Oct. 12 & 13, 2024 Show Notes
Royal Victoria Marathon & Thanksgiving (and Columbus Day / Port Angeles CrabFest in the USA) Long Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Ricky Winter
Co-Host
Tech Experience Manager at London Drugs Tillicum
store 250-360-2753
1) Watch out for fake Loyalty Program emails from Costco, Rogers, or Walmart, about being chosen to win an iPhone 16 Pro or iPad Pro
The emails look similar, but with different logos, as shown in these screenshots…
The emails are coming from overseas addresses such as @cs.apple.com or @sky-robotics.com, and they encourage you to click or tap on a "CONFIRM NOW! button. If you do, you'll be taken to a fake website for the provider in question, where you'll be asked to answer three demographic questions.
You'll next be taken to a webpage with a bunch of prize boxes and asked to choose one. No matter which box you choose, you will not 'win'…but you'll be given 'a second chance', and no matter which one of the remaining boxes you pick, you will 'win'.
You'll then be asked to choose the colour if the iPhone or iPad which you've 'won', and then to give them your contact info and the address where you want it delivered. If you do that, they'll then ask for your credit card info to pay for a nominal delivery fee — usually just a few dollars.
If you give them that, within minutes, overseas scammers will be using that info to buy items online which they can sell for cash, and your card will be maxed-out and have to be cancelled.
NEVER click on buttons in emails like this!
2) Watch out for fake "your Apple ID was used to sign in to a new browser" emails
The emails, as shown in the screenshot below, are coming from China (see address highlighted in yellow) and are designed to scare you into thinking your account has been hacked…
To try to scare you, the email claims your account was accessed by someone in a foreign country using a different operating system (in this case, someone in Iraq using the Opera web-browser).
If you tap or click on the "Log in to Apple ID" button, it'll take you to a fake Apple ID log-in page (hosted in Hong Kong), where the scammers are hoping you'll give them your Apple ID and password.
The scammers know that they can't get into your Apple ID account without a code Apple will send to your devices — but that's not what they're trying to do. They're hoping that you use the same email address and password for other accounts, like your email, social media apps, or your bank, so they can get into those and steal your identity and money.
NEVER click on links in emails like this!
5) Ticketmaster changes Taylor Swift ticket transfer rules amid recent cyber thefts
Ticketmaster is enforcing new rules around how fans transfer Taylor Swift tickets amid a surge in reported scams.
Ticket transfers for Swift's concerts can now only start 72 hours before the event. Previously, Swifties could transfer tickets between Ticketmaster accounts at any time.
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) The CRTC has given Rogers, Telus, and Bell a Nov. 4 deadline to say what they'll do to reduce international roaming costs
Canada's telecommunications regulator says our country's largest cellphone carriers must take steps to make their international roaming rates more affordable.
Bell, Rogers, and Telus have until Nov. 4 to inform the CRTC of "concrete steps" they're taking to respond to concerns about rising cellphone fees that Canadians face when travelling abroad.
The CRTC says if it finds the Big Three are not making "sufficient progress" on the matter, it'll launch a formal public proceeding.
Telus customers currently pay $14 per day to roam in the USA and $16/day elsewhere. Bell charges the same $13/day for USA roaming and $16/day elsewhere, while Rogers charges $12/day in the USA and $15/day elsewhere.
Quebec-based Freedom Mobile, on the other hand, includes USA and Mexico roaming in all plans of $35/month and up, and 92-country "Roam Beyond" roaming in all plans costing $45/month or more. Freedom also sells a 30-day Roam Beyond pass for $20, and a 30-day 101-country pass for $30.
11) Factory reset can be used if you have an iPhone or iPad that's too full to be upgraded to iOS/iPadOS 18 on its own or via iTunes
The free upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 18 is huge — about 6GB in size! — and many people are finding that their device doesn't have enough unused storage to handle it.
Before trying to upgrade, go into your Photos app, and scroll down to "Recently Deleted" (which holds deleted items for 30 days in case you change your mind), and select everything there, and permanently delete it to see if that gives you enough room to do an in-place upgrade. If not…
- If you have almost enough free space, your device will offer to temporarily offload apps to free-up space, and you can reload them afterwards. All your app data will be safe if you do this!
- If that won't work, you can also use iTunes on your computer to assist with the upgrade. Your computer will act like an external drive and temporarily store the downloaded upgrade while its being installed, Instructions are here…
- If that won't work because your device is really full, you can upgrade via a Factory Reset. Before doing that, first go to Settings, your name, iCloud, See All, and make sure ALL the switches are green (except iCloud Mail if you don't have an @iCloud.com email address). Then, back out (blue < arrow in the top left), and go to iCloud Backup and Back Up Now. Once that's done, you can back out of that, and go to Settings, General, and down at the bottom, Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad. Make sure you know your Apple ID password before proceeding! Tap on Erase All Content and Settings and follow the prompts, and when your device has finished being Factory Reset, choose the Quick Start option and then Restore from iCloud Backup. and choose the backup you just did a few minutes before. It'll prompt you to install 18.0.1 before restoring all your Settings, and apps and content.
12) Here are our favourite new features of iOS 18/iPadOS 18 (so far!)
- Darken the home screen background and/or make your apps darker and larger
- Hold your finger on an app to get the option to lock and/or hide it
- Format text in Messages (only when texting with another Apple user)
- Schedule a text to send it at a specific time/date later
- Send free texts via satellite if you're beyond WiFi and cell coverage (on an iPhone 14 or later)
- The new Passwords app: everything in one place, and you can add notes and share passwords!
- Share a WiFi password via QR code
- Change the width of your iPhone's flashlight beam (as well as the brightness) — only on Pro iPhones starting with iPhone 14 Pro
- Solve math in Notes with the = sign
- Prevent Motion Sickness with Vehicle Motion Cues
If you're holding-off upgrading to iOS/iPadOS 18, be aware that as well as all the new features, the new operating systems also include several important security fixes, so if you don't upgrade, you leave your device vulnerable.
13) What do do if your keyboard or mouse stops working
In many cases, your mouse or keyboard is fine — it's just lost its command connection to your computer. Here are simple steps you can take to try to get it working again…
- "Cold boot' your computer or laptop by holding down the Power button for 20 seconds, It'll go off after six seconds, but count to 20 before releasing the button. Then press the Power button once and let it come back to life and see if the mouse or keyboard has resumed working.
- If not, if you have a wired mouse or keyboard, follow the cable to your computer, and unplug it for five seconds and then plug it back in.
If your mouse or keyboard is wireless, look for the tiny nano-receiver plugged into one of your USB ports (see image), unplug it for five seconds, and then plug it back in. Also check the batteries to see if they need replacing.
If your mouse or keyboard still isn't working, try plugging the cable or receiver into a different USB port and see if that works.
If none of these steps works, try plugging the cable or receiver into a different computer if you have access to one, and see if it works there. If it does, there's a problem with your computer; if it doesn't work in another computer, the mouse or keyboard needs replacing.
14) Bell and Virgin+ have followed the lead of Telus and Rogers and hiked their Connection Fee to $70 — even though the fee is illegal
Recent amendments to the Telecommunications Act prohibit charging fees “related to the activation or modification of a telecommunications service plan".
Despite that, Bell and Virgin+ have followed the lead of Rogers and Telus and their flanker brands, and have hiked their Connection Fee (sometimes called an Activation Fee) to $70 from $60.
You can avoid these fee if you sign-up for service online. When Rogers was the first to hike its fee to $70 back in August, Canada's comminictions regulator — the CRTC — wrote the company asking for an explanation of how the fee was legal in light of the revised Telecommunications Act. The CRTC hasn't said if it got an answer, or if it plans to take the carriers to court for an order to scrap the fee and refund customers who have paid it. Freedom Mobile also charges a Connection Fee, but theirs is 'just' $45.
15) If you have a Pixel Watch 1 or 2 that's gone blank after the most-recent update, Google hopes to have a fix by November
In the meantime, Google has recalled their new 'Wear 5' operating system, and is giving older Pixel Watch users a workaround if theirs has already been blanked.
First, press the crown on your Pixel Watch for three seconds, then scroll down and tap Restart.
If that doesn't bring the screen back to life, try hard resetting your smartwatch. To do that, long-press the crown and side button for about 35 seconds until the white “G” logo appears. The watch should restart and be usable again once the restart completes.
16) Amazon and Apple have struck a surprise deal to bring Apple TV+ to Prime Video
The deal will see Apple TV+ join streaming services like Paramount+, Crave, AMC+ and others as a subscription add-on for Prime Video subscribers.
Here in Canada, Apple TV+ will cost an extra $13 per month — the same price as an Apple TV+ subscription direct from Apple, whenn its added later this month, and as with other streaming add-ons for Prime Video, you'll be able to watch all Apple TV+ content right within the Prime Video app.
17) Apple's iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle are now officially obsolete, and autorized service centres will no longer repair them
Seven years after their release, Apple has officially listed the 2017 iPad Nano and iPod Shuffle as being obsolete.
That's not a surprise; Apple classes products as being 'vintage' five years after they stop being sold, which means they can be repaired if parts are still available. Two years later, their classification is changed to 'obsolete', remaining parts are recalled and recycled, and repair centres are instructed to not try to repair them.
Also new to the obsolete list is the iPhone 6, which came out at the same time as the iPhone 6 Plus but stayed on sale for longer. New on the vintage list is the iPod touch (6th gen).
Apple does this continually and it's under such clear criteria that it's never a surprise when a device is rendered vintage or obsolete. But it does nevertheless seem like the end of an era, such as with the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.
18) Spotify is raising its Premium rates by $4/month to offset the new levy which it has to pay to support Canadian news and talent
Starting in December, the new Spotify Premium rate will be $21/month, up from $17/month.
Spotify and other non-Canadian streaming services now have to pay a 5% levy on their general revenues as part of the new Digital Streaming Act.
It's being challenged in court.
19) Google's new Pixel 9 Pro phone is now available here in Canada
When Google launched its new Pixel line in August, the focus was on the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL, which landed on store shelves on August 22nd. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold arrived in September, along with the Pixel Watch 3 and Buds Pro 2. And now, finally, the Pixel 9 Pro is here in Canada.
It has the same specs (other than screen size) as the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but is less-expensive — starting at $1349 CAD — so $150 cheaper than the Pro XL model.
20) New survey finds 87% of teens (in the USA) have an iPhone
Piper Sandler's latest "Taking Stock with Teens" survey finds teenagers still overwhelmingly own iPhones and Airpods, and about a fifth of them want to get an iPhone 16 before Christmas.
87% of teens have an iPhone, 70% have AirPods, and a third have an Apple Music subscription.
While many teens want an iPhone 16, and 22% expect to get one at Black Friday or for Christmas, the survey shows most teens currently have an iPhone 13 or 14.
21) 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…
22) New more-powerful iPad mini 7 expected later this month
There's still nothing official from Apple, but all indications are that a new iPad mini 7 will be unveiled later this month, along with other upgraded iPads, and M4-powered Macs.
The latest unofficial word is that the new iPads will be available for sale on November 1.
23) More info on the iPhone SE 2025 expecting next spring
There's still nothing official from Apple, but a leak of a case for Apple's entry-level iPhone expected next year indicates it'll have the same form-factor as an iPhone 14 with Face ID, and a single camera.
24) Elon Musk unveiles prototype Tesla CyberCab and RoboVan
Although details are very scarce, Elon Muskhas unveiled a prototype self-driving taxi which has no steering wheel, pedals, or charging plug. He says the two-seat CyberCab 'should' go into production in 2026 and sell for just $30,000 USD. You recharge it by parking it over an induction charging plate.
Musk also unveiled a prototype RoboVan transport vehicle, which he says can be configured to carry groups of people, such as a sports team, or as a cargo vehicle…
25) Congrats to Nanaimo's Shane Gross for winning the prestigious global Wildlife Photographer Of The Year award
Shane Gross’s photo, The Swarm of Life — an image of western toad tadpoles swimming in the sunlight among lily pads in a lake near Campbell River — won the "wetlands" photo category and also the grand prize. There were 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories.
Shane's winning print is on display with along with winners in a variety of other categories, at the Natural History Museum in London. Check-out the other finalists and category winners here…
You'll be able to view the winning shots and finalist entries in person when the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition runs at the Royal BC Museum from February 14 to April 17 of next year.
26) E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: remastered in IMAX this weekend!
42 years after its release, a digitally remastered cut of Steven Spielberg's classic "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is being shown at IMAX Victoria at 7:15pm each night this Thanksgiving long weekend!
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
It's a sign posted on the door of a Dermatology Professor at Leeds…
And so it goes…