GM’s bold vision for self-driving cars

Plus: AT&T data breach payouts, a medical billing tip, and my take on ChatGPT’s new browser

Oct 25, 2025

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GM’s wild “eyes-off” self-driving future

I was in New York City this week for GM’s Forward event, where the automaker unveiled its most ambitious tech yet—a car that can literally drive itself while you take your eyes off the road.

The feature is called GM Eyes Off Driving, and it will debut in 2028 on the all-electric Cadillac Escalade IQ. The system combines lidar, cameras, and radar to detect objects as far as four football fields ahead, giving the vehicle a level of awareness no human driver could match.

At first, it’ll only work on highways, where the car can handle all the driving—acceleration, braking, and steering—until it’s time to take an exit. To signal when a car is in full autonomous mode, turquoise lights on the exterior will glow so other drivers know what’s happening.

It’s a bold leap beyond GM’s current Super Cruise hands-free system and goes further than Tesla’s supervised Autopilot, though new federal and state regulations will need to catch up—right now, only California and Nevada allow this level of autonomy.

AT&T data breach settlement

If you ever had an AT&T account, check your inbox for an email from Kroll Settlement Administration LLC (attsettlement@e.emailksa.com). It’s about the $177 million settlement tied to AT&T’s March 30, 2024, data breach.

There are multiple payout tiers depending on what personal information was exposed. If your Social Security number was part of the leak, you’ll likely fall into the higher-paying tier.

I received three separate emails—apparently for different AT&T accounts I’ve had over the years—and it only took a few minutes to fill out the claim and choose a payment method. Payments are expected in early 2026.

What caused the big internet outage

Remember that massive web outage earlier this week that took down everything from news sites to smart-home devices? Amazon says it was caused by a rare software bug combined with faulty automation—not a cyberattack.

In a lengthy blog post, Amazon explained it all and says it understands just how critical its AWS services are, and it hopes to learn from this incident so it doesn’t happen again.

Quick tip: Don’t pay that bill just yet

Here’s a reminder to never pay a medical bill without calling first if the total seems off.

I recently got a surprisingly high bill from my child’s dentist. It looked like a mix of what I owed and what insurance was supposed to cover, which made it confusing. I left a note asking the billing manager to call me back. When we went through the charges together, the math didn’t add up—and they agreed. That one phone call saved me hundreds of dollars.

This isn’t the first time it’s happened with medical bills, either. Before you pay a bill online, take a few minutes to call and confirm the final amount. Things often change between when the bill is printed and when it lands in your mailbox. It’s time well spent.

LAX parking tip (plus an AI hack)

Airport parking at LAX is pricey, but there’s an easy way to save. Sign up for the official LAX Parking email list and you’ll get promo codes that can cut the cost dramatically.

Example: the standard rate was $60 a day—five days would’ve been over $300. By booking online through their site and sorting by price, I paid $147 total for a lot within walking distance of my terminal.

Important: always check your confirmation email for the correct entrance. Some lots have separate gates for premium, valet, or EV parking, and you’ll need to use the one listed.

And here’s the AI hack—drop your flight reservation details into ChatGPT and ask, “When should I book my airport parking?” It’ll factor in flight times, delays, and buffer windows. LAX even gives you a two-hour grace period after your end time, so include that in your planning.

iOS 26 callback reminder feature

Picked up a great tip from the Not Nerd podcast — in iOS 26, there’s a simple but useful feature that lets you set reminders to return missed calls.

Open the Phone app, tap Recents, then go to Missed calls. Swipe from right to left on a call and you’ll see a small blue clock icon appear. Tap it to set a callback reminder — choose in an hour, tonight, tomorrow, or later.

It’s one of those subtle iPhone features that’s easy to miss but handy if you’re always forgetting to return calls.

“Future Boy” by Michael J. Fox

I just finished listening to Michael J. Fox’s new book Future Boy, and if you’re a Back to the Future fan, it’s a fun, easy listen or read. The book focuses almost entirely on the making of the movie, though Fox shares just enough about his early acting career and rise in Hollywood to give context to where he was in life at that point.

What stood out to me was learning that he replaced Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly six weeks into filming — something I didn’t realize. He also talks about shooting Back to the Future at night after full days working on Family Ties.

It’s light, nostalgic, and perfect for anyone who loves Back to the Future — or just wants a peek behind the scenes of how an ’80s classic came together.

BTW, If you like audiobooks as much as I do, Audible has a great holiday offer right now — $0.99/month for 3 months. Just remember to cancel if you don’t want to continue after that. I don’t see this offer on my account, so it may only be available to new subscribers.

How to save podcast moments

Ever hear something on a podcast you want to remember? Personally, I use Whisper Memos on my Apple Watch — one tap records and sends the transcription to my email so I can deal with it later.

If you don’t have that, check out a service called Podcast Magic, which I read about in Recomendo. All you have to do is take a screenshot of your podcast player while you’re listening. Say “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google, take a screenshot,” and it’ll capture the image and timestamp. Then, just email that screenshot to Podcast Magic, and you’ll get a text transcript of the previous 90 seconds sent back to you.

No app, no sign-in, no subscription — it’s free to start or a one-time $20 if you use it often. I tried it with my own podcast and it worked like a charm.

Kobo e-readers are worth a look

I know Kindle dominates the e-reader world, but I’ve been testing another brand called Kobo, and it’s actually really good. The big difference is that Kobo is a much more open system, which means you have a lot more options for getting books onto the device.

You can simply plug it into your computer with a USB cable and drag and drop books — no special software needed. You can also connect your Dropbox or Google Drive accounts directly on the reader to import e-books or PDFs. Kobo supports a wide range of formats, including the open EPUB standard, which Kindle still doesn’t handle natively.

Another standout feature is OverDrive integration. If you borrow e-books through your local library using the Libby app, that process is built right in on Kobo — you can browse and borrow library books directly from the device. It also supports Instapaper, so saved web articles appear in a clean, easy-to-read format without distractions.

I tested the new color models, which are great if you want color for comics or magazines, but if you’re mainly reading text, I’d still go with the standard E Ink version — sharper contrast, easier on the eyes, and better battery life.

My take on the Pixel 10 Pro XL

I’ve been using the Pixel 10 Pro XL as a secondary phone since the day it launched — and it really is Google’s best Pixel yet. The camera is excellent, the software feels genuinely smart, and the phone just seems to anticipate what you need before you do.

The Super Res Zoom is impressive, and having Circle to Search is one of those things that makes you feel like you’re tapping directly into the world’s knowledge. Between Gemini, Gemini Live, and Google’s AI-powered search, there are so many ways to get instant context about what’s around you.

I had a blast using it in Tokyo — if you do nothing else, check out my review video just for the visuals from that incredible city.

Bottom line: the Pixel 10 Pro XL is a fantastic phone and the smartest Pixel yet. It’s just tough for me to make it my daily driver because I do so much video work, and the iPhone still has the edge when it comes to social media and video tools.

ChatGPT’s new web browser

You’ve probably heard that OpenAI now has its own web browser called ChatGPT Atlas, and it actually mimics the way I already use the internet — with a browser window on one side and ChatGPT on the other. The difference is that Atlas combines both into one seamless window.

That means while you’re surfing the web, ChatGPT can “see” the page you’re looking at and respond in real time. You can ask it to summarize a movie review, compare products you’re shopping for, or help draft a response to an email — without copying and pasting anything. It’s especially handy for replying to emails or summarizing information right on the page.

The downside for me is search. I still like using Google for standard searches. Atlas defaults to giving you a ChatGPT-style summary of results, and while you can switch to a tab with traditional blue links, it takes an extra click. I don’t need AI summaries for every search — sometimes I just want to browse results the old-fashioned way.

Right now, Atlas is Mac-only, with Windows, Android, and iOS versions coming soon. It’s built on Chrome, so you can install all your favorite extensions. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re curious about an AI-powered browser, but for now, I’m sticking with Chrome — with Atlas installed and ready to go once it adds the features I rely on.

Tech Tidbits

Verizon Home Internet Lite - Verizon just introduced a more affordable home internet plan called Home Internet Lite, starting at $25 a month. It’s a wireless option that could be a good fit for smaller households or people who don’t need unlimited data.

Amazon Luna - If you’re an Amazon Prime member, check out Luna, Amazon’s new cloud gaming service. It lets you play a variety of games on your Fire TV, including party favorites like Jackbox and other casual titles that are fun with a group.

HBO Max price hike - HBO Max is the latest streaming service to raise prices — increases range from $1 to $2 a month, depending on your plan.

Google Recovery Contacts - Google added a smart new security feature called Recovery Contacts. It lets you pick trusted friends or family members who can help you regain access to your account if you’re ever locked out. They won’t have direct access to your data, but Google may send them a one-time code to help you verify your identity and get back in.

Feedbag: Travel Tech Overload

Ronald writes in…

Hey Rich, with all the tech gear you packed, did you have any room left for clothes? I’ve heard that if you do what you love as your job, you never work a day in your life! Enjoy!

Hey Ronald,

Thanks for reading last week’s newsletter where I listed all the gear I brought to Japan. My wife said the same thing — she couldn’t believe how much I pack. But it all fits in my backpack, and after years of travel, I’ve become a pretty efficient packer. Believe it or not, it’s all essentials!

Finally…

This week I stayed up a bit late hosting the ACI SoCal 2025 Concrete Awards Dinner — my third year in a row doing it. It’s always a blast, even though it’s an industry I knew nothing about before I started. You really gain an appreciation for how much planning, engineering, and creativity goes into the structures all around us.

And yes, I can now officially tell you the difference between cement and concrete — one’s part of the mix, and the other is the finished product.

Big thanks to everyone who came up and said hello. A few of you mentioned you watch me on KTLA, listen on the radio, or read this newsletter — or all three. You know who you are!

That’s going to do it for this week. Thanks so much for reading!

Remember to tune in to my radio show live on KFI AM 640 at 11 a.m. on Saturday, or stream it anywhere on the iHeartRadio app.

Have an excellent weekend,

Rich

Rich on Tech

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