Nov. 15 & 16, 2025 Show Notes
Grey Cup Weekend Edition (also Elasmosaurus' birthday!)
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon PT
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm on C-FAX
Only hour 1 this weekend because of the Grey Cup broadcast
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
The Podcast
Listen now:
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Tech Talk - November 15th, 2025 by Tech Talk with Alan Perry
This week on Tech Talk, Alan Perry teams up with Gary Beyer of Tesseract Computers to break down the latest tech news, highlight new savings, and spotlight a sneaky new scam involving fake Outlook Calendar entries. If you want to stay informed and stay safe, this episode has you covered.
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Watch out for scam emails with an attached PDF receipt claiming to be from Apple, for an expensive Netflix subscription
The emails have the subject Store Services Invoice, and are being sent using the Signaturely document-signing service from a gibberish email address in Peru (.pe), as shown in the screenshots below from astute "Tech Talk" listener Monica…
The scammers posing as Apple are hoping you'll be alarmed by the price — $275.88 — and will call their phone number to get the charge reversed.
It's an unfortunately common multi-billion dollar scam.
If you phone the number, your call will be answered an overseas call-centre staffed by scammers who will pretend to be Apple Support. They'll offer to help cancel the charge, but will want to see your computer screen to confirm the cancellation. They'll then manipulate what you see to make it look like you were over-refunded, and then will get you to pay them back the difference, and you'll never see the money again.
NEVER call numbers in emails or pop-ups like this!
If you want to see what charges are on your Apple account, you can go to Apple.account.com and sign-in there and look under the Purchases tab. To see what subscriptions you have, go to Settings, (your name), Subscriptions, and you can cancel any you don't want. If you got tricked into subscribing to something you didn't want, use the Apple Support app to get a refund.
2) Watch out for scam Outlook Calendar entries claiming to be receipts for services which you never ordered
This ingenious scam takes advantage of the feature in the Outlook Mail app and software that adds emailed meeting invitations into your calendar. When you see the new calendar entry and tap on it, the Notes (as shown in these screenshots) reveal a (scam) receipt for an expensive membership which you never ordered, along with a number to call for assistance if you were charged in error…
If you tap on the info about the sender, you'll see that it came from an unknown address in Indonesia.
The calendar entry has a Delete button but it will not work, in this case.
Like the first scam, the scammers are hoping you'll be alarmed by the price — $435— and will call their phone number to get the charge reversed. If you do that, your call will be answered an overseas call-centre staffed by scammers who will offer to help cancel the charge, but will want to see your computer screen to confirm the cancellation. They'll then manipulate what you see to make it look like you were over-refunded, and then will pressure you to pay them back the difference, and you'll never see the money again. NEVER call numbers in items like this!
To stop these scam calendar entries from being added to your Calendar...
- Go to Outlook.com, and sign in with your Microsoft Account.
- Look for a gear icon at the top right, and click on it to open the Settings menu.
- Then click on Mail on the left, and then on Events from Email..
- In the box that appears, on the right, change the Settings for each of the categories to Don't Show…
If you use Outlook Mail (Classic) software, we recommend you check to see that auto-adding of emailed invites is also disabled there.
To do that, open the Outlook Mail (Classic) software, go to File, Options (at the bottom), and then click on the Mail tab, and in the screen that appears, scroll down to the Tracking section, and uncheck the box next to Automatically process meeting requests. and then click on OK at the bottom.
4) DoorDash has been hacked again — their third time
After suffering a large breach in 2019 and then another in 2022, DoorDash says it was hacked again on October 25, after after one of its employees was tricked into granting hackers access to the platform.
DoorDash said the hackers stole client names, phone numbers, email addresses, and postal addresses, but, in a slightly odd statement, insists “no sensitive information was accessed”.
DoorDash is warning users to watch out for online phishing attempts via phone or email.
If you're a DoorDash customer (even if you've had enough and are going to cancel), we recommend you charge your password ASAP.
The company has also set up a dedicated hotline if anyone wants to call in for more information (+1 833-918-8030). However, when you do call, you need to use the reference code B155060.
Tech Deals This Weekend
Star and Nebula projector: $60 (save $30) next week at Tesseract Computers
Gary at Tesseract has scored a great deal on LED Star and Nebula projectors (seen here projecting onto his store ceiling in the daytime).
They are AC-powered and come with a remote control so you can switch between stars/nebula/both, and fixed or moving, and change the colours.
They're regularly $90 but Gary will be selling them for $60 next week, if you say you heard about them on "Tech Talk".
Tesseract is on Broughton near Douglas in downtown Victoria.
Malwarebytes Premium for 5 devices: on sale for $25 off
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.
Licences good for use on three devices — any combination of Windows or Mac computers and Android phones and tablets) — are often on sale for $15 off, but what if you have more than three devices?
"Tech Talk" listener Susan says a licence good for 5 devices is on sale for $55 — that's a $25 saving — at both Staples and Best Buy this week. (London Drugs does not selll the 5-device version.)
StaplesCanada
Malwarebytes Premium Anti-Malware for Multiple Devices, 5 Devices
Malwarebytes Premium protects against malware, including viruses, ransomware, and spyware, without slowing you down. It removes any existing infections and proactively prevents future ones. Malwarebytes Premium also defends against phishing scams, fake or malicious websites, infected ads, credit card skimmers and credential stealers. Expand your protection to all your devices and rest easy knowing that we’re finding and crushing hidden threats that traditional antivirus misses.
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) If you're finding controls are missing on Facebook and Instagram, you're not alone!
Meta has recently pushed-out updates to its Facebook and Instagram apps and websites, and some users are finding things are missing.
On Facebook on computers, for example, when you click on Comment on a post, the box where you'd type your comment doesn't appear.
On the Instagram app, when you go to read a comment about one of your posts, for some people, the button that should take you back to the list of comments is missing (it should be where I drew a red circle)…
Whether you'll have these problems appears to very much depend on which type of device you have, and on computers, on which browser and operating system you're on.
Meta is aware of these problems, and may have already issued a fix.
Even if you have Automatic Updates on, because there are so many hundreds of millions of devices out there, it can often take weeks before the updating happens.
As a result, we recommend you regularly check for app updates.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to the App Store, tap on your picture or initials in the upper-right.
In the pop-up that appears, put your finger in the middle of the screen, pull down an inch or so, and let go.
You'll briefly see a spinning symbol at the top of the pop-up.
When it disappears, scroll up, and you'll see how many apps have updates waiting.
Tap on Update All.
(On my iPhone, I've been getting more than a dozen Updates a day, and sometimes the same apps are being updated two or three times a week!)
On a Mac, open the App Store, click on the Updates tab in the App Store window to see a list of apps that have available updates, and click on Update All.
On a Windows PC, open the Microsoft Store app, click on Downloads in the lower-left.
When the screen changes, in the upper-right, click on Check for Updates.
Once it finishes checking, click on Update All.
On an Android phone or tablet, open the Google Play Store app, then tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Tap on Manage apps & device, and then tap on Update all to install the latest versions for all apps.
12) A passenger's smartphone video leads to scathing ruling by a judge against Air Transat
An Ontario couple’s decision to record video of their negative interaction with Air Transat check-in staff has been applauded in a scathing decision by an Ontario judge, who ordered the airline to pay the couple $7000 for not allowing them to board their flight home from the Dominican Republic.
When they were sent to the wrong check-in lines because the wife has a Canadian passport and the husband has an Indian passport and a Canadian work permit, an Air Transat check-in person at the Punta Cana airport refused to let them board because they were in the wrong line.
At that point, the wife began recording what was happening on her smartphone. An Air Transat check-in supervisor can be seen yelling at the couple that they would not be allowed to board unless they stopped recording and deleted any video and pictures of their interaction.
They refused, and were not allowed to board, and ended-up pay for new tickets home to Toronto on an Air Canad flight. When they sued Air Transat in Ontario Small Claims court, the airline claimed it nenied them boarding because they were a security risk.
But in a scathing ruling, the judge pointed-out that the supervisor can be clearly seen and heard telling the couple they would be allowed to board if they deleted their footage. Justice Marcel Mongeon added, “Thank goodness” the wife recorded the video, “so that I can actually see how terrible the customer service that he received at the hands of the defendant corporation was.”
He ordered AirTransat to pay the couple $7000 to make-up for their mistreatment.
Two takeaways here: one, if things go south in your interactions with staff, record video. And two, if you end up out-of-pocket with an airline, instead of filing a complating with the (CTA) Canadian Transport Association, which can take years to get resolved, consider taking the airline to Small Claims Court, which usually takes only a few months.
14) If you're in the market for Apple AirTags or an Apple TV, new ones might be released next week…or they might not
Numerous tech analysts have been saying for months that Apple was expected to release a powerful new 2nd-generation AirTag this past week, along with a new Apple TV and a new HomePod mini.
The new AirTags in particular have been garnering a not of attention, because they're expected to be powered by a new UWB (UltraWideBand) chip which will give them 3x the tracking range, as well as a more tamper-proof speaker and a louder chirp.
But nothing was announced.
With Black Friday weekend — the largest sales weekend of the year in North America — happening in just two weeks, Apple doesn't have much time left to announce the new models and get them to stores for that cruciual shopping window.
Some analysts are now hypothesizing that Apple may have decided to hold-off announcing the new products until early next year.
If you're wanting AirTags, an Apple TV or a HomePod mini — either for Christmas gifts or for yourself — we'd recommend you wait though this coming week to see if Apple does announce anything, before taking advantage of Early Black Friday deals on current models.
15) Belkin is recalling its BoostCharge and Playa Powerbank models and its Auto-Tracking Stand Pro because of battery fire risks
Popular accessory maker Belkin has issued a recall for three of its products, including the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, the Belkin BoostCharge USB-C PD Power Bank 20K, and the Playa USB-C PD Power Bank 20K.
Belkin says that a manufacturing defect can cause the lithium-cell batteries in the devices to overheat, resulting in fire and burn hazards to customers. There were approximately 83,500 units sold in the USA, along with 2,385 here in Canada.
The Auto-Tracking Stand Pro has a model number of MMA008, the BoostCharge Power Bank has a model number of BPB2002, and the Playa Power bank has a PB0003 model number. Model numbers are located on the back or side of each product. Affected devices were sold on the Belkin website and through third-party retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.
Belkin is offering full refunds or store credit, and is asking for copies of receipts and proof of ownership. An image of the product showing its serial number is required, and if a receipt is provided, the purchase price on the receipt will be refunded. If no receipt is available, Belkin will offer the average sales price for the model. Customers can also opt for a Belkin store credit worth 20 percent more than the average sales price of the device.
Belkin US
Belkin Official Support - Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro (MMA008) and Belkin BoostCharge USB-C PD Power Bank 20K (BPB002 and PB0003) Product Safety Recall
Get help with Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro (MMA008) and Belkin BoostCharge USB-C PD Power Bank 20K (BPB002 and PB0003) Product Safety Recall
MacRumors
Belkin Recalls Auto-Tracking Stand Pro and Two Power Banks Due to Fire Risk
Popular iPhone accessory maker Belkin has issued a recall for three of its products, including the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro, the Belkin BoostCharge USB-C PD Power Bank 20K, and the Playa USB-C PD Power Bank 20K. The Auto-Tracking Stand Pro has a model number of MMA008, the BoostCharge Power Bank has a model number of BPB2002, and the Playa Power bank has a PB0003 model number.
16) Major League Soccer games will all be free to watch next year with an Apple TV subscription
This current season, MLS Friday Night games have been free to watch with an Apple TV subscription, but if you wanted to watch other matches, or the playoffs now underway, you had to buy a MLS Season Pass for $17/month.
Great news for soccer fans: Apple has announced that starting next year, all MLS matches, including the playoffs, will be streamed at no extra cost for Apple TV subscribers. (An Apple TV subscription is currently $15/month here in Canada, or $129/year.)
And for the rest of the MLS playoffs this year, you can buy a pass for $29.
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17) Apple has an Apple Sports app to keep tabs on scores
Apple has a free score-oriented app, Apple Sports.
The app, which is available to download for free here in Canada, in the USA and in the UK, focuses on providing real-time game scores in a fast and personalized way.
The app will let you track major leagues like the NHL, NFL, MLS, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, NCAA Basketball (men and women), La Liga, Serie A, Premier League and Liga MX, as well as Tennis, NASCAR, and Formula 1 racing.
No CFL yet…maybe next year.
18) File-sharing service WeTransfer is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t blindly trust tech providers
It began like so many internet storms do, with one late‑night screenshot. A video editor in Berlin scrolled through WeTransfer’s revised terms and spotted a sentence that sounded harmless until the middle clause swerved:
“You hereby grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non‑exclusive, royalty‑free, transferable, sub‑licensable license … including to improve performance of machine‑learning models that enhance our content‑moderation process.”
The line landed on X (Twitter) at 02:11 CET, and by dawn, the tag #WeTrustNoMore was trending in half a dozen languages. Artists, agencies, and journalists (many of the platform’s 80 million users in 190 countries) asked the same blunt question: If the clause kicks in, what stops my work from becoming AI training data?
The backlash travelled fast. The Independent called it “global outrage,” noting that entire studios froze deliveries until clients signed off on safer transfer tools. The Next Web framed the episode as proof that “trust in centralised file‑sharing is cracking.” Even the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain weighed in, welcoming any climb‑down but warning that members’ scripts must never feed an algorithm without permission.
Forty‑eight hours after the fire started, WeTransfer pulled the clause, issued a mea culpa, and rewrote the licence to a boiler‑plate line about “operating, developing and improving the service.” “We don’t use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer,” the statement added, describing the wording as “poorly phrased.”
There is no way that clause was a ‘mistake’, a ‘typo’, or ‘poor wording’. Without the backlash, they would have gone through with it.
19) Apple is starting to roll-out Digital ID on iPhones in the USA; here in Canada, you can use the free eID-Me app
Apple has launched of Digital ID in the USA, which lets Americans store their US passport info in the Apple Wallet, and use it to clear TSA checkpoints for domestic flights at 250 airports in the USA.
Here in Canada, you can use the free eID-Me app to store your passport, provincial drivers license or ID card, and health card. It was initially available just for iPhones, but the Android version is now out.
- eID-Me is a secure digital ID app that verifies and digitizes government ID info and stores it on your mobile device.
- eID-Me lets you share verified ID info with your consent to better access supported services, such as government websites and apps.
- eID-Me cannot currently be used as a substitute for ID in every situation.
- eID-Me is also a secure, private backup of your ID info.
- Your ID info is only stored offline on your mobile device using strong encryption. It is not stored in the cloud, and does not get stored by Bluink, the firm that made eID-Me.
20) Netflix is bringing its gaming service to TV sets
The ability to play games through Netflix has been available for a while on mobile, but soon, you'll be able to play them on your TV, alongside a slate of new party games.
How it works is that the TV acts as the monitor, with your phone being used as the controller. You can even play local multiplayer games as long as everyone has a phone.
Here is the list of the games that will be coming to TV sets:
- Boggle Party — supports one to eight players
- LEGO Party — supports one to four players
- Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends — supports three to six players
- Pictionary: Game Night — supports two to ten players
- Tetris Time Warp — supports one to four players
- Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game (coming soon)
21) The Guess Who are embarking on a cross-Canada tour that'll end at the PNE in Vancouver
Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are hitting the road as The Guess Who for the first time in 23 years.
The rock veterans have announced a 2026 Canadian tour (the "Taking It Back Tour") which they say will be their first under the band name since settling a trademark dispute with former group members.
The legal spat had forced the duo to perform Guess Who hits such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes” as Bachman-Cummings instead. Bachman and Cummings settled their lawsuit with Jim Kale and Garry Peterson last year, and have now acquired the trademark for their band name.
The Guess Who "Taking It Back" Tour will begin May 26 in Moncton, with stops including Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, culminating at the PNE in Vancouver on August 23.
Tickets are now on sale, but not yet for the PNE concert.
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.
Remembering former C-FAX'er Steve Duffy
Steve, who had an impressive 44-year radio career including 15 years on C-FAX from 2002 to 2017, succumbed to MSAD - Multi-System Atrophy Disease — on Remembrance Day at the age of 73.
Steve is survived by his wife Susan and adult children Jordan and Shannon.
On Remembrance Day, I took our two Grade 10 international students — Natsuki from Osaka in Japan and Sofía from Madrid in España (Spain) — to the ceremony at the Legislative Cenotaph. This was a whole new experience for them, and they asked lots of questions — especially when a squadron of young Royal Canadian Air Force cadets, some of them younger than them, marched by…
We were honoured to meet "Tech Talk" listener and retired Air Force veteran Peter Gray, who was wearing his blue UN Peacekeeper beret from when he served in The Congo in the 60's…
I had earlier explained to the girls that we make a point of thanking serving and retired military members for their service, and it was gratifying to hear Natsuki and Sofía thank Peter for his service.
After the moving ceremony, Sofía joined others in contributing her poppy to the growing collection amid the Cenotaph wreaths, while Natsuki chose to keep hers as a souvenir.
The girls were especially intrigued by the bagpipers — they'd never seen or heard any before — and so after the ceremony, we followed the Canadian Scottish Regiment as they marched up Government Street to this dispersement point, where they got to meet and talk with one of the best — veteran Pipe-Major (R) Roger McGuire, who's organized numerous miliary tatoos over the years…
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…