April 27 & 28, 2024 Show Notes
TC 10K Weekend Edition
๐๏ธ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
๐ Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
๐ง Podcast
Anytime
The crew this week:
1) Watch out for fake Shaw "closing old Mailbox versions" emails
The emails โ which are coming from a @talktalk.net address (that's in Britain)โฆ look like this screenshot which was shared by astute Tech Talk listener Vickiโฆ
In the actual email, if you were to mouse over the "Check For Update" link they want you to click on (or hold your finger on it on a phone or tablet), you'd get a pop-up revealing that that link would take you to Linki.ee/shawweb โ which is a fake Shaw webmail log-in page (hosted in China) that looks like thisโฆ
Notice that they deliberately misspelled "password" using two v's to try to evade scam filters!
If you type in your @shaw.ca email address and password, the hackers in China will immediately gain access to you email account, and will start forwarding a copy of all your incoming messages to themselves. They'll then trigger password reset emails for any financial and other accounts they can find and then lock you out of your own accounts and start stealing your money and identity.
NEVER click on links in emails like this!
2) Watch out for fake overdue Hydro Energy bill emails
The emails, with the subject Outstanding Hydro Energy Payment, are coming from @outlook.de accounts in Germany (.de) and look like the screenshots below from Ron Fraserโฆ
The link they want you to click on (paristulipascde.nl) is a webpage in The Netherlands with a fake BC Hydro payment page. (It's since been shut down but will likely re-appear at a different address.)
It shows the $34 account owing and asks you to put in your credit card info to pay it to avoid having your power turned-off.
If you give them your credit card info, within minutes, the overseas scammers will begin racking-up fake charges on your credit card account! NEVER click on links in emails like this!
If you want to see the status of your BC Hydro account, go directly to BCHydro.com and log-in there.
3) Ring video doorbell users in the USA are getting $5.6 million in refunds as part of video privacy settlement
The Federal Trade Commission in the USA is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to American consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access.
The Associated Press - Business News
FTC sends $5.6 million in refunds to Ring customers as part of video privacy settlement
NEW YORK (AP) โ The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with Amazon-owned Ring, which was charged with failing to protect private video footage from outside access. In a 2023 complaint, the FTC accused the doorbell camera and home security provider of allowing its employees and ...
4) Apple finally pulls generative AI nude apps from the App Store
Apple has removed apps from the App Store that claimed to make nonconsensual nude imagery.
The apps offered features such as face-swaps on adult images. Others were marketed as "Undress" apps, virtually stripping the clothing off of subjects of otherwise innocuous photos.
After being alerted to the apps and related advertising, Apple removed three of them from the App Store. Google has similarly removed apps from the Play Store.
5) If a message appears on the screen of your phone, tablet, or computer advising that your device is infected or is about to crash, and urging you to call the phone number on the screen, it's a scam.
Here's an screenshot of what one of these scams looks likeโฆ
If this appears on the screen, it got there because you clicked on a button or link which took you to what's called a Browser Hijack โ a website which has been crafted to try to trick you. Your device is NOT infected. It's just a scam. If you call the number, it'll connect you to a call-centre (often in India) where a scammer will pose as someone from Apple or Microsoft or Samsung or Google, and will offer to fix the problem, either for a hefty fee โ they'll want your credit card info โ or they'll try to pursuade you to give them banking info. NEVER call the number, and NEVER click on the button or link. Just restart your phone, tablet, or computer and it should go away.
6) Here's an easy way to avoid being scammed:
If you get an email or a text about a problem with an account or service, or about a package that can't be delivered, or an invoice/receipt for an item or service you didn't order, or about a refund owed to you, or about a prize you've won, assume it's a scam, especially if it urges you do something right away.
If you think it might be real, check with your bank, or with the merchant, but NEVER call the number, and NEVER click on the button or link.
9.000 participants expected for the 35th annual TC 10K Run/Walk on Sunday
Tech News Of The Week
Items start at #10, so the numbers don't get thrown-off if we add more security items above!
Tip: if an item in these Show Notes has the icon on the right in the upper-right corner, you can click/tap on it to make the additional info open in a new tab.
10) Rogers has signed a 10-year deal with Comcast USA to bring services like 10G internet and storm-ready internet to Canada
The new 10-year deal with Comcast will allow Rogers to be the first internet provider in Canada to offer a product designed to maintain connectivity when a storm hits, trees are down, or if there's a local outage.
Storm-Ready WiFi is a wireless modem that's equipped with cellular backup and a rechargeable battery to keep customers up and running for hours. When the power goes out, your network automatically switches to cellular back-up so you can continue to use the internet.
The Storm-Ready WiFi modem also doubles as a WiFi extender to deliver a strong signal to those hard-to-reach corners of the home.
Rogers will also roll-out Comcast's new Entertainment OS, which brings cable TV channels and streaming services all into one an easy-to-navigate screen, plus Xfinity's 10G fibre internet, which will be the fastest in Canada, and ideal for gamers who want ultra-fast no-lag connections.
Comcast is the company that makes the high-quality Xfinity internet modems and TV boxes which Rogers (and Shaw before them) use.
11) If you have an LG HDTV (and soon a Samsung HDTV too), you can now to watch 10 new free ad-supported channels from Bell
The 7 new FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) English channels areโฆ
- CTV @Home โ lifestyle programming like The Marilyn Denis Show, Maryโs Kitchen Crush and Country House Hunters Canada
- Corner Gas Channel โ all episodes of Corner Gas and its spin-off, Corner Gas Animated
- CTV Gridlock: โ classic episodes of Highway Thru Hell and the entire Heavy Rescue: 401 series
- CTV Laughs โ features sitcoms, roast battles and stand-up (Bell did not mention any specific titles)
- The Mightiest by CTV โ includes the likes of Mighty Trains, Mighty Cruise Ships, Mighty Ships, Mighty Planes and The Mightiest.
- CTV News โ the best from CTV National and CTV Local News, Power Play, Question Period and W5
- TSN The Ocho Home โ unusual sports programming like table tennis, ultimate frisbee, kickball, slippery stairs and cornhole
There are also three French FAST channels.
They're available now on the LG Channels app that's built into LG TV's made in the last five years, and within a month or two, will be added to the Samsung TV app on Samsung HDTV's. (You may have to update your apps before the new Bell channels will appear.)
12) Social media giants have agreed to work with the BC Government on ways to minimize negative impacts of social media.
In exchange, the BC Government has agreed to hold-off proceeding with passage of its Online Harms Act, which would've required platforms like Facebook and X to pay for health costs related to their businesses.
Premier David Eby says Meta, TikTok, X, and Snap have agreed to team-up with the BC government to form an Online Safety Action Table, where theyโll discuss โtangible stepsโ that can be made towards protecting people from online harms.
Eby says the social media companies have โagreed to work collaborativelyโ with the province on preventing harm, while Meta will also commit to working with B.Cโs emergency management officials to help amplify official info during natural disasters and other events.
13) Apple will be unveiling new iPads at a May 7 online event
Apple has scheduled an online "Let Loose" event for 7am PDT on Tuesday, May 7, where it's expected several new iPad models will be unveiled.
We're expecting two new significantly-more-powerful iPad Pro models (10.9" and 12.9") with OLED screens, as well as two new also more-powerful iPad Air models.
There'll likely also be a more-powerful base-model iPad and iPad mini, as well as a new Apple Pencil with a squeeze-trigger and possibly interchangeable tips, and a new Magic Keypad.
You can catch the event live on Apple's website, apple.com at the scheduled event time at 7:00am Pacific on May 7. You can also watch the event through the Apple TV app. which is available on Apple devices and most smart TVs, streaming boxes, and gaming consoles.
Additionally, subscribing to Apple's YouTube channel is a great way to get notified when the event goes live, and they'll have it available for replay within a few hours of the event.
If you're in the market for a new iPad, we recommend you wait for the new models, as they're all expected to be noticably more-powerful, and will likely be the same price as the hard-to-find current models, or possibly just $10 to $20 more.
14) ByteDance says it will shut down TikTok in the USA if it is required to sell to an American buyer
US President Joe Biden has signed into law legislation requiring Chinese-owned ByteDance to spin off its American operations to an American owner within one year, or be banned from the USA because of fears the Chinese government will data-mine American users.
ByteDance is now pushing-back, saying it'll cut-off Americans from the popular short-video platform if it is not successful in fighting the divestiture order in court...
Reuters
Exclusive: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
15) If you're going to Waikiki/Oahu, I've created a list of some great hidden places to visit and where to find great and affordable eats
The list includes tips on how to enjoy popuar events like the free Aloha Friday Fireworks, the new way to get free tickets to visit Pearl Harbour, and how to make a mandatory reservation to climb Diamond Head. It also includes some hidden gems โ both sights and dining!
You can read it and download and/or print it by clicking on the arrow-in-square icon in the upper right, belowโฆ
If you have any additional places you'd like to share, I'd be glad to add them to this list! Text them to me at 250-589-2926 or email me at AlanPerry@outlook.com
17) You can now make ChatGPT read responses out loud, and you can also have the responses sound surprisingly conversational
If you have the ChatGPT app on your smartphone or tablet (iPhone, iPad, or Android), you can now have it read responses out loud, by simply holding your finger on a response and tapping Read Aloud.
You'll be surprised at just how human ChatGPT's AI voice sounds!
But, if you want the response to sound even more natural, type this follow-up: "Regenerate your response using more filler words like um and ah", and see what happens! Again, if you want the new response read out loud, hold your finger on it and tap on Read Aloud.
If you prefer to use Microsoft's popular CoPilot app, you can also ask it to regenerate responses using more filler words like um and ah (and 'eh' if you want to be stereotypically Canadian), but the Read Aloud command is not there yet. And if you select the text and use Siri to read it out, it doesn't sound anywhere near as natural as ChatGPT.
18) Amazon Prime Video Canada to become the exclusive home of Monday night NHL games for the next two seasons
Amazon has signed a two-year agreement with Rogers and the NHL to stream Monday night NHL hockey games on Prime Video exclusively here in Canada for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.
So if you want to watch Monday night NHL games, starting next season, youโll need to be an Amazon Prime Video subscriber.
Prime Video is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year here in Canada.
Itโs worth noting that Rogersโ Sportsnet channel, which will stream other NHL games outside of Prime Monday Night Hockey, is also available as a $19.99/month Prime Video add-on.
19) If you're using the Outlook Mail app and your newest emails are not on top, you may have told the app to sort them differently!
Several people have contacted us recently to say that recent emails are missing in the Outlook Mail appโฆon checking, we've discovered that they'd accidentally changed the "Sort By" option.
That option is under the Filter button โ three lines (yellow highlighting by me) to the right of the Inboxโฆ
If you click on that button, you'll get several useful options, such as showing you only your unread emails, or emails which you flagged, or ones that have attachments, or calendar invites.
The last option, Sort, lets you sort your emails by Name of sender, or Size, or Subject.
By default, it's set to sort by Date, with the Newest on top.
If your email inbox doesn't look right, check to see if you've accidentally change the sort option, to, perhaps, sort by Name, so emails from people or email addresses that begin with symbols or numbers are at the top!
The Outlook Mail app will remember whatever setting you choose, and display your emails in that order each time you open it.
20) TEDx is returning to Victoria for the first time since 2015
Inspiring speakers, uncharted connections, and a mission to share exceptional ideas โ TEDx is returning to Victoria for the first time in 9 years, on Wednesday May 15 at the McPherson Playhouse.
TEDx Victoria is an independently-organized event supported by the "Ideas Worth Sharing" non-profit TED Talks organizationโฆ
21) Public Mobileโs $29/20GB 4G plan returns as others hike prices
Telus-owned Public Mobile has bumped its $29/month plan back up to 20GB of 4G data.
Earlier this month, we told you that Public Mobile had downgraded the $29/mo plan to 10GB, but a recent change on the providerโs website shows itโs back up to 20GB.
Public Mobile caps 4G data speeds at up to 100Mbps, but that's more than adequate for the vast majority of us. The plan also includes unlimited Canada-wide minutes and messaging, along with international messaging when sent from Canada.
Koodo, Fido, and Virgin now charge $39/month for a similar 20GB 4G plan.
Your best option remains Vidรฉotron-owned Freedom Mobile, which has three budget plans from which to chooseโฆ
Freedom Mobile also has annual prepaid plans (https://shop.freedommobile.ca/en-CA/prepaid-plans
23) How to enable an iPhone's hidden 'night vision' red screen mode
An iPhone has a hidden "night vision" feature that turns your screen red. More than giving a spy movie vibe, a red screen reduces the harmful effect of the bright displays we stare at all day. This is especially helpful at night and when we first wake up, since the regular light the iPhone displays can cause fatigue and harm our eyes.
The colour red is more difficult to see than other light frequencies, so it tricks our eyes into thinking it's less bright than it actually is. In a dark room, for example, your pupils won't have to adjust as much to the light. Also, when you look away, your eyes adapt quicker to the darkness around you.
Here's how to enable night mode, and how to create a shortcut so you can quickly turn it on and offโฆ
- On your iPhone, open Settings
- Tap on Accessibility, and then tap on Display & Text Size
- Turn on Colour Filters and then select Colour Tint
- Move the Intensity and Hue sliders both to the far-right position for the full red-screen effect.
Now that you know how to turn on this hidden iPhone feature, here's how to quickly turn it on and offโฆ
Ask Siri: Just say out loud, "Siri, turn on colour filters", or, "Siri, turn off colour filters"โฆ orโฆ
Triple click: Go to Settings, Accessibility, Accessibility Shortcut, and tap on Colour Filters . You can now triple-click the side button to activate or deactivate this setting.
BGR
How to enable iPhone's hidden โnight vision' mode that turns your screen red
The iPhone has a hidden โnight visionโ feature that turns your screen red. More than giving a spy movie vibe, a red screen could help โฆ The post How to enable iPhone's hidden โnight vision' mode that turns your screen red appeared first on BGR.
24) 96% of Canadians now use a mobile phone
A new study has found that more than 96% of Canadians are now using a mobile phone, with the lowest percentage being seniors, but even there, 72% of Canadians aged 50+ use oneโฆ
ACCESSWIRE Newsroom
Itโs National Telephone Day! Canadians Can Expect to Spend Almost 15 Years of Their Life on Mobile Devices, Finds OntarioCasinos.com
โ๏ธ Ring, Ring, Canada! I can't pick up the phone right now. But you definitely can because these stats show that the average Canadian will spend 70.46 days per year on mobile apps, or 14.46 years of their life, if they use mobile devices for 75 years.
25) How to reset a lost user account password on Mac
If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier
26) Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation
Saturday morning late addition: there appears to be an increasingly widespread Apple ID outage of some sort impacting users.
A number of people on social media say that they're being logged out of their Apple ID across multiple devices and forced to reset their password before logging back in.
This will hopefully be fixed soon!
โฆand finally โ our Sign Of The Weekโฆ
And so it goesโฆ