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Flight delayed or lost luggage? Airlines owe you money
You finally made it to your gate, overpriced coffee in hand, sprinting like your vacation depends on it, only to be greeted by those two soul-crushing words: Flight Delayed. Maybe it starts with 30 minutes … then an hour … then four.
No apology, no update, just your suitcase sunbathing alone on the tarmac like it’s on vacation without you.
Here’s what the airlines don’t want you to know: You might be owed money. A lot of money. But you usually have to ask, and that’s where tech know-how (and me) saves the day.
💰 International flights
Flying to Canada or anywhere in the EU? You might be owed $300 to $700 if your flight is delayed over three hours. The U.S. doesn’t mandate airlines pay out for delays, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope.
Don’t spend hours combing through airline policies. AirHelp does it for you. Just enter your flight number and date, and it checks your eligibility. If you’re owed money, they’ll file the paperwork and deal with the airline.
They take a cut (about 25%) if you win.
🧳 Bag checks
In the U.S., airlines are required to reimburse passengers for reasonable expenses due to delayed or lost luggage. Think clothing, toiletries, chargers, even a change of shoes if your bag’s gone for days.
Toss an Apple AirTag (21% off) or Tile tracker ($24.98) in your bag. This way, you can see your bag’s location in real time.
Airlines love to tell you your luggage is “in transit” when it’s clearly stuck in Milwaukee. Show them proof, and get your expenses covered faster.
💼 Credit card perks
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Happy ‘Prime Day’
🛍️ I did the hard work for you. Not everything you see on Amazon is real deal. These are the best ones you definitely need to check out.
- Breeze through summer: A quiet oscillating tower fan (15% off) sends chill air up to 25 feet. Love it!
- Shut your garage door? Stop wondering with a smart garage door opener (20% off) that syncs with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri.
- All juiced up: A smart power strip (39% off) with four built-in USB-C ports controls all your tech with a tap.
- One appliance, nine tricks: Cook fast and evenly with a 6-quart air fryer (25% off). No greasy mess.
- Smoothies on the go: Ninja’s portable blender (36% off) is cordless, USB-C rechargeable and ready to roll.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
When your stock is actually a scam
I don’t mean to be a downer, but I need to warn you that tens of thousands of Americans, folks just like you, are getting duped into buying worthless Chinese stocks.
The Wall Street Journal (paywall link) found even seasoned investors are falling for this scam, losing big bucks in the blink of an eye.
🎧 Control podcast speed: Here’s a trick to save time or catch every word. Tap the “1x” on your podcast’s now-playing screen to change the playback speed. Speed things up to 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x to move faster. Or slow it down to 0.75x when you want to listen more carefully. Works on most apps, like Spotify and Apple.
🚨 Prime Day scams to watch for: The big sale’s here, and so are the scammers! Common tricks? Fake order confirmations, account issue alerts, fishy social media deals and “package delayed” warnings. These land in your inbox or texts to push you into clicking shady links. Here’s a link to the best deals under $50.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
The end of Google
Google’s two-decade tech reign is crumbling in the era of AI.
About 80%
The amount of time teen drivers are actually watching the road. The rest? Spent on their phones. Most of that screen time isn’t for directions. It’s music, texting and social media. Terrifying when you realize that looking down for 5 seconds at 55 mph is like driving a football field with your eyes shut.
🍏 Fix your Mac display: Screen looking too dark, too bright or just a bit off? Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Displays. Under Color profile, click Customize, then hit the + to launch Display Calibrator Assistant. You’ll be guided through adjustments like gamma and white point.
Prices change while you shop
Stores are rolling out digital price tags that let them raise prices in real time. Here’s how surge pricing could hit your next grocery run.
😊 Emojis = happier relationships: A study shows that using emojis in texts can make your partner feel more appreciated. Why? Because apparently, it signals you’re paying more attention. But before you get carried away, remember that different generations don’t always interpret them the same way. Gen Z might see a 🙂 or 👍 as sarcastic.
’Twas the night before ‘Prime Day’
🌃 And all through Amazon, the deals were already dropping.
- 📱 Your phone’s lifeguard: These waterproof cases (41% off, two-pack) have 4.5 stars and 21,000+ reviews.
- 🏷️ Stick with it: An ink-free label maker (52% off) is pure organizing bliss. Type, tap, done.
- 💡 Glow and behold: The sleekest LED floor lamp (10% off) you’ll ever plug in. Yep, it doubles as a bookshelf.
- 🐦 Flyby footage: Bird-watch in HD with this smart bird feeder (30% off). Bonus: color night vision.
- 🧳 Luggage mishap, aborted: A digital luggage scale (16% off) saves me from paying overweight fees.
- ⚡ Your tech will thank you: This cleaning kit (20% off) tackles gunky ports and even bad connections.
👉 More early deals? Just one click away on my Amazon storefront and this handy page.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Google’s eating itself alive
Google’s new AI-powered search is tanking its own traffic. Plus, your ChatGPT chats live forever, a job offer scam, and a car rental side hustle making real money. Then I talk to Holly from Kentucky, whose kiddo ordered 70,000 suckers on Amazon.
Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years
Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.
Paper coupons exploding: Well, not really. But Kroger got bullied into giving boomers and tech avoidants exactly what they wanted: real physical coupons. Print versions of digital-only deals drop every Wednesday. Just grab a flyer and flash it like it’s 2005. No app logins, no error messages from hell.
🌐 Clear out old extensions: Unused browser extensions can slow things down or quietly collect your data. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu > Extensions > Manage Extensions. On Safari, go to Settings > Extensions. Remove anything you don’t need.
Trump’s crypto push — July 5th, Hour 1
Will the U.S. be the world’s crypto capital? Here’s what to know before you invest. Plus, streaming fails, Taylor Swift vanity phone numbers, and a viral airport theory. Holly from Phoenix says her brother lost $400K to a Jennifer Aniston deepfake scam.
‘Prime Day’ is coming in hot
⏰ Forget the countdown. The deals are primed and loaded.
- 🔥 S’more power to you: A tabletop firepit (19% off) brings campfire vibes home. No backyard? No prob.
- 🍕 Leftovers, meet your match: Stack up to five slices in these pizza containers (18% off, two-pack).
- ↔️ Mind the gap: Silicone stove gap covers (23% off) catch runaway crumbs. 4.3 stars with 68,000+ reviews.
- 👍 Top-tier spinner: Up your pantry game with a nonskid turntable (15% off). Two levels, 10 color options.
- 🍽️ Your sink’s sidepiece: This dish drying rack (5% off) drains water straight into your sink.
- 🥤 Stanley Cup collector? Show off up to nine of them with a tumbler organizer (15% off).
💸 Why wait to save? Scoop more early deals here and on my Amazon storefront.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🧠 This is one of the smartest things you can do to protect your identity. Don’t wait till it’s too late, sign up for NordProtect today and get 65% off. Bet you save a ton of money making the switch!