How to get $1 back on every Amazon order
Plus: the thin phone trend heats up, Airbnb’s new side hustle platform, the return of HBO Max, and a new app for smarter food choices
Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Rich On Tech Newsletter. I’m Rich DeMuro—let’s jump right in, shall we?
Thin to Win
Remember when I said I went to NYC for a special assignment? That was to get an early look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge—before it was officially unveiled. Since then, I’ve had a review unit in hand, and I’ll just say it: this phone has ruined other phones for me when it comes to thinness, weight, and portability.
My iPhone now feels like a brick.
What’s wild is that you’re not really giving up much with the Edge. It’s just 5.8 millimeters thin and weighs 163 grams, which might not sound meaningful on paper, but once you hold it, it feels almost fake—like a display model. And yet it still packs a 6.7-inch screen (not glare-free like the S25 Ultra), a 200-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 12-megapixel selfie camera. There’s no optical zoom, but you do get digital zoom up to 10x.
Under the hood, you get 256 gigabytes of storage, 12 gigabytes of RAM, and the same powerful processor found in the Ultra. There’s also wired and wireless charging, good water and dust resistance, and even built-in satellite capabilities for emergencies.
Overall, I think this is a much better high-end Samsung phone for the average person than the Ultra. It’s thinner, lighter, and still gives you nearly all the flagship features—unless you’re really into zoom photography, in which case the Ultra still wins.
If there’s one compromise, it’s battery size. Most flagship phones these days have a 5,000 milliamp hour battery—this one has a 3,900. That sounds like a big step down, but in my real-world use, it’s been fine. And if you’re using a decent wired charger (not wireless), it refuels pretty quickly.
One thing that still bugs me is the lack of a built-in magnetic ring for accessories. I know most Android users just get a case with one, but it would be nice if it were built into the phone itself—especially for a premium device.
Bottom line: if you’re shopping for a Samsung phone right now, this is the one to get. It’s available May 30 and starts at $1,100, but pre-order deals can knock the price down quite a bit. Samsung is currently offering double the storage—so you get 512 gigabytes instead of 256—for free, along with up to $630 for your trade-in. Carriers have their own promos too, so it’s worth checking with yours.
And yes—Apple is expected to respond later this year with a thin and light phone of its own, likely called the iPhone 17 Air. That could be followed by Apple’s first foldable phone sometime in 2026. It’s always funny how Samsung pushes the envelope on things like larger screens, water resistance, wireless charging, and always-on displays—yet it only becomes a big deal once Apple adds it to their lineup.
If a $1,100 phone isn’t in the cards, I still have solid recommendations. For the cheapest Android phone I’d recommend, look at the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which is just $279, though it only has a 14 day warranty. The best budget Android is the Google Pixel 9a at $499, and I expect deals dropping it to $399. If you’re more into iPhones, the best value is the iPhone 16e for $599—you get many of the latest features without having to pay for the regular or Pro models.
$1 Cash Back on Every Amazon Order?
There’s no shortage of shopping assistants that offer cash back, points, and perks when you shop online—but many of them exclude Amazon, which is where a lot of us make the bulk of our purchases.
Until now.
A new browser extension called ShopBack just launched in the U.S., and it looks pretty compelling. It’s already popular in Asia and Australia, and the U.S. version seems off to a strong start.
Here’s how it works: once installed, the extension automatically activates when you land on a site they support and shows you what kind of rewards you can earn. Popular retailers include Walmart, Best Buy, Macy’s, Expedia, DoorDash, and plenty more.
The best part? Right now, they’re offering $1 cash back on every Amazon order. I placed one this morning and, sure enough, the extension popped up and confirmed I’d be getting a buck back.
ShopBack also runs bonus offers and something they call “Quests”—limited-time promos that reward you for hitting certain shopping milestones. For example, I’m currently seeing $10 back on a $200 purchase and $5 back the first time I use the extension. You do have to activate each Quest, which is part of how the extension encourages you to shop more.
As with any tool like this, that’s the trade-off—it’s built to surface promotions and encourage spending. But if you’re already planning to make a purchase, you might as well earn a little back. Cash out is easy too, with PayPal as an option and a $5 minimum to withdraw.
Naturally, I checked their privacy policy. According to ShopBack, it doesn’t track your full browser history or every site you visit. It only collects data on supported sites—the ones where the extension actually activates, which is easy to tell because the icon starts blinking.
For now, ShopBack is staying on my browser. I’ll keep evaluating it, but earning a dollar back on every Amazon order is a pretty great perk—especially when you combine it with some of the other bonus offers.
If you want to try it out, sign up with my link and you’ll get a $20 bonus after earning $5 in cash back. Let me know how it works for you!
Airbnb now lets you make cash selling your “skills”—no rental necessary
This week, Airbnb held a big event called the Summer Release and announced a new twist to their app. Instead of just booking places to stay, you can now book services and experiences—no rental required.
On the traveler side, if you’re booking a house on the coast of Italy, for example, you might also hire a personal chef to cook dinner, a massage therapist for some relaxation, or a personal trainer, hairstylist, and makeup artist for a special event like a wedding.
Then there are the experiences—curated activities like local tours, ramen-making classes, and even wellness retreats. I actually tried one myself and found it to be pretty interesting. These experiences are led by seasoned, and sometimes even notable, experts in their field.
And here’s the key: you don’t have to be staying in an Airbnb to book any of this. Anyone can.
I’m sharing this not just as a useful travel tip, but also because if you’re a skilled professional looking to earn extra money, you can apply to be listed. Airbnb tells me they vet every provider and the average experience level right now is around 10 years.
Here are the categories: chefs, photography sessions, massages, spa treatments, personal training, professional haircuts and blowouts; makeup services, nails and more. If you fit the bill, you can apply here.
Stop scrolling, start living
If you follow me on social, TV, or my radio show, you know I’m a straight shooter. I focus on what matters and skip the fear, speculation, and endless “what ifs.”
Unfortunately, pretty much everything else on social media thrives on that.
Here’s my take: when you’re sick of what you’re seeing online, stop scrolling—and start engaging with the real world and the real people around you.
Tap below to watch my mini-rant.
Tech Tidbits
Coinbase was quasi-hacked after bad actors allegedly bribed overseas customer support reps to gain access to internal systems. The attackers got hold of some customer data and managed to trick a few users into sending them crypto. Then they tried to extort $20 million from Coinbase to keep it quiet. Coinbase refused and is now promising to reimburse affected customers. If you were impacted, you should’ve received an email from the company.
Charter is buying Cox in a multi-billion-dollar deal that signals what many of us already knew—traditional cable TV is officially dead. The focus now is on internet, mobile, and streaming. Less competition isn’t great for consumers, but the silver lining is that new tech like wireless home internet and satellite options are helping keep prices in check.
And finally, a solid streaming deal: you can get a full year of Peacock for just $25. Yes, it includes ads—but they’re tolerable—and Peacock often lands big-name movies thanks to its Universal ownership. Worth grabbing while it lasts.
Download This
A new food scanning app called Zoe helps you figure out just how bad that snack really is for you. The focus here is on processed foods—because let’s be honest, most of us aren’t eating whole foods and broccoli at every meal. We grab protein bars, packaged snacks, frozen meals. Zoe helps rate how harmful those processed picks are, using simple labels like No Risk, Low Risk, Medium Risk, and Highest Risk.
After I featured this on TV, a bunch of you reached out with suggestions for similar apps—like Yuka, Fooducate, and Bobby Approved. They all have their strengths, but I like Zoe because it feels a bit more realistic for everyday life. It doesn’t shame you for not being perfect—it just helps you make smarter choices.
Gemini Texting Hack
Here’s a clever in-flight trick, courtesy of Android Authority. Next time you’re on a plane and don’t want to pay for Wi-Fi but still want something to do, try this: take advantage of the free texting many airlines offer. Connect to the Wi-Fi just enough to access messaging, then open Google Messages and start texting Gemini, Google’s AI assistant.
You won’t be able to do everything, but you can still have a fun back-and-forth with AI—totally free.
On iPhone? Check out Text.AI for a similar experience.
Anatomy of a Scam…
I was out on a jog when the latest scam text hit my watch. Now, I don’t recommend clicking the links in these kinds of messages—but I do, in the name of research.
Check out the post below where I break down how they try to trick you.
Ad blocker advice
Kathy writes in…
“Listening to your show right now—it’s the best! Quick question: which ad blocker would you recommend for iPhone, Mac, and Windows 11?”
Thanks for the kind words, Kathy. Appreciate you listening!
I like Ghostery for both Mac and Windows—it’s solid, easy to use, and does a good job blocking trackers and ads. On mobile, I don’t personally use an ad blocker on iPhone, but I do have AdGuard installed on my Android, and they also offer an iPhone version you can try.
HBO is back!
Finally, in news absolutely no one is surprised by, the streaming service Max is rebranding—again—as HBO Max.
To refresh your memory: the service originally launched as HBO Max, then dropped the “HBO” and became just Max. Then they shifted their branding colors back from blue to HBO’s signature black and white… and now they’re going all the way back to the original name—HBO Max.
If they really want to go full retro, I say bring back the best HBO intro of all time—the one from when I was a kid. You know the one: the camera flies over a miniature city, breaks through the “O” in HBO, and reveals those epic sweeping light streaks. Still gives me chills.
Thanks for reading!
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Have a great weekend—and don’t forget to catch my radio show on Saturday and my weekly TV show on Sunday!
—Rich