Rich On Tech

Tech expert tackles VPN advice, mesh network setup, MacBook Pro repair dilemma, AT&T price hike, smartphone longevity, Apple chargers, and innovative games. Discussions on protecting personal data, vinyl records resurgence, free phone services, and tech alternatives.

Exciting topics include upcoming iOS 18 features, eSIMs for international travel, AI Recall delay by Microsoft, concerns about Apple Watch Fall Detection, shared voicemails on iPhones, new Apple Watch and iPad updates, Apple 'sherlocking' third-party apps, iCloud storage issues, software update impacts, and troubleshooting iPhone problems.

Rich discusses helpful travel sites for flights and turbulence forecasts, Nothing Ear buds review, portable chargers for smartphones, AI recommendations, Instagram unskippable ads, Netflix ending support for older Apple TVs, Android Find My Device Network, iMazing for data transfer, Apple's software support timeframe, smartphone update policies, Google Pixel 8a review, data breaches, credit reporting services, identity theft protection, Windows Hello features, book release news, Kinney wireless motion sensor device, and tips on avoiding phishing scams.

Rich discusses how Google’s new AI Overviews feature got out of control and how the company plans to improve it.Here’s the latest issue of Rich’s newsletter. Sign up using your email to get it in your inbox.Mark in Lomita asks about a dash cam under $200. Rich mentioned Nexar, Vantrue & VAVA.The FBI helped to take down a major international botnet. Here’s how to check if your computer had malicious VPN software installed.John in Fallbrook has an Arlo Pro camera that won’t connect to his WiFi.Terysa in Harrisburg, PA asks how password managers work.Fran in Studio City has questions about a new TV.Google has unveiled a smartwatch for kids called the Fitbit ACE LTE. The one thing to know is that the smartwatch is cellular connected but not assigned a traditional phone number. All calls and messaging are handled through the Fitbit app.Amazon partners with Grubhub to give Prime members free Grubhub+ indefinitely, and you can now place orders through the Amazon app.Dan in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA needs to change his passwords. Rich recommends using the Google Password Manager on Chrome and iPhone.JP Schmetz, CEO of Ghostery, digital privacy expert and advocate, will discuss tools, browsers, AI privacy, and legislation like the American Privacy Rights Act.“Granny” wants to know the best antivirus software for her Windows computer.Android devices are being enrolled in Google’s new Find My Device network. Here’s the opt-out page.Ed in Las Vegas wants to know if there’s a difference between Amazon Music Prime and Unlimited.Anil Sabharwal of Google Fitbit will discuss the company’s new connected smartwatch for kids, the FitBit Ace LTE.You can now find games to play on YouTube.Philo now offers a free level of its streaming service with 70+ ad-supported channels; no credit card is required. Get full access to Rich on Tech at See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich talked about going to Seattle for two Microsoft events. One focused on their new CoPilot+ PCs and the other was the Microsoft Build developer conference.Rich talked about the new Recall feature on Windows computers that remembers everything on your screen.Bill in Julian wants a printer that he can print with from his phone but has no WiFi. Rich suggests looking for a printer with WiFi Direct capabilities. Bill mentioned he has a car with a record player!Rick in Pasadena isn’t happy about the T-Mobile price hike, especially since he’s on a plan with a price lock guarantee.Ben Bajarin, CEO and Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, to talk about Microsoft CoPilot+ PCs and the Microsoft Build conference.Michelle in Long Beach is getting an error on her iPhone even when she tries to buy a free app.Want a Samsung SmartTag2 Bluetooth tracker for $1 instead of the $30 it usually costs? Matt Swider of The Shortcut has the deal.Google is having issues with its new AI Overviews feature.Tim in San Francisco is looking for guidance on developing his mobile app idea.Rich is super impressed with Google Photo’s Unblur feature, which is available on Pixel 7 and up and rolling out to other devices now.John in San Clemente wants to know how to take a photo of a menu in Europe and have his phone translate it. Rich recommends Apple’s Translate app, Google Translate and even ChatGPT!Don’t fall for Scareware! Here’s what to do if you see a pop-up that says your smartphone is infected with viruses.Tim Stevens, freelance automotive journalist, to talk about his recent article about EV Myths.Debbie in Fallbrook, CA can’t get clear images texted to her phone anymore.Southwest Airlines prices are now displayed on Google Flights.Hal in Florida asks how to learn to use AI like ChatGPT.Sharon in Lake Stevens, Washington, doesn’t want to pay for cloud storage. Rich recommends Amazon Photos...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich discusses the AI war between ChatGPT and Google, Netflix's NFL deal, tech accessibility features, and tips for tech-related queries. Topics range from selling old tech books to troubleshooting voice input on Samsung phones. The podcast also covers new accessibility features from Samsung, Apple, and Google, as well as comparisons between using an iPad Air, iPad, or MacBook Air M1 for web browsing.

Chris Sheldrick, creator of What3words, explains how to share exact locations with simple words. Apple unveils new iPads and tech updates. Samsung introduces AI features to more devices. Tips on parental controls, universal remotes, and securing social media accounts. Discussion on carrier data tracking, two-factor authentication, and VPNs.

Rich opens the mailbag to answer listener questions.Victor asked if Apple will introduce a new iPad Pro this year. Rich says Apple’s Let Loose event on May 7 is expected to unveil new models.Tish asks if she should use AT&T Internet Air or Spectrum Fiber at 1 gigabit speed.Michael, who is in Kentucky, asks how to hide his real phone number when signing up for services. Rich mentioned Cloaked, Burner App, T-Mobile DIGITS, Verizon’s Second Number and Google Voice.Sue asked why she and her significant other’s iPhone accounts seemed intertwined. Rich says to set up separate Apple IDs but link them up using Apple Family Sharing.Bonnie in Santa Barbara wonders if she should switch from faster to slower internet to save money.Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, and Jay Carney, who leads public policy, will talk about their new icons offering and more.Sara in Ventura has mistakenly locked up her phone and can’t access her two-factor authentication codes.T-Mobile now owns Mint Mobile.Roku devices will soon have home screen ads.Kathy in Laguna Niguel wants to know if she should pay to replace the modem on her solar system or connect it using a wired connection.Sam’s Club is replacing receipt checkers at the exit doors with AI and computer vision to do the job automatically.Jack Winston, founder of BePresent, discusses how the app can help users use their smartphones less.John says he’s running out of space on his hard drive and wants to know how to free up storage. Rich mentioned BleachBit and WinDirStat. You could also change the default storage location for documents.LinkedIn now has three new games: Crossclimb, Pinpoint and Queens.Brad in Key West says he lost photos on his iPhone during a recent software update. Rich mentioned checking the Recently Deleted album in the Photos App and backing up photos to a third-party service like Amazon Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Photos.UnitedHealthcare says 1/3 of Americans might be involved in their data breach.Anthropic releases Claude AI as a free app for iOS.John in Bakersfield had online banking fraud and needs help.John Faulkner of Clean Fleet Report will join to give a review of the all-electric Acura ZDX.Mindtrip.AI is a new way to use AI to plan travel.The popular Arc web browser is now available on Windows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Ryan Ozawa discusses Hawaii's tech startup scene. Tips on improving Wi-Fi on planes and troubleshooting tech issues like Outlook, Fire TV, and LG TV. Updates on TikTok ban, Samsung Unpacked event, iPhone charging problems, and Verizon's smartwatch plan price hike. Advice on modem security, data breaches, and password managers. Recommendations include BuzzKill app for Android notifications.

Rich discusses the current state of self-driving and autonomous cars.Rick in Manhattan Beach wants a way to get music onto his iPod Shuffle. Rich recommended WALTR Pro. On Windows, try CopyTrans Manager.China has ordered Apple to remove WhatsApp, Threads, Signal and Telegram from the App Store.Laura Mae Martin, Google’s Executive Productivity Advisor and author Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing.Angie in Los Angeles has a laptop with a virus and wants to bring it to a store for help. Rich recommends uBreakiFix or search Yelp for “computer repair.”Samsung overtook Apple for the top spot in smartphone sales in Q1 2024.Airchat is the hot new social media network. Think Twitter but with voice messages that are transcribed so you can see and hear what people say.Adam in Orlando is curious about searching for his personal information on the Dark Web. Resources mentioned: Google One Dark Web report, Google Results About You, Keeper Security Dark Web Scan, Aura Dark Web Scan (great results) and haveibeenpwned.com (try this first!)Rich also mentioned DuckDuckGo email protection and cloaked email addresses.Netflix now has nearly 270 million subscribers.Gus in Moreno Valley, CA says Google Chrome disappeared from his computer. Rich says to make sure your Sync is turned on and you can always reinstall to recover your bookmarks, extensions and settings.Dan O’Dowd of The Dawn Project explains why Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software isn’t ready for the streets.William in Chino says his church livestream buffers when Netflix and YouTube work fine.Bill in Santa Monica shares a story about MobileX and Walmart.Edward in Tampa wants to know if he should buy a new iPhone SE now or wait for the new one. Rich recommends checking the MacRumors Buyers Guide.Meta AI launches in a big way in the search bar in Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Rich recommends trying out the instant AI image generator...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.