book Archives

Traveling for the holidays? Best days to book

It’s beginning to look a lot like … fall. Before you enter a pumpkin-spice stupor, do your future self a favor and get this year’s travel plans organized.

From the best times to book to how to search for flights, I’ve got everything you need to score the sweetest deal on your holiday season trip.

🎁 Staying put? Share this with a friend or family member who hits the road for the holidays. Hey, maybe they’ll buy you an extra present with all the money they save.

Just in time

If you want to get the cheapest airline ticket, timing is everything. Let’s start with the basics: How far in advance you should book.

Domestic flights: Prices are the lowest at 38 days before departure, with the lowest price range between 21 and 52 days prior to your trip.

🦃 For your annual Thanksgiving trip to Grandma’s, the best time to book the most affordable flights is 45 days before, or early October.

🎄 For Christmas, book at the end of October or early November. You’ll get the lowest fares when you book 58 days prior.

International flights: Aim to book at least 50 days before your departure. Your best bet is around 101 days before your trip to get the lowest price. For the Carribean or Mexico, the low-price range is between 26 and 68 days out.

✅ Pro tip: Stop counting days on your fingers. This calculator is the best.

Come fly with me

Now that you know the ranges, let’s get specific. Sunday is the best day to book; you’ll pay about 5% less on domestic flights and up to 15% less on international.

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Will we merge with AI by 2050?

ChatGPT launched in November 2022. I’ll never forget the thought that hit me after a few minutes of playing around with it: This is going to change every single thing.

Less than two years later, yep, it has. Website traffic is in the tank, Google is panicking and the web as we know it has changed already. Now imagine what’s coming in the next five, 10 or 20 years.

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Precious memory and document organizers

These are solid, practical picks:

A fireproof storage box (10% off) is a wise investment if you have lots of hard-copy photos.
This fireproof, waterproof organizer is the right way to store important docs like your passport and birth certificate.
Show off your favorite 4-by-6-inch pics in a beautiful hardcover photo book (25% off).
USB flash drives are good backups for digital pictures and documents. Just don’t misplace them, please.
This smart digital photo frame (50% off) lets you share photos with anyone from anywhere right through the app.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

📚 When the e-book is … complicated: Activate Word Wise on your Kindle to get brief definitions above tricky words. Open your book, then tap the Aa menu. Select More, then Word Wise. Toggle it on.

Best time to book for the holidays

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Planning a trip? I’ve got the inside scoop on snagging the best prices and a simple trick to avoid delays and cancellations.

🧬 Book ‘em, Danno: A 65-year-old Massachusetts suspect was arrested for a 1988 crime after police collected his spit from the sidewalk. They matched his saliva to DNA found under the victim’s fingernails, a bloody T-shirt and a cigarette left at the crime scene. The victim was a 25-year-old Boston woman with a toddler at home.

1,000-year-old seed

Grew into a 10-foot tree with biblical significance. It took 14 years, but scientists grew a once-extinct plant. It appears to be the one that produced a medical extract called “tsori” that was referred to in the book of Genesis and Old Testament accounts of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Great deals on tech upgrades

You’re gonna love these!

Need a new mouse? This one from Logitech is 25% off.
Charge all your tech with this genius combination wall charger surge protector. It’s 35% off!
Turn your iPad into a laptop with the case I use and love. It’s from Apple and 28% off.
These $5.95 cheat sheets for Excel are so helpful. Or pick up this bestselling book for more in-depth help.
Keep all your tech like new with a handy 10-in-1 cleaning kit (20% off). Good for keyboard, earbud and speaker crud!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

🚨 Book ‘em, Danno! The FBI caught a cyber kingpin who scammed millions of Americans. He’s behind notorious schemes like “scareware ads” — fake virus warnings that trick you into downloading software. He and his crew extorted around $400,000 a month from 2012 to 2014. Now they face decades in prison.

😁 Set the mood for a better moment

I don’t like dark hallways and stairwells. Dangerous! These night-lights look nice and cost less than $10 for eight.
Smart bulbs don’t have to be expensive. WiZ smart lights are only $6.49 a pop right now (41% off!).
Upgrade your evening porch time with app-controlled outdoor LED lights. Click the box for $35 off.
A smart table lamp that’ll look good in any room (15% off).
Prefer paper books to electronic versions? I do, too. All good! Grab a book light for under $10.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

📚 Spilling the tea: An upcoming book claims billionaire Bill Gates was like a “kid in a candy store” with interns — so much so that Microsoft banned them from being alone with him. Another hot rumor: Bill was allowed one weekend a year at his ex-girlfriend’s place while still married to his now ex-wife, Melinda. Gates’ reps say it’s all bologna from anonymous sources.

Lowest flight price, guaranteed: When you buy a qualifying ticket, Google Flights monitors the ticket price. If it drops before takeoff, you’ll get the difference. At flights.google.com, select a flight with a rainbow shield icon next to it. Click Book on Google and check the box next to Price Guarantee to accept the terms of service.

OpenAI’s new model: Rumor has it GPT-5 is coming later this year or in early 2025. It’ll do a better job handling multistep tasks, and you can upload a ton more text (as in an entire book).

🏎️ A Ferrari exec slammed the brakes: A Ferrari C-level exec got a text from his CEO, who wanted to chat on WhatsApp. They were texting about possible mergers when the CEO said, “Let’s talk.” And they did. The C-level exec said it was someone posing as the CEO (paywall link). He tested the caller, asking for the name of a book the actual CEO had recommended the exec read the week before. Surprise, the scammer hung up.

⌛ Quick travel booking tip: Based on average round-trip flight ticket prices, you can save up to 15% when you book on a Sunday. The cheapest day of the week to travel is Wednesday.

Guy Kawasaki on being remarkable

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Guy Kawasaki, host of the “Remarkable People” podcast, has a new book, “Think Remarkable,” that you’ve got to check out. Plus, there’s a new AI danger lurking at work, the death of ad-free streaming, and why you’re still getting scam calls. Feeling lonely? Everyone’s connected, yet isolation is at record levels.

Reading is FUN-damental

Here are some of my favorites you’ll use time and time again.

A clip-on portable book light is great for traveling or finishing that last chapter without disturbing your spouse! Adjust the brightness or choose a warm amber light for better sleep. It’s on sale for $14.
It’s a real page turner (literally) for your newer Kindle or iPad, and it’s 71% off now.
Get a tablet floor stand for hands-free, comfortable reading. This one is sturdy, 33% off and works with lots of tablets.
This durable canvas book sleeve protects pages from sand or rain for around $13.
Bookmarks are great until they’re sliding out of place. These magnetic bookmarks are desert sunset chic and stay put for $8.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

3 weird things you can book online

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Sure, you can get an Uber or a hotel stay, but there’s so much more you can rent. I have a list of some of the craziest ones.

⚠️ Airbnb’s known about its hidden-camera problem for at least a decade: In a court-ordered deposition, an employee revealed when a guest complains about a hidden cam, Airbnb doesn’t notify law enforcement, even if a child is involved. They contact the host, settle out of court and make folks sign NDAs to keep it hush-hush. Think about that the next time you want to book an Airbnb.

Go to Greece? Feta late than never! Book international flights online at least 60 days in advance for a deal. “Shoulder season,” aka off-peak times, will save you even more. A September Europe trip means good weather without high prices and summer crowds. We’re talking a roundtrip for under $400!