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Saanich Police say it begins with an email which you receive, which claims you've viewed adult content online and that malware has captured compromising photos or videos.

The scammer includes a Google Street View image of your home and other personal details to try to scare you into thinking it's real. They then demand money be deposited into a Bitcoin wallet, threatening to send the compromising images to family and friends if their demand is not met.

It's a disgusting and illegal scam called 'sextortion'. They don't have any images or videos of you.

Police say if you get one of these emails, keep it and contact them. In the past, these scams have been traced to overseas countries, which makes them a challenge to shut down, but police are willing to try.

In addition 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.)

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.

Because Kaspersky anti-virus is now banned from being sold in the USA and Canada, the Russian-based firm is automatically switching users to UltraAV, an American competitor with whom Kaspersky has made a referral deal.

Kaspersky users report turning on their computer to discover that Kaspersky software has been uninstalled and replaced with UltraAV, which is owned by Pango, along with TotalVPN.

UltraAV is a relatively new anti-virus product, and does not get good reviews from reputable labs. Online, you'll see lots of great reviews for UtraAV, but many of them are actually on websites which were either created specifically to give glowing reviews, or were paid to do that.

If you're on a Windows, Mac, or Android user, we recommend using Malwarebytes Premium, which is #1 in the world, and does not slow down your device.

Feel free to bookmark that page, as we'll keep updating it with screenshots of the latest scams!

Meta's operation in Ireland has been fined $101.5 million USD after a five-year investigation by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for storing non-US user passwords in plain text that was accessible to more than 2,000 engineers (and anyone who might have hacked those employees' accounts).

Meta is separately appealing a 2023 DPC ruling regarding GDPR which does potentially include US data. According to MoneyCheck, Meta was reportedly fined $1.3 billion for infringing data protection regulations concerning the transfer of user data between the EU and the US.

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 slightly used phones at a big discount to people who sign-up for service.

For example, you can get a certified slightly-used 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.

Freedom's website has a wide selection of phones at slightly higher prices than these…those are for virtually brand new phones. These prices are for slightly used ones.

If you have a Windows, Mac or Android computer, phone or tablet, we highly recommend you protect it with Malwarebytes Premium anti-malware. Their free version will scan your computer for bad stuff and remove it when you tell it to, but by then, the damage is often done. Malwarebytes Premium keeps malware from getting into your device.

A one-year licence good for three devices (any combo of Windows, Mac and Android) is usually $55, but it's on sale for $35 (a $20 saving) till October 10 at London Drugs stores and online.

Note: Malwarebytes is not needed for iPhones or iPads as Apple's App Store scans all your apps.

If you don't print much, Canon's TS5320A PIXMA printer/copier/scanner is a good choice.

It prints wired or wireless and uses just two cartridges — one black, and one tri-colour, and it has two built-in paper trays — one for letter-sized paper, and another for 4×6 or 5×7 photo paper.

Items start at #10, so the numbers don't get thrown-off if we add more security items above!

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:

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.

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…

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 and with memory sticks and external drives connected via USB.

So, although macOS Sequoia is now available as a free upgrade, we strongly urge you to hold-off downloading Sequoia for now! Apple usually releases 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:

The fine — which Cineplex says it plans to appeal — was levied because Cineplex has been adding on a $1.50 per-ticket processing fee to all movie tickets bought on line, but not telling us about that until we go to check out.

The Competition Tribunal says that's a classic example of "drip pricing" — a practice where customers are drawn into a purchase without full disclosure of the final cost. Cineplex says moviegoers can avoid that fee by buying tickets in-person at theatres, but critics point out that popular screenings are often sold-out in advance. The Competition Act was amended in June 2022 to recognize drip pricing as a harmful business practice, with much stiffer potential penalties.

The $38.9 million fine is equal to how much the Competition Commissioner says Cineplex earned through that online processing fee from June 2022 through the end of last year.

Repair site iFixit.com has disassembled the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, declaring the lineup to be “the most repairable yet”, with particular praise for the iPhone 16 Pro’s encased-in-metal battery, which helps protect it from accidental piercing and other potentially-dangerous damage.

Apple's adoption of the RCS protocol in iOS 18 has improved communications in iMessage between users of iPhones and Android, but some security issues remain, although Apple and Google are working together to fix them.

The bottom line: if you're sending texts to a group of people and any of them have Android phones, use Signal or WhatsApp and not Messages, to ensure your messages get to everyone securely.

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, because it's a volunteer project for him, the map is not always up-to-date. The current version for Victoria, for example, was last updated August 30, so it does not show new towers such as Freedom's new 5G tower in James Bay.

If you're going travelling, make sure the numbers in your Contacts for people you're going to call are saved with a 1 before the area code and number if they're here or in North America, or you won't be able to call them.

If you're going overseas, many of you have switched to Freedom Mobile to take advantage of their "Roam Beyond" plan which let you use your phone in 92 countries around the world at no extra cost. Or, you may be using the Airalo app to add an overseas number via an eSIM.

But, either way, in order to call people in a foreign country when you're there, you have to save their phone number beginning with + and the country code.

On home phones, you have to dial 011 and then the country code and their number.,,but on mobile phones, you just need + and the country code and thedir number.

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…

Breaking up is hard to do. But the internet has made it even harder.

With couples today regularly sharing access to one another’s email accounts, streaming services, social media platforms, online photo albums, and more, the risk of a bad breakup isn’t just heartache.

Equipped with unfettered access into sensitive, shared online accounts, a vindictive ex could track someone who is actively using services like DoorDash, Uber, or Airbnb, spy on someone through a Ring doorbell, raise the temperature on a Nest thermostat, or shout obscenities through a baby monitor.

As every relationship is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to safely disentangling your digital life from your ex, but there are a few rules that can make the process easier.

David Ruiz at Malwarebytes has written an excellent article (albeit from an American perspective) on how to separate online accounts…

The booklets, readable in the layout in which they were published,contain images and provide a lot more info about the album. This can include lyrics to operatic tracks, details about the orchestra and conductor, and other details.

Apple Music Classical is available as a free app on iPhone and iPad for those who already subscribe to Apple Music, but features only classical music and related forms, such as opera, baroque, and other early music genres. Its vast classical music catalog now includes more than five million recordings!

Analysts think the delay in rolling it out is to give Google more time to fix bugs.

In a growing trend that has angered TV owners, LG has begun rolling out screensaver ads on its Smart TVs, even including their premium OLED models.

What started as small, unobtrusive “recommendations” for programs you might like, has grown into full-screen ad displays and large carousels that take up prime space on TV home screens. LG says the ads will run before the screensaver kicks in, and the ad is tailored to the owner's geographic location.

While the ads will — for now — be shown muted, this could change in the future without consumer pushback. Luckily, this "feature" can be disabled.

Costco stores here in Canada and across the USA are installing membership card scanners at the entrance, so staff can be sure the person entering is the card-holder.

Before entering the warehouse, you're now required to scan either the barcode on your physical membership card, or the QR code on your Costco app on your smartphone. Simply flashing a membership to an attendant is no longer be enough. Computer screens have been installed at store entrances, where a HD version of the photo on the scanned card is displayed to staff, so they can easily determine if you're the card-holder. If you're not, you'll be denied entry.

If you have a membership card that does not have a photo on it, you'll be directed to the Customer Service desk to get a new card with a photo on it, before being allowed in.

Non-members can still enter if they're accompanied by a member, but guests can no longer order food and drinks including Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog and pop combo — members must scan their card barcode or app QR code to order.

We frequently hear from people who spent good money on an app or software, only to later discover from someone else that they could've done what they wanted using an app or software that their computer, tablet or phone came with.

"Tech Talk" listener Cair suggested we mention this, because she's been paying for a subscription to a journaling app called "Day 1" for several years. She wanted to know what would happen to all her info if she cancelled her subscription, and the answer is, she'd lose it.

I suggested she instead use the popular free Journal app that come with every iPhone, iPad and Mac. She's now going to try it out and if she likes it, which I think she will, she'll copy/paste all her content into Journal from Day 1, and cancel that subscription.

The same holds true for photo- and video- editing: before you pay money for Adobe Photoshop or Premiere other other apps and software, check out Apple Photos and iMovie on an iPhone, iPad and Mac, or Microsoft Photos and ClipChamp for Windows.

In most cases, what used to be bare-bones free software and apps in years past, are now full-featured versions that do pretty much everthing that most people want.

Videos start at #40, so the numbers don't get thrown-off if we add more tech news items above!

40) Watch: CBS News report on Apple's forthcoming addition of OTC hearing-aid features to the AirPods Pro (2nd-gen), which has been out since 2022.

41a) Watch iFixIt.com show how much easier it is to repair an iPhone 16-series phone compared to any earlier iPhone…

41b) …and then see why the iPhone 16 Pro is the most repairable iPhone so far…

42) Watch a behind-the-scenes look at how Zipline, the leader in drone delivery, is preparing to begin mass deliveries by drone in the USA later this year…

43) Watch US VP and Presidental candidiate Kamala Harris do the WIRED Auto-Complete Interview, answering the web's most-searched questions about her…

44) Watch: ZoneOfTech tackles the question of whether you should upgrade your iPhone 15/14/13/12 to the new iPhone 16:

45) Watch Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles record a duet of Judy Collins' hit (written by Joni Mitchell), "Both Sides Now", with behind-the-scenes video…

46) Watch the Broadway cast of "Hamilton" encourage Americans to vote…

47) Watch Elle Cordova's brilliant "Star Trek Technobabble"…

48) Watch a retrospective of the legendary star of stage and screen, Dame Maggie Smith, who's passed away at the age of 89…

Christmas Panettone (Italian fruit bread) has arrived early at Costco!

It's a different brand from past years (Chef Panettone now) but still made in Milano!