Apple’s $599 MacBook changes the game

Plus: a new budget iPhone, a fascinating online personality test, the one cable I never travel without, and my surprising $200 NYC hotel find

Hello! Thanks for taking a look at my newsletter. This is where I talk about the tech stuff I think you should know about.

This week I was in New York City for an Apple Experience. Not to be confused with an Apple Event. The company was on a tear, updating iPads, MacBooks, and its budget iPhone. They also launched what I believe may be the smartest product they’ve ever made: the MacBook Neo. More on that in a moment.

But first, can you believe I found a hotel room in NYC for under $200 a night? And it wasn’t some roach-infested motel in a dark corner of the city. This place was right near Times Square. I’ll explain how I pulled that off toward the bottom of the newsletter and share my newfound secret.

On the plane, I had to smile. A guy a few rows ahead of me was chatting with ChatGPT about his taxes and income the entire time. Now, I’ve been known to peek at people’s screens occasionally. Mostly in the name of research. I’m always curious how people are actually using their phones in the real world. But if there was ever a full-blown advertisement for Samsung’s new Privacy Display on the S26 Ultra, this was it. Four and a half hours of income, expenses, tax strategies, and more, all clearly visible to anyone sitting nearby.

One more thing before we get into the news. If you travel at all, you need this cable. It’s basically the Swiss Army knife of charging cables. It’s Nomad’s $35 Universal Cable, and it has just about every connector you can think of so you’re never stuck without a way to charge. Seatback only has old school USB-A? You’re covered. Rental car only has USB-C? No problem. Need to charge an older device that still uses Micro-USB, like my classic Kindle or favorite travel night light? Done. It’s so useful I keep it in the front pocket of my bag so I can always grab it quickly and keep my phone charged on the plane no matter what kind of ports are available.

Now let’s get into the budget Windows laptop’s worst nightmare, shall we?

MacBook Neo is kryptonite to Chromebooks and cheap Windows laptops

Apple held three simultaneous events this week in New York, Singapore, and London. They didn’t call them events though. Apple called them “experiences.” In typical Apple fashion, everything was very hush-hush. Once you’re invited, you have no idea what you’re walking into, and we were told not to share the exact location.

In fact, I walked around in circles in New York trying to find the place because there was zero signage outside. No hint that the inside had been transformed into a full Apple wonderland, complete with breakfast bites, lunch finger foods, fancy coffee, green juices, and of course plenty of new Apple products to try.

The experience kicked off with a short presentation from Apple’s head of hardware, John Ternus, who many consider a possible successor to Tim Cook. He quickly ran through the week’s product updates including refreshed MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, a new iPad Air, and the iPhone 17e.

But the moment the media was really waiting for was the $599 MacBook Neo, shown off in a set of fun, candy-colored finishes.

This is Apple’s most affordable MacBook ever. Students can get it for even less, starting at $499.

So what do you get? Honestly, pretty much everything a typical user needs. There’s a 13-inch display, Apple’s A18 Pro processor, up to 16 hours of battery life, a solid keyboard, a large trackpad, a 1080p camera, dual microphones, dual speakers, two USB-C ports, and a headphone jack. It runs the full version of macOS, so you can install virtually any app.

This is also the first time Apple has used an iPhone chip to power a laptop, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Think about how many people already do everything on their phones: email, web browsing, watching videos, editing photos, even some video editing. This is basically that same experience but on a much bigger screen with a proper keyboard and trackpad.

Is it the most powerful computer you can buy? Absolutely not.

Does that matter for most people? Also no.

Right after the announcement, tech sites started publishing lists of everything you give up to get a laptop at this price. But that kind of misses the point. Most people just need a basic computer to get things done. If you need more power, you already know you should be buying a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro.

This laptop is for the huge group of people who might be considering an iPad because of the price, but still want a keyboard. It’s also aimed at folks looking at Chromebooks for the low cost, or those tempted by an inexpensive Windows laptop that ends up feeling slow after a week and comes loaded with endless pop-ups and preinstalled junk software.

The MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which may sound modest by today’s standards. But again, think of it more like a larger iPhone or iPad. If you want more space, you can pay an extra $100 to double the storage and add Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint sensor.

After my brief hands-on time with the device, one thing is very clear: Apple is going to sell a ton of these.

The experience is simply better than about 99 percent of the laptops in this price range. Chromebooks can be great for the price, but they’re usually underpowered and limited in the apps you can install. Cheap Windows laptops are often bulky, poorly designed, and saddled with mediocre screens and clunky software.

The MacBook Neo, on the other hand, works seamlessly with the iPhone. You can install the apps you want, do the everyday tasks you need, and get a machine that will likely last for years.

Honestly, it’s going to be hard for me not to recommend this laptop to most people who ask me what computer they should buy.

When someone tells me they just want something for email, browsing the web, and watching videos, this is exactly the kind of machine they’re talking about.

The bigger impact is what this could do to the rest of the market. Windows laptop makers are going to have to step up their game, and Chromebooks are going to face real competition in the low-price category for the first time in a long while.

Add it all up and Apple clearly has a hit on its hands. Based on the early reaction I’ve seen, the MacBook Neo could end up being one of the company’s most popular laptops yet.

The MacBook Neo is available on March 11.

Watch my KTLA coverage from the Apple experience below, or read more in this Yahoo article where I share my thoughts.

Sponsored: They made $93 million off stolen identities

Last year, a U.S. fraud ring used stolen personal data to file fake tax returns, then allegedly tried to kill their own ringleader when the IRS started closing in.

That’s how modern tax scams work. Criminals don’t guess identities anymore. They buy them. If your name, phone number, or address is for sale online, your identity can be used.

I’ve been using Incogni for nearly a year now, and I’ve been genuinely impressed. Sign-up is fast and simple, and you can add multiple email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses to help cover all your bases.

One feature I really like: if you find your information posted somewhere online, you can paste the link into your Incogni dashboard and they’ll work to get it removed.

Incogni removes your data from brokers and helps keep it off the market so criminals can’t weaponize it against you.

Protect your identity before you file your taxes. Go to Incogni and get 55% off with code RICHONTECH.

Quick tip: The easiest way to find your Google passwords on Android

A pro tip for my Android users: if you use Google Password Manager, you probably access it through Google Chrome. But there’s an easier way to get to your saved passwords.

Install the Google Password Manager app on your phone. It’s essentially a shortcut that gives you quick access to all your saved passwords in one place, without digging through Chrome settings.

You can also view your saved passwords on a desktop computer by going to passwords.google.com.

That said, my personal recommendation is to use a dedicated password manager like Bitwarden. Google Password Manager is very basic and really works best if you mostly stick to Chrome. A standalone password manager gives you more features and works across all browsers and devices.

I tried a personality test that analyzes everything

I just spent about half an hour answering questions about myself on a site called Deep Personality, and I have to admit, it’s pretty interesting.

The test walks you through a long series of questions about how you think, how you handle stress, your relationships, motivation, and more. It’s the kind of stuff a therapist or psychologist might explore with you, except you can do it at home in about 30–45 minutes.

When you’re done, it generates a surprisingly detailed profile explaining your personality traits, relationship patterns, communication style, stress triggers, and even what it calls your “shadow side.” The idea is to help you understand why you react the way you do in different situations.

As far as I can tell, you can read almost all of the analysis results for free, but the full report costs $29. There’s also a $49 option that analyzes how your personality patterns interact with a partner’s.

One interesting thing: you can export your results to give AI tools more context about who you are, which might help them give you more personalized advice.

Now, I’m not a therapist or psychologist, so I can’t say whether this is scientifically meaningful. The site says it’s meant for self-reflection, not diagnosis. But it’s definitely an intriguing way to learn a little more about yourself.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have dozens of pages to read about my own personality.

Q&A: Those scary pop-ups in Safari

Rene in Fullerton writes:

“I’m getting really threatening pop-ups in the upper right corner of my laptop and I’m honestly petrified. I made sure all my software was up to date and didn’t click on anything, but they keep coming back even after I cleared my history. How can I get rid of them, and do I need to be worried?”

Rene, these are almost certainly fake scare notifications from a website you accidentally allowed to send alerts. They’re designed to look official and alarming, but they’re not coming from your computer or Apple.

Clearing your browsing history won’t always fix it because the real issue is that the site has permission to send notifications whenever it wants.

Here’s how to stop them.

On a Mac using Safari, open Safari, Settings, go to Websites, then Notifications. You’ll see a list of sites that are allowed to send alerts. Remove any you don’t recognize, or clear the whole list.

If you’re using Chrome, click the three-dot menu, go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications. Under “Allowed to send notifications,” find the site and choose Block or Remove.

And one simple rule going forward: when a website asks if it can send notifications, don’t click Allow unless it’s a site you truly trust. Very few websites actually need that permission. Hope that helps!

Feedbag

Dale from Mansfield, Ohio writes:

“I listen to your program on WMAN 98.3 FM in Mansfield, Ohio. I really enjoy your show and appreciate the insight and advice you share each week. Thanks for what you do.”

And Irma wrote in with this:

“I want to tell you how much I appreciate listening to you. I’m 88 years old and a little techy for a lady my age, and I really enjoy the things I learn from your show. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you do. I also tell all my friends about you!”

Thanks for the kind notes… hearing stuff like this really makes my day!

My new budget hotel find in NYC.. and beyond

While looking for a hotel for the Apple event, I sorted by price and came across a place called Delta Hotels near Times Square for under $200 a night. I’d never heard of the brand before, but it turns out it’s part of Marriott and focuses on simple, no-frills stays.

The room was clean, bright, and had everything I needed to work. I especially liked that they had free water dispensers on every floor, which is my absolute favorite when I’m traveling. I will buy one Path water bottle at the airport and refill it all week long.

Downstairs they also have something called the Delta Pantry, stocked with snacks and drinks 24/7. At first I thought it was for everyone, but it turns out it’s just for Marriott elite members. Loved that, too.

My only minor complaints were the fluorescent lighting and a desk that was a bit too high for the chair. Otherwise, it was a great stay. Delta Hotels might become my new secret weapon for affordable travel.

That’s going to do it for this edition of the newsletter. Thanks so much for reading.

If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing it or forwarding it to a friend. Word of mouth really helps this newsletter grow.

You can also listen to my radio show Saturday at 11 a.m. on KFI AM 640. If you miss it, there’s a replay at 5 p.m. Pacific on 710 WOR in New York, or you can subscribe to the podcast and listen anytime on demand.

Have a great weekend!

Rich