Search upgrades: This trick works in Google or your favorite search engine. Use an asterisk (*) to fill in for a word you don’t know, like “Midnight * to Georgia.” If there’s a word you want to keep out of your search, put a minus sign (-) in front of it. “Kim tech tips -Kardashian” means you won’t see the other Kim K. in your results.
How to land the best flight deals
Spring break is around the corner, and Sundays are the best day to book trips, so let’s talk travel hacks. My dad worked for United Airlines, so I grew up on airplanes. I’ve explored 38 countries (and counting!) with plenty more on my bucket list. Let’s get you the best deals!
How to land the best flight deals
✈️ Check for 24-hour price drops: Booked a flight? Some airlines let you cancel within 24 hours for free. If you find a lower price, cancel and rebook. Easy savings.
🔔 Set up price alerts: Google Flights and Kayak will email you when prices drop. The best time to book? One to three months ahead for domestic flights and four to six months out for international. (Note to self: This means next week.)
📅 Fly on the cheap days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are usually the cheapest. Red-eyes and early morning flights also cost less and are less likely to be delayed or canceled.
🛫 Be flexible: Try Google’s Explore feature to spot budget-friendly dates. Skyscanner’s Cheapest Month tool is neat. Instead of choosing a date, click Flexible Dates and watch the prices fluctuate.
🛑 Hidden-city ticketing (use with caution): Skiplagged finds flights where your destination is a layover, which can save you cash. Just don’t check a bag. It won’t follow you.
VIP experience secrets
If “budget” is not in your lexicon, you can bypass many airport hassles.
PS (Private Suite) at LAX and ATL
- Get private TSA screening and a terminal with no lines. Think velvet couches and chilled champagne. Board via a private car on the tarmac and have a similar arrival service.
- PS costs about $4,000 for the first passenger. It’s an Amex Centurion cardholder perk, and that’s how I get to use it. I saw Kanye West and his wife about a month ago on my way back from Paris. Fortunately, she was clothed. I couldn’t bare it.
Airport Butler/Royal Airport Concierge fast-track service
Scammers are targeting teens – Warn your Gen Zer about these tricks
I told you about the 14-year-old who committed suicide after following the advice of an AI chatbot. Another family is suing the same one — Character AI — after it told an autistic 14-year-old to kill his parents. It also exposed an 11-year-old to sexual content.
Hackers steal $285M in Bitcoin
$285 million in crypto — gone. Two hackers stole over 4,100 Bitcoin from a billionaire, but they didn’t get away with it. Plus, tips for using Perplexity AI, a shocking Titan submersible update, and a fantasy football fan caught sending fake threats.
It’s the classic IT line: “I gotta debug your computer” But did you know it originated with an actual bug? Engineers troubleshooting a computer malfunction found a dead bug on the circuit board. Was it a … A.) Cockroach, B.) Fly, C.) Moth or D.) Silverfish?
Hiring or looking for a job? Upgrade your LinkedIn profile to stand out
When most people find themselves unemployed or are looking for a career change, they head to a job board. But have you heard of LinkedIn? It’s a social media platform with a twist.
LinkedIn also offers excellent options for those looking to hire employees who don’t want to wait for a sea of faceless applications to pour in. It provides prospective employees unique ways to stand out and gives companies a fresh way to look for new talent. Tap or click for smart things you should be doing with your LinkedIn profile.
Holiday tech hacks: Digital cookbook, easier cards, group pic tips
I’m not sure where this year went, but it’s time to dive headfirst into the festive frenzy. I’ve got some tech tips up my sleeve that’ll sprinkle a little magic on your celebrations. You’re gonna love ‘em!
If your recipes are printed or handwritten, snap a pic with your phone or tablet. Add them all to one folder (or try the Notes app on iOS or Google Keep for Android) for easy swiping. Listen here for more tips about that.
Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it
How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.
Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.
Take a break: By default, YouTube will load a new video for you to watch after the one you’re viewing ends. The setting to change it isn’t very easy to spot. It’s the small toggle switch down in the right corner. You’re welcome.
Wheelie having a good time: On the web version of Google Maps, click Layers, then Biking. You’ll see all the smaller paths and dirt trails on the map alongside the main roads.
New in Google Docs: Tabs. They’re in the left sidebar and take the place of the old header system, which wasn’t all that good. Click the + (plus sign) next to the document tabs to make a new one. Think of it like a digital table of contents. Here’s a list of tips and tricks.
Enter your “Pa$$word!”: I’ve done this for years — abbreviate a sentence into a password. So, “I ate three peanut butter sandwiches today!” could become “I83pbsammies2day!” Whatever you do, just promise me you won’t use “123456” or “password1.”
⏸️ Cheapskate pro tip: When you’re out of town for an extended period, pause your internet and/or cable package. This is so much better than paying full price for those services when you’re not even using them. Get specific steps for your provider here.
🙏 Please be cautious about falling for heartbreaking, AI-generated images like this one circulating on social media after Hurricane Helene. Use this site to detect AI-generated images: https://hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection
Make your Mac’s mouse pointer larger: Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). In the settings window, select Accessibility, click on Display and then choose Pointer. You’ll see a Pointer Size slider. Adjust it to make the pointer larger. Tomorrow, how to do this on Windows.
Don’t get lost: Here’s a fast, easy tip if you use a Mac. Quickly jiggle your mouse (or swipe across your trackpad) to increase your cursor size. It’s so very handy when you lose sight of it.
🎞️ Don’t face the camera straight on: Instead, position your body at a far more flattering 45-degree angle. Put your weight on your back foot and lean your torso slightly forward. This tip was brought to you by 20 years of broadcasting and looking fabulous each time … well, most of the time!
Too long, won’t read: Eight sentences or longer, and 57% of people skim or ignore parts of your email. Pro tip: Put the most important info in the first line or write in bullet points to save time.
Small-biz tip: Getting the right domain is an important part of settling on your business name. Check for a site name across different top-level domains (think .com, .net. and .biz), and see how much they cost at iwantmyname.com.