I guess you want to know who Erica Ho is.

Erica Ho is a former reporter for TIME in Hong Kong and former geek at Gizmodo and Lifehacker. Her work has appeared in CNN, Yahoo!, MSN, Mashable, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and Quartz to name a few places.

Travel

Newsflash, Google Maps Proves That the Earth Isn’t Flat

October 16, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Let’s forget for a minute that Columbus Day hasn’t just passed.

Four Games To Improve Those Obi-Wan Packing Skills

October 11, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

There must be a reason why I’m a master at packing. It’s because I like Tetris.

Adventure Budget Flights Money Transit

How To Survive and Fly Basic Economy (With No Carry On)

October 9, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Dial those expectations back. Set them back at “paying for water,” and that will leave you in a good position to be pleasantly surprised, for instance, if you don’t have to pay for water.

Adventure Culture & Science Itinerary Technology Trip Planning

The Adventure Map You Should Have Been Building All Along

October 8, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

The sense of wonder often starts young. I remember digging through stories of archaeology, history and Indiana Jones until I realized it would most likely require an encounter with a bug at some point.

Connectivity Culture & Science Technology

You Don’t Even Need To Be in the Same Country as the Phone To Use WhatsApp

October 4, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

It most likely won’t be long until advertisements start popping up, but until then, let’s concentrate on one interesting, unintentional privacy hiccup that we found by accident: It’s not hard at all for someone to read your messages.

Gear Packing Trip Planning

This Is Exactly How Much You Can Fit in a Packing Cube.

October 2, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

If you’ve ever tossed a bag of dirty laundry in a suitcase, this is the post for you. (There was no time to organize.)

Culture & Science Photography Technology Tools

The Best Method for Sharing Photos to a Group of People

September 26, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Long gone are the days where emailing and texting people other photos is the best way to share.¹ In the name of efficiency and technology!

Flights Packing Technology Tools Transit

KAYAK Tool Figures Out If Can You Stuff That Bag in the Overhead Bin (iOS)

September 24, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Suffice it to say, if a suitcase isn’t manufactured to fit into the overhead bin these days, that’s a failure.

Cars Ground Technology Transit

Google Maps Functionality Comes to Apple CarPlay in iOS 12

September 19, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Could have used this last week, but suppose late is better than never!

Culture & Science Hotels Lodging Safety

Preventing Hotel Robberies and Theft

September 18, 2018 Erica Ho 3 minute read

Is the likelihood of getting a hotel room robbed higher than being robbed on the street? Unfortunately, no one really knows.

Cars Ground Technology Transit

How To Connect Android Auto To a Car Display

September 12, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Easier said than done. 😛

Travel

Here’s an Example of the Flat Tire Rule in Action

September 11, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Better take advantage of the few customer-friendly airline policies that remain.

Documentation Flights Transit

Everyone Will Need a REAL ID in Order To Fly Domestically by 2020

September 6, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Renewing a driver license? Better make sure it is a REAL ID, or expect boarding a plane to become a hassle in two years.

Connectivity Flights Hacks Technology Transit Trip Planning

Here’s How To Get Unlimited In-Flight Wi-Fi for Suuuper Cheap

August 28, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Anyone remember that insane iPass deal for unlimited inflight Wi-Fi for just $10 per month that no one can get anymore?

Cars Ground Tools Transit Trip Planning

These Calculators Will Figure Out the Cost of Gas for Road Trips

August 23, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Cheaper to fly? Cheaper to drive? Probably should figure out how much gas is actually going to cost.

Gear Reviews Technology

The UE Wonderboom May Be Our Favorite Non-Travel Gadget for the Road

August 22, 2018 Erica Ho 4 minute read

There are travel gadgets, and then there are gadgets that are… gadgets. But are great for making being on the road feel slightly less lonely.

emergency Money

How To Deal With Getting Ticketed or Fined as a Tourist

August 21, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Okay, people aren’t perfect.

Budget Flights Money Transit Trip Planning

The Basic Rules of Buying Airline Mistake Fares

August 20, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Because if you can’t get with the program, don’t even bother.

Flights Money Technology Tools Transit Trip Planning

Here’s How To Filter Out Basic Economy Fares in Google Flights

August 16, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Here’s how to beat the jerks at their own game. Basic economy, take that!

Culture & Science Health Ladies Transit

How To Keep Skin From Looking Like the Wicked Witch of the East

August 15, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Men! This is for you too. There is no discrimination here, equal opportunity for everyone.

Budget Features Gear Money Trip Planning

The Best Places To Pick Up Cute, Quality Travel Gear at a Bargain Price

August 14, 2018 Erica Ho 3 minute read

For the record, all the pictured items above cost $23.86 in total.

Cars Ground Hacks Transit

Renting a Car at the Airport with a Debit Card

August 13, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

It’s best to stick to a credit card for car rentals, but in the few instances where you want to put it on a debit card, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Airports Culture & Science Flights Transit Videos

Did You Know That Ghost Flights Exist?

August 9, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Not the other kind of disappearing flight. Or the Casper kind.

Cars Connectivity Ground Itinerary Technology Transit

How To Fix a Wonky Phone GPS

August 8, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Driving in circles is everybody’s idea of fun! Before buying a new phone, there’s a couple of ways to fix a shoddy GPS gone haywire.

Culture & Science Packing Trip Planning Videos

The Joy of Watching Marie Kondo Pack a Suitcase.

August 7, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Sparking joy is part of it. Apartment Therapy recently asked Marie Kondo how to pack a suitcase, and while it’s not the most mind-blowing video we’ve ever seen, it did spark joy in revisiting packing best practices.

Features Food Health Transit

This Recipe Will Use Up all the Food in the Fridge Before a Trip

August 2, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

It’s time to get rid of everything in the fridge, cause the last thing you want is some… funkier mushrooms.

Airbnb Lodging Money Vacation Rentals

The Airbnb Service Fee Is Refundable if a Reservation Is Canceled Within 48 Hours

August 1, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Airbnb has long held one of the most convoluted cancellation policies in the hospitality industry, mostly due to the fact it acts as a third-party broker between hosts and guests.

Travel

Can Someone Else Deposit a Check for Me While I’m Out of Town?

July 31, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Something gotta fund it all, right? Certain activities like cooking, attending jury duty or checking snail mail tend to be hard when you’re not… there.

Airlines Airports emergency Flights Security Transit

This Is What Happens When You Lose Something at the Airport

July 25, 2018 Erica Ho 3 minute read

It could be a wallet. It could be a laptop. It’s also the worst feeling in the world.

Connectivity Money Technology Trip Planning

Starting Sunday, T-Mobile Makes (Mostly Good) Changes to Its International Plans

July 19, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Starting July 22, T-Mobile will be adding 57 countries and destinations to its international data roaming plan. Color me magenta.

Airports emergency Flights Security Transit

Running Late for a Flight? It Is Perfectly Acceptable To Cut the Line.

July 18, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Soooo, what do you do when you’re late to the airport and run into a loooong line?

Connectivity Culture & Science Features Guides Hotels

How To Do a Digital Detox (Without Going Mental)

July 17, 2018 Erica Ho 5 minute read

Notice how nothing seem to get posted last week?

Budget Cars Flights Hotels Money Technology Transit Trip Planning

The VPN Money Saving Trick Also Works for Rental Cars and Hotels

July 10, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

It’s not just for airfare: thebestvpn recently took an in-depth look about how much more travelers can expect to save on car rentals and hotels by using a VPN.

Cars Ground Itinerary Transit Trip Planning

MapQuest’s RoutePlanner Still Finds the Best Route for Road Trips

July 5, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

Guess Google Maps isn’t completely perfect. In terms of optimizing road trips, it looks like the internet is still somewhere in the Stone Ages.

Travel

The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Is Kinda Like Global Entry for 21 Countries

July 3, 2018 Erica Ho 2 minute read

Do business for yourself? It’s worth looking into an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) card, since they’re open to anyone doing business.

Airports Flights Security Transit

The TSA Is Restricting Powders in Carry On Bags to 12 Ounces (350 mL)

June 28, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Move over, liquids, there’s a new smoking gun in town.

Airports News Security Transit

Get 3 Free Months of CLEAR in Time for the Summer

June 27, 2018 Erica Ho 1 minute read

CLEAR is offering a free 3-month trial of its service, in time to skip those PreCheck lines. (Because PreCheck these days is no longer quite so VIP, it would seem.)

Airlines Flights Money Transit Trip Planning

Is United’s Baggage Subscription Worth It Now That Basic Economy Exists?

June 26, 2018 Erica Ho Less than a minute to read

Five years ago, United’s baggage subscription seemed silly. These days, it might seem more like economical sense depending on how much you fly.

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