This free operating system made my old laptop feel new again
Plus: Gemini writes songs, Samsung and Apple gear up, and a $40 retro camera surprise
Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Rich on Tech newsletter. Thanks for opening it up.
If you listened to the radio show last weekend, you know I was in Las Vegas for my brother’s bachelor party. I know what you’re thinking. The Hangover. But honestly? His group of friends were fun, kind, and completely my speed. Techy, nerdy, thoughtful. Conversation was easy. Nobody went off the rails.
It makes sense. We are brothers.
A bunch of them are really into ditching big tech and protecting their privacy online, so we had some fascinating conversations. Also, about half the group used Android phones, which is refreshing. In most friend groups, it’s a sea of iPhones.
We did several hikes while we were there, but a few things happened.
First: my AllTrails app failed me. I thought I downloaded the maps for offline use. I apparently did not. And we had zero cell service.
Second: hiking without a map guiding me? Not for me. I like knowing exactly where I’m going.
Yes, my iPhone has satellite SOS, and that’s great in an emergency. But this trip really got me thinking about something else: Starlink.
The built-in satellite SOS on the iPhone and Pixel requires a clear line of sight to the sky. You have to hold the phone just right and follow on-screen instructions to connect to a satellite. It works, but it’s a process.
Starlink, on the other hand, is far more seamless. As long as you have some view of the sky, messages can go through, even if the phone is in your pocket. It’s quicker and feels more like regular service.
I have not switched yet, but after this trip, I am seriously considering it.
And one more thing. If you are ever in Las Vegas, do yourself a favor and check out Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I cannot believe how many times I have visited Vegas and never discovered it. It’s amazing.
Alright, let’s get into what’s happening this week.
This free operating system made my old laptop feel new again
I guess you could say I was inspired by my brother and his friends, but this week I installed Linux Mint onto an old laptop and came away pretty impressed.
If you are not familiar, Linux Mint is an operating system, just like Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS. The difference is that it is open source and completely free.
The process is straightforward. You download the operating system, make a bootable flash drive out of it and boot the computer from that drive. You can run it immediately without installing anything. If you like what you see, just double click to install it.
The trickiest part for most people will probably be figuring out how to boot from the flash drive. After that, it is surprisingly smooth.
What stood out to me was how fast and clean everything felt, especially on older hardware. It automatically detected the drivers and just worked.
There are plenty of apps available, but even if all you want is a simple web browsing machine, this gives an aging computer new life instantly and at no cost.
The process a little more advanced than what most casual users are used to, but if you have an old laptop sitting around, this makes for a great weekend project.
Here is the guide if you want to try it.
Next up, I am going to attempt installing Chrome OS Flex on another old laptop and see how that compares.
This Android voice-to-text app could be a game changer
I do not want to get ahead of myself, but I am currently testing my go-to voice-to-text app, Wispr Flow, on Android. I finally got access to the Android beta, and this could seriously change how people use their Android phones.
On the iPhone, Wispr Flow replaces the keyboard entirely. On Android, it works differently. Because Android is more flexible with system tweaks, the app shows up as a floating button whenever you tap into a text field. Tap the button, start talking, and it fills in whatever you want to type.
It is fast. It is accurate. And it is incredibly easy to use.
What I really like is that it keeps the original keyboard intact. You do not have to swap out your entire typing experience just to dictate a quick message. On iPhone, replacing the full keyboard is not ideal.
Since I received the beta invite, I am guessing a wider launch is not far off. I will keep you posted.
In the meantime, I have also been testing several other AI-powered voice-to-text apps, including Typeless and Willow Voice.
Big launches ahead from Samsung and Apple
There are a couple of major tech events coming up that are worth watching.
Samsung is hosting Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 25. We are expecting to see the next Galaxy S lineup, likely the S26 series.
As usual, you can expect the standard upgrades: better camera, improved battery life, and a faster processor.
One feature they have been teasing is a privacy screen that makes it harder for people nearby to peek at your display. If it works well, that could be a meaningful addition for commuters and frequent flyers.
Apple “special experience” events
Apple is holding what it is calling a “special experience” the following week in New York, London, and Shanghai. These are invite-only events, and Apple has not said exactly what will be announced.
Most reports suggest we could see:
• A new iPhone 17e, positioned as the more affordable option
• Updated MacBooks, possibly including a new lower-priced model
• New iPads
If you are thinking about buying a new phone, MacBook, or iPad, this is a good time to wait. We should have much more clarity after these events.
Sponsored: Take your personal data back in 2026
A new year is the perfect time for a reset, especially when it comes to your privacy.
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The $40 retro camera I did not expect to love
I finally got my hands on one of the Kodak Charmera cameras. It is a tiny digital camera that fits in the palm of your hand and clips onto a keychain. I mentioned it on the news, and the distributor sent a couple over for me to test.
These are sold as blind box items, which means you pay about $40 and have no idea which of the seven styles you are going to get. That is part of the appeal.
When you open it up, you get a miniature camera with a small screen on the back and a tiny viewfinder. It charges via USB-C, which is a nice touch, has a microSD card slot on the bottom, and includes several retro-style filters.
At first, I did not quite understand why these were so popular. After using it for about 24 hours, I get it. It is fun, simple, and refreshingly different.
It disconnects you from your smartphone and all the distractions that come with it. You can take it on a hike or bring it along somewhere without feeling tethered to notifications and apps. The photos are not high quality by any means - we’re talking less than 2 megapixels - but the whole thing is novel.
Searching the web without being tracked
Spending time with my brother’s friends definitely got me thinking, because one of the first stories I worked on when I got back was a TV segment about search engines that do not track you.
Most of us use Google. I do too. It is fast, familiar, and incredibly good at what it does. But there is a privacy tradeoff. That convenience comes with a lot of data collection.
In my segment this week, I highlighted five search engines that do not collect your personal data and are designed to keep your searches more private. If you are curious what alternatives look like in 2026, there are some solid options.
And while we are on the topic of privacy, if you want a browser that leans in that direction beyond something like Brave or DuckDuckGo, take a look at Orion by Kagi. It is available on macOS and iPhone and has some thoughtful privacy features built in.
If cutting back on tracking is on your radar this year, this is a good place to start.
The AI robot dog that wasn’t
Online ads can look incredibly convincing, especially on social media. Case in point: a robotic AI dog called Wuffy that has been heavily promoted online.
The ads show an adorable, AI-powered puppy that responds to you, cuddles, and moves in surprisingly lifelike ways. The problem is that the videos appear to be AI-generated, and the product people receive is nothing like what is advertised.
I interviewed someone who ordered one. What showed up was essentially one of those cheap, yapping toy dogs you see at mall kiosks. Not exactly cutting-edge artificial intelligence.
It is a good reminder that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Before you buy, take a minute to research it. The Better Business Bureau runs a site called BBB Scam Tracker where you can type in a keyword and quickly see what others are reporting. It is worth bookmarking.
The app that made splitting expenses painless
I promise this is the last bachelor party reference, but one of the most useful things we used on the trip was an app called Splitwise. If you travel with friends or ever split costs with a group, this is worth knowing about.
You create a group, add your friends, and everyone downloads the app. From there, anytime someone pays for something, you enter the expense, add a short description, and note who paid. You can split it evenly, by percentage, or however you want. It keeps a running tally of who owes what.
What surprised me most was how settling up works. There is an option to pay directly inside the app, but the key is not to settle after every single expense. Just wait until the end of the trip. Once everything was entered, it turned out I owed a couple of people a small amount, and a few people owed me. It mostly evened out, which is usually how these things go when everyone takes turns paying.
If you want to settle inside the app, you need to link a bank account, which makes sense since they are avoiding credit card fees. Or you can simply Venmo or Zelle your friends and mark it as settled manually.
I did not hit any limits on the free version, and for a group trip, it made things dramatically easier. It is a simple way to keep friendships intact while the math sorts itself out.
Gemini can now create custom songs
Google keeps expanding what Gemini can do. While ChatGPT is still my go-to overall AI assistant, there are some specific areas where Gemini really shines, especially its AI mode. It’s personalized. can search my Gmail, add things to my calendar, edit and generate photos and even search my Google Photos library to find just about anything I need.
Now it has added another trick: music generation.
I know there are real concerns about AI and jobs, and I am not ignoring that. My role is simply to show you what is possible so you are not caught off guard by how quickly this technology is evolving.
Here is how it works. You describe the type of song you want, or even upload a photo or short video, and Gemini will generate a 30-second track complete with lyrics. And it is better than you might expect.
This is not about replacing a composer or songwriter. It is more like having a creative shortcut when you need something quick. A custom birthday song. A theme for a home video. A fun intro for a project.
Here is one I created for my radio show. You can try making yours here.
Bookmarks
If you fly United as much as I do, you might appreciate The Blueboard. It is an unofficial site that visualizes United Airlines flight data in a really interesting way. It is not affiliated with the airline, but someone clearly put a lot of effort into scraping and organizing the data. For aviation geeks, it is pretty fascinating.
On the radio show, I mentioned Speedtest’s ISP Finder tool, and Joe in Indiana wrote in to remind me about the FCC National Broadband Map. You can enter your address and see what wired and wireless internet providers are available, along with their advertised upload and download speeds. If you are thinking about switching providers, it is a useful place to start.
Tim heard me talking about domain names and shared that after 40 years working as a webmaster, he discovered Namecheap a few years ago. He says the prices are among the lowest he has found and the interface is clean and simple. The only downside is no phone support, but he reports that their email support is excellent.
Frank apologized for sending me a very long link filled with tracking codes. I told him no worries, and sent back a handy tool called Link Cleaner. It is a simple bookmark you add to your browser that strips out tracking junk and takes a messy URL back to its clean, native form.
One more to bookmark is a site called How to Convert. It makes quick file conversions easy right in your browser. You can drag and drop videos, images, audio files, emails, and documents to convert them locally. Think HEIC to JPG, MP4 to MP3, Word to PDF, shrinking file sizes, and more. It is fast and surprisingly versatile.
Feedbag
Glenn in Austin, Texas writes, “Rich, love the show. I’m listening out here in Austin and just wanted to say I appreciate what you do.”
Glenn, thank you. Messages like that mean more than you know. I love hearing from listeners who say something I talked about helped them in some small way. That is what keeps me motivated to show up every week and keep doing this.
That is going to do it for this issue. You can listen to the radio show live on KFI Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific, or catch the replay on 710 WOR in New York City starting at 5 p.m. Pacific on Sunday night. Of course, you can always subscribe to the podcast and listen whenever it works for you.
Have a great weekend.
Rich