Aug. 8 & 9, 2026 Show Notes

David Foster Celebrity Concert 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:

Alan Perry

Host

Technology Tutor

iPhone +1 250-589-2926

Charles Martin

Guest Co-host

Victoria Mac and iOS Users Group Program Director and London Drugs In-Home Tech

Phone +1-888-718-4598

Kyle Wilson

Producer

IT Specialist and Wikipedia Administrator

X & BlueSky: @KWilsonMG

Cáit Caden

Producer-in-Training

and C-FAX newscaster

Cait.Caden@bellmedia.ca

Tens of thousands expected to enjoy 40th anniversary David Foster & Friends free concert in Victoria's harbour tonight

40 years after David Foster began hosting celebrity softball games and concerts here in Victoria to raise money for the families of kids having organ transplants, a floating barge moored in Victoria's inner harbour will be the scene of a final free David Foster Foundation concert on Saturday night, featuring David, Josh Groban, The Tenors, CeLo Green, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and James Valentine and others.

This was the scene on Friday afternoon and crews installed huge screens and speakers in front of the lawn of the Legislative Buildings, and another set across from the Empress Hotel, so as many people as possible can enjoy the three-hour free concert beginning at 7:30pm Saturday.

Since the first event in 1986 raised $114,000, subsequent David Foster Foundation celebrity concerts and events have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, helping more than 1,600 families.

Congratulations, David, on an amazing accomplishment and legacy!

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Security and Privacy News

1) Be suspicious if you get a call from your carrier offering a great early renewal deal — even if they email you full details!

A lot of Rogers/Shaw customers are getting phone calls from people claiming to be from Rogers, offering really good rates if they renew their contract early, but you could get a similar call from someone claiming to br from Telus, or Bell, or another carrier. If you ask the caller to spell out their offer in writing, they'll happily email you the details, as shown in the screenshot below shared by "Tech Talk" listener Garry (the highlighting is by me)…

For starters, the email is coming from a Gmail address! Real emails from Rogers would come from @rogers.ca. The offer is also addressed to "Dear Customer"; it should be addressed to you, but the scammer doesn't know who you are.

The sentence structure and grammer highlighted in yellow is another giveaway.

If you call the number after reviewing the email, your call will be answered at a call-centre in India, where a person posing as a Rogers Customer Service Agent will gladly connect you with someone posing as "Ashley" to complete your renewal. They'll advise you that they're going to send you a security code by text or email to confirm that you're the account holder, and will ask you for that code.

You will get a real security code from Rogers — but if you give it to the person on the phone who's posing as a Rogers agent, you're giving them permission to buy a new phone or tablet which will be charged to your account and delivered to a local partner of the scammer!

When you see the charge on your next bill and call Rogers to inquire, they'll say that you authorized the purchase via a security code they sent you, and you'll be on the hook for the expensive new device which the scammers will by then have received and sold.

NEVER give a security code that was sent to you, to someone else!

If you get an offer like this one — no matter which carrier is supposedly making it — if you're seriously considering accepting it, call your carrier and check to see if it's real. They'll confirm it's a scam.

2) Discounted direct-booking AirBnB and VRBO accommodation offers on Craigslist and Facebook are scams

"Tech Talk" listener Chi Ping was looking for a place to stay here in Victoria while she hunts for a condo to buy after selling her Oak Bay home. She found a VRBO listing on Craigslist for a house that was being rented-out by a well-known local lawyer, and she even drove by to make sure the listing pictures matched, and looked him up online to make sure he was real. The Craigslist post said she'd get a discount if she booked directly through the lawyer instead of through VRBO, so she sent a him a bank transfer for $2800.

Fortunately, her bank spotted the suspicious transaction and froze it and called her — sure enough, it was a scam, with the money destined for an overseas account!

Chi Ping contacted Oak Bay Police, and they checked with the lawyer, who advised that he had NOT advertised his VRBO house rental on Craigslist! iphoneThe scammers had presumably downloaded pictures of his VRBO listing and then posted them on Craigslist, posing as him.

NEVER respond to VRBO or AirBnB listings on Craigslist or Facebook, or any other online source, even if they offer a hefty direct-booking discount!

3) If you have a Mac, Apple has released new security updates for macOS Tahoe, macOS Sequoia, and macOS Sonoma

One week after releasing OS 26.6 updates with dozens of security patches, Apple has swiftly released yet another set of macOS updates to rapidly fix a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials.

These latest updates are only for Mac computers — not for iPhones or iPads. They are:

  • macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, build number 25G76
  • macOS Sequoia 15.7.9, build number 24G830
  • macOS Sonoma 14.8.9, 23J631

How to update your Mac

  1. On your Mac, click on the Apple Menu in the upper-left
  1. Click System Settings
  1. Click Software Update
  1. If available, click Update Now

Apple Support

Apple security releases - Apple Support

This document lists security updates for Apple software.

MacRumors

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 With Security Fixes

Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.6.1, an update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out last year. macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 comes a little over a week after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.6. Mac owners can download the software by opening the System Settings app and then navigating to the Software Updates section.

4) We've created a separate set of "Common Online Scams to Avoid" Notes, which you'll find on our Show Notes home page, and also in the menu-bar at the top of any Notes page.

Feel free to bookmark that page, as we'll keep updating it with screenshots of the latest scams!

A link to those Notes is here: https://Tech-Talk.ca/scams

5) If your CRA account was hacked back in 2020, you can now claim up to $5,000 from a $8.7 million class-action settlement

Tens of thousands of eligible Canadians can now apply for compensation, after a months-long Canada Revenue Agency data breach in 2020 left their private info vulnerable to hackers.

As part of a class action lawsuit settled in May, the federal government agreed to pay out more than $8.7 million in compensation to affected Canadians.

“The lawsuit alleges that inadequate safeguards allowed unauthorized third parties to access confidential personal and financial information in Government of Canada Online Accounts, including CRA ‘My Account,’ My Service Canada accounts, and other accounts accessed using GCKey,” class action and claims administrator KPMG states on its website.

The amount that people are eligible to receive is dependent on the specifics of their case, and applicants fall into three categories.

Some Canadians are eligible for up to $80, for “time spent addressing issues related to unauthorized access,” while others are eligible for up to $200, for “time spent addressing fraudulent use of personal info,” and some are eligible for up to $5,000 out of a special compensation fund for “out-of-pocket expenses related to the breach (e.g., unreimbursed fraud losses, identity theft costs).”

For example, the Federal Court decision states there are 12,700 cases in which accounts were accessed and an unauthorized third party, who was able to change direct deposit and other relevant information to fraudulently apply for COVID-19 benefits.

If your CRA account was hacked back in 2020, you can now apply for compensation through claims administrator KPMG at their special website for this class-action settlement, which is, FuiteReglementCanada.kpmg.ca/en/details ('Fuite Reglement' is French for 'leak regulation')

The deadline to submit a claim is next February.

www.fuitereglementcanada.kpmg.ca

Government of Canada Privacy Breach Class Action – Settlement

Did you experience a privacy breach involving your Government of Canada Online Account between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020? If so, you may be a Class Member and could qualify for compensation under a settlement related to the alleged unauthorized access of personal and financial information in Government of Canada online accounts.

CTVNews

CRA data breach: Some Canadians could be eligible for up to $5,000, compensation applications now open

Thousands of eligible Canadians can now apply for compensation, after a months-long Canada Revenue Agency data breach in 2020 left their private information vulnerable to hackers.

Tech Deals This Weekend


Malwarebytes Premium Anti-Malware: one year three-device licence: $35 (save $20) at London Drugs

We're big fans of Malwarebytes Premium anti-malware because it's the best tool we've found to automatically keep out bad stuff, it updates itself often, it doesn't use a lot of your device's power, and it's easy to install and use.

A one year three-device licence, good for any combination of Windows, Mac and Android (not needed for iPhones or iPads), is usually $55, but until Aug. 10, you can get one for $35 at London Drugs. They're sold out in store, but you can order online for delivery to your home once new stock arrives shortly…

London Drugs

Malwarebytes Premium - 3 Devices / 1 Year (Windows, Mac, Android, & iOS)

We get asked a lot about thre free version of Malwarebytes: it's great, but all it does is find and remove malware that's already infected your device…only the paid version keeps it from getting in.


Extra $10/month off plans at Freedom Mobile Mayfair Centre store only during their Saturday Noon-4pm Block Party

As part of Mayfair's annual Block Party on Saturday, anyone switching to Freedom Mobile on a $50/month or $60/month plan between Noon and 4pm Saturday at the Mayfair Centre store only will get an extra $10/month off their bill for 18 months.


Freedom Mobile's "Back To School"offers are currently the best of any of the carriers

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.

Here are their current plans including their "Back To School" offers…


If you won't be phoning or traveling outside of Canada, Freedom also has the best prepaid budget plans, which you can buy with or without data…

As for phone deals, here are some of the best offers (with the exception of the Pixel 10, they're all on a two-year contract, at the end of which you either return the phone or pay a fee and keep it):

  • Google Pixel 10$5/mo for 24 months on a $50/mo plan, and keep it = $55/month all-in

$80 off Epson Eco-Tank ET-2988 all-in-one printer at Costco

If you're a Costco member, they have Epson's ET-2988 Eco-Tank printer on sale for $260 — an $80 saving — till Aug. 30th.

Eco-Tank printers come with bottles of ink, enough for three years of printing, in the box.

The ET-2988 works wireless or wired, and has scanning and copying.

Thanks to Thomas for spotting this deal!


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) Pricey new iPhone 18 Pro's and foldable iPhones could sell out quickly when released this fall due to memory shortages

New reports indicate that the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" could be in short supply this fall, leading to long wait times and an initial sellout during preorders.

Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.

Apple's new A20 Pro chips are built on TSMC's 2nm process and use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging to integrate the processor and DRAM at the wafer level. Unfortunately, that means TSMC needs to have the DRAM on hand for assembly, and it can't be added at a later step. Apple is not able to stockpile finished dies and then add DRAM when it becomes available.

Apple and its assemblers think they can meet initial demand, but retail inventory could sell quickly, leading to prolonged delivery estimates. The chip backlog will delay main logic board assembly and final device assembly, which could impact production at Foxconn and other assemblers.

DRAM has been in short supply for months and has led to long wait times for the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and MacBook Air. Companies that make memory are prioritizing chips for AI data centers because those chips are more profitable, leaving little capacity available for manufacturing chips for consumer devices.

We've had ongoing rumours about manufacturing issues with the ‌iPhone Ultra‌ due to the complexity of the design, and supplies of the new foldable could be the most limited of the three iPhone models. Some reports suggest the foldable iPhone could be introduced in September and then launch later, in October or November, but others say it will be available at the same time as the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max.

The ‌iPhone Ultra‌ is going to cost as much as $3500 CAD, but the novel form factor and Apple's new Apple Upgrade pricing option could lead to more people being willing to shell out for the device. Apple is also expected to raise prices for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and analysts believe the devices could be up to $400 CAD more expensive because Apple is paying more for RAM.

MacRumors

iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Could Sell Out Fast Due to Memory Shortage

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" could be in short supply this year, leading to long wait times and an initial sellout during preorders. Semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan says Apple is having trouble getting enough DRAM to finish production of the new iPhone models, and chip supplier TSMC has $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips.

11) OpenAI's 'mystery device' due next year is a puck-sized AI-supercharged smart speaker that'll cost about $420 CAD

Former Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive has been working with OpenAI for a couple years now, on what he says will be a "game-changing" family of new devices, and now, courtesy of Bloomberg's ever-reliable Mark Gurman, we know what the first one will be when it's out sometime next year…

Gurman says to expect a doughnut-shaped smart speaker roughly the size of a hockey puck, to make it easy to carry around the home in one hand.

It'll have no display, but will have a camera, microphones, environmental sensors, and self-moving parts that signal active listening, plus advanced AI-powered “humanlike interactivity” and cost roughly $420 CAD when it releases sometime in 2027.

OpenAI is betting that people will be willing to pay that price to get a high-quality wireless rechargeable AI-powered assistant that they can slip in their pocket.

Engadget

OpenAI's ring-shaped smart speaker will reportedly cost between $300 and $400 - Engadget

It would be an ambitiously high price for the AI-powered hardware pivot.

AI Weekly

OpenAI's First Device Leaks as Donut-Shaped $300-Plus Puck | AI Weekly

The first real hardware product from OpenAI is starting to take shape in leaks, and the details reported by AppleInsider via Bloomberg's Mark Gurman…

12) ‘Ask Maps’ comes to Canada, bringing Gemini AI to Google Maps

Ask Maps is Google Maps’ biggest transformation in over a decade. By bringing Gemini model capabilities together with the world’s freshest map, they're making it easier than ever to get answers to real-world questions.

Ask Maps is now helping people use Google Maps in entirely new ways — from finding a restaurant with great vibes that’s still quiet enough for conversation to mapping out a scenic three-hour motorcycle ride. Building on this, they're now making Ask Maps even more helpful with new agentic capabilities, real-time transit info, Personal Intelligence, and conversational contributions so you can get more done. This update is rolling out in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and the USA, along with over 150 countries and territories in English.

Ask Maps can now handle complex, multi-step tasks for you using new agentic capabilities. If you want to order takeout before leaving the office, just ask Maps to “order spicy pad kee mao with seafood for me to pick up on my way home.” It’ll find open restaurants along your route that serve what you're craving and can even consider things like your saved places or specific dietary needs. Once you select a restaurant, Ask Maps can automatically add the dish you’re looking for directly to your cart so you can easily review and complete your order. Food ordering is rolling out now with partners like Square and Toast, with Uber Eats coming soon.

Ask Maps is also bringing live updates to transit. A new transit widget right in Ask Maps keeps you informed about up-to-the-minute delays for your bus, train, subway, or ferry ride at a glance on a virtual departure board. If a bus or ferry is running late, the wait adjusts in real-time — updating minute by minute.

Google

Ask Maps gets more helpful with food ordering and more

From agentic capabilities and real-time information to personalized recommendations, Ask Maps makes it easier than ever to get more done.

13) Samsung's Z Fold 8 Ultra crease is getting visibly worse, and it's only two weeks old

Samsung’s new foldable phones generally have less prominent creases than their predecessors, bringing us a little closer to a zero-crease future. However, at least one Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra owner reports that the crease has become more visible after mere days.

Samsung has done a lot of work on the display in this generation of the Z Fold, adding Flex Titanium beneath the screen to strengthen the glass, and adding a whole new hinge that should make opening and closing the device easier. However, any innovation opens the door to new problems, and it's possible an increased crease is one of these this year.

Something to keep in mind if you're considering buying any folding phone, including the iPhone Fold that we expect will be announced next month!

Android Police

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a productivity-focused big-screen folding phone, with an emphasis on power and performance over the more media-focused Galaxy Z Fold 8. However, the specification is similar, with the camera and battery being the standout upgrades over the Z Fold 8. 

14a) The latest new free ChatGPT version — 5.6 Luna — has a 'Think' button, which OpenAI says will find 'more reliable facts'

OpenAI continues to churn out upgrades to its various GPT models, and the latest GPT-5.6 promises to be more succinct and provide confident wrong answers less often.

GPT-5.6 appears to be a release hoping to address several concerns brought up by users of ChatGPT, who often complain it uses too many filler words, takes too long to get to the point, and provides affirming answers even when the user is wrong.

OpenAI says it's expanding access to their latest models for free users with unlimited text chats using GPT‑5.6 Luna, plus a new Think button for questions that require deeper reasoning, which will give GPT‑5.6 Luna more time to work through the answer.

GPT‑5.6 Luna will become the default model for Free and Go users this week. Starting next week, they’ll also have unlimited text chats and access to a new Think button for harder questions (subject to abuse guardrails). Limits will still apply for file uploads, images and other tools.

OpenAI

Improving GPT‑5.6 Sol in ChatGPT—and expanding access to GPT-5.6 Luna for free users

ChatGPT introduces improved GPT-5.6 Sol with better accuracy and consistency, plus expanded access for free users and unlimited everyday chats with GPT-5.6 Luna.


14b) OpenAI is pausing its upcoming AI model Astra, because it says Astra's cyber capabilities are potentially too dangerous

OpenAI "cannot rule out" that its upcoming model Astra has "critical" cyber capabilities, a designation that has prompted the company to expand safety testing and pause internal activities that do not meet stricter security requirements.

This is the latest sign of rapidly advancing cyber capabilities from AI models, after others worked autonomously outside of testing sandboxes and protections.

  • OpenAI says it'll scale up testing and security around it before any release, and will slow down development on Astra until it has the right safeguards in place, as required by the company's preparedness framework, first published in 2023.
  • Astra was not involved in the Hugging Face exploits, the company said.
  • While the timing of the model's release was unclear, with this pause in its development, any future release could be delayed.

This is believed to be the first time a frontier AI lab has committed to slowing progress on one of their own AI models due to cyber concerns.

This comes after other frontier AI agents, notably new versions of Anthropic's Claude, escaped their tech sandboxes, accessed the internet, and hacked actual companies.

OpenAI

Responding to the next frontier of critical cyber capabilities

OpenAI is sharing preliminary cybersecurity evaluations for Astra and the steps we’re taking to strengthen safeguards and security controls.

15) Rogers has brought back their "Roam Like Home" travel pass for Europe, which costs from $30 for 3 days, to $90 for 30 days

Rogers had eliminated its Europe "Roam Like Home" travel pass in favour of more pricey international travel passes, but realized lots of their customers were switching to cheaper carriers like Freedom Mobile which offers free international roaming, so they've now quietly brought back the Europe passes, which are available in four duration options…

With these passes, you get as much data when in Europe as you get here in Canada, and if you go over, you pay an extra $10/GB. You get unlimited calling to any number in the European country which you're in, or back to Canada.

www.rogers.com

U.S. and International Travel Roaming Options - Rogers

Use your own data worry-free while on vacation with Roam Like Home. Whether it's in the U.S., Mexico or anywhere else, Rogers has your roaming options covered.

If you're going beyond Europe, you can also buy an International Travel Pass, which works in more than 180 countries and also comes in four duration options…

  • 3 days for $45
  • 7 days for $75
  • 14 days for $100
  • 30 days for $120

These passes let 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, with additional data charged at $10/GB.

If you want to tune out, you can also put your phone on Airplane Mode and turn that off when you need service and pasy $18/day on days you're connected.

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 of what it was!

If you're going on a cruise to Mexico or the Caribbean, Rogers/Fido now have four Travel Passes that'll let you use your phone in the USA, Mexico, and the Caribbean plus onboard most cruise ships…

  • 3 days for $50
  • 7 days for $100
  • 14 days for $140
  • 30 days for $190

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.


Updated roaming pass options for other carriers are all listed in item #9 in our Travel Tech Tips at Tech-Talk.ca/travel

16) Apple has hiked Apple Music and Apple One rates here in Canada, and also AppleCare+ prices for iPads and Macs

Apple has quietly increased rates for Apple Music and Apple One subscriptions here in Canada.

Starting with Apple Music, pricing have gone up by $1 and $3 depending on the plan:

  • Student: $6/month (no change)
  • Individual: $12 (was $11)
  • Family: $20 (was $17)

Apple One subscriptions have also increased in price by $1 - $3 per month, which comes after the last price hike in fall of 2023:

  • Individual: $23 (no change)
  • Family: $31 (was $29)
  • Premier: $47 (was $45)

Apple has also updated its AppleCare+ protection plans, introducing price increases that specifically target Canadian Mac and iPad buyers…

  • Mac (3-Year Plan): $149 (Was $119)
  • Mac (Annual): $55/year (Was $45/year)
  • iPad (2-Year Plan): $109 (Was $89)
  • iPad (Monthly): $5.50/month (Was $4.50/month)

Other AppleCare+ prices here in Canada are uncharged for now.

iPhone in Canada | Canada’s source for Apple, telecom, tech news, and deals

Apple Music and Apple One Monthly Prices Just Went Up in Canada | iPhone in Canada

Apple’s price increases keep coming, and this time subscription prices have gone up, and they also apply to Canada. Starting with Apple Music, pricing have gone up by $1 and $3 depending on the plan: Student: $5.99/month (no change) Individual: $11.99 (was $10.99) Family: $19.99 (was $16.99) “As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple

iPhone in Canada | Canada’s source for Apple, telecom, tech news, and deals

Apple Hikes AppleCare+ Prices for Mac and iPad in Canada: What You’ll Pay | iPhone in Canada

Apple has quietly updated its AppleCare+ protection plans, introducing price increases that specifically target Canadian Mac and iPad buyers. The price changes first surfaced in the U.S. as first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week. A closer look and Canadian customers are also facing these prices increases as well. After AppleCare+ went up in

17) AI agents like Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini can do an amzing job of restoring and colourizing old pictures for free

When a listener asked a few weeks ago what apps we'd recommend for cleaning-up and restoring and potentially colourizing old pictures, our friend Ron Fraser suggested first trying any of the main AI-powered agents, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or CoPilot.

"Tech Talk" listener Dan heard that, and asked ChatGPT to restore a picture from the Times Colonist newspaper from 1916. He sent us the original, and the version enhanced by ChatGPT…

Thanks, Dan, for sharing your results, and thanks Ron Fraser for suggesting we try using AI agents before paying for a photo restoration app!

I asked Microsoft Copilot to repair, enhance, and colourize a damaged 1960's high-school yearbook photo of my friend Don, and here are the before and after results…

18) Which AI app writes the best: Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude?

Whether it's a letter, a poem, an essay, or even an entire novel, AI agents can do a pretty impressive job of writing, if you give them good instructions. And month after month, as new versions are released, they continue to get better and better.

But does any one of them do a noticeably better job than the others?

Joseph Smith from Silentroom.Media put OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude to the test, creating long-form prose, essays, translation, and poetry, and here's what he found…

Who each tool is for: Claude is the chisel — reach for it when prose quality and voice are the whole point. ChatGPT is the multitool — reach for it when structure, speed, and a deep ecosystem of features matter more than literary polish. Gemini is the microscope — reach for it when your writing has to be welded to fresh, web-sourced facts and you live inside Google Workspace.

SilentRoom Journal

The Chisel, the Multitool, and the Microscope: Claude vs ChatGPT vs Gemini for Writing

None of these is "the best tool." Claude is the chisel — reach for it when prose quality is the whole point. ChatGPT is the multitool. Gemini is the microscope. Here's when to pick up which.

19) Google Assistant will disappear from Android phones a month from now; it'll be Gemini or nothing

Google has started emailing users to announce that Google Assistant will begin disappearing from Android phones on September 4.

Google says the process will take place over several weeks, after which users won’t be able to switch back to Google Assistant.

Once Gemini has become the default assistant experience on supported Android devices, users invoking the assistant with “Hey Google” or by long-pressing the power button will launch Gemini instead of Google Assistant.

This transition extends beyond phones. If you use Gemini as your mobile assistant, it'll also become the assistant experience on compatible paired devices, including Wear OS watches and supported headphones or earbuds.

Android Authority

Google finally reveals exactly when your Android phone will lose Google Assistant

It looks like Google has started emailing users that Google Assistant will start disappearing from Android phones on September 4.

20) Meta ordered to pay $567 million to New Mexico to address harms caused to young people by Facebook and Instagram

A New Mexico state court found that Meta’s platforms created a public nuisance by harming the mental health and safety of children in the state, particularly teenagers using Facebook and Instagram. This ruling follows a two-phase trial, with the first phase in March resulting in a $375 million civil penalty for violating the state’s consumer protection laws, bringing Meta’s total liability in the case to approximately $942 million USD.

The $567 million ordered by the court will be used to create an abatement fund aimed at addressing the harms caused to children by social media. Of this amount, $420 million is earmarked for treatment services for young people, while the remainder will fund awareness, prevention, screening, assessment, and coordination programs over the next five years.

The court has also mandated several changes to improve child safety on Meta’s platforms:

  • Monthly usage limits for minors on Facebook and Instagram, capped at 90 hours per month.
  • Restrictions on notifications during school hours and late at night to reduce overuse.
  • Enhanced age verification using AI tools and development of a dedicated under-13 prediction model within two years.
  • Privacy and safety measures to prevent adult contact with minors and to limit exposure to harmful content.
  • Public education campaigns and informational banners to inform users about safety features and best practices.
  • Reporting portals in partnership with schools or child safety organizations to flag underage users.
  • Deletion of personal data collected from users under 13.

The court did not require Meta to alter its algorithms or remove end-to-end encryption, citing potential conflicts with Section 230 and First Amendment protections .

The case is part of a broader wave of litigation across the USA, with more than 40 states and 1,300 school districts pursuing public nuisance claims against social media companies for harms to youth mental health.

This ruling is considered a landmark decision in holding social media companies accountable for the design and operation of their platforms, particularly regarding child safety, and has been described it as a blueprint for other states and countries seeking to enforce similar protections.

Meta has stated it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal, maintaining that it works to protect teens online and that some of the requested changes are technologically impractical.

CBC

U.S. court orders Meta to pay $567M to address platforms' harms to young people | CBC News

A New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million US to address harms to young people from its platforms in the second phase of a landmark trial.

21) Google Earth risked ruin with a (retracted) AI tool for making fake satellite pics

Google briefly allowed anyone to create AI-modified versions of satellite imagery available in Google Earth — before quickly reversing its decision as people shared examples of AI-generated pictures that illustrated the potential for misinformation and disinformation.

There is no shortage of generative AI tools that already allow people to create AI-modified images of real buildings and cities based on user prompts. But Google’s aborted attempt to incorporate its Nano Banana 2 AI image generator as a Google Earth feature made it even easier for anyone to create modified versions of authentic imagery depicting real locations—something that Google boasted about when initially promoting the new feature.

“For the first time, you can generate custom images using Google Earth’s satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery alongside Nano Banana, which creates concepts grounded in the real world,” wrote Bryan Horowitz, product manager for Google Earth, in a company blog post on July 30.

That possibility deeply alarmed researchers, who often use Google Earth to help verify images and videos of locations at a time when AI-generated misinformation and disinformation have become rampant online. They showed how the new feature could simplify the process of creating false scenarios overlaid on Google Earth’s photorealistic imagery.

“Tonight I typed just one sentence into Google Earth and put refugees near the Mexican border,” wrote Henk van Ess, an independent investigator, in an extensive blog post detailing his concerns on July 30. “Then I planted a nuclear plant in Iran. Then I put a fatal crash on a street in Amsterdam. Google’s own satellite imagery underneath all three. What on earth is Google doing?”

Within a day, Google announced on the social media platform X that it was rolling back the feature.

Ars Technica

Google Earth risked ruin with retracted AI tool for making fake satellite pics

“What on earth is Google doing?” Misinformation fears spur walk-back of AI tool.

22) AirMiles is now BMO Blue Rewards, but your log-in info remains the same

Your AIR MILES number = Your Blue Rewards number

When AIR MILES transitioned to BMO Blue Rewards, all active AIR MILES accounts were migrated. That means:

  • Your collector number stayed the same
  • Your account login stayed the same
  • Your existing balance was converted into Blue Points
  • You do not need to sign up again

If you had an AIR MILES account, you already have a Blue Rewards account — you just sign in on the new site.

🔄 What changed?

  • Miles → Blue Points (new currency)
  • AIR MILES app → Blue Rewards app
  • AIR MILES partners → expanded list of 400+ brands
  • BMO now fully operates the program

22) Google will be unveiling its 2026 Pixel smartphone lineup Aug. 12 at a New York event emceed by Trevor Noah

Google will showcase the much-anticipated Pixel 11 lineup consisting of Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the last two of which are expected to cost about $150 CAD more than their predecessors.

However, the 256GB Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro are expected to cost the same as the 256GB Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro released last year.

Pixel Watch 5 is also expected to be unveiled at the Aug. 12 event.

9to5Google

Google announces August 12 event for Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5

Made by Google 2026 is officially taking place on Wednesday, August 12. This is a week earlier compared to last year...

23) As RAM prices soar, Microsoft has quietly stopped saying your computer should have 32GB of RAM to game on Windows 11

Microsoft has quietly retracted its own documentation that suggested 32GB RAM is the “no worries” upgrade for gaming, and 16GB RAM is the baseline. This support document was likely written using a large language model, not by a human! Microsoft has also nuked a document that recommended Copilot+ PCs for gaming.

Microsoft has a “Learning Centre” where it publishes guides and marketing articles to promote various Windows features, and these rank well in search results. It’s mostly used by Microsoft to push a narrative and also make it easier for users to make a choice when they search the web.

In the first week of April, Microsoft quietly published a support document titled “Gaming features: What the best Windows PC gaming systems have in common.”

At first, the document might appear to be about Windows 11’s gaming features, but it goes a step further and builds a narrative around the memory requirement. But in the support document, Microsoft clearly notes that:

For most players, 16GB RAM is a practical starting point. Moving to 32GB RAM helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games. That extra memory also gives newer titles more breathing room as memory demands continue to rise.” – Microsoft.

“16GB RAM is the baseline; 32GB is the ‘no worries’ upgrade,” the company concluded in the support document, and this was later picked up by other outlets and the gaming community, and it didn’t go well with gamers.

It also created confusion because Microsoft’s official Windows 11 system requirements still list 4GB RAM as the minimum. However, regular low-end PCs are mostly sold with 8GB of RAM. Recently, Microsoft has been mostly pushing Copilot+ PCs, which mandate 16GB of RAM for AI features.

That contradiction may explain what happened next. Over the weekend, Microsoft quietly removed the document, redirected the URL to the Learning Center’s homepage, and also blocked the Wayback Machine (Internet Archive) from surfacing the retracted document.

Microsoft won’t tell us what really happened there, but it’s obvious that the company does not want the document to spread further.

Windows Latest

Microsoft quietly deletes Windows 11 doc pushing 32GB RAM for gaming after outrage

Microsoft has quietly retracted its own documentation that suggested 32GB RAM is the "no worries" upgrade for gaming, and 16GB RAM is a must.

24) Tip: Never put your phone in the refrigerator — here's why

I've been guilty of telling people who've asked me what to do if their phone is really hot, to put it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool it down.

Turns out, that's bad advice, and for that, I apologize — I've since learned otherwise.

For a lot of people, placing a device in a fridge when it shows an overheating warning, or obvious signs it is getting too hot, seems like a good idea. The practice has become more popular since social media videos started pushing it as a smart and easy solution.

In reality, it's very risky. One of the biggest problems is condensation. When a warm device enters a fridge or freezer, warm, humid air trapped around or inside the phone cools rapidly. As that air drops below its dew point, water vapour can condense on the phone's surfaces, ports, speaker openings, or potentially inside the casing.

When the chilled phone is removed, the risk can become greater because warm room air hits the cold device and condenses on it – similar to moisture forming on a cold drink.

Moisture inside a device can lead to lots of issues, from corrosion to short circuits. There are also risks from thermal shock, in which a sudden temperature change can stress the screen, glass, seals, adhesives, and internal components; and battery damage from the extreme cold.

So, what should you do to cool a hot phone?

Both Apple and Samsung recommend you put it in a cool, shaded spot, or perhaps in the path of a fan blowing cool air — but never in a fridge or freezer. Pass it on!

TechSpot

Repair shops are booming during heatwaves as people keep putting phones in fridges

Jamie Farnell, a repair shop owner in the UK town of Wem told the BBC that he has been flooded with devices suffering from internal moisture damage...

25) Apple now has two-thirds of the global premium smartphone market, up 9% from a year ago

As each year goes by, Apple is capturing a bigger and bigger share of the global smartphone market. Now, a new study indicates that the Cupertino tech giant had 65% of the premium smartphone market in the first half of 2026.

The study comes from the well-known Counterpoint Research and its Handset Model Sales Tracker, which tracks phones with a selling price of $600 or more. The study shows that this is a 9% growth year-over-year, and attributes it to the base model iPhone 17.

However, this is still an overall drop from the company’s premium segment back in 2022, when Apple had 74% of the premium market. Counterpoint suggests the decline is due to more competition in the Chinese market, with Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo offering more premium devices, and pulling customers in that market away from Apple.

Global premium smartphone sales went up 5% year over year. Counterpoint Research notes that the price gap between mid-tier and premium phones is decreasing and therefore leading people to buy more flagship phones.

MobileSyrup

Apple now has 65% of global premium smartphone market thanks to iPhone 17

A new study indicates that the Cupertino tech giant had 65 per cent of the premium smartphone market in the first half of 2026.

26) A Japanese video game developer added Czech localization to their game for a single player for the love of baseball

"One day, when I checked my wishlist, I saw that just one person from the Czech Republic had signed up. I know from the recent World Baseball Championships how much respect the Czech Republic has for baseball and Japan," Eba Game said on X, via machine translation. "So for the sake of this one baseball fan in the Czech Republic, I implemented Czech language support. Wait for me, my Czech friend."

PC Gamer

'Wait for me, my Czech friend': Japanese dev adds Czech localization just for the one Steam user who wishlisted his game in the Czech Republic

The international spirit of baseball and friendship might frown on the method, though.

27) Multiple major ASMR YouTube channels were simultaneously terminated last Sunday

The unilateral move has confused creators and viewers alike and fueled accusations of double standards in content moderation and freedom of speech on the American tech giant.

Kotaku

Major ASMR YouTubers Suddenly Removed For 'Explicit Content'

Intimacy and erotica become conflated as YouTube’s crude sweep raises obvious double standards on the massive video platform

28) We've compiled all our tech tips and solutions (six dozen of them, so far) into one indexed set of "Tips and Solutions" Notes which you can find on our home page.

You can also get to them by going to Tech-Talk.ca/faq

29) 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.

tech-talk.ca

Our Favourite Apps

Add all your loyalty cards, collect rewards, get personalized offers and pay with your phone!

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!price

40) Watch what happened when AI agents ChatGPT and Claude were used to design, build, and run lemonade stands, each with a goal of making $100…

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41) Watch Google's ad taking shots at Apple and Samsung while promoting the upcoming Pixel 5 watch…

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42) Watch Mattias Krantz build a ukelele that can transform into an electric guitar in mid-performance less than half a second…

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43) Watch AfarTV's full 4K video of a massive glacier collapsing and flipping-over repeatedly in front of Ilulissat on Greenland’s west coast…

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44) Watch American lawyer Liz Dye of LegalEagle break down eBay's $56 million settlement to a husband-and-wife journalism team the ecommerce giant terrorized illegally…

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45) Watch a livestream from Regional District of Similkameen on the out-of-control Bald Range wildfire that's forced the evacuation of Summerland…

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46) Watch the Canadian Forces Snowbirds final show over Victoria before their jets are retired due to old age…

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47) Watch Listen to David Foster's "Flight Of The Snowbirds" from 1986…

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"Hej!" from Denmark, from "Tech Talk" listener Bernie, the well-known retired Victoria Conservatory of Music House Manager, who's visiting his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson who live in Copenhagen…

As a former Shaw Mobile customer, Bernie can stay on the free Rogers Mobile migration plan for another two years, so to stay connected during his almost three weeks in Denmark, it made the most sense for him to buy a 30-day Rogers "Roam Like Home" Europe Travel Pass for $90.

…and finally, our "Sign Of The Week"…

And so it goes…