Sep 21 & 22, 2024 Show Notes
Victoria Royals Home Opener / Langford Station Food Truck & Music Festival / Oktoberfest / Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
The Podcast
Listen now: (podcast will appear here once it's been uploaded)
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Apple issues important security update for iPhones and iPads
In a surprise move, Apple this week issued iOS/iPadOS 17.7 security update alongside the huge iOS/iPadOS 18 feature update.
17.7 fixes 16 security holes — two of them critical — so we recommend you install it ASAP by going to Settings, General, Software Update.
17.7 is a hefty update — about 660MB — and as always, your device will have to have at least 50% battery or be charging in order to install the update.
We recommend you hold-off installing the iOS/iPadOS 18 upgrade at least until 18.0.1 is released to fix nummerous bug in the initial release. (see #10 below)
AppleMagazine
Apple Releases IOS And IPadOS 17.7: Critical Security Fixes And What They Mean For You - AppleMagazine
Apple releases iOS and iPadOS 17.7 with crucial security fixes to protect users from potential vulnerabilities. Learn about the key updates in iOS and iPadOS 17.7, why they matter for your device's safety, and how to ensure your iPhone and iPad are secure.
2) If you have a Mac, install the latest security updates ASAP — but hold off upgrading to macOS Sequoia, for now.
In a ddition to 200+ new features and changes, Apple's new macOS Sequoia operating system also includes more than 70 security fixes — some of them critical.
To protect Mac users who want to hold-off upgrading to Sequoia until the major bugs are fixed, Apple has released security updates for both macOS Sonoma and macOS Ventura, to fix as many of the security holes as possible.
The updates are macOS Sonoma 14.7 and macOS Ventura 13.7. Get them by clicking on the Apple logo in the upper-left of your Mac screen, then click on "About This Mac", and then on "Software Updates". We recommend you do NOT install macOS Sequoia, and instead only install the security updates. (More about that in item #11 below.)
More info on the security holes that are patched in the updates is here:
If your Mac is of an age that it can't run Sonoma or Ventura, be aware that hackers now know how to get into your Mac, and Apple can't stop them…we urge you to replace your Mac with a newer one!
3) If your Microsoft-hosted email account(s) has stopped working, it's likely because you're using an outdated Mail client
On September 16, Microsoft stopped allowing Microsoft-hosted email accounts (such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com/.ca, @live.com/.ca, and @msn.com/.ca) to work on older Mail clients that do not support current identity authentication methods.
Older third-party email clients like eM Client, Mailbird, ProtonMail and Airmail are also affected by this important security upgrade. If you use Thunderbird, the most-recent version can still be used to access Microsoft email accounts, but only if you make a key configuration change, which is detailed in the Microsoft webpage below.
If you're using one of the affected email clients, you can use the free Outlook Mail app, or the Outlook software included in a Microsoft 365 subscription, to continue getting your email.
You can also go to outlook.com on a web-browser.
support.microsoft.com
Modern Authentication Methods now needed to continue syncing Outlook Email in non-Microsoft email apps - Microsoft Support
For many years, applications have used Basic Authentication to connect to servers, services, and API endpoints. Basic Authentication simply means the application sends a username and password with every request, and those credentials are also often stored or saved on the user’s device. Traditionally, Basic Authentication is enabled by default on most servers or services and is simple to set up. While Basic Authentication was the standard at the time, Basic Authentication makes it easier for attackers to capture user credentials, which increases the risk of those stolen credentials being reused against other endpoints or services.
4) Be on the watch for a new round of fake "your Netflix subscription is about to expire" emails
The emails, as shown in these screenshots, have the subject "Netflix Payment Deadline Approaching", and advise that your payment info is out-of-date and urge you to update your profile to avoid your subscription being suspended.
But, if you check the sender, which is listed as "Reminder" (by tapping or clicking on that name), you'll see that the email is coming from a long address that ends in .fr — which is in France.
…and if you hold your finger on the "Update Profile" button they want you to tap on, you'll see that it'll take you to a webpage also in France, where you'll find a fake Netflix log-in page…
The scammers are hoping for three things from you:
1) that you'll give them your Netflix password so they can sell access to your account to others.
2) that you use that same email address and password combo in other places, so they can steal your identity and money.
3) no matter what email and password you give them, you'll be taken to a (fake) Netflix account payment info update page, where they're hoping you'll give them your credit card info so they can start buying things on your account. NEVER click on links in emails or texts like this!
If you've received a new credit card, you can go to your Account info in the Netflix app, or go directly to Netflix.com and update your card info there.
5) Watch out for fake "Rogers "your service will be suspended soon" texts
The texts are coming from 647 area code numbers, as shown in the screenshot, and claim your service will be suspended soon unless you click on a link to complete two-step identity verification.
The link looks plausible, but it's a scam.
The website — which has since been taken down — was registered in L-A earlier this week, but the scammers will likely switch to a new site.
The scam website contained a fake Rogers 2FA set-up page where the scammers were hoping you'd give them info they'd need to try to take over your phone number.
NEVER click on links in texts or emails like this!
Texts from Rogers (or any other carrier) will never come from a 10-digit number…they'll always come from a 'short code' number like 611 or a five-digit computer number. And they;ll always tell you to log into your account on their app or website, without giving you a link.
5) Canada Revenue Agency "Spot The Scam" escape rooms
IN an effort to educate us on how to spot common phone, text and email scams, the Canada Revenue Agency is erecting "Escape Rooms" in shopping malls, and encouraging shoppers to see if they get out by correctly determining which messages are real and which are scams.
So far, the nearest one to us is at Metrotown in Burnaby.
Tech Deals This Weekend
Freedom Mobile has started selling 'almost new' iPhones at a hefty discount; they're ideal for basic phone users
When somone buys a new phone from a carrier here in Canada, they have two weeks to change their mind and bring it back for a full refund, perhaps for a different colour or model, or perhaps because they're going to use a different carrier.
Instead of selling those returned phones at a huge loss to the same companies that buy broken phones, Freedom Mobile is now selling three models of almost-new iPhones (iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13) at a big discount to people who sign-up for service.
For example, you can get a certified almost-new iPhone 12 for just $5/month for 24 months (total cost: $120 + tax) if you pair it with a service plan costing $35 a month or more. You can get an almost-new iPhone 13 for $14/month for 24 months (total cost: $336 + taxes) on the same service plan options.
You can even get an almost-new iPhone 11 for free on a 24-month service plan of $35 or more.
Last few refurbished Epson Eco-Tank printers now available at London Drugs stores in Victoria for 40% off
We're big fans of Epson Eco-Tank printers, which come with bottles of ink equal to 80 cartridges of ink, but if you've held-off buying one because of their hefty price-tags, here's your chance…
London Drugs stores here in Victoria have partnered with Epson to offer two models of like-new refurbished units for less than the half price of new units:
- The refurbished ET-2850's, which cost $300 new, are just $170 — a $130 saving. They feed paper from the top, which lets you use photo paper and card stock if you want.
- The refurbished business-class ET-4850's, which cost $450 new, are $260 — a $190 saving. They have a 250-page internal paper tray and an Auto-Document-Feeder, which lets you scan up to 20 pages at a time as well as legal pages.
We've set-up more than two-dozen of these for people, and have had no problems with any of them, and it's impossible to even tell that they're refurbished units. If you're an LD Extras member, you can get a discounted extended warranty, so you can get a new one if anything happens to yours for three years.
There are only a few of these left, and they're only available at London Drugs stores in Victoria.
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) New iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems are available to download — but please hold-off upgrading until they fix some key bugs!
Apple's much-anticipated new operating systems for iPhones and iPads have been released, and as expected with more than 250 new features and changes, there are some bujgs, including one in the Messages app that can require you to lose data to fix it.
Other bugs which users have reported include:
- Download problems
- Face ID problems
- Wi-Fi issues
- Bluetooth bugs
- Crashes and lag
- ScreenTime not working for some users
- Tinting of icons with odd bugs
1) Apple usually rushes out an update within a week to fix most of the bugs, and we'd recommend you wait until that's been released.
2) Also, so you don't get frustrated, don't download the new operating systems till you've learned about the changes and new features that matter to you. In next week's Show Notes, we'll have a full list of the new features and changes, along with mini-tutorials on how to use them. In the meantime, here's Apple's list of iOS 18 new features and changes…
The the much-talked-about new Apple Intelligence features will not be coming till iOS/iPadOS 18.2 in December. There are still a lot of useful new features in the 18.0 upgrades, though…
iOS 18 brings to iPhones a dedicated Passwords app, the ability to send texts via satellite, a dedicated Power Off button, phone call recording with real-time transcription and translation, send-later texts, custom emoji's, categorized emails, Emergency SOS live video, a redesigned Photos app with much-faster photo finding, the ability to hide and lock apps as well as photos and folders, plus downloadable trail maps right in the Maps app, and much more.
And the good news is that iPhones as old as the iPhone XR which was released in 2018, and the iPhone SE that came out in 2020, will be able to be upgraded for free to iOS 18 — although Apple cautions that older phones will struggle to run some services and apps.
There's one ingenious new iOS 18 feature that will make your iPhone not worth stealing…
iPadOS 18 brings most of the new iPhone features to iPads made in the past seven years, plus a worth-the-wait Calculator app (you'll see!), instant transcription and editing of handwritten text, all new ways to customize texts, screen-sharing, an updated Documents browser, and much more…
But Apple has temporarily blocked M4 iPad Pro tablets from downloading the iPadOS 18 upgrade, after reports it was bricking some of those specific iPad Pro units…
11) If you have a Mac, macOS Sequoia is available as a free upgrade download, but please hold-off upgrading for now!
MacOS Sequoia brings more than 200 new features and changes, but it also includes a raft of bugs, including one big one which is breaking the functionality of security products from Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and other vendors…
Other bugs are causing problems with web-surfing. So, although macOS Sequoia is now available as a free upgrade, we strongly urge you to hold-off downloading Sequoia for now! Apple usually rushes out an update within a week or two to fix the most critical ones, and we recommend you wait at least until that's been released.
If you've already updated and are having problems, here are some troubleshooting tips:
12) Instagram is putting every teen into a more private and restrictive new account
Instagram has begun putting new and existing users under the age of 18 into “Teen Accounts” — a move that'll affect how tens of millions of teens interact with the platform. The new account type automatically applies a set of protections to young users, and only users 16 years of age and older can loosen some of these settings.
For starters, the accounts of all minors on Instagram will be private by default (not just teens under 16) and will come with some of Instagram’s existing restrictions for young users, such as those that prevent strangers from direct messaging them. But other new features are coming, too, including a Sleep Mode that silences notifications from 10PM to 7AM.
Along with these changes, Instagram is updating some of its parental controls. Parents who want to supervise their teen on the app will be able to see who their child has messaged in the past seven days (without seeing the contents of the messages). While Instagram will let teens over the age of 16 tweak these settings, younger teens will need the permission of a parent to make any changes, like making their account public. Parents will then have to set up Instagram’s supervisory tools to approve the change.
And if you're thinking that teens will be able to get around these changes by changing the birthdate they give Instagram, think again: users who attempt to change their age from under 18 to over 18 will be required to record a video selfie, upload their ID, or have other users vouch for their age. IN addition, the platform can now use AI to scan for signals that may indicate a user is under 18. For example, if a user says they’re 18 when creating an account but someone on the app tells them “Happy 14th birthday,” Instagram can use that to figure-out their real age.
These big changes are in effect now for new Instagram users, and will roll out to existing users here in Canada, and in the USA, Australi and the UK over the next week or so.
Adam Mosseri on Instagram: "We’re introducing Teen Accounts to give teens automatic safe protections and parents more peace of mind. Designed based on parents’ biggest concerns, Teen Accounts will automatically apply our strictest settings around who can contact teens and the content they see. Teens under 16 won’t be able to change these settings to be less strict without a parent’s permission. This is a big change to Instagram and it’s one that I’m personally very proud of. Click the link in my bio to get all of the details."
21K likes, 1,500 comments - mosseri on September 17, 2024: "We’re introducing Teen Accounts to give teens automatic safe protections and parents more peace of mind. Designed based on parents’ biggest concerns, Teen Accounts will automatically apply our strictest settings around who can contact teens and the content they see. Teens under 16 won’t be able to change these settings to be less strict without a parent’s permission. This is a big change to Instagram and it’s one that I’m personally very proud of. Click the link in my bio to get all of the details.".
13) Rogers and Fido are now charging a $25 shipping fee for online phone orders
With the CRTC about to crack-down on Activation Fees which carriers illegally charge when you switch carriers or set-up a new mobile service, carriers are finding new fees to charge.
The major carriers have defended their $70 Activation Fee (Freedom charges $45) by saying that customers can avoid it by signing-up online.
But now Rogers and Fido are recouping some of that lost revenue by adding-on a $25 shipping fee to anyone who orders a phone online…
Canada's communications regulator, the CRTC, has asked to carriers to explain why they're still charging an Activation Fee when such fees were made illegal under recent changes to the Communications Act. Some critics are demanding thae the CRTC require the carriers to refund all activation fees that have been charged since the legislation with given Royal Assent a few months ago.
14) We've had several people recently lose priceless pictures and documents when their computers or tablets died, because they didn't trust cloud backup.
Cloud bacup is super secure, and easy to use, but many people are understandably hesitant to use it because they have no idea how it works,or if it's secure, or private.
To help you understand how cloud backup works, and the differences between the various cloud backup options from Microsoft, Apple, Google, and others, we've created a short illustrated guide…
15) Here's how to see which carrier has cell towers near you
If cell service is poor where you live or work, you can now easily see which carrier has towers where.
You can download the free TowerLocator Canada app, or you can go to Steven Nikkel's website…
While this map and app by Steven are excellent resources, they do not show where future towers are going to be located, and that's key, because all four carriers are in the process of installing new 5G towers, and many of them at different locations from current towers because 5G signal patterns are quite different from 4G and LTE patterns.
16) Anker is recalling two popular iPhone magnetic power bank models over concerns their lithium-ion batteries might explode
Anker is recalling three of its power-related products, including two MagSafe clones, due to a potential fire hazard.
The Anker 334 MagGo Battery (PowerCore 10K), the Anker Power Bank, and Anker MagGo Power Bank, are being recalled, because Anker says it's discovered that a number of the lithium-ion batteries used in the powerbanks "may pose a fire risk due to a manufacturing defect." Affected models could overheat, which may lead to melting components, smoke, and even fire.
The affected model numbers A1642, A1647, and A1652. If you have one of these, stop using it and apply for a replacement at this website: https://www.anker.com/a1642-a1647-a1652-recall
17) Emoticons were invented 42 years ago this week
Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott E. Fahlman suggested the use of what are now known as emoticons on September 19, 1982.
Fahlman did so on a university online bulletin board, where serious and sarcastic comments were often confused…
While Fahlman is credited with the ASCII-based emoticon, he was neither the first emoticon user, nor the first person to suggest such a mark. In May 1967, Reader’s Digest published a similar mark and a New York Times interview in 1969 quotes Vladimir Nabokov as saying, “I often think there should exist a special typographical sign for a smile — some sort of concave mark, a supine round bracket.” The PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) computer-assisted instruction system, which began running on the University of Illinois’ ILLIAC I computer in 1960, had its own version of emoticons years before the Carnegie Mellon introduction.
18) Americans can now renew their passports online, but Canadians, still not yet.
The US State Department has announced that Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing the usual long lineups and waits. Fees are the same as for mailed-in renewal applications: $30 for a Passport Card, $130 for the traditional Passport Book, or $160 for both.
The online renewal portal is Travel.State.gov/renewonline
Here in Canada, the federal government announced early last year that online passport renewals was "coming soon"…but back in February, the government said that plan was on "hold" because of 'vulnerabilities' that surfaced during assessments of the new system.
In wake of the US passport renewal system going live, Canadian officials say we can expect to be able to also renew our passports online "in the near future".
United States Department of State
Announcing Online Passport Renewal - United States Department of State
The Department of State is making our new online passport renewal system fully available to the public today, a significant step forward in ensuring that Americans can more easily access passport services. Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a check, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that […]
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) If you want LED lightbulbs that stay lit when the power goes off, they have them as Costco!
One of our best finds at the Consumer Electronics Show years ago was LED lightbulbs that stay lit when the power goes out thanks to a small built-in rechargeable battery. We brought home a couple samples, and figured they'd soon be in stores everywhere, but that never happened.
Now, voila, our friend Ron Fraser discovered they're at Costco, in a package of six for $20! The printing on the package says they'll stay lit for up to 10 hours after the power goes out.
21) Another rumour points to Android 15 rolling out to Gogle Pixel phones on October 15
Google released Android 15 (code-named Vanilla Ice Cream) to phone manufacturers almost three weeks ago, but it appears Pixel phones will be the first ones to actually get it, and not until Oct. 15, which is the day after the Columbus Day holiday in the USA.
Android 15 will be available for the Pixel 6 and later, making this the first Android update that is available for Tensor-only Pixel devices. This'll also be the final Android update guaranteed for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, though they'll continue to get security updates until 2026.
Analysts think the delay in rolling it out is to give Google more time to fix bugs.
22) Rogers is buying-out Bell's share of ownership of the Leafs, Raptors, Argos, Toronto FC, and Marlies — for 4.75 billion
Rogers, which owns the Blue Jays and their Rogers Centre home, as well as Sportsnet, is buying Bell's share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertyainment, which owns the NHL Maple Leafs, NBA Raptors, CFL Argonauts, MLS Toronto FC and AHL Marlies…and will be the sole owner of all those teams.
Bell (the parent company of C-FAX), owns TSN, and says it'll use the $4.75 billion to reduce its debt and to support its transformation from a telecommunications company to a rtechnocommunications leader.
Rogers says the deal, subject to league and regulatory approvals, provides Bell with the opportunity to "renew its existing MLSE broadcast and sponsorship rights long-term at fair market value." This includes access to content rights for half the Maple Leafs regional games and half the Raptors games for which MLSE controls the rights.
Bell says it has secured content rights for the Leafs and Raptors on TSN for the next 20 years through a long-term agreement with Rogers, subject to league approval. TSN will also continue to broadcast Argonauts and Toronto FC games through independent agreements with the respective leagues.
23) Uber is starting to verify the identities of US passengers, as part of a push to make it safer for drivers
Uber in the USA is starting to check passengers’ account info against third-party ID verification databases in an effort to make drivers feel safer.
US riders whose identities are verified — either automatically using partners like Prove or by manually uploading documents — get a blue badge that’s visible to drivers to help them decide whether to accept a ride request. Unverified passengers can still request trips, and passengers’ last names will continue to be hidden from drivers.
For years, drivers have lobbied rideshare companies to add safety features that would protect them against carjackings and malicious reports. Uber anticipates that the majority of passengers will be verified automatically, and says riders cannot opt out of automatic verification.
There's no word when — or if — passenger ID verification will be rolled-out here or in other countries.
"Bienvenida de nuevo" to Majo, our homestay student from San Rafael in Mexico, who's returned for the first half of Grade 12 at Parkland Secondary…
Majo joins Klára, our other homestay student, from Prague in Czechia, who, it turns out, is an excellent javelin-thrower…
Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany…
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
This, week, it's "Signs Of The Week", from Scott who listens to us in Australia…
And so it goes…