January 4 & 5, 2025 Show Notes
World Junior Hockey Championships Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
Aitan Roubini
Guest Co-Host
Victoria Mac and iOS User Group (VMUG) President and MacZen.ca owner
eMail: Support@MacZen.ca
iPhone 250-813-1323
Join Aitan and Charles for the January 2025 VMUG meeting, on Zoom, at 7pm this coming Wednesday, Jan. 8. If you're not a VMUG member, you can take part as our guest using this link:
Zoom Video
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms. Founded in 2011, Zoom helps businesses and organizations bring their teams together in a frictionless environment to get more done. Zoom is a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, CA.
1) Scam 'package delivery problem' texts and emails are looking more and more real — but they're still scams
The text message screenshotted here is an excellent example; the logo is correct, the spelling and grammar of the message is good, and the link they want you to tap looks real.
But it's a scam.
The link takes you to a fake DHL webpage (hosted in Spain), where many of the links take you to pages on the actual DHL website.
But if you follow the prompts (seven screens in all), you'll be asked to solve a puzzle to prove you're a real person, confirm your address, confirm your birthdate, and after being advised that you'll have to present valid Photo ID to accept the package, you'll be asked to provide your credit card info to pay a $2.67 (€1.79) redelivery fee…
If you provide your credit card info, within minutes, overseas scammers will be racking-up scam purchases on your account! NEVER click on links in texts or emails like this.
If you're expecting a package, use the tracking number you were given by the sender.
It's a hard concept to get people — especially us trusting Canadians — to accept, but it's true: any email claiming to be from Canada Post or a courier company about a problem delivering a package, is a scam.
Among the telltale signs:
1) they're not addressed to you by name
2) they don't say who the package is from
3) they don't say what the package is
4) they don't include a phone number to call
5) the tracking number doesn't match anything you have
6) and, in the case of emails, the email address its from will not be from the courier firm
2) If you get a pop-up like these screenshots, it's a scam — but your computer is not infected, and you have not been hacked!
Those scam pop-up screenshots are all Notification boxes, which get delivered by a website or websites (like news or recipe sites) which you agreed to allow to send you Notifications.
Unfortunately, those websites have chosen to "rent" that ability to unscrupulous companies which send out fake virus warnings and other scams.
If you click or tap on the button, you'll be taken to a fake website where you'll be encouraged to either give them your credit card info for a fake (and pricey) anti-virus subscription, or to call a toll-free number which connects to an overseas call-centre where they'll pitch any one of a variety of scams.
Don't click, tap, or call! Instead, here's how to block these scam pop-ups…
On a Windows PC, open your Microsoft Edge web-browser, copy/paste the following into the address-bar… edge://settings/content/notifications
In the Notifications box, turn OFF the switch to the right of "Ask before sending"…
If you use the Chrome web-browser, copy-paste the following URL in the address bar of Chrome and hit Enter: chrome://settings/content/notifications.
The Notifications settings will open up, and you'll see the default setting Ask before sending.
Toggle the slider to select Blocked.
If you use the Safari web-browser on a Mac…
Click on the Apple logo in the top-left and click on Safari Preferences. Click on the Websites tab and then scroll down to Notifications. Now, uncheck the Allow websites to ask box highlighted in yellow...
These steps will prevent websites from sending you notifications!
4) If you’ve recently received an Interac e-transfer for $36.29 from MNP, it’s part of the settlement for Facebook’s Sponsored Stories class action lawsuit.
The case centred on Facebook using users’ names and profile pictures in ads without their consent, violating privacy laws in BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The settlement, approved earlier this year, saw $51 million CAD to be shared among eligible class members. These people were Facebook users in the above provinces between January 1, 2011, and May 30, 2014, who had their real names or identifiable photos used in Sponsored Story ads.
iPhone in Canada Blog • Leading Tech News for Canadians
Mysterious $36.29 e-Transfer from MNP? Why Facebook Sent You Money • iPhone in Canada Blog
If you’ve recently received an Interac e-transfer for $36.29 from MNP, it’s part of the settlement for Facebook’s Sponsored Stories class action lawsuit. The case centred on Facebook allegedly using users’ names and profile pictures in ads without their consent, violating privacy laws in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The settlement, approved earlier
Tech Deals This Weekend
Epson ET-2850 Eco-Tank printer: $70 off + extra ink bottle at Costco
If you're a Costco member, they havea special on this weekend that'll get you an Epson ET-2850 Eco-Tank printer/copier/scanner plus a bonus third black ink bottle for $340. That's $70 off the regular price plus you get the extra blkack ink bottle which is worth $28.
The ET-2850 feeds paper from the top, not internally, which lets you use thick photo paper, card stock and envelopes.
Apple TV+ is free to watch this weekend
You can watch anything on Apple's video-streaming service Apple TV+ for free this weekend.
The Apple TV+ catalogue includes hit shows like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Severance, For All Mankind and Slow Horses and films like Wolfs and The Instigators. Apple TV+ also offers exclusive access to select Major League Soccer and MLB games.
The freebie ends at Midnight local time on Sunday.
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.
11) Apple has agreed to pay $95 million USD to settle a "Siri eavesdropping" class-action lawsuit in the USA
People in the USA who owned an iPhone or iPad between 2016 and 2019 will be eligible for about $20 per device (up to a maximum of five devices), if the proposed settlement is approved by the courts.
It's likely there'll now be similar class-action lawsuits and settlements here in Canada, and elsewhere.
The lawyers behind the lawsuit claimed that the Siri digital assistant recorded people's conversations when Siri was triggered (deliberately or unintentionally), and that what was said was sold by Apple to third parties for targetted ads.
As part of the proposed settlement, Apple categorically denies that any Siri transcription info was sold, and says recordings were listened-to anonymously only to make Siri more accurate. Initially, employees of transcription technology companies hired by Apple were paid to listen to those audio snippets, but Apple stopped doing that when the issue first came to light years ago, and also made the contribution of audio clips an opt-in option.
12) iOS/iPadOS 18.2.1 security-&-bug-fix update expected soon
Indications are that Apple this coming week will release a small update for iPhones and iPads that will close more security holes and fix more bugs.
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, you can wait for the 18.2.1 update to be pushed out to your device via Automatic Updates, but because we're expecting it to close some security holes, we recommend that you check manually for the update every few days until it pops up, and install it as soon as it's out.
You can that, by going to Settings, General, Software Update.
13a) Carry-on luggage sizes have now been standardized for most of the world, but 60% of popular carry-on's will be a bit too big
The good news is that with the start of 2025, airlines here in North America and Europe (and also more and more other countries) have finally agreed to standardized carry-on luggage size limits, so if your carry-on fits on one airline, it'll fit on all of them.
The bad news is that the new standardized size — 56cm x 40cm x 23cm (22" x 16" x 9") is a slight bit smaller than about 60% of carry-on's in use today.
If your carry-on is too big, airlines will start requiring you to pay to have it checked, although initially, they'll likely check it for free till the new size limits become commonly-known.
In addition to the new standardized size limit, the carry-on weight limit is also being standardized: 10kg (22 pounds). If your carry-on is heavier than that, you may be required to either remove some items, or pay to have it checked.
Here are the old size and weight limits for 64 airlines prior to the standardization…
The new standardized carry-on size and weight limits are the only change for travellers in 2025.
13b) Rules governing pocket power-banks and portable electronics carried onboard planes (in carry-on's or personal items) have also been standardized
- The new rules require that all portable electronics must have enough power to be turned-on if requested by security screening staff. If your laptop or tablet doesn't have enough power to be turned-on, you can be required to leave and charge it up and return for re-screening, or to leave it behind.
- There's a new 20-device limit on portable electronics being carried aboard per person
- According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), power banks with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours (Wh) are allowed in carry-on baggage. Most power banks of 20,000 mAh or less will be within this limit. (Read on for the formula to use to be sure.) Spare batteries are strictly prohibited in checked luggage for safety reasons. These guidelines align with the regulations set by the FAA and TSA for domestic flights, ensuring consistency in safety measures.
- If your power bank exceeds 100 Wh but is within the 101-160 Wh range, you can carry up to two spare batteries in your carry-on, though airline approval may be required.
- Batteries larger than 160 Wh are not permitted in either carry-on or checked baggage and must be transported as cargo in compliance with IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations.
To check if your battery pack complies with regulations, you need to convert mAh to Wh using a simple formula: (Voltage (V) × mAh) / 1000 = Watt-hours (Wh)
For example, most power banks use lithium-ion batteries with a typical voltage of 3.7V. If you have a power bank with a capacity of 10,000 mAh, the calculation would be:
Watt-hours = (10,000 mAh × 3.7 V) / 1000 = 37 Wh
So, yes, you can bring a 10,000 mAh power bank on a plane, as it falls below the 100 Wh limit.
Similarly, if you have a 20,000 mAh portable charger, it would be approximately 74 Wh. This is also within the allowed range for carry-on luggage.
14) Going to Europe? You'll (likely) soon need an ETIAS VISA Waiver.
ETIAS waivers were supposed to be required starting this year, but that requirement has now been postponed till sometime later this year, and could end up being delayed again till 2026.
ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, and the EU created it in an effort to identify any risks associated with visa waiver-exempt visitors — including Canadians —travelling to Europe.
An ETIAS Visa Waiver will cost €7 which is about $10 CAD.
Canadians under the age of 18 or 70 years of age and older will not have to pay for an ETIAS Visa Waiver, but will still need to get one before travelling to Europe.
The start-up of the program has now been delayed until at least sometime later this year (after the launch of the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), and when it kicks-in, there'll be a six-month transition period during which an ETIAS Waiver will not be mandatory, but will be strongly encouraged, with express clearance lines for those who have one.
16) 2025 marks the start of a shift away from grocery barcodes
Over the next two years, grocery items will have their barcodes replaced with QR codes, which can provide a lot more info than barcodes. Some grocery store chains have already made their checkouts QR-code-compatible, and many more will follow this year.
17) Popular money-saving browser extension Honey, owned by PayPal, has lost millions of users after its shady tactics were exposed
If you use the popular browser extension Honey to find the best prices when shopping online, you may want to think twice, as million of others have done, now that how it works has been revealed.
If you're unfamiliar with Honey, it’s a free browser extension that promises savings to users by checking for and applying coupon codes when shopping online.
Popular youTuber MegaLag published a video (linked below) in late December detailing how Honey allegedly scams users and influencers it works with by taking advantage of affiliate programs and referral links.
In the video, MegaLag details various ways that Honey hijacks affiliate links from creators and influencers it partners with and how it works with retailers to give them control over the discounts that show up for users.
Since the video dropped, Honey’s install base has fallen by about 3 million to less than 17 million users.
A class-action lawsuit has also been filed against PayPal over Honey.
18) Get a look inside Apple's top-secret iPhone camera labs
CNet's Patrick Holland takes us behind the scenes into the top-secret labs where Apple tests potential improvements to its iPhone camera systems…
19) Rogers has revealed the ten biggest moments for its 5G network this year.
The top two spots on the list aren’t exactly surprises, as the carrier previously revealed the record-breaking single-day data usage during Taylor Swift’s Toronto and Vancouver concerts.
That said, this new list provides data usage for the full duration of Swift’s Canadian concerts, as well as insight into other big events not featuring the massively popular singer-songwriter.
21) If you're in a internet/TV contract and are moving out of their service area, you don't have to pay an Early Cancellation Fee
If you're in a Value Plan contract with a company supplying internet, TV and/or mobile service and are moving tosomewhere in Canada that your provider doesn't service (or if you're leaving the country), you do NOT have to pay an Early Cancellation Fee, even though many empoloyees will insist you do…
22) 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.
The Christmas/New Year's holidays have been very special for Suzanne and me, as we had Emma, our former homestay student from Germany, return to spend the holidays with us and with Klára, our homestay student from Prague in Czechia.
We cooked some great meals, went swimming, climbing, and bowling, went to IMAX, and even took part in the frigid but memorable New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim at Glass Beach in Sidney!
Good friends Rick and Zack joined Emma and Klára and me in racing in (and out) of the 9⁰ water!
As we bid a fond Auf Wiedersehen to Emma, who is flying back home to Germany today, our sadness is tempered by the knowledge that we'll see her again in 209 days when we travel to Pfaffenhofen, to meet her family, who have organized an amazing two-week tour of Germany for all of us, including our homestay student, Majo, from Mexico, who will fly over to join us!
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…