Technology
Travel season is here: 7 tips and tricks from a tech and traveling pro
I’ve been to 32 different countries, and let me tell you, travel can be stressful. But a little know-how and planning can make your getaway more relaxing than worrisome.
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Stick to sites you know and trust
I’M A TECH EXPERT AND YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE TECH CHANGES NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
Crooks are great at creating fake travel apps and sites to rip you off — and AI tools make it even easier to whip them up. Fortunately, there are signs to watch for that can help you avoid them.
- Check official resources: The Better Business Bureau can be a great aid in determining whether a business is legit. The agency lists real companies; if you can’t find the one you’re working with, it’s best to run away.
- Online reviews and ratings: Read online reviews and ratings on sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp or Google. Incredibly positive and negative reviews could be bogus. Watch for a balance of reviews and consistent themes.
- Accreditation and licensing: Many legitimate travel agencies are members of recognized industry organizations like the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) or have IATA (International Air Transport Association) accreditation. Check for credentials on their site.
- Transparent pricing: Legitimate sites are clear and upfront about all costs. Beware of sites that have hidden fees or don’t clearly explain costs.
- Secure payment options: Reputable travel sites offer secure, well-known payment options. Be wary of sites that only allow bank transfers or money orders.
Speaking of, I recently took a fantastic trip to Japan. Watch my travel tips on YouTube. You’ll definitely want to put this on your bucket list!
Keep track of your bag
Lost luggage can ruin your trip. Many major airlines (including United, American, Delta and Air New Zealand) allow you to track your luggage in real time through the airline’s official app, so download it before you hit the road.
Travelers with luggage use smartphones while waiting in line for boarding at an airport. (iStock)
Pro tip: Searching the app stores can lead you to copycats. Go to your airline’s official website and look for a link to the app in the header or footer.
I throw an Apple AirTag in checked bags for extra peace of mind.
- Apple’s AirTags are ideal for an iPhone, Mac or iPad.
- The Tile Essentials 4-pack comes with various tags for your keys, wallet, luggage or whatever else you want to try. Nice option for Android.
Set your Gmail and Drive to offline mode.
Sometimes, the connection is so bad you can’t even load your inbox. Lucky you, you can still get your replies all queued up if you plan.
In Gmail on your desktop:
- Hit the settings cog > See all settings.
- Choose the Offline tab, then check the box next to Enable offline mail.
- From here, choose how many days of messages you want to sync.
- Click Save changes.
FIX AUTOCORRECT IF IT’S DRIVING YOU DUCKING CRAZY
Now, do the same for your most-used documents in Google Drive. You need to do this for each document, so be sure to take care of it ahead of time.
First, enable the setting:
- Open Google Drive.
- At the top right, click the settings cog > Settings.
- Turn on Offline.
Depending on your storage, recent files will be automatically saved offline. To manually select files:
- On the file you want to use, hit File > Make available offline.
Score, in-flight Wi-Fi! Before you start browsing …
Most of us see a network name that looks about right and click it without much thought. That’s what hackers are banking on! Crooks can create fake Wi-Fi networks with almost identical names to the airline’s. If you’re not careful, you could plug into a copycat network instead of the legit one.
If multiple options look similar, ask a member of the airline staff which network is the right one. Hey, they may even give an in-air PSA if you spot a fake.
A Wi-Fi and fasten seat belts sign illuminated on a Delta Air Lines plane at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Oh, and switch on a VPN
Normally, what you do on the internet is open for anyone with the right know-how to peek in on. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your data — acting as a shield from prying eyes. VPNs aren’t quite as reliable in the air, but it’s still worth switching on.
Not optional if you’re visiting any site that contains financial or other identifying, important information.
Double-check your AirDrop settings
I got a strange picture sent to my phone at the airport once. I looked around and saw the snickering teenagers. Yeah, it was funny — but not every prank is innocent.
Keyloggers keep track of every single thing you type, and criminals love to pass them along using Apple’s AirDrop feature. Don’t accept drops from strangers in flight.
On your iPhone:
- Go to Settings > General > AirDrop.
CHARGING AND TRAVEL: 5 MALWARE MISTAKES MOST PEOPLE MAKE
You can set your phone to reject all AirDrop requests, only allow them from contacts or allow from everyone. (That last one is not the best idea for travel.)
On a Mac:
- Click Control Center in the menu bar (it’s the icon with two toggles).
- Click AirDrop. From here, you can turn it on or off and choose who can send items.
Your phone is worth a lot
It’s way more valuable than just the amount someone could sell it for. (Though that’s a pretty enticing amount if you have a newer phone.) Think about all the accounts connected to it: your bank and other financial apps, email inbox and private text messages containing who knows what.
- When you’re out in public, shield your PIN. If you really need to open your phone in front of people, use Face ID or your fingerprint.
- Don’t use an easy PIN, either. No four digits! Make it as long as you can remember.
- If you don’t want to use Face ID, use a passcode with numbers and letters if your phone allows it.
A view of someone charging their phone in a public area. (Fox News)
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Technology
Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard
When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”
Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.
This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”
Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”
Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”
Technology
Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed
UCF commencement speaker Gloria Caulfield (University of Central Florida via Storyful)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’
– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age
– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member
TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.
A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)
BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.
TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.
EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.
FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.
ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.
BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
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Technology
Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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