July 5 & 6, 2025 Show Notes
Victoria Pride🌈Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm on C-FAX
🎧 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
Join Charles, Aitan and me for the July VMUG meeting on Zoom, at 7pm this coming Wednesday, July 16. If you're not a member, you're invited to take part as our guest, at the link below…
The Podcast
Listen now:
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Tech Talk – July 5, 2025 by Tech Talk with Alan Perry
Scam calls, 3G shutdowns, and smart travel tech! Alan Perry and Charles Martin dive into the week’s top tech headlines and answer your live tech questions on Tech Talk. If your phone is older or budget-friendly, find out if it’s affected by Canada’s mobile network changes.
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
2) Watch out for pop-ups on your phone or tablet that claim your device is infected
Many scammers buy ads on popular free online games, recipe sites, celebrity news sites and the like.
If you tap on one, you get a screen that looks like the screenshot shared by Peter Young from Priority 1 Computers: it poses as Norton Antivirus and makes it look like your phone is infected.
But if you look closely, you'll see it's actually just a webpage on Spinsweeps.life, which is hosted in Phoenix, AZ.
They want you tap on a button to 'clean' your phone, but if you do, that'll trigger one of two scams:
1) They'll urge you to buy an inexpensive (fake) subscription to complete the virus removal and to protect your phone, but that's just a scam to get your credit card info so they can buy stuff, or…
2) They'll urge you to download a free antivirus app from the App Store, and if you do, that (useless) app will come with a free three-day trial and then will auto-renew you in an expensive monthly subscription. By the time you spot that, they'll have collected their first hefty subscription payment.
NEVER tap on buttons in screens like this. Just close your web-browser or restart your phone or tablet and it'll be gone.
And if you discover you've unintentionally subscribed to an app or service you didn't mean to, immediately seek a refund…
If you got it through the Apple App Store…
If you got it via the Google Play Store…
4) Watch out for ads for Hyper Charge Pro phone-chargers that (falsely) claim they'll charge your phone insanely fast
If you use Facebook, Instagram, X, or other popular social media platforms, you've likely seen short videos or posts promoting the Hyper Charge Pro phone charger, claiming it can fully charge a phone in just 11 minutes by using QC 3.0 technology…
The ads and posts include 50% off 'limited time" offers, which bring the price down to about $39, with even bigger discounts if you buy two or more Hyper Charge Pro chargers.
This charger is a scam — and potentially a dangerous one — with numerous reviews warning that it causes sparks when being plugged in and unplugged…
The Hyper Charge Pro chargers are made in China, and most are shipped from there, and do not have either UL or CSA safety approval, which makes them risky to use. There are a few online reviews raving about the fast charging, but if you look closely at them, you'll see that they're on websites that have been creately solely for the purpose of hyping the product.
If you want a charger that'll charge your phone quickly (and safely), stick to trusted brands like Apple, Samsung, Anker, Belkin, Logiix, and Satechi, among others.
Tip: if you see a new tech brand and product that looks appealing, type the brand and product name into your browser search bar or AI engine followed by the word 'scam', and see what comes up!
Tech Deals This Weekend
M3 MacBook Air at Costco: $1000 — save $300
If you don't need the latest M4-based MacBook Air, the M3 version is a pretty versatile and powerful computer — and it's on clearance pricing for $1000 at Costco stores here in Canada. (It's $1300 at Costco.ca)
The M3 MacBook Air comes with a whopping 16GB of RAM, but skimps a bit on the disk space with only 256GB of internal storage. That said, the Air uses USB-C ports, so attaching an external SSD for extra capacity is a great lightweight way to take it all with you.
By comparison, the M4 version starts at $1,399 in the same configuration. If you're interested in getting one, we'd suggest calling ahead to be sure they have stock — deals like this are rare and tend to go quickly.
Paramount+ is available for half price for the next three months
Because people tend to spend much less time streaming movies and TV shows in the summer, the streaming services often offer deals to attract new customers.
Paramount+ is doing just that, offering 50% off for three months or for one year, if you sign up before July 10th. Here are the plan options…
- Standard for three months — $5.49/month each (regularly $10.99).
- Standard for one year — $48.99 (regularly $97.99).
- Premium for three months — $6.99/month each (regularly $13.99/month).
- Premium for one year — $62.49 (regularly $124.99).
If you decide to take advantage of this offer — the website is ParamountPlus.com/ca — we encourage you to put a reminder into your calendar for a few days before the end of the discounted rate, so decide whether to continue subscribing at the full rate, or whether you want to cancel before the full rate kicks in! Marissa
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) Update: Telus and Bell are the latest to announce plans to shut down their 3G networks starting later this year
This only affects people who have old and/or super-cheap smartphones.
Customers of Rogers and Freedom, and third party providers who use their networks, will lose 3G service at the end of this month, in part so the carriers can use those towers for much-faster 5G service, and so the frequencies can be reallocated for other types of communications.
Now Telus and Bell have announced that they'll start shutting down their 3G networks at the end of the year, beginning Manitoba.
If you have an old flip-phone or cheap smartphone that's running on 3G frequencies, this will mean your phone will not be able to make or receive phone calls or texts after the cutoff.
To find out if your phone is affected, you can use free online tools from the carriers.
If you're on Bell, or Virgin+ or Lucky Mobile, use the Bell online checking tool here…
If you're on Telus, Koodo, or Public Mobile, you can use the Telus online checking tool below (click on "Check If Your Phone Is Supported" on the webpage), and you'll need your phone's 14- to 16- digit IMEI number, which you can find by punching-in * # 0 6 # .…
If you're on Rogers, Fido, or Chatr, you can check below using you phone make and model, or by inputting its IMEI number, which you can get by punching-in * # 0 6 # …
If you're on Freedom Mobile or Fizz, you can check below after you find your phone's 14- to 16- digit IMEI number, which you can get by punching-in * # 0 6 # …
If you're buying a new budget phone (a phone costing less than $100, for example), it's essential you make sure that it not only supports 4G LTE, but that it also supports VoLTE service, because if it doesn't, you'll be able to use the internet and text people, but you won't be able to make or receive phone calls!
More info on the shutdown of 3G networks here in Canada is below, from the CRTC…
crtc.gc.ca
3G network phase-out: essential information for cellphone users
Mobile service providers in Canada and globally are actively phasing out, or have already phased out, their older third-generation (3G) cellular networks. As a result, some older cellphones may no longer be able to make or receive calls and/or texts, including emergency 9-1-1 calls, or use data services once your provider has phased out its 3G network.
11) Anker is recalling five more PowerBank battery pack models because of fire hazard risks
Anker makes some of the best pocket battery packs on the market, but as with all products, sometimes you end up with a lemon, or in this case, ones that weren't made well-enough.
Following the recall of one model last month, Anker is now, in an abundance of caution, recalling five more models which also use lithium-ion cells from the same manufacturer as the model in the original recall. The five models being recalled are…
- Anker Power Bank (10K, 22.5W) Model A1257
- Anker Power Bank (20,000mAh, 22.5W, Built-In USB-C Cable) — Model A1647
- Anker MagGo Power Bank (10,000mAh, 7.5W) — Model A1652
- Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C and Lightning Cable) Model A1681
- Anker Zolo Power Bank (20K, 30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) Model A1689
Instructions on how to determine if you have one of the affected models, and if so, how to get a replacement or refund, are below…
Anker
Anker Innovations Initiates Global Voluntary Recall for Selected Power Banks - Anker US - Anker
Earlier this year, Anker implemented a series of enhanced quality assurance protocols designed to detect manufacturing issues earlier in the production cycle. These safeguards—including expanded component-level audits and supplier testing—helped us identify a potential issue with common, lithium-ion battery cells from a single vendor. While the likelihood of malfunction is considered minimal, out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to initiate a voluntary global recall of several Anker p
12) Double-check the spelling of names when booking flights — or you may have to pay a bundle to fix a typo
Suzanne and I have had to pay an extra $800 for our flights to Europe this summer, because we missed a typo in her first name.
We booked through RBC's Avion Rewards division, which is run by Expedia, so we could use our accumulated points to pay for one of us. When we booked several months ago to get a good fare, we didn't spot that autofill spelled her first name Susanne instead of Suzanne, and only spotted that this week when Air Canada sent us a time-change for our departing flight.
If the name on your ticket does not precisely match what's on your passport, you will not be allowed onboard!
If you spot a typo within 24 hours, most airlines will fix it for you at no cost, or if not, you can cancel the ticket and book a new one. But, because we didn't spot the error till a few days ago, we had to make a new reservation for Suzanne — at an $800 higher price — and then give that info to Air Canada who will cancel her original booking and refund it once they get a refund for the Germany-to-Canada leg which is operated by their code-share partner, Lufthansa.
We were lucky: we we able to book Suzanne a new seat on the same flights as the booking with the typo! If we hadn't spotted the error till the day before our flight when we went to check-in, she likely would have had to get a different and even more expoensive flight!
So, when booking a flight for yourself or others, double-check that the name(s) precisely match the name(s) on the passport(s) — including middle names.
If you book through a travel agent, and they make a spelling mistake, they're on the hook for any extra cost, as long as they're regulated by provincial travel regulators. And this is one more reason why we discourage you from booking through an online third-party site, such as Expedia, Trivago, or SkyScanner: they are not regulated by provincial travel rules the way travel agents are, so you'll have to fight it out with them to get reimbursed for fixing any mistakes, as an Ontario couple found out the hard way…
CTVNews
Ontario couple’s dream vacation ruined after typo on airline ticket
An Ontario couple booking their dream vacation to Africa says they were searching for flights online when they got a call from a travel website offering a good deal, but after reserving the tickets, a typo of just one letter ended up ruining their trip.
14) Oops: Apple Product identifiers have revealed every Mac release through 2026!
AppleInsider.com staff have found Apple's Product Identifiers for the next couple of years, and they reveal 15 new Mac models currently in development.
People familiar with the matter — and common sense — have told us that Apple plans to introduce its M5 chip within a matter of months, and that M6-equipped devices could see some significant changes in late 2026.
15) If you have an iPhone or iPad, its easy to capture a long webpage as a single screenshot
Charles has created a simple tutorial on how to use an iPhone or an iPad to capture and edit long webpages…
16) Phone companies in the USA now only have to give three month's notice before shutting-down home phone service
We often get asked, how much longer will home phone service be offered here in Canada?
(Important terminology change to be aware-of: we no longer say "landline", because copper-wire service which landlines were, has largely been phased out here in Canada, in favour of VOIP service, where phone calls are relayed over internet connections.)
Stats Canada says more than 80% of Canadians have already cut the cord and have only a mobile number, and that percentage is increasing month-by-month.
There are several reasons: one, home phones, except in a few cases, don't work when the power goes out because the calls are now carried over the internet, while mobile phones continue to work. Two, home phones cannot be used to receive text codes which most online services require for fraud prevention. And three, people can only reach you on your home phone number when you're home.
Tech analysts had thought that it'd be a year or two before Telus and Rogers pull the plug the way their counterparts in other countries have done, but that time-frame may be accelerated in the wake of recent decisions by the CRTC here in Canada and by the FCC in the USA…
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has made a key rule-change, allowing American phone companies to pull the plug on "POTS" (Plain Old Telephone Service) with just three months notice. Previously, they had to give six months notice.
In 2019, the FCC started allowing US phone companies to dramatically increase the cost of home phone service, to cover the cost of maintaining that aging technology for fewer users. Since then, US phone companies have raised raised home phone rates an average of 31% a year (encouraging people to abandon home phone service, so they'll be less outcry when they pull the plug).
Here in Canada, the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission) has a requirement that phone companies can't apply for permission to discontinue home phone service unless they can show that customers have viable and affordable alternatives, such as cellular or satellite service.
In the case of residents of three rural areas in northern BC who were being serviced by decades-old technology for which Telus could no longer get parts, the CRTC in February allowed Telus to pull the plug in exchange for giving each affected customer about $6000 to offset the cost of them switching to more-expensive satellite phone service for three years.
17) Apple is said to be pausing its folding iPad plans in favour of a folding iPhone
Apple has long been rumuored to be working on a folding iPhone and a foldable iPad, but a new report claims that the iPad project has been "paused", while teams work on getting the "iPhone Fold" ready for release.
The lack of a foldable iPhone is something for Apple, especially as other phone makers continue to iterate at lightning speed. Whether or not it's a real issue depends very much on your iPhone use case.
On the other hand, Apple is wise to wait and get it right, because the internet is awash with pictures and videos of foldables from Samsung, Motorola and others with creased screens, seized hinges, and famously, high-profile reviewers peeling off the screen film.
The foldable phone market is spendy, and relatively niche. Most folding smartphones cost more than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and that's a giant pill to swallow for most Android folks. Any customer — especially high-end ones — lost to Android because they aren't being catered to, is one too many.
Foldables are here to stay, and getting those customers back might take something very special indeed.
Analysts aren't sure how many people are clamoring for a foldable iPad that can turn into a MacBook of sorts, when traditional MacBooks continue to sell gangbusters.
18) How to fill-out and sign forms on an iPad or iPhone
If you're away from your computer and need to complete a fillable PDF — and possibly also give it a legal signature — Charles has written an excellent article for AppleInsider.com on how to do that…
21) 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.
22) Judge authorizes Tim Hortons 'Roll Up to Win' class action lawsuit — but only for Quebec customers
In April of last year, 500,000 Canadians who'd taken part in Tim Hortons' popular "Roll Up To Win" promotion received a real email from the chain saying they'd won a Tracker Targa 18 WT boat and trailer worth about $64,000.
Hours later, Tim Hortons sent another email saying the first email had been sent in error, and thay had not won a boat and trailer.
Montreal-based firm LPC Avocats later filed a class-action lawsuit application, citing people who celebrated the news of their "win" with family and Tim Hortons staff, only to be crushed to learn later that they hadn't won. Llawyer Joey Zukran says Tim Hortons didn't offer customers "even one free coffee" in return for the mistake. "They took the loyalty of their customers for granted, they laughed at them, instead of offering them some form of compensation that maybe would have prevented the filing of a class action," he said.
Tim Hortons claims the emails did not constitute a consumer contract, and therefore should not fall under consumer protection laws, but Quebec Superior Court Justice Donald Bisson has rejected that argument, and has ruled that the class action can move forward, but limited it to Quebec residents because the case hinges on that province's consumer protection laws. The judge noted the "Roll Up To Win" promotion required consumers to purchase something to enter, and added that "an error in Tim Hortons' declaration or a defect in its systems does not exempt it from liability" under Quebec tough consumer protection laws, which stipulate that merchants and not customers should be held responsible for errors.
It'll likely be a year or more before the case gets to court, but Tim Hortons may now offer an out-of-court settlement, perhaps offering a gift card to the people who got the prize email in error.
CBC
Judge authorizes Tim Hortons Roll Up to Win class action — but only for Quebec customers | CBC News
Superior Court Justice Donald Bisson limited the class action to Quebec residents because the case hinges on that province's consumer protection laws. In 2024, hundreds of thousands of customers were told via email they had won a boat, Montreal-based firm LPC Avocats says, in what Tim Hortons has called a technical error.
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
(look at it upside down, if you don't get it!)
And so it goes…