Enable this new phone theft protection now
Plus: Breeze through the airport, smart TV spying & a beer hack.
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First Up
I’m bombarded with emails from my followers daily, but that’s a good thing. It helps me to understand the tech issues, scams and questions the average person is going through. I feel like it’s my superpower since I can put out warnings like this Amazon Prime phishing email or let people know about the toll payment scam texts going around. So keep them coming! I can’t reply to every email personally, but I do my best. You’re my eyes and ears on the ground.
This week, I tried going touchless at the airport. I opted into the TSA Precheck Touchless ID program. It’s a shorter line than the regular TSA Precheck since you have to opt in at check-in. Then, you stand in front of a camera for facial recognition.
The system looks up your boarding pass and if it all checks out, you’re good to go. There is no need to scan anything or pull out an ID. It was fast and smooth.
On the way back, I stepped it up a notch and checked in my bag using a similar system. Instead of scanning your boarding pass barcode or typing in your confirmation number, you just stand in front of a camera.
It recognizes your face and spits out your bag tag. Then, an agent tags your bag, and you’re on your way. There’s no ID check since you were already verified. I found both systems to be fast and easy.
My only question, which I presented to the TSA agent, is how do they know my face?
Her answer: they get it from your passport.
Rich On Tech Poll
I’m curious: what kind of phone do you use? Vote in my poll!
TV Segment Recap
Last week, I shared my reviews of the Apple Watch 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Ring. This week it’s time for my Pixel Watch 3 review. My verdict: love the bigger screen, the design and the smarts of Google on your wrist.
I also checked out a new type of smart piano keyboard. It’s called the ROLI Airwave and it uses computer vision to watch how you play to offer immediate feedback on how to position your hands better. It’s pricey but neat.
Tech Q&A
Gary from Orange, CT writes in...
"Hi Rich, thanks for all you do. I love the show and look forward to the newsletters! I have my Wyze security cameras set to send an alert to my phone when they detect motion, but the notification is just a normal one-time tone. Is there a way to set up a notification that will continue to 'ring' until I disarm it, similar to a regular alarm?"
Great question. The answer depends on your phone. When it comes to Android, you can customize just about any aspect of the operating system using apps. For instance, on my Samsung phone, I wanted the screen to light up when a notification came in (a la iPhone), and I quickly found an app called Glimpse Notifications that does exactly that.
For Gary, I figured an app called Buzzkill would work since it lets you customize notification sounds, timing and much more. It’s a one-time fee of $4.
On iPhone, it’s much trickier due to the nature of the much more closed operating system. So you’re pretty much stuck with the options Apple gives you.
After letting Gary know his options, he followed up with this:
"Just thought I'd let you know that I just installed the Buzzkill app you recommended on my Android phone, and it does exactly what I need it to do. It was extremely easy to set up, too! Thank you for your quick personal response, I was amazed considering how many emails you must receive every day! It's so great to have a resource like you available!"
Tech Tidbits
MapQuest is back - no printer is necessary! The brand has a new maps app for Android that promises to protect your privacy.
This week, Pixel Phones received several useful updates, including new features and a new version of Android (15).
Google Flights has a new “cheapest” tab to help you travel on a budget.
Apps To Know
Have you ever wondered what a tattoo might look like on you? A new app called Tattoon uses AI to help you find out. Just upload a photo and choose a design, then the app spits out a very realistic photo of the ink on your skin. You can try the app out for free, but it will only show you a portion of the finalized photo - the rest will be blurry unless you pay $6 to unlock the app for a week’s worth of fun.
Bookmark this
I’m always curious about notable places near me, wherever I am. A site called NearbyWiki can help you uncover them. Go to the website or download the app, and it will show you a map of things nearby, along with a synopsis from its Wikipedia page. via The Intelligence newsletter
Cybersecurity Corner
Android phones have a new security feature called “Theft Detection Lock.” If someone snatches your phone out of your hand and runs away with it, Android will automatically lock your device.
It’s not turned on by default. To turn it on, go into Settings > Google > All services > Theft Protection and toggle on Theft Detection Lock. While you’re there you can also toggle on Offline Device Lock, which will lock your device if it goes offline, protecting the data stored on it.
iPhone users can turn on a feature called Stolen Device Protection, which can also protect your phone if it’s taken from you.
This Week’s Podcast Episode
In this week’s podcast, I talk about going home to NJ to celebrate my Dad being cancer-free for ten years and the nostalgia of a good old-fashioned electronics store.
Gadget(s) of the Week
Amazon refreshed its entire Kindle lineup this week, but the most intriguing model is the one with a color screen. It’s the first time the Kindle has ever had color e-ink. Don’t worry, this is no smartphone or iPad screen; it’s still e-ink, so it should closely resemble the printed page.
The Kindle Colorsoft lets you see your book covers in full color, photos on the pages in full color and even highlight text in full color. But the battery takes a hit - it lasts 8 weeks instead of months and the price is relatively high for a Kindle. It’s $280 and available October 30.
Not to be outdone, Apple also unveiled a new version of the iPad mini.
This model has a faster processor, double the base storage (128 instead of 64), Apple Pencil Pro support, USB-C with faster data transfers, and improved cameras. It’s also built for Apple AI, which will (partially) arrive by the end of October.
The downside is that the screen seems to be the same as before, which is unfortunate because, in my experience, it’s just not as high-quality as what we’re used to seeing on the iPhone. I actually bought and returned the previous model due to the screen quality.
The iPad mini (A17 Pro) starts at $499 and will be available on October 23 in two new colors: blue and purple, in addition to the standard gray and starlight.
Tech How-To
Did you know that your smart TV is spying on you? A recent report says that smart TVs are the equivalent of Trojan horses in our living rooms, silently reporting back on everything we watch. This helps drive super-targeted ads on streaming services. By the way, free, ad-supported streaming services are currently the fastest-growing segment of the market.
If you want to limit your TV’s tattle-telling, check out these instructions courtesy of the Network Advertising Initiative, which may try to sell you on the benefits of all this tracking.
Keep in mind that most modern connected TVs employ a technology called ACR, which stands for automatic content recognition. That means they constantly scan the screen to see what you’re watching and report that information back to advertisers as well.
Tech Life Hacks
Last weekend, while I was in New Jersey, my brother Justin shared his tech hack for selecting beer at the supermarket. He does a Google search for [beer name beer advocate].
Then, he looks for a score above 80. I spot-checked the system with a few of my favorites, and it seems right on.
My advice is to look up a few of your favorites to get an idea of the score that works for you. I’m all about shortcuts like this to make my life easier, especially since the choices in every aisle seem to multiply daily.
Feedbag
Julianne from Santa Clarita writes in:
"Love you on KTLA and listen to the Podcast.
I have bought many of your suggestions."
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Remember to tune into my radio show this weekend. In Los Angeles, it’s on KFI AM 640 on Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM PT. You can listen anywhere by streaming on the iHeartRadio App or asking Alexa to “stream KFI AM 640” to listen instantly.
You can also listen later to the podcast.
Guests this week:
🪙 Swan.com CEO Cory Klippsten shares insights on Bitcoin and the current state of the cryptocurrency market.
🛡️ Consumer Reports' Sukhi Gulati talks Permission Slip, a tool designed to help users automatically reduce their digital footprint and protect online privacy.
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend.
Rich