Consumer News: What are passkeys? Hint: They're faster and safer than passwords

Your junk drawer might be hiding hundreds of dollars

• Old tech can still be worth money: Trade-in programs from Apple, Amazon, Target, Staples, and Best Buy may pay you cash or store credit for old devices.

• Dont throw electronics in the trash: Old devices can create fire and environmental hazards, and its illegal in some states.

• Wipe your data first: Always factory reset phones, tablets, laptops, and smart devices before recycling or donating them.

That old iPhone sitting in your junk drawer? It might still be worth cash. And tossing it in the trash could actually be illegal depending on where you live.

A new CNET survey found that 22% of Americans still throw old electronics in the trash, despite growing concerns about toxic e-waste, lithium-ion battery fires, and the fact that many devices still hold trade-in value. Even more surprising, only 24% of Americans trade in old tech, while nearly threein 10 simply stash old devices around the house collecting dust.

The reality is that old phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems, and even broken electronics can still have value. And if they dont, there are now easier ways than ever to recycle them safely for free.

Heres how to avoid wasting money, protect your personal data, and responsibly get rid of your old tech.

Why throwing away electronics is a bad idea

Many people still treat old electronics like ordinary trash. But modern gadgets contain lithium-ion batteries and materials that can create environmental and safety hazards.

According to the EPA, improperly discarded batteries can:

• Leak toxic chemicals
• Spark fires in garbage trucks or recycling centers
• Damage landfills
• Pollute groundwater

In fact, some states now ban electronics from regular trash disposal entirely.

And beyond the environmental side, many people are unknowingly throwing away devices that still have real resale or trade-in value.

An old smartphone that feels completely outdated to you could still be worth:

• $50$400 as a trade-in
• Store credit at major retailers
• Cash through resale programs

That makes tossing electronics in the trash one of the easiest ways to literally throw money away.

Start with the easiest win: Trade-in programs

If your device still powers on and works reasonably well, a trade-in is usually the easiest route.

And the biggest advantage is you can avoid dealing with Craigslist scammers, shipping hassles, and flaky Facebook Marketplace buyers.

Apple

Via their online trade-in program, Apple accepts:

• iPhones
• iPads
• Macs
• Apple Watches
• Some Android devices

Eligible devices can earn Apple Gift Cards or instant credit toward a new purchase. Even if your device isnt eligible for credit, theyll still recycle it for you for free.

Pro tip: Apple trade-in values tend to drop sharply right after new iPhone launches in September, so trading in before new models release will get you maximum value.

Amazon

Amazons trade-in program lets shoppers exchange eligible devices for Amazon gift cards, as well as for discounts on new Amazon tech devices.

If the device has no value, Amazon will still let you recycle it for free, via their Amazon recycler program.

This is especially useful for:

• Kindles
• Fire tablets
• Echo devices
• Smart speakers
• Cell phones
• Wireless routers
• Older streaming devices

When you start the trade-in process, youll be asked questions about the tech device and its condition. Youll then be given a preliminary value of the item which you can accept or reject.

If you accept Amazons offer you simply ship it back to them or drop it off at a trade-in location. Once they get the device, theyll verify its condition and pay you via an Amazon gift card credited to your account.

Target

Target quietly offers a surprisingly good online tech trade-in program.

Accepted items include:

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Laptops
• Video games
• Media players
• Gaming consoles
• Smart speakers
• Wearables

You start the trade-in process by visiting https://tradein.target.com. Youll then search for your device in their trade-in catalog, and answer a few questions about its condition.

If you accept the trade-in quote, theyll provide you with a prepaid USPS shipping label along with further shipping instructions.

In return, youll get paid via a Target eGiftCard that can be used both online and in stores.

Staples

Staples has become one of the easiest places for everyday tech recycling.

The company offers:

• In-store electronics recycling
• Mail-in recycling kits
• Rewards points for eligible recycling activity
• Trade-in gift cards for select devices

This is a great option for older accessories and office tech people tend to forget about, like:

• Printers
• Mobile phones
• Routers
• Old keyboards
• Dead laptops/desktops
• Smart watches
• Tablets

Via their online trade-in program, you simply search for the device you want to trade-in by nameor model number. Then, answer some questions about the device, and theyll give you an estimated value.

Youll then ship it to them using a prepaid UPS shipping label. Once they receive it, youll get paid via a Staples eGift Card after they confirm the condition.

Best Buy (may be the easiest overall option)

For many consumers, Best Buy offers the simplest all-around trade-in solution.

Best Buy accepts a huge range of electronics for trade-in, including:

• TVs
• Computes
• Phones
• Headphones
• Tablets
• Networking devices
• Cables
• Printers
• Gaming consoles

Similar to the other services listed above, you answer some questions about the device's condition, and they give you an estimated value. Youll then get paid via Best Buy Gift Card when the item is received and verified.

Most Best Buy stores also allow customers to walk-in and recycle up to three items per household, per day, for free. This includes items like TVs, small household appliances, and home theaters.

They also offer:

• Mail-in recycling boxes
• Haul-away services for large appliances like refrigerators (This costs $49.99 with replacement product, or $199.99 for standalone haul-away.)

Pro tip: Before hauling a large TV or monitor into Best Buy, be sure to check the stores restrictions online. Some items may carry recycling fees depending on their size and state laws.

Dont forget about donation options

Not every device needs to be recycled immediately.

Many older electronics still work perfectly fine for students, seniors, low-income families, and non-profits.

In particular, organizations like GreenDrop accept donated electronics on behalf of charities, and those donations are typically tax deductible.

You can also check:

• Local schools
• Community centers
• Domestic violence shelters
• Libraries

Older laptops and tablets can still be incredibly useful for basic internet access, homework, or streaming.

The most important step: Wipe your personal data

This is the step many people skip, but its important to wipe your devices.

Before recycling, donating, or selling any device:

• Back up your files and photos
• Sign out of accounts
• Remove saved passwords
• Perform a full factory reset

That includes:

• Phones
• Tablets
• Smartwatches
• Laptops
• Smart home devices

For laptops and desktops, its especially smart to remove browser autofill data, logout of any streaming apps, and disconnect your cloud storage account.

Pro tip: Dont just delete files manually. A proper factory reset is critical because deleted files can sometimes still be recovered in the hands of the wrong person.

Why so many people keep old devices forever

The CNET survey found that 29% of Americans simply keep old tech at home.

Honestly, most people do this for the same reasons:

• They think it may still be useful someday.
• They worry about personal data.
• Recycling feels confusing.
• They dont know what the device is worth.

But those old drawers full of tangled chargers and outdated phones can actually become:

• Fire hazards
• Clutter magnets
• Lost financial opportunities

And the longer you wait, the less your device is worth. That worthless old phone sitting in your drawer might pay for your next Target run, Amazon order, or even a chunk of your next smartphone upgrade.

That 'dream' vacation rental could be fake

• Pay the safe way: Always use a credit card not a debit card, wire transfer, bank draft, or payment app outside the booking platform.

• Vet the listing: Read negative reviews first, be cautious with brand-new listings, Google the address, and reverse image search the photos.

• Watch for red flags: Large upfront deposits, off-platform damage fees, too-perfect reviews, or prices far cheaper than the same property on other sites should make you pause.

Summer travel season is ramping up, and so are vacation rental .

A new investigation from Consumers Checkbook found widespread problems on major vacation rental platforms, including fake listings, stolen deposits, canceled reservations, and travelers struggling to get refunds from sites like Booking.com and Vrbo.

In one case highlighted by the report, a traveler paid more than $1,100 for a Venice apartment listed on Booking.com that didnt actually exist. In another, a family reunion rental booked through Vrbo was canceled after more than $7,000 had already been charged.

The worrisome part is that many of the listings looked completely legitimate and even had positive reviews.

Heres how summer travelers can avoid turning a dream vacation into a financial nightmare.

Always pay with a credit card

This is the single biggest protection travelers have.

The investigation found that travelers who paid with debit cards or bank transfers often struggled to recover their money after being scammed. If you use a credit card you have a much better chance to recover your money via chargebacks and fraud disputes.

Avoid:

• Debit cards
• Wire transfers
• Bank drafts
• Payment apps outside the booking platform

If a host asks you to pay outside the booking platform, that should raise a major red flag in your head.

Be suspicious of listings with few or brand-new reviews

According to the report, fake listings often appear as new properties with very limited review history, and some scammers even create fake reviews to make listings appear legitimate.

Before booking:

• Read the negative reviews first.
• Look for reviews going back several months.
• Be cautious if every review sounds overly perfect.
• Google the propertys address separately.

Pro tip: If something feels off, try copying part of the listing description and plug it into a Google search for those exact words with quotation marks. If you find another listing with the exact same wording, theres a good chance its a scam, and they simply cut and pasted the words into their bogus listing.

Avoid large upfront deposits

Many vacation rentals now require hefty deposits months before you actually travel.

The problem is that if something goes wrong, some travelers are discovering they have very little protection. The investigation found cases where hosts actually canceled reservations, or stopped responding, after collecting the payment(s).

Heres the safer approach:

• Book properties with flexible cancellation policies.
• Avoid listings demanding unusually high deposits.
• Hard pass if youre asked to pay a separate damage deposit outside the booking platform.

As a general rule, if a deal feels overly restrictive or overly complicated, treat that as your sign to walk away.

Scrutinize the photos carefully

When making sure the property is legit, the photos can tell you a lot.

Experts recommend checking for photos of the exterior, multiple room angles, bathroom, and kitchen details.

Too few photos can be a warning sign.

Also, be on the lookout for:

• Blurry images
• Photos that look professionally staged but very generic
• Different image styles that seem pulled from multiple properties

Pro tip:Reverse image search the photos using Google Images. Scammers have been known to steal pictures from legitimate listings.

Compare the same property across multiple sites

Another smart trick to check if the same property appears elsewhere.

Consumers Checkbook found that identical rentals can show up across multiple platforms with completely different prices.

This also helps you:

• Verify the property is real
• Compare cancellation rules
• Spot inconsistencies in reviews or host details

If one listing is dramatically cheaper than everything else, thats often a warning sign.

For travelers, the biggest takeaway is to slow down and verify the listing like you would a major purchase in your life.

A major global study is helping redefine what it really means to feel mentally well

• A new international study gathered input from 122 experts across 11 disciplines to define positive mental health.

• Researchers identified six core elements of wellbeing, including purpose, strong relationships, and self-acceptance.

• The study also found that factors like income and housing influence well-being but are not considered defining features of mental wellness.

For years, mental well-being has been one of those phrases everyone uses but few people define the same way. Depending on who you ask, it might mean happiness, resilience, low stress, or simply getting through the day. But a new international study led by researchers at Adelaide University is trying to bring some clarity to the conversation.

Published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the research aimed to answer a deceptively simple question: What does it actually mean to be mentally well? The findings could help shape future mental health policies, treatments, and public health programs by giving experts a more consistent framework for discussing wellbeing.

The study found that positive mental health is not just about feeling happy all the time. Instead, experts agreed that wellbeing is made up of several different dimensions that work together to shape a persons overall mental state. Among the most important were meaning and purpose, life satisfaction, self-acceptance, autonomy, happiness, and strong relationships.

By agreeing that positive mental health isnt a single feeling, but a combination of how we feel, how we function and how we connect with others, the study brings muchneeded clarity to the field, researcher Dr. Matthew Iasiello said in a news release.

For too long, mental wellbeing has been defined in different ways across research, healthcare and government, making it almost impossible to compare evidence or design effective policy. Imagine if there were 150 different ways of measuring blood pressure the results would be meaningless. Thats why its important to agree on what positive mental health is, and what it isnt.

How researchers reached a consensus

To conduct the study, researchers used a method called the Delphi process, which is designed to help experts build agreement on complicated topics.

In this case, the team surveyed 122 specialists from 11 different disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, public health, sociology, philosophy, and theology.

Participants came from several countries and completed multiple rounds of surveys. After each round, researchers reviewed the responses and refined the list of proposed wellbeing dimensions. The goal was to see which ideas consistently earned broad agreement among experts.

Researchers defined consensus as at least 75% agreement. By the end of the process, the panel reached consensus on 19 dimensions related to positive mental health. Six of those received near-unanimous agreement, with more than 90% of experts identifying them as essential elements of wellbeing.

The study also explored which factors should not be considered core parts of mental wellbeing itself, even if they still affect it. That distinction became one of the more notable takeaways from the research.

What the study found

According to the researchers, the six strongest indicators of positive mental health were:

• Meaning and purpose

• Life satisfaction

• Self-acceptance

• Strong relationships

• Autonomy

• Happiness

Rather than treating wellbeing as one emotion or personality trait, the study suggests it is a broader combination of how people feel about themselves, their lives, and their connections to others.

The experts also agreed that some commonly discussed topics including income, housing, physical health, and coping skills are better understood as influences on well-being rather than definitions of well-being itself. In other words, those factors may shape a persons mental health without actually being the thing that defines whether someone is mentally well.

Researchers say the lack of a shared definition for mental well-being has made it harder to compare studies and build consistent mental health strategies over time. By identifying common ground, they hope the findings will give researchers and policymakers a clearer starting point for future work.

Positive mental health isnt about feeling good all the time, Dr. Iasiello said. Its about having a combination of emotional wellbeing, psychological functioning, and social connection that helps you live a meaningful, manageable life, even when things might be hard.

In this way, positive mental health is less about feeling good all the time, and more about having the right combination of factors to cope, live well, and experience life as meaningful. When people can better recognize which parts of their wellbeing are strong, and which might need support it gives them a clearer sense of where to focus their efforts.

Researchers say AI-written texts may help older adults move more each day

• A new study explored whether AI-generated text messages could encourage older adults to be more active.

• Researchers asked adults over 40 to review dozens of motivational messages written by artificial intelligence.

• Most participants rated the messages as appropriate and high quality, though reactions shifted when people knew AI created them.

Artificial intelligence is already helping people draft emails, answer questions, and plan trips. Now, researchers are exploring whether it could also act like a mini personal trainerright from your phone.

A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan and Pennsylvania State University looked at whether AI-written text messages could encourage older adults to move more and sit less.

The idea is simple: short motivational reminders sent throughout the day could help people build healthier habits without needing constant one-on-one coaching. Researchers say this kind of technology could eventually help health programs reach larger groups of people in a more affordable and scalable way.

The study

The study included 630 adults aged 40 and older.

Participants were shown 80 different motivational text messages created by artificial intelligence. The messages focused on increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. Researchers asked participants to evaluate the texts for overall quality and whether any wording felt culturally insensitive or inappropriate.

The study also explored whether participants reacted differently when they knew the messages had been written by AI instead of humans. Researchers were especially interested in understanding how trust and perceptions of AI influenced peoples willingness to accept health-related guidance.

The results

Overall, the findings were encouraging. Most participants viewed the AI-written messages as appropriate and well written.

Researchers found that artificial intelligence was capable of producing motivational content that older adults generally accepted.

But attitudes toward AI still mattered. Participants reactions changed depending on how comfortable they felt with artificial intelligence and whether they were told the messages were AI-generated.

Initially, I thought this was a little counterintuitive, researcher Allyson Tabaczynski said in a news release. If you have a more positive attitude toward AI, you might also just have more general knowledge of some of the biases or limitations that AI can have in its output or in its training data.

The study suggests that transparency could play an important role in how people respond to AI-based health tools.

Researchers said the results represent an early step toward using AI to support behavior-change programs on a larger scale, particularly for promoting physical activity among aging adults.

If someone is receiving a health intervention that uses AI, their perceptions of AI are going to impact how theyre evaluating or responding to that intervention, Tabaczynski said. So its something that researchers and interventionists have to take into account as theyre designing their interventions with this technology.

Healthcare and transportation industries hired the most people

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Healthcare led job creation in April, continuing a long-running hiring surge in hospitals, outpatient care, and social assistance.

• Transportation and warehousing posted another strong month of gains, signaling steady consumer demand and supply-chain activity.

• Retail and hospitality employers also expanded payrolls, helping push total U.S. job growth above economists expectations.

U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April, beating economists forecasts and showing the resilience of the labor market despite mounting economic uncertainty tied to higher energy prices and geopolitical tensions. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, according to the Labor Departments monthly Employment Situation report released Friday.

Health care once again accounted for the largest share of hiring gains. The sector added roughly 37,000 jobs during the month, continuing a trend that has made medical services one of the strongest sources of employment growth in the post-pandemic economy. Analysts said demand for nurses, outpatient care workers and support staff remained especially strong.

Transportation and warehousing also turned in a solid performance, adding about 30,000 positions as companies continued to rebuild logistics and delivery capacity.

Retail businesses expanded hiring as well, suggesting consumers are still spending despite concerns about inflation and rising fuel costs. Leisure and hospitality employers also contributed to payroll growth.

Where jobs declined

Not every sector shared in the gains. Manufacturing, information technology, and financial services all reported job losses in April, reflecting ongoing caution among white-collar employers and continued cost-cutting in some industries. Federal government employment also continued to decline.

Economists said the report suggests the labor market remains stable, though hiring has slowed compared with earlier years of the recovery. Average monthly job growth in 2026 has remained modest, but employers have largely avoided widespread layoffs.