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Smartphones are ridiculously expensive, and U.S. wireless carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon go out of their way to make them seem affordable. I mean, why not buy a $950 Galaxy Note 8 if you only have to pay $0 down and $30 a month for it? Let me list the reasons why: you’re still wasting hundreds of dollars you could use to buy or save for something else that may add value to your life. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Xbox One X is the go-to console for enthusiasts, with its faster performance and 4K HDR support. Especially if you invested in a 4K TV recently, this console gives gamers a great, high-res experience on the big screen. If you don't have a 4K TV, it's also a great time to get the Xbox One S, Microsoft's affordable console for the rest of us. Both options have a great library of titles, 4K Blu-ray playing capabilities, and support for all your favorite streaming services. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Most of the President's Day Tech Deals have come and gone (though not all of them), but there are still a few impressive deals this week. With a little help from our friends at TechBargains, we've collected some fun gaming, home, and mobile deals for you to browse. Coway HEPA Air Purifier for $176 ($54 off): This Coway Mighty True HEPA Air Purifier has an Ionizer and Eco Mode. The reviews are solid and the discount is decent if you're in the mood for some fresh air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The worst part about the end of February? We've had months and months of winter, with more grimly cold and slushy weather to come. But the best part about February is that boutique outdoor retailers like Huckberry are now putting a ton of cold-weather gear on sale, while you still have plenty of wet, chilly, or windy weather to enjoy it. Here are our picks from Huckberry's winter clearance sale. Once upon a time, you had to buy pants for working and pants for playing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Let's be clear—airplanes are complicated. Sure, it's entirely possible to get a piece of paper and fold it in a particular way so that it flies. But the physics of flight isn't trivial. It's even harder to give an explanation of the forces on a flying aircraft in a short video—which is what I did with my recent WIRED video on the physics of flying. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Maybe you don’t think you and your favorite airline agree on anything: on how much room an adult human requires, on what counts as food, or on how much it should cost for a soothing, tiny bottle of wine. But surely you agree on at least one point: People take way too long getting to their seats. For passengers, the cumbersome boarding process—watching people insist that yes, this bag will fit in the overhead bin, it has before!—means more time spent jammed in a too-small seat. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For the last few years, every major U.S. wireless carrier has begun letting you buy any phone for $0 down with two years of monthly payments. It’s a tempting offer, but a bad habit you should try to kick. Paying for your phone over two years makes it easy to overspend, dulling the pain you should feel when you buy a $800+ phone. It also probably means you bought your phone from a wireless carrier that locks it down, refusing to give you the freedom to use it on other networks. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Serious typists deserve a responsive keyboard. Here are three steps to tactile heaven. 1. GOOD: Aukey KM-G3 RGB Add some tappy feedback to your strokes and sharpen your email routine with Aukey’s nicely priced keyboard. Even with its garish, multicolored LED backlights and springy key switches that click loudly enough to be heard five cubicles away, it’s miles ahead of that freebie you’re typing on now. $86 2. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As certain ­forward-thinking magazines predicted last year (ahem), VR’s first mass-culture moment has arrived not as a device but as a destination. There’s far more immersive potential in a dedicated VR facility—with its stagecraft and high-end components—than what’s currently possible in your living room. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We've all had smartphones for the better part of a decade, yet their prices just seem to keep climbing. High-end phones seem to cost $800+ now. Don't let a monthly payment plan fool you, that's a ton of money for a device that likely won't last you more than two years. There are some Android phones under $500 that do the trick, but performance gets mucky when you wade into the $200 - $300 price—which is exactly the kind of the price we wish we were all paying for these devices. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices