June 6 & 7, 2026 Show Notes
Oak Bay Tea Party / AfriCaFest / VicWestFest / Weekend Edition
🎙️ Show airs live
Saturday: 10:05am-Noon PT
on C-FAX 1070 in Victoria and
on CKFR AM 1150 in Kelowna
🔁 Rebroadcast
Sunday: 1:05pm-3pm PT
on C-FAX 1070
🎧 Podcast
Anytime
anywhere you get your podcasts
Your crew this weekend:
Charles Martin
Guest Co-host
Victoria Mac and iOS Users Group Program Director and London Drugs In-Home Tech
Phone +1-888-718-4598
Join Charles, Aitan, and me for the June meeting of the Victoria Mac and iOS Users Group, on Zoom, at 7pm this coming Wednesday, June 10th.
If you're not a VMUG member, you're invited to take part as our guest using this link:
The Podcast
Listen now: (podcast will appear here once its been uploaded)
Or, you can subscribe to "Tech Talk with Alan Perry" (it's free) on any podcast app including these…
1) Watch out for scam texts about claiming your Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
The federal CGEB program is real — but texts about it (like the one shown in the screenshot) are a scam!
12 million Canadians this week will get between $267 and $717 from the federal government as part of the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which replaces the former GST/HST credit program.
The money will be credited to each person's Canada Revenue Agency account — there's nothing you have to do to get it!
Scammers are taking advantage of the news coverage about this new benefit to try and steal your money by pumping out scam texts which contain a link they want to you tap or click.
If you do, you'll be taken to a real-looking but fake Interac webpage shown in the screenshot below which will pretend to confirm you are a real person and not a robot accessing the site.
It'll then show you have a $437 payment (from "Benefits") waiting for you to accept, and encouarge you to tap on your bank or credit union to deposit it. If you do, you'll be taken to a real-looking but fake log-in page for your bank, where the oversaes scammers are hoping you'll give them your log-in info so they can steal money from you…
NEVER tap on link in texts like this!
This new benefit is a tax-free quarterly payment for individuals and families, with the first payment based on the 2025 tax return. The benefit payments will increase by 25% for five years starting in July 2026. A one-time GST/HST credit top-up payment will be provided to individuals who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit in January 2026.
Again, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment will be credited to each person's Canada Revenue Agency account — there's nothing you have to do to get it!
3) Watch out for scam emails claiming to be from TD Direct Investing about a stock subscription
The official-looking emails (as shown in the screenshots below from our friend Ron Fraser) purport to be from TD Direct and advise that your stock subscription is currently pending confirmation, and ask you to tap or click on a "Confirm Subscription” button.
But, if you check the address that the email came from, You will see that it is not coming from TD, but from an address @china-sports-kaiyunofficial.cn — which is indeed in China…
The "Confirm Subscription" button tghey want you to tap on or click on takes you to a real-looking but fake TD Direct Web Broker log-in page hosted on a web-server in China. The scammers are hoping you'll give them your log-in info so they can siphon money out of your account.
NEVER click or tap on links in emails like this!
If you think it might be real, contact your investment firm by phone.
4) If you get an email about someone sharing an online document with you, check with the sender before you try to access it!
This scam begins with an email that you receive from someone you know (as shown in the screenshot below), and you check, and the email address is theirs…
If you check the Open link in the email, it'll show as being a cloud storage link such as OneDrive or Google Drive or iCloud Drive, which is what you'd get if someone really was sharing a file with you.
In this case, the link began with… https://drv.ms/o/c/34c87f59b5d09c83 followed by a long strong of authentication code. That Open button takes you to…
…which looks real. The web-address of this page looks like something you'd get if a friend or a colleage was sharing a file or files with you…
If you click/tap on VIEW DOCUMENT, you're taken to a website showing this…
…bit if you type ANY email address in the box (I typed scammer@scam.com) and click/tap on Verify & Access Document, it takes you to another webpage hosted on a website in Hong Kong as shown in these screenshots, where you're asked to provide your Micrsosft account password…
…if you earlier typed in your real email address, and now type in your real Microsoft account password, you'll get a message (from the scammers) advising that for security reasons, Microsoft is going to send you a security code by text or email, and asking you to type that code in the box that will appear on the screen. If you do that, you just gave the overseas hackers what they needed to reset your Microsoft account password and lock you out of your own account so they can then steal your identity and use that to steal your money!
If anyone ever shares a file or files with you, before clicking on any links, phone or text the supposed sender (do NOT email them in case their email has been compromised) to find out if it's really them sending it.
And if you're asked tp provide a security code that's sent by text or email, don't do that, as thay's a sure-fire sign of a scam!
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) The feds have asked the CRTC to scrap plans to make streaming services pay 15% of their revenues towards Canadian content
Amid widespread backlash and the fast-approaching deadline to review the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, the federal government is directing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to review its recent decision to triple the amount it charges digital streaming giants to contribute to Canadian content.
The order comes after pushback from broadcasting associations and as the U.S. administration continues to point to the Online Streaming Act as a trade irritant.
Digital streaming giants — including American companies such as Netflix and Disney — were previously required to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues to domestic content. The federal government has yet to collect any of those funds, however, with a number of streaming companies fighting the decision in court.
Late last month, the CRTC announced its decision to triple the amount, from 5% to 15%.
“The CRTC’s new requirements would impose new costs on the companies providing these services, which could ultimately fall on Canadian consumers through higher prices,” reads a news release from Canadian Heritage announcing the review order. “At a time when Canadians face cost-of-living pressure, now is not the time to make culture and entertainment more expensive.”
CRTC spokesperson Mirabella Salem saiys the independent quasi-judicial body makes decisions on telecommunications and broadcasting matters based on public consultations.
“The CRTC is aware that the government intends to issue new policy directions to adjust the implementation of the Online Streaming Act,” Salem wrote. “The CRTC will review any new policy directions as they are released.”
CTVNews
‘Ultimately fall on Canadian consumers through higher prices’: Government orders review of CRTC decision
Amid widespread backlash and the fast-approaching deadline to review the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, the federal government is directing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissions to review its recent decision to triple the amount it charges digital streaming giants to contribute to Canadian content.
11) Heads up: July 13 is a critical date for anyone using old versions of Microsoft Office, or running older operating systems
Starting July 13, some users may notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files – called “reduced functionality mode”. This happens when support for Microsoft Office apps is no longer continued for older operating systems or devices.
This issue will affect both Microsoft 365 subscribers on macOS, iPhone, and iPad, and those with non-subscription software, including Office 2021 or Office 2019 on macOS.
For most users, updating your OS, and updating your apps will resolve the problem.
There are two important issues to be aware of here:
- Using older unsupported version of Microsoft Office. Office 2019 for Mac stopped being supported in October 2023, and now, you won't be able to continue to use it to edit, save, or create new files after July 13. The same will be true for Office 2021 after October 13 of this year. In both cases, all your files will be safe; you can either use Microsoft 365 Online for free to work with them, or you can get a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Using current versions of Microsoft 365 on older operating systems. Starting July 13, in order to continue to use current versions of Microsoft 365 apps, if you have a Mac it'll have to be running macOS Monterey or later, and if you have an iPad or iPhone, it'll have to be running iOS/iPadOS 17 or later. Updating your device's operating system will enable you to continue to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microisoft 365 apps. If your device is too old to be updated, you'll be able to continue to work with your files using Microsoft 365 Online, which is free.
support.microsoft.com
Update Microsoft 365 or Office on your macOS or iOS device - Microsoft Support
Starting July 13, 2026, some users may notice that Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or OneNote) can open and print files, but cannot edit, save, or create new files – called “reduced functionality mode”. This happens when support for Microsoft Office apps is no longer continued for older operating systems or devices.
12) Apple will unveil their new operating systems, a revamped Siri, and possibly some updated products, this coming Monday morning.
Each year, Apple invites developers from around the world to its headquarters in Cupertino, California, to learn about all the new things that are coming, at an event called WWDC — Apple's WorldWide Developers Conference, and this year, it begins with a 10am keynote on Monday, June 8.
This is where outgoing CEO Tim Cook, incoming CEO John Ternus, and their teams will unveil the new OS 27 family of operating systems which will be released this fall, along with the much-talked-about new AI-powered version of their Siri digital assistant, under this year's theme, "All Systems GLOW".
A new upgraded base-model iPad might be released as part of this, and also a new Apple TV model with a built-in camera for doing FaceTime calls on a TV, and possibly their rumoured Apple HomeHub.
Malcolm Owen at AppleInsider.com has a preview of what to expect, here…
There are indications iOS 27 is going to bring design changes to some key iPhone apps…
…and there's also word of at least four new features coming to iPads…
13) The cost of an ETA needed to get into England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, has gone up to £20 — which is about $37 CAD
And it's really important that you only get your ETA from the official UK ETA app or website, or you'll end up paying a LOT more for it!
An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is a new digital travel permit that is mandatory for citizens of countries that can visit England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland without a visa for short trips. This includes Canadian citizens.
ETA's now cost £20 — that's about $37 CAD, up from $30 last year.
A UK ETA is valid for multiple visits for either two years, or when your passport expires — whichever comes first.
Applying for a UK ETA is entirely online and paperless. Canadian applicants can complete the application in less than 20 minutes. You do not need to visit consulates or visa offices for an in-person interview or to submit documents. Important note: in order to get a UK ETA, your passport must not expire within six months of your expected departure from the UK.
There are numerous apps and websites where you can apply for a UK ETA, and they charge a variety of rates. Be aware that some try to get you to apply through them by (falsely) claiming that they can get you expedited approval.
Here's an example from Tech Talk listeners Ian and Judy, of one of the myriad of official-looking third-party apps or websites, that charge you a huge processing fee to get an ETA…
This is why we recommend you only use the official UK ETA app.
It usuallly takes three days to process an ETA application. You'll receive a decision, whether approved or rejected, via the email address you provide when applying. Most airlines flying to the UK now require you to provide proof that you have an ETA (unless you have a British or Irish passport), before they'll let you check-in. Check-out the info below, and then you can apply for an ETA online via their app or website.
If you don't have a mobile phone, you can apply for your ETA online, here…
14) All the major carriers are now offering International Travel Passes — but prices and coverage vary widely
Tip: if you're going overseas, make your roaming data last longer by going into your phone's Settings, Cellular, and turning off cellular access for apps that use a lot of data, like YouTube.
Social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and Pinterest also use a lot of data, so you may wish to turn off cellular data for them while you're overseas, and only check in when you're on Wi-Fi.
14a) Freedom Mobile continues to have easily the best travel plans
Quebec-based Freedom Mobile has signed-up a lot of people in recent months, especially people going travelling, because virtually all their plans include +120 country "Roam Beyond" coverage at no extra cost. This lets you make unlimited phone calls in the country you're in and back to Canada, and gives you a monthly bucket of "Roam Beyond" data for roaming overseas…
If you're on a budget Freedom Mobile plan which does not include "Roam Beyond" data, or if you want more international data any given month while travelling, you can buy a 30-day pass (now at cheaper rates) which will add onto your plan:
- $25 for 5GB + unlimited talk and text
- $40 for 10GB + unlimited talk and text
14b) Telus/Koodo
Telus and Koodo now offer a variety of Travel Passes, including the only passes specifically for Latin America or for Australi and New Zealand, but their former International pass has been scrapped.
For Europe, Telus/Koodo offer two choices…
For Mexico and the Caribbean…
For Australia and New Zealand…
For Latin America…
…and for Asia…
14c) Rogers / Fido
Rogers and Fido have rejigged their "Roam Like Home" Travel Pass offerings, and now offer a variety of travel passes good for 3 days to 30 days,and for coverage in US/Mexico/Caribbean/cruises, or International, as well as for USA only.
Missing from the new pass offerings is their Europe Travel Pass, which used to be $60 for 14 days or $70 for 30 days. Instead, you'll now have to choose from a more-expensive $100 International pass good for 14 days, or a $120 International pass good for 30 days…
In both cases, the pass lets you use your phone in more than 180 countries just like here in Canada, with unlimited calling in the country you're in, and back to Canada. You get as much (or as little) data as you have on your Canada plan.
If you're going on a cruise while overseas, Rogers/Fido are also now offering a special $160 Travel Pass good for 10 days, which will work on most cruise ships, as well as on land in 180+ countries…
Note that when you're on a cruise ship, if you use more than 1GB of data in a 24-hour period, your data speed will be reduced to 1/10th what it was!
If you're going on a cruise to Mexico or the Caribbean, Rogers/Fido have two Travel Passes that will let you use your phone in the USA, Mexico, and the Caribbean plus onboard most cruise ships…
Rogers also has USA-only Travel Passes for people who have Canada-only plans; they are 3 days for $25, 7 days for $50, 14 days for $60, or 30 days for $80. Or, you can ust pay $16/day.
14d) Bell / Virgin+
Bell and Virgin+ are offering a variety of "Roam Better" travel passes that include coverage in your choice of…
- USA (3 days for $30, 14 days for $60, or 30 days for $80)
- Caribbean and Mexico (14 days for $70)
- Europe (14 days for $75 or 30 days for $90)
- Asia (14 days for $75 or 30 days for $90)
- International (14 days for $100 or 30 days for $120)
14e) Heading overseas? Roam Radar is a great way to find out which carriers offer service where you're going
RoamRadar.ca is a fledgling independent Canadian website that tracks international roaming options for various Canadian carriers. So far, it includes Fido, Koodo, Virgin+, Public Mobile, and Freedom Mobile, but the website says more carriers will be added 'soon'.
You type in a country where you're planning to travel, and Roam Radar will tell you what Canadian carriers let you roam there.
For example, if you're planning to go to Patagonia in Argentina, RoamRadar.ca shgows that Koodo has roaming coverage there, while Freedom Mobile, which has very popular 120+ country "Roam Beyond" coverage, does not yet have coverage in Argentina…
16) Move over Amazon Prime — Walmart+ is now available here in Canada — and it costs less and includes a Crave subscription
Walmart Canada has just started offering its Walmart+ delivery service here in Canada (it's been running in the USA since 2020).
For $8.97 a month, (Amazon Prime is $9.99/month) you get free same-day delivery on Walmart orders of $35 or more. And if you need something fast, you can also save on Express Delivery, which arrives in two hours or less.
In addition, any orders placed on the Walmart app or Walmart.ca come with free shipping, with no minimum order required.
And here’s where the Amazon Prime comparison comes in: similar to Amazon’s Prime Video offering, Walmart+ members also get streaming benefits. The membership includes Crave standard with ads at no extra cost — a subscription that otherwise costs $11.99 per month. Members can stream shows from HBO or Max Originals, as well as select live sports broadcasts.
You can try Walmart+ for free for 30 days (the button for that is in the upper-right of the site below)…
17) Apple TV is offering a one-month free trial to coincide with the start of Friday night baseball streaming
Until July 5, you can visit Apple’s website to claim the offer (link is below), which is valid for “qualified” new and returning Apple TV subscribers.
The promotion coincides with Apple’s announcement of its Friday Night Baseball schedule, which are the MLB games that it exclusively streams every month. Notably, two of the Toronto Blue Jays games will be on Apple TV next month: July 17 vs. Chicago White Sox, and July 24 vs. Boston Red Sox).
But of course, Apple TV has a lot more than just MLB games, and you’ll also be able to sample that programming during the one-month trial. In addition to popular flagship titles like Severance, Ted Lasso and Shrinking, recent notable Apple TV originals include the Jon Hamm-led Your Friends & Neighbors, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (starring Regina’s own Tatiana Maslany) and the just-launched Martin Scorsese- and Steven Spielberg-produced Cape Fear series.d
18) If you get an email from Fido saying you're being charged a $75 fee because you're still using a 2G phone, it's not a scam!
Rogers is sending some Fido customers an email about its 2G network retirement, threatening fees for those who don’t upgrade their old phones before the end of June.
This is only going to affect the few thousand people who are using a 15- to 20- year old phone, and possibly a few with a newer phone which has been incorrectly set to run on 2G instread of 4G LTE.
According to a Fido support page about the shutdown, customers may see a $75 administrative charge after June 30, while some customers may have already seen a $3 monthly “Legacy Network Usage Fee.” However, Rogers says that fee will go away after June 30.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Rogers used a similar playbook during last year’s 3G network shutdown. In June 2025, Rogers added a one-time $75 fee for customers who were still using the 3G network by the end of the month, and before that Rogers started charging customers a $3/mo ‘Legacy Network Usage’ fee for continuing to use the 3G network.
If you've received the Rogers email about the coming 2G shutdown (it'll be turned off in November 2027), take your phone to a Rogers or Fido store or kiosk, and they'll check to see if it needs to be replaced (likely) or just have the Settings changed to 4G LTE.
Rogers says it has "zero dollar options" for people who'll need a new phone, retaining their current phone number and plan.
19) Google has expanded the number of Android phone models that can QuickShare stuff with iPhones and vice-versa
Google has announced a raft of new Android phone models that can use its Quick Share feature that allows Android and iPhone users to exchange files with AirDrop.
Quick Share is now available on the following Android smartphones:
Samsung:
- Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra
- Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge (new)
- Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra (new)
- Galaxy Z Flip7 (new)
- Galaxy Z Fold7 (new)
- Galaxy Z Flip6 (new)
- Galaxy Z Fold6 (new)
- Galaxy Z TriFold (new)
Google:
- Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold, 10a
- Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a
- Pixel 8a
Quick Share is the Android equivalent of AirDrop, and Google added AirDrop integration in November 2025. iPhone users can AirDrop files and photos to Quick Share-enabled Android devices, while Android users can use Quick Share to send files and photos to iPhone users.
On an Android device, you need to make sure Share with Apple devices is turned on and that the iPhone user sets AirDrop visibility to Everyone for 10 minutes through the Control Centre. After that, an Android to iPhone file transfer is identical to a standard AirDrop transfer on the iPhone end.
On an iPhone, sharing a file to an Android smartphone is done through the standard AirDrop interface. Android owners receiving files will need to make sure Quick Share Receive mode is on, and then an iPhone user sending a file will see the Android device in the AirDrop list.
Android devices that are not compatible with Quick Share can generate a QR code that can be used to share content with iPhone users via the cloud.
Though Google positions the Quick Share to AirDrop file transfer feature as an Android/iPhone option, Android users can also exchange files with iPads and Macs.
Google plans to bring Quick Share to the Motorola Razr Fold 2026, OPPO Find X8 series, and HONOR Magic8 Pro in the coming months.
20) Apple Music may soon have a free tier
According to MacRumours analyst Aaron Perris, recently-discovered references within the Apple Music player’s code suggest some features could work without a premium account.
Based on the code spotted by Perris, an Apple Music free tier could allows users to skip a limited number of songs, but would require a subscription to get more.
Interestingly, Perris also added that the same strings were also found in the beta version of Apple Music for Android, which suggests that the new free tier might not be iOS-exclusive.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that lines of code source from apps don’t always tell the whole story. While the code snippets Perris shared certainly suggest the existence of a free tier, that doesn’t mean Apple will actually launch one.
If it's real, the free tier could get announced at WWDC next week.
22) 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.
23) Kathryn's Paleontology News Item of the Week: the world's largest scorpion has been discovered in 415-million-year-old fossils
Fossil fragments found in the UK have been identified as remains of the largest scorpions ever.
Measuring over a metre in length, Praearcturus gigas was among the first large predators to ever stalk the land.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, England and Wales were home to the biggest scorpion in the world.
While fossils of Praearcturus gigas have been known about for more than a century, its identity has been the subject of controversy. New research examining a range of fossils has now confirmed its status as one of the largest prehistoric scorpions.
With 16-centimetre-long pincers and an estimated body length of over a metre, Praearcturus gigas would have towered over the floodplains 415 million years ago. Life on land was still fairly new during the Early Devonian Period, meaning few other animals would have reached such enormous sizes.
As a result, this giant scorpion would have had its pick of prey as it hunte
Homework videos (a.k.a. "time well wasted"!)
Check out our new YouTube Favourites playlist #2:
Our original Favourites playlist maxxed-out at 5000 videos; it's here…
Videos start at #40, so the numbers don't get thrown-off if we add more tech news items above!
40) Watch on Monday at 10am or later: Apple's WWDC 2026 Keynote…
41) Watch Apple's new ad showing how their Safari web-browser blocks the online data-trackers that sell your privacy when using Chrome…
42) Watch Eric Hanson go on an eight-day kayaking journey through real=life Middle Earth (in Mexico)…
43) Watch an 18-minute train ride deep inside Postojna Cave in Slovenia, through stunning chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites and breathtaking rock formations, the longest cave train ride in the world…
44) Watch a fascinating timelapse of all the cruise ships sailing into and out of the huge cruise ship terminal row in Miami Beach each Sunday night…
45) Watch Caleb Dyke and Ben Payne perform "Viva La Derivada" a Coldplay Calculus parody which they created as part of their final exam…
46) Watch the four talented Spanish guitarists known as "40 Fingers" perform AC/DC's "Thunderstruck"…
47) Watch 15-year old Jack, who's on the autism spectrum, sing "The Boxer" by Simon & Ganfunkel (with his dad on guitar) while building a Lego boat…
48) Watch Cambridge mathematics professor Hannah Fry explain what on earth (Michelin) tires have to do with fancy food…
"Hi" from Gibraltar from "Tech Talk" listener Lory here in Victoria, who's currently visiting there after a visit to Spain. She and her partner switched to Freedom Mobile so they could use their phones on the trip without paying extra for roaming, and she says it's working flawlessly...
Lory was initially worried because she didn't see Gibraltar on the list of 120+ countries included in Freedom's "Roam Beyond" coverage, but I explained that that's because Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and included in Freedom's UK coverage.
Next month, (July 15), Lory says the physical border fence (La Verja) between Gibraltar and La Linea de la Conceptión in Spain will be removed, and people will be able to walk freely between the two countries. Passport checks will instead shift to Gibraltar's airport and seaport. Visitors will have their passports checked twice — once by a UK officer, and the second time using Spain's new EU's EES system.
"Bonjour" from Paris from "Tech Talk" listeners and my good friends Rick and Zack, who're flying home as we speak on Westjet after three weeks in Europe — Barcelona, a French Mediterranean cruise, a visit to Nice, and then the last few days in La Ville Lumière (The City of Light)…
Hi from Dave and Lezlie from North Saanich, who are vacationing in Bucharest, Romania! They switched to Freedom Mobile several trips ago, so they don't have to pay extra to stay connected while travelling.
…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…
And so it goes…