The latest data hack is such a mess

Plus, Google Pixel phones get helpful AI features.

Greetings!

This week, I took a road trip to San Jose to test the second-generation Rivian all-electric SUV. It’s a beast of a vehicle but in a good way.

The feature I was most excited about: you can now use an adapter to charge the car at Tesla Superchargers.

That’s a good thing because Tesla chargers are much more prominent on the road and more reliable than other charging networks. That’s probably why nearly every major EV maker has adopted Tesla’s “NACS” charging standard. In the coming years, new EVs will be built with Tesla connectors.

But in the meantime, it’s all about an adapter. I was worried this would be a bad solution, but after taking the SUV from LA to San Jose, I can say you get the best of both worlds. Now, you can charge pretty much anywhere. There are some compatibility issues to consider, but I found many chargers from multiple brands along my route.

It was the first time I didn’t feel a hint of range anxiety in a non-Tesla EV. Now, if they could just get the price down a bit on these vehicles…

First Up

This week, Google showed off its latest Pixel hardware. I was in Mountain View at their relatively new (and fancy) Bay View HQ for the keynote and hands-on.

The wild thing? The presentation was mostly about AI software smarts—exactly what Samsung did Paris and Apple did at WWDC.

This is the new Space Race: who can have the most compelling AI features that make you want to upgrade your phone?

It’s funny for Google. They were really the AI leader behind the scenes for many years, but I’m convinced they didn’t want to come out with anything that would upset their sacred classic Search—and all of the money it prints daily thanks to sponsored links at the top of results.

But ChatGPT forced everyone’s hand, and now Google is incorporating its flavor of AI, Gemini, into pretty much every product it makes.

Google made a few digs at Apple during their presentation, saying that they were putting their AI into more than just flagship products. Apple is starting with the iPhone 15 Pro models and later for its Apple Intelligence features, which means a lot of people will have to upgrade to get them. Coincidence?

Anyway, Google unveiled three new phone models: the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro (in regular and XL sizes), and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They also have a Pixel Watch 3 in two sizes, including one with a larger screen.

The Pixel 9 is your basic Google smartphone with a brighter screen and improved cameras. It’s the phone they sent home with all attendees, including myself, to test out. The battery life is also improved, and although I can’t give my full review just yet, I can already say I can see that to be true. It starts at $800 and ships on August 22.

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are the best-specced phones. They have an even brighter screen (Google calls it Super Actua, whatever that means), a zoom lens, more RAM (16 gigs, as much as a laptop!), 8K video recording and a temperature sensor built in.

What I love is that except for the size and charging speed, everything else is pretty much the same, which means you can pick the size you want to carry in your pocket without sacrificing features. The Pro models are $1000 and $1100. For some reason, the XL launches on August 22, but the 9 Pro launches on September 4.

Finally, there is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This literally looks like two Pixel 9 Pro XL phones glued together like a book. It’s definitely an upgrade from their original Fold model, but I still need to use it a bit to make a judgment. I’m still not convinced about the whole foldable thing unless you never carry a laptop or tablet when you travel. The Fold starts at a whopping $1800, the same price as the last model.

The AI smarts is where it gets interesting. Google replaced Assistant with Gemini and added a new flavor called Gemini Live. This is a human-sounding assistant that you can have conversations with, brainstorm ideas or just talk to when your friends won’t pick up the phone. It’s very fluid and “Her” movie vibes.

Other AI features include a new Weather app with AI-powered, personalized forecasts for your area. There’s also a new app called Pixel Studio, which generates really high-quality AI images in seconds. Another AI photo feature called Add Me, lets you put yourself into photos. You basically take two photos - one with the original person or group in it, then one with you in it while someone else holds the phone and AI merges them together.

Then there’s the new Screenshots app. It makes all of your screenshots searchable and clickable so you can go to the original website where you screenshot it. Plus, you can organize them. It's kind of like a new-age AI notebook.

The other big feature is Satellite SOS, which means you can text for help even if you don’t have a cellular or WiFi signal. The first two years are free, and like Apple, no pricing has been announced after that.

Finally, your phone can also record your conversations, transcribe them, and summarize them. Google says both parties are notified, and it’s private since all processing happens on the device. I know it’s scary sounding, but Apple is doing the same thing in iOS 18, and I can’t wait to have notes for my conversations since I inevitably forget what I’m supposed to do when I hang up the phone.

All this to say Google is really positioning itself as an AI leader with helpful features coming to a wide variety of devices, products, services and Apps. Already, I’ve seen their helpful AI tools pop up in Gmail, Docs, Google Search and more.

Will it make people switch to a Pixel? That’s tough to say. Apple has done an excellent job of getting its users into the ecosystem iPhone owners are typically immersed in a world that includes iMessage group chats, Apple Watches, Apple Photos, iCloud, iPads, MacBooks, AirDrop and more.

Personally, I think the Pixel already feels like the “smartest” smartphone, while Samsung has the bleeding-edge hardware and Apple has the best accessories, service and support. Time will tell if AI shifts any of this.

TV Segment Recap

Now that you’ve read about Google’s latest hardware, how about looking at it!

Here’s my dispatch from Google’s Bay View HQ, looking at the new Pixel phones.

Google also unveiled many other products at the event, including a streaming TV device to replace Chromecast, Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Buds, and a human-like AI assistant you can talk to called Gemini Live.

In other news, I get plenty of messages each week from people who tell me they were hacked. The underlying connector is that they don’t have two-factor authentication turned on. Learn about it and enable it on your most important accounts, such as social media, email, and banking.

Tech News to Know

You can use Proton’s VPN browser extension for free, even if you’re on the free plan

Samsung is expanding Circle to Search to its budget-focused Galaxy A Series smartphones.

California will become the sixth state to allow residents to store a digital version of their driver’s license in Apple Wallet. Other states that have done so are Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, and Ohio. Up next are Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. For now, you still need to carry your physical license.

Google Fitbit Premium subscribers will get access to some Peloton workouts.

Consumer Reports says it’s probably not worth paying to remove your personal information from those data broker sites

Dealspotter

It’s Back to School time! Looking for some discounts? Check out Student Beans, which offers exclusive discounts on food, clothing, and more. Also, check out UNiDAYS for similar discounts for students.

Cybersecurity Corner

This week's big story is the data breach, which contains nearly 3 billion records…. including names, addresses, dates of birth, and, unfortunately, social security numbers.

A cybersecurity firm named Pentester set up a special site where you can enter your name and year of birth to see if your information is in the dump.

The bad news: it probably is, and you might want to freeze your credit reports. I did and found the process to be quite easy: you create a login, bypass all the nonsense they try to sell you on and tap Freeze. You can also unfreeze in a tap.

While your report is frozen, no one can open a new account in your name. Here are the direct links for Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

This Week’s Podcast Episode

In this week’s podcast, I interview the founder of PointsYeah, which is basically like Kayak or Google Flights, but using your points.

Tech Trivia

A man in Saudi Arabia has set a new Guinness World Record for the most gaming consoles connected to a single TV: 444. He uses over 30 RCA switchers and more than 12 HDMI switchers to manage the connections, allowing him to play each console. His favorite? The Sega Genesis.

Throwback Tech

I thought this illustration was pretty cool. I remember a lot of these old ports. Yes, there was a time when every peripheral you plugged into your computer had a different connection. Thankfully, we now have USB-C.

via @cooltechtipz on X

Feedbag

"Macy from Costa Mesa" writes in:

I've been watching you on KTLA since you first started and I've used your advice on so many issues. You are more helpful to the "common people" than you probably know.

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Rich