Whoever said to throw the laptop out, instead of squeezing everyone else out, is a genius.
The art of the upsell
Did you hear United Airlines is going all-in on a new, premium, expensive business class? Private check-in, a fancy lounge with sit-down dining, nice pajamas and a mattress pad, extra food on the plane, and (my favorite) press a button and someone will whiz over with champagne. Cha‑ching.
What about when you’re buying a regular ticket? Those are pricey, too — especially with the “extras” that used to be standard. Airlines have all kinds of sneaky upselling tricks. Let’s be smart and save money together.
Upsells you’ll most certainly run into
- Priority boarding: Pay extra to be early on the plane. If you have a disability or health condition that means you need more time, you can get that for free. Just ask.
- Travel insurance or flight protection: It’s 4% to 10% of the ticket price. Check if your credit card offers this instead. Most of mine do. If you’re not sure, call the number on the back and ask.
- Wi-Fi: Bet on spending anywhere from $3 to $30. If Wi‑Fi is a must for you, check the cost ahead of time. JetBlue offers it free for all passengers (nice). Frontier offers no movies, TV or Wi‑Fi, period.
- Flexible tickets: You’ll pay more if you want to be able to change flights later, but keep in mind you’ll still probably pay a change fee of at least $50.
- Boarding pass printing: This is big for budget airlines. Spirit wants $2 at the kiosk. Frontier charges $25 if you need an agent to help you. Ouch.
So, what can you do about it? Here are practical tips for the booking and travel process.
Screen saver: Don’t rush through the purchasing confirmation screens. Slow down, read thoroughly and make sure you know what you’re getting.
🤑 Pro tip: You’ll generally find the lowest prices if you book on a Sunday and travel on a Wednesday.
“Premium economy” is an oxymoron: Airlines push you to expensive seats by slicing cabin classes into more categories. Depending on the airline, it just means boarding a little sooner.
On some airlines, like American, you’ll get bigger seats (that fully recline, in some cases), better food and beverage options, priority boarding, and lots of room for you and your stuff. OK, that’s probably worth it.
Seat assignments: Before you shell out, check SeatGuru.com. Enter your airline and flight number to see a map of the best seats with the most legroom.
💺 Pro tip: If you ask at the gate, the person at the desk may be able to switch your seat assignment, especially if you’re traveling with a partner or kids. Here, it really pays to be nice.
Do the math: Most U.S. airlines increased their checked baggage prices this year by $5 to $10, and it’s worse for your second checked bag. The exception? Southwest, which still includes two checked bags in its ticket prices.
$16K for a car battery? Only if you drive an EV …
Here’s a shocker you need to know: Replacing the battery in an electric vehicle can set you back up to $50,000. For those of you keeping track at home, that’s more than a brand-new Tesla Model 3. I’m not beating up Tesla. All EV carmakers hope you don’t figure this out.
Clean your keys
⌨️ Your keyboard needs cleaning — I can just tell (because mine does, too). Here are a few clever ways to get the job done.
- Li’l vac: Oh, this thing is sweet — a little blue box that vacuums up crumbs, dirt, dust and glitter from between your keys. It has a detachable nozzle so you can use it on your desk, too, and it charges via USB. It’s 15% off ($10.70).
- Li’l brush: “Sweep up” this retractable laptop brush from OXO, which makes useful stuff that lasts. It has a built-in microfiber pad for polishing your screen and a cap to keep the brush clean when you throw it in your bag.
- Big can: Grab a can of air to clear out every nook and cranny with a miniature windstorm. I love this stuff, and it’s cheap. This one is 20% off ($7.99). Whoosh!
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
MacBook battery widget: It’ll regularly remind you how much juice is left in your laptop. On your Mac, click the date and time in the top right corner. In the notification center pop-up, click Edit Widgets at the bottom. Search for “batteries” and pick your favorite options.
Laptop catches fire on plane
It started smoking inside a passenger’s bag. Plus, the RiteAid hack, and AT&T data breach. We also talk to Elliston Berry and Anna McAdams, a mother-daughter team fighting deepfake revenge porn.
🔥 A laptop caught fire on an American Airlines flight: When the plane left the San Francisco gate on its way to Miami, chaos ensued, as folks grabbed their bags before jumping down the emergency exit slide. Panic turned into pushing, then minor injuries. When I flew Hawaiian Airlines a few weeks ago, they announced they had fireproof laptop bags on board. So smart.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Foldable Macbook could be coming soon
Do you need your laptop to fold up this small? Could be pretty neat — a laptop in your pocket!
Look what’s up my sleeve
It’s too risky to toss your expensive laptop into your bag and call it a day. A sleeve keeps it scratch- and crack-free. I found three steals.
💡 Pro tip: To check your laptop size, on a Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top left of your screen, then About this Mac > More and scroll down to Display. In Windows, click on the Start menu, then Settings > System > Display > Advanced.
- This one has pockets for your chargers, comes in lots of nice colors and includes an optional shoulder strap (love that). Plus, it’s 50% off.
- Go versatile with a shoulder strap, briefcase handle and pockets for chargers, plus a separate strap to slide it onto your rolling suitcase. It’s 25% off (only $14.99).
- Just the sleeve, please. This slimmer option is 40% off and super simple.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Don't put your laptop in the fridge
Is your computer running hot? You might think putting it in a cool spot will help. It might, but it could also ruin your computer.
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on social media
The Supreme Court made a surprising decision on a social media censorship case involving Missouri and Louisiana. Find out why their lawsuit didn’t go as planned.
⚠️ Urgent Windows update: Don’t use public Wi-Fi unless you’re running the latest update for Windows 10 and 11. It fixes a vulnerability that lets crooks take over your laptop just by connecting to the same Wi-Fi network. Go to System > About. If you see 14393.7070, 22621.3737 or 22631.3737, update right away.
Windows laptop feeling extra warm? Consider an app to monitor the temperature in real time. CoreTemp and Real Temp for Windows are good options. Anything higher than 176 degrees Fahrenheit is bad news.
Apple’s WWDC 2024 is all software: Next week, Apple won’t announce new gadgets, focusing instead on major updates for iOS 18, iPadOS, macOS 15, watchOS 11 and visionOS. You can expect hardware updates this fall. So, say it with me now: “I will not buy an Apple iPhone, laptop, AirPods, Vision Pro headset, watch, iPad or iMac right now.”
👓 What’s a Spacetop? It’s a new kind of laptop that uses AR glasses for the screen. Think the Apple Vision Pro, but way less “Robocop”-feeling. The $1,700 Spacetop G1 has a 100-inch virtual screen, a Qualcomm processor (typically used in cellphones), an accompanying keyboard and 128GB of storage. See it in action on my site!
Peace among us: Windows 11’s Phone Link lets iPhone users send and receive messages via iMessage, make and receive calls, and see any app notifications on a PC or laptop.
Clever way to secure your laptop from thieves
Your computer holds all your valuable information, so don’t leave it unprotected. Here’s a tip to help you out.
On Windows, get a detailed report that includes usage, capacity and battery life estimates. Open the command prompt by hitting the Start menu, then typing in cmd or cmd.exe in the Run command box. Press Enter. Now, smarty-pants, type or paste in the following: powercfg /batteryreport
Save energy, save money, save the world: Open up Settings in Windows, then choose System and Power (or Power & battery on a laptop). At the top of the screen, you’ll see recommendations for cutting down on your computer’s energy use.
Start saving up now: Laptop tech has been stagnant for years, but the times, they are a-changin’. Computer makers are using chips that allow laptops to run large-scale AI models directly on the device. You’ll get better performance, tighter security and less reliance on the cloud (paywall link) — but expect laptop prices to skyrocket.