Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 2024 Show Notes
Santa Claus Parade / Black Friday Weekend Edition

🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Alan Perry
Host
Technology Tutor
iPhone 250-589-2926
Gary Beyer
Co-Host
Tesseract Computers
Store 778-430-5099
Brian Pavlicic 
Producer
Technology Tutor
iPhone 250-634-8986
Bid on our Computer Bundle Silent Auction for
donated by Gary at Tesseract Computers
This 2024 auction bundle, which is worth more than $1900, consists of…
  • a custom-built desktop PC powered by a AMD Ryzen 5500 processor, with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a ASUS RX560 video-card with 4GB of discrete VRAM, a new 1TB SSD, WiFi and Bluetooth, and Windows 11 Pro
  • a new 32" full-HD gaming-quality monitor
  • a new Epson ET-2850 Eco-Tank printer/copier/scanner with two years of bottled ink
  • a new wireless mouse and keyboard
  • a new Edifier soundbar
  • a one-year Malwarebytes Premium licence
  • Delivery and setup anywhere on the south island by Alan Perry
To bid, stop in at Tesseract Computers on Broughton near Douglas Street and make a bid from 9am-4pm this Monday-Thursday, or 9am-3pm on Friday, or you can call the store at +1-778-430-5099.
You can also call or text Tech Talk next Saturday between 10:05am and Noon at 250-386-1161. The highest bidder so far is Alex R. at $1000.
The highest bidder at the end of our Dec. 7th show will be the winner, and will be announced on Friday, Dec. 13 during our "Miracle On Broad Street" radiothon. The full amount of the winning bid will be donated to C-FAX Santas Anonymous, so be generous in your bidding!
There'll be a second computer auction on Dec. 14 courtesy of Priority 1 Computers.
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Security and Privacy News
1) Starbucks is struggling to schedule staff after a ransomware on its supplier of scheduling software
Starbucks says that a ransomware attack on a third-party software provider is hindering its ability to track baristas' hours and manage their pay.
The cyberattack targeted supply-chain management software maker Blue Yonder, which lets Starbucks employees view and manage their schedules and allows the company to account for their time at work.
Other companies including Ford have been similarly affected.
Starbucks says it's teaching store managers how to create staffing schedules manually while waiting for the scheduling software to get back up and running.
Blue Yonder, which is an independent subsidiary of Panasonic, says it's working around-the-clock to restore all of its systems.

CBS News

Starbucks impacted by ransomware attack on software vendor

Starbucks managers forced to rely on manual systems to handle baristas' pay, but customers unaffected.

2) We've created a separate set of "Common Online Scams to Avoid" Notes, which you'll find on our Show Notes home page, and also in the menu-bar at the top of any Notes page.
Feel free to bookmark that page, as we'll keep updating it with screenshots of the latest scams!
A link to those Notes is here: https://Tech-Talk.ca/scams
2024 Black Friday Weekend Tech Deals
Black Friday week brings the lowest tech gear prices of the year — even lower than Boxing Day sales, which used to see the best prices.
Black Friday is the day after US Thanksgiving, and is called that because in years past, that's when stores had sold enough product to financially go "into the black" and start making profit. It's expanded from one day, to a weekend, and this year to a whole week or more.
Below are the best Black Friday deals we've found; check back often as we'll update this regularly, as some stores will offer even-better deals on the day after Black Friday, in an attempt to beat the competition.
Almost all tech gear is on sale at one store or another, and most stores will price-match as long as the store with a lower price still has stock, so shop around! Links to the major Black Friday sale flyers are at the bottom of these Notes.
If you want to share this page, it's at Tech-Talk.ca/black-friday.

Freedom Mobile continues to have the best deals on new phones

Freedom has dropped its prices and/or boosted its data three successive times since Black Friday sales started earlier in the week, and continues to offer easily the best prices of any of the carriers. Below are the latest prices, which took effect at 10am on Black Friday; Freedom has dropped the minimum monthly plan requirement to their $45/month 100GB/month Canada/USA/Mexico plan, which includes 20GB of "Roam Beyond" data + texting and calling in 106 countries. You can save an additional $5/month, if you mention that stores like London Drugs and Best Buy are offering gift cards! Save $300 on an iPhone 16 ($16/month for 24 months + $445 buyout = $829; reg. price is $1129) Save $300 on an iPhone 16 Pro ($24/month for 24 months + $573 buyout = $1149; regular price is $1449) Save $300 on an iPhone 16 Pro Max ($20/month for 24 months + $729 buyout = $1149; regular price is $1749) Save $408 on an iPhone 15 ($10/month for 24 months + $351 buyout = $591; regular price is $999) Save $660 on a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (free + $260 buyout; regular price is $920) Save $643 on a Google Pixel 9 (free + $360 buyout; regular price is $1099)

Bonus gift cards worth up to $200 are, for the first time, being given-out when you buy a sale-priced TV at London Drugs

Give credit to London Drugs for coming-up with a great way to beat the competition on Black Friday TV prices: in addition to having a raft of TV's from 42" to 85" on sale well below cost, London Drugs is offering bonus gift cards when you buy a TV that's on sale for $999.97 or higher… Get a $100 gift card when you buy a TV that's sale-priced from $999.97 to $1499.99 Get a $150 gift card when you buy a TV that's sale-priced from $1500 to $1999.99 Get a $200 gift card when you buy a TV that's sale-priced from $2000 and up

You can get a 75" Sa msung 4K TV for just $900 at London Drugs

London Drugs has put all models in their DU7100 Samsung 4K UHD TV lineup on sale for Black Friday weekend, but one model is an especially great deal… The 75" Samsung DU7100 model is just $900, a $500 saving. The 85" model is $1500, but you get a bonus $100 gift card with that. They also have a 65" model for $700, a 70" model for $800, and a 60" model for $650. If space is limited, the 43" model is $400, the 50" model is $470, and the 55" model is $550. Remember, TV screen sizes are measured diagonally, so the 75" TV is only 66" wide. London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store

Gift cards up to $300 are being offered when you buy a new phone

London Drugs, Best Buy, Staples, Visions, Andre's, Costco, and others are all offering bonus gift cards up to $300 when you buy a discounted new phone on a two-year contract. The amounts of the gift cards have been upped — in some cases twice — from what's in flyers, as stores try to beat each other! The amount of the gift card you'll get, and the amount you save on the phone itself, varies from model to model, store to store, and carrier to carrier. In most cases, to get a gift card and a discounted phone, you'll have to be on a monthly service plan that starts at $55 or higher, so do the math and see if the amount you'll save is offset by a potentially more-expensive plan than you're on now. If you plan to travel, check to see if the plan includes Canada/USA/Mexico calling and roaming.

Freedom Mobile is now offering 20GB/month Canada/USA/Mexico plans for just $29/month

Freedom Mobile has now handily beaten Telus-owned budget carrier Public Mobile's Black Friday weekend Canada/USA/Mexico plan. Public Mobile and Freedom were both offering 10GB/month of 5G data usable in Canada/USA/Mexico plus unlimited calling and texting for $29/month, but on Black Friday morning, Freedom doubled the data to 20GB/month still for $29. Saturday morning update: Fido, Koodo, and Virgin+ are now all offering this same deal, while Koodo has pulled their $29/10GB offer and replaced it with a 60GB for $34 plan. But Freedom's plans also let you buy a 30-day "Roam Beyond" pass for $20 so you can use your phone for calling, texting, and data roaming in 106 countries.

Freedom Mobile has lowered by $10 the price of its two 106-country "Roam Beyond" plans for six months, and waiving the activation fee

Freedom Mobile has been signing-up a lot of people going travelling to its Canada/USA/Mexico + Roam Beyond plans, but the prices just got even better… This Black Friday weekend, Freedom is offering a $10/month price reduction for the next six months, plus you won't have to pay the usual $45 Activation Fee, on ieither of its two "Roam Beyond" plans… For $35/month for 6 months and then $45/month after, you get unlimited Canada/USA/Mexico calling, international texting, and 75GB/month of 5G data, plus 10GB of roaming data to use in 106 countries, as well as unlimited calling in those countries and back to Canada For $45/month for 6 months and then $55/month after, you get unlimited Canada/USA/Mexico calling, international texting, and 100GB/month of 5G data, plus 20GB of roaming data to use in 106 countries, as well as unlimited calling in those countries and back to Canada Freedom plans Black Friday 2024.pdf

If you have a disability, Rogers will lower the cost of your mobile plan by $20/month

Rogers is offering a $20/month discount off wireless plans (consumer and business) for people who have disabilities: vision, speech, physical, or cognitive. Any of the following can be used to verify your disability status: A disability-association membership Disability tax credit or other provincial disability support documents A medical note. How to get an accessibility discount on phone plans - Rogers

Apple iPad 9th-gen: $330 (save $120) at both Staples and at Best Buy (sold out at Staples in-store and online)

WalMart had the iPad on sale for $280 (a $170 saving) last weekend, but they quickly sold out. Best Buy and Staples have now both put the 9th-gen iPad 64GB model on sale for $330 (a $120 saving), but get one ASAP, either in-store or online, before they too sell out. London Drugs would price-match — but they can't, as they have no stock of this model Apple iPad 10.2" 64GB with Wi-Fi (9th Generation) - Space Grey | Best Buy Canada Apple 9th Gen iPad 10.2-inch Retina Display, Wi-Fi, A13 Bionic Chip, 256 GB, iPadOS 15, Silver

Apple 10th-gen iPad: $450 (save $50) at both Best Buy and Staples

The 10th-gen iPad is virtually the same size as the 9th-gen model, but because the TouchID sensor has been moved off the front to the edge, you get a noticably bigger screen, and it also has a faster processor, which is great if you want to play games on it, plus better front and back cameras. Best Buy and Staples both have the 10th-gen iPad 64GB model on sale for $450 (a $150 saving), but get one ASAP, either in-store or online, before it sells out. Other stores will price-match if they have stock, but in-store only. Apple iPad 10.9" 64GB with Wi-Fi 6 (10th Generation) - Blue | Best Buy Canada Apple 10th Generation iPad - 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display - Wi-Fi 6 - A14 Bionic Chip - 64 GB - iPadOS 16 - Blue

Best Buy and Staples have other iPad models also on sale for up to $800 off

Best Buy has put virtually every iPad model on sale but (not the new iPad mini), and the savings on iPad Pro models in particular, are quite hefty. For example, the 11" iPad Pro 512GB model is $300 off, while the top-of-the-line 13" iPad Pro with WiFi & Cellular and a 2TB SSD is on sale for $2180, which is $1000 off! iPad on Sale: Shop Black Friday Deals | Best Buy Canada Staples has put many other iPad models on sale for savings ranging from $80 to $300. Their sales include the previous 6th-gen iPad mini model which is $70 off — but we recommend you NOT buy this model because it was released in three years ago, and the 7th-gen model released last month is much more powerful and has much better cameras. Shop Apple 10th Generation iPads | Air, Pro, Mini

(Updated) Google Pixel 9 is on sale everywhere, but the best price is from Freedom Mobile

All the big carriers are trumpeting free (Telus and Rogers) or almost-free ($1/month at Bell or $4/month at Freedom Mobile (update: Freedom has started crediting that $4/month, so it's free) Google Pixel 9 phones, but if you do the math, their deals are not the best. Telus and Rogers will both give you the phone for free, but you have to go on a $75/month plan with 100GB of monthly data. Bell wants $1/month for the phone, and you also have to sign up for their $75/month plan, so they're the priciest at $76/month. Freedom Mobile's deal is easily the cheapest, because the phone plus your plan at Freedom totals $45/month ($4 - $4 credit + $45 with 75GB/month) and your plan includes "Roam Beyond" coverage in 92 106 countries (14 Central and South America countries just added) at no extra cost.

Refurbished Epson Eco-Tank printer/copier/scanner: $185

London Drugs has obtained another batch of like-new refurbished Epson Eco-Tank ET-2850 printer/copier/scanner units, which come with bottles of ink good for literally two years of printing for most people. The ET-2850 loads paper from the top, which lets you use photo paper or card stock if you want. It also prints both wired and wirelessly. While they last, they're just $185 — compared with $349 for a new one! We've helped set-up dozens of these, and we haven't had a problem with a single one. Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Wireless Multifunction Color Ink-Jet Printer - Certified Refurbished - C11CJ63202-N | London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store If you're an LD Extra member (it's free to join if you're not), you can get 20% off an extended warranty so you're protected if anything goes wrong with the printer within three years.

Paramount+ is offering half-price subscriptions

The Paramount+ streaming service, which is home to shows such as Yellowstone, Tulsa King, Frasier, and Mayor of Kingstown, is offering half-price subscriptions for Black Friday season. You can sign-up for either three months, or for a full year, at these 50% off rates: Three months of Standard (HD) — $5.49/month each (regularly $10.99/month) One year of Standard — $48.99/year (regularly $97.99/year) Three months of Premium (4K) — $6.99/month each (regularly $13.99/month) One year of Premium — $62.49/year ($124.99/year) The promotion runs until Dec. 2nd and is only available to new and former subscribers., not current subscribers. You can claim it at ParamountPlus.com/ca/account/signup/plan/ Note that auto-renew will be enabled, so you’ll have to cancel after the three months or one year if you don’t want to continue paying at the regular price. Sunday update: if you're on Rogers/Shaw TV, there's currently a problem accessing Paramount+ through their built-in Prime Video app. If you subscribe, for now, you'll have to watch Paramount+ content on the Paramount+ app on a smart TV, Apple TV box, or Roku, Chromecast or Fire stick

Apple AirTags: set for 4 for $99 ( save $30 ) at Best Buy

AiirTags are awesome for finding and tracking keys, wallets and purses, bikes, cars, and — with some limitations — even pets and kids and gradparents. Best Buy has a set of four Apple AirTags on sale for $99 — that's a $30 saving — this Black Friday weekend. If you only need one or two, you can give/sell the others to someone else, as an AirTag is not tied to an iPhone or iPad till it is activated and paired. Apple AirTag Bluetooth Item Tracker - 4 Pack - White | Best Buy Canada

Beats Solo 4 over-ear headphones: $170 ( save $110 )

Beats headphones are made by a subsidiary of Apple, which bought the firm from Dr. Dre in 2014. The Beats Solo 4 over-the-ear headphones are high-quality wireless rechargeable Bluetooth headphones which you can use for more than 48 hours on a single charge. They're regularly $280, but are on a pre-Black-Friday sale for just $170 at London Drugs. Beats Solo 4 Bluetooth Headphones - Matte Black - MUW23LL/A | London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store

85" Samsung 4K UHD HDR LED smart TV: $1200 ( save $600 ) at Best Buy

If you have a big wall in a room where your couch(es) or chair(s) are at least 10'/3m back from the wall, Samsung's impressive 85" 4K UHD HDR LED smart TV is a great deal. It runs on Samsung's proprietary TIZEN operating system and features 4K Ultra HD resolution and 60Hz refresh rate for crisp and clear picture quality with smooth visuals, plus, 4K upscaling improves the quality of low-resolution content to almost 4K resolution. It's usually $1800, but is on sale for Black Friday now at Best Buy for $1200, a $600 saving. Samsung 85" 4K UHD HDR LED Tizen Smart TV (UN85DU6900FXZC) - 2024 - Only at Best Buy | Best Buy Canada

Logiix 20W fast-charging power cube and iPhone/iPad Lightning cable: $15 off

If you have an iPhone 14 or earlier model which uses a lightning cable, London Drugs has a kit which includes a 20-watt fast-charging power cube together with a USB-C to Lightning cable, for just $20 (save $15). The high-quality cable is 1.2m/4' long. London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store

Malwarebytes Premium: three licences good for any combo of Windows, Mac, and Android: $25 ( save $30! ) — best price yet

We love the protection and ease-of-use of Malwarebytes Premium, and now it's on sale for the best price we've ever seen — $25 down from $55, at London Drugs, Best Buy, and Staples! MALWAREBYTES PREMIUM 4.0 85424800597 | London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store Malwarebytes (PC/Mac) - 3 Devices - 1 Year | Best Buy Canada Malwarebytes Premium Anti-Malware for Multiple Devices, 3 Devices

JBL "Clip 5" portable clip-on rechargable Bluetooth speaker: save $30

JBL's popular Clip 5 portable clip-on wireless and waterproof rechargeable Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $70 (a $30 saving) at London Drugs. This pint-sized speaker is a compact powerhouse, delivering impressively punchy bass in an ultra-portable design. Enjoy up to 12 hours of playtime, plus three extra hours with Playtime Boost for even louder, crisper sound. London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store

Acer AOPEN 22" full-HD borderless monitor: $68 ( save $61 ) at Visions

Acer AOPEN 22" 100Hz 1ms Borderless Monitor

Acer 24" Nitro gaming series IPS monitor: $130 ( save $100) at Staples

Staples has Acer's 24" Nitro gaming-quality computer monitor on sale for $130, a $100 saving. It features 1920x1080 Full HD resolution, super-fast 1ms response time and also supports FreeSync technology, for tear-free and stutter-free gaming. Plus, its ZeroFrame design provides boundless views, while the flicker-less and BlueLightShield technology ensure comfortable viewing for hours on end. You don't have to be a gamer to be able to appreciate the quality of this monitor! Acer 24" Nitro Gaming Series IPS Display Monitor - VG240Y

Acer Aopen 24" ultra-slim 100Hz monitor: $118 ( save $82 ) at Visions

Asus 24" FHD IPS Frameless Eye Care Monitor

MSI MAG 27" FHD curved gaming-quality monitor: $160 ( save $50) at Staples

If you have the desk space, MSI's 27" curved gaming-quality monitor is on sale at Staples for just $160 — a $50 saving. Gaming-quality monitors offer super-fash refresh rates for flicker-free image quality. You don't have to be a gamer to be able to appreciate the quality of this monitor! MSI MAG 27" FHD Curved Rapid VA 180 Hz Gaming Monitor - 27C6F

Logitech MK270 wireless keyboard & mouse combo: $25 (save $15)

This Logitech MK270 wireless keyboard and mouse combo is an specially good deal if your computer or laptop has only a few USB ports, as the mouse and keyboard share one USB nano-receiver. The batteries usually last 2-3 years and the nano-receiver is so small, it can be left plugged into a laptop. The MK270 combo is on sale for $25 (save $15) at London Drugs stores and online, at Best Buy stores and online, and at Staples stores and online

Logitech M325s wireless mouse: $15 (half price)

Logitech's popular workhorse wireless M325 mouse has a tiny USB nano-receiver that you can leave plugged into a laptop. It's on sale for half price: $15 (save $15) at London Drugs stores and online, at Best Buy stores and online, and at Staples stores and online

Logitech M340 half-height wireless mouse: $15 (half price)

If you have small hands, or if space is tight, Logitech's M340 half-height wireless mouse is great. It has a tiny USB nano-receiver that you can leave plugged into a laptop, and comes in a variety of pattens. It's on sale for half price: $15 (save $15) at London Drugs stores and online, at Best Buy stores and online, and at Staples stores and online. London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/search?search=Logitech+M340 Search | staples.ca


See all London Drugs Black Friday deals here…

Flyer | London Drugs | 100% Canadian Owned Retail Store


See all Staples Black Friday deals here…

Black Friday Sale - On Now | Best Deals of 2024


See all Best Buy Black-Friday deals here…

Black Friday Deals 2024 | Best Buy Canada


See all Visions Electronics Black Friday deals here…

Black Friday Top Deals | Visions Electronics Canada


See all Andre's Electronics Black Friday deals here…

Andre's Electronic Experts | TV, Appliances, Home Audio, Car

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) $11 billion — that's how much shoppers in the USA spent this Black Friday, with forecasts of another $13 billion on Cyber Monday
Adobe Analytics says its tracking of in-store and online sales suggests the US Black Friday long weekend is going to easily set a record.
Last year, sales in the USA on Black Friday topped $9 billion USD, but based on early numbers, Adobe Analytics is forecasting sales in the USA topped $11 billion, and its oprojecting thar Cyber Monday online sales will top 13 billion.
Canadian numbers are expected to take a real hit, because the ongoing Canada Post strike has left many online retailers without an affordable way to get goods to people, not to mention the thousands of orders that are stuck in Canada Post warehouses.
If you're ordering online this weekend or on Cyber Monday, make sure you check with the retailer, to find out if they have a way of delivering your order to you during the strike. In some cases, it'll say right on their website that they've had to suspend free shipping, or raise shipping rates, to offset the cost of them switching to amore expensive delivery firm.
11) If the Canada Post strike is delaying you getting a new or replacement credit card or debit card, contact your bank
Most banks and credit unions can digitally cancel a card that's stuck in the mail, and then issue a new one, which will be couriered to your local branch for you to pick it up there.
If your debit card has been cancelled either because you lost it, or because of fraud, your local bank branch or credit union can issue you a temporary debit card which you can use — with limits — until your new permanent one arrives.
12) Air Canada is now using facial recognition at YVR in an effort to speed-up the boarding process
Air Canada is starting to use facial recognition at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), making it the first Canadian airline to use this software in an attempt to make boarding an airplane easier.
Air Canada says it'll start using facial recognition at domestic flight gates at YVR next Tuesday (December 3rd). The airline stresses that the system is voluntary.
Passengers who want to board their flight without having to show ID will be invited to upload a picture of their face in the Air Canada app, along with a scan of their passport. Then, at the gate, you just walk down the que for facial recognition users, the camera matches your face to what's on file, and you walk on without having to show any ID.
Air Canada says it plans to add facial scanning to Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa in the near future.
Many USA airlines already use facial biometrics, but Canada has been slow to adopt them due to concerns about privacy and ethics. Air Canada stresses that this program is completely voluntary and that passengers retain control of their biometric data and that their system operates independently of any government programs like Nexus.
13) Google is being sued by Canada's competition watchdog
The Canadian Competition Bureau is suing Google over alleged anticompetitive conduct in the tech giant's online advertising business and wants the company to sell off two of its services and pay a penalty.
The Bureau says such action is necessary because an investigation it conducted into Google has found the company "unlawfully" tied together its ad tech tools to maintain its market dominance, and that that dominance has discouraged competition from rivals, inhibited innovation, inflated advertising costs and reduced publisher revenues.

CTVNews

Competition Bureau suing Google, wants company to sell off two advertising services

The Competition Bureau is suing Google over alleged anticompetitive conduct in the tech giant's online advertising business and wants the company to sell off two of its services and pay a penalty.

14) Major Canadian news organizations are banding together to sue OpenAI for allegedly illegally using news articles to train ChatGPT
A group of Canadian news outlets — including CBC/Radio-Canada, Postmedia, Metroland, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the Canadian Press — has launched a joint lawsuit claiming copyright infringement against ChatGPT creator OpenAI.
They say OpenAI is illegally stealing their news stories and using the content to 'train' ChatGPT, and want that to stop unless OpenAI agrees to pay them.
OpenAI, for its part, says the company's models are trained on data that is publicly available, and says it collaborates closely with news publishers, including in the display, attribution and links to their content in ChatGPT search, and offers them easy ways to opt out should they so desire.

CBC

Media outlets, including CBC, sue ChatGPT creator | CBC News

A group of Canadian news outlets — including CBC/Radio-Canada, Postmedia, Metroland, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and the Canadian Press — has launched a joint lawsuit claiming copyright infringement against ChatGPT creator OpenAI.

15) Australia is banning teens under 16 from using social media
In a world first, a social media ban for children under 16 has been passed in the Australian Parliament.
The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($45.6 million CAD) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
Messaging apps like WhatsApp, child-specific versions like YouTube Kids and those used for education delivery, such as Google Classroom, could get exemptions from the ban.
The platforms have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced…in the meantime, starting in January, teens will have to start uploading official ID scans to prove their actual age or to change the age which current users claim they are.

CBC

Australia passes youth social media ban. Now it has to figure out how it will actually work | CBC News

Australia on Thursday passed into law a social media ban for those under 16 years old, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.

16) Dictionary.com's 2024 Word Of The Year is "demure"
Popular online dictionary platform Dictionary.com has officially announced its annual word of the year, and they’ve made a very mindful choice…
Their 2024 Word of the Year is the viral sensation “demure,” which took off on TikTok in August of this year. It was popularized by TikToker Jools Lebron, whose phrase “very demure, very mindful” was featured in a series of viral videos and replicated by other creators. Lebron would also often pair the word with “cutesy” and “considerate,” providing advice to her followers for situations like “how to be demure and modest and respectful at the workplace.”
Between January and September of this year, Dictionary.com says that Demure saw a 1200% increase in usage in digital web media and had 200 times more searches on Dictionary.com.

Time

Dictionary.com Names ‘Demure’ as Its Word of the Year for 2024

Popularized on TikTok by Jools Lebron and other trans creators, "demure" is now Dictionary.com's annual word of the year for 2024.

17) Australia's quasi-official Macquarie Dictionary has picked "enshittification" as its Word Of The Year, tapping into a growing sense that once-great digital services are bad and getting worse.
The Macquarie Dictionary, considered the standard reference on Australian English, has named "enshittification” as its 2024 Word of the Year.
It's a term that was coined by British-Canadian journalist Cory Doctorow back in 2022 to describe what the dictionary defined as “the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking.” In other words, when some app (like Twitter) starts off as really useful and then bit by bit gets significantly worse.
Doctorow described this deterioration as a three-part process: "First, platforms are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. It’s frustrating. It’s demoralizing. It’s even terrifying."

CBS News

Why an Australian dictionary picked "ens***tification" as the word of 2024

Australia's Macquarie Dictionary picks "ens***tification" as its word of 2024, tapping into a sense that digital services are getting worse as companies prioritize profits.

18) 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.
19) We've compiled all our tech tips and solutions (four dozen of them, so far) into one indexed set of "Tips and Solutions" Notes which you can find on our home page.
You can also get to them by going to Tech-Talk/ca/faq
20) We've also started compiling a list of our favourite phone apps
The "Our Favourite Apps" list — which will have a lot more added in the coming weeks — is on our home page, and you can also get to it by going to Tech-Talk.ca/apps.

tech-talk.ca

Our Favourite Apps

Add all your loyalty cards, collect rewards, get personalized offers and pay with your phone!

21) Coming next week: our annual Christmas Tech Gift Ideas list
Each year, we get asked for suggestions on what gifts to get for tech fans. A few years ago, we started creating a list of items which we're confident will be popular gifts.
This year's list is having to be completely reworked, though, because many of the items are available only from retailers who, because of the Canada Post strike, won't be able to get them to you in time.
Others are still waiting for their stock to arrive because of the earlier port workers strike.
Next week, we'll have a list of tech gift ideas that we're confident you'll be able to get your hands-on in time for Christmas, along with the best of the others which you can gift-wrap a picture of the item, on assurance that the actual item will arrive once the postal strike is over.
As always, we welcome your suggestions! Email Alan at AlanPerry@outlook.com or Brian at Brian.Pavlicic@outlook.com…and thanks for your patience!
21) Taylor Swift fans set a new record for data usage during her Toronto "Eras Tour" concerts, and that has carriers ramping-up for her final concerts in Vancouver next week
Taylor Swift fans on the Rogers 5G network shattered the record for sharing and streaming the most content ever at a single event at Rogers Centre in Toronto – using 7.4 terabytes (TB) of mobile data just on the Rogers network in just a few hours. The total data usage by Swifties on all carfriers is thought to be three times that.
The record-breaking traffic on November 21 on Rogers is the equivalent of uploading 182,000 photos and 1,600 hours of video streaming! That's enough data to stream Taylor’s entire music catalog 6,300 times!
Carriers are now massively upgrading their mobile internet capacity as Taylor Swift prepares to end her world tour with three sold-out shows at Rogers Centre in Vancouver Dec. 6-8.

About Rogers

Taylor Swift Fans Set New Record for Mobile Data Use at Rogers Centre - About Rogers

Fans at single show use enough data on Rogers 5G network to stream Taylor’s entire music catalog 6,300 times TORONTO, November 25, 2024 – Taylor Swift fans on the Rogers 5G network shattered the record for sharing and streaming the most content ever at a single event at Rogers Centre […]

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 a video of some great historical photos of Canada's old west…
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41) Watch CNN's Melissa Bell give us a first look at the amazing restoration of the fire-ravaged Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in France…
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42) Watch Japan's stunning 31st annual Akagawa Fireworks Festival in 4K…
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43) Watch a rare 1978 stereo TV special featuring Olivia Newton-John performing with ABBA and the BeeGees — including Andy Gibb…
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44) Watch an inside look at how Samsung's flagship smartphones are made…
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45) Watch Geoff Johnson's footage of the bomb cyclone surf at Ucluelet…
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46) Watch (and listen) as Gret Rocha sings "Todo Lo Que Quiero Eres Tú" — a Spanish version of Mariah Carey's classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You"…
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Check out the impressive Gingerbread House showcase in the lobby of the Hotel Grand Pacific on Belleville Street…
Each of this year's collection of brilliantly diverse gingerbread houses was created by a team of people from a local group or company, some of whom put more than 200 hours of work into their creations, and everything they used must be edible!
We encourage you to vote for your favourite by tapping yoiur card or phone on their button to make a $5 donation to Habitat For Humanity. We took our international strudents from Mexico and Czechia to see them, along with one of their student friends from Spain, and here are a few of our favourites…
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…