Apple Watch turns 10 — and you probably forgot this strange feature
Plus: Roku launches new streaming sticks, Whatnot reinvents live shopping & Nintendo Switch 2 sells out fast
Greetings!
This week, I was back in NYC for a Roku event.
When they invited me, I was a little surprised — I didn’t even realize Roku did events. All the other big tech companies do: Google, Apple, Meta, Samsung… but Roku?
Since I know people love their Roku devices, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ll get into what they announced below, but first, a few notes from the trip.
First off, I’m still testing the Apple AirPods Max USB-C. My conclusion so far: yes, they’re expensive compared to other noise-canceling headphones, but the integration with Apple devices is hard to beat.
I find myself leaving the headphones on for much longer stretches than earbuds. Plus, they switch automatically between devices. Listening to something on my phone? The audio’s there. Switch to my laptop to edit video? The sound switches right over.
In fact, I wore them for such a long stretch that I did something I’ve never done before: I actually ran out of battery!
Another bonus: I do a lot of radio talkbacks during the week, and so far, every host has said the microphone sounds great on their end.
While I was in NYC, I sent out my usual text asking if anyone in the family wanted to meet up for dinner. This time, my mom, sister, brother, and his fiancée all made the trip into the city. We met at a restaurant I picked called Pecora Bianca.
The table was a little awkwardly large, but the place was packed and the food was good. And — tech twist — they had a QR code at the table that let you split the bill.
Scan the code with your phone, choose to pay for your own items or split evenly, even cover a few people if you want. It worked perfectly — and you could check out using Apple or Google Pay.
I’ve seen versions of this before, but this was the best implementation yet. The company is sunday; if you run a restaurant, get this!
Small downside: if someone takes a picture of the QR code, they could technically scan it later and see what people at that table are ordering — or even pay for their meal. But realistically, I doubt that’s a big issue.
Speaking of dead batteries, one thing I always pack for the plane is a simple USB-A to USB-C cable. Most planes still have USB-A ports, and this setup lets you charge your phone without any fuss. Throw in a portable battery pack, and you should be set for a full day of travel — even if you’re delayed.
One more flying tip: never take a screenshot of your boarding pass QR code. Those things are dynamic and change all the time.
At the airport, I watched a woman pull up to my gate and wonder where her plane was. When she showed her boarding pass screenshot to the gate agent, he quickly realized she was looking at flight information that was frozen in time.
Gates, times, and flight details change often — so it’s best to use the airline app to access your boarding pass or add it to your digital wallet, which should update automatically (though it’s not always 100% guaranteed).
Roku launches new streaming sticks
Roku pulled out all the stops for their NYC event, kicking things off with a greeting from Anthony Wood, who started the company back in 2002. (Fun fact: he was just looking for an easier way to watch Star Trek.) The first Roku player didn’t actually launch until 2008.
Iron Chef Morimoto, who has a show on Roku, was there too — demonstrating how to break down a 170-pound tuna for sushi, which guests got to sample. I didn’t get a chance to try it — not because I didn’t want to, but because I was too busy capturing video and interviews.
On the product side, Roku introduced two of its smallest streaming sticks yet. They plug directly into your TV’s HDMI port without blocking neighboring ports, and the power cable plugs into the TV’s USB port — no extra brick needed. Roku says they worked extra hard to make the sticks power-efficient enough to pull this off.
The basic HD stick starts at $30, while the Plus model — which adds 4K HDR — starts at $40. Both new sticks also come with upgraded remotes that offer voice control and the ability to control your TV’s power and volume. It’s a clean and simple setup.
On the software side, Roku added daily trivia (instead of weekly), highlights when a movie or show wins an award, and one-tap access to the fan-favorite Roku City screensaver.
The new sticks will be available starting May 6. Roku also gave us a 20% off code for Roku.com, good through May 31, 2025 — the code is ItsOnRoku.
Full disclosure: Roku covered my travel to NYC.
Whatnot brings live shopping to a new generation
Move over, Home Shopping Club — there’s a new way the kids are live shopping online.
It’s an app called Whatnot, where anyone can become a host and sell what they’re into — cards, collectibles, sneakers, clothes, and more. Viewers bid auction-style, and everything moves fast. It’s slick, fun, and seriously efficient. I watched a sneaker shop use the app to sell tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of goods in just minutes.
Pro tip: If you run a small business with cool or unique inventory, you might want to give Whatnot a shot. Spend an hour a day chatting and selling to people who log on to watch. It could turn into a nice extra revenue stream.
Nintendo Switch 2 sells out fast
Suddenly, the hardest thing to get again is a new video game console.
Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 ($450, or $500 bundled with the new Mario Kart game) launched this week — and it’s already sold out just about everywhere. The good news: we’re not in a pandemic anymore, so supply should trickle in. The bad news: this always seems to happen right before the holiday shopping season.
Nintendo held a hands-on event in LA where fans got to play the new system. Here’s what they thought.
Plane spotting takes off
Standing in the park across the street from the LAX In-N-Out Burger and watching planes land is sort of an LA rite of passage — right up there with the Double-Double itself.
The phenomenon of watching planes take off and land is called plane spotting, and there’s an entire online community dedicated to it.
I met up with Plane Jockey Kevin Ray, a former TV news photographer who’s now found a new living livestreaming and chatting with plane spotters from around the world on his popular YouTube channel, Airline Videos LIVE. He explains what makes this hobby so interesting — and why it might even help ease the nerves of anxious fliers.
Tech Tidbits
The free ride is over for Max. A password-sharing crackdown has started. If you’re sharing an account, your “borrowers” might soon get a message encouraging them to sign up or you’ll have the option to pay $8 a month to add them to your plan.
Netflix is now giving viewers a choice between two subtitle styles: simple ones that just show dialogue, or traditional subtitles that include audio cues like [door closing]. More households (like mine!) keep subtitles on all the time. The first show to get the new option is You, with more to come.
Still rocking a Pixel 7a? If your battery is swollen, you might qualify for a free repair or a cash refund from Google.
Meta just added more features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses. The latest software update expands music options — now including Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music — and makes the live language translation feature available to everyone. I tried it, and it’s super impressive. The glasses can translate what someone says in near real time into your language.
And if you’re cruising this summer, good news: AT&T’s International Day Pass now provides connectivity on over 400 cruise ships.
Bookmarks / Downloads
A startup called Text.AI might have created the easiest way yet to message AI — just send a text. You can ask just about anything and get a response in seconds. Just send a message to +1 (562) 684-0069 to get started. They say they won’t sell or share your number.
Love free streaming TV? Check out a website called TV Garden. It lets you tune into live TV channels from around the world. Sort by country or just tap the dice to watch something random.
Instagram just launched its answer to TikTok’s CapCut video editing app. It’s called Edits, and it’s available now for iOS and Android. It even adds captions for free.
My favorite audio transcription app for the desktop — MacWhisper — is now available on iPhone. You can share an audio file to the app or just record directly using the mic to get a high-quality, instant transcription completely free.
Blast from the Past
The Apple Watch arrived 10 years ago this week. Hard to believe it’s been that long. I’ve pretty much worn one on my wrist ever since. Honestly, I always tell people I like the Apple Watch even more than the iPhone. Why? It’s excellent for notifications, keeping track of my runs and workouts, and giving me quick access to all the little things. (It can also be very distracting if you don’t tweak some of the default settings.)
The original Apple Watch wasn’t really positioned as a fitness companion. Looking back at the list of original apps, it’s like a little time capsule — Foursquare, CityMapper, SPG, Postmates, and more. There was even an app for Instagram and eventually Twitter. But people quickly realized they already scroll enough on their phones, and the watch evolved into more of a companion — something to monitor your Uber arrival, not necessarily order it from your wrist.
The strangest surviving original feature? Digital Touch. You can draw a little animation, and the person on the receiving end sees it play out in real time. You can even send your heartbeat by pressing two fingers on the display.
Want to try it? On your Apple Watch, open Messages, tap the plus sign next to the text box, then scroll and select Digital Touch. Draw a sketch or do the two-finger touch to send a heartbeat. Still strange after all these years.
That’s a Wrap
That’s going to do it for now. Don’t forget to tune into my radio show Saturday starting at 11 AM PST on KFI AM 640 or stream it live. You can also follow me on Instagram for more tech tips and personal updates. New episodes of my weekly TV show premiere Sundays at 11 AM on the streaming app KTLA+.
Oh, and if you’re heading to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, I’ll be hanging out at the KTLA booth Sunday around 12:30 PM.
Have a great weekend!
– Rich