‘Hey, have you landed yet?’

March 7, 2024

Don’t wait for them to call or text. There are better ways, friend!

My favorite option is FlightAware. Type in the flight number and you’ll see where that plane is in the sky. You’re not limited to tracking their flight; you can even see if rain might delay them with the weather radar overlay. Try it on the web or your phone.
Flightradar24 is fun. Open your camera and point it at any airplane. You’ll see its flight number, departure point and destination. It’s powered by ADS-B receivers and can get signals from the aircraft. Download it here.
For the basics, Google Flights gets the job done. Search for a flight number on Google and a box with details like arrival time and gate info will pop up.

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3 quick and easy ways to speed up your browser

Gotta be honest. I don’t have a lot of patience for spinning wheels and loading progress bars. I’m busy! I know you are, too, so let’s fix your slow browser.

Whether you’re a Chrome lover or a Firefox fan, you’ve got options. These tips are fast and easy, too. You can thank me later — and use all your saved time to do something else … like forwarding this email to a friend!

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Meet your new travel planner: Not me — Kayak. Screenshot a seemingly good flight. Next, upload it to the new PriceCheck AI feature on Kayak’s app. It’ll show if it’s really the best. Another AI alternative? Ask Kayak your travel planning questions. “Direct flights to the beach under $500, please!” But always double-check Kayak’s results against Google Flights.

Don’t buy a Surface tablet: Microsoft is dropping the first “AI PCs” on March 21. The OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are decked out with next-gen processors, upgraded displays, and all the AI bells and whistles. Copilot essentially turns everything you do on the PC into something you can search for later. Feature or flaw? That’s up to you.

Bon appetit: GE Appliances’ Cookcam AI recognizes your dish and automatically sets the cooking mode. Surprise, it’s not even an upsell! If you have a GE Profile or Café model equipped with in-oven cameras, it’s a free software update. What’s on the menu? Turkey, cookies, pizza, cakes and brownies for now.

Permission revoked: Can’t remember which permissions you’ve given to which apps on your Android phone or tablet? There’s an easy way to check. From Settings, tap Security and privacy > Privacy > Permission manager.

Before movie night: Turn off your TV’s Motion Smoothing feature. It’s a setting made for sports that makes everything else look … weird. Find it in your TV’s picture settings. Steps here if you need help.

Thank you, next: Mint goes away (for real this time) on March 23. I rounded up these free alternatives that can easily import your Mint data. PocketGuard’s free version has handy pie charts and bill tracking. RocketMoney analyzes your spending habits and reminds you about pesky subscriptions you forgot to cancel. Wally will import Mint info, too.

Name game: If you have multiple Amazon Echo devices, standard names like “Kim’s 3rd Echo” are useless. Send your music to the right place by changing it to something you’ll recognize, like “Kitchen” or “Den.” Open the Alexa app > Devices > Echo & Alexa. Choose your device, tap the settings cog and then select Edit Name.

It never hurts to ask: Your internet plan is expensive. Call your ISP and ask to talk to a “retention specialist” — aka the folks who can cut you the best deal. Heads up, most promos are valid for a year, so you’ll have to negotiate again.

Like having two computers: On Windows and macOS, you can create virtual desktops to keep things organized and switch between them using keyboard shortcuts. You could try separate home and work setups or a regular profile plus one you use for all your house renovation stuff, for example. Steps here if you want to try it.