Oct. 4 & 5, 2025 Show Notes
Oktoberfest / Light Up The Hills / Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon PT
🔁 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 Aitan Roubini and me for the October VMUG meeting on Zoom, this coming Wednesday, Oct.8, at 7pm, for tips on how to use Siri, plus an update on Apple's new Version 26 operating systems.
If you're not a VMUG member, join us as our guest, using this link:
Westhills "Light Up The Hills" Festival — 7:30-9:30pm Sat. Oct. 4th
The Podcast
Listen now:
SoundCloud
Tech Talk - Oct 4th, 2025 by Tech Talk with Alan Perry
This week on Tech Talk, Alan Perry is joined by Charles Martin, Program Director of the Victoria Mac and iOS Users Group and Weekend News Editor at AppleInsider.com. They dive into the newest iPhone features in iOS 26.0.1 — from Live Translation to smarter cameras and visual intelligence tools — plus the latest in security and privacy news. And as always, Alan and Charles answer your tech questions live on air!
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Apple has released bug-fix updates for its new Version 26 Operating systems, so go ahead and upgrade!
Apple appears to have fixed most of the (many) bugs that were in the initial release of its new version 26 Operating System upgrades released last month.
As a result, we're comfortable recommending you proceed with the upgrades, but they're so big — 13GB for my iPhone, for example — that you may not have enough room to upgrade.
Here's a list of what to install, for each Apple product:
- for iPhones and iPads, go to Settings, General, Software Update and install iOS/iPadOS 26.0.1
- for Macs, the update is macOS Tahoe 26.01, and for older Macs that can't run Tahoe, it's macOS Sequoia 15.7.1 or macOS Sonoma 14.8.1. If you have a Mac that's too old to be able to run Tahoe, the special Sequoia and Sonoma updates will only install some of the security patches, because your Mac is too old to be able to handle all of them. Please get a newer Mac, to stay safe!
- for an Apple Watch, the update is watchOS 26.0.1.
- For an Apple TV, the security update is tvOS 26.0.1.
- If your iPhone or iPad doesn't have enough available storage to install the update, you can use iTunes on a PC or Mac to help install the update…
After your Upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 26.0.1, it's normal for your device to run very warm, and for battery performance to be degraded, both for a couple of days, because your device has to re-index (re-memorize) all of your content so it can take advantage of the new search features.
Also, remember to check for App Updates (App Store, icon in the top-right, pull down in mid-screen, scroll up and "Update All.)
If, for some reason, you're not ready to upgrade to the version 26 operating systems, please install just the iOS/iPadOS 18.7.1 security updates which Apple has also released, which will keep you safe.
More info on all the new features and changes in the version 26 operating systems is in Item #10 below…
2) Watch out for more scam emails claiming that your cloud storage is about to stop working
These emails are not new, but there's been a sudden uptick in the number of them, so it's worth repeating the warning. The emails look like the screenshot below; notice that they're coming from an email account that ends in .pt — which is in Portugal!
Also note that the email does not say which cloud service — iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc. and does not refer to you by name.
On the email itself (not this screenshot), if you were to hold your finger on the "Continue Using Cloud" button, or hover your mouse over it on a computer, you'd get a pop-up showing that it'd take you to https://monsterhustlegame.com/2FkGZzy4Wm19co.php — a fake website hosted in Spain, which would affer you 50GB of cloud storage for a nominal fee of €3. They'd just want you to give them your credit card info. And if you did, within minutes, they'd be using that info to buy stuff online which they could easily resell. NEVER click or tap on buttons on emails like this!
If you want to see if your cloud storage is getting full, go to iCloud.com or OneDrive.com or Drive.Google.com and sign in. On an iPhone or iPad, you can go to Settings, your name, iCloud — and it'll show you right there.
4) Westjet says hackers stole customer info and passport info from 1.2 million customers
WestJet has started informing customers that the cyberattack disclosed in June compromised the personal info of 1.2 million customers, and that the stolen info included passports and ID documents.
On June 13, the company disclosed a cybersecurity incident that disrupted internal systems and made the WestJet app unavailable to customers. The airline published multiple updates, assuring customers that all appropriate measures to protect their data were being implemented.
Westjet has now admitted — in filings with US authorities — that the hackers stole a whole lot of info for 1.2 million customers, including full names, date of birth, mailing address, travel documents, such as a passport or government ID, and their Westjet Rewards Member ID, points, and other info. The airline insists the hackers did not get any passwords or credit card numbers.
How did it happen? It's believed that members of the Scattered Spider hacking gang posed as a Westjet employee and tricked an IT team member into resetting another IT employee's password which enabled the hackers to gain access to the network through Citrix.
5) Japan is running out of its favorite beer after ransomware attack
Japan is just a few days away from running out of Asahi Super Dry as the producer of the nation’s most popular beer wrestles with a devastating cyberattack that has shut down most of its domestic breweries.
The vast majority of Asahi Group’s 30 factories in Japan have not operated since Monday after the attack disabled its ordering and delivery system.
Retailers are already expecting empty shelves as the outage stretches into its fourth day with no clear timeline for factories recommencing operations.
The Asahi incident follows a spate of cyber incidents at other major companies that have proved highly disruptive. Earlier this week, the UK government provided a £2 billion emergency credit line to Jaguar Land Rover after production stopped for a month due to a devastating cyber attack.
Tech Deals this weekend
Affinity iPad apps available free for a limited time
Ahead of a "big announcement" the company is making at the end of the month, it has made its highly-rated apps for iPad — Affinity Photo 2, Affinity Designer 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 — available for free in the App Store.
From a report by AppleInsider: "Affinity has been promoting a big announcement, now scheduled for October 30, and describes it as 'true creative freedom.' But there are as yet no further details, and there has been no formal announcement of the free iPad apps.
At present, though, all three Affinity apps can be downloaded from the App Store on the iPad.
To get each for free:
- Download the apps from the App Store on iPad
- Once installed, tap Buy Now
- Confirm the purchase
- Follow the prompt to register the app with your Affinity account
The apps each say first that you have them as a free trial for seven days. But when you tap the Buy Now button, the purchase price is listed as $0.
AppleInsider notes that "Once bought, you have to register for an Affinity account, but then the app is yours to keep. The Affinity apps are exceptional, to the extent that there were concerns Canva would radically change these tools that many people rely on."
Canva bought Affinity some time back, but hasn't made any changes to the highly-regarded apps … so far. The big announcement is likely to signal the end of the line for the Affinity-branded apps, as the Mac versions of those apps have already been pulled from the App Store.
Malwarebytes Premium: on sale for $15 off at London Drugs
We're big fans of Malwarebytes Premium anti-malware, because it's simply the best at keeping malware out of your computer or Android device (not needed for iPhones or iPads), and it doesn't slow down your device.
This weekend, you can get a one-year licence good for use on three devices — any combination of Windows or Mac computers and Android phones and tablets) for $40 — that's a $15 saving — at London Drugs stores or online.
Freedom Mobile still has the best rates in Canada, but if you're going overseas, prices on some of those plans will be going up on Oct. 7
It's a new month, and many of the carriers have adjusted their mobile plans.
iPhoneInCanada.com has produced a comparison of rates being charged by the Big Four — Bell, Freedom Mobile, Rogers, and Telus — and that's below.
The bottom line: Quebec-based Freeedom Mobile continues to have easily the best rates, especially if you're going overseas, where their 120+ country "Roam Beyond" coverage is built into some of their plans at no extra cost. But, two of their most-popular plans which include Roam Beyond, will be going up in price next Wednesday, so if you're heading overseas soon, we suggest you make the switch this weekend, if those plans meet your needs.
iPhone in Canada | Canada’s source for Apple, telecom, tech news, and deals
Rogers vs Telus vs Bell vs Freedom: Best Phone Plans October 2025 | iPhone in Canada
We’re into a new month so let’s compare bring your own device 5G+ plans from Rogers, Telus, Bell and Quebecor's Freedom Mobile. It will be interesting to track pricing from now into the busy holiday period, which includes Black Friday and Boxing Day. Bring your own device plans include autopay discounts when you set up
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.
10a) If you have an iPhone 17, or if you've upgraded an earlier iPhone to or iPad iOS 26, here's how to reduce the Liquid Glass appearance
Apple's new Liquid Glass operating systems bring a unified new appearance, called Liquid Glass, which has a much more transparent look, as shown on the left, below…
If you have an iPhone 17 or iPhone Air that came with iOS 26, or if you've upgraded an earlier iPhone to iOS 26.0.1, there's an easy way to reduce the transparency, if you, like many people, don't like the new look.
To do that, go to…
- Settings
- Accessibility
- Display and Text Size
- Reduce Transparency
- you can also try turning on Bold Text
To do the same on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26, go to System Settings, Accessibility, Display, and then turn on the Reduce Transparency toggle.
You can also darken your iPhone/iPad background picture, to make your app icons stand out more.
To do that…
- Tap on a blank area on your home screen
- Tap Edit in the top-left corner
- In the pop-up that appears, tap Customize
- In the new pop-up that appears, tap on Default
- …and then tap on the sun icon in the upper left.
While there, you can also tap on the icon of two squares in the upper-right, which will make all your icons 25% larger!
If you don't like the result, tap on the icon again and they'll all shrink back.
10b) Here are some of the best new iPhone features in iOS 26.0.1
There are more than 125 new features and changes in iOS 26.0.1!
Below are our favourites, with a link to a list of all of them, at the end…
10c) In the Messages app, look for…
- Customizable backgrounds - In an individual or group conversation, you can tap on the name at the top and then choose the "Backgrounds" option to set a custom background for each conversation.
- Tap on the + button to get to a new option to create a poll in any chat. You can add up to 12 different options, then send it to allow people to vote. Others can also add their options to the list.
- You can now select just part of a text message to copy. Long press and tap on the new "Select" option to do so.
- Spam messages - Spam messages and Unknown Senders are two separate categories in iOS 26.
There's a new Filter box at the top right of the Messages app, and Unknown Senders go in one category, while Spam goes in another.
A badge lets you know if you have messages in these categories, but you won't get notifications for them.
You can turn this on and off via the three lines button in the top-right corner.
- Unknown Senders - Messages from Unknown Senders won't send notifications if the option to filter them is on, but you will get alerts if it is a time sensitive notification, such as a notification from a ride share app or a delivery person.
- Live Translation - Messages that aren't in your language can be automatically translated as you receive them in iOS 26 (on iPhone 15 Pro and later models).
- To use Live Translation in Messages, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app and head to the conversation thread that has messages in a different language than yours.
- Tap the Recipient’s name at the top of the screen.
- Next, toggle on Automatically Translate.
- Finally, choose the language detected by Apple Intelligence or tap Choose Another Language if you want to translate the conversation into a different language.
I did that, and then had Natsuki, our Grade 10 homestay student from Osaka, text me in Japanese, and it instantly displayed in English, as shown in my screenshot.
Natsuki says the translation was perfect!
10d) In the Phone app, look for…
Call Screening is an extension of Live Voicemail.
When you receive a call from an unknown number that's not in your list of contacts, your iPhone asks the caller for their name and reason for calling.
The info is displayed on your screen, so you can decide if you want to accept the call or ignore it.
Call Screening can be enabled in the Phone section of the Settings app.
If you make a phone call and you're stuck on hold waiting to speak to a live human, you can activate Hold Assist.
Your iPhone will wait for you while you do other things, and then let you know when a live agent is on the line.
The agent is informed that you'll be on the call in just a moment.
To use Hold Assist, tap on the "Hold" button after placing a call.
When you receive a call (on iPhone 15 Pro and later models) from someone that speaks another language, Live Translation will automatically translate the call into your language. There’s no setup required — although you do have to first have the language pack for that language installed. (So far, here in Canada, it only has English, French, Spanish, and German.) Live Translation activates automatically when Apple Intelligence detects the other person is speaking in a different language. The translation is narrated in real-time, making the conversation seamless. Live Translation is an Apple Intelligence feature and requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
10e) In the Camera app, look for…
- Design - The Camera app has a simplified design with just Photo and Video tabs. Swiping swaps between other photo modes, and tapping on one of the buttons expands the available settings.
- Lens - If the Camera lens is dirty, your iPhone (on iPhone 15 Pro and later models) lets you know that it needs to be cleaned. Find this in Settings, Camera (along with numerous other new Settings)
- AirPods - AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 2 can now be used to take a photo or start a video recording by pressing and holding on the stem.
10f) In the Photos app, look for…
- Design - Apple has reverted to a cleaner, more pre-iOS 18 design for Photos, separating the Library and Collections into different tabs.
- Filters - an icon of three cascading lines in the upper-right lets you switch between having your photos and videos shown as square thumbnails, or by aspect ratio, which lets you quickly see which were shot in Portrait orientation, and which were shot in Landscape orientation.
- Search - Video thumbnails now show up in search results.
10g) In the FaceTime app, look for…
- Live Translation - FaceTime supports Live Translation, displaying captions if you're talking to someone who speaks another language.
- Call Screening - FaceTime has new screening features for unknown numbers. Calls from unknown numbers can be asked for more info like name and reason for calling, or they can be sent directly to voicemail. Missed calls from unknown numbers can be silenced and sent to an Unknown Callers list.
10h) In the Podcasts app, look for…
- Enhance Dialogue - An Enhance Dialogue option mutes background sounds to enhance speech.
- Playback speed - There are more options for playback speeds, ranging from 0.5x to 3x.
10i) In the Apple Maps app, look for…
- Preferred Routes - Apple Maps learns your frequent commutes and the Maps widget can let you know if there are any significant delays along your preferred route, offering an alternative if necessary.
- Saved Places - Apple Maps can save the places that you visit and spend time in so you can look them up later. (Go to Settings, Apps, Maps, Location to find the Visited Places toggle.)
- Incidents - There are additional types of incidents to choose from when making a report in the Maps app.
10j) In the Wallet app, look for…
- Package tracking - Apple Intelligence can recognize order tracking details from emails, adding the info to the Wallet app. This works on all purchases, not just those that were made using Apple Pay.
- Boarding Passes - Boarding passes in Wallet have been upgraded and now show more relevant info below the boarding pass, such as Apple Maps directions for the airport terminal, and a link to Find My for luggage tracking.
- Live Activity - Boarding passes now show up as a Live Activity on iPhone, so you can keep track of relevant flight info without having to open the Wallet app.
- Flight Live Activities can also be shared with friends and family.
10k) Visual Intelligence (on iPhone 15 Pro and later models)
In iOS 26, Visual Intelligence works with screenshots for the first time. You can capture a screenshot of what's on your screen and then use Visual Intelligence on it to identify what you're looking at, find images, and get more information through ChatGPT.
When you take a screenshot, you'll see two new icons at the bottom: ASk on the left, and Search on the right. Tap on the Ask button to ask questions about what you're seeing, and your questions will be relayed to ChatGPT, which will provide the info.
For example, I took a screenshot of a green food in a bowl, tapped on Ask, and asked, "What is this and how do I make it?", and got the result in the second screenshot…
If your screenshot includes dates, times, and related info for an event, it can be added directly to your calendar.
There's also a Highlight to Search option that lets you conduct an image search for a specific object in a screenshot, even if there are multiple things in the picture. It works with the apps that you use most frequently, like Google or Bing Search, Etsy, and others, and the feature is useful for finding a product in an image.
Visual Intelligence also adds support for quick identification of new types of objects. It can now identify art, books, landmarks, natural landmarks, and sculptures, in addition to the animals and plants it was able to provide info on before.
10m) Smaller but equally-useful changes
There are dozens of smaller changes in iOS 26, and we've highlighted some of the more notable ones below.
- Custom Ringtones - You can set custom ringtones in iOS 26. All you need is an .mp3 or .m4a audio file that's 30 seconds or less. You can use Apple's free Garageband app to trim a song for this if you want, and save it into your Files app.
- Then, in the Files app, hold your finger on that audio clip and tap Share in the pop-up menu.
- Scroll down to the actions menu and choose Use as Ringtone.
- (There are also seven total new ringtones built into iOS 26. Apple added six variants of the classic Reflection ringtone, plus a new Little Bird ringtone.)
- Passwords - The Passwords app supports password history so you can see your prior passwords.
- Tips - The Tips app includes step-by-step walkthroughs on troubleshooting iPhone issues.
- Alarms - In the Clock app, you can now set a custom snooze duration of 1 to 15 minutes, so you are no longer limited to the default 9-minute snooze time.
- Keep Audio in Headphones - Prevents audio from automatically switching to newly connected devices like Bluetooth speakers or car speakers when you're already listening to music through headphones.
- Weather - Getting weather updates via satellite is now an option if you are outside of Wi-Fi or cellular range.
- Captive Wi-Fi - Captive Wi-Fi portal login info now syncs between all Apple devices, so you only have to log in on one.
- Dictation - Dictation now supports spelling, so you can pause dictating words and spell out a hard-to-understand name if you need to, and then resume dictating words.
10n) Here are links to demos of each of the new features and changes in iOS 26, as compiled by the team at MacRumors.com…
12) Microsoft has started releasing its annual Windows 11 Update
Like Apple, Microsoft once a year releases a major update for its current Windows operating system, which is Windows 11. This year, there a no new features, just a lot of performance and security upgrades designed to make computers run better and more securely.
New features are being saved for Windows 12, which is likely going to be released next year.
The 2025 update is code-named "25H2". with the '25' standing for 2025, and the 'H2' standing for whenm in the year it's released, namely the second half. (They used to also do a Spring Update, but scrapped that two years ago.)
But this year, under the hood, the 25H2 delivery method is actually different, in an effort to make the updates go faster.
Over the past few months, updates containing under-the-hood changes were silently delivered via Windows Update, but those changes were all disabled. The 25H2 Update which has started rolling-out is called an "enabling update" because all it does is enable the changes which were delivered earlier, so the updating process should only take a couple minutes.
You can check for 25H2 on a Windows computer by going to Settings, Windows Update, and clicking/tapping on "Check For Updates". If it's not yet offered to you, it's likely because your computer has some components that Microsoft isn't sure will run the update without any problems, so they're holding-off giving it to you till they see how it goes on other computers.
13) Want a new web-browser with AI built in? Give Comet a try
While some of us think of Comet as a sink cleaner, there's a new web browser available by that name from AI company Perplexity that has its own AI engine built right in.
The browser is currently available for both Windows and Mac, and an Android version (and probably an iPhone/iPad version) is thought to be coming soon. The "home page" of Comet encourages you to ask anything that's on your mind, and instead of providing a (paid and ranked) list of links for you to click, it just gives you the answer (with citations) directly.
Microsoft's Edge browser already incorporates Co-Pilot as an extension, but the difference with Comet is that its right there as the home page from the instant you open it. It's free to download and use, so you may wish to give it a spin! Get it at Perplexity.ai/comet
14) Instagram insists your phone doesn’t listen to you to personalize ads
Instagram is reassuring people that it’s not using your phones’ microphones to listen to what you’re saying.
Adam Mosseri, head of the Meta-owned social media giant, posted a video on October 1 to dispel the long-running concerns, and it's worth watching…
Besides noting that this would be a “gross violation of privacy,” Mosseri says you'd notice if Instagram was listening in both because your battery would be draining faster and either your Android or iOS phone would display an indicator that recording is in progress.
He goes on to mention that reasons for why you might see something on Instagram related to what you recently talked about in real life. In particular, he notes how Instagram’s algorithm picks up on the kinds of profiles and pages you visit, as well as those of friends or others with similar interests. Instagram also works with advertisers who share information with it about who was on their websites.
In other words, Instagram doesn't need to listen to your conversations, because they have many other ways of finding out what you're up to! And this applies to other Meta services, including Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp, and the same for Google, Gmail, YouTube and Google Docs.
15) Meta won’t allow you to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats
If you use Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, you might want to be extra careful while using Meta AI, as Meta has announced that it'll soon be using AI interactions to personalize content and ad recommendations without giving you a way to opt out.
Meta plans to notify users on October 7 that their AI interactions will influence recommendations beginning on December 16. "You're in control," Meta's blog says, reiterating that users can "choose" how they "interact with AIs", but once the tracking starts on December 16, you will not have the option to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats.
In its blog post, Meta stresses that sensitive "conversations with Meta AI about topics such as their religious views, sexual orientation, political views, health, racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership "will not be used to target ads". Even so, Meta users who don't want to see targeted content and ads based on more revealing chats may want to alter their habits!
Only regions with strict data laws — like the European Union, the United Kingdom, and South Korea — will be spared from this.
16) WestJet can finally track your lost luggage using AirTags
Westjet has followed the lead of Air Canada and Porter Airlines and has enabled Apple's "Find My" Share Item Location feature to speed lost baggage recovery.
To use this feature, locate your AirTag in the Find My app.
Then, tap on the area that says ‘Share Item Location’ and send that link to WestJet via their online Delayed Baggage Report.
Once your item is returned to you, the sharing link will stop working. You can also deactivate the sharing at any time.
18) Bell is promising satellite cellphone connectivity next year
Following in the footsteps of Apple and Rogers, Bell Mobility has announced plans to launch a satellite-to-cell network for its customers next year.
Bell hopes to launch a free trial of the service and then roll out the paid service shortly after.
Unlike Rogers, which uses Starlink Satellites, or Apple, which uses Globestar, Bell is offering its service from the Texas-based AST SpaceMobile Inc. All three are using low-earth orbit satellites.
However, while Bell has announced this partnership and successfully tested the service, it is still waiting on SpaceMobile to launch more satellites to complete its constellation over Canada. Bell already owns the spectrum needed to go live with this service, but it needs regulatory approval to shift it from standard cell to satellite compatibility.
If you have an iPhone 14 or later model, you don't need to wait — or pay: Apple lets you send messages and get help via satellite when you're beyond cell service range, for free…
If you have an iPhone 14 or later, use the instructions below to test it when you're outdoors…
19) Stingray Music channels are making a comeback on Telus Optik TV boxes — but with ads
If you use a Telus TV box and have been missing the Stingray music channels which were removed a couple months ago, we have good news and bad news.
The good news is that many of them will soon be back, but the bad news is that they'll be FAST channels — with FAST standing for Free Ad Supported Television, which means the music will have unskippable ads inserted.
If you prefer, you can listen to ALL the Stingray channels on the free Stingray app on your smartphone, either with ads, or without if you pay $5/month for a Premium subscription.
You can also listen the same way on a computer, using the Stingray Web Player…
20) Hulu will replace Star on Disney+ Canada next Wednesday
Disney says its Hulu streaming service in the USA will be going worldwide, including here in Canada, starting this coming Wednesday, Oct. 8th.
Programs that Americans watch on Hulu can currently be viewed on a variety of other platforms in other countries, and here in Canada, they're mostly on Star.
Starting next Wednesday, Star will be rebranded as Hulu.
The content won't initially change much, but along with the Hulu rebrand, Disney says it’s planning some interface updates, including simpler navigation via a “For You” tab, more personalization recommendations, a more dynamic home page featuring characters from the given movie or show and Widgets on iOS.
Disney is also expanding its Perks loyalty rewards program from the USA into Canada, which includes discounts from Skip The Dishes and Rogers, as well as discounted rates at Disney theme parks and on Disney cruises.
21) AOL dial-up internet service (and sound) that defined an era has been turned-off
AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the World Wide Web for the first time when its dial-up service launched 34 years ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s.
The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone line used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials.
Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up’s quirks for all but a few thousand Americans accessing the internet today.
On Sep. 30, AOL pulled the plug on its dialup internet…the end of an era.
AOL shut down its service as other relics of the internet’s earlier days continue to disappear.
Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year — as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger — a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication since email when it was founded in 1997, but later struggled to ward off rivals.
AOL itself is far from the dominant internet player it was decades ago — when, beyond dial-up and IMs, the company also became known for its “You’ve got mail” catchphrase that greeted users who checked their inboxes, as famously featured in the 1998 movie of the same name starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Before it was America Online, AOL was founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1985. It soon rebranded and hit the public market in 1991. Near the height of the dot-com boom, AOL’s market value reached nearly $164 billion in 2000. But tumultuous years followed, and that valuation plummeted as the once-tech pioneer bounced between multiple owners. After a disastrous merger with Time Warner Inc., Verizon acquired AOL — which later sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to a private equity firm. AOL now operates under the larger Yahoo name, and still offers free email service, but only has about a hundred thousand subscribers.
22) Scuba-diver's life saved by his Apple Watch Ultra's siren
A Mumbai diver didn't even know the Apple Watch Ultra had a siren until it automatically sounded and saved his life.
It's not the best known or most publicized feature of the Apple Watch Ultra, but every model to date has come with an 86-decibel siren alarm. Apple designed it to start blasting out either when the user turns it on or, as in this case, when they're incapacitated and the Apple Watch Ultra's depth sensor determines there's a problem.
Kshitij Zodape was diving in the Bay of Bengal near Puducherry, but when he reached at depth of 120 feet (37 metres), a weight belt he was wearing came off, and without it, his body started propeling him back up toward the surface.
The water was very choppy and visibility was poorand Zodape says he wasn't able to understand what was happening. But his Apple Watch Ultra's depth sensor detected the rapid vertical ascent, and sent him an emergency notification.
When he failed to respond and continued to rise, the Apple Watch Ultra sounded its siren, and that got the attention of a diving instructor who was with Zodape.
That instructor was able to reach Zodape and prevent him rising any further. At the depth Zodape was originally, his body was under pressure and too fast a rise to the surface would have made his lungs expand and potentially rupture.
24) 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.
25) World's tallest bridge has opened, cutting travel time from two hours to just two minutes
The world’s tallest bridge, located in the Guizhou province in Southern China, has officially opened to traffic.
Called the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the engineering marvel towers approximately 2,050 feet above the Beipan River.
It took nearly four years to construct, and reduces travel time across the canyon from two hours to two minutes.
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…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
…which I used when explaining to our international students how hard it is to learn the English language because of all the "rules" for which there are so many exceptions!
And so it goes…