When Citi rolled out its new Strata Elite credit card earlier this year, it was supposed to be the bank’s long-waited return to the premium card arena. With a $595 annual fee, lounge access, and concierge-level support, it aimed to compete head-to-head with the American Express Platinum… Read More »When a Premium Credit Card Turns Into a Premium Headache
Scams come to us by email, text messaging and phone calls, but other scams are right in front of our eyes that hook us without our being aware. They are fake product reviews that litter the internet everywhere you look. Search engines don’t bother to… Read More »Fake review sites have obliterated good reviews
TheVerge reported this week that, “Amazon launched a major update of its line of Alexa-enabled Echo smart speakers and displays.,” but has simultaneously introduced and then ruined a new product. Why? Because they’re filled with intrusive video ads that impacts the products’ usability. As one involved… Read More »The Erosion of Trust: When Big Tech Turns Your Hardware Into Its Marketplace
There’s a moment most of us experience several times a day: we sit down to do something simple online — pay a bill, check a warranty, read an article, or maybe just order takeout — and are met by that dreaded prompt: Enter your password. Then comes… Read More »Passwords: The digital version of the TSA
Luggage pack-off: My wife has long sworn by her trusty Briggs & Riley expandable soft-sided carry-on rollerboard. It’s been her travel companion for years — durable, familiar, and once considered the gold standard. I used to have the same bag until I replaced mine with… Read More »A Smooth-Rolling Bag, a Smart App, and a Dumb Plug
If you’ve called a hotel or airline lately, chances are your first “conversation” wasn’t with a person. It was with a chatbot or voice bot programmed to answer questions, process simple requests, and—if you’re lucky—eventually hand you off to a human being. Hotels, airlines, banks,… Read More »The Bots Are Winning—And We’re Losing
Hands-On Review: iPhone 17 Series – Hype, Reality, and a Few Concerns I spent some time with the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max this week at an Apple Store and have been following the global wave of teardowns and torture… Read More »Hands on with the iPhone 17 Series
Credit cards continue to promise luxury perks, travel credits, and dazzling rewards, but for many of us the real question is simpler: Which of these benefits will I actually use and how much will I really save? Marketing always highlights the maximum possible value, assuming a perfect… Read More »Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which Delivers the Best Value for my use?
Amazon seems to be a well-oiled machine that magically delivers any of its millions of products to us in a day and sometimes in just a few hours. But there are a few questions that have recently surfaced that makes me question the company’s operations.… Read More »What’s going on with Amazon?
Here are a few thoughts on the new iPhones and considerations for those thinking of upgrading, based on yesterdays Apple’s presentation. As I describe below, this was a presentation filled with oldies but goodies. Things that worked in the past, such as another AIr product,… Read More »First thoughts on buying a new iPhone