You mention Antarctica once. Just a throwaway joke near your phone, “Wouldn’t it be cool to go freeze my face off?” Suddenly, your phone, laptop, smart TV, smart speaker and even your fridge are pitching you parkas like it’s QVC Arctic Edition. 🥶

Chances are, you were hit by ultrasonic cross-device tracking.

This high-frequency sound is too high for your ears to notice, but it connects your devices without your knowledge. No clicks. No cookies. Just vibes.

🎯 What is ultrasonic tracking?

It’s audio surveillance in stealth mode. Ultrasonic tones (usually 18–22 kHz) are baked into ads, websites and retail kiosks. It’s crazy smart. You won’t hear the tone, but your devices do. 

Advertisers use it to link your laptop, phone, smart TV and speaker together as belonging to one person. That’s how you get hyper-targeted ads across your devices and platforms.

🩵 Why marketers love it

Because it’s invisible and almost no one’s blocking it. Unlike cookies, this doesn’t ask for permission. You can’t even hear it, how are you supposed to know it’s going on? 

The FTC isn’t thrilled about this tech. They issued warnings to companies using it without proper disclosure, especially those embedding code into apps and ads. Marketers are still pushing the limits, quietly experimenting without you clicking a thing.

🛑 How to protect yourself

The basic steps might vary by device. If it’s not exactly where I say, just poke around. You’ll find it.

✅ Limit mic access on your devices

iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Turn off access for apps that don’t need it.

Android: Open Settings > Security and Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone.

✅ Turn off tracking on your smart TV

Samsung TVs: Head to Settings > Support > Terms & Policies, and toggle off Viewing Information Services.

LG TVs: Open Settings > All Settings > General > Privacy & Terms > User Agreements, and uncheck Personalized Advertising.

If you are using a different TV, search for Interest-based ads or Ad personalization and uncheck those options.

✅ Stop your smart speaker from storing recordings

Amazon: Open the Alexa App > More (three lines) > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data, choose how long to save recordings.

Google: Go to your Google Account > Data & privacy > Web & App Activity, then uncheck the box next to Include voice and audio activity.

Silent tracking is real, but now, you’re putting your hands over tech’s ears, saying, “La la la, I can’t hear you.”
The post The privacy threat no one blocks appeared first on Komando.com.

💻 Revive that old laptop for free: Got a dusty Mac or PC lying around? Install ChromeOS Flex and turn it into a Chromebook-like machine that runs smoothly on minimal resources. Perfect for email, browsing, calls and streaming. Bonus: Google Docs works offline, too. All it takes is a USB. Here’s how to do it. Yea, this tip alone was worth the price of this newsletter.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.The post Revive that old laptop for free appeared first on Komando.com.

🧻 Pay-to-wipe: Going to China? New viral footage shows a woman in a public restroom forced to scan a QR code to get toilet paper. Over there, you either pay a few cents or watch an ad before the dispenser spits out your ration. The idea is to cut down on toilet paper theft, but this is just Hulu with higher stakes.
The post Pay-to-wipe appeared first on Komando.com.

AI isn’t waiting for you. Download NetSuite’s free guide, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning,” to make informed decisions and ensure your business thrives in the AI era.
The post AI isn’t waiting for you appeared first on Komando.com.

🏴‍☠️ Streameast resurrected: Remember when that pirate sports site Streameast was taken down last month? Well, it’s back online, using the exact same domain Homeland Security seized just 13 months ago. Turns out, the feds let the domain expire, and the original owners just reregistered it like a normal GoDaddy shopper. The government’s Achilles’ heel? Forgot auto-renew.
The post Streameast resurrected appeared first on Komando.com.

🚪 Stop and think: A New Mexico woman handed over $60,000 in cash to a scammer posing as the FDIC. He showed up at her door with a fake badge and somehow disabled her phone so she couldn’t call for help. Reminder: No real agency asks you to hand-deliver your life savings. Ever.
The post Stop and think appeared first on Komando.com.

🌐 Stop overpaying for internet: Run a speed test and check if it matches what you’re paying for. Then Google other ISPs and compare. Call your provider, drop the “I might switch” line and watch them magically lower your bill or bump your speed. Gotta love a little competition.
The post Stop overpaying for internet appeared first on Komando.com.

Looking to grow your team before year-end? Top candidates are seeking to connect on LinkedIn right now. This is the perfect time to find great talent to help your business thrive in 2026. Post a job for FREE using my special link.
The post Looking to grow your team before year-end appeared first on Komando.com.

🚨 Update your iPhone right now: iOS 26.0.1 is out, fixing Wi-Fi glitches, cell dropouts, camera bugs and more. It also patches a security flaw hackers could’ve used. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install. PSA: iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro got updates, too.
The post Update your iPhone right now appeared first on Komando.com.

📚 Speakers, spies and scribes: Amazon rolled out their new gear that includes $100–$220 Echo speakers, Show displays with 13MP cams, new 11-inch Kindle Scribes ($430–$630) that let you doodle in color, updated Fire TVs and Ring cams that spot your lost dog. Oh, and Prime members get free Alexa+ (otherwise $20/month), which gives you beefed-up voice skills, smarter search, more natural conversation and overall better personalization. 
The post Speakers, spies and scribes appeared first on Komando.com.