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The airlines sold you out
Let’s talk about something no one thinks about when booking a flight: where your travel info really goes.
An investigative bombshell from 404 Media just uncovered that the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a company owned by the biggest U.S. airlines, has been giving federal agencies access to passenger records.
No, I’m not talking about flagged terrorists. We’re talking 5 billion ticket records of everyday folks like you and me, completely searchable by the FBI, ICE, the Secret Service and more. Wow.
All without a warrant.
🧳 What they have about you
ARC isn’t a household name, but it processes bookings from over 12,800 travel agencies and 270 airlines. That includes your flight through Expedia, business trip from your company’s travel desk or miles you cashed in last summer.
The data includes your full name, payment method, dates and times of travel, full itinerary and who you traveled with. This info goes into a database that law enforcement can search instantly, no judge or subpoena required.
🤫 It gets worse
The contracts between ARC and these agencies reportedly forbid them from ever revealing ARC as the source of the data. So if your personal travel history helped trigger an investigation or was sold off, you’d never know how they got it.
It’s a direct runaround of the Fourth Amendment, which is supposed to protect you from this kind of unchecked surveillance.
🛡️ Fight back
If this made your stomach drop, you’re not alone. It’s the latest example of data brokers acting as secret surveillance partners.
Accessorize your digital life
🤖 Your gadgets deserve better than “just the basics.”
🎧 Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE + SmartTag2 (17% off): Grab these earbuds and score a SmartTag2 for free. Hurry, this only lasts until Sept. 28.
🍏 Apple AirTags (24% off, four-pack): Lost-and-found is canceled. Tag your keys, wallet, bag or even your dog.
🚗 Wireless car charger (12% off): Bumpy road? No prob. This keeps your phone steady while powering it up.
🛜 Wi-Fi travel router (5% off): Your own private, portable hotspot. Because public Wi-Fi is just plain risky.
💻 Laptop cooling pad (10% off): Stop cooking your desk and your thighs. Nine fans help chill everything.
⚡ Level up for less: Check out 25 more tech deals on my Amazon page before they’re gone.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Your new router might be a waste of money
You’ve probably seen the sales pitches. “Get blazing-fast Wi-Fi 7 with internet speeds like you’ve never seen before. Just $600 for a new state-of-the-art router!” Let me save you money.
Yes, Wi-Fi 7 is fast. Theoretical speeds reach up to 46 Gbps. That’s 46,000 Mbps, compared to Wi-Fi 6, which tops out around 9.6 Gbps (9,600 Mbps). Here’s what that means in real life.
🤖 Change ChatGPT’s vibe: You’re not stuck with the default tone. Go to Settings > Personalization > ChatGPT personality. Cynic is sarcastic, Robot is efficient, Listener is supportive, and Nerd is playful. FYI: Leave it on Default if you’d rather keep it neutral and adaptive. Or prompt “reply in a friendly tone” whenever you need.
⚡ Apple Pay’s “free money”: You have to see this TikTok of a woman crying because she thought Apple Pay was Apple’s way of giving her money. She thought every tap, every time she accepted cookies and every app she downloaded earned her cash. I bet she thinks American Express is a train. Watch the short video here. Real or not? Let me know when you rate the newsletter at the end.
The Amazon Prime Lawsuit
Prime is easy to join but a nightmare to cancel. Millions are suing as the FTC says quitting takes navigating multiple pages and answering endless questions.
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The number of parents needed to make some baby iguanas. A female casque-headed iguana at Exotic Zoo in England just gave birth to eight healthy hatchlings without ever meeting a male. The phenomenon, called parthenogenesis, makes the babies genetic clones of mom, one of the rarest events in the animal kingdom. My bet? A very sneaky male iguana.
📚 Stop accidental taps on Kindle: If random screen touches keep messing with your reading, you can disable them. Inside a book, tap the three-dot menu in the top right and select Disable Touchscreen, then hit OK. You’ll still swipe to turn pages. To bring taps back, just restart your Kindle.
How to find your lost documents with AI
Stop wasting hours hunting for files. Learn how AI in Google Workspace and Microsoft Copilot can find your documents in seconds and boost your productivity.
🛏️ Fake sleep science: Turns out sleep trackers are only 65% accurate at guessing your sleep stages. They’re basically playing a slightly smarter version of “Are You Asleep Yet?” based on your wrist twitches. Helpful? Maybe. Lab-grade reliable? Not even close. Still, 1 in 3 adults say they aren’t getting enough sleep, which explains why we keep buying the devices.
Dressing up your kitchen
🧂 My pick: Electric salt & pepper grinder (29% off)
Spice things up (literally). Adjust from powdery to chunky, without the wrist workout. Makes for a great housewarming gift.
🥗 Salad spinner (20% off): If your salad still drips, you’re doing it wrong. Double drainage means faster prep.
Olive oil sprayers (12% off, two-pack): Pour or spritz, it’s your call. Comes with labels so you won’t confuse oil for vinegar
🔥 Reusable oven liners (31% off, two-pack): These heavy-duty mats will save you from scrubbing baked-on disasters.
Glass meal prep containers (15% off): Stackable, leak-proof and microwave-safe. Packing lunch just got easier.
🛒 The shortcut aisle: Stroll over to my Amazon page for 30+ kitchen lifesavers that’ll save time and sanity.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
AI just roasted your retirement plan
I set up my 401(k) back when I worked for AT&T and truly never looked at it again. I picked a few funds and stocks, hoped for the best and trusted that everything was on track. It worked out for me. But now?
📋 Recover text on Windows 11: I sometimes lose links I’ve copied, so I keep Clipboard History on. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard and toggle it on. Next time you need something back, press Windows key + V and your recent text copies pop up, ready to paste. Total lifesaver.
Chips off the ol’ motherboard: Nvidia just tossed $5B at Intel to build next-gen chips, mashing Intel CPUs with Nvidia GPUs for better PCs and AI gear. Intel’s had a rough patch, but this? Might be the glow-up it needs. Their stock jumped 28%. All they needed was a rich friend with a vision board. Don’t we all?
📱 Switch layouts in Phone app: In iOS 26, the Phone app looks a little different. Tap the Filter button (three lines) in the top-right corner and choose between the Classic layout or the new Unified view. Unified puts your recent calls, voicemails and contacts on a single screen so everything’s together.
The airlines are selling you out
Forget peanuts. Airlines are quietly handing over five billion passenger records to the feds. Then, I talk to Brian, a grieving uncle who wants to name his pond on Google Maps after his niece but isn’t sure how to get started. Plus, the U.S. keeps TikTok alive, and one woman keeps getting tickets for cars she’s never even seen.
Hackers love your browser logins
Saving passwords in your browser is like handing your house key to a burglar. George, your AI host, explains why a password manager keeps you safe and covers drones, Popes, AI health forecasts, U.S. spyware, Mercedes’ 749-mile EV, and new proof Mars had water.
🔔 Flash alerts on Android: Waiting for an important message? You can make your phone’s camera LED flash along with the screen. Go to Settings > Notifications > Flash Notifications, then toggle on Camera flash and/or Screen flash. FYI: For each one, you can choose whether it applies to all apps or only a specific app.
👂 Struggling to hear? Custom-fit hearing aids with expert guidance and a 45-day risk-free trial help you hear clearly, follow every conversation and reconnect with friends and family, so you never miss a moment again.