May 31 & June 1, 2025 Show Notes
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Tech Talk - May 31, 2025 by Tech Talk with Alan Perry
Alan Perry is back with guest co-host Ron Fraser for a packed episode of Tech Talk! From urgent security warnings for Chrome users to cool Apple Maps updates for local cyclists, there’s something for everyone. Hear how B.C. is becoming a hub for AI, discover Copilot’s new free image tools, and learn how standing up too early on a plane might cost you. Plus, tech tips galore and listener Q&A!
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Watch out for scam DocuSign insurance emails that include a clever identity-stealing attachment
This is an ingenious new scam that starts with an email that purports to be an insurance claim reminder, which comes from an @icloud.com address…
The email encourages you to review an attached subcontract sent via DocuSign (an official electronic document signature authentication service) at your earliest convenience.
If you open the attachment, it takes you to an online portal (which the real DocuSign would also do), where you're asked to verify your identity for security reasons…
However, if you put in your Microsoft Account email password and hit Next, you'll be taken to a screen asking for a code which will be sent to you by Microsoft. DON'T DO THIS!!!
Here's wthe scam: if you hit Next, behind the scenes, the scammers running the website hosting the log-in screen above will immediately use your password to try to get into your Microsoft account, at which point Microsoft will email you a code to prove it's you. If you type in that code on the screen, you'll have just given the scammers permission to change your password and lock you out of your account and your email! They'll then trigger password reset emails for your shopping, banking, and other online accounts, and lock you out of those so they can steal your money and your identity.
NEVER open attachments in emails like this!
2) If you use the Chrome web-browser, update it ASAP to patch a critical security flaw
Google has released an urgent security update for Chrome to patch a critical vulnerability that hackers are actively exploiting in the wild.
Chrome’s Stable channel has been updated to version 136.0.7103.113/.114 for Windows and Mac, and 136.0.7103.113 for Linux to address four security issues, including a high-severity zero-day flaw.
Security researchers have identified CVE-2025-4664 as the most serious vulnerability in this release; this flaw allows attackers to bypass security policies, potentially enabling unauthorized code execution and cross-origin data leaks through specially crafted HTML pages.
To update Chrome on Windows or Mac, open your Chrome browser, click/tap on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, click/tap on Help, and then select About Google Chrome. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install any that are available.
Android users will receive Chrome 136.0.7103.125 through Google Play, which contains the same security fixes as the desktop versions. iPhone/iPad users can update Chrome by going to the App Store, going to their account icon in the upper-right, and then pulling-down in the middle of the screen to trigger a check for app updates. Scroll down, and tap on Update All if you see it.
3) Costco Oral-B dental floss eBay scam
Word of this creative scam comes from Tech Talk listener Carol in Nanaimo…thanks, Carol!
Oral-B has recently discontinued a popular type of dental floss sold at Costco, and replaced it with a different type.
The earlier version was so popular that people are paying big bucks for it — up to twice the original price — on eBay and on Facbook Marketplace.
Sensing an opportunity, scammers are offering packs of the original version on eBay and FacbookMarketplace for inflated prices, using pictures of the original packaging, but shipping you the new version which they bought at Costco for just $27.
If you're buying a product like this online, check the reputation of the seller, and avoid buying from a new seller. and if you're buying it because you prefer an earlier type, message the seller to confirm that the pictures they're using are of the actual product, not of a later version.
5) A dubious distinction: Canada was one of the Top 3 countries in the world affected by cyber-attacks last year
Canada was one of the three countries targeted the most by cyberattacks in 2024, according to a new report from California-based cybersecurity company Fortinet.
In its 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report, Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs team provided insight into the tactics and techniques of these bad actors, as well some of the places they’re attacking. Of particular note is the fact that Canada placed third in terms of dealing with the most cyberattacks last year, behind only the USA and the UK.
Canadians are a prime target because we're quite trusting in nature, and on average, more-affluent than most people in many other countries.
In Q1 2025 alone, Fortinet found that there were 5.9 billion cyberattack attempts in Canada, a 40%increase from the year prior.
Fortinet
Fortinet Threat Report Reveals Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks as Adversaries Weaponize AI and Fresh Techniques | Fortinet
FortiGuard Labs 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report highlights a boom in Cybercrime-as-a-Service on the darknet, fueling a lucrative market for credentials, exploits, and access.
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) WhatsApp has finally released its long-awaited iPad app, but you still need a smartphone to use it, same for the Android tablet version
Three years after saying an iPad version of WhatsApp was 'in the works', the Meta-owned messaging platform has finally released WhatsApp for iPad, and it's now available for free in the iPad App Store.
WhatsApp for iPad lets you make video and audio calls with up to 32 people, share your screen, and use both front and back cameras.
In order to use WhatsApp on an iPad, you must have WhatsApp running on an iPhone and then link it with your iPad…but once you've done that, your chats, and audio- and video- calls can be sent and received on either device.
If you let others use your iPad, you can use a WhatsApp PIN to lock access to the app.
You can also take advantage of iPadOS multitasking features such as Stage Manager to keep you in frame, Split View, and Slide Over to view multiple apps at once, so you can send messages while browsing the web, or research options for a group trip while on a call together. WhatsApp also works with a Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
11) Online claims portal will be open soon for huge Loblaw's/Weston $500 million dollar Canadian bread price-fixing settlement
Canadians who bought over the past two decades may soon receive cash from a half-billion dollar out-of-court class-action settlement nvolving major grocery companies accused of overcharging.
The Ontario Superior Court has approved a $500-million settlement to a lawsuit that accused Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company, George Weston Ltd., of participating in an industry-wide scheme to inflate the price of bread by abouyt $1.50 per loaf for many years.
If the Quebec Superior Court approves a similar settlement in a few weeks, an online claims process will be created to distribute the money late this year.
An earlier $96 million dollar class-action settlement saw eligible Canadians get a gift card worth $20; this settlement would likely net Canadians about $50 each.
12) Apple Maps now includes cycling route info for Greater Victoria
If you have an iPhone, you can now get cycling route directions — including bike paths — for destinations throughout Greater Victoria on the Apple Maps app.
The app includes the Lochside Trail, the E&N Rail Trail, the Galloping Goose Trail, the Colquitz River Trail, the Interurban Connector, and a myriad of smaller bike paths as well as bike lanes.
To get directions when cycling, you can either say, "Siri, navigate me by bike to…", or you can open the Apple Maps app, enter a destination, and then tap on the bicycle to switch from road directions to cycling route directions, You can also ask it to give you a route that avoids busy traffic, or hills.
13) Apple is reportedly going to switch to year numbers for all its new operating systems from now on
When Apple unveils its new operating systems for iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, Apple TV's and more in two weeks, the company is apparently going to abandon its usual practice of adding a digit to the OS numbers, and instead, use a more-sensible two-digit look-ahead year number.
That would see the current iOS 18 for iPhones and iPadOS 18 for iPads, for example, suceeded by iOS and iPadOS 26, with the '26' referring to 2026 because the operating system will likely be released in October and remain the system of note throughout most of 2026.
It's not clear if Apple will also change the nomenclature for devices, which if they do, would see the new iPhones to be unveiled this fall being iPhone 26 models instead of iPhone 17 models.
14) Nintendo's long-awaited new Switch 2 portable gaming system will be released this coming Thursday
Some retailers will be hosting Midnight launch events on Wednesday night to take advantage of the popularity of the new gaming console, with Nintendo warning that they have not been able to produce enough units to meet the expected demand.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will sell for $630 here in Canada, with the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle going for $700. Nintendo has held-off raising those prices to offset USA tariffs, but has hiked prices on accessories and on other and future games by about 20%.
15a) Instagram no longer requires you to crop pictures, and finally now supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos
The next photo you post on Instagram can finally be completely unedited, as the app has finally been updated to support 3:4 images.
Most phone cameras take images in 3:4 by default, so this change will allow you to post photos without having to crop them a bit. Previously, the tallest photo you could post on the app was 4:5.
15b) Instagram has released an important Android app update which fixes a significant battery-drain issue
If you have an Android phone and use Instagram, you're not alone if you've had to charge your phone more often lately. Updates to Instagram together with updates to Android have caused a significant battery-drain issue, but a fix has been released.
The simple fix is to update your Instagram app via the Google Play Store to build 382.0.0.49.84.
To do that, tap the Google Play Store app on your phone, go to Your Apps, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Manage apps & device. Next, find Updates and under the Updates available section, you'll see apps with pending updates. Tap Update All to refresh all apps or Update next to a specific app you want to update.
17) Rogers Will Charge You $75 for Clinging to 3G After Shutdown
Rogers customers who haven’t switched from the company’s aging 3G network by June 30, 2025, could soon face a one-time $75 fee on top of an existing $3 monthly charge.
The $3 Legacy Network Usage fee (announced in April) will apply users who continue to rely on 2G or 3G connections.
Now, an updated Rogers support website says that customers who are still using 3G exclusively by late June 2025 may also receive a $75 administrative charge, meant to cover the costs of maintaining outdated infrastructure and sending repeated notifications about the shutdown.
You can avoid these charges by upgrading your 3G phone or SIM card, or updating settings to enable VoLTE if supported. Rogers says those who don’t transition by November 2, 2025, risk losing their number, plan, and stored voicemails permanently.
18) Microsoft Copilot now has an even-better built-in free AI image-generator
The new 4th-generation Image Creator tool that's built into Microsoft's AI-powered Copilot service is noticably better than version 3.
You can use it to alter pictures you already have, or to create something from scratch.
You can use it for free in the Copilot app, or in the Microsoft Edge browser, or by going to Copilot.Microsoft.com.
Here's an example of what it did with a photo of me, when I asked it to turn it into a watercolour painting, a charcoal sketch, and Japanese anime…
Microsoft's Edge browser has also been updated to include pop-out video playback, and image magnification, which lets you magnify an image on a web-page without having to magnify the whole page. More on the new features below…
19) If you're switching phone carriers, you may not pass a credit check if you've been scammed or even had an attempted scam
Ken reached-out to us thsi week after he went to switch to Freedom Mobile to get on one of their "Roam Beyond" plans so he could travel without having to pay roaming fees.
When they went to run a routine credit check, he did not pass, and was told he'd have to pay a $50 deposit, which he'd get back after six months as long as his bill was paid on time each month.
Ken says he has excellent credit and wasn't pleased with having to do that.
We checked with Freedom, and they said that when they — or any other mobile carrier — request a credit check, that's done through Equifax or TransUnion, and they never get to see the result in order to protect a customer's privacy — they just get a 'Pass' or a 'Did Not Pass". It's their policy not to run a second credit check, because multiple credit checks can actually lower your credit score.
Here's the important bit of info: if you've been scammed recently, or even if your bank or credit card company detected an attempted scam and sent you a new debit- or credit- card, you will fail a credit check when requesting credit, even for small amounts like mobile phone service.
What you're encouraged to do is to contact Equifax and TransUnion before going to a place that will run a credit check, and inform them where you'll be applying, and ask to have a note added to your file, so when the credit check is made, as long as your credit rating is otherwise okay, you'll pass.
If you have either the Royal Bank or ScotiaBank app on your phone or tablet, you can check your credit score from right within the app. If not, you can check your credit report up to once a month for free from both Equifax and TransUnion…
For TransUnion, you now have to request your free credit check via postal mail, here…
20) Japan has launched a free Minecraft app that lets you explore their massive $2.77 billion CAD underground flood diversion system
Japan’s government has uploaded a free Minecraft map, which features the world’s largest underground flooding diversion facility, and you can check it out right now.
he ambitious level features Japan’s Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, the world’s largest underground floodwater diversion facility. Known as G-Cans, the iconic structure was built in 2006 to help mitigate severe flooding during typhoon seasons. G-Cans diverts water from heavy rainstorms about seven times a year and keeps the streets of the northern Tokyo area from becoming rivers.
The structure is most famously known for its colossal concrete tunnel system, which runs 50 meters deep and 6.3 kilometers long. Players can descend into the iconic structure to see how the flood mitigation system works, while marveling at the monolithic pillars that run along the tunnel.
21) iPhone 16 leads global smartphone sales, while cheap Androids fight for share
Apple's iPhone 16 topped global sales in first quarter 2025, giving Apple a strong lead even as budget Android phones gained ground.
Apple secured five of Counterpoint Research's top 10 rankings, maintaining its momentum despite market shifts. Even with limited time on the market, Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra came it at $7 and still accounted for a quarter of Samsung's phone sales in March.
At the same time, demand for ultra-cheap Android phones soared, especially in emerging markets, with the $100-and-under segment now making-up nearly one in five smartphones sold worldwide.
22) "28 Years Later" Director Danny Boyle uses up to 20 iPhones at a time to shoot $75 million dollar ultra-widescreen horror sequel
23 years after audiences were first wowed by director Danny Boyle’s genre-shattering post-apocalyptic tale "28 Days Later" he's about to release the sequel, "28 Years Later", which is the first big-budget hooror movie to be shot largely on iPhones, up to 20 of them in use at a time.
Several production techniques were used in an attempt to achieve an immersive feeling, including attaching cameras to actors, special sensors, designing rigs to house multiple cameras, drones, and working with a wide variety of camera types and lenses. And that included three special rigs for the iPhone sequences: “One for eight cameras, which can be carried very easily by one person, one for 10 cameras, and one for 20,” explains the director of the iPhone rigs. “I never say this, but there is an incredible shot in the second half [of the film] where we use the 20-rig camera, and you'll know it when you see it. … It's quite graphic but it's a wonderful shot that uses that technique, and in a startling way that kind of kicks you into a new world rather than thinking you've seen it before.”
23) Google is going to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink with "Taara" laser-powered internet
Alphabet is spinning out laser-based Internet company Taara from its “moonshot” incubator, hoping to turbocharge the start-up that provides high-bandwidth services to hard-to-reach areas in competition with Elon Musk’s Starlink network of satellites.
The technology works by firing a beam of light the width of a pencil from one traffic light-sized terminal to another, using a system of sensors, optics, and mirrors to fix it on a 1.5 inch receiver. Alphabet says the system can transmit data at 20 gigabits per second over 20 km, extending traditional fibre-optics networks with minimal construction and lower costs.
24) If you're flying in Türkiye, standing-up before a plane has come to a final stop at the gate will now net you a $100 CAD fine
Türkiye’s aviation authority has introduced a €62 ($100 CAD) fine for passengers who stand up before the "fasten seatbelt" sign is switched off upon landing.
When passengers rush to stand up while the plane is still taxiing to the gate, they frequently jostle other flyers or risk causing injuries by attempting to open the overhead compartments.
The ruling also intends to reduce the need for cabin crew to repeatedly issue safety instructions that are frequently ignored.
The new rule applies to all airlines flying into or out of Türkiye.
27) 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.
28) Taylor Swift has bought back ownership of her first six albums, including artwork, pictures, videos, and unreleased tracks
The pop superstar has paid what's rumoured to be hundreds of millions of dollars for the master recordings of her first six albums, giving her control over her entire catalogue for the first time.
She originally lost the rights in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music executive Scooter Braun. Swift described the sale to Braun as her “worst case scenario”, and said she had not been given the opportunity to buy her work outright, but to “earn” one album back for each new album she recorded for the label. Her subsequent albums, from 2019’s Lover onwards, were released on Republic, with Swift retaining the rights to the master recordings.
In November 2020, Braun sold the master recordings to the private equity firm Shamrock Capital in November for a reported $300m.
In a lengthy online letter to fans, Swift says she's now bought her masters – as well as her videos, concert films, album art and photography and unreleased songs – back from Shamrock.
29) Ron has been using the new AI-powered photo-editing features on his Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to remove people from pictures…
From the first photo to the fourth one, Ron says it was one click in the Samsung Gallery Photo Editor for each of the changes that you see. You click on the item you want to move or change, and then hit “generate”. The first time, he removed the lady in purple, then he had it change the hand to make it more realistic and in the last one, he had it remove her mask.
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…