August 17 & 18, 2024 Show Notes
Tour de Victoria / Mayfair Block Party / Langford Show & Shine / North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival / Fernwood Fibrations Festival / Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Aitan Roubini
Guest Co-Host
Victoria Mac and iOS User Group (VMUG) President and MacZen.ca owner
eMail: Support@MacZen.ca
iPhone 250-813-1323
1) Apple has released another security update for iPhones and iPads
iOS/iPadOS 17.6.1 fixes several security issues that were missed in 17.6, and also includes more bug fixes.
To get it, go to Settings, General, Software Update.
If you have an older iPhone that can't run iOS 17, because of the importance of these fixes, Apple has released a special update: iOS 16.7.10 which gives you some additional protection.
2) If you have a Mac, Apple has released a matching update: macOS Sonoma 14.6.1
The main fix in macOS 14.6.1 is to Advanced Data Protection, something which most Mac users don't need…but it also includes other security and bug fixes that didn't make it into last month's 14.6 Update.
3) Watch out for scam texts that pretend to be from Rogers, advising that your recent payment did not go through
The texts are addressed (poorly) to Rogersuser and include a link which they want you to click on.
That link (the one in the screen shot has been taken-down, but they'll surely come up with another one) takes you to a fake Rogers log-in page (hosted in Spain), and even if you use incorrect log-in info, it'll take you to a fake "update your payment method" page asking for your credit card info.
If you input that info, within minutes, scam charges will start being made to your card.
NEVER click on links in texts or emails like this!
If you get an updated or replacement credit card, you can use the My Rogers app or go to Rogers.com and log-in and put in the new card #.
4) New "Mad Liberator" gang uses fake Windows update screen to hide data theft
A new data extortion group tracked as Mad Liberator is targeting AnyDesk users and runs a fake Microsoft Windows update screen to distract while exfiltrating data from the target device.
A Mad Liberator attack starts with an unsolicited connection to a computer using AnyDesk remote access application, which is popular among IT teams managing corporate environments.
Once a connection request is approved, the attackers drop on the compromised system a binary named Microsoft Windows Update, which shows a fake Windows Update splash screen.
The only purpose of the ruse is to distract the victim while the threat actor uses AnyDesk's File Transfer tool to steal data from OneDrive accounts, network shares, and the local storage.
During the fake update screen, the victim's keyboard is disabled, to prevent disrupting exfiltration process.
Once the files have been stolen, the ransomware pop-up appears, demanding money via BitCoin.
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) If you're flying somewhere — especially if you're taking multiple flights — make sure you have the airline app on your phone, and use electronic boarding passes.
If you print out paper boarding passes, two things can — and these days, often do — go wrong: one, your flight can get cancelled, in which case, you'll have to line-up to get a new boarding pass and possibly miss your flight.
Secondly, your flight(s) might get changed to a different concourse while you're enroute. If it was B17 and now it's B23, not a problem as long as you spot the change before you head in the wrong direction. But if B17 becomes C18, at many airports, boarding passes are only good for flights in the same concourse, so you'll have to line-up for a new boarding pass and may miss yor flight.
If you use the airline app, you'll be notified if there's a flight and/or gate change, and you can quickly download a new boarding pass and be on your way.
Flying Air Canada back to Victoria from St. John's Newfoundland via Toronto, Suzanne and I had our connecting flight from Toronto to Victoria delayed and changed to different gates five times, and then cancelled. Each time, the change popped-up on the Air Canada app before the terminal reader-boards changed. Within five minutes of the cancellation, the app rebooked us on a new flight (via Vancouver) and electronically issued new boarding passes…
Those not using the app, had to endure this lineup (this is only half) for Air Canada Customer Service…
Also, make sure you check-in online as soon as you can starting 24 hours before your first flight.
If you hold-off checking-in till you get to the airport, you may discover you've been bumped off the flight, because many airlines have quietly gone back to overbooking flights to minimize having empty seats. Yes, you'll be compensated for being bumped, but if you're heading to a cruise ,or to a connecting flight or a special event, that'll be little comfort if you arrive late.
11a) If you're travelling, put an AirTag or Eufy SmartTag in your luggage and your carry-on, to be alerted if you leave it behind
Of all the tech gear that's been invented in the past few years, item trackers are our hands-down favourites! They're inexpensive and easy-to-use, and eliminate a lot of stress.
Apple AirTags work great if you have an iPhone and/or iPad, while Eufy SmartTags work with both iPhones and Android phones.
If you have an iPhone, AirTags are listed in the "Items" tab in the "Find My" app ,which is built into every iPhone and iPad.
The "Find My" app includes a Notification option which will put a pop-up on your iPhone if you're leaving an item behind, with a switch to have it not do that at specific locations such as your home or work.
When our shuttle driver in St. John's accidentally drove off with my backpack still in his van, it soon notified me, and within minutes, I could see that it was in the van which was back outside the hotel. I called the hotel and they had him return and give it to me within minutes.
I have AirTags in my backpack, tech bag, carry-on, and suitcase, as well as on my keys, on my bike, and in my car.
You can now share the location of your AirTags with multiple people, so they can help you find missing items if your iPhone is out of power or not with you.
Apple AirTags are $39 each or $129 for a package of four (you can sell/give them individually) at London Drugs, Best Buy, Staples, The Source, Simply Computing and other stores.
If you buy one/some, you'll want to put them in holders to keep the top from vibrating off, but holders are quite pricey at most stores — up to $30 each! You can buy AirTag holders that are just as good for a fraction of the price on Amazon. Here are two which we've bought, which are $12 for a set of four…
Amazon.ca
E-TING Air Tag Keychain for Apple Airtags Holder, 4 Pack Protective Leather Airtags Case Tracker Cover with Air Tag Holder, Airtag Key Ring Compatible with Apple New AirTag Dog Collar (Multi-Color)
E-TING Air Tag Keychain for Apple Airtags Holder, 4 Pack Protective Leather Airtags Case Tracker Cover with Air Tag Holder, Airtag Key Ring Compatible with Apple New AirTag Dog Collar (Multi-Color) : Amazon.ca: Electronics
Amazon.ca
E-TING 4 Pcs Multicolor Anti-Scratch Case for AirTag,Holder with Keychain Hanging on Dog Collar Backpacks Wallet, Safety Anti-Lost Airtag Case Cover with Key Ring
E-TING 4 Pcs Multicolor Anti-Scratch Case for AirTag,Holder with Keychain Hanging on Dog Collar Backpacks Wallet, Safety Anti-Lost Airtag Case Cover with Key Ring : Amazon.ca: Electronics
11b) Item trackers that work with both iPhones and Android phones
Apple AirTags are great, but don't fit into a wallet. Enter Eufy, who have made a Find My-compatible SmartTrack Link tracker which is the size of a credit card and just twice the thickness.
It's also twice as loud as an AirTag, and has a QR code on the back that someone who finds it can scan to see contact info for the owner. More on how they work is here.
Android users can also track their wallet by using the MyEufy app.
The Eufy SmartTrack Wallet Link is $40 but often on sale at London Drugs, or Best Buy.
Eufy also makes an AirTag-style tracker which is twice as loud as an AirTag and doesn't need a holder, as it has a keyring hole in the corner.
The Eufy SmartTrack Tracker Tag is $30 and available at London Drtugs and Best Buy.
Another option is BoomPod BoomTags, which also work with Apple's "Find My" system.
They're made out of 100% recycled ocean plastic, available in four colours, don't need a tag holder, and are $30 at London Drugs.
12) Google has unveiled its new flagship Pixel 9 smartphones, including a folding Pro model, plus a new Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2
The Google Pixel 9 has a new design, a faster processor, a better camera, a better dispolay and longer battery life — but it costs $150 more than the Pixel 8, starting at $1099 CAD…
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the largest screen of any phone available here in Canada, and is a serious new competitor for Samsung's Galaxy Fold phone…
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 8" diagonally, and 6.3" high or wide when folded open. It's also pricey: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at $2,399 CAD!
Engadget has an excellent rundfown of all the products unveiled by Google thsi week (US $ prices)…
13) Curious if an online image is fake? Use Google's new "About This Image" feature
One new feature unveiled at Google's "Made By Google" event this week is sure to be popular with people wondering if an image they've been sent or that they find online is real, or has been manipulated.
Inside the Google app, or on the "Google Lens" app, you'll be able to circle the part of the image that has you suspicious using "Circle To Search", and then tap on a new "About this image" button, which will then use machine learning to detect if the image has been touched-up, modified, or partially or even entirely created with AI.
14) Google announces satellite SOS calling for Pixel 9 phones — but only in the USA, and not in Hawaii or Alaska
At its "Made By Google" event this week, Google mnade a big deal about offering Satellite SOS on its new Pixel 9 smartphones.
Similar to Emergency Satellite SOS that's built-into iPhone 14 and 15 models, the Pixel 9 version will allow you to summon help via satellite if you're beyond the range of cell towers, and can see the sky.
But when questioned, the Pixel team has confirned that it will NOT be available on Pixel 9 models sold here in Canada, only in the USA, and will be limited to the continental USA as well, so no satellite SOS service in Alaska or in Hawaii.
In addition, Google says the service will only wotrk if Google Messages is set as the phone's default messaging app.
By comparison, Apple is planning to expand its satellite communications service ths fall to include free non-emergency texting (words only) and location-sharing.
15) How good is the coverage on Freedom Mobile?
When it first started a few years ago, Freedom Mobile coverage was spotty.
But when Freedom was sold last year to Quebec-based Vidéotron as part of Rogers buying Shaw, the deal allows Freedom customers to roam seamlessly onto Rogers towers for up to three years here in the west, and 10 years across Canada, to give Freedom time to build its own 5G network.
There are already half a dozen Freedom 5G towers in this area, including one in Royal Oak, which has had poor coverage from all carriers, until this.
As a result, most Freedom users are very happyt, esoecially with the mnuch lower rates, although there are still some gaps in the more rural parts of West Shore municipalities.
Suzanne and my iPhones worked no problem on Freedom in Newfoundland and Labrador, and the same when we went to the Rockies and the Okanagan in early July.
Brad Bennett from MobileSyrup.com just wrote an excellent piece about his experience switching to Freedom for the past 10 months in Ontario including in cottage country…
16) If you live or work in an area where high-speed isn't available, or at the end of a very long driveway where you'll have to pay big bucks to get a fibre line run, Starlink is now just $140/month
Starlink is the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk.
Over the past four years, Starlink has launched more than 6,000 small Starlink satellites which relay internet to small dishes which you put on your roof or balcony.
Having that many has allowed the service to get faster and faster, and also to reduce the delay (latency) between when you tap a key and your search is fulfilled.
We saw first-hand the dramatic difference it's making in places like Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula and Labrador, where residents of tiny outports finally now have high-speed internet instead of being largely cut off, and can run small online businesses from their homes.
Starlink is now charging just $140/month CAD for 200+ Mbps satelliite internet with latency down to just 30 milliseconds, which is barely noticeable.
17) Why do we say, "Hello"? Because Thomas Edison preferred "Hello" to "Ahoy", which is what telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell used.
Yoy may have seen on social media that the word "Hello" was used because that was the name of Alexander Graham Bell's fiancée, Margaret Hello, and that he supposedly said her last name when initially testing his invention. That's actually total fiction!
Bell’s actual fiancée and eventual wife was a remarkable woman named Mabel Hubbard. They tied the knot in 1877. The picture of Bell that you can find online with Margaret Hello is actually him with Mabel.
As for the word “hello,” it didn’t originate from Bell’s girlfriend (real or imaginary). When Bell made the first-ever phone call on March 10, 1876, he didn’t say “hello.” Instead, he uttered the iconic words: “Mr. Watson, come here—I want to see you.”
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. While Bell preferred the nautical-sounding “Ahoy” as the phone greeting, another inventor had different ideas. Although Bell invented the telephone, it was actually Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, who popularized the use of the telephone, and he preferred "hello"", and encouraged people to use it when answering the telephone.
Edison had more than 1000 patents to his name, including the phonograph and power distribution systems.
Wikipedia
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
18) The free "Tubi" online streaming service has exploded in popularity in the last 18 months, and is now outpacing some competitors with much bigger budgets
Tubi (it's an app and a website, TubiTV.com) has been around for 10 years, offering free ad-supported streaming of older movies and TV shows.
But in the past 18 months, Tubi — which is owned by the Fox Corporation — has started drawing larger and larger numbers of subscribers, by expanding its offerings to include cult classics that you can't find on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streamers.
Tubi now consistently outranks Peacock, Max, Paramount+ and Apple TV+ in total viewing time in the USA, according to Nielsen — and is drawing even with Disney+. Only YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu are still ahead.
Here in Canada, Tubi is now available as a free app on Rogers TV and Telus TV.
19) We've updated our collection of Travel Tech Tips!
There are now more than 40 of them, and they're in a separate Travel Tech Tips notes, which you can find on our Home Page, or on the toolbar at the top of any of our Notes.
You can bookmark them, as we update them often, at Tech-Talk.ca/travel-tech-tips.
The current Travel Tech Tips notes are also below as a PDF…
20) Virgin+ and Koodo are now offering 50GB of data for $39/month
Virgin+ has now matched Koodo's big bump in data for its $39/month plan, which now comes with 50GB a month of data, up from 20GB, for the same price.
Koodo, which is the budget carrier of Telus, and Virgin+ which is owned by Bell, are thought to be offering the additional data to stem the loss of customers to Freedom Mobile, which is offering 50GB for $35/month, but Freedom is still a much better deal as it includes Canada/USA/Mexico calling and data roaming, as well as being cheaper.
21) Fido now offering unlimited calling to USA, Mexico, India, and four other counrties as part of $49/month 60GB plan
Rogers flanker brand Fido has expanded the bonus calling options bundled with its $54/60GB plan.
IN an effort to stem the loss of customers to Freedom Mobile, which now includes calling to and from 92 countries in many of its plans, Fido has announced that its 60GB plan includes unlimited calls and texts from Canada to the USA, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, and the UK.
Along with the calling, the $49/month plan includes 60GB of 4G data with speeds of up to 150Mbps, unlimited text and picture messaging, voice mail, and call display.
22) Expect Apple to release a new entry-level iPhone this fall
Whjile there's nothing official from Apple, all indications are that the expected iPhone SE 2024 will ditch the fingerprint-reading Home button in favour of a larger screen and Face ID, so it'll look like an iPhone 14. It'd also be a lot more powerful than the current model, and have a better camera.
As for price, it's expected it'll sell here in Canada for about $599, which would be $20 more than the current iPhone SE 2022,
24) Tesla has launched its Cybertruck here in Canada
Tesla has begun sending emails to Canadian customers who've placed reservations for a Cybertruck, saying deliveries will begin in October.
The base Dual Motor all-wheel drive (AWD) model starts at $137,990 CAD, while the Tri Motor (“Cyberbeast”) AWD configuration starts at $165,990.
On top of that, you'll have to pay the Federal Luxury Tax which amounts to $8,171.
TeslaNorth.com
Tesla Cybertruck Launches in Canada: Pricing, Specs Revealed - TeslaNorth.com
Tesla has officially launched its highly anticipated Cybertruck in Canada, with deliveries expected between October and November 2024. The futuristic vehicle is available in two configurations to start like in the US, with the limited-edition Foundation Series available for configuration. Tesla sent out an email to those that made Cybertruck reservations on Thursday evening, according - Tesla has officially launched its highly anticipated Cybertruck in Canada, with deliveries expected between October and November 2024. The futuristic vehicle is available in two configurations to start like in the US, with the limited-edition Foundation Series available for configuration. Tesla sent out an email to those that made Cybertruck reservations on Thursday evening, according
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Here are a few pictures from our awesome 12-day tour of Newfoundland and Labrador…
Arches Provincial Park on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula…
L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site where Vikings lived 1,000 years ago…
The quaint fishing hamlet of Quidi Vidi (home of the Quidi Vidi iceberg brewery where I'm standing)…
The stunning 16-kilometre long Western Brook Pond former fjord in Gros Morne National Park…
A beautiful century-old root cellar in the tiny historic seal fishing town of Elliston…
Cape Spear, the eastermost point in Canada…
The majestic view from Signal Hill overlooking St. Johns, from where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic radio message, from Cornwall, England, 123 years ago…
Half a million puffins on Gull Island in Witless Bay…
Michelle and Don — the bestest tour guide and driver ever (holding yummy homemade bake apple and partridge berry jams)!
Our tour was with McCarthy's Party, which is run and staffed by absolutely wonderful Newfoundlanders like Michelle and Don…
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
this week a trio of them, from Newfoundland…
And so it goes…