Hotel Wi-Fi is fine unless it asks you to do this
Plus: Samsung’s best foldables yet, the pod coffee maker that won me over, and my ride in a solar-powered car.
Greetings, and welcome to another edition of the Rich on Tech newsletter.
If you can believe it, my wife and I celebrated our 21st anniversary this week - a big milestone. We’ve shared so many special moments, and she has been by my side through nearly every step of my career.
She’s a great teammate. I especially admire her ability to think through situations in such a smart, levelheaded way. She also has an amazingly organized brain and somehow remembers every event, milestone and detail about everything.
I don’t know the secret to a lasting relationship, but I can say that having shared values certainly helps.
Now, on to the week’s tech news.
The new risk with public Wi-Fi
First, a warning about public Wi-Fi.
There’s been a lot of talk about CaptiveCrunch, a hacking campaign linked to Russian attackers. The hackers compromise the Wi-Fi systems used by hotels and conference centers, allowing them to manipulate the login pages guests see when connecting.
That doesn’t mean you need to stop using public Wi-Fi altogether. But even if a login page looks like it belongs to a familiar hotel, you should still pay close attention to what it asks you to do.
The biggest red flags are prompts telling you to download or install a browser or system update, or to enter a secondary authentication code connected to a work or Microsoft account. A public Wi-Fi login page should never ask you to do either of those things.
If something seems fishy, disconnect.
Public Wi-Fi is generally fine for everyday browsing, but if you’re doing anything sensitive, such as banking or accessing confidential work information, use your phone’s hotspot or connect through a trusted VPN.
Beware of fake party invitations
While we’re on the topic of scams, here’s another one worth warning you about. I’ve mentioned it before, but I continue to receive these emails.
The scam looks like a party invitation from a service such as Paperless Post or Evite. What makes it convincing is that the message may actually come from a friend’s email address. Scammers gain access to an account and send the fake invitation to everyone on the person’s contact list.
The invitation often tells you to open it on a PC for the best experience. That is a major red flag. Clicking the link might download malware or a remote access tool designed for Windows computers.
If you receive an unexpected invitation, don’t click the link or download anything. Contact your friend another way and ask whether they really sent it. If you already know they’re planning a party, the invitation may be legitimate. If it arrives completely out of the blue, treat it with suspicion.
A quick word from this week’s sponsor
You’ve probably heard me talk about Surfshark because it has become one of the tools I use every day.
I used to turn on a VPN only while traveling or connecting to hotel and airport Wi-Fi. Now I leave Surfshark running on my phone most of the time. It’s fast, easy to use and mostly disappears into the background.
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, helping protect your privacy, especially on public Wi-Fi. Surfshark also includes CleanWeb, which blocks many ads, trackers and malicious websites before they load. Its other security tools can alert you if your information appears in a known data breach and help steer you away from phishing sites.
The best security tools are the ones you don’t have to think about, and that’s why Surfshark has become part of my everyday setup.
Surfshark is offering Rich on Tech readers extra months free and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🔗 Check out my exclusive Surfshark offer
Samsung’s best foldables yet
Samsung’s latest foldable phones are now on sale.
If you’ve been waiting for a foldable phone, these are the best Samsung has made. I don’t expect many people to leave the iPhone just to get one, but if you’re bored with your iPhone and ready for something different, this is a perfectly good reason to switch. Moving from iPhone to Android has never been easier.
That said, much of the chatter I’m hearing goes something like this: “These are awesome, but I can’t wait to see Apple’s version.” Apple’s first foldable iPhone is rumored to arrive in September.
There are some real advantages to the foldable form factor. The large inner screen is fantastic for reading, watching movies, managing photos and even editing videos. The tradeoffs are that foldables are bulkier than standard phones, and not every app is optimized for their larger, nonstandard screen sizes.
If you can live with those compromises and want something cutting edge, fun and different, Samsung’s new foldables are worth a look. Just be extra careful around sand.
The bright side of Meta’s AI glasses
If you’ve followed the headlines, you’ve probably heard the concerns about Meta’s AI glasses. Critics say they invade people’s privacy and can be used for malicious purposes. Those concerns are valid, but I also see plenty of benefits.
I wear mine on weekend runs to listen to music, and I use them throughout the week. Most of the time, I forget they even have cameras and microphones. Still, you need to be respectful. Don’t wear them in a public restroom or anywhere a camera might make someone uncomfortable.
I recently visited the Braille Institute in Los Angeles and saw how people who are blind or have low vision are embracing these glasses as an accessibility tool. Using the built-in cameras and AI, the glasses can read text and instructions, translate languages, describe nearby objects and provide hands-free directions.
More smart glasses are entering the market, so this technology isn’t going away. Even for the average person, being able to make calls, ask AI questions and take photos without reaching for a phone can be useful.
How to save on NFL Sunday Ticket
Football season is here. My son and I watched our first game together Thursday night, and yes, he’s a Jets fan. That makes NFL Sunday Ticket essential for watching his team and the rest of the weekend matchups.
A full-season subscription can cost around $480, but plenty of discounts are available. Depending on eligibility and current promotions, Verizon customers, students, teachers, members of the military, veterans, first responders and medical professionals may pay much less.
DirecTV carried Sunday Ticket for decades, but YouTube took over a few years ago. You don’t need a YouTube TV subscription. You can buy Sunday Ticket separately and watch through the YouTube app.
Just remember that Sunday Ticket mainly covers out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. You’ll still need local channels and other streaming services for games airing elsewhere.
🔗 I rounded up the current NFL Sunday Ticket discounts and details here
A better cup of pod coffee
I don’t know about you, but the honeymoon is over with my Keurig. I raved about it when I first got one, but the coffee now feels boring and uninspired. The machine is fast, simple and convenient, but no matter which pods I buy, the coffee usually tastes weak and similar.
So I was receptive when Bruvi offered to send me its single-serve coffee maker and some pods to test. The company promises better coffee while keeping the convenience of a pod system.
The machine looks modern, with a large touch screen and illuminated controls. My only complaint about the design is that I wish the water reservoir were a little larger.
Setup was more frustrating than it should have been. The machine would not complete its initial cleansing cycle, even after I tried priming it repeatedly. I eventually discovered that if the internal pump is completely dry, you need to use a small priming tool included in the box to push water into the system. Once I did that, it worked perfectly. Bruvi should make that step much clearer in the instructions.
You can connect the machine to Wi-Fi, although it’s optional. The app keeps a detailed log of every drink you make, and I’m already up to 84 brews. It also lets you schedule a cup and sends a notification when your coffee is ready. That might sound unnecessary, but it’s kind of useful when you start a cup and walk away.
I really like the brewing options. You can adjust the temperature, strength, acidity and cup size. Even when I brew a larger cup, the coffee still tastes flavorful.
Bruvi can also make espresso, Americanos, cold brew, iced coffee and matcha. The machine reads a code on each pod and automatically adjusts its settings. Insert an espresso pod and you can choose a one, two or three-ounce pour. I love having an afternoon espresso without needing another appliance on the counter.
The proprietary B-Pods are the biggest downside. They’re currently available only through Bruvi and Amazon, and many cost around $1 per cup. That’s more than a typical K-Cup, although the coffee is much better.
Bruvi says the pods are designed to break down much faster in landfills without leaving microplastics behind. You can just toss them out in the regular trash.
Overall, Bruvi was a slow burn for me. At first, I wasn’t sure it offered enough advantages over a cheaper Keurig with pods available everywhere. After using it for several weeks, the difference became clear. The coffee is stronger, more flavorful and noticeably higher quality, with options from several specialty roasters.
If you’re as unimpressed with Keurig coffee as I am, Bruvi is worth a look. It costs more and requires buying into its pod system, but it delivers a much better cup without the expense or hassle of a machine that grinds and brews fresh beans.
Bruvi provided the brewer and pods for this review. The Bruvi Bundle normally costs $338, but Rich on Tech readers can get it for $198 with code RICHONTECH through October 31. This is not an affiliate link, and I don’t earn anything if you buy one.
Tech tidbits
Google will begin removing access to Google Assistant on Android phones, tablets and paired devices on September 4. The transition to Gemini may take several weeks.
Knockoff is a free browser extension that labels, dims or hides unfamiliar pseudo-brands in Amazon search results. It can also hide sponsored listings, although that feature is optional.
T-Mobile’s Student Perks program offers discounted unlimited plans for verified college and graduate students. Plans start at $30 per line with AutoPay, plus taxes and fees.
LG is adding a collection of Bob Ross paintings to Gallery+ on its Art TVs. Fans can also watch nearly 400 episodes of The Joy of Painting around the clock on The Bob Ross Channel, available on LG Channel 588.
Q&A: Is this virus warning real?
Jeffrey writes in: “My wife was using her Fire tablet when a Google Security pop-up warned that her device had been hacked and contained multiple viruses. I’ve seen the same warning on my Pixel 10 Pro while playing solitaire. Are our devices infected?”
Probably not. This looks like a fake security warning delivered through an ad, sometimes called malvertising. It is designed to scare you into tapping a button, downloading an app or paying for unnecessary security software.
One giveaway is that the warning says “Your phone is hacked,” even though this is a tablet. If you didn’t tap anything, install an app or enter personal information, your device is most likely fine.
Here’s what to do:
Don’t tap “Learn more,” “Remove virus” or any other button in the warning.
Close the ad or the app displaying it. If it won’t close, restart the device.
If the warning keeps returning, uninstall the offending app.
On Android, open the Google Play Store and run a Play Protect scan.
If it appeared in a browser, close the tab, clear that site’s data and check whether it has permission to send notifications.
Remove any apps or browser extensions you don’t recognize.
On Windows, press Alt+F4 to close the window. On a Mac, press Command+Q to quit the app.
If you downloaded something or entered a password, remove the new app, run a security scan and change the password from a trusted device.
Remember, a random pop-up cannot instantly scan your device and determine that it has viruses. Its real goal is to scare you into clicking.
My ride in the solar-powered Aptera
One more story before I go. I recently took a ride in the Aptera, a futuristic three-wheeled electric vehicle covered in solar panels.
I’ve been in touch with the company since 2022, but I was never completely convinced the vehicle was real. Then, during a recent pitch, they said, “Instead of driving to Carlsbad, why don’t we bring it to you?”
I said, “Wait, this thing actually drives?”
Sure enough, they drove it to my studio in Hollywood, where I got to take a ride and see what it’s all about.
It seems to me that Aptera still has a long road ahead before customer deliveries, and the design is definitely out there. Still, it’s a cool concept. The company says the solar panels can add up to 40 miles of range per day under ideal conditions.
Feedbag
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Paul says, “I look forward to your show every week and always learn something!”
Marc writes, “Thanks for your guidance. It helped solidify our decision” to cut the cord.
Lynne says, “I love your radio show. Keep up the great work!”
That’s going to do it for this week.
If you have a tech question, don't forget my radio show is live every Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM Pacific on KFI AM 640. Give me a call at 1-888-RICH-101 (1-888-742-4101).
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Rich
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