Why Instagram’s new maps feature has people worried
Plus: how flying kites beat screentime, the fastest way to send Android files to a Mac, and gift card tricks that save you money
Hey there and welcome to another edition of my newsletter!
There’s a lot to get to this week, but I wanted to start with a couple of recent wins in the DeMuro household.
Beating summer screentime
If you have kids, you know screentime is a constant battle, and in our house it became even more obvious this summer. No matter how much we tried to plan fun outside activities, the default seemed to be staring at a screen.
So I got an idea. I ordered a couple of kites on Amazon, and the next time I came home from work I told the kids, “Let’s go fly some kites.” We grabbed sandwiches and headed to the park for lunch, then gave kite flying a try.
It had been years since I’d flown one, and my kids had never done it. But lo and behold, it was amazing. We had a blast figuring out how to get the kites in the air and keep them there.
By the end, we were tired, a little sunburned, and already talking about how much fun it was to try something new. We can’t wait to do it again.
Big win in my book!
Scoring savings with gift cards
On the way to the park, we ordered sandwiches from Jersey Mike’s — a favorite of my kids. Ironically, I grew up in New Jersey eating the same style of sub, just from a local shop in my hometown.
Somehow we got the bright idea to buy a discounted gift card to place our order. We searched online and found a site called CardCash.com (also based in New Jersey) and bought an $80 card for $65 — a savings of nearly 15 percent. The card was delivered electronically in seconds, and we put it toward our order.
A few nights later we were ordering DoorDash — a rare treat — and had the same idea. This time, I bought a $50 gift card for $46. Not a huge discount, but with delivery prices being what they are, every bit counts.
Here’s how it works. People with gift cards they don’t need or want sell them to CardCash at a discount. CardCash then sells them for a bit more, but still under face value. Everyone wins, even if it’s not a perfect system.
I also dug through my own stash of cards that had been sitting around for years and sold $100 worth for $76.
It’s worth a look if this sounds appealing.
Turning old furniture into cash
This week we finally had to get new furniture for the kids’ room. It had been years, and while the old pieces were still in decent shape, the kids had simply outgrown them. Normally I’d just leave the furniture on the curb and hope someone picked it up — and if not, schedule a bulky-item pickup.
But my son had another idea: “Let’s put them on OfferUp.” I resisted at first, then told him fine — he was in charge of taking the photos and creating the listings.
He posted two dressers, and within minutes we were flooded with messages from interested buyers. He handled the replies and I made him a deal — he could keep 50 percent of the sale proceeds.
One buyer said they could come within the hour. We agreed, and they didn’t even try to haggle on the price. I was upfront about the scuffs, scratches, and a drawer that didn’t work quite right. They said no problem.
When they arrived, I helped load the dressers into their pickup — right next to another piece of furniture they’d just bought. I asked if they refurbished items, and they said yes, then rent them out for home staging.
It reminded me that the old saying is true: one person’s trash is another’s treasure. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to make those exchanges happen.
We spent the rest of the night smiling at the ease of the transaction, the surprise cash in our pockets — and yes, my kid made a quick $50.
Sponsored: Is your personal data fully protected?
Last week I told you about Incogni, and now I want to explain exactly how it works.
When you sign up, you fill out a short questionnaire with your personal information — name, date of birth, emails, phone numbers, and addresses. This allows their system to search the web for pages that contain your details.
Right away, Incogni starts sending takedown requests on your behalf. You’ll begin receiving email confirmations almost instantly. Like I’ve said before, it’s like a game of whack-a-mole — some listings are removed quickly, while others linger, and new ones keep popping up.
The good news is that Incogni keeps pushing to remove them all. When you log in, you’ll see a dashboard showing their progress. Right now, I’m at 302 requests sent, with 261 completed and 41 still in progress.
As you might expect, data brokers make a lot of money off your information, so some are in no rush to take it down. But so far, I’ve been impressed with how much of my personal data has been scrubbed from the web — which means fewer opportunities for scammers and identity thieves.
Before you slam your phone down in frustration over another potential scam call, give Incogni a try. It removes your sensitive information from people search sites and thousands of other databases that expose your private details. It’s an easy, one-stop solution for protecting your personal data.
Sign up at Incogni. Use my coupon code RICHONTECH (all caps) at checkout to save.
Instagram's controversial new maps feature
Instagram rolled out two new features this week, and one of them is proving to be pretty controversial.
First, the easy one — reposts. As you scroll through Instagram, you’ll now see a new repost icon next to the heart, comment, and share icons. Tap it, and the content you’re looking at will be reposted for your followers. It’s not guaranteed they’ll see it in their feed, but it works much like making a post of your own — only you’re resharing someone else’s content. Before this, the only way to share someone else’s post was to add it to your Stories.
This is great for content creators looking for more reach, and for anyone who wants to spread the word about something they like or find interesting.
Now for the not-so-easy one — the maps feature. Instagram now has a map that shows the location of your friends. The good news is it’s opt-in, which means it’s off by default. The tricky part is that even if you don’t turn it on, you might still appear on someone’s map if you tag a post with its location.
That caused a lot of confusion, with many Instagram users suggesting you remove Instagram’s location permissions entirely in your phone’s settings.
Here’s how it actually works. You have four options for sharing your location:
With everyone you follow who follows you back
With only your close friends
With people you choose
With no one at all (the default)
If you choose to share, your location updates on the map every time you open the Instagram app.
In a perfect world, this could be an amazing feature. I’ve wanted something like this for years — imagine landing in a new city, opening your phone, and instantly seeing friends nearby. Or going to a concert or sporting event and seeing who else is there. Or keeping tabs on family members in real time, similar to Find My or Life360.
But Instagram operates in a strange mix of public and private, which makes it a challenge for anyone who prioritizes their privacy.
I posted a full walkthrough of the feature on Instagram — you can check it out below.
Tech tidbits
Consumer Reports has a helpful article on how to hear your TV better. In my house, we’ve resorted to closed captions because of all the background noise — sometimes it’s just hard to make out what’s being said.
AT&T is paying out $177 million following recent data breaches. If you’re part of the settlement, you should get an email, but you can also check the settlement website for details.
Roku has launched a new streaming service called Howdy, offering 10,000 ad-free movies and TV shows for $3 per month.
College students can now claim one free year of Google’s Pro AI, which includes 2 TB of cloud storage. That’s a $240 value.
Microsoft is shutting down its excellent Lens scanner app — a disappointment, since it was one of the best free PDF scanners. You can still get similar PDF scanning features through the Microsoft 365 CoPilot app or Adobe Scan.
Looking for a deal on NFL Sunday Ticket? I’ve rounded up all the top offers that could save you big.
ChatGPT has been upgraded to GPT-5, making it faster and smarter. You can now also choose from four personalities — Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd.
AirDrop for Android to Mac
AirDrop makes sharing files from an iPhone to other Apple devices super easy. Android has something similar called Quick Share for Android-to-Android transfers, and it works for Android-to-Windows PCs as well. But there hasn’t been an easy, offline way to send a file from an Android phone to a Mac — until now.
I recently found a solution.
It’s an app called LocalSend, and it uses your Wi-Fi connection to transfer files quickly between any two devices on the same network.
But here’s the trick — if you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, you can connect your Mac directly to your Android’s hotspot. Even without an internet connection, the devices will still be able to transfer files at high speed.
Here’s how:
Download LocalSend on both your Android device and your Mac. It’s free, open-source, and works on every major platform.
Turn on the hotspot on your Android.
Connect your Mac to that hotspot.
Use LocalSend to send the file from your Android to your Mac.
Even large video files transfer quickly with this direct connection, and it works with your internet completely turned off.
This is perfect when you’re out in the field without a solid internet connection — or you just want to send files without using the internet at all.
Other options worth checking out include PairDrop and FilePizza.
Samsung’s new foldables are finally worth it
My verdict is in on Samsung’s latest foldable phones — they’re finally ready for prime time. Both have improved to the point where I can recommend them.
The real question is whether you actually need one. For the Fold, it comes down to whether you want something unique — a tablet in your pocket at all times — for travel, watching videos, working on spreadsheets, or looking at photos.
For the Flip, the big advantage is being able to use the best front-facing cameras for all your photos and videos, whether they’re selfies or standard shots.
What to know about the Tesla Diner in Hollywood
I recently checked out the new Tesla Diner in Hollywood — part retro drive-in, part restaurant, and part EV charging station. While your EV charges, you can order classic diner fare and watch whatever’s playing on the big screens.
Feedbag: Thanks for the AI journaling recommendation
Julia from Los Angeles writes in...
Rosebud is an awesome app for journaling, dream analysis, and even tossing out a problem for it to help solve like a therapist. I still use it every day — I’ve never stuck with anything this consistently when it comes to journaling. It’s great at remembering details and learning about you.
Great to hear, Julia. Rosebud says they recently celebrated their one-year anniversary and now have over 100,000 users. They also offer discounts for students, the disabled, and military members. Watch my segment on the app here.
That’s going to do it for now. Have a fantastic weekend — and don’t forget to tune into my radio show at 11 a.m. PT on KFI AM 640, or stream the rebroadcast on 710 WOR in New York Sunday nights at 5 p.m. PT. New episodes of my weekly TV show stream exclusively on KTLA+ Sundays at 11 a.m. PT.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, the best way to say thanks is to share it with a friend or post about it on your social media.
Thanks,
Rich
A few weeks back you talked about an indoor camera. What was it ?