Will from St. Paul, Minnesota, thinks his next door neighbor is out for revenge … jamming his Wi-Fi and security cams. What should he do next? Plus: China’s 1,000-mile EV, how to hide your Reddit posts, and unpaid toll text scams. Don’t miss it!
The truth behind airplane mode (no, it’s not a myth)
ChatGPT
You know the drill. You find your seat, wrestle your carry-on into the overhead bin like it’s a CrossFit challenge, and then, ding! The flight attendant reminds you to switch to airplane mode.
So … what happens if you don’t? Are you going to crash the plane? Trigger the emergency slide midair?
🛑 Da plane, da plane!
Let’s start with the obvious: Your phone isn’t powerful enough to take down a jetliner. Planes are built tough, with shielding and redundant systems to prevent any one gadget from causing a disaster. Your phone? Not that powerful. Sorry, Apple.
But if you and everyone else leave your phones on full blast, the radio noise from all those signals can interfere with the pilots’ communications.
It’s not dramatic. It’s just obnoxious. Think low-level buzzing and static in the pilot’s headset when they’re trying to talk to air traffic control.
It won’t crash the plane. It might make the pilot say, “Can you repeat that?” to air traffic control, which, y’know, isn’t ideal when they’re, oh, coordinating more than a few 900,000-pound hunks of metal going 500 mph across an invisible highway in the sky.
🛩️ It’s not the paint job
This interference is more likely on planes with older electronics, typically ones built before 2005. Some older aircraft have had systems upgraded though. It’s not about the plane’s birthday, it’s about what’s under the hood.
That’s why the rule is still around: It’s easier to just have everyone use airplane mode than risk messing with cockpit comms on the one plane with vintage wiring.
📶 No bars anyway
At 35,000 feet, your phone is desperately pinging towers it flew past five minutes ago. It won’t connect. All it does is kill your battery and waste your time.
Wi-Fi in the sky without paying a dime (or close to it)
ChatGPT
Is it just me, or does it feel downright offensive to pay $25 for in-flight Wi-Fi that barely loads your email?
Here’s the nasty truth: Some folks on your flight are scrolling TikTok or answering emails for free.
Safe Wi-Fi anywhere: Using public Wi-Fi is risky no matter where you go. It doesn’t make a difference if you stay at a five-star luxury hotel, have lunch at your hometown diner or you’re at the airport. The easy way to protect yourself? Turn on a VPN.
1 million GB/sec
The internet speed in Japan. While our Wi-Fi is still buffering Zoom, researchers in Japan pulled off a world record by transferring 1.02 petabits of data per second (yes, that’s over a million gigabytes) across 1,100 miles, using a fiber no thicker than your average spaghetti strand.
🛜 Who’s on your Wi-Fi? Angry IP Scanner is a free app that scans your network for IP addresses and tracks everything that’s connected to it. Perfect for spotting moochers, catching suspicious activity or just troubleshooting tech issues.
Your new go-to therapist? ChatGPT
Therapy costs a pretty penny, so people are turning to AI to deal with their emotions. Plus, Google Photos can now erase your ex, fake toll road scams are everywhere, and the latest (questionable) prediction for the end of the world. Oh, and Starlink Wi-Fi is coming to your next flight.
Bye-bye to free Wi-Fi
Remember internet cafes? These days, many coffee shops are tired of folks camping out all day on free internet.
📺 Streams constantly buffering? Even if your Wi-Fi is stable, your internet speed might be the issue. Run a test and check your download rate. 4K videos on YouTube or Netflix need about 25 Mbps to play smoothly. Got a family with multiple devices on the same network? Time to upgrade to at least 100 Mbps.
Boost iPhone downloads: When you download multiple apps at once, your iPhone tries to install them all together. That’s fine on fast Wi-Fi, but not great if your connection is spotty. To speed up the one you need, go to App Library > Recently Added > long-press the app > tap Prioritize Download. It’ll go first.
Days of hanging out drinking coffee are ending: Cafes across the country are cutting off Wi-Fi or banning laptops altogether. Why? They’re tired of remote workers hogging tables for hours on Zoom calls with a single cup of joe. Yeah, can’t say I blame them.
🔒 You lock your door, so why not lock up your online life? ExpressVPN keeps your online activity safe and location private, even on public Wi-Fi. It’s fast, easy to use and works on all devices. Get four months free when you sign up today!*
🤖 Vader unhinged: Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader went rogue less than 90 minutes after launch. Built with James Earl Jones’ voice and Google’s Gemini AI, Vader now responds to player prompts, sometimes with profanities and slurs (paywall link). Epic rushed a “hotfix,” but let’s be real: The Dark Side has Wi-Fi now, and it’s unmoderated.
⚠️ Use Apple AirPlay? Be careful. Researchers found security flaws that could let hackers take over compatible devices like speakers if they’re on the same Wi-Fi. They can control them remotely and possibly use mics to spy. Reminder: Keep your Apple gadgets updated, and turn off AirPlay when you’re not using it.
15
That’s how many Centurion Lounges American Express runs across the U.S., and they just got crowned world’s best. Yelp’s 2025 rankings say these credit-card-access-only lounges are worth the swipe, thanks to their chef-curated menus, comfy vibes and enough Wi-Fi to download every season of Succession before boarding. Bonus: There are 10 more hangouts overseas.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Turn your old phone into a backup travel camera or translator. Just load up apps on Wi-Fi, and you’re good to go.
Beware the Wi-Fi Pineapple trick
It’s no tropical treat. If your phone auto-connects to public Wi-Fi, you might get burned.
📋 Easy copy & paste: Apple’s Universal Clipboard lets you copy from your Mac right onto your iPhone or iPad. Just make sure they’re all signed in with the same Apple ID and turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. On each one, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff) and toggle on Handoff.
Safe Wi-Fi anywhere: Public Wi-Fi is public for a reason, anyone can jump on it, and that includes hackers. Doesn’t matter if you’re at a fancy hotel, your favorite local diner or waiting at the gate at the airport. Want to stay safe? Just flip on a VPN. I’ve got a link where you can get four months free.
🖨️ Print with your voice: Got a 3rd-gen Echo or newer? You can link it to your printer. Make sure both are on the same Wi-Fi network and say, “Alexa, discover my printer.” In the Alexa app, it’s Add (+) > Device > Printer to set it up manually. This only works on some models. Click here to see what’s compatible.
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