Jan. 31 & Feb. 1, 2026 Show Notes
Grammy Awards Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon PT
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm on C-FAX
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
Your crew this weekend:
1) If you have an iPhone or iPad, Apple has released OS 26.2.1 to fix more bugs
We were expecting Apple to this week release OS 26.3 with security fixes and some new features including a new app for moving to and from Android phones.
But in a bit of a surprise move, Apple has instead released OS 26.2.1, which contains just fixes for some unspecified bugs plus support for the new AirTags (see item #10 below).
It's a surprisingly large update — 570MB to 750MB depending on your device.
To get it without waiting for Automatic Updates to deliver it, go to Settings> General> Software Update.
If you don't have access to fast Wi-Fi but have a mobile data plan with lots of data, you can now choose to use cellular data to download it, if you want.
2) If you use Booking.com for hotel bookings, watch out for scam WhatsApp messages
My good friend Dale in Oak Bay forwarded this heads-up about a new type of scam targetting people who book hotels through Booking.com…
The woman says they received a WhatsApp message requesting they pay a deposit on a hotel stay which they'd booked through Booking.com.
The message included the correct dates of their stay, their names, contact numbers, etc., and as it made sense, she provided her credit card info to pay the deposit. Fortunately, their bank spotted and blocked the transaction when it saw that the money was actually going through Ethopia!
Valuable lesson: if you get a request for a deposit from anyone, before sending it, check directly with them first — in this case, check with the hotel.
Suggestion: by all means, use sites like Booking.com, Hotels.com, Trivago, and Expedia to find a good hotel rate, but then, contact the hotel directly and see if they'll give you the same rate or even possibly an upgrade for the same price, as the hotel then doesn't have to pay a hefty commission.
4) Microsoft has released a rare emergency Windows 11 update to fix crashing apps
Microsoft has pushed out another emergency update for Windows 11 after its latest monthly patch caused unexpected app crashes and system issues for some users.
What was meant to be a routine January security update quickly turned into a problem, with reports piling up about apps freezing, Outlook Classic breaking, and cloud-synced files refusing to behave.
Some of the problems were serious enough that Microsoft even advised certain users to uninstall the update altogether. Now, Microsoft has stepped in again with a second out-of-band update, aiming to finally steady the ship.
The new update combines earlier security fixes with targeted repairs for the app crashes tied to cloud-stored files. It specifically addresses the Outlook PST issue and broader problems where apps stopped responding when opening or saving files in synced folders. For users who rely on cloud backups for work or personal data, this fix is especially important.
KB5078127 is now rolling out through Windows Update for supported Windows 11 versions. It installs automatically for most users, but it can also be checked manually. Even if you did not notice crashes, installing it is still recommended, as it includes security and stability improvements from earlier updates.
Settings> Windows Update> Check for update. The update will bring your Windows 11 installation to Build 26200.7628 if you're on 25H2, or to Build 26100.7628 if you're on 24H2.
To find out which build you're running, go to Settings> System> About and scroll down to Windows Specifications, and you'll see something like this…
If you're not on .7628 after checking for updates, you can manually download the Update from here…
5) If you bought anything online from Under Armour, your info has been dumped online after they got hacked and wouldn't pay ransom
Under Armour isn't yet saying anything, but Malwarebytes.com and HaveIBeenPwned.com have both found customer data for 72.2 million online UnderArmour.com customers around the world has been dumped online on the dark web.
This comes after the Everest ransomware group hacked Under Armour and the Baltimore-based company refused to pay a massive ransom within seven days.
Under Armour is now the subject of a class-action lawsuit alleging that the firm didn't adequately protect the data of its customers.
The data set posted to several sites on the dark web (as shown in the screenshot) contains full names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical locations, genders, purchase histories, and preferences for 72,727,245 unique email addresses.
If you've ever bought anything online from Under Armour, for starters, change your password, and check your credit card statements for fraudulent charges.
6) If you bought anything online from Canada Computers between December and January 22, check your credit card statement
The company has admitted that its online store was infiltrated and that hackers got personal info from people who shopped online, including credit card info.
The issue came to light when a Canada Computers online shopper noticed a suspicious “card skimmer” script while making a purchase on January 18. This malware, often called a Magecart attack, was designed to steal everything typed into the payment form, including credit card numbers, CVV codes, and full billing addresses.
The company, which is based in Ontario, operates about 38 stores across BC, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec. It has now started emailing customers to nofify them of the breach.
Security experts recommend anyone who bought items from the Canada Computers online store between early December and January 22 consider freezing or cancelling their credit cards as a precaution.
iPhone in Canada | Canada’s source for Apple, telecom, tech news, and deals
Major Canada Computers Breach: Customers Warned to Cancel Cards | iPhone in Canada
A hobbyist web developer has exposed a major security flaw on the Canada Computers website that may have sent customer credit card details to hackers for over a month. Canada Computers & Electronics is a tech retailer headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The chain operates about 38 stores across British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and
7) LastPass warns of phishing campaign targeting its customers
The campaign targets LastPass customers with urgent "maintenance" alerts designed to steal master passwords within hours.
Cybercriminals have launched a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting LastPass customers with urgent “maintenance” alerts designed to steal master passwords within hours. Security experts are calling this latest attack “alarmingly effective” because it exploits users’ trust in legitimate security notifications.
The scheme revolves around fake emails (see screenshot below) claiming users must backup their password vaults within 24 hours to prevent data loss. But here’s the twist: clicking those “backup” links doesn’t create any backup— it hands over the keys to everything users have tried to protect.
LastPass says attackers are sending emails from addresses like ‘support@lastpass.server8’ and ‘support@sr22vegas.com’ with subject lines including “LastPass Infrastructure Update: Secure Your Vault Now” and “Protect Your Passwords: Backup Your Vault (24-Hour Window).”
LastPass categorically states it will never request master passwords or demand immediate software updates via email links.
Users who receive suspicious emails should forward them to Abuse@LastPass.com and verify any maintenance notifications through official LastPass channels before taking action.
Tech Deals This Weekend
Freedom and Koodo are both offering 25% off BYOP plans this weekend — but only for customers switching from another carrier
Koodo, which is the budget brand of Telus, is offering 25% off its plans for two years — if you switch to them from another carrier this weekend.
The two best plans covered by this offer are their 10GB/month Canada plan, which is on sale for $23.75/month, or their 60GB/month Canada plan which is on sale for $27.50/month…
Freedom has now responded by also offering 25% off their BYOB plans for 24 months, and they're including Canada/USA/Mexico on all plans — but again, only for new customers…
Freedom's plans are better, because they let you seamlessly roam onto Rogers, Telus, and Bell towers at no cost, giving you better coverage. Plus, they all include Canada/USA/Mexico, and higher plans include +120-country "Roam Beyond" at no extra cost, which is awesome when overseas!
If you're on one of their budget plans, you can add on "Roam Beyond" for $30 for 30 days.
Emrge 4-in-1 Wireless Charger & Bluetooth Speaker: $36 (save $74!)
If you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that will also charge your phone and other electronics, the Emrge 4-In-1 Wireless Charging Speaker is a geat deal.
It can wirelessly charge a phone and earbuds at the same time, and has an adjustable MagSafe mount, plus it has a jack for corded charging.
It also has a built-in LED light, and a great-sounding Bluetooth wireless speaker.
They're normally$110, but London Drugs is clearing them out, while they last, for just $35.88 — so you save more than $74!
Find them on the Gadget Wall near the camera department.
Emrge mini magnetic wireless charger: $25 at London Drugs
London Drugs is also clearing-out Emrge's mini magnetic wireless charger, which you can carry on your keychain, and pop onto the back of your phone, watch or earbuds when they need to be recharged.
It has a 5000mAh battery — good for two charges of most phones — and it has 20W fast-charging.
It's usually $70, but while they last, London Drugs is clearing them out fort just $25, so you save $45.
Find them on the Gadget Wall near the camera department.
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) End of an era: in a surprise move, Sony is handing its TV business over to TCL of China, the world's 2nd-largest TV maker
Sony, the company that practically invented the modern premium TV market, is effectively handing over the keys to its most iconic hardware division. In a move that would've been unthinkable twenty years ago, Sony is selling a 51% controlling stake in its home entertainment business — yes, that includes the legendary Bravia brand — to Chinese giant TCL, the #2 TV maker just behind Samsung.
If you need proof that the global TV landscape has completely flipped, this is it.
For a long time, “Made in Japan” was the gold standard for TVs. We watched Toshiba, Hitachi, and Pioneer slowly fade away or exit the market entirely. Panasonic and Sharp pulled back years ago. Sony was the last titan standing, the one brand that still convinced us to pay a premium because, well, it was a Sony. By forming this new joint venture (kicking off in April of next year, Sony is just following its predecessors. It’s a bittersweet milestone that signals the final retreat of Japan’s consumer electronics empire. From a business perspective, though? It makes total sense. The margins on hardware are razor-thin and the competition is brutal. Sony’s real money these days comes from stuff you play on screens, not the screens themselves. We’re talking PlayStation, Spider-Man movies, anime (Crunchyroll), and music rights. By offloading the heavy lifting of manufacturing to TCL, Sony gets to keep its brand on the shelf while focusing its energy on its massive intellectual property empire.
The Sony and Bravia brands aren’t going anywhere. The new Sony/TCL joint venture company will sell TV's still carrying the Sony and Bravia name. The difference is they’ll be using TCL display technology. TCL has rapidly grown its global market share by making quality TV's at budget prices. The big question now is whether they'll use Sony's six decades of quality expertise to further boost the quality of sets, or if they'll just cash-in on the Sony and Bravia names. Time will tell.
Sony Corporation
Sony and TCL Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Strategic Partnership in Home Entertainment Field
Sony Corporation ("Sony") and TCL Electronics Holdings Limited ("TCL") today announced that the two companies have agreed to move forward with discussions and consideration for a strategic partnership in the home entertainment field.
11) New 2nd-gen Apple AirTags have finally been released, with expanded range, and a louder speaker to help find them
The next generation of AirTag — the bestselling item finder in the world — is even easier to locate with more powerful Precision Finding, a longer Bluetooth range, and a louder speaker.
Apple’s 2nd-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same chip found in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11 — powers the new AirTag, making it easier to locate than ever before.
Using haptic, visual, and audio feedback, Precision Finding guides users to their lost items from up to 50% farther away than the previous generation.
And an upgraded Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. For the first time, users can use Precision Finding on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, to find their AirTag.
The new AirTag has been designed from the ground up to keep location data private and secure. AirTag doesn’t physically store location data or history on device, and end-to-end encryption protects all communication with the Find My network, ensuring that only the owner of a device can access its location data. No one, including Apple, knows the identity or location of any device that helped find it.
The new 2nd-gen AirTag is available in one- and four- packs for $39 (CAD) and $129 (CAD), respectively.
12) Turbotax Desktop Tax Year 2025 will not run on Windows, 10 but you can use TurboTax Online if you can't upgrade to Windows 11
Intuit has released its Tax Year 2025 versions of TurboTax tax-return software, but if your computer is still running Windows 10, don't buy it, as it won't install on Windows 10, because that operating system stopped being supported by Microsoft last October.
If you don't have access to a Windows 11 computer, what you can do is use your web-browser to log into your TurboxTax online account, and instead use TurboTax Online.
Here's how to do that…
More info on the end of Windows 10 support for TurboTax Canada Desktop software is here…
13) BMO-owned Air Miles is being rebranded as Blue Rewards
One of Canada’s biggest and longest running loyalty programs will soon be getting a major update — BMO is rebranding Air Miles to Blue Rewards.
Current Air Miles collectors will see their accounts automatically convert to the new Blue Rewards program this summer – no action required.
The new program will let you earn points through more than 400 partners, including Porter Airlines, Accor Group hotel brands such as Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Novotel, and SLS Hotels, Instacart, MTY Group restaurants including Thai Express, Bâton Rouge, Pizza Delight, Allô! mon Coco, Sushi Shop, Mr. Sub, Manchu Wok, Mucho Burrito, Jugo Juice and more.
- BMO says more partners including grocery and gas-staion chains are in the works, but the current Air Miles partnership with Shell Canada is ending; Shell is switching to Scene+ as of May 26.
- Collectors earn a simplified single currency, following the consolidation of Cash and Dream Miles.
- As of summer 2026, 1,500 Blue Points = $10 towards in-lane redemptions or e-gift cards
- Book travel seamlessly with the new Blue Rewards Travel platform, powered by Expedia
Exclusive Benefits for BMO clients
BMO Chequing Account holders can opt-in to earn Blue Points on gas, grocery, wholesale and EV charging purchases when using their debit card.
If you’re interested in the Blue Rewards credit card, you can apply on the pre-launch waitlist. Waitlist members will be entered for a chance to win prizes, including a chance to win one million Blue Points and receive an exclusive welcome offer available when the new cards launch.
14) TikTok and Snap have both settled a landmark teen social media addictions lawsuit in the USA, but Meta and Google are fighting on
We don't yet know what the terms of the settlement are, but on the eve of trial, TikTok has reached an out-of-court settlement in a landmark USA case accusing social media giants of deliberately designing their apps to addict young people.
The social video platform was one of three companies — along with Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube — facing claims In L-A County Superior Court that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. A fourth company named in the lawsuit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum.
At the core of the case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.
Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits.
This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and Section 230, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.
15) France is preparing to follow Australia's lead and will also ban under-15's from using social media starting this fall
French lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to protect children from excessive screen time.
MoreThe lower house, the National Assembly, adopted the text by a vote of 130 to 21 in a lengthy overnight session from Monday to Tuesday. It will now go to the Senate, France's upper house, ahead of becoming law.
Macron, on X, hailed the vote as a "major step" to protect French children and teenagers.
The legislation, which also provides for a ban on mobile phones in high schools, would make France the second country to take such a step following Australia's ban for under-16s in December.
16) Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are all going to test putting some features behind a paid premium subscription
Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp users will soon need to purchase subscriptions to unlock certain productivity, creativity, and AI-powered features. Meta hasn't revealed the exact features that'll go behind paywalls, but stresses that the core experience will continue to remain free.
Meta will begin testing its subscription model in the coming months, and doesn’t appear to be locked into one strategy, confirming that it'll test a variety of subscription features and bundles, and that each app subscription will have a distinct set of exclusive features.
Meta also shared that it plans to scale Manus, an AI agent it recently acquired for a reported $2 billion, as part of its subscription plans.
The launch of additional subscriptions will allow Meta to generate more revenue; however, many users may be deterred by subscription fatigue. With so many paid services competing for monthly spending, Meta will have to offer a compelling product to get users to sign up for yet another subscription.
Snap has proven there is a market for social media subscriptions, as its Snapchat+ offering continues to be a revenue driver. Snapchat+, which starts at $3.99 per month for exclusive features, has topped 16 million subscribers, more than doubling since early 2024.
Meta says it plans to listen to its community of users and gather feedback as it starts rolling out the subscriptions in the coming months.
TechCrunch
Meta to test premium subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp | TechCrunch
In the coming months, Meta is going to explore a premium experience on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that gives users access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free.
17) Meta is being sued by people who claim the company can read your WhatsApp messages
Meta has denied these allegations and calls the lawsuit "frivolous."
Meta is facing a new lawsuit that takes direct aim at one of WhatsApp‘s biggest selling points: end-to-end encryption. Filed by a group of petitioners from multiple countries, the lawsuit alleges that Meta has made false claims about the privacy and security of WhatsApp chats, claiming the company can “store, analyze, and can access virtually all of WhatsApp users’ purported ‘private’ communications.”
WhatsApp implemented end-to-end encryption for all communication back in 2016, and it has since been one of the key components of the platform’s pitch. The messaging app frequently reassures users that it doesn’t have access to the contents of the messages shared on the platform, with a prominent notice within encrypted chats stating “only people in this chat can read, listen to, or share” the messages.
The petitioners argue that this is not the case and that Meta can, in fact, access messages shared in end-to-end encrypted chats. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by a group of users from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa, references unnamed whistleblowers who allegedly helped bring these practices to light, though it does not provide details about who they are or what exactly they uncovered.
Meta has denied the allegations, with a spokesperson calling the lawsuit “frivolous” and saying that the company “will pursue sanctions against plaintiffs’ counsel.” “Any claim that people’s WhatsApp messages are not encrypted is categorically false and absurd. WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade. The lawsuit is a frivolous work of fiction,” the spokesperson said.
Lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Keller Postman, and Barnett Legal aim to certify it as a global class action, a move that could significantly broaden its scope and allow WhatsApp’s global user base of more than two billion to join the lawsuit.
18) Federal Court of Canada has upheld $39 million fine against Cineplex over 'deceptive' $1.50 online booking fee
But the movie chain isn't giving-up, and is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear an appeal of the ruling.
This starts all the way back in May of 2023, when the Competition Bureau filed an application with the Competition Tribunal to stop Cineplex’s deceptive advertising. In September 2024, the Competition Tribunal ruled in favour of the Competition Bureau and found that Cineplex was participating in ‘drip pricing’ — that's when companies offer low prices to attract consumers, but then add mandatory fees so that the advertised prices are not attainable", Cineplex filed a notice of appeal with the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn the Tribunal’s decision; however, the Federal Court of Appeal has now dismissed Cineplex’s appeal.
Cineplex maintains the $1.50 online booking fee is “completely avoidable” because you can buy in the theatre or pay for a $9.99 per month CineClub membership to have it waived. And Scene+ members get the fee discounted to $1.
No word how long it'll take for the Supreme Court of Canada to decide whether or not it'll agree to take up the case.
19) Google says Chrome could show what parts of a webpage are human or AI-generated
Google is testing a Chrome feature that could visually disclose how much of a webpage was written by humans vs. AI tools.
This is done via an “ai-disclosure” HTML attribute and a tag that marks specific portions of a page with labels indicating AI involvement.
This would allow browsers to recognize when a piece of content is AI-generated and flag it (visually) for users.
Given the rise in the usage of generative AI tools for webpage content and how advanced those tools are, it’s often impossible to tell what’s written by a human and what’s not.
If adopted by Chrome (and later by other browsers), the new “AI content disclosure attribute” could introduce a layer of honesty and transparency to the web.
Although the feature wouldn’t include native AI content detection, implying that it would still rely on the author’s integrity, it should allow users to distinguish between expert-written and AI-generated text.
Right now, the feature has been filed with ChromeStatus. While Google has shown interest, it could take some time before Chrome adopts it. If the feature performs well in Google’s browser, it could also wasily be adopted by Microsoft Edge, which runs on the Chromium engine.
20a) Apple reportedly to reveal Gemini-powered Siri in late February
Apple is aiming to unveil its Gemini-powered upgraded version of Siri in February, according to Bloomberg‘s credible Apple reporter Mark Gurman.
Per Gurman, Apple is planning a demo in the latter half of next month to show off the fruits of its recent deal with Google to use the search giant’s Gemini AI platform to revamp Siri. He says the new iteration of Siri will eventually be included with iOS 26.4, which is set to enter beta testing in February ahead of a March or early April public rollout.
In terms of what this new version of Siri will entail, Gurman notes it will operate more like a chatbot like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. After all, the virtual assistant has lacked this sort of conversational functionality. Gurman adds that while this will be deeply embedded into iPhone, iPad and Mac devices, Apple is testing a standalone app similar to Gemini and ChatGPT, although it’s not planning to make this available for consumers.
With all of that said, Gurman notes that Apple will make a full unveiling of the new Siri at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June ahead of an official launch later in the year.
It should be noted that this iteration of Siri is just one part of Apple’s larger Gemini plans. As the tow tech giants confirmed last month, their “multi-year agreement” includes using Gemini to power the broader Apple Intelligence AI platform. It remains to be seen what else will come out of the arrangement beyond this year’s Siri upgrade.
Outside of the AI-related updates, Gurman says Apple isn’t expected to make any major operating system changes this year. Instead, the company is “more focused on improving performance and fixing bugs,” following a design overhaul last year that unified the look and feel of its various OS's.
20b) Apple was going to use Claude to power the next generation of Siri, but then Anthropic got greedy
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that even though Apple partnered with Google Gemini for Siri, they currently actually run their business on Anthropic.
"Apple runs on Anthropic at this point. Anthropic is powering a lot of the stuff Apple's doing internally in terms of product development and a lot of their internal tools. They have custom versions of Claude (Anthropic's AI chatbot) running on their own servers internally, too.
Gurman goes on to say, "This Google deal just came together a few months ago. They were not going to use Google. Apple actually was going to rebuild Siri around Claude. But Anthropic was holding them over a barrel. They wanted a tonne of money from them, several billion dollars a year, and at a price that doubled on an annual basis for the next three years."
20c) Tim Cook: Apple won't change privacy rules with Google Gemini partnership
Apple CEO Tim Cook has reiterated that the new generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence will still run on-device and in Private Cloud Compute in spite of the new Google Gemini partnership.
21) Apple reaches 2.5 billion active devices, after record-breaking quarter
The active install base of Apple users has increased by 150 million users since 2025, and has reached over 2.5 billion active users as of January 2026.
Apple sold $85 billion USD worth of iPhones in Q1, up from $69 billion in the same period last year.
That helped boost Apple's Q1 revenue to $143.8 billion USD, also a new record.
CEO Tim Cook says iPhone 17 gave Apple seven of the 10 best-selling phones in 2025, with the other three being Samsung phones…
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) Kathryn's Paleontology News Item Of The Week: a previously unknown species of Titanosaur has been found in Patagonia
Paleontologists have uncovered a previously unknown species of Titanosaur in northern Patagonia. The newly named Yeneen houssayi lived around 83 million years ago, adding to the growing body of fossil evidence from the Upper Cretaceous period in Argentina’s Neuquén Basin.
The discovery, described as one of the most complete titanosaur skeletons found in the region, offers new insights into the diversity and evolution of long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs on the ancient continent of Gondwana. Scientists have already placed Yeneen houssayi within a newly defined lineage of non-lithostrotian saltasauroids, alongside other species like Overosaurus and Narambuenatitan.
Fossils of titanosaurs have long been found in Patagonia, a region known for its exceptional paleontological richness. The new species was discovered at the Cerro Overo-La Invernada site within the Bajo de la Carpa Formation, which has now yielded remains from at least three different titanosaur species. According to the study published in Historical Biology on January 12, 2026, the area’s fossil record makes it “exceptional” for understanding dinosaur evolution during the Santonian stage.
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
…plus a bonus cartoon from Kathryn…
And so it goes…