Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss brain-computer connections, the Nintendo Switch Lite, Prime Day numbers, and more.

Our guest this hour:

Laura Mitchell, CEO of GrandCare Systems

Jaime in Tampa, Florida listens to the podcast and asked: "My mom has an Amazon Echo and she's afraid to use it because she's worried that the government can spy on her and listen into her life. I keep telling her "Mom, it's not gonna do that unless you have that kind of device, like the Echo Show where people can see in the house and stuff." But she's worried about the Amazon Echo. Can it be hacked, and if it can, how would it can be hacked. What I basically want to know is: Is my mom right to be paranoid about using one of these devices?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H2S1.mp3

Jaime, if you’re going to stick a super sensitive bundle of microphones in your home and give it an internet connection, you have to assume that it may be accessible from outside your home.

Amazon has enough customers that the only reason anyone would bother to listen in on your mother is if she was more interesting than you think in some way, but when you connect a microphone to the outside world without knowing how it works, it’s not unreasonable to think what your mother is thinking.

If it makes you feel any better, there are 1000s of other ways the government or anyone else can spy on your mother, phones being the most obvious ones, and if the government wants to listen in on her, they probably won’t bother to hack anything, Amazon was recently bidding for a $10B government contract and they store data from the government.

Odds are they won’t be any more interested in protecting your data at the expense of their profits than AT&T was during the room 641A days.

Jim in Gladewater, Texas listens on KTBB and asked: "You ever heard of Master Voice from back in the 80's? Wondering if they have anything similar to that, where your voice controls your home."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H2S2.mp3

Jim, every smart assistant does just that.

The most popular choice right now is probably Amazon’s Alexa and it’s compatible with security cameras, smart lightbulbs, smart thermostats, smart garage door openers and just about anything else you can think of.

Having said that, Google Home is not far behind and even Siri can control more smart home devices than you probably realize exist.

If you’re happy to use your phone as the gateway to your smart home, you can use that, otherwise smart speakers with multidirectional microphones are so common right now that they’re easier to find than regular speakers.

Scott in State College, Pennsylvania and asked: "I have a Samsung Galaxy S7. I like the phone but it seems to run down on battery. I didn't know if I should just spend the extra money and upgrade it or get like a new battery or some sort of battery pack. If you could give me your thoughts, I would appreciate it. And if you think I should upgrade or get a battery pack, which would you suggest?"

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss dangerous behaviors in smart cars, iPhone forecasts, $10 for your browser data, streaming videos and media giants, smart devices and charging, and more.

Patrick in Tyler, Texas listens on KTBB and asked: "I'm interested in getting a doorbell cam and really confused about what's out there. I've heard that with one of them, or maybe all of them, you have to sign up for a web service to receive the images. Can you explain what's out there and maybe what the best deals you would recommend would be?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H3S1.mp3

Patrick, the main thing is to probably keep your expectations low. They’re getting there but smart doorbells don’t always live up to expectations.

Even big name security companies like ADT and SimplySafe are offering compatible hardware, and Vtech and other names you’d recognize are making them.

If you already use an August smartlock, their August Doorbell Cam may be worth a look, it offers motion sensing, live and recorded video, it’s compatible with home automation systems like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homekit, and it will cost you around $200.

CHRIS:For just about everyone else, the best option is probably Ring. It’s lower definition than some of the competition, but enough to be useful and the lower definition means that it’s quicker to load live video (again, keep your expectations low on this).

Ring offers 2-way audio, live and recorded video, it comes in a few colors so you can make it look less bad on your door (it will still look bad, it’s not a good looking device). Ring is selling right now for around $140 and, being owned by Amazon, it’s compatible with Alexa devices.

There are many, many others, but frankly the quality drops pretty quickly, and it’s not stellar to begin with, so you should probably stick to the best known options.

Linny in Charlottesville, Virginia and asked: "I would really like to know the best suggestion for recycling used items. Currently using Best Buy. I think they do a pretty good job but is this my best choice?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H3S4.mp3

Linny, your best choice is whoever will take that stuff of your hands, and Best Buy will do it for free. Sounds like a good option to us!

You can keep an eye for electronics recycling days around you, that’s one way to dispose of your electronics, and Staples recycles like Best Buy does.

If you’re looking for alternative options, sites like Gazelle who we interviewed recently will pay you for some of your electronics. If you’re trying to get rid of a fax machine or a dot matrix printer you may be out of luck, but if you’re trying to get rid of relatively recent electronics, you may get something for them.

Joe in Starkville, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk Mississippi and asked: "I have an Apple 4 and I can not remember the password. I need some pictures off it. And I can not get it open. "Cease Fire" will not help me. Who can I contact to open my phone? I have proof I bought the phone, when I bought it and where I bought it. I need some help."

http://www.intotomorrow.

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss dangerous behaviors in smart cars, iPhone forecasts, $10 for your browser data, streaming videos and media giants, smart devices and charging, and more.

Patrick in Tyler, Texas listens on KTBB and asked: "I'm interested in getting a doorbell cam and really confused about what's out there. I've heard that with one of them, or maybe all of them, you have to sign up for a web service to receive the images. Can you explain what's out there and maybe what the best deals you would recommend would be?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H3S1.mp3

Patrick, the main thing is to probably keep your expectations low. They’re getting there but smart doorbells don’t always live up to expectations.

Even big name security companies like ADT and SimplySafe are offering compatible hardware, and Vtech and other names you’d recognize are making them.

If you already use an August smartlock, their August Doorbell Cam may be worth a look, it offers motion sensing, live and recorded video, it’s compatible with home automation systems like Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homekit, and it will cost you around $200.

CHRIS:For just about everyone else, the best option is probably Ring. It’s lower definition than some of the competition, but enough to be useful and the lower definition means that it’s quicker to load live video (again, keep your expectations low on this).

Ring offers 2-way audio, live and recorded video, it comes in a few colors so you can make it look less bad on your door (it will still look bad, it’s not a good looking device). Ring is selling right now for around $140 and, being owned by Amazon, it’s compatible with Alexa devices.

There are many, many others, but frankly the quality drops pretty quickly, and it’s not stellar to begin with, so you should probably stick to the best known options.

Linny in Charlottesville, Virginia and asked: "I would really like to know the best suggestion for recycling used items. Currently using Best Buy. I think they do a pretty good job but is this my best choice?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-19-2019/07-19-2019-H3S4.mp3

Linny, your best choice is whoever will take that stuff of your hands, and Best Buy will do it for free. Sounds like a good option to us!

You can keep an eye for electronics recycling days around you, that’s one way to dispose of your electronics, and Staples recycles like Best Buy does.

If you’re looking for alternative options, sites like Gazelle who we interviewed recently will pay you for some of your electronics. If you’re trying to get rid of a fax machine or a dot matrix printer you may be out of luck, but if you’re trying to get rid of relatively recent electronics, you may get something for them.

Joe in Starkville, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk Mississippi and asked: "I have an Apple 4 and I can not remember the password. I need some pictures off it. And I can not get it open. "Cease Fire" will not help me. Who can I contact to open my phone? I have proof I bought the phone, when I bought it and where I bought it. I need some help."

http://www.intotomorrow.

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Facebook and nudity, Samsung Note news, ATSC 3.0, and more.

Ken in Smyrna, Tennessee asked: "I need to find something to boost the cell signal in a rural area where the signal is very spotty. My friend calls me and we have very difficult communication. Receiving is normally good on my end, but transmitting out to my friend is spotty. Is there anything that will boost the signal so we can communicate better. I am blind and I rely on this friend quite a bit."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H1S1.mp3

Ken, if you don’t have a signal outside there’s not much you can do that will change that.

You can try repeaters, and those may work if they have large and powerful antennas, but typically unless there’s an ok signal somewhere, then there’s nothing to repeat in the first place.

WiFi is a viable solution for calls that happen within your home, most phones and carriers offer WiFi calling these days, so you should be able to just connect your phone to your home network and use it as if it was using a cellular connection.

If you’re on the go, WeBoost makes a repeater for cars but our guess is that doesn’t apply in your case since this is a friend you say you rely on, so it’s likely that he’s helping you with the driving more often than other people.

Unfortunately, your only other option may be switching carriers to one that offers better coverage around you, there’s not going to be much you can do about spotty coverage on your end.

Barry in Jackson, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk Mississippi and asked: "I was wondering what's new in artificial intelligence"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H1S5.mp3

Barry, arguably the most interesting progress in artificial intelligence has probably been made in areas that you wouldn’t necessarily think of when you think of AI.

For example, smart doorbells that can lock a door when they don’t recognize the face of the person approaching it, or cars being able to track the markings on roads on their own, or even Gmail figuring out what you’re likely to want to type next so you don’t have to, or your phone knowing where you’re likely to want to go next given the time and your location.

All relatively down to earth uses, nothing that stands out as much as an IBM computer defying a chess grandmaster, but arguably far more practical applications in your day to day life.

When you participate on the show – anytime 24/7 – and we HEAR you with any consumer tech question, comment, help for another listener, tech rage or just share your favorite App these days … you could win prizes.

The COOL Into Tomorrow HOT Summer Giveaway:

Check out everything you can win here!

All CALLERS -- using the AUDIO option on our Free App or 1-800-899-INTO(4686)  - automatically qualify to win prizes.

Audio archived for at least 6 months

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Facebook and nudity, Samsung Note news, ATSC 3.0, and more.

Ken in Smyrna, Tennessee asked: "I need to find something to boost the cell signal in a rural area where the signal is very spotty. My friend calls me and we have very difficult communication. Receiving is normally good on my end, but transmitting out to my friend is spotty. Is there anything that will boost the signal so we can communicate better. I am blind and I rely on this friend quite a bit."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H1S1.mp3

Ken, if you don’t have a signal outside there’s not much you can do that will change that.

You can try repeaters, and those may work if they have large and powerful antennas, but typically unless there’s an ok signal somewhere, then there’s nothing to repeat in the first place.

WiFi is a viable solution for calls that happen within your home, most phones and carriers offer WiFi calling these days, so you should be able to just connect your phone to your home network and use it as if it was using a cellular connection.

If you’re on the go, WeBoost makes a repeater for cars but our guess is that doesn’t apply in your case since this is a friend you say you rely on, so it’s likely that he’s helping you with the driving more often than other people.

Unfortunately, your only other option may be switching carriers to one that offers better coverage around you, there’s not going to be much you can do about spotty coverage on your end.

Barry in Jackson, Mississippi listens on SuperTalk Mississippi and asked: "I was wondering what's new in artificial intelligence"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H1S5.mp3

Barry, arguably the most interesting progress in artificial intelligence has probably been made in areas that you wouldn’t necessarily think of when you think of AI.

For example, smart doorbells that can lock a door when they don’t recognize the face of the person approaching it, or cars being able to track the markings on roads on their own, or even Gmail figuring out what you’re likely to want to type next so you don’t have to, or your phone knowing where you’re likely to want to go next given the time and your location.

All relatively down to earth uses, nothing that stands out as much as an IBM computer defying a chess grandmaster, but arguably far more practical applications in your day to day life.

When you participate on the show – anytime 24/7 – and we HEAR you with any consumer tech question, comment, help for another listener, tech rage or just share your favorite App these days … you could win prizes.

The COOL Into Tomorrow HOT Summer Giveaway:

Check out everything you can win here!

All CALLERS -- using the AUDIO option on our Free App or 1-800-899-INTO(4686)  - automatically qualify to win prizes.

Audio archived for at least 6 months

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Charger issues, TouchID and FaceID for iCloud, Uber train and bus ticket, ridesharing effect on accidents, Amazon and food delivery, Dr. Alexa, and more.

Son in Houston, Texas and asked: "I received a call from comcast saying that I exceeded my 1 terabyte and I have 7 echo devices, do they drain my data?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H2S1.mp3

Son, no your Echo devices are transmitting fairly little data. They’ll use a little more if you use them to stream music, but not enough to go over a 1TB plan on their own.

Your most likely culprit here is video streaming, particularly 4K video, but anything will add up.

Streaming media in general is what does it for most people, but high def video uses much more than just about anything else.

Do you have multiple people in your household that stream video at the same time? That can do it.

Did you ditch cable for a streaming live TV service for example?

All that can add up quick, but your Echo devices are likely not solely to blame unless you’re using them for lots of audio and video streaming.

Chris shared his experience: I am a cord-cutter. I ditched my cable over a year ago and stream all of my content, including live TV, using Hulu. I logged into my Comcast account recently to check my data usage. Unfortunately in my neighborhood, my only choice for Internet is Comcast or satellite. And with my usage, satellite isn’t an option. But I noticed that I typically use just under half of my Terabyte limit each month. And I live alone, except for when my son is with me, usually streaming on one device at a time. So you can see how it would add up quickly if you have more than one device streaming HD content at a time.

I did see a notice on my account that said “You have 2 courtesy months to exceed a terabyte of usage without a charge.” It goes on to say that after those courtesy months, I will be charged $10 for each 50GB of data and that the charges will not exceed $200 no matter how much I use. Gee, thanks for doing me the favor, Comcast.

Laurie in Brunswick, Georgia listens on 93.7 FM WBQO and asked: "I have two iPhones, 1 is an iPhone 6 and the other is a 6 plus. I don't know how to back up, one is registered to me and one is not registered . I don't know how to back up, how to get the information off the iPhone 6."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H2S2.mp3

Laurie, you have two options to back up your iPhones. The easiest ones is to just flip a switch and let the phone do it in the background.

That’s what you get when you turn on iCloud backups, your phone just backs up your apps, photos, wallpaper, app layout, settings, contacts, text messages, bookmarks, etc. and it all happens without you having to do anything.

The catch is that Apple gives you 5GB for free, anything over that costs you some money (not that much, the first add on package costs $1/month). You can probably back up both of your phones with the free allowance though.

Your other option is to back up using a computer and iTunes. You’ll either plug your phone in or back up over WiFi and the backup will be stored on your computer. It requires more work on your side,

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Charger issues, TouchID and FaceID for iCloud, Uber train and bus ticket, ridesharing effect on accidents, Amazon and food delivery, Dr. Alexa, and more.

Son in Houston, Texas and asked: "I received a call from comcast saying that I exceeded my 1 terabyte and I have 7 echo devices, do they drain my data?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H2S1.mp3

Son, no your Echo devices are transmitting fairly little data. They’ll use a little more if you use them to stream music, but not enough to go over a 1TB plan on their own.

Your most likely culprit here is video streaming, particularly 4K video, but anything will add up.

Streaming media in general is what does it for most people, but high def video uses much more than just about anything else.

Do you have multiple people in your household that stream video at the same time? That can do it.

Did you ditch cable for a streaming live TV service for example?

All that can add up quick, but your Echo devices are likely not solely to blame unless you’re using them for lots of audio and video streaming.

Chris shared his experience: I am a cord-cutter. I ditched my cable over a year ago and stream all of my content, including live TV, using Hulu. I logged into my Comcast account recently to check my data usage. Unfortunately in my neighborhood, my only choice for Internet is Comcast or satellite. And with my usage, satellite isn’t an option. But I noticed that I typically use just under half of my Terabyte limit each month. And I live alone, except for when my son is with me, usually streaming on one device at a time. So you can see how it would add up quickly if you have more than one device streaming HD content at a time.

I did see a notice on my account that said “You have 2 courtesy months to exceed a terabyte of usage without a charge.” It goes on to say that after those courtesy months, I will be charged $10 for each 50GB of data and that the charges will not exceed $200 no matter how much I use. Gee, thanks for doing me the favor, Comcast.

Laurie in Brunswick, Georgia listens on 93.7 FM WBQO and asked: "I have two iPhones, 1 is an iPhone 6 and the other is a 6 plus. I don't know how to back up, one is registered to me and one is not registered . I don't know how to back up, how to get the information off the iPhone 6."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H2S2.mp3

Laurie, you have two options to back up your iPhones. The easiest ones is to just flip a switch and let the phone do it in the background.

That’s what you get when you turn on iCloud backups, your phone just backs up your apps, photos, wallpaper, app layout, settings, contacts, text messages, bookmarks, etc. and it all happens without you having to do anything.

The catch is that Apple gives you 5GB for free, anything over that costs you some money (not that much, the first add on package costs $1/month). You can probably back up both of your phones with the free allowance though.

Your other option is to back up using a computer and iTunes. You’ll either plug your phone in or back up over WiFi and the backup will be stored on your computer. It requires more work on your side,

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Netflix prices, new Google Translation visual translation languages, Prime Day competitors, a Samsung pencil, a Sony foldable phone, and more.

Barbara in Fairbanks, Alaska listens on AM970 KFBX and asked: "My dad just turned 95 and has a lot of cassette tapes and we wanted to put them on disk. There are 7 of us kids and we panted to put it on some kind of media so we can share it. What would be the most expedient way to do that?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S1.mp3

Barbara, are these video cassettes? If so, there are some options you can consider.

For example, there are some DVDs that will read a VHS tape and burn it into a disc, and there are some USB devices that will plug into your computer a let you rip a VHS tape.

Both are much, much harder to find now than they were some years ago, and they both suffer from the same problem: you have to play the tapes in real time. That means that transferring just a few tapes will take a very, very long time.

For a task like this you may be better off getting it done by a pro. It will cost you money, but the software you’ll need to get around paying for the service costs money too, and it will require a lot of personal time.

Companies that do this can also EQ the audio to try to make it understandable and generally improve the image sometimes.

It usually ends up being a better overall deal than taking care of it yourself.

Chad in Webb City, Missouri listens to the podcast and asked: "Chris and Dave, I have a question, I just purchased a new hp pavilion laptop and I need to know how to transfer my information from one to the other, the easiest way to do it. If you can help me with that I'll appreciate it. And if you send me anything, I would like to ask for the viper smart start for my son, he's a kidney dialysis patient and temperatures really bothered him it would really be nice."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S2.mp3

Chad, Microsoft had a tool for just this purpose called Windows Easy Transfer.

Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued it, but luckily for you they partnered with a company called Laplink to provide you with new software that does a similar thing. It’s called PCMoverExpress, and not so luckily for you it costs $45.

If you’re logged into both machines using the same Microsoft account some data like WiFi networks will transfer automatically, but for your programs or files, your best option to move them for free is probably to move them manually.

We haven’t found any good software that does the transfer for you and doesn’t cost extra money.

Joe in Gladewater, Texas Listens on KTBB and asked: "I was wondering if there was a way to download audio files from various websites to save for later on my iPhone?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S4.mp3

Joe, it depends on whether those files are meant to be downloaded. Your iPhone can store and play audio files not just from iTunes or services like Spotify,

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss Netflix prices, new Google Translation visual translation languages, Prime Day competitors, a Samsung pencil, a Sony foldable phone, and more.

Barbara in Fairbanks, Alaska listens on AM970 KFBX and asked: "My dad just turned 95 and has a lot of cassette tapes and we wanted to put them on disk. There are 7 of us kids and we panted to put it on some kind of media so we can share it. What would be the most expedient way to do that?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S1.mp3

Barbara, are these video cassettes? If so, there are some options you can consider.

For example, there are some DVDs that will read a VHS tape and burn it into a disc, and there are some USB devices that will plug into your computer a let you rip a VHS tape.

Both are much, much harder to find now than they were some years ago, and they both suffer from the same problem: you have to play the tapes in real time. That means that transferring just a few tapes will take a very, very long time.

For a task like this you may be better off getting it done by a pro. It will cost you money, but the software you’ll need to get around paying for the service costs money too, and it will require a lot of personal time.

Companies that do this can also EQ the audio to try to make it understandable and generally improve the image sometimes.

It usually ends up being a better overall deal than taking care of it yourself.

Chad in Webb City, Missouri listens to the podcast and asked: "Chris and Dave, I have a question, I just purchased a new hp pavilion laptop and I need to know how to transfer my information from one to the other, the easiest way to do it. If you can help me with that I'll appreciate it. And if you send me anything, I would like to ask for the viper smart start for my son, he's a kidney dialysis patient and temperatures really bothered him it would really be nice."

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S2.mp3

Chad, Microsoft had a tool for just this purpose called Windows Easy Transfer.

Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued it, but luckily for you they partnered with a company called Laplink to provide you with new software that does a similar thing. It’s called PCMoverExpress, and not so luckily for you it costs $45.

If you’re logged into both machines using the same Microsoft account some data like WiFi networks will transfer automatically, but for your programs or files, your best option to move them for free is probably to move them manually.

We haven’t found any good software that does the transfer for you and doesn’t cost extra money.

Joe in Gladewater, Texas Listens on KTBB and asked: "I was wondering if there was a way to download audio files from various websites to save for later on my iPhone?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-12-2019/07-12-2019-H3S4.mp3

Joe, it depends on whether those files are meant to be downloaded. Your iPhone can store and play audio files not just from iTunes or services like Spotify,

Tech News and Commentary

Dave and the team discuss a Google Maps error, Google Maps weather future alerts, and more.

Our guest this hour:

Yamin Durrani , VP of Sales and Marketing at YI Technology

Doug in Stevensville, Michigan listens to the podcast and asked: "The other day, Verizon sent me an e-mail saying I was eligible to upgrade my phone and suggested that I go with this 5G-enabled phone. Wondering what are the advantages or disadvantages to 5G? I've already got 4G on my phone. Why do I need a fifth? Unless I wanna have a drink!"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-05-2019/07-05-2019-H1S1.mp3

Doug, there’s probably no real good reason for you to go with a 5G phone yet.

The infrastructure is not really there, the first batch of phones of each new generation tend to be less than great at things like battery life and the first one across the line is usually a mediocre phone wanting to capitalize from the new G. Overall there aren’t a lot of incentives, especially if they’re going to try to get you to pay more, which companies like Verizon like to try to do when there’s a new generation with better speeds.

In terms of advantages, you’re basically looking at faster speeds and probably lower ping times, but… do you do anything that needs faster speeds on your phone these days?

Don’t get us wrong, you will eventually, controlling something on the other end of the world without delay from your phone sounds interesting, a smart doorbell that doesn’t take ages to connect sounds actually useful, but is there anything you use that needs that extra speed today?

These are early days and it’s likely that if you upgrade now you’ll end up with 4G services at 5G prices.

If you want to brag about being an early adopter though, go for it, it’s likely to be the biggest benefit you’ll get from 5G in the short term.

Eric in Miami listens to the podcast and asked: "I go on a lot of business trips and I keep losing my luggage. Is there an app that I can use to help track my luggage?"

http://www.intotomorrow.com/media/podcasts/2019/07-05-2019/07-05-2019-H1S5.mp3

Eric, why does this keep happening to you? Did you have a bad breakup with a gate agent recently?

The best app to track your luggage is the one put out by whatever airline you’re flying. For years many airlines like Delta have been notifying travelers via their apps when bags are loaded and unloaded and they sometimes even tell travelers that their bag won’t be making them but that they’re aware and will get it to them.

There are some gadgets that will attempt to track bags with varying degrees of success, some using bluetooth trackers like the Trackr or Tile, Samsung makes their own SmartThings luggage tracker, Gego makes another one.

The thing about all of those is that they are not apps, they use apps, but they require some investment on a hardware device that isn’t guaranteed to work. If you’ve reached your limit you can invest in one of those and try your luck, otherwise a good travel card with decent luggage insurance and your favorite airline’s own app may serve you better.