✈️ Insider travel tips the pros don't want you to know

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This origin story sucks. Someone once tried to build a robot vacuum and ended up inventing an entirely different tech company worth billions. Was it: A) NVIDIA, B) Dropbox, C) Cisco or D) Ring? Find the answer cluelessly bumping into your furniture at the end! 

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The airports will be chaos. The highways will look like a Costco parking lot on a Saturday. But with the right tech tricks, you can glide through Thanksgiving travel like the genius of your family (which, let’s be honest, you already are).

I’ve rounded up my favorite secret, tech-powered travel hacks, the ones seasoned travelers don’t want you to know.

📱 1. Outsmart the crowds

You know those “expected wait time” signs at the airport? Cute. They’re wrong. Here’s what the pros use.

Google Maps Live Busyness: Search your airport in Google Maps and scroll to “Popular Times.” It shows real-time crowd levels so you can see exactly when the security line spikes.

The FlightAware app: Check if your inbound plane is delayed before the airline tells you. If your plane’s stuck in Detroit, well, so are you. My pilot buddy also uses the app Flighty. It’s pretty good for $5/month.

My TSA App: Gives crowd estimates and known delays. Not perfect, but way better than guessing.

Your airline’s app: This is the single biggest upgrade most travelers skip. It gives you real-time gate changes, boarding alerts, baggage updates, and even lets you use points or miles to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi on many carriers. Yes, skip the $8–$20 fee and use your miles instead.

🚗 2. Avoid the traffic

Use this Google Maps trick: Open Maps → tap your route → tap the three dots → “Set depart or arrive time.”

Set it for Wednesday or Sunday at the time you expect to leave. Google will show you predicted traffic so you can pick the smartest window.

Or try Waze’s Planned Drives. It pings you when it’s the ideal moment to hit the road.

💺 3. The secret airport lounge hack

You don’t need elite status to relax in a lounge.

Use the LoungeReview app to find lounges that sell day passes. Many airports offer access starting around $25–$35, and you get clean bathrooms, decent food, and, most importantly, plenty of outlets.

🔌 4. Those public USB ports

Public charging stations are hacker bait. Pack:

• USB data blocker (20% off, $10.39)
• 20W wall charger (41% off, $11.19)
• 10,000mAh battery pack (40% off, $15.59)

Travel smart, not hacked.

🧳 5. Screenshot Everything

Screenshot or take pics of your boarding pass, rental car agreement, hotel confirmation, parking spot and lot number, terminal map, luggage, the kids or your spouse (in case they get lost), everything. When Wi-Fi melts down (and it will), you’re covered.

Want a holiday miracle? Forward this to the family member who really needs it.

And here’s a really bad joke you can share too. Why did the turkey get kicked out of the football stadium? Because he tryptophan.

WWJD? Probably not this. A wave of new Bible-bots lets you slide into the DMs of Jesus, Moses and Satan. Yes, really. Plus, Sam Altman’s designer baby startup, AI toys gone wild and iPhone photo tricks. Then I talk to callers like Charles from Raleigh, North Carolina, whose frequent flier miles got hacked. Don’t miss it! 

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now wherever you get your podcasts, search for “Komando.”

📊 Buffett’s pre-goodbye: Before Warren Buffett officially retires at the end of the year, Berkshire dropped one last portfolio update. The headline is a new $4.3B Alphabet stake, marking Google’s debut in its top 10 holdings. His prized Apple? Still his biggest love at $60B worth of holdings, but he’s sold off nearly 75% of his original stake. Translation? He’s stacking Berkshire’s cash and leaving this weird AI era to the new guy. 

Happy holidays, HODLers: Bitcoin’s down 31% this month, pulling $1T off the crypto market since October. ETFs saw $866M walk out in a day, and even long-term folks trimmed positions. It’s not the first dip, and it won’t be the last. It’s crypto being crypto, crashing in time for holders to be asked, “So, how’s that Bincoin thing going for you?” by everyone on Thanksgiving. 

Tiny robot, big promise: Swiss scientists built a robot the size of a grain of sand, literally, that doctors can steer through your body with magnets. It can drop drugs exactly where they’re needed, instead of blasting your whole system. They’ve already tested it in pigs, and humans could see trials in three years. Science blows my mind sometimes. 

✨ My wellness secret: I always hoped my son would say, “Mom, let’s build something together!” This year we did, working with a team of experts to create ImproveLife GLP-1 Support. It helps manage cravings, support metabolism and keep energy steady without caffeine or stimulants. I take it every day. Hit this link for Black Friday savings up to 50% off plus free shipping.**

AI lottery scam warning: Imagine a robo-all telling you you’ve won big, then asks for a “processing fee” in crypto or a gift card. Scammers are now using artificial-intelligence-generated voices to mimic loved ones, fake lottery agents and even official accents. If you get a call out of nowhere promising millions and demanding payment up-front, hang up.

Google is the Grinch: You know that “Is Santa really real?” question your kids ask? Yeah, now they’re asking Gemini and that’s replying with “He’s fictional.” AI search has zero loyalty to Christmas magic, and kids are getting the truth faster than we can hide the wrapping paper. At this pace, Easter Bunny’s on borrowed time, too.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Beware of “bulk deals” that aren’t bargains. Always check the unit price (cost ÷ number of items), since multipacks can cost more than singles. On Amazon, you’ll see it in small brackets next to the sale price.

⌚ Cover to mute your Apple Watch: You can silence alerts by placing your palm over the watch face for three seconds. To turn it on, go to Settings, open Gestures and enable Cover to Mute. ICYMI, this is also where you can switch on the new Wrist Flick gesture (flick twice) to dismiss notifications or return to the home screen.

Make your cursor stand out: Windows 11 lets you customize your mouse pointer so it’s easier to see. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. Choose a style like white, black or inverted, or select Custom to pick any color you like. There’s a Size slider underneath, too, so you can make it bigger.

🗣️ Chatty road trip: Google’s sliding Gemini into Android Auto, so if your car already runs it (Honda, Hyundai, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, you’re covered), your dashboard’s about to talk back. Update the app, and you can have Gemini pull addresses, send ETAs or find food, hands-free.

Feel like AI’s moving faster than you can keep up? Stop feeling confused and grab your free copy of “Demystifying AI.” Author Glenn Hopper gives you a simple, powerful introduction to AI, explaining the core concepts and the tech that fuels it. It’s time to catch up, and it won’t cost you a dime!

Ever wanted a pair of headphones that look like an Austin Airbnb and probably cost as much as the down payment? 

Have I got something for you. Meet the $13,500 Hermès headphones, wrapped in Pippa cowhide so soft it should come with a ranch property deed. They’re so luxurious the Bluetooth pairing screen should ask for a credit check.

The lambskin cushions are hand-stitched, the aluminum is microblasted to perfection, and the whole thing basically says, “Yeah, I might also listen to music, but I’m better than you.” That’s sound advice.

The answer: B) Dropbox. Drew Houston was knee-deep in a robotics project when he realized he kept losing his USB drive, so he built a tool to access his files online. The robot didn’t work, but the cloud storage did. Moral of the story? Sometimes your backup plan becomes the actual business. You know, I wanted to make a joke about USB, but you wouldn’t get it the first time.

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Tomorrow, how not to lose your stuff forever. It hits home. This is the #1 free tech newsletter in the U.S.

🧑‍🎄 Special thanks to Incogni for supporting our Christmas Cash Giveaway: Keep your personal info private and secure this holiday season with Incogni. Get my spam-busting deal, 60% off now.

📸 I’d like you to look for one bright moment today and capture a happy memory. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Gemini, Farberware, Hermes

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**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary.

This newsletter and its content are intended for informational purposes only. They are provided without warranty of any kind. You shouldn’t construe anything provided here as legal, health, medical, technical, tax, investment, financial or any other kind of advice.

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