Sep 28 & 29, 2024 Show Notes
Heritage Acres Fall Fair / Luxton Fall Fair / National Truth and Reconciliation Day Long Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Charles Martin
Co-host
Victoria Mac and iOS Users Group Program Director & AppleInsider.com Weekend News Editor
Phone 1-888-718-4598
The Podcast
Listen now: (podcast will appear here once it's been uploaded)
Or, you can listen to earlier shows by subscribing to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Watch out for scam Thanksgiving-themed Canada Post "undeliverable gift" texts
The texts, as you can see in the screenshot (from astute listener Annette), are coming not from a phone number, but from a Hotmail email address (which Microsoft has since shut down).
The message says your Thanksgiving gift has arrived at a Canada Post warehouse but cannot be delivered until they verify your info.
The text encourages you to click on a link that takes you to a fake Canada Post website (hosted on AliBaba servers in Hong Kong).
The website asks you to input your info, and then says there'll be a $1 redelivery fee, and asks you for your credit card info.
If you supply that info, within minutes, the overseas scammers will be using your card info to buy things.
NEVER click on links in texts like this!
2) Saanich Police warn of Bitcoin sextortion scam
Saanich Police say it begins with an email which you receive, which claims claiming 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.
3) Apple issues important security update for iPhones and iPads
In a surprise move, Apple issued iOS/iPadOS 17.7 security updates 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.
5) 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.
6) Kaspersky customers are getting a surprise forced-update to a different brand of antivirus software
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.
We definitely do NOT recommend using Kaspersky products, not just because of the alleged Russian spying issue, but also because in recent years, Kaspersky Anti-Virus products have missed a lot of viruses and malware, while also noticably slowing down even fast computers.
8) Meta stored 600 million Facebook and Instagram passwords in plain text
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.
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.
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 continue to 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 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:
12) Cineplex fined $38.9 million by Canada Competition Tribunal over hidden online ticket buying fee
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.
The Competition Commissioner is urging other firms that are charging similar 'drip pricing' fees, to stop doing that, unless they also want to be fined.
13) Repair site praises iPhone 16 lineup as “the most repairable iPhone yet”
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.
AppleInsider
iFixit awards iPhone 16 its highest repairability score ever
The traditional teardown by repair site iFixit has given the iPhone 16 lineup the highest repairability score of any previous iPhone, thanks to three key changes in the design and internals that make it easier to access components.
14) RCS-enhanced iMessage in iOS 18 still has security issues when adding Android users
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.
15) Updated: 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, 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.
The map also understandably does not show where future towers are going to be located, and that's key, because all four carriers are in installing 5G towers, and many of them at different locations from current towers, because 5G signal patterns are quite different from 4G and LTE patterns.
17) 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…
18) Relationship broken up? Separate your online accounts
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 Malwarebytres has written an excellent article (albeit from an American perspective) on how to separate online accounts…
19) Apple Music Classical app updates to v2.0, adds thousands of digital CD booklets
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!
20) Another rumour points to Android 15 rolling out to Googl 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) LG TVs will now start showing ads with its screensaver 😡
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.
23) No more using someone else's card to get into a Costco — you now have to scan your card, so staff can see if you match the photo
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.
A Costco membership here in Canada now costs $65 a year (up from $60 before Sep. 1), and an Executive membership now costs $130/year, up from $120. Those memberships are valid at any of the 855 Costco stores in any of the 14 countries where Costco operates: Canada, the USA, Mexico, Japan, UK, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, Iceland, France, China, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Homework videos (a.k.a. "time well wasted"!)
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 ever…
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 the Judy Collins classic, "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…
We took our international students — Klára from Czechia and Majo from Mexico — kayaking from the inner harbour up the Gorge Waterway and back, with our friend Rick…
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!
(It's a delicious Italian tradition dating back to 1839.)
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…