With streaming prices adding up, it’s easy to forget there’s still a way to get a surprising amount of TV for free: an antenna.

And yes, the old-school rabbit ears still work. In fact, they worked better at my house than a newer flat antenna.

I recently talked with Tyler Kleinle, better known as Antenna Man on YouTube. He reviews antennas and helps people figure out how to get the best over-the-air reception.

His biggest advice is not to buy the first antenna that pops up in an online search. There are plenty of models making big promises about range and reception. Instead, he recommends sticking with established brands like RCA, Antennas Direct, ClearStream, Channel Master, Winegard and Televes.

Before buying anything, check RabbitEars.info. Enter your address and it will show nearby broadcast towers, the stations you might be able to receive, estimated signal strength and even the direction to point your antenna.

If you’re within about 30 miles of the broadcast towers, Tyler says an indoor antenna will often do the job. Farther away, you might need an outdoor antenna. Placement also matters. Moving an antenna just a foot or two can sometimes make a noticeable difference. An attic can also be a good option if you don’t want an antenna mounted on the roof.

I tested two of Tyler’s least expensive recommendations at my house: the Philips rabbit ears, which cost about $15, and the Channel Master FLATenna, which runs about $35.

Both easily picked up dozens of channels. But the surprise for me was that the cheap rabbit ears gave me more consistent reception. I also kind of like the retro look.

If you need something more powerful, Tyler also recommends ClearStream antennas, which are sold at Best Buy. They cost more than the basic indoor models I tested, but they’re worth considering if you’re farther from the broadcast towers or need a stronger setup.

One more thing: don’t automatically assume you need an amplifier. Tyler says amplifiers can sometimes introduce additional noise and actually make reception worse.

The appeal here is pretty simple. Buy the antenna once and local over-the-air channels are free after that. There’s no buffering, no monthly bill and no streaming blackout because two companies are fighting over a contract.

And with many NFL games and other major sporting events still airing on local broadcast networks, an antenna might be one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to your TV setup.

KTLA.COM

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is today and tomorrow - October 6 and 7, 2026. It’s a good time to cross a few things off your holiday shopping list early, or finally buy something you’ve had your eye on.

And with gadgets and electronics getting more expensive, this is a prime opportunity to buy. Pun intended. A couple of things to know before you start shopping:

1. You need an Amazon Prime membership

The deals are for Prime members, but if you’re not already a member, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. Just remember that it will automatically renew unless you cancel.

2. Check for extra Prime perks and offers

Before you start buying stuff, check your account for offers on services you might already use or want to try. Amazon often runs promotions around big shopping events, including deals for Audible and Amazon Music.

Prime members also get Grubhub+ included with their membership - right now they have a deal for $20 off an order of $30 or more.

3. Amazon’s own products are usually easy wins

If you’ve been waiting to buy something made by Amazon, this is typically one of the better times to do it.

Look for discounts on Amazon Basics and Amazon Essentials, along with devices from Kindle, Fire TV, eero, Blink and Ring. Amazon tends to discount its own products pretty aggressively during Prime shopping events.

4. Don’t trust the percentage-off number

A product might say it’s 30%, 40% or even 50% off, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting a great deal.

What really matters is how today’s price compares with what that product typically sells for.

When you’re looking at a deal, check the price history. If the current price is lower than what you’ve seen over the past three months, that’s a much better indication that it’s actually a good time to buy.

5. Check for discounts on things you’ve bought before. Prime Big Deal Days is a great time to stock up on the boring stuff you need around the house. Amazon’s Buy Again page keeps many of your past purchases in one place, making it easy to browse for those red Prime Big Deal Days discount banners. Think household essentials and other things you buy regularly. If the price is right, stock up and save.

Below are some of my favorite tech products. I’ve personally tested and used almost everything on this list. The few I haven’t tried myself come recommended by trusted experts I’ve had on my segments. If they’re on sale for a good price, they’re worth a look.

The Amazon links below are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My top 10 picks

There are more than 60 products on my list, but if you don’t want to scroll through everything, start here. These are 10 products I personally use, recommend and would check for a deal first.

1. Aura Digital Photo Frame ($150)
One of my absolute favorite gadgets and gifts. You can send photos from your phone and let family members add theirs remotely.

2. Belkin 10000mAh USB C Power Bank ($20)
Gotta have a portable battery pack. This one has a built in USB-C cable.

3. Apple AirPods 5 ($129)
Brand new and an easy recommendation for iPhone users. They sound great, pair effortlessly and the latest model adds noise cancellation while keeping the open-ear design.

4. CMF Buds Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds ($35)
Excellent budget-friendly earbuds for Android or iPhone. These sound way better than their price might suggest.

5. NOMAD Universal USB-C Cable ($35)
I never travel without this! An essential for travel because it has your connectors covered, whether you run into USB-A or USB-C on a plane, in a hotel or somewhere else.

6. Spigen Glass Screen Protector ($20)
My top pick for a screen protector. The installation tray makes it easy to line everything up without bubbles. Did I mention you get two for this price!?!

7. SYNCWIRE Magnetic Phone Grip and Stand ($16)
Another must-have for travel. It gives you a better grip on your phone and doubles as a stand for watching something on a plane or at your desk.

8. travel inspira Digital Luggage Scale ($10)
No surprises at the check-in counter. Know exactly how much your luggage weighs before you get to the airport.

9. Rechargeable Motion Sensor Night Light ($17 for 2 pack)
I always keep one of these in my travel bag. It’s great for navigating a dark hotel room at night without turning on every light. Better than my previous recommendation since it has USB-C charging port, but it doesn’t stand on it’s own so you’ll have to lay it flat.

10. Basic flash drive with USB-C and USB-A connectors ($36)
I always have one of these in my bag for file transfers and more, no matter what type of device I’m connecting to - phone or computer.

Want more? Scroll down for 60+ of my favorite tech products, including gadgets I’ve personally tested and recommendations from experts I trust.

Amazfit Bip 6 Smartwatch

A large display and built-in GPS make this a great smartwatch when you want useful features on a budget.

Amazon eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi System

Eero is one of my favorite ways to make home Wi-Fi easier to set up and manage.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

An easy way to add current streaming apps and Alexa voice control to a TV you already own. This is the latest model with the new remote!

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 16GB

The glare-free screen and adjustable warm light make it easier to settle into a book without phone notifications. Again, latest model and the sweet spot in the lineup.

Anker MagGo Power Bank for Apple Watch

I like having an Apple Watch charger and a built-in USB-C cable together in one travel-friendly power bank. Bonus: one less cable to travel with!

Anker Nano 45W 10,000mAh Power Bank

The retractable USB-C cable keeps things tidy while giving your phone a convenient recharge on the go.

Apple AirPods 5 Wireless Earbuds

Easy iPhone pairing and an open-ear fit make these a convenient choice for everyday listening and calls. Latest model includes noise cancellation and they sound great!

Apple AirTag 2nd Generation 4 Pack

An easy way for iPhone users to keep track of luggage, keys and other belongings through Find My.

Apple iPad 11-inch

Still an easy tablet recommendation for browsing, video calls, streaming and the everyday things most people want to do.

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch with M5

The roomy screen and lightweight design make this an easy Mac recommendation for everyday work and travel.

Apple Watch SE 3

An easy starting point for iPhone users who want notifications and everyday activity tracking on their wrist.

ASUS Vivobook Go 15 Laptop

A full-size screen in a basic Windows laptop makes this worth considering for email, web browsing and documents.

Aura Digital Photo Frame

One of my absolute favorite gifts and gadgets in general because you can send photos from your phone and let family members add theirs remotely.

Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer

Great way to get started with the world of 3D printing, especially for kids of all ages.

Beats USB-C to USB-C Woven Cable 1.5m

A good-looking woven cable that looks good while it does it’s job and it’s tangle free (mostly).

Belkin 10,000mAh 20W USB-C Power Bank

Everyone needs a good portable battery bank. This one has a built-in USB-C cable which means one less thing to forget when you leave the house.

Belkin 25W Qi2.2 3-in-1 Charging Station for Samsung

A tidy home for your Galaxy phone, earbuds and watch, with a holder for your existing watch charging puck.

Belkin 25W Qi2.2 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station for iPhone

I like a charger that handles an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, then folds down for travel.

Belkin 5K 15W Ultra Slim Magnetic Power Bank

I like the slim magnetic design for a quick phone top-up without a cable dangling out of my pocket.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Generation

Over-ear noise cancellation and a comfortable design make these a worthy investment for long flights and noisy workdays.

Brother HL-L2405W Monochrome Laser Printer

I like a simple black-and-white laser printer for everyday documents and fewer worries about ink drying out.

Channel Master FLATenna

The thin design is easy to position while you experiment with getting local channels from an indoor antenna.

CMF Buds Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds

Excellent budget friendly earbuds for Android, and iPhone too. These sound way better than their price might suggest.

CordBrick Weighted Cable Holder

Genius!!! A simple fix for charging cables that keep disappearing behind your desk or nightstand.

DJI Mic Mini Two Transmitter Kit with Charging Case

Tiny wireless microphones make it easier to capture two people speaking without relying on a distant camera microphone.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Vlogging Camera

A small, stabilized camera is handy when you want smoother travel videos from a device separate from your phone.

EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus Portable Power Station

A compact backup-power option for keeping essentials like a router, lamp or laptop running during an outage.

EPICKA TA-105 Pro 70W GaN Universal Travel Adapter

The extra USB-C power makes this especially useful when your travel bag includes a compatible USB-C laptop.

EPICKA TA-105 Universal Travel Adapter

A basic way to charge several gadgets abroad, as long as you remember it adapts plugs rather than voltage.

Epson FastFoto FF-680W Photo Scanner

The automatic feeder is the big draw when you have boxes of printed photos waiting to be digitized. Pricey, so split the cost with family members and scan all of your photos!

Epson Perfection V39 II Flatbed Scanner

I like a flatbed for scanning photos and keepsakes you’d rather not send through an automatic feeder.

FosPower NOAA Emergency Weather Radio

A useful emergency-kit staple for hearing weather information when your usual internet connection isn’t available.

Google Fitbit Air Screenless Activity Tracker

I like the idea of tracking activity and sleep without putting another screen on your wrist.

Google Pixel 10a 128GB

Has Google’s smart and helpful software and an excellent camera for the price. Plus updates for 7 years.

Hisense 55-inch U8 Series Mini-LED 4K TV

I like the U8 line for its bright picture, especially in a living room that gets plenty of daylight.

HP Smart Tank 5003 All-in-One Printer

Refillable ink tanks are the appeal here, especially for a household that prints plenty of color pages.

Insignia 50-inch F50 Series 4K Fire TV NS-50F502NA26

A straightforward 4K TV with streaming built in that makes sense for a spare room or everyday viewing.

Insta360 Flow 2 Pro Phone Gimbal

Automatic tracking is the draw here when you’re filming yourself and want your phone to follow the action.

Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station

I like the larger battery capacity for camping or backing up several essentials when the power goes out.

KODAK Slide N SCAN

A straightforward way to get old slides and film negatives out of storage and into shareable digital files.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Laptop

A sensible laptop family for everyday browsing and documents, with configurations to match different needs and budgets.

NOMAD Universal USB C Cable

Essential for travel because it’s got all of your connectors covered: USB-A, USB-C, no matter what combination your hotel or plane has.

Oura Ring 5

So slim you’ll forget it’s on. Excellent way to track your sleep and daily vitals - but not the best for automatic excercise tracking. Keep in mind there is a membership to factor into the long term price.

Philips Modern Loop Rabbit Ear Antenna SDV7114A/27

A simple, inexpensive way to try receiving local broadcast channels without adding another monthly subscription.

PNY 256GB Duo Link V3 USB-C and USB-A Flash Drive

Two connectors make it easy to transfer files between phones and computers.

PORTTA VHS to Digital Converter

A useful way to preserve home movies as digital files, provided you still have a working VCR or camcorder.

Rechargeable Motion Sensor Night Light

A little motion-activated light makes a dark hallway or unfamiliar hotel room much easier to navigate at night. I keep this in my travel bag!

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB

The ultimate Android phone right now.

SanDisk 256GB Phone Drive for Android

A direct-connect drive makes it easier to copy photos off your phone and move files to a computer.

SanDisk 256GB Phone Drive for iPhone USB-C and Lightning

Having both iPhone connectors is handy when you’re moving photos between older and newer Apple devices.

SanDisk 64GB iXpand Flash Drive Go

A handy way to copy photos off a Lightning-equipped iPhone and onto a computer with USB-A.

SIMO Solis Edge 5G Hotspot

A dedicated hotspot is handy for connecting several devices without tying up your phone and works around the world with their eSIM or pop in your own.

Sonos Play Portable Speaker

Wi-Fi at home and Bluetooth away from it make this a flexible speaker for the house and backyard.

Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Headphones

Along with the Bose, the gold standard of premium noise cancelling headphones for travel.

Soundcore Q20i Noise Cancelling Headphones

A lower-cost way to get over-ear noise cancellation for travel, commuting or concentrating at home.

Spigen Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 18 Pro

My top pick for a screen protector; easy to align and no bubbles thanks to a handy tray.

Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagFit Clear White Case for iPhone 17 Pro and 18 Pro

A clear case that shows off your phone while keeping magnetic chargers and accessories easy to use.

SPOTMINDERS Wallet Tracker PRO

The card shape makes more sense in a wallet than a round tracker, with Apple’s Find My network built in.

SUPERDANNY Power Strip Surge Protector

All those outlets and USB ports make it easier to plug in a desk full of gadgets.

SYNCWIRE Magnetic Phone Grip and Stand

A removable magnetic grip that also props up your phone for hands-free viewing on a plane or at your desk. Must have for travel.

Synology DiskStation DS225+ NAS

A useful home base for family photos, shared files and backups, with storage drives purchased separately.

TCL 55-inch QM7L Series Mini-LED TV

Mini-LED picture quality makes this a compelling option when you want a TV upgrade without chasing the top tier.

travel inspira Digital Luggage Scale

I like knowing what my suitcase weighs before I get to the airport and face an overweight-bag fee.

Twelve South PowerCord 30W USB-C Charger 10-foot

The plug and cable are one piece, and the extra reach is handy when an outlet is too far away from where you want to sit and charge.

UGREEN NASync DH2300

A straightforward entry into home network storage when you want your files together on drives you control.

UGREEN Nexode 45W Dual USB-C GaN Charger

Two USB-C ports in a compact plug make this an easy way to cut down on travel chargers.

UGREEN USB-C Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

A small adapter worth keeping around when you’d rather plug into a wired network than troubleshoot flaky Wi-Fi.

ULANZI MT85 Magnetic Phone Tripod

The magnetic mount makes it quick to set up a phone for group photos or recording yourself. I carry this everywhere I go.

Wyze Cam OG Security Camera

The original inexpensive security camera still delivers. A basic way to check on a room or outdoor spot from your phone, with color night vision.

A startup called Pranos has come up with a pretty wild idea: turn almost any car window into a digital display.

I recently got a hands-on look at HoloGlass, a system that uses a small projector and a custom-cut screen that attaches to the inside of your car window. Once installed, you can display videos, graphics, messages or even a custom sign you create from your phone.

What makes it interesting is that you don’t need to modify the car. The screen can pop in and out, the system uses suction cups, and it plugs into the vehicle’s 12-volt power outlet. Pranos says installation takes about 30 minutes and it makes screens for a wide range of sedans and SUVs.

The original idea was advertising. Founder David Astoria told me the company initially envisioned people turning their cars into moving billboards. But it started hearing from consumers who wanted the same technology for their own vehicles.

Right now, the biggest users are small businesses that want another way to promote themselves. Longer term, Pranos sees an opportunity with robotaxis, where operators could potentially use the windows for advertising and generate additional revenue.

The system definitely gets your attention. When I saw it in action, the display looked bright and unusual enough that you immediately noticed the car.

There are some important limitations, though. HoloGlass is primarily designed for nighttime use because the image can be difficult to see in daylight. The company says it is working on a brighter version.

There is also the obvious safety issue. UC Berkeley SafeTREC researcher Julia Griswold told me a display like this should really be used while the vehicle is parked, since it could distract other drivers. Local laws can vary, so using it on private property may be the safest bet.

HoloGlass starts at about $300.

• Rich explains why he’s finally sold on AI agents after using ChatGPT Dots to order pizza, check in for a flight, research trips and handle everyday tasks.

• Six major AI companies signed a voluntary safety ag…

Read more

Last time I wrote, I was in Maui. From there, I flew home to L.A., met up with my wife and kids at the airport, and we all hopped on a red-eye to New Jersey to surprise my mom for her milestone birthday. We pulled it off and it was fantastic.

Once we got home, I turned around and headed to Las Vegas to host a panel.

And we had another birthday to celebrate. My little one turned 12, which is wild.

That means it’s been 12 years since I got a parking ticket for leaving my car outside my own home because we had to rush to the hospital so fast. That one stuck with me and he is well worth the ticket.

I finally get AI agents

Over the past two weeks, I’ve gotten completely invested in AI agents. It’s pretty unbelievable how quickly I went from thinking this was a pie-in-the-sky idea to relying on them for all kinds of things.

It started with Meta’s Muse, which I think is incredible. This is a personal AI agent that not only has access to the information and services you connect to it, but also has access to its own virtual computer and browser. That means instead of just answering questions, it can actually go off and do things on your behalf.

I think that’s a very big shift in how we use AI.

Not to be outdone, ChatGPT came out with its version called Dots, and I’ve been playing with that, too. It literally placed the pizza order for my kid’s birthday party.

Here’s the best part: I’ve been poo-pooing that exact example for the past two years. Tech companies kept telling us that someday AI would be able to order dinner or handle errands for us, and I always thought, “Do I really need that?”

Now I get it.

I told Dots how many kids and adults were coming to the party, what kind of pizza we wanted and asked it to find the best deal. It figured out what to order, put everything in the cart and told me when it was ready. I checked the order, entered my payment information, and boom, pizza scheduled for delivery.

I’ve also spent a lot of time thinking about Muse versus Dots. Right now, there’s one huge difference: Dots requires a ChatGPT Pro plan, which starts at $100 a month. Muse has a free tier, although there are usage limits.

For most people, that makes Muse the easier place to start. I also think it feels a bit more like a dedicated personal assistant right now. Dots has an advantage in how it works with the ChatGPT tools and plugins I already use, but the experience can be a little more confusing. I sometimes find myself wondering whether I should ask ChatGPT or ask Dots.

My guess is that ChatGPT will eventually bring Dots to less expensive plans to get more people using it, but that’s just my prediction.

Here’s just a sampling of what I’ve had these AI agents help with over the past week:

• Watch things for me: specific emails, prices, flights, Instagram DMs

• Clean up storage: find duplicates, free up space, rename files and reorganize folders

• Handle email: search messages, triage my inbox and draft replies

• Manage my calendar: add events and set reminders

• Research: compare products and prices, research travel options and fact-check things

• Organize things: save articles, create Notion pages

• Travel logistics: find bookings, check in for flights and look for restaurant availability

The beauty of these agents is that everyone will use them differently. There isn’t going to be one killer feature because the killer feature is whatever saves you time.

The challenge is that none of them comes with an instruction manual. You have to think of things for them to do.

At first, you’re going to hit roadblocks. You’ll ask for something they can’t do, or it’ll get stuck halfway through a task. That can be frustrating. But then you’ll ask it to do something you never expected it could handle, and it works.

My advice right now is to start with Meta’s Muse and experiment. There’s a free tier, so you can get a feel for what an AI agent can actually do before deciding whether you need more.

Once you’re in, look for Connectors. That’s where you can link services like your email, calendar, Instagram and other apps you use. The more useful context you give an agent, the more it can potentially do for you.

There is a privacy trade-off here, and it’s worth thinking about before connecting everything. Also pay attention to permissions. These agents can take actions on your behalf, and Muse is designed to ask for approval before certain things like sending messages or making purchases. I’d be thoughtful about which permissions you give it and how much autonomy you’re comfortable with.

How to stop random apps from tracking you

This week on TV, I shared a simple way to see which apps are tracking your location.

Think about how many apps you’ve downloaded where you quickly tapped “Allow” just so you could get through the setup. Then you probably never thought about that permission again.

Take a few minutes to do a location privacy audit on your phone. You might be surprised by how many apps have access and how easy it is to clean things up.

Check your location privacy settings

They can’t scam you if they can’t find you

Sponsored by Incogni

Incogni just added a new feature I really like: a Privacy Score. Think of it like a credit score for how exposed your personal information is online.

My score is 84 out of 100, which Incogni rates as “strongly protected.” Even more interesting: it estimates my score would be just 38 without Incogni. The average Incogni user is at 70.

But the number is only part of it. The dashboard also shows what’s affecting my score. That matters because personal information floating around online can make it easier for scammers to target you with phishing messages, robocalls, fake account alerts and other scams.

Incogni works behind the scenes to remove your data from brokers and keeps checking for it when it pops back up. My dashboard says it has saved me nearly 596 hours of doing this work myself.

Want even more protection? The Unlimited plan adds custom removals from thousands of additional sites and lets you submit links where you find your information exposed.

Take back your privacy today!

🔗 Get my spam-busting deal for 60% off with code RICHONTECH

Incogni says its Privacy Score is an estimate based on information including account history, removals and known exposures, and does not guarantee complete privacy.

New gadgets that caught my eye this week

So many new products were announced this week. I’m not going to run through every spec, but there are a handful of new gadgets and features that I think are actually interesting.

Amazon finally acknowledges we like buttons

Amazon completely redesigned its Kindle lineup, including the regular Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft. They’re thinner, some are lighter, and the new design has a flat front without the recessed screen of older models.

Amazon moved the power button. On the Kindle I previously tested, it was on the bottom, right where I would accidentally press it while reading. Now it’s on the upper-right side. Thank you, Amazon.

The other big addition is the Kindle Click, Amazon’s first Bluetooth page-turn remote. Prop your Kindle up on a tray table, nightstand or stand and you can turn pages without reaching for the screen. Amazon says it works with compatible Kindles from 2024 and newer.

Amazon also introduced a magnetic cover with actual page-turn buttons built into it. This feels like an admission that some of us still really like physical buttons. It’s one of the reasons I continue to use an older Kindle.

The catch? The cover costs about $80. I cannot recommend spending $80 on a cover just to get page-turn buttons, but I’m glad Amazon is at least acknowledging that buttons are good. Now how about putting them back on the Kindle itself?

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag3

The $30 Galaxy SmartTag3 is smaller and lighter, gets up to 550 days of battery life under normal use and, most importantly, now works across Android and iPhone.

Samsung says more than 900 million participating Galaxy devices around the world can help locate a lost tag through the Galaxy Find Network.

The feature I find most interesting is called Movement Detection Alert.

Instead of only using a SmartTag to find something after it goes missing, the tag can alert you when it detects movement. Put one on something that normally stays put and you can know when it moves.

My one complaint is the design. Samsung got rid of the large integrated loop that made the previous SmartTag so easy to attach directly to a key ring. If you want that functionality now, you’ll need an accessory.

Twelve South AirFly Drive

If your car has wired CarPlay but not wireless CarPlay, Twelve South has a simple $40 fix.

The new AirFly Drive plugs into your car’s CarPlay USB port and turns that wired connection into a wireless one. It works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

I immediately thought of my wife’s car, which has wired CarPlay but not wireless. Installation and setup was a breeze. This is the best implementation of this sort of gadget yet.

There is one trade-off: I typically like to plug in my phone in the car anyway because I want to charge it. If you’re doing that, wireless CarPlay isn’t quite as useful. But if you have wireless charging or if you just want to get in the car and have CarPlay pop up without taking your phone out of your pocket, this is a really nice $40 upgrade.

A new Fire TV Stick 4K

Amazon also introduced a new Fire TV Stick 4K, and this is probably the model I’d look at first if I were buying a Fire TV Stick today.

It’s $60 at regular price, although Amazon is already discounting it to $30 with code 4KINTRO. Amazon says apps launch 35% faster than before, and the stick supports 4K video, HDR10+ and Wi-Fi 6.

Amazon also redesigned the remote so it’s easier to tell which way you’re holding it without looking. The Home button has a distinct feel, and there’s now a customizable star button that you can assign to a favorite app or feature.

Tech Tidbits

Your car is sharing data with big tech: Consumer Reports found 19 of 21 connected cars tested communicated with third parties, including companies like Google, Meta and Amazon. Check the privacy settings in your car and its app and turn off any sharing you don’t need.

Galaxy S26 gets Android 17: Samsung is rolling out One UI 9, based on Android 17, to the Galaxy S26 lineup. It brings a refreshed look along with new customization, privacy and other features.

200+ scary movies for free: Pluto TV added more than 200 horror movies for Halloween, including titles from Scream and Friday the 13th. There are ads, but everything on Pluto TV is free.

Free international data from Opera: Opera’s Android browser now includes a travel eSIM offering eligible users 3 GB of international data free for three days in more than 45 destinations. No credit card required.

What I bookmarked this week

I haven’t necessarily fully tested or endorsed these, but they caught my attention enough to bookmark for later. Some are things I might download, try or just keep handy for future reference. Have fun checking them out, and let me know if anything deserves a closer look!

OptOutPrescreen: Tired of all those preapproved credit card and insurance offers showing up in your mailbox? OptOutPrescreen.com lets you remove yourself from the lists. I’ve done this before, and it really cuts down on the junk mail. Hat tip to Jared Newman for the reminder.

America.gov: This new official government website puts an AI-style interface on information from thousands of federal, state and local government websites. Ask how to replace a Social Security card, get a passport or navigate a government program, and it gives you an answer with links to official sources.

T-Mobile Project 10Million: Emma sent this one in. Eligible K-12 students can get a free Wi-Fi hotspot with 200 GB of high-speed data per year for five years.

BrickOS: A fun retro launcher for Android that can make your home screen look and work like an old-school iPod, Zune or Windows Phone.

Q&A - Which 5G Home Internet?

Dave in Henderson, Nevada asks:

Which is better for home internet: Verizon 5G Home Ultimate or T-Mobile All-In Home Internet? We’ll be using it for two TVs, a computer and our phones.

The best service is whichever one has the strongest signal at your house. Even if Verizon or T-Mobile works great on your phone around town, the experience can be very different inside your home.

Here’s my advice: invite some friends over, one with Verizon and one with T-Mobile, and run speed tests on their phones near the windows where you might put the home internet gateway. Compare both download and upload speeds, and I’d start with whichever network performs better.

If you already have cellular service with one of the carriers, that could tip the scales since you may qualify for a bundle discount.

Most importantly, don’t cancel your existing internet right away. Get the new service set up and use it normally for at least a week. Stream TV, work on your computer and connect all your usual devices. 5G speeds can vary depending on the time of day and network congestion, so make sure you’re happy with the performance before making the switch.

Feedbag

A few notes from viewers and listeners this week:

Liz in Half Moon Bay watched my location privacy segment on KRON and thanked me for sharing “practical and useful tips.”

Noel spotted a cool new feature in the United app after I introduced him to Flighty. Under My Trips, United now shows your past trips organized by year, although the history only goes back to 2025. I checked it out and immediately wished it went back further.

One listener told me they’re using Muse to compare Medicare Plan G options for next year and called the experience “pretty cool.” Brilliant.

And Kate in Oceanside wrote that she appreciates that I explain tech “in a manner that the non techie can understand.” She’s still using a 7th-generation iPad and is hoping Prime Day might finally be the excuse she needs to upgrade. Fingers crossed.

One More Thing

One more thing before I go. I mentioned I was in Las Vegas this week. I was there for ITC, an insurance technology conference where, as you might expect, a lot of the conversation was about AI and how it could make things like insurance claims faster and easier.

I was there to host a panel with Jonathan Scott of the Property Brothers. He was great to talk with, really knows his tech and made my job on stage pretty easy.

Jonathan is an investor in Phyn, a smart water company I’ve covered before. Its products monitor your home’s water usage and can detect leaks before they become expensive problems. The new DIY Phyn Assist installs on your washing machine water line and monitors for leaks and unusual water usage. Pretty sure I need one.

Ting takes a similar approach with electricity. Plug the sensor into an outlet and it monitors your home’s electrical system for dangerous arcing and other potential fire hazards. Its network can also help determine whether a power or internet outage is just at your house or affecting the neighborhood.

Both are smart-home technologies designed to catch potentially expensive problems early.

That’s going to do it for this week. The best thing you can do is forward this newsletter to a friend who could use a little more tech knowledge.

Be sure to listen to my radio show Saturday at 11 a.m. PT on KFI AM 640, catch the replay Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on 710 WOR in New York, or subscribe to the podcast and listen anytime.

Rich

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🎵 ROT 194 Planned Playlist

• Rich explains why he’s finally sold on AI agents after using ChatGPT Dots to order pizza, check in for a flight, research trips and handle everyday tasks.

• Six major AI companies signed a voluntary safety agreement with the White House, but there are no penalties, deadlines or real enforcement.

• Eduardo in Tampa is looking for an affordable new phone, but a free Metro deal won’t work if he’s switching from T-Mobile.

• Consumer Reports found that many connected-car apps share information with advertising and analytics companies, including potentially sensitive personal data.

• Samsung raised Galaxy S26 prices by $100, while Google raised the Pixel 10a price as tech products continue getting more expensive.

• Dan in Moss Landing can’t connect his Chromebook to his iPhone hotspot, and Rich recommends turning on Maximize Compatibility.

• Todd in Goodyear wants a phone with a microSD card slot, and Rich recommends the Fairphone, Moto G series and SMS Backup & Restore.

• McDonald’s is using AI to help restaurants determine menu prices, but that doesn’t mean it’s setting a different price for each individual customer.

• Rich says phones should stay away during meals so we can actually pay attention to the people we’re with.

• Richie in Sherman Oaks wants to use an external camera with his Pixel as a dash cam, but Rich recommends keeping things simple with a dedicated dash cam.

• Holiday shoppers expect to spend less on tech this year even as gadget prices rise, and Rich recommends CamelCamelCamel, Keepa and ShopSavvy to check whether a deal is real.

• Rich explains how to do a quick privacy audit on iPhone and Android to stop unnecessary apps from constantly tracking your location.

• Mark Anthony Arena, the Computer Exorcist, explains why he dislikes automatic cloud storage, photo sticks and third-party antivirus software.

• LaShawn in Los Angeles keeps getting a Norton security warning on a friend’s Wi-Fi, but the problem appears to be a false alarm involving the network rather than an infected laptop.

• Rich confirms those RFID hotel towel trackers are real after getting charged $25 for leaving a towel in his room.

• Amazon Now can deliver groceries, gadgets and everyday essentials in about 30 minutes in supported areas.

• Samsung’s new SmartTag 3 is smaller and lighter, lasts up to 550 days and can alert you when an item is moved.

• Amazon updated its Kindle lineup, moved the Paperwhite power button and added new options for physical and remote page turning.

• Rich says Face ID on the iPhone 18 Pro has been less reliable since Apple moved some of its hardware under the display.

• Pluto TV added more than 200 free, ad-supported horror movies for Halloween.

• Rich answers listener questions about cellular dead zones, converting audio files, flip phones and transferring iPhone photos to a PC.

• Tony Gebhard, author of No Sight Required, explains how AI tools are giving blind and low-vision users more independence.

• Listener feedback includes Google Photos headaches, hotel towel trackers, Flighty, California’s DROP privacy program and the green camera indicator on a Mac.

How to Listen:

🎙️ Live on KFI AM 640 - Los Angeles, Saturdays from 11 AM - 2 PM PT

🎙️ Rebroadcast on 710 WOR - New York City, Sundays from 8 PM - 11 PM ET

📻 Syndicated on affiliates nationwide

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Your maps app needs to know where you are. Your puzzle game probably doesn’t.

But over time, it’s easy to give apps access to your location and forget all about it. That’s why it’s worth taking a few minutes to do a quick location privacy audit on your phone.

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You’ll see every app that has requested access to your location, along with what level of access you’ve given it.

Pay special attention to anything set to Always. Ask yourself a simple question: Does this app really need to know where I am all the time?

For many apps, While Using the App is a good middle ground. The app gets your location when you’re actively using it, but doesn’t have continuous access in the background. And if an app has no good reason to know your location, switch it to Never.

There’s another setting worth checking: Precise Location. When it’s on, an app can get your specific location. Turn it off and the app gets a more approximate location instead. That can work just fine for apps that only need a general idea of where you are.

Android has similar controls. On Samsung, go to Settings > Location > App permissions. On Pixel, go to Settings > Location > App location permissions. Depending on your phone, the wording may vary slightly.

Android makes this especially easy to review by grouping apps based on their access. Start with the apps allowed to use your location all the time, then work your way down the list. You can change permissions or disable precise location for individual apps.

I like doing this every few months because location permissions tend to accumulate. You install an app, tap through a permission request and six months later you’ve forgotten all about it.

It only takes a few minutes to clean things up. And while you’re there, you might be surprised by which apps have been allowed to follow you around.

As a teenager, having a landline in your room was about as good as it got. Now that old-school experience is making a comeback, with a modern twist designed specifically for kids.

I’ve been testing two products, Tin Can and Pinwheel, that essentially bring back the home phone without bringing back the phone company.

Both use the internet to make calls and give parents control over who their kids can talk to. The idea is simple: give kids a way to connect with friends and family without handing them a smartphone loaded with apps, social media and other distractions.

Tin Can looks and feels like a modern corded landline. Parents set it up through an app, connect it to Wi-Fi and decide who their child can call and when.

Calls to other Tin Can users are free. If you want to call regular phone numbers, service costs about $10 a month. The company says the sweet spot is kids ages 5 to 13.

Pinwheel takes a slightly different approach. Instead of selling you the phone, it makes an adapter that works with just about any traditional landline phone. Plug the adapter into power, connect it to Wi-Fi or your router, then plug in the phone. Plans range from free to about $10 a month.

Parents approve contacts, so random numbers and spam calls don’t ring through.

And yes, both have a dial tone. You might just have to explain to your kids what that sound means.

After testing them, I think the appeal goes beyond nostalgia. A landline forces kids to communicate using just their voice. There’s no scrolling, texting or jumping between apps while they’re talking. It’s simply a conversation.

Both systems can also call 911, an important modern feature for something that might become your family’s home phone.

The equipment for Tin Can and Pinwheel costs around $100. I think these make the most sense before a kid already has a smartphone and is regularly using FaceTime. Once they’ve made that leap, convincing them to go back to a corded phone could be a much tougher call.

KTLA.COM

• Snapdragon focuses on AI: Qualcomm’s new chips aim to run more AI directly on phones, improving speed and reducing reliance on the cloud.

• Google Book preview: Android-based laptops bring native apps and bui…

Read more

Want the commercial-free, higher-quality audio version? VIP newsletter subscribers can listen here.

• Snapdragon focuses on AI: Qualcomm’s new chips aim to run more AI directly on phones, improving speed and reducing reliance on the cloud.

• Google Book preview: Android-based laptops bring native apps and built-in AI tools, starting around $900.

• New hardware demos: Rich tries a haptic mouse, robotic phone camera and augmented reality glasses, with mixed impressions of their everyday usefulness.

• Meta Muse gets proactive: The assistant connects to personal services and completes browser tasks, raising questions about privacy and data access.

• Meta expands wearables: New products include updated Ray-Ban glasses, a camera-free option and a lightweight VR headset with a separate computing pack.

• Beats360 review: Swappable cushions make the $350 headphones versatile, but wired listening and automatic pause are missing.

• Streaming prices climb: Disney and Hulu raise prices again; Rich suggests comparing bundles and canceling rarely used services.

• Premiere comes to Android: Adobe’s editor offers free core tools without ads or watermarks, alongside paid AI features.

• DIY karaoke: Rich suggests Ultimate Vocal Remover for separating vocals, then Audacity or GarageBand to record and mix your own.

• iPhone Duo’s trade-offs: Apple’s foldable combines phone and small-tablet functions for roughly $2,000, with camera and portability compromises.

• Apple’s foldable plans: Kaiann Drance discusses durability, multitasking and upcoming Apple Pencil support, with availability announced for October 23.

• Avoid fake tech support: Use official support websites and be cautious of unfamiliar apps, cleaner utilities and phone numbers in search ads.

• AI and personal finances: Rich discusses using connected accounts for budgeting while limiting access and reviewing privacy settings.

• Fix Apple Watch weather: Restart the watch and iPhone, check location permissions and re-add the weather complication if needed.

• Password manager options: Built-in tools offer convenience; independent services offer broader flexibility. Compare features and enable two-factor authentication.

• Stop accidental 911 calls: Check for case or button interference and review Emergency SOS confirmation settings.

• Verify Facebook security emails: Open Facebook directly and check recent security messages instead of following unexpected email links.

• Upgrade an unsupported phone: Rich suggests recent refurbished models with remaining software support over unofficial Android installations.

• Track luggage with AirTags: AirTags can work overseas through nearby Apple devices, with location sharing available for supported airlines.

• Recover a Word document: Check the Recycle Bin, Word recovery tools and cloud copies before restoring a backup.

• Find your next book: Reading trackers can organize your history, which AI can use to personalize recommendations.

• Sonos expands audio controls: Sonos 27 adds new listening options and more natural voice commands through a gradual rollout.

• Sonos volume shortcut: Rotate two fingers on the app’s screen to reveal a virtual volume knob.

• Test a new carrier first: A second phone line lets you evaluate coverage before transferring your number.

• Manage phone storage: Review storage settings and remove unused downloads after large software updates.

• AI helps explain errors: Screen-aware search tools can interpret phone error messages and suggest fixes.

• Listener feedback: Topics include human help with insurance claims, AI support, aging TiVo systems and finding TVs without smart features.

Call 1-888-RICH-101 (1-888-742-4101) to join in! Email your question here.

How to Listen:

🎙️ Live on KFI AM 640 - Los Angeles, Saturdays from 11 AM - 2 PM PT

🎙️ Rebroadcast on 710 WOR - New York City, Sundays from 8 PM - 11 PM ET

📻 Syndicated on affiliates nationwide

Subscribe to the podcast. Premium subscribers can listen ad-free here.

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Rich on Tech Weekly airs on KTLA+. You can download the app on Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Samsung smart TVs.

Disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.

We also hit a new milestone this week: 75,000 subscribers! Thanks for being a part of this. It’s been a really fun journey growing this direct line from my brain to your inbox.

Maui, and Hawaii in general, is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve now been here twice for work without my family in tow, and it’s a completely different experience. On the plus side, my dinners were cheaper and I could work more. On the downside, the Aloha spirit makes it tough to stay focused on a computer screen when you can see and hear the ocean crashing below.

Somehow, I made it through.

What I saw at Snapdragon Summit

Full disclosure: Qualcomm, the company behind Snapdragon, provided my travel to this year’s event but had no editorial oversight over my coverage.

This was my first time attending Snapdragon Summit, which has been held in Hawaii for nearly the past decade. They actually held the first one in New York City before moving it to Hawaii the following year.

If you’re not familiar with Snapdragon, these are the chips that power many of the world’s most popular Android phones, including devices from Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Honor and others. Apple and Google make their own main processors, although Apple still uses some Qualcomm technology.

If you remember “Intel Inside” back in the day, think of Snapdragon in a similar way. It’s the technology inside your phone powering much of the experience.

Watch the video below for my overview of the conference.

Here are some of the interesting things I saw:

Microsoft Surface Mouse with Haptics - This is a mouse that lets you “feel” what you see on screen. Think of the little vibrations you feel on your phone when you type, tap something or play a game. Now imagine that feedback coming through your mouse when you click, drag, scroll and more. It launches October 13 for about $80.

Googlebook - This is Google’s latest entry into the laptop market. Google makes the software and provides the guidance, while manufacturers including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo make the actual computers. It combines Android technology with the desktop foundations of ChromeOS, so you get a full desktop browser plus millions of Android apps.

That also means things we take for granted on phones and tablets, like actually downloading Netflix shows for offline viewing, can finally work on a laptop. Yay!

There’s also a feature called Magic Pointer. Instead of digging through menus or right-clicking, you just jiggle the mouse cursor over something and the computer uses Gemini smarts to figure out what you might want to do with it.

Another killer feature is Rambler, which takes your natural speech and turns it into clean, organized text, even adding things like headers and checklists. It’s basically some of the best voice-to-text I’ve used. Apps like Wispr Flow can give you similar functionality across your computer, but those typically come with a subscription.

Snap SPECS - I tried on Snap’s $2,200 augmented reality glasses. The neat part is that they’re self-contained and let you interact with digital apps, games and information overlaid on the real world around you. The problem? They’re chunky, expensive and still need more polish before the average person is going to want to wear them around. But you can see where this is headed.

Moto Signature 27 - This is one of the first smartphones to use Qualcomm’s new generation of flagship Snapdragon chips, and I have high hopes for it. Motorola has great software, this looks like high-end hardware and the design is sweet. The camera includes a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, but camera quality is still the biggest wild card for me. I’m looking forward to testing it.

Musings on Muse

This week, I discovered the magic of Meta’s Muse. Think AI chatbot, but personalized with your information and geared toward keeping you up to date on what’s happening in your life and even being proactive about it.

You can connect it to things like your email, calendar, notes and other apps and services. I don’t quite trust it enough with my email yet, so I’ve been hesitant to connect that.

But from what I’ve seen and done with Muse, it’s really solid. One of my favorite aspects is that instead of interacting with a faceless, nameless chatbot, you can actually see an animated representation of it at the top of the chat and give it a name. I also love the interaction format. It feels less like prompting a chatbot and more like texting an assistant.

And while it’s not perfect, it has continually impressed me, especially when you send it out onto the internet to accomplish a task. Or at least attempt to.

Each Muse gets the equivalent of its own little computer in the cloud, complete with a web browser, so it can browse websites, fill out forms and get things done on your behalf. When it needs a login or payment information, it can ask you for it, but Meta says Muse itself can’t see your passwords or payment details. Those are handled separately and stored securely.

I’m not the only one enthralled by this. Muse has topped Apple’s App Store charts and there’s been plenty of chatter about it in the tech world. Amazon has already blocked Muse from shopping on its website, which I think is a mistake.

If you want to try it, download Muse and use my referral code HQNMZE for extra tokens, which basically means you can use it more before hitting a limit.

But I also have it on good word that ChatGPT is preparing something very similar, so if you’re already invested in that ecosystem, you might want to wait a bit before connecting all your stuff somewhere else.

And how appropriate: as I write this, my little guy, named Merlin, just texted me about something. :)

Beats 360 can go from the gym to the office

I’ve been testing the new $350 Beats 360 headphones, and they have a neat trick: they can go from sweaty gym headphones to the office just by swapping out the cushions.

I’m not typically one to work out with over-ear headphones, but I know a lot of people like them. So I took the Beats 360 on a few runs and bike rides, did some strength training with them and also wore them on a flight.

The sound is excellent and they’re super comfortable. There’s good noise cancellation too, although in my experience it’s not quite as good as what you’ll get from dedicated travel headphones from Bose or Sony. They’re also IPX4 sweat and water resistant, which is important if you’re going to exercise in them.

But the interchangeable cushions are what make these interesting. They come with breathable cushions designed for workouts, but you can swap in softer plush cushions when you’re done. You can also mix and match colors, so you could have bright, fun cushions for workouts and something more traditional for work.

It’s a clever concept because it lets one pair of headphones do double duty without feeling kind of gross after a sweaty workout. Extra cushion kits normally cost $50, but right now they’re just $10 through October 31.

Overall, I’m digging them. If you already like wearing over-ear headphones for workouts, I think these are a good buy because you can easily use them everywhere else too.

But if your priority is a great pair of travel headphones that you might occasionally work out in, I’d probably go with a more dedicated pair of travel headphones or earbuds.

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Tech Tidbits

Disney+ and Hulu price hikes - Just like clockwork, Disney+ and Hulu are raising prices again. The standalone ad-free version of either service is now $21.49 a month, up from $18.99. Interestingly, the ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle is just $21.99. Streaming can still be a good value if you’re actually watching, but all those subscriptions add up. Look for bundles, check for perks from companies you already do business with, and cancel what you’re not using. If you’re paying full price for every streaming service separately, you’re probably doing it wrong.

Best-rated TVs, computers and appliances - I’ve always loved lists, especially when products and services are ranked. The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index finds that products are generally getting better, but customer service remains a pain point. Shark ranks highest for vacuum cleaners. Hisense, Samsung and Vizio tie for the top spot in TVs. Apple and Samsung tie for personal computers. And Haier, which includes GE, Haier and Hotpoint, takes the top spot for major appliances.

Adobe Premiere for Android - Nearly a year after launching on iPhone, Adobe Premiere is finally on Android. There are already plenty of mobile video editors, including Edits and CapCut, but Premiere is free, powerful and has no ads or watermarks. One feature I especially like is seeing audio waveforms right on the timeline, which makes editing much easier. My big question is captions. CapCut is still my gold standard there, and Adobe says enhanced captions are coming soon to Android. I’ll be testing it.

F-Droid 2.0 - One of the neat things about Android is that you can install apps from outside Google Play. I don’t recommend doing this unless you trust the source and know what you’re doing, since sideloading can carry security risks. But for more advanced users, F-Droid is worth checking out. It’s an alternative app store focused entirely on free and open-source software. F-Droid itself doesn’t track you, and version 2.0 has a fresh redesign that makes finding and installing apps easier. Great if you’re looking for simple, open-source alternatives to popular apps.

Travel gotcha

At our resort in Maui, they had automated towel machines by the pool. You scan your room key, a door opens and you can grab the towels you need.

There’s also a warning: return your towels by midnight or you’ll get hit with a $25 charge. The sign says the towels have trackers in them, but I’ll admit I thought there was a little theatrics involved. Did every single towel really have an RFID tag inside that somehow knew whether I returned it?

Well, I found out the hard way.

I left a towel in my hotel room instead of putting it back in the return slot. Sure enough, when I checked out, there was a $25 towel charge on my bill.

Since I hadn’t actually taken the towel home, I went to the front desk and asked if they could remove the charge. They happily did. I also asked how the system worked, and they confirmed that each towel has a tiny radio-frequency identification, or RFID, tag embedded inside. When you drop the towel into the return bin, it gets checked back in, basically like a library book.

The front desk told me they remove multiple towel charges from guests’ bills every day, so apparently I’m not the only one who didn’t realize that simply leaving the towel in the room could trigger the fee.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting use of technology. And yes, it definitely works.

Travel lesson: when the pool towel machine tells you it’s keeping track, believe it.

What I bookmarked this week

I haven’t necessarily fully tested or endorsed these, but they caught my attention enough to bookmark for later. Some are things I might download, try or just keep handy for future reference. Have fun checking them out, and let me know if anything deserves a closer look!

Tunelapse - Creates a personalized mix of music and podcasts designed to fit the length of your commute.

AsFound - Helps you document the condition of a rental car when you pick it up and return it, giving you a record in case there’s a damage dispute. It also works for hotels, rental properties and other situations where you might want proof of an item’s condition.

Batch - A Chrome extension for managing your Google Photos library in batches. Copy edits across photos, add descriptions, change dates and times, and more.

GSB - A daily browser game where you try to rank four companies by annual revenue.

Q&A: The store app is broken. How can I still access my rewards barcode?

Jim writes: My wife is having trouble with the Raley’s app on her Android phone. It works fine on our desktop, but the phone app keeps giving us a “technical error.”

I’ve tried force stopping it, clearing the cache, and even uninstalling and reinstalling it. We called Raley’s, but they said it must be the phone. I found other people online reporting the same problem.

She needs the barcode in the app to get her discounts at checkout. Any advice?

A: Since you’ve already tried the usual troubleshooting steps, I’d check for any app updates. If other people are reporting the same issue, there’s a good chance the problem is with the app and not her phone.

In the meantime, here’s a handy workaround: you can turn the rewards barcode into a pass in your phone’s digital wallet.

First, pull up the barcode on the Raley’s website and take a screenshot.

On Android, open Google Wallet, tap the + button and choose Everything else. Select the screenshot and follow the steps to create a pass.

On iPhone, open the Wallet app, tap the + button and look for the option to create a pass from a barcode or QR code, then follow the directions.

Once it’s saved, you can simply pull up your wallet at checkout and scan the pass without opening the Raley’s app.

One caveat: this works best with a barcode that stays the same. If a store uses a barcode that changes regularly for security, a saved pass or screenshot might not work.

Feedbag

A few notes from viewers and listeners this week:

Mark wrote that he considers himself a “pretty marginal tech user” but said the newsletter helps keep him informed.

Marilyn wrote, “I truly appreciate your tips on TV and here,” and thanked me for the “constant wonderful info and help.”

Kevin wrote, “As always love your show and podcast,” before revealing that he’s still using an Apple SuperDrive to burn CDs and listen to music. Physical media lives!

Tom tried Mindtrip after hearing about it on the show and came away with a warning: his flight booking included nonrefundable fees even though he selected a refundable fare. He said he’d be cautious recommending it to anyone who isn’t a savvy traveler.

Brian sent a handy AirPods reminder: on supported models, you can press the stem during a call to mute and unmute the microphone. You can even change the gesture from one press to two in Settings.

Garrett wrote after hearing me talk about my late friend Bryan on the radio and called it “one of the most human reactions I have ever heard on radio.” A lot of you sent kind notes like this. They mean a lot to me. I wasn’t expecting to break down on the radio, but it happened and I’m fine with that.

That’s going to do it for this week. The best thing you can do is forward this newsletter to a friend who could use a little more tech knowledge. And I couldn’t resist, one more picture of Maui before I go.

Be sure to listen to my radio show Saturday at 11 a.m. PT on KFI AM 640, catch the replay Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on 710 WOR in New York, or subscribe to the podcast and listen anytime.

Rich

Your smartphone is already pretty good at answering questions. The next step is getting it to actually do things for you.

That was one of the biggest themes I saw here in Maui at Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit. The company brought me to Hawaii to see its latest technology, including the new Snapdragon chips that will power the next generation of high-end smartphones.

Disclosure: Snapdragon covered my travel to attend Snapdragon Summit 2026. They had no editorial input or control over my coverage.

Snapdragon chips are already inside everything from Samsung Galaxy phones to smart glasses, computers and cars. The latest versions, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Gen 6 Extreme, are designed to deliver better performance and battery life while handling more AI directly on the device.

I got to see some of those capabilities in action.

One demo helped people pose for better photos. Another automatically turned videos into a highlight reel without sending the footage to the cloud. There was even technology that could create a sort of virtual voice bubble around you, isolating your voice from the noise nearby.

But the bigger idea Qualcomm is pushing is something called “agentic AI.”

Instead of asking your phone to do one thing and getting one response, an AI agent could potentially understand what you want, figure out the steps involved and carry them out on your behalf.

Think of it as the difference between asking your phone for information about a restaurant and asking it to handle the steps involved in making dinner plans.

Of course, the more we allow AI to do for us, the more important privacy, trust and control become. Qualcomm says a key part of its approach is keeping the user in control and doing more processing directly on our devices instead of constantly sending information to the cloud.

My takeaway from the Summit is that AI on our gadgets still feels early. Some of the things it can do today aren’t necessarily faster than just doing them yourself. But the technology is getting quicker, more capable and increasingly connected across phones, computers and wearables.

If my phone eventually handles a few items on my to-do list all by itself, I’m not complaining.

KTLA.COM

Smart glasses with built-in cameras are becoming more common, but there’s still one big question: How do you know when someone is recording you?

HTC thinks it has an answer.

I recently tried the new HTC Vive Eagle smart glasses, and the feature that stood out most had nothing to do with AI. It was a simple privacy safeguard: If you cover the recording light, the glasses automatically stop recording.

I tested it myself. I started recording video, covered the LED, and almost immediately heard, “Capture has stopped.”

There’s another interesting option. With the right setting enabled, someone nearby can say “stop filming,” and the glasses will stop recording. That gives people around the wearer a little more control than they typically have with camera-equipped glasses.

The Vive Eagle glasses start at $500 and pack a lot of technology into a fairly lightweight frame. There’s a camera, microphones, speakers and two physical buttons, including one you can customize for quick access to AI features. Charging is handled through a magnetic connector on the side.

Beyond taking photos and videos, listening to music and making calls, the glasses can translate more than 90 languages, identify objects you’re looking at, suggest recipes, summarize meetings, read text out loud and livestream to YouTube.

That last part, reading text aloud, could also make glasses like these useful as an accessibility tool for people with impaired vision.

HTC says it has also built privacy protections into how your data is handled. AI requests are de-identified, content on the glasses is encrypted, and photos and videos sync to your phone by default rather than automatically going to the cloud.

After trying them, the privacy features are what I found most interesting. Cameras on our faces are likely to become much more common as smart glasses add better AI, displays and other capabilities. The technology is moving quickly, but getting people comfortable with being around it may be the bigger challenge.

The Vive Eagle shows that privacy doesn’t have to be an afterthought.

Gaming gear has come a long way from just picking out a mouse and keyboard. I recently got a look at some of Logitech G’s latest equipment, and what struck me most was just how much gamers can customize their setup.

Logitech G Play 2026 is happening September 23, with the company promising more than 15 new products across PC gaming, esports, streaming and sim racing. I got to try some of the gear ahead of the event.

For someone just getting into gaming, Logitech positions its G3 series as the starting point, with lighter-weight mice, keyboards and headsets. From there, things get much more customizable.

One example is the G512 X keyboard, which combines mechanical and analog technology. Logitech also showed me its mouse pad that can continuously charge a compatible wireless mouse while you’re using it. No stopping to plug in a cable or worrying about the battery dying in the middle of a game.

Then there’s sim racing, which was probably the most fun thing I tried. Logitech’s modular setup uses its Trueforce technology to send feedback from the game through the steering wheel. Drive onto gravel and you can actually feel the roughness and bumps through your hands. It adds another layer of realism that’s hard to appreciate until you try it.

I also spent some time with gaming content creator Gina Darling, who has worked with Logitech on product development. At one point, the company even put motion-capture equipment on her hands to study how she uses a mouse while playing. That gives you an idea of how seriously gaming companies study even the smallest movements.

What I came away with is that gaming setups have become very personal. Performance matters, but so does creating a space and collection of gear that feels like your own.

If you want to see what Logitech announces, the G Play 2026 keynote streams September 23 at 9 a.m. Pacific on Logitech G’s YouTube channel.

If you’re in Los Angeles, there’s also a free public event at 57 Windward Avenue in Venice from noon to 9 p.m. on September 23, with the new gear available to try, gaming experiences and giveaways.

KTLA.COM

• AI can provide emotional support: Bonnie in Charleston used ChatGPT to help process the loss of her dog.

• Meta Muse is a personal AI assistant: Rich likes Meta’s new AI agent, which can connect to email, cal…

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This week was mostly spent playing with Apple’s new products, including the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the new Apple Watch. Everything (except the foldable) is available now, and I’m sure some of you have already gotten your hands on the new gear, while others are trying to decide whether it’s worth the upgrade.

Also, one of the questions I get over and over is how to free up space on a phone. I’ve got some easy ways to do that a little further down.

The iPhone is great, but Siri is the real upgrade

Let’s start with the iPhone 18 Pro series.

If you have a recent iPhone Pro, this is probably not a necessary upgrade. With that said, I do think this is the best iPhone Apple has ever made. Over the past few years, Apple has continued to polish this product to the point where it’s just really good at so many things that I can barely find a flaw with it.

Battery life is even better than before. The camera continues to exceed my expectations, although I can’t say I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement this year. The new variable aperture is interesting, but I’m not sure it’s something I’ll ever manually adjust. I have noticed that the phone feels a little heavier in my hand than the previous model.

But the biggest day-to-day improvement for me isn’t really the hardware. It’s Siri AI.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, you can get access to it, so you don’t necessarily need a new phone. There is a waiting list, though, and you have to turn it on in Settings.

What makes Siri AI so interesting is that it can understand and search through the information already on your phone. Once you upgrade to iOS 27, your iPhone starts building a private, on-device index of things like your text messages, emails, photos, notes and information from Apple’s apps. Eventually, third-party apps will be able to contribute information as well.

That means you can ask Siri about something buried in an email from months ago, a detail someone sent you in a text message or information you saved in a note and forgot about. Instead of remembering where something is, you can just ask for it.

The privacy aspect is a big deal. Much of this processing happens locally on your iPhone instead of sending all of your personal information to an outside AI service. For requests that require more processing power, Apple can use its Private Cloud Compute system. Only the information needed to complete that request is sent for processing, and Apple says that data isn’t stored or made accessible to the company.

This is the version of Siri we’ve wanted for years. It finally feels like it understands the information we’ve accumulated on our phones and can actually help us do something with it.

And the best part is that you might not need a new iPhone to get it. If your phone supports Siri AI, upgrading to iOS 27 might be the biggest upgrade you can make this year.

My favorite Apple Watch feature is ridiculously simple

The other new product I’ve been wearing is the latest Apple Watch, and once again, the Apple Watch has gotten to the point where it’s just so good.

The screen is bright and readable from a wide variety of angles. Battery life for me has been excellent, and so has the fitness tracking. Apple also rebuilt the sensors on the back of the watch so they can take readings more often, which should provide more precise insights over time.

Apple also redesigned the Health app to give you more observations about your overall health.

But here’s the funny part. Of all the new features, the one I appreciate most is probably the simplest: I can finally put my step count right on the watch face.

I know that sounds silly. It sounds like something the Apple Watch should have been able to do years ago, but it couldn’t. Now, on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, you can add your daily steps as a complication. Ever since I put it there, that’s the number I find myself checking most.

Apple’s activity rings have always done a great job motivating people to move, but there’s something about seeing your actual step count throughout the day that feels even more immediate. If I see I’m at 7,000 steps, I’m more likely to walk a little farther to get to 10,000.

Apple says the feature is enabled by the new processor in these watches along with a new step-tracking algorithm. So far, Apple hasn’t said whether it will come to older models.

I’m certainly not saying you should buy a new Apple Watch just to see your steps on the watch face. If you have an older model, the third-party app Pedometer++ can already add a step-count complication. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to give the app access to the necessary health and fitness data and in my testing, the on screen widget doesn’t seem to update in near real time like Apple’s does.

Still, 12 generations in, it’s kind of funny that one of my favorite new Apple Watch features is simply being able to see how many steps I’ve taken.

A few other neat features on the new Apple Watches are worth mentioning.

The Shazam widget can now automatically show you the song playing around you. It reminds me a lot of Now Playing on Google Pixel phones. If music is playing in the background, just rotate the Digital Crown to bring up the widget and you’ll see the song it recognizes. Previously, you had to take the extra step of tapping to identify the music.

There’s also a useful new accessibility feature called Sound Recognition. The Apple Watch can listen for things like doorbells, sirens, alarms and a crying baby, then alert you on your wrist even if your iPhone isn’t nearby.

To turn it on, go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition on your iPhone, enable the feature and turn on “Detect Using Apple Watch.” From there, you can choose which sounds you want it to recognize. Apple is still refining some of the detection algorithms, so you might get more notifications than you want at first.

Finally, two of the more futuristic features, Live Rewind and Siri Recap, are coming in beta later this year.

The smart ring I actually want to wear

I’ve been wearing the Oura Ring 5 for at least two months now, and I can tell you one thing: Oura has nailed the smart ring.

I actually replaced my wedding ring with the Oura Ring. Don’t worry, I asked my wife for permission first.

The first time I tested an Oura Ring, I didn’t like it. It felt too big and bulky on my finger, and some of the scores it gave me stressed me out.

This time around, the experience is completely different. The Oura Ring 5 is thin and light enough that it just blends into everyday life. Most importantly, it’s comfortable enough to sleep with.

That means I’m getting health data basically 24/7. It tracks sleep and a wide range of other health metrics, and can even give you an indication that you might be getting sick. I can’t say every score and insight is useful to me, but I really like the idea of building a long-term history of my health. Over time, that could make it much easier to spot when something changes.

Battery life is rated at about a week, and that’s been pretty close to my experience. In fact, the ring blends into my life so well that I once forgot about charging it and walked around with a dead ring for two days before realizing it. Thankfully, charging is quick and easy.

Durability has also been good. Mine hasn’t gotten noticeably scuffed up, even though I’ve worked out with it many times.

My biggest complaint is workout tracking. It’s not particularly good at automatically recognizing workouts, so if that’s important to you, you’ll probably want to manually start one from your phone. Since there’s no screen or controls on the ring itself, you can’t start a workout directly from it.

And if you already wear an Apple Watch, you might wonder why you’d need this, too.

For me, the answer is sleep.

I don’t like wearing an Apple Watch to bed. I find it too bulky and distracting. The Oura Ring gives me a comfortable way to fill in that overnight gap, so I can get sleep and health data without having a watch strapped to my wrist 24 hours a day.

After two months, that’s probably the best compliment I can give the Oura Ring 5: most of the time, I forget I’m even wearing it.

How to free up space on your phone fast

This is one of those questions I get over and over: How do I free up storage on my phone?

On this week’s Quick Tip on TV, I shared my tried-and-true methods.

First, understand the difference between the storage on your phone and your cloud storage. They’re not the same thing, and deleting something from one can sometimes delete it from the other. Make sure you know where your important photos, videos and files are backed up before you start clearing things out.

Then, if you need space fast, look for large videos you no longer need. Deleting just a few can free up several gigabytes in seconds.

Beyond that, iPhone, Samsung and other Android phones have built-in tools that can show you exactly what’s taking up the most room and help you find apps and files you probably don’t need anymore.

Watch the video and check out my full recommendations here.

Sponsored by Surfshark

A VPN is one of those tools you might not think about until you need it. I especially like having one when I’m traveling, connecting to public Wi-Fi or just want a little more privacy online.

Surfshark VPN encrypts your internet connection and masks your IP address, which can help keep your online activity more private. One of its biggest advantages is that a single subscription covers an unlimited number of devices. That means you can use it across your phone, laptop, tablet, TV and other compatible devices without worrying about hitting a device limit.

Surfshark also includes CleanWeb, which can block ads, trackers and annoying pop-ups while you browse. There’s even a cookie pop-up blocker that automatically declines many of those consent requests we’re constantly clicking through.

Another handy feature is Alternative ID. It can generate an alternate name and proxy email address that you can use when signing up for websites or services where you’d rather not hand over your primary email. Messages still reach you, but the website doesn’t get your real address.

And a VPN can be useful while traveling. Since you can choose a server in another location, it can help you securely access websites and services you normally use at home.

Surfshark has a special offer for Rich on Tech readers: $2.49 a month plus three extra months, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Get the Rich on Tech deal

Thanks to Surfshark for sponsoring Rich on Tech.

Another Prime Day is coming

This one is called Prime Big Deal Days, and it’s happening October 6 and 7. Amazon is promising millions of deals, as usual, but there’s a new twist this time called Today’s Big Deals. Special deals will drop three times a day at midnight, 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pacific.

There are also a few deals you can take advantage of right now. Amazon devices are already on sale, Prime members can get two free Amazon First Reads Kindle books and four months of Audible Standard for 99 cents a month. Eligible Prime members can also get four months free of Amazon Music Unlimited.

There’s also $20 off a Grubhub order of $30 or more with the code DEALS20. And if you really want to go big, Prime members can get a $1,500 Amazon gift card when they buy or lease an eligible new vehicle through Amazon Autos.

My biggest advice is to prepare now instead of waiting for Prime Day.

Start putting things you actually want into your cart or save them to a list. That way, you can easily watch for price drops once the sale begins.

You can also set up deal and price alerts with Alexa Shopping. If you know exactly what you want, you can set a target price and even have Alexa automatically buy an eligible item if it hits that price.

And don’t forget to check price history. Amazon now shows up to 365 days of pricing information on hundreds of millions of products, which can help you figure out whether that “deal” is actually a good one.

One more trick I like: look through your previous purchases. If something you regularly buy is discounted, Prime Day can be a good time to stock up.

Tech tidbits

Meta has a new AI agent called Muse. I’ve been trying it, and it’s actually quite good. It can connect to services you use, browse the web and actually take actions on your behalf. That includes things like filling out forms, booking travel and making purchases. It can also connect with services like Instagram, email and your calendar.

If you try Muse, be sure to check the connected apps and permissions in Settings. This is powerful stuff, but you’re also potentially giving it access to a lot of personal information.

Snap is getting closer to launching its $2,200 SPECS. These are chunkier than your typical smart glasses, but they also have displays that can put augmented reality apps and information into the world around you. Snap is also introducing a separate charging case with cellular connectivity, so the glasses can stay connected when you’re away from Wi-Fi. And if you’re in Los Angeles, you’ll be able to try SPECS in person at Westfield Century City starting October 1.

Samsung is bringing Android 17 to more of its phones. The update, through One UI 9, is rolling out to the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra. Samsung typically rolls out software updates in stages, so you can check for an update now, but it may take a little while before you actually see it.

Spectrum products are now available in former Cox markets. If you’re a Cox customer, you don’t need to do anything right now. Your service will continue to work. But it may be worth checking Spectrum’s current offerings because you could find lower pricing, faster speeds, new customer bonuses or internet plans with no data caps.

Watch out for this international calling gotcha. Travel expert Zach Griff discovered that while roaming in Greece, calls to local numbers made over Verizon Wi-Fi Calling were treated as if he were calling from the U.S. That resulted in $75 in international long-distance charges, even though he had a TravelPass.

The lesson: when you’re overseas, avoid using your U.S. carrier’s Wi-Fi Calling to dial foreign numbers. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime Audio instead, or make the call through a local SIM or eSIM. And remember, simply having a travel eSIM doesn’t protect you if your U.S. line is still placing the call.

What I bookmarked this week

Bcengi: There are a million travel eSIMs out there, but I like the approach Bcengi takes. Instead of buying a new plan for every trip, you install one eSIM and load money onto your account. As you travel, it deducts from that balance based on the per-gigabyte rate in each country. The balance doesn’t expire, and the same eSIM works in more than 200 countries. It’s sort of like keeping a prepaid travel data card on your phone.

Frozen Pii: I talk about freezing your credit all the time, and Frozen Pii is a handy resource that walks you through the process. It explains how to get and review your credit reports, freeze them with the major bureaus and protect other pieces of your identity. There’s also information for people who are already dealing with identity theft.

Draw Things: I saw this app demonstrated at Apple Park and thought it was pretty cool. It lets you generate images locally on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, so you can use generative image models without sending everything to the cloud. It’s free, works offline and was fast when I saw it in action.

Keybr: Want to type faster? Keybr is a simple website that helps you practice typing and tracks things like your speed and accuracy. It gradually introduces different keys based on where you need practice. Now I just need to find the Keybr equivalent for improving my handwriting.

Octarine: I’m always looking for a better note-taking app, and Octarine checks a lot of my boxes. Your notes are stored locally as plain Markdown files, so you’re not locking everything into some proprietary format. But you don’t really have to think about Markdown while you’re using it. What caught my attention is the built-in calendar with daily and weekly notes, which is exactly how I like to organize things. It also has quick capture, search and optional AI features. Your notes stay on your device and are stored as plain Markdown.

Q&A: Scanning old photos

Robert asks:

A while back you recommended a Kodak scanner for slides and negatives. With all the newer photo scanning apps out now, do you still recommend the Kodak scanner?

I also have an older laptop that I upgraded to Windows 10. I’ve backed up my files to an external drive and I’m thinking about resetting the computer to improve performance. Will that send it all the way back to the original factory setup?

I’d still pick the Kodak scanner over a phone app if image quality is your priority. If you just want something quick and easy from your phone, Photomyne is a good option.

As for your laptop, using Reset this PC reinstalls Windows, but it doesn’t necessarily send the computer back to exactly how it came from the factory. Windows gives you the option to keep your personal files or remove everything. Your installed apps and many settings will be removed, so you’ll need to reinstall the programs you use.

Since you’ve already backed up your important files, you’re in a good position to do a clean reset. Just double-check that backup before you start.

One more thing: Windows 10 is no longer under regular support. Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates through October 2027, but if your computer supports Windows 11, I’d consider upgrading instead.

Feedbag

A few notes from viewers and listeners this week:

Tina wrote, “Always love your stories and radio broadcasts,” before asking for help getting her Oura Ring to play nicely with her iPhone.

Darfield confirmed something I noticed too: the S Pen on the Galaxy S26 Ultra can fall out if it’s not inserted just right.

Ashley used Claude to mock up a redesign of her business’s website and came away impressed: “Oh my goodness what a powerful tool this is.”

Steve had two observations: no Face ID on the iPhone Duo is a bummer, and a hard restart still fixes an amazing number of tech problems. Agreed.

And Robert followed up after using one of my tips from KTLA and the newsletter, signing his email simply, “Thankful fan.” Appreciate that!

I love hearing from you, even though I can’t personally respond to every message. I read as much as I can, and your notes often inspire what I cover next.

That’s going to do it for this week. The best thing you can do is forward this newsletter to a friend who could use a little more tech knowledge.

Be sure to listen to my radio show Saturday at 11 a.m. PT on KFI AM 640, catch the replay Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on 710 WOR in New York, or subscribe to the podcast and listen anytime.

Rich

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• AI can provide emotional support: Bonnie in Charleston used ChatGPT to help process the loss of her dog.

• Meta Muse is a personal AI assistant: Rich likes Meta’s new AI agent, which can connect to email, calendars, reminders and tasks to help get things done.

• iPhone 18 Pro is great, but not a must-upgrade: Better battery life, cooler operation and a variable-aperture camera stand out, but recent iPhone owners can probably wait.

• Siri finally gets much smarter: Siri AI in iOS 27 can privately index messages, emails, photos and other personal information to answer questions about your own life.

• Spectrum Mobile could save a caller $1,500: Nikki in Oceanside considers switching from T-Mobile for a free year of Spectrum Mobile service.

• Government impersonation scams are costing billions: If someone claiming to be with the government or law enforcement demands immediate payment, hang up and independently verify the claim.

• Restart first when an app stops working: A caller with Gmail trouble was reminded that a simple phone restart should be the first troubleshooting step.

• Stop Samsung Wi-Fi from turning itself back on: Disable “Turn Wi-Fi on automatically” under Intelligent Wi-Fi if you want full control over the connection.

• Facebook lockout workaround: If normal account recovery fails, a paid Meta support plan may provide access to a real person who can help.

• How the Apple Store was created: Ron Johnson, creator of the Apple Store and Genius Bar, shares lessons from working with Steve Jobs and stories from his new book, Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple’s Genius.

• You can completely turn off Siri: iOS 27 adds an option under Settings > Siri to disable Siri entirely.

• You can’t remove data from the dark web: LaShawn asks what to do after a breach, and Rich recommends limiting shared personal information and freezing your credit when appropriate.

• Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are October 6 and 7: Add items you want to your cart ahead of time so it’s easier to spot real price drops.

• Fix missing email on an iPhone: Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and try reconnecting, or remove and re-add the affected account.

• Apple Watch finally shows steps on the watch face: Series 12 and Ultra 4 can display near-real-time step counts without a third-party app.

• Portable hotspots won’t work at sea: Cellular hotspots need a cellular signal, so they won’t replace cruise ship Wi-Fi when you’re offshore.

• AirPods microphone acting up? Clean them first: Carefully clean the earbuds and microphone areas before assuming the hardware needs replacing.

• AI is changing relationships: Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet and co-author of Love at First Prompt, explains why people are forming emotional connections with AI and what it means for relationships and privacy.

• Chrome pop-ups may come from rogue extensions: Remove extensions you don’t recognize, check notification permissions and clear browser data.

• Skip questionable streaming black boxes: Rich recommends legitimate streaming services over devices that can bring legal, privacy, security and reliability concerns.

How to Listen:

🎙️ Live on KFI AM 640 - Los Angeles, Saturdays from 11 AM - 2 PM PT

🎙️ Rebroadcast on 710 WOR - New York City, Sundays from 8 PM - 11 PM ET

📻 Syndicated on affiliates nationwide

Subscribe to the podcast. Premium subscribers can listen ad-free here.

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Rich on Tech Weekly airs on KTLA+. You can download the app on Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Samsung smart TVs.

Disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post, at no additional cost to you.

No matter how much storage your phone has, somehow it always seems to fill up. Photos and videos are usually the biggest culprits, but before you start randomly deleting things, there are some smarter ways to make room.

First, understand the difference between storage on your phone and storage in the cloud. They’re related, but they’re not the same thing.

On an iPhone, go to Settings, General, then iPhone Storage. You’ll see exactly what’s taking up space, along with Apple’s recommendations for freeing some up.

Your iCloud storage is separate. Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud. This is where you can see what’s taking up your cloud storage and remove things you no longer need, including old device backups.

If photos are consuming a lot of space on your iPhone, make sure Optimize iPhone Storage is turned on. With iCloud Photos, this keeps the full-resolution originals in iCloud while storing smaller versions on your phone when space is tight.

On a Samsung phone, go to Settings, Device Care, then Storage. For your Google cloud storage, check the Google One app (iOS and Android) or Google One website. Remember that your Google storage is shared across Google Photos, Drive and Gmail.

If you need space quickly, I’d start with videos. A few large videos you no longer need can free up gigabytes in seconds.

There are apps that can help, too. On iPhone, I’ve used Clever Cleaner to find similar photos, screenshots and large videos, although some features are more limited than they used to be. Be careful of similar apps and if you are presented with a subscription screen look for an X to bypass to use the free features.

On Android, Files by Google has a Clean feature that can identify junk files, duplicates and large files. Samsung’s built-in My Files app can do some of this as well.

One important warning: if you use iCloud Photos, deleting a photo from your iPhone also deletes it from iCloud and your other synced Apple devices.

Before doing a major cleanup, make sure anything important is backed up. And check your Recently Deleted or Trash folders afterward. Files sitting there can continue taking up space until they’re permanently deleted.

Just double-check what’s in there before you hit delete for good.

That’s why one small feature on the new Apple Watch has caught my attention: Apple now has its own step-count display you can add directly to your watch face.

It’s available on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. You can glance down and check your progress without opening an app. Apple calls these little pieces of information “complications,” although this one makes things simpler.

Apple says the feature is enabled by the new chip inside those watches, combined with a new step-counting algorithm. Right now, it’s exclusive to those two models. Since Apple ties it to the new hardware, I wouldn’t count on a software update bringing the built-in option to older watches.

Apple Watch already counts your steps. What’s new here is having Apple’s own option to keep that number visible on your watch face, instead of having to go looking for it.

For some people, closing their activity rings is all the motivation they need. But if you’re someone who thinks in steps, this gives you a more direct way to see how you’re doing throughout the day.

Whether you’re working toward 10,000 steps or a different personal goal, a quick glance could be the nudge to take another walk around the block.

This alone wouldn’t get me to upgrade my watch. But it’s one of those small additions I’ll actually use. If you’re getting one of the new models, look for the steps option when you customize your watch face.

How to add Steps to your Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4 face:

1. Press and hold your watch face.

2. Tap Edit.

3. Swipe over to Complications.

4. Tap the spot where you want your step count to appear, then under Activity, choose the daily steps complication.

5. Press the Digital Crown to save your changes.

Eight weeks ago, I replaced my wedding ring with an Oura Ring. The funny thing is, you can hardly tell the difference.

That wasn’t always the case. I reviewed an Oura Ring several years ago and decided it wasn’t for me. It felt bulky, I was already wearing a smartwatch, and I found myself paying way too much attention to my sleep and readiness scores. A bad score could practically ruin my morning.

The new Oura Ring 5 changed my mind.

The biggest improvement is simple: it’s smaller. Oura says the Ring 5 is 40 percent smaller than the previous generation, and after wearing it day and night for eight weeks, I regularly forget it’s there. I’ve slept with it, worked out with it and gone about my normal routine without it getting in the way. Battery life is up to a week, and mine has held up well with no major scratches.

Despite its size, it tracks a lot. That includes sleep, activity, heart rate, stress, blood oxygen and temperature. Oura also looks for changes in your body that could indicate you’re getting sick and can monitor blood pressure signals while you sleep.

The experience isn’t perfect. Activity tracking is still the weak spot for me. The app occasionally decides I’m doing an activity that I’m definitely not doing. On the other hand, I’ve been impressed with the AI-powered meal logging, and I’ll admit I enjoy seeing Oura tell me my cardiovascular age is younger than my actual age.

What I like most, though, is what the Oura Ring doesn’t do. There’s no screen, no buzzing and no constant demand for my attention. It collects health information quietly in the background, and I can look at it when I want.

That’s a big reason I can’t really imagine giving it up now.

The Oura Ring 5 starts at $400, with membership costing $6 a month or $70 a year. Oura was also recently sued over its sleep-tracking technology, and the company says it plans to defend its technology in court.

For me, the Ring 5 has finally reached the point where the health tracking feels useful without the gadget itself getting in the way.

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