everywhere.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Buffett is hooked on YouTube.

7:01 Starlink brings Zoom calls to 30,000 feet.

10:51 The FCC may allow AI political robocalls.

12:07 AI built a zombie shooter game in one weekend.

14:49 Chip's $15,000 car comes when called.

17:02 Terese: Real AI feedback jobs.

19:25 Fake FBI agents spoof real phone numbers.

20:19 Anthony Sistilli's Flock clone watches cops.

27:10 Dead key fob? Do this.

28:43 AI turns doodles into diagrams.

31:01 Kevin: Lock down your smart home.

36:57 Haunt your house with a TV.

38:42 The Kardashians made an AI intro.

42:49 Be mean to Claude, get banned.

47:25 Computer prices are rising.

48:16 Character.AI files for bankruptcy.

50:23 FaceTime now pauses calls for nudity.

52:21 Michele finds her sister's headstone.

55:10 Check your phone's cloud backup.

55:37 Pamela fights a data center next door.

1:05:13 AI carves your pet into a pumpkin.

1:06:28 Mike uses AI for his wife's Parkinson's.

1:15:51 John: Should AI manage your 401(k)?

1:20:13 Your kids' best photo is in a video.

1:23:43 Man steals 50 empty Mac mini boxes.

1:26:48 Claude sends police a fake murder tip.

1:29:22 Bezos: AI could mean a 3 day week.

1:31:39 Apple, Google, Amazon drop new gadgets.

1:35:31 Musk's Grok demo exposed his info.

1:37:54 Autumn-Kyoko Cushman's parents swipe on Hinge for her.

1:44:54 How to spot fake AI videos.

1:45:33 Dennis made his AI angry.

1:51:18 Google's AI calls businesses for you.

1:52:52 Game: Fake or Real News Headlines.

1:55:06 Susan: Self publish a book safely.

1:59:34 Tech behind a 3,000 pound pumpkin.

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Can a fogging license plate holder fool Flock cameras? One inventor says it can. I talk to him about his unusual invention and the growing debate over neighborhood surveillance.

Plus, a woman dumps ChatGPT and the internet goes wild. A murder victim's voice is recreated with AI for a courtroom statement. And a caller shares how ChatGPT helped flag a possible medical emergency.

I'm Kim Komando, and I've got the tech stories you need to know, without the geek speak.

Also in this episode: Amazon's secret file on you, the catch with free smart thermostats, adult ads in kids' games, bizarre AI job interviews and the latest privacy warnings.

JUMP TO YOUR FAVORITE STORY

00:00 Pop quiz: What keeps your bank transactions safe?

5:26 Meta's Muse: AI so cuddly you'll spill your data

10:31 Adult ads in kids' games

13:34 Hasta la vista, robots!

14:57 Murder victim delivers AI impact statement

28:21 Michael: Should Siri read my email?

34:06 Barbara: Are Amazon delivery photos surveillance?

37:53 Bet You Didn't Know: How plane searches work

40:30 Meet Coyotech, the AI radio DJ

46:19 Self-checkout is checking out

49:03 Amazon keeps a file on you

50:17 Tech updates: Apple, Microsoft and Ring

52:52 The dog filmed the wedding

54:27 Alexandra: The ChatGPT breakup backlash

58:42 The tap-to-pay donation scam

59:47 Game: Brand New or Not True

1:02:25 Ken: Heating up a dry ice business

1:10:25 AI Tool of the Week: Google Photos Wardrobe

1:11:10 Mary: ChatGPT catches a medical emergency

1:15:46 Bill: Is it safe to upload photos to AI?

1:19:23 Strangers photograph your family's grave

1:21:48 Loud working: Office trend or nuisance?

1:24:37 Tesla Roadster: A flying car?

1:28:35 Tech updates: iPhone Duo, Kindles and Googlebook

1:33:11 The HOA Flock camera debate gets it wrong

1:40:00 Who controls your free thermostat?

1:40:43 Harry: The fogging license plate holder inventor

1:49:48 Gibberish AI job interviews go viral

1:52:04 Susan: Fitness tracker freakout

1:57:44 Robert: Best AI for genealogy?

2:02:45.854 Google's time machine nostalgia trip

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