Aug. 23 & 24, 2025 Show Notes
Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival / Victoria Fringe Festival / Island Dragon Boat Festival / GreekFest (1 of 2) Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon PT
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm on C-FAX
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Because of live BC Lions football, "Tech Talk" this Saturday will only be one hour long on C-FAX 1070 and Kelowna's AM 1150. However, there will be a second hour on the podcast, and also on the Sunday afternoon rebroadcast on C-FAX.
Your crew this weekend:
1) If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Apple has released a(nother) security update
This is not the update we told you about last week — this is a new one!
For iPhones and iPads, the new update is iOS/iPadOS 18.6.2, or for iPads that can't run 18, there's iPadOS 17.7.10.
For Macs, Apple has issued separate updates for each of the last three operating systems:
- macOS Sequoia 15.6.1
- macOS Sonoma 14.7.8
- macOS Ventura 13.7.8
Apple says these updates fix a flaw that allows a malicious image file to trigger memory corruption. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack.
To get the Update on an iPhone or iPad without waiting for an Automatic Update, go to Settings, General, Software Update.
On a Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner, click on About This Mac, and in the pop-up that appears, click on Software Update.
2) Watch out for scam texts containing withdrawal authorization codes that claim to be from cryptocurrency exchanges
Here's one such text, which claims to be from Coinbase, which is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges…
The text (from a Missouri number) includes a toll-free number which you're to call if you did NOT request a withdawal code…but, unless you have a Coinbase wallet and are requesting a withdrawal, it's a scam.
The toll-free number will connect you to an overseas call-centre where the person who answers will claim to be with Coinbase Support, and if you tell them you received a withdrawal code you did not request, they'll 'transfer' you to someone claiming to be with Coinbase Security.
That person will ask if you have a Coinbase account, and if you do, they'll say that someone else has put their phone number on your account and will offer they secure it for you and to do that, say they'll send you a code to confirm, and ask you for that code. In fact, they're triggering a password reset for your account, and if you give them the confirmation code sent by Coinbase, the scammers will have locked you out if your own account. They'll then trigger a phone number change (claiming they're adding your number back), but in effect are deleting your number and adding theirs, so they can then transfer money from your account to theirs.
If you tell the caller you don't have a Coinbase account, they'll insist that one has been opened in your name, and will try to get you to log into your bank account (and let them see your screen), and they'll then manipulate what you see to make it look like there have beden transfers to Coinbase, and they'll offer to fix that. In fact, what they'll actually do is schedule money transfers from your account into their Coinbase account. Never call phone-numbers in texts or emails like this.
If you have an account with the company that claims to be sending the text or email, use your app for that company to check your account, or go directly to their website (don't do a Google search for the address) and check your account there.
Tech Deals This Weekend
Most carriers have "Back To School" deals in full swing, but the best deals are once again from Quebec-based Freedom Mobile…
Both of these plans include unlimited calling to numbers in Canada, USA and Mexico, unlimited international texting, and your 5G data can be used in Canada, USA and Mexico.
If you want more data, and/or if you're going overseas, Freedom is also offering plans that include "Roam Beyond" service that lets you use your phone for calling, texting and data-roaming in more than 120 countries at no extra charge…
These plans are all no contract, but the ones with Roam Beyond do require you to stay on that plan for at least three months before you can change to a cheaper plan once you finish your traveling.
$300 and $350 back-to-school laptop specials:
If you have kids or grandkids now old enough to need a laptop for schoolwork, Gary at Tesseract will have a limited quantity of two budget-friendly models when Tesseract re-opens on Monday:
- 4 only: 14" Dell Windows 11 laptops powered by Intel 10th-gen Core i7 processors, with 8GB of RAM, and a new 256GB NVMe SSD: $300
- 4 only: 14" Dell Windows 11 laptops powered by Intel 11th-gen Core i5 processors, with 8GB of RAM, and a new 256GB NVMe SSD: $349
Available on a first-come, first-served basis when Tesseract Computers re-opens at 9am on Monday on Broughton near Douglas in downtown Victoria. +1 778-430-6099
Starlink satellite internet now half price with 30-day free trial
For a limited time, Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet is available for half price, both for the start-up kit of equipment, and for the ongoing internet service…
The starter kit is now $249 CAD, and service is $115/month, with the first month as a free trial.
Provided you can put the small dish where it'll have an an unobstructed view of the sky, Starlink says you can expect internet speeds of 50 to 150 Mbps.
Sansung Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra on clearance at Freedom Mobile
With Samsung expected to release its S26 lineup of smartphones in January, Freedom Mobile is clearing-out stock of S24 phones this weekend.
You can get an S24 all-in (phone plus plan) for $60/month on a plan giving you 60GB data a month good in Canada/USA/Mexico. The more-expensive S24 Ultra is $94 all-in.
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) Rogers has followed the lead of Telus and Bell and is now offering free calls to a raft of countries — on some plans — but why?
The offer sounds attractive on the surface — unlimited free phone calls to 27 countries.
But, like similar earlier offers from Telus and Bell, this one from Rogers is likely not going to appeal to many, because most people for years having been making free audio- and/or video- calls via messaging apps like FaceTime, WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger, and the now-retired Skype.
Where these offers are valuable, though, is if you want to regularly call someone in another country who has only a home phone and not a mobile, as calling apps won't work for them.
The catch is, the free calling offers are only included on pricey plans starting at $75 or $80 a month.
The 27 countries are Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Hong Kong (but not Macau), India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and the U.K.
10) It's much safer to pay with your phone (Apple Pay or Google Wallet) than it is by using your physical credit- or debit- card
Many people think they can protect themselves from having their credit- or debit- card compromised by tapping to pay instead of inserting the card and inputting their PIN. Other turn off the ability to pay by tap because they fear someone will use a portable reader to scam them.
Both of those reasonings are incorrect.
The absolute safest way to pay (especially if you're travelling) is by using Apple Pay on an iPhone or Google Pay on an Android phone, because when you do that, the merchant does not get your card number. Instead, they get a digital token, which is like a phantom card number, which is only good for one transaction. We saw the huge sign below at the airport in Frankfurt…
If you tap your actual card, yes, no-one can see what PIN number you type, but, the credit card terminal and card processing server still get that info wirelessly along with your card # + expiry date, so if a data-skimmer has been installed, the scammers have what they need to buy stuff on your card.
As for being worried about having someone steal your card info with a portable scanner if they hold it close to your purse or wallet, there are three problems with that: first, most people have multiple cards on them and a scanner would get confused trying to separate the data from different cards. Secondly, the card info is encrypted so the scanner would have to be bank-issued to decrypt it. And thirdly, if your card info was obtained and used for scam purchases, the credit card company could quickly trace who the terminal used for the scam purchases was issued to, and shut it down.
So, for safety as well as convenience — especially if you're going travelling when having your card get cancelled because of a scam would be really stressful — please add your credit and debit- cards to Apple Wallet on an iPhone or into Google Wallet on an Android phone.
August update: in some countries including Germany, some smaller shops will only accept credit cards from banks in that country (because they pay a lower processing fee that way). However, because Apple Pay and Google Pay use 'phantom card numbers', in almost all cases, you can pay with your phone even at merchants that only accept cards from the country you're in.
11a) Don't let foreign credit card terminals convert to $CAD
If you use a credit card outside Canada (incl. in the USA), decline if the payment terminal offers to display the price in Canadian dollars, or you'll pay a lot more than you were expacting to!
Here's a picture ot of the screen on the handheld payment terminal when it was our turn to pay the hotel bill at a town on our recent trip to Germany with the family of our former homestay student…
Note the 3.99% "mark-up" that would've been tacked-onto the total, if I'd chosen the convenience of seeing the total charged to my VISA card in Canadian dollars instead of Euros! In this bill, the surcharge would've amounted to an additional €51.26 — which converts to an extra $83 CAD!
The credit card company splits that extra fee (which ranges from 4% to 6% depending on the card processing firm) with the merchant.
Make sure you always choose the local currency, and never the Canadian currency option!
If the option to choose isn't shown when you're handed the payment terminal, ask the merchant if they chose for you before handing you the terminal, and if so, ask them to redo the transaction and let you choose. Many staff at hotels, restaurants, and shops are not aware of the significance of the choice, and think they're helping you by choosing your country's currency!
11b) Don't let foreign ATM's lock-in the exchange rate for you!
Similary, if withdrawing cash at a foreign ATM (‘Bancomat’ in Europe), decline the default option to lock-in the exchange rate, because that option includes a surcharge of usually an additional 3-4%!
Instead, let your bank do the conversion, which, because of the millions of transactions being processed each day, will always get you a great exchange rate.
12) TSA in USA has banned three new items from checked bags
The Transportation Safety Administration in the USA has announcerd that three new items have been banned from checked bags - and they're common enough that you may mistakenly forget to put them in your carry on…
The TSA is focusing on cordless hair devices, as they say many contain gas cartridges and butane - harmful materials that aren't allowed on flights.
Cordless curling irons or flatirons containing gas cartridges, butane-fueled curling irons or flat irons and gas refills (spare cartridges) for curling irons or flat irons are all banned, effective immediately. If travelers' luggage contains the banned items, it will be thrown away.
The ban doesn't mean you'll have to go without your favorite cordless hair item, however. The TSA says that passengers will be able to keep the devices in their carry-on bags, provided that they're covered to prevent activation during the flight.
Men's Journal
TSA Has Officially Banned 3 New Items From Checked Bags
The Transportation Safety Administration did travelers around the country a massive favor by getting rid of the rule requiring the removal of shoes, but new guidelines may have fliers rethinking what they place in checked luggage. The much-maligned 3.4-ounce liquid limit is still in effect, forcing ...
15) If you're switching carriers to get a better deal, find out if the new carrier lets you use your phone as a mobile hotspot — some don't
Hotspotting allows a tablet or computer or phone that doesn't have cellular data access to run off your phone's cellular connection if there's no Wi-Fi.
Fido, the budget brand of Rogers, took away hostpotting four months ago, and then started charging $5/month for the ability, but has now dropped that charge 'for a limited time"…
Some other carriers either don't allow hotspotting period, or only allow it on their more expensive plans, or charge for it as an optional add-on feature, so if being able to hotspot to another device or devices is a feature that's potentially useful to you, check to see if your carrier and plan allows it.
17) 'Skibidi', 'delulu', and 'tradwife' are now part of the Cambridge Dictionary
Cambridge says the new words have been chosen because they're felt to have 'staying power".
"Skibidi" is a gibberish term coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series and can mean everything from "cool" to "bad," and is also used with no real meaning as a joke.
"Tradwife," is a contraction of "traditional wife" referring to a married mother with so-called traditional values — often one who cooks, cleans and posts on social media — and "delulu," a shortening of the word "delusional" that means "believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to."
An increase in remote working since the pandemic has created the new Cambridge Dictionary entry "mouse jiggler" — software used to make it seem like you're working when you are not.
And environmental concerns are behind the addition of "forever chemical," a harmful substance that remains in the environment for a long time.
CBC
'Skibidi' and 'tradwife' are now part of the Cambridge Dictionary | CBC News
What the skibidi is happening to the English language? "Skibidi," pronounced SKI-bih-dee, is one of the slang terms popularized by social media that are among more than 6,000 additions this year to the Cambridge Dictionary.
18) VW has released a car in the UK that gates its full horsepower behind a paid monthly subscription
Automakers are embracing subscriptions whether customers like them or not, often pushing beyond what most of us find acceptable. BMW attempted to charge a monthly fee for heated seats, but users didn’t bite. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mercedes-Benz still offers Acceleration Increase for its EQ models, which initially cost $1,200 a year, and it’s an idea that Volkswagen is now borrowing for the electric ID.3 in the United Kingdom.
VW's website in the UK market lists the ID.3 Pro and Pro S as only having 201 horsepower instead of the full 228-hp output. The fine print reads that owners can "activate the optional power upgrade for a fee." VW offers owners the option of a one-month free trial, a monthly or yearly subscription, or the ability to purchase it for the car’s lifetime.
Those costs are: £16.50 per month, £165 per year, or £649 outright, which is $31 CAD, $309 CAD, and $1214 CAD, respectively, at today’s exchange rate. It’s an odd decision and one that doesn’t make much financial sense for a buyer on a car that costs around $60,000 to start. The extra cost is small enough to be hidden in the MSRP, and something most people would likely be willing to pay upfront.
But this paywall feels like an unnecessary hurdle designed to nickel-and-dime customers who might be leasing rather than buying. Automotive News Europe reported in late 2023 that more than 40% of new lease registrations in the UK were electric vehicles, so someone who only keeps the car for a few years might be able to save a few hundred dollars.
19) End of an era: AOL announces dial-up internet access will be retired next month
After decades of connecting Americans (and some Canadians) to its online service and the Internet through telephone lines, AOL has announced that it's finally shutting down its dial-up modem service on September 30, 2025.
The announcement marks the end of a technology that served as the primary gateway to the World Wide Web for millions of users throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
AOL says about 175,000 Americans, mostly in rural parts of southern USA states, still use dialup.
20) Apple said to be in talks with Google to use its Gemini AI to power the next generation of Siri
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is in talks with Google about using Google's Gemini AI as the backbone for the upcoming smarter version of Siri.
The discussions are in the early stages, but Apple reportedly approached Google to ask the company to create a custom AI model that would be used for Siri.
Apple previously held talks with OpenAI and Anthropic, and both of those companies have been working on versions of their models for Apple's servers.
While Apple is exploring partnerships with different AI companies to power an improved version of Siri, Apple still has not made a decision on whether it will use a third-party AI solution or go with the LLM models it has been developing in-house.
21) Meta has agreed to licence AI-video-creation technology from Midjourney
This is a huge coup for the small but dedicated team at Midjourney, which is known for having far and away the best AI video-creation engine out there.
It's also a big move for Meta, as having Midjourney AI video creation tools integrated into platforms like Instagram, Facebbook, and Messenger, as well as in Meta's onwn AI app should give them a big boost over their competitors like Grok from Elon Musk's X.
22) Apple expands its self-repair programs to Canada
This means that Canadian iPhone, iPad and Mac owners will be able to access genuine Apple parts, tools, and manuals to fix their devices — if they want to.
More likely, though, the result will be that small phone repair shops that have up to now been forced to use third-party replacement screens, cameras, and other parts, will at least be able to order genbuine Apple parts.
But because of the cost, many will likely continue to opt for cheaper third-party parts unless customers insist on the real thing.
23) Apple may hold-off releasing a new base-model iPhone next month
Apple’s standard iPhone 18 model will reportedly skip a 2026 release.
According to South Korea’s ETNews, Apple is targeting a spring 2027 launch for the upcoming handset.
This would break from the tech giant’s annual release pattern and put a notable gap between it and next month’s expected launch of the iPhone 17.
According to ETNews, Apple will instead fill the September 2026 window with the long-rumoured foldable iPhone and, interestingly enough, the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and thinner “Air” models.
Then, in spring 2027, Apple would launch the base iPhone 18 model, as well as the more entry-level 18e alternative.
24) Apple is said to be switching to a simplified version of the Camera Control for the next batch of iPhones
The Camera Control on the iPhone 16 is a complex piece of engineering: it combines a pressure-sensitive button with a capacitive surface on which you can swipe and tap to manipulate the Camera app. You can press the button to take a picture and swipe on its surface to switch between modes, zoom in and out, and more.
The Instant Digital account on Weibo, which has accurately leaked information about upcoming iPhones in the past., says Apple is currently running normal trial production of the pressure sensor used in the iPhone’s Camera Control. The company, however, has removed the touch-sensitive component from the button.
The report specifically cites the high production cost and long-term reliability concerns of the Camera Control as reasons for this change. I’m sure that user feedback is also playing a role.
25) US government buying a 10% stake in Intel for 11.1 billion USD
The USAgovernment has secured a 10%stake in struggling Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in a deal that was completed just a couple weeks after the US President was depicting the company’s CEO as a conflicted leader unfit for the job.
“The United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future,” Trump wrote in a post.
The U.S. government is getting the stake through the conversion of $11.1 billion USD in previously issued funds and pledges. All told, the US government is getting 433.3 million shares of non-voting stock priced at $20.47 apiece -- a discount from Friday’s closing price at $24.80. That spread means the U.S. government already has a gain of $1.9 billion, on paper.
The remarkable turn of events makes the U.S. government one of Intel’s largest shareholders at a time that the Santa Clara, California, company is i n the process of jettisoning more than 20,000 workers as part of its latest attempt to bounce back from years of missteps taken under a variety of CEOs.
CTVNews
Trump turns US$11.1B in U.S. government funds into a 10% stake in downtrodden Intel
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced the U.S. government has secured a 10 per cent stake in struggling Silicon Valley pioneer Intel in a deal that was completed just a couple weeks after he was depicting the company’s CEO as a conflicted leader unfit for the job.
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.
As one chapter ends, another begins…
One week after bidding a sad farewell to Emma and the wonderful Leo family in Germany following our amazing two weeks of touring much of their beautiful country with them, we're getting ready to welcome two new international students who'll be arriving on Monday and Wednesday…
From Madrid in España (Spain), we say "Hola y bienvenido" to 15-year-old Sofía, seen here in a video-call which we had with her and her mom Ana and dad José Luis…
…and from Osaka, in Japan, we say "Kon'nichiwa, yōkoso!" (Hello and welcome!) to 15-year-old Natsuki, seen here in a video-call we had with her and with her mom Masaki and dad Naoto…
Natsuki, who loves to swim and is a big anime fan, and Sofía, who's bringing her violin and loves playing volleyball, will be living with us and experiencing life in Canada, while both being enrolled Grade 10 at Parkland Secondary near us in Sidney. We thank their parents for entrusting them to us for the next 10 months; we're really looking forward to welcoming them, and promise to take good care of them!
If you'd like to host an international high school student or students, school districts here and around the province are looking for host families who can fill-in if a current host family can't continue, and it's a very rewarding experience! Here are links where you can get more info:
Saanich: StudyInSaanich.ca/homestay
Victoria: StudyInVictoria.com/hosting-student
Gulf Islands: StudyInBC.ca/homestay
Cowichan: StudyInCowichan.com/homestay-program
Central Okanagan: International.SD23.bc.ca
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
outside El Furniture Warehouse in Whistler…
And so it goes…