Technology
HP is in the rent-a-printer business now
HP has a new proposition in a time when (companies like it have made sure) you don’t really control much about your computer anyway: why don’t you just let HP rent you one? The company debuted a subscription service today — just like CEO Enrique Lores said it would last month — called the HP All-In Plan. It’s essentially an extension of HP’s Instant Ink, and like that plan, you’ll have ink sent to you as you approach empty, but unlike it, your monthly fee also covers the printer itself.
Which printer you get depends on the plan you choose. They start at $6.99 per month for 20 pages’ worth of prints and whatever the current HP Envy model is, and go all the way up to a $35.99-a-month affair that gets you an OfficeJet Pro and 700 pages. If you go over your page allotment, HP will add more for a dollar per block of 10–15 pages.
But each plan is a two-year rental, not a lease-to-own situation. So if you decide HP All-In isn’t for you after all, you’ll have to return the printer and go back to rubbing elbows with everyone else at FedEx whenever the need to print arises. And if you cancel after an initial 30-day trial or before two years, you’ll pay a fee as high as $270, depending on the plan and when you cancel.
The subscription, like HP’s recent ad campaign promoting its printers as “made to be less hated,” trades on the idea that printers are frustrating commodities. The company’s configurator page mentions bonuses like “continuous printer coverage” and “next-business-day printer replacement,” for instance. That way, if a firmware upgrade blue-screens your printer, at least you have some recourse that doesn’t involve driving to a store to buy a whole new one.
There are people this plan will undoubtedly appeal to. Not everybody cares that deeply about feeling like they own their printer. And receiving ink before you run out is great if you are, like me, the kind of person who ignores the “low ink” warning all the way until I’m fully out and am actually printing something critical, rather than coloring pages for your kid, for once.
But those are mostly functions of the fact that I don’t really print that often and rarely encounter the annoyances of printer ownership. For those who do, companies can take two paths. One is HP’s plan, which appeals to the frustration of user-hostile experiences like scanners that don’t work because you bought third-party ink and printers that become unusable without some serious effort because you moved overseas. The other approach is making printers that mostly just do the thing you want them for.
Technology
Anker’s discounted 2-in-1 USB-C cable is a great way to spend $15
I’ll never stop gushing about 2-in-1 USB-C cables. They’re really nice to have because, at this point, I’ve amassed so many devices that charge via USB-C. It’s also common for more than one to need to be recharged at a time, which is where they come in handy. I can charge my Nintendo Switch 2 and work-issued MacBook Air, or my Google Pixel 9 Pro and Kindle, without taking up more than one port on the power adapter.
A couple of models that offer up to 140W passthrough charging speeds are currently matching their lowest price to date — including Anker’s braided option, which is available from Amazon and Anker in black or white starting at $14.99 ($3 off). If you don’t mind paying a bit more for a slightly longer cable, Native Union’s recycled 6.5-foot Belt Cable, which features an animal-free leather strap, is down to $23.99 ($6 off) in black or a zebra-like pattern directly from the manufacturer.
While the two cables are slightly different lengths, functionality is identical. Both cables support USB 2.0 speeds topping out at 480 Mbps when connected to a data source, and only the first device connected to the two-headed cable can transfer data. They can also automatically allocate power across devices, depending on the speed of your wall adapter, sending more wattage to the higher-powered of the two devices you have plugged in.
There are plenty of wall adapters that pair well with these cables, too, the kind that deliver zippy charging speeds to your connected devices. One example is Anker’s own four-port 140W charger, which offers three USB-C ports and a USB-A port. Normally $99.99, it’s currently down to $79.99 at Amazon for Prime members.
Technology
JetBlue lawsuit raises airline pricing questions
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Booking a flight can feel like a guessing game. You search once, spot a decent price, come back later and suddenly it is higher. Most people shrug and assume demand changed. Now, a new lawsuit against JetBlue is challenging that idea.
The proposed class action claims the airline tracked a customer’s behavior during the booking process for the purpose of setting or adjusting ticket prices. According to the complaint, that data was collected without clear consent and may have included browsing activity and other user characteristics. The lawsuit also alleges that customers were not informed if their data was being shared or sold to third parties.
JetBlue strongly disputes the allegation. The airline says fares depend on demand and seat availability, not personal browsing behavior. Still, the case taps into a growing concern that goes far beyond one airline.
5 WORRISOME PRIVACY CLAUSES HIDDEN IN SMART HOME DEVICES
A new lawsuit against JetBlue raises questions about how airfare prices are set. (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto)
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What the JetBlue lawsuit claims about pricing data
The lawsuit, filed by New York resident Andrew Phillips in federal court in New York, alleges that JetBlue monitored user activity on its website using tracking tools while he searched for flights. According to the complaint, that data was used to help adjust prices in real time.
It also claims that when a user searched for a flight, left the site and later returned to complete the booking, the fare increased. The filing suggests this may have been tied to tracking technology rather than normal pricing changes.
The complaint further alleges that this data was collected without clear disclosure and that users may not have been aware of how their information was being gathered or used.
“Consumers should not have to have their privacy rights violated to participate in the digital race for airline tickets,” the lawsuit alleges.
The airline disputes these claims. In a public statement, JetBlue said it does not use personal data or browsing history to set individual prices and that all customers have access to the same fares at the same time.
CyberGuy reached out to JetBlue for additional comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
The bigger issue: surveillance pricing in airlines
The lawsuit centers on a concept called surveillance pricing. That refers to companies using personal data to adjust prices for different people. Surveillance pricing extends beyond airlines. It has become a broader concern as more companies rely on AI and advanced analytics.
In theory, two people could search for the same flight at the same time and see different prices based on factors like location, device type or browsing history. Companies rarely confirm this practice outright, but consumer advocates have raised concerns for years.
Airlines have long used dynamic pricing, which changes fares based on demand. The key question here is whether personal data plays a role in that calculation.
How AI is changing airline pricing behind the scenes
Many carriers now rely on artificial intelligence to analyze booking patterns, predict demand shifts and adjust fares in real time. We recently reported on this shift, showing how AI is reshaping the way travelers book flights and how prices are set across the industry. These systems can process large amounts of data at once, including route demand, seasonal trends and competitor pricing.
While airlines say this improves efficiency, it can also make pricing feel less predictable to the average traveler. That is what makes the current lawsuit stand out. It raises the question of whether AI-driven pricing could go a step further by factoring in more detailed data about how people search and book, something airlines like JetBlue say they do not use for individual pricing.
Travelers often see prices change between searches, but the reasons are not always clear. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
JetBlue’s viral response and why it matters
300,000 CHROME USERS HIT BY FAKE AI EXTENSIONS
Part of the lawsuit points to a social media exchange that quickly drew attention. A customer posted about a $230 jump in ticket price after checking a flight the day before while trying to book travel for a funeral.
In response, JetBlue suggested clearing cookies or using an incognito window. The comment was later deleted. According to the lawsuit, that response appeared to acknowledge that browsing behavior could influence pricing.
JetBlue disputes that interpretation. The airline said the reply came from a customer service employee and was a mistake. It also stated that clearing cookies or using private browsing would not change the fares available for purchase.
Even so, the exchange struck a nerve. For many travelers, it reinforced a long-standing suspicion that repeated searches or personal data might affect what they pay, even as airlines deny using that information for pricing.
Why airline ticket prices change so fast
Before assuming the worst, it helps to understand how airline pricing works today. Airlines use complex systems that adjust fares constantly. Prices can change within minutes based on demand, available seats, route popularity and competitor pricing.
If a flight starts filling up, the price usually rises. That means a price jump after you return to a search does not automatically point to tracking. It could simply reflect someone else booking a seat or increased demand.
Still, the lawsuit raises a valid concern about transparency. Travelers rarely know what factors are driving the price they see.
What this means to you
JetBlue says it does not tailor prices based on your digital footprint. According to the airline, you are not paying more because you searched twice or used a specific device. Instead, fares shift based on broader factors like seat availability, timing and demand on a route.
That said, prices can still feel unpredictable. Comparing options across platforms remains one of the best ways to avoid overpaying. Acting quickly when you find a fare you like can also make a difference, especially on popular routes.
If you are concerned about tracking, simple steps like using private browsing or switching devices may help limit how much of your activity is visible during repeated searches.
Some travelers also use a VPN to mask their location. While airlines like JetBlue say pricing does not depend on personal data like IP address or browsing history, a VPN can still add a layer of privacy by reducing how much information is shared during the booking process.
For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com
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JetBlue denies using personal data or browsing history to set individual ticket prices. (Greg Lovett/Palm Beach Post)
Kurt’s key takeaways
If you have ever felt like flight prices change in ways that do not quite make sense, you are not alone. This lawsuit taps into a bigger question about how much companies know about us and how that information gets used. Airlines like JetBlue say personal data isn’t part of pricing. Still, the way prices change can feel confusing and unpredictable. For now, the best move is to compare prices, take your time and do not assume the first fare you see is the best one.
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Are you comfortable with surveillance pricing, or does it cross a line for you? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com
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Technology
Splatoon Raiders preorders for the Switch 2 are nearly 20 percent off
Nintendo recently announced a new pricing policy, which knocks $10 off the cost of digital versions of future first-party titles exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. Splatoon Raiders, for instance, is available for preorder ahead of its July 23rd release for $49.99 digitally or $59.99 for the physical edition. However, Amazon and Walmart are the exception in how they’re pricing preorders for the cartridge version. Right now, you can reserve the upcoming title at both retailers for $49.94, which is a few cents cheaper than the digital version. Raiders isn’t a sequel to Splatoon 3, but rather a spinoff that has similar third-person, paint-splatting gameplay set in new locales.
The same $10 discount is in effect for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, a side-scrolling adventure with a gorgeous storybook art style that comes out on May 21st. The price of the physical version is $69.99, but Amazon and Walmart are currently offering it for $59.88, which is similar to the digital edition’s price. Given that prices on many tech and gaming-related products are increasing, it’s nice to see notable discounts on physical Switch 2 games. If you’re looking for other gaming deals, we’ve pulled together the best discounts from Amazon’s weeklong Gaming Week sale.
Update, May 1st: Updated price and availability to reflect the fact that Amazon is now matching Walmart’s preorder promotion on both Switch 2 titles.
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