Tag Archive for: Avoid

I Wore a Fishing Vest on a Flight to Avoid Paying $65 for a Carry-on Bag

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  • I tried to the viral fishing vest travel hack to avoid paying for a carry-on during my recent JetBlue flight. 
  • The trend was popularized on TikTok as a way to avoid airlines’ add-on fees. 
  • I fit clothes, my laptop, and toiletries into the vest’s 18 pockets and boarded the plane without an issue. 

It started out as a joke. Wouldn’t it be funny if I tried this goofy TikTok trend and embarrassed myself by wearing a fishing vest in the airport?

Sorry reader. This is no light-hearted blog. This is a story of revenge.

A brief interlude for my villain origin story:

I stupidly booked the wrong date for my flight. I couldn’t believe it. It must have been karma for making fun of my mom when she made the same mistake years ago, forcing us to drive 15 hours to South Carolina (I never let her forget it).

My ego sufficiently crushed, I called JetBlue to try and change the ticket. After sitting on hold for five minutes, I was informed by the robotic voice that I would be charged a $25 service fee for talking to someone on the phone. Equally enraged at myself and the airline, I hung up and tried changing the flight myself. 

Now would be a good time to mention that I purchased a Blue Basic ticket

The wonderfully cheap fare option came with a long list of restrictions, including a $100 change fee that I willingly agreed to since I, a seasoned traveler, would…

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Save printer ink, avoid malware, speed browsing

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You need a timer and you need it fast. Do a Google search for “timer” and one appears right there for you to use. There’s a stopwatch option, too. Easy, right?

Here’s another smart tech tip I’m surprised so many people mess up. Most people fill in the email recipient section before writing the message. That’s a mistake. Make that your very last step — that way, there’s a much lower chance you’ll send an email before it’s truly ready to send.

Don’t stop there. Let’s dive into easy, quick tech tips you’ll use all the time.

Cybersecurity 101: After you download a PDF file online, look at the file extension. You’re looking for .pdf. If the filename ends with .exe, delete it — it’s likely malware.

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Shhh: You can instantly silence incoming calls on your smartphone by simply pressing the side button, volume up or volume down button once. Nice.

YouTube shortcuts: On your computer, tap keys 0 through 9 to skip to a specific percentage of the video. Press 5 for 50%, 8 for 80% and so on. But wait, there’s more! Press J to rewind and L to fast forward. (“JLo” is an easy way to remember that.) But press K to pause first.

Forgetful? Do this! Are you that person who reads an email or text, mentally reminds yourself to reply later … and never does? Stop relying on memory alone! Mark the text or email as unread. You’ll find this in the options of your email or convo. You can also say, “Hey Siri/Google, remind me to share Kim’s newsletter at noon.”

Skip the garage: Next time you hang a frame, grab your phone instead of finding a level. On iPhone, open the pre-installed Measure app. Tap Level, then hold your iPhone against an object. On Android, open the Google app and search for “bubble level.”

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Quick text search: You know you sent someone a pic but can’t find it. On iPhone, open Messages, tap a convo then the person’s profile photo or group name….

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Apple: Update your iPhones and iPads urgently to avoid being hacked

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A

pple is urging all iPhone and iPad users worldwide to urgently update their devices to iOS 16.5 and iPad OS 16.5, or risk being hacked by cybercriminals.

The tech giant issued advice last week warning that there are three cybersecurity flaws, known commonly as “zero-day exploits”, that are being actively exploited by hackers and cybercriminals on unpatched devices.

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Hotel Cyber Attacks: How to Avoid Them

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A hotel is one of the most hazardous places to get hacked with cybercriminals just waiting for you to plug in and connect.

What are the ways travelers are hacked at their hotel rooms, and how can they protect themselves? Here’s what the cyber experts have to say.

Protect your Hotel Wi-Fi Connection

Every public Internet connection has an increased risk of being used by cybercriminals, and hotel Wi-Fi is no exception. Hackers can use a hotel’s Wi-Fi to steal travelers’ passwords and personal information in two ways. One is to connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi and install malicious malware. The second is to create a so-called “evil twin” – a fake, unprotected Wi-Fi hotspot with an unsuspicious name like “Guest Wi-Fi” or “Free Hotel Wi-Fi” – and steal private information this way.

To avoid being hacked through hotel Wi-Fi, travelers must take a few steps. First, ask the person at the reception desk to give the exact name and password for the provided Wi-Fi to avoid connecting to an ‘evil twin’ network. Second, use a VPN service to encrypt your data and prevent third parties from intercepting it. Finally, it is always a good idea to enable a firewall while using public Wi-Fi.

Use a Socket Instead of a USB Charger

For the convenience of visitors, some hotels install USB charging ports in hotel rooms. This is a tempting way to charge a device, especially if the traveler is coming from a location with a different kind of plug. However, it may introduce the risk of becoming a victim of cybercriminals. Hackers can modify public places’ charging cables to install malware on phones to perform an attack called juice jacking. This type of attack allows hackers to steal users’ passwords, credit card information, address, name, and other data.

Safe device charging on your way to your vacation spot might be challenging because you must carry a power bank or USB data blocker, but hotel rooms always have a socket. Usually, it’s the safest way to charge your devices.

Don’t Let the TV Cyberstalk You

With an established connection to local Wi-Fi to allow travelers to access apps and streaming platforms, a smart TV can become a gateway for cybercriminals….

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