#He's asking me to help cover the cost of getting AirPods

[lil-dorkling]

Having a younger sibling is just being their walking bank account I swear

[heartjwi]

could you do a bed sharing au with any of the dreamies,, ur choice im indecisive, like an e2l,,, im a sucker for bed sharing stuff 🤧🤧🤧

requests are open

going on spontaneous trips with the dreamies sorta became your thing™️

like expect someone to call you at 1 am and just be like:

“PACK YOUR SHIT WE’RE PICKING YOU UP IN 5”

and then y’all end up in the middle of no where in the middle of the night

but in the end, it’s always fun being with your best friends

except for jaemin

something about him just made your skin crawl

but it dont matter

cs u lit cher rally ignore him each time

you either stick with renjun or hyuck

no in between

jaemin is just,,,, he’s something else

anywho

the dreamies ,, yet again planned something spontaneously

and that is,,,

having a roadtrip across town

you don’t even know what the fuck they ate that day

to even plan something so,, out of the blue

and out of your own reach

like, you guys barely have any money combined for gas

and at some point y’all need to shower

that means staying at a hotel

and buying food

¿¿

but according to chenle, “money doesn’t matter. the memory with your love ones does”

so here y’all are,, packed in jeno’s car

“WHY DIDNT YOU GET THE MINI VAN” hyuck dramatically whines as he got in the passenger seat

the mf passenger seat

‘lucky bitch’ you thought as u squeezed yourself between renjun and jaemin

“why is y/n beside me and not jisung” jaemin complains

“cause i don’t want to sit with you” jisung replies on the other side of the car

jaemin grunts and avoids your physical contact at all costs

but obviously fails

every time jeno hits a speedbump you just fall right onto his lap

in which of course you remove yourself off of him in the speed of light

“you fucking suck at driving” renjun kicks jeno’s chair making the car brake abruptly

“I CANT TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE” chenle yells getting a paper bag and v*mits

car sickness yk??

the entire roadtrip was a mess

the sun has finally set and it was getting dark out

“yo um, i’m not gonna drive our asses all the way across town overnight i need me some beauty sleep” jeno looks at everyone with the rear view mirror

“theres a motel nearby let’s just stay there for tonight and tonight only” hyuck cleared out things, getting the GPS ready & working

“what are having for dinner?” you asked

“let’s just have some pizza” renjun suggests

“heh let’s try and not kill the pizza man” chenle snickers, remembring a certain scene from a music video he saw a few days ago

jaemin doesn’t say anything and just spaces out

you rolled your eyes at how he didn’t say anything

like i said, everything he does??? annoys tf out of you

“why are you so annoyed at him?” renjun asks you, playing with the hems of the blanket you two are sharing

“cause he’s jaemin. he’s so mean to me and i didnt do shit” you murmured, loud enough for renjun to hear

jaemin, who had his airpods on wasnt actually listening to songs

he was eavesdropping your conversation w renjun the entire trip

and he somehow felt bad that he was being mean to you

just the sudden realization hits him

but he brushed it off and continued to listen to everyones conversation

night time finally comes through and everyone is now at the motel

since renjun is ,, the legal adult in this situation

he booked everyone a room

with the limited budget y’all got atm,,, he only booked 3 rooms

“sad to say, two of us have to share 1 room together since all the two bed rooms are taken” renjun explains, holding out the three room keys

“let’s play rock paper scissors to determine the pairs” chenle suggested

“great idea bro” jisung whispers to chenle

“i know right bro” chenle giggles

you stared at the two kids in awe before being rudely pushed by jaemin himself

“move” he pushes past you

“dickhead” you muttered

“rock paper scissors.. shoot!” hyuck yells out

in the end the pairs were:

first room: jeno & hyuck; 

second room: jisung, chenle & renjun

(renjun gets that other single bed while chenji gets to share the bed)

and finally, the one bed room,,,

it was you and jaemin

“you gotta be fucking kidding me” you react

the 5 boys looked at the two of you uncertainly

especially renjun and jeno

“i’d switch rooms with you if you’d like” renjun offers

“yeah! you can have the lone bed y/n!” chenle smiles

but you both reject the offers

“are you okay with this?” jeno asks jaemin cautiously knowing how,, cranky he can become when he’s a tad bit tired

“yeah” jaemin mumbles

“are you sure-” 

“its fine. i can manage” jaemin waves jeno off

everyone slowly comes up to their rooms

you and jaemin stayed behind to get your stuff from the car

you got your small luggage and backpack and started trudging up the stairs

jaemin who was behind you couldn’t help but watch you in pity

he even started contemplating with himself whether or not to help you

swallowing his pride, he silently grabs both of your bags and sped walk to your room

you felt your heart flutter at his sudden actions

“snap out of it” you slapped yourself in the face

but still

you can’t hide that sly smile from your face

jaemin places your things by the door and went out to get some fresh air and some snacks

you decided that you’d use your alone time to go shower and pamper or some shit

after taking a cold shower (since the motel offers to PAY for hot water) you brushed your teeth and changed into pajamas

a little later jaemin comes back from his stroll

and walks in on you with your pink pajamas with a towel on top of your head

“cute” he comments, smirking at himself after seeing your flustered face

he does his business and later follows you to bed

there was a pillow barricade in the middle of the king sized bed

it was kinda awkward to move around since the bed creaks

and not to mention the mattress was hard as a rock

there was no TV in your room so to pass time, you stared at the ceiling fan in silence for god knows how long

till jaemin decides to break the silence

“i’m sorry” 

you sat up and stared at him— who was also staring right back at you

“for?” you raised a brow

“for everything. for being rude to you for no reason” he calmly states

“i’m sorry too” you look at him with a pout

jaemin chuckles, “i guess we’re even” 

after that, you and jaemin talk about endless things till the two of you got sleepy

“jaems, i’m tired” you whined

“this is the nth time you whined today. don’t get me started on your whines in the car” he nags

you scoffed, “bitch please”

“and don’t think you were trying to get handsy on me whenever you fall right onto my lap!” he accuses you

“like i wanted to touch you” you poke your tongue at him

jaemin rolls his eyes but laughs anyway

“since we’re friends now, lets get rid of this pillow barricade” he flings the pillow right onto the floor

“why though” you ask dumbfounded

“no reason” he giggles

“just admit you have a crush on me” you make kissy faces in front of him

he nearly gags but laughs yet again

you stared into his eyes which were sparkling

how come you never noticed such thing before?

“anyway, let’s sleep now” jaemin tells you before turning off the lights in the room

you two made yourself comfortable under the covers before hitting the hay

“goodnight jaemin” you whispered, closing your eyes

“sweet dreams, y/n” jaemin smiles to himself, before heading off to dreamland

the next morning, instead of feeling the cold and hard mattress, 

you found yourself hugging something warm and cuddly

you woke up to be in jaemin’s arms

[lachlantrash]

“You’re Important Too.”

"Lachlan are you sure that your family's okay with this?" You sigh in his driveway, looking at your lap from the passenger seat of his car.

"Babe, they're 100% fine with it. They wanted you here anyways, before your parents got into a fight. They love you more than me." He laughs, placing his hand on top of yours.

"Are you sure that they don't feel obligated to let me over? 'Cause I can go home if that's the case, I don't mind at all and I-" You look up at Lachlan, stopping when he presses a gentle kiss to your lips.

"(Y/N), I promise you that they want you here. Nobody deserves to spend Christmas feeling down, especially nobody like you." He smiles.

"But it's Christmas, you should spend it with your family, they're important. You and I can spend like, any other day together. It's not right of me to intrude just because my parents couldn't control themselves at our family party. Honestly I can't believe they'd make a scene like that, it was so embarrassing. They just kept screaming until my mom finally walked out, my dad right behind her." You sigh, remembering the awkward moments of silence that followed as your extended family watched your parents scream about cheating and divorce.

"You're important too. You're not any less of a person because of your parents fighting. Now c'mon, let's get inside and have some eggnog, my dad spiked it." Lachlan tries to change the subject, wanting to get your mind off your parental situation.

"Alright, thank you." You sigh, giving him a smile before you two exit his car, walking into his house.

"(Y/N), hi honey! Merry Christmas!" Lachlan's mom says, a smile on her face as she pulls you into a hug.

"Merry Christmas! Sorry for showing up so last minute, I hope I'm not intruding." You laugh awkwardly as you pull away from the embrace.

"Nonsense, we love you here! I've been trying to get Lachlan to steal you all day anyways." She smiles, easing your small bit of worry.

"Thank you so much." You smile back, letting her lead you and Lachlan into the living room where his whole family is gathered.

"Merry Christmas, and welcome home, (Y/N)." Lachlan's brother little Mitch says jokingly, making you laugh.

"Merry Christmas, Mitch." You say back. "And Merry Christmas, Mr.Power! I hope it's alright that I'm here." You smile over at him, sitting next to Lachlan on the loveseat.

"Oh shut up, you know you're always welcome here. Anyone who can make my son start getting his grades up is welcome anytime." He teases Lachlan.

"Well, thank you." You smile appreciatively.

"Someone wanted to come and say hi." Lachlan's mom sings as she walks into the room, Prince rushing past her to get to you. He puts his paws on your kneecaps to be able to reach your face.

"Awe, Merry Christmas Prince!" You coo, petting the energetic dog. "Wow, this is his first Christmas here, yeah?" You realize, looking over at Lachlan.

"Yeah, and both of his parents are with him." Lachlan whispers to you, scratching Prince's chin. "I told ya my family wouldn't mind you being here." Lachlan whispers again, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he pulls you into him, dragging your attention away from the dog.

"Lachlan honey, can't you keep your hands off of her for one second?" Lachlan's mom sighs, walking into the room again with some gifts in hand.

"Sorry mom, it's not my fault she's so pretty." Lachlan smirks, pressing another kiss to your cheek.

"Stop, babe." You laugh, shrugging his arms off of you. "Sorry Mrs.Powers, I-"

"Nonsense (Y/N), that wasn't your fault. Besides, I was just giving him a hard time. Anyways, I found some bonus presents lying around and I think it's time we open them." She teases, placing the wrapped gifts beneath the tree before sitting beside her husband.

"Oh awesome, what else did you get me?" Mitch asks, jumping from his seat to the presents on the floor. "Most of these are for (Y/N)." He says, separating the gifts into piles.

"You really didn't need to get me anything." You sigh gratefully, blush on your face because you only got his parents a pair of tickets to a musical they've been dying to see.

"You're a member of this family! Besides, most are from lover boy, so take that up with him." Lachlan's dad laughs, making a blush appear on Lachlan's face.

"We already did our gift exchange, totally not fair!" You gasp, mock pushing Lachlan which makes him laugh.

"I couldn't help it, all of these things are stuff I thought you'd need." He mumbles, making you roll your eyes.

"I'm just going to ask that you open our envelope last, Lachlan's can be opened first. There's more of them anyways." His mom requests, pulling an envelope away from the other gifts.

"Alright, thank you guys." You smile appreciatively, moving from Lachlan to sit on the floor in front of the gifts. Lachlan joins you less gracefully, sliding off the couch to sit beside you.

"Here, start with this one." He says, handing you a gift perfectly wrapped in blue wrapping paper covered in snowflakes.

"As you can tell, Lachlan did not wrap any of those presents." His dad chuckles as you begin untaping the paper.

"Oh shut up dad, she didn't need to know that." Lachlan groans as you take the paper off, revealing a box. Inside the box is a purple neck pillow.

"Thanks, Lachlan. This will come into good use when I'm trapped in your basement and Prince is hogging your bed. You tease. You press a kiss to Lachlan's cheek, not wanting to indulge in almost any PDA in front of his family like this.

"You haven't even seen the best of it. C'mon, now open this one up." He hands you another, this one red with reindeer on it. You open this one just as carefully as the other, this one having a Calvin Klein winter jacket wrapped in it.

"Lachlan, this must have been expensive! Why would you buy me this?" You ask, feeling the faux fur lining the jacket.

"Don't worry about that, babe. Just keep unwrapping." He laughs, handing you another box that's wrapped oddly.

"This is the gift that made mom wrap the rest." Mitch chimes in, laughing at his brother's poor wrapping skills.

"Shut up, Mitch. At least I have a girlfriend to buy gifts for." Lachlan responds to his brother.

"Boys, cut it." There mom says to get them to stop bickering as you unwrap this gift, seeing a box of L.L Bean snow boots and a set with a hat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves in with the boots.

"Is there some superb sale on snow supplies going on that I didn't know about, Lachlan?" You laugh, unsure of how to respond to all of these winter themed gifts.

"It'll make sense soon." He laughs. "Now take the envelope from my mom, I'm sure you'll love their gift." He tells you.

"Alright." You sigh, getting up to grab the envelope from his mother before sitting back beside Lachlan. You open the envelope and see the cheesiest Christmas photo ever of Lachlan's family on a Christmas card, making you laugh at how picture perfect they are. "You guys are honestly a beautiful family, even in your matching Christmas sweaters." You laugh.

"Thank you, honey." His mom says genuinely, a smile on her face as she thinks about how next year, they're definitely going to invite you to take a photo for their card. You open the card, gasping as two plane tickets fall out into your lap.

"What even? No way." You gape, reading the destination of 'Alaska' written on both of them. "Are-Are we going to Alaska?" You ask, turning to look at Lachlan with a pure look of shock on your face.

"I don't know babe, would that make sense with the stuff I got for you?" He laughs, falling over when you surprise him with a hug.

"Oh my god, I've- I don't even know! What are we going to do in Alaska? It's beautiful there-" Lachlan cuts you off, pressing his lips against yours and pulling away laughing.

"You're too cute. Look at the paper that was in there too." He laughs, wrapping his arms around you as you look at the printed receipt from the airbnb, reading that you're staying in a cabin that has great views of the Northern Lights.

"Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Powers, but there's no way we can go on this, it must have cost you a fortune." You say, still in shock that they'd be this generous to offer you a paid for trip to Alaska.

"That's nonsense, you have to go! Who wouldn't want to go spend New Years up there? I hear the lights are a once in a lifetime thing, it's beautiful. I need you to go so you can tell me just how beautiful it is, I can't trust Lachlan with that." His mom laughs, standing from the couch and gesturing for you to hug her.

"Thank-Thank you so much. This is incredible, I don't even know how to thank you. It's a much better gift than the tickets I gave you guys." You say to her, embracing her immediately.

"I'd do anything for you, for everything you've done for my Lachlan. Thank you, for making him happier than I've seen him in a long time. We love you here and you're always, welcome, (Y/N). Merry Christmas!" She whispers so nobody around you hears what she's saying. You both pull away with tears in your eyes, laughing when you notice the state of each other.

"Okay, get over here kiddo." Lachlan's dad laughs, standing to give you a short hug. Enjoy it up there, okay? Take plenty of photos for the missus, I'm sure she'll want to frame one of the two of you." He laughs, wrapping his arm around his wife afterwards.

"That's a great idea!  Make sure you take a frame worthy photo, Lachlan or I'm going to be upset." His mom says, making you laugh.

"Hate to ruin the moment, but I'm pretty sure this box has AirPods in it. Am I allowed to open this yet?" Mitch asks, making everyone laugh at his impatience when it comes to presents.

[365day2021]

Day 206

Got to work at 950 (on a Sunday ugh) and did not a lot for the first hour. Download at 1030 and at the end of it was playing jeopardy on ios 15 and literally none of us knew anything so it was open book lol. But yeah started the day on queue for an hour, not really much there and then after my 15 was repair. That was pretty much consistent going and also when I first walked into the repair room there was some news about my check in of a phone with cracked display and rear camera glass and they decided to swap it. The customer was FULLY aware of the risks of cracked rear camera glass with just fixing the screen but in case of future “covering my ass” and “best for the customer” Kyle decided to swap it under display cost. So whatever I disagreed with that but yeah repair was pretty much just consistent busy. After my lunch which I went home and ate rotisserie and potato salad I was queue for the rest of the day. The 3rd block was a bit annoying cause I mainly just took 2 customers, one who’s airpods were crackling on the right and connectivity issues and the other with multi touch problems. The airpods were annoying cause the dude “worked in IT” and “knows the case and right one need to be replaced” but when I tested them HDI passed and the right one was literally working as far as connectivity. So then we moved to the crackling which I saw actually both airpods were bad but he was still convinced the case needed to be swapped. I stood my ground and he took the 2 airpods (which one of them I needed to order) so yeah that was a long appt. The multi touch one was long too cause the serial number I had from the IMEI tray AND the serial number the customer had who apple support provided him were BOTH wrong so HDI had to be my saving grace. He was super cool tho so yeah but last block I was just exhausted by the end and when Gaby asked we mentioned the snickers line and she ended up buying me a snickers (which I forgot in the freezer at work lmao). We closed at 6 and I mainly stayed in the back with Ryan Fremeau and Adam just helping Adam box depots and doing nothing. Ryan mentioned wanting to play fall guys so I think we may be playing soon when she gets better lol. But yeah we all left at 7 and walked back with both of them and then I went home.

Changed and sat for a bit until around 722 when I left to meet BZimm at the gym. We started at workout routine thing and it’s day one today with back. Was cool, we were also watching Galint Summer Opening while working out. So yeah we spent a little over an hour there and then we split. Zaque called me in the middle asking to come over so I did right after. Just smoked a bong bowl and ate a gummy edible Olivia was making with tajin and got pretty buzzed/high. We just talked about random stuff from work to normal high questions about the past/future and then went inside after like an hour. Olivia made grilled cheese for me and her and then talked a bit inside. We split around like 1030 I think and then I went home. Hopped on discord with Brandon and started stream. We just played unranked doubles until about 20 minutes ago. IT’s 150 now and ya boy is TIRED

[pogueman]

Google's Pixel Buds: Wireless earbuds for the extremely tolerant

Google’s Pixel Buds really sounded like they’d be pretty great. Imagine: Google’s version of Apple’s wireless AirPods. Same $160 price, same earbud-recharging carrying case (good for 24 hours’ worth of earbud recharges), and the same ability to let you speak, hands free, to your synthesized voice assistant, without having to pull the phone out of your pocket.

In fact, they sounded better than the AirPods, because the right and left earbuds are reassuringly connected by a wire instead of completely detached. The assistant is Google Assistant, which lots of people find superior to Siri. And above all, Google Translate is built in.

This is it! This is the “Star Trek” communicator! This is the Babel Fish! This is you, going forth into China or Norway or Brazil and having conversations with the locals—they speak, and you hear the English translation in your ears! For $160!

Or not.

As it turns out, the Pixel Buds sound terrific for music and respond well to Assistant requests. But the real-time translation thing is kind of a bust.

The Pixel Buds are wireless in the sense that they don’t plug into your phone—but there is a cord connecting the buds.

Meet the Case

The Pixel Buds come in a strange little clamshell case. It’s cheap-feeling plastic, covered with some kind of felt or fabric.

The buds charge in their fabric-covered case, thanks to a USB-C cable.

The earbuds themselves last 5 hours on a charge, but the case contains a recharging battery good for a total of 24 hours of earbud power. The case is otherwise a misfire, though. First, there are no indicators on the outside of it. Just to see if it’s charging, or how full the charge is, you have to open it and remove the earbuds. Baaaad design.

Second, the case doesn’t close unless the earbud cable is completely clear of the edges. To do that, you’re supposed to snap the right and left earbuds into their corresponding holes, and then wrap the fabric-covered cable twice around the case prongs, then thread it up the center and tap it flat.

It’s such a production that Google felt the need to include a diagram on the inside of the lid.

The latest Google phones don’t have headphone jacks—so Google offers these wireless earbuds.

Meet the Buds

The Buds are fussy in another way, too.

I have goofy ear cartilage; like about 10% of the population, I’m missing the antitragus, the bottom cartilage flap that holds most earbuds in. As a result, I can’t keep these things in my ears—they fall out constantly—and when they are in, the hard plastic gets painful after only a few minutes. I haven’t heard other people complain about the Buds falling out, but complaints about the discomfort are common.

The earbud cord goes through a hole in the bottom of the bud and then doubles back down into the top, forming a loop. You’re supposed to tuck this loop into your upper ear cartilage to help hold the thing in place. Unfortunately, the loop’s size tends to slip when you take the buds in or out of your ears, so you wind up having to adjust them often.

You’ll spend a lot of time fussing with the Loop.

All of this means that the Pixel Buds are fussy and inconvenient to get in and out, especially compared to the AirPods (sorry, Apple haters). With those, when you want to listen to something—say, a Facebook video that you decide to play—you just flip open the case’s lid, grab a bud, and slap it in.

Note, too, that these buds aren’t intended to block background noise. That’s good from a safety standpoint—you’ll hear traffic—but not so great for use on planes and downtown, where ambient noise will ever be with you.

Bud Control

Each Pixel Bud is made of two globs of plastic: One that’s supposed to go into your ear, and a larger part that’s touch sensitive (on the right earbud only).

You tap this surface to play/pause music or answer/hang up calls; double-tap it to hear notifications or your upcoming appointments; and you keep your finger pressed on it when you want to talk to Google Assistant.

These massive plastic bulbs aren’t the most comfortable thing to jam in your ears.

In that regard, the Buds are terrific: You don’t have to say “OK Google” before every command. Just touch that right bud surface, in the manner of a newscaster saying, “This just in!”

You can also swipe forward on that bud surface to adjust the volume when music is playing. That’s a lot more convenient than having to speak your volume-adjustment commands, as you must on the AirPods.

Google Assistant works exceptionally well with the Buds— if your phone runs Android Marshmallow or a later version (that’s the late 2015 edition). You can listen to notifications, dictate texts and emails, ask for information, place and answer calls, start and stop music—all without ever hauling your phone from your pocket. It’s just incredibly responsive and quick.

The only problem with that touch-sensitive right-bud surface is that it’s hard to avoid touching it during the origami session of putting the buds back into their case. You wind up starting music playback accidentally. Auuugh.

(One last comparison: The Apple AirPods pause music automatically when you remove one from your ear, and resume the music when you put it back in. The Pixel Buds, lacking the “Am I in the ear?” sensor, doesn’t do that, and you really miss it.) Live Translation!? And now what we’ve all been waiting for: live real-time language translation!

Sort of.

First, it works only with Google’s own Pixel 2 phone. If you have any other Android phone, you’re out of luck.

Here’s how it works.

You open up Google Translate, touch your earbud, and say, “Help me speak French” (or whatever language).

You hand your phone to the French speaker. While pressing your right earbud, you say, “Excuse me. I’ve hurt my foot. Is there a hospital nearby?”

The phone thinks for a moment (assuming you have an internet signal), and then both speaks and displays the French version: “Excusez-moi. Je me suis fait mal au pied. Y a-t-il un hôpital à proximité?”

You point to the little microphone button on the lower-right side of the screen, and gesture for the French speaker to hold it down while speaking. She might say, for example, “Vous devrez prendre le train pour Paris. Il n’y a rien autour d’ici.”

After she does so, you hear, in your earpiece, her answer: “You’ll have to take the train to Paris; there’s nothing around here.”

Repeat from step 3 to continue the conversation.

The translation feature is no better or worse than just using the Google Translate app by itself.

The translations—well, they’re exactly what you’d see on Google’s Translate web page. A perfect translation is rare; usually, you get the gist; and sometimes, you get hilarious or disastrous misfires. (I told a Chinese-speaking friend, “I love your work! You should get a promotion!” And she heard, in Chinese, “I want your job. You need some improvement.”)

The dirty little secret is that you can do this translation stuff without the Pixel Buds, and without a Pixel phone. Any Android phone running the Google Translate app does all of this already; the only difference is that you’re hearing the English translation in your earbuds instead of from the phone’s speaker.

(If you do have a Pixel phone, another benefit awaits: Automatic pairing when you open the charging case. That’s supposed to make a “Connect?” message pop up on the phone, so a single tap makes the connection. I had a lot of trouble getting that to happen, though; I wound up having to press the Pair button inside the case. Speaking of pairing: You have to pair these things manually every time you switch devices—from phone to laptop, say. It’s not automatic, as it is on the Apple ones.)

Not your best buds

There are lots and lots of fantastic wireless earbuds; here’s my review of 40 of them. Most of them cost less than the Buds, fit more comfortably and solidly, and don’t require any Boy Scout knot-tying every time you put them away.

What they don’t do, of course, is let you touch the right earbud when you want to speak to Google Assistant. But the Pixel Buds command a very steep price—in usability, convenience, comfort, and dollars—for that luxury.

More from David Pogue:

Royal Caribbean’s big bet on new tech

Battle of the 4K streaming boxes: Apple, Google, Amazon, and Roku

iPhone X review: Gorgeous, pricey, and worth it

Inside the Amazon company that’s even bigger than Amazon

The $50 Google Home Mini vs. the $50 Amazon Echo Dot — who wins?

The Fitbit Ionic doesn’t quite deserve the term ‘smartwatch’

Augmented reality? Pogue checks out 7 of the first iPhone AR apps 

David Pogue, tech columnist for Yahoo Finance, is the author of “iPhone: The Missing Manual.” He welcomes nontoxic comments in the comments section below. On the web, he’s davidpogue.com. On Twitter, he’s @pogue. On email, he’s poguester@yahoo.com. You can read all his articles here, or you can sign up to get his columns by email. 

[tripstations]

Long flight tips to have a seamless travel experience

Traveling can be incredibly fun — even if it’s for work — but if you’re going somewhere far away, you have to get through a long flight (or several) before you can begin your trip.

Whether you’re an experienced traveler, or someone about to take your first international flight, here are a few tips that can help you stay comfortable and have a seamless experience.

1. Check which airline is actually operating your flight — not the one you booked with

While you may have purchased your ticket from a specific airline, or seen that listed if you bought the ticket through a third-party website, there’s a chance you’re actually flying a different airline altogether.

Airlines operate partnerships and alliances that mean that you may end up booking a flight on an airline’s partner without realizing it. That can lead you to go to the wrong airport terminal — not a great way to start your trip!

For example, even if you book a flight to Paris sold by Delta, you may actually end up flying partner airline Air France, both of which fly from different terminals at New York’s JFK.

To avoid confusion, be sure to check your itinerary before heading to the airport. There might be small text under the selling airline that says “operated by:” that’s the airline that you’re actually flying.

2. Try to avoid checking a bag — just bring a carry-on, but make sure to check the size

asiseeit/Getty Images

Checking a bag can lead to all kinds of hassle, especially if you have a connection or your flight gets changed due to weather. Plus, airlines often charge extra fees for checked bags, even on international flights.

Instead, try and fit everything into a carry-on suitcase. Lay out all of your clothes for the trip, and try and cut the pile down to something that can fit in the carry-on. You can also roll your clothes, which helps you fit more and prevents wrinkles.

This way there’s no chance of your bag being lost, and you won’t have to wait around at baggage claim.

If you do end up checking a bag, make sure to bring some spare clothes in your carry-on — just in case.

Read more: Startup airline La Compagnie found its niche as a low-cost business-class-only carrier. Now it’s nearing profitability after just 5 years.

3. Hydrate!

The air that you breath while you’re on a plane can be incredibly dry. Plus, when you’re sitting for hours, it’s easy to drink less water than normal without realizing it.

Before every long-haul flight, I buy a big water bottle in the airport. Along with the water that’s served during the flight, that helps me stay hydrated and feel better when I land. Some anecdotal reports suggest that it can even help you get over jet lag.

4. Dress comfortably

Dressing comfortably is especially important on long flights, even if you’re traveling for work and need to head to meetings right when you land. Performance workwear can be a great option. I usually try to wear comfortable sneakers that I can take off and put on quickly, and performance jeans with a bit of stretch.

If you tend to get cold, don’t forget a sweatshirt or jacket, even in the summer!

Keep in mind that some foreign airlines don’t have individual air nozzles and might keep the cabin warmer than you’re used to.

5. Bring whatever gear you need to settle in and get comfortable

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Whether that’s a neck pillow, a big pair of noise cancelling headphones, travel-friendly moisturizer, or something else, try and anticipate whatever you’ll need to stay comfortable during flight.

A crucial set that many people forget, but that can make or break a red-eye flight: an eye-mask and earplugs.

Melissa Vitale, a New York City-based publicist, always brings a pouch or small bag filled with essentials.

“A small pouch just for essentials needed on the flight,” she said. “For me: my comfy socks, eye mask, face masks, lavender oil, CBD, lip balm, laptop, phone, and AirPods.”

Read more: I took a $120 Blade helicopter flight from midtown Manhattan to JFK Airport — here’s what it was like

6. Don’t rely on the in-flight entertainment!

Many airlines offer seat-back screens loaded with movies or shows, but relying on that for a long flight is a mistake, says Spencer Howard, a travel blogger at Straight to the Points.

“Download your favorite shows, movies, podcasts, audiobooks, or whatever to your phone or tablet the night before, he told Business Insider. “Sometimes in-flight entertainment is great, sometimes you’ve seen it all or don’t find it interesting.”

Plus, there’s always a chance that the plane you’re on isn’t equipped with it, or that you end up with a broken screen and hours to kill.

“Also, don’t rely on airport or lounge Wi-Fi to be fast enough to download what you want just before you board your flight,” he suggested.

On a related note, bring a portable charger with you so that you can power your device in-flight, or simply make sure that your phone is fully charged when you land, suggested Charlie Barkowski, who blogs about travel at Running with Miles.

7. Bring any medications in your carry-on, not checked bags, and make sure to check local laws before your trip

If you do end up checking a bag, make sure to pull out any medications or equipment that you need and bring it with you onto the plane — just in case your bag gets lost.

“Pack all medicines and medical supplies you need in your carry-on, just in case there’s a problem with your checked bags,” Howard said.

Also, just because you have a prescription or buy a medicine over-the-counter in the US doesn’t mean it’s allowed in every country. Do a quick Google search before your trip to make sure that any medicines you’re bringing are allowed.

8. Figure out your visa situation ahead of time

With an American or European passport, you can travel to many countries without needing a visa. In some cases, you can apply for, receive, and pay for a visa in advance.

Other countries, though, require you to apply beforehand, and can take weeks to process. Be sure to check visa requirements as soon as you book your trip in order to know exactly what you’ll need.

9. Be mindful with the on-board booze

withGod/Shutterstock

Passengers have been imbibing in the skies since around 1950, according to Air & Space Magazine. However, that doesn’t mean you have to go overboard.

Aside from the obvious problems that can come from becoming intoxicated on a plane, you also risk becoming too dehydrated, or not sleeping properly.

Be aware of how alcohol affects you when you’re flying, and keep in mind that it’s often different than it is on the ground. Some people find a few drinks — and sometimes a few more — helpful on a long flight, some need to keep it to one, and some prefer teetotaling in-flight. Whichever way is best for you, be sure to drink plenty of the water you brought, too!

10. Enjoy the in-flight meals and snacks, but don’t overeat

It’s easy to eat too much when you’re bored, and long flights can indeed be boring. While it’s important to eat meals and snacks, you want to be careful not to overeat. It can be harder to digest during a long flight, so if you eat too much, you might end up bloated and uncomfortable for the rest of your journey.

Read more: An airline is getting slammed for asking a nursing mom to cover up. Here are the breastfeeding policies on 11 major airlines

11. Move around

Make sure to get up and take a walk at least every few hours, and to stretch your arms and legs periodically when you’re sitting.

Long periods of immobility in a seated position can put you at risk of developing dangerous blood clots called deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), especially in your legs, where blood pools when you’re sitting. The easiest way to prevent it is by simply moving every now and then.

12. If you’re worried about motion sickness or get anxious during turbulence, snag a seat towards the middle of the plane above the wing.

The wings are the planes’ center of gravity, so being above them can reduce the feeling of turbulence or motion throughout the flight.

13. Remember that you are your own best advocate

If something goes wrong — and the complicated logistics of air travel mean that sometimes, little things go wrong — try not to stress it. Delayed luggage or missed connections can be stressful, as can dealing with complex airline rules and policies, but a little patience can go a long way.

Be polite and informed when trying to solve problems. If you miss a connection due to a delay and you’re on the line for customer service, pull up Google Flights and look for alternative routings. Having a suggestion ready might be helpful when you get to the counter.

If your luggage gets lost or delayed, it’s an inconvenience, but chances are it will be found and delivered to you within a day or two. Buy whatever essentials you need, including clothing, and save all of your receipts to file a claim with the airline or your travel insurance company after your trip.

14. Enjoy the flight!

Long flights are what you make of them. They can be boring and monotonous, or they can be wonderful stretches of free time during which you can do all the things you can’t normally find time for.

“When else will you have uninterrupted time like that,” asked Joel Farran, a former executive from Chicago who’s flown internationally dozens of times. “Bring a journal and write, make lists, plan or imagine your life.”

Whether its reading a book that’s been sitting unopened on your night stand for half a year, catching up on the magazine that have been piling up, or enjoying some quiet contemplative time to think, write, and daydream, long flights can be a wonderful break from our usual hyper-connected lives on the ground. With an approach like that, you’ll almost be disappoined when it’s over!

The post Long flight tips to have a seamless travel experience appeared first on Tripstations.

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