Here’s what you wanted most on Prime Day
Plus – Sora tops the charts, moon photos go head-to-head, and basketball hits virtual reality!
Greetings! Thanks for checking out this week’s newsletter!
Hope you had a great Prime Day. I actually scored some solid discounts on the things I wanted, and we ended up ordering quite a bit. But get this — out of all the boxes that showed up, the one with my order was marked “undeliverable.”
According to Amazon, they tried to deliver it at a specific time — but thanks to my Ring cameras (and the fact that I was home), no one came to the door. Rare miss by Amazon. Maybe the driver was overwhelmed with all the Prime Day chaos.
They never re-delivered it, so I had to cancel the order and rebuy a couple of the items separately. The rest? Prices went back up, so I passed. Hopefully, your Prime Day experience was smoother!
My list of Prime Day picks still holds up, though, so it’s worth bookmarking for holiday shopping. Here are the Top 5 most-clicked items from my list:
#5 – JBL portable Bluetooth speaker
#4 – Microfiber cleaning cloths
#2 – Belkin portable battery pack
Interestingly, Amazon usually puts out a press release after Prime Day boasting about sales numbers and best sellers. I haven’t seen that yet — but I’ll update you when I do.
Sora app
The #1 app in the App Store right now is Sora, from OpenAI — the same folks behind ChatGPT. Think of it like Instagram or TikTok, but instead of scrolling through videos people post, every clip is generated by AI.
You just describe the kind of video you want, and within minutes, Sora creates it. You can even insert yourself into the clips — just record a short selfie video while reading a few numbers aloud. The app uses that to recreate your likeness and voice in AI-generated videos. It’s equal parts fascinating and unnerving — but also surprisingly fun once you get past the whole “your face in AI” thing.
I’ve found myself scrolling through Sora just to see what people are creating. OpenAI says it’s already been downloaded over a million times, which is wild considering it’s still invite-only.
Important: There are a lot of fake Sora apps floating around right now. Make sure you’re downloading from the official source — here’s the direct link to the real app.
Harvest Moon picture
I was playing outside with my kids when I turned around and saw the moon — glowing yellow-orange, framed by trees — it looked straight out of a movie. A quick Google search told me it was the Harvest Moon, and of course, I had to grab my cameras.
I posted my best shot on Instagram, but what I didn’t share was the before-and-after you’re about to see.
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro has a bit of magic built into its camera called Super Res Zoom. It kicks in at 30x and can go all the way up to 100x, using AI to enhance the image. The “after” version might technically be fake, but it’s still amazing what this phone can do.
I also tested the brand-new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Its moon shots have definitely improved — but it still can’t quite match what the Pixel (or even Samsung) can capture.
Sponsored: Your ISP sees everything you do online
The only way to keep your business yours is with a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts your data and hides your IP address, adding an extra layer of protection from snoops, advertisers, and Big Tech companies looking to profit off you.
Some VPNs slow your connection or, worse, track your activity — but not NordVPN. It’s fast, secure, and connects in one click on any device — Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, or iPad.
One of my favorite features is Threat Protection. Even when the VPN isn’t active, it still safeguards your connection by blocking malware, fake websites, ads, and trackers — keeping you safer as you browse on your phone or computer.
Deal alert: Get up to 77% off + 3 extra months free with my link.
Smart home tech goes outdoors
CEDIA is the big smart home tech show — it’s where pro installers go to see what’s next for high-end connected homes. This year’s event was in Denver, and I spotted some cool new gear, especially for the outdoors.
One standout: outdoor TVs built to handle sun, rain, and year-round weather. Definitely something I’d love to add to my backyard setup.
Another highlight came from Eero, which introduced a device that adds cellular backup to your home network. If your main internet connection goes down, it automatically switches over to cellular — keeping your Wi-Fi up and running until your service is restored.
A glimpse into our robot future
I get a lot of emails each week, but one recently caught my eye. An entrepreneur told me he’s starting a small business built entirely around humanoid robots. He sees growing demand for personal and professional robots as more companies prepare to release them.
His idea? A showroom called Youmanoids — a place where you can see these robots in action, try them out, buy one, and even get support after the sale.
We checked out a humanoid robot and a quadruped (that’s a four-legged model). They’re still pricey and require some hands-on programming, but you can see where this is headed — a future where robots are more affordable, useful, and maybe even part of everyday life.
Deal alert!
At $400, the ASUS VivoBook 14 is a great pick for everyday use. It packs a Core i7 processor, 12 GB of memory, and a 512 GB SSD — all for an all-time-low price as part of Best Buy’s Techtober deal, which ends October 12.
It’s an excellent option for students or home users who want solid performance without spending a fortune. I’ve tested this laptop myself and think it’s a terrific value at this price.
Tech Tidbits
ChatGPT gets built-in apps - OpenAI has integrated third-party apps directly into ChatGPT — including Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow. You can now interact with these services using natural language, bringing us closer to that future where talking to computers feels completely natural.
Lakers games in Apple Vision Pro - Some Lakers games will soon stream inside Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headset. Viewers will be able to watch in VR as if they’re courtside. The audience will be small for now, but it’s a glimpse of where live sports are headed.
Amazon pharmacy kiosks - Amazon is testing pharmacy kiosks at its One Medical offices in Los Angeles. After a doctor’s appointment, you can pick up standard prescriptions on the spot — no waiting in line or separate pharmacy stop required.
Waze adds voice reporting - Waze is rolling out AI-powered voice reporting for road hazards and other updates. Just tap once and speak — the app’s AI takes care of the rest.
Amazon Prime refund alert - If you’re a U.S. Amazon Prime member who signed up between 2019 and 2025, you may automatically receive part of a $1.5 billion refund — up to $51 — by December 21. No action is required, and you won’t need to fill out any forms. Beware of scammers sending fake “claim” emails — the refunds are processed automatically.
Feedbag: Loves the Lenovo
Susan writes in…
I LOVE your show! I make sure I listen to the podcast every week and I’ve learned so much. Thank you! I also want to thank you for your recommendation during Prime Days. I purchased the Lenovo laptop because my other one just died — and I absolutely LOVE IT! Thank you! You’re the BEST!
Thanks, Susan! I’m so glad that laptop worked out for you and appreciate you listening each week.
Speaking of my podcast — are you subscribed? You can hit play below to listen to the latest episode, search “Rich on Tech” in your favorite podcast app, or click here for a full list of places to listen.
Spooky sounds all year long
There’s no shortage of Halloween playlists on the streaming apps, but this one stands out because it’s curated by a real human who loves all things spooky. It’s called DeadAir.co, and it streams 24/7, 365 days a year.
The station features a fun mix of eerie tracks, novelty songs, vintage recordings, and classic clips from horror movies. It’s perfect background music for carving pumpkins, throwing a party, or just getting into the Halloween spirit.
That’s going to do it for this edition. Be sure to tune in to my radio show Saturday at 11 AM on KFI AM 640, or stream it live on the iHeartRadio app — just search KFI.
And if you want to be part of the show, give me a call at 888-RICH-101 (888-742-4101).
Have a great weekend!
Rich