Show Notes
Be sure to subscribe to the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Rich talked about the big changes to the Roku home screen. Rich mentioned to turn off Automatic Content Recognition: Settings > Privacy - Smart TV Experience > ACR Off Chelsea in Beaumont wants to know why Samsung Messages is moving to Google Messages and how to individualize text sounds for contacts. Rich says to enable Custom Notification Categories on Android for more control over alerts. Open Settings, tap Notifications, select Advanced settings, then turn on Manage notification categories for each app. You can also customize alerts for individual contacts. Open the Contacts app, select a person, tap Edit, and change their ringtone so you know who’s calling without looking at your phone. DIRECTV is raising prices on satellite and streaming starting June 25, most packages are going up from $5-8 a month. Rich mentioned iVerify to scan your phone for signs of spyware. iOS and Android. Verizon’s Total Wireless has a new $25 unlimited plan if you can bring your own unlocked phone. Gini in Menifee wants a simple Android phone. Rich recommends the Pixel 10a for its clean software, great camera, and ease of use. Meta has new Plus subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp starting at $3 a month. Gary says his phone is asking him to install AI by Glance for his lock screen. Rich says to skip it. Josie wants to know the difference between Guardio, LifeLock and Incogni. Rich also mentioned Chrome Enhanced Safe Browsing and AnnualCreditReport.com Guests:
Amanda Caswell, AI Editor at Tom’s Guide, shares practical AI tips, tricks and tools that everyday consumers can actually use to save time and get more done. Nick in Ohio wants to know if Starlink is good for work from home. Rich says to check all options at FCC Broadband Map and Ookla’s ISP Finder. Google says it has heard consumer complaints about the Google Health app and is working to address some of the issues in future updates. Apple has updated its trade-in values for select iPhones and other devices, potentially changing how much credit customers can receive toward a new purchase. Samsung is changing how it syncs photos with OneDrive. Users who want to keep their synced photos should download the OneDrive app and sign in by July 31. Meta is adding new AI-powered accessibility features to its smart glasses, helping people with disabilities better understand and interact with the world around them. Brian Vecci of Varonis explains how plug-and-play scam kits are making phishing attacks harder to spot than ever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Rich On Tech
iPhone Duo preorders are selling out: Apple’s first foldable iPhone starts at $2,000, with some deliveries reportedly slipping into January. Rich recommends waiting for reviews, especially given the expensive repair costs. AI agents can do more than answer questions: Rich compares Meta Muse, ChatGPT Dots, Grok Bot, Gemini Spark and OpenClaw, explaining how they can navigate websites, use apps and complete tasks on your behalf. Rich puts his AI agent to work: His ChatGPT agent, Glitchy, tracks expenses, manages calendar events, organizes travel plans, checks flights and flags important emails. Rich says these tools are powerful but warns users to be careful about the permissions they grant. Jack in Anaheim can’t turn off his Roku’s talking voice: Rich explains how to find the Screen Reader setting under Settings > Accessibility or try pressing the remote’s star button four times quickly. The issue wasn’t resolved on air, and Rich suggests checking the Sony TV’s accessibility settings or restarting the Roku; or toggling the Screen Reader setting on and off again if disabling it doesn’t stop the voice narration. Apple HomeView brings Siri to your smart home: Apple’s $299 smart home display features a 7-inch touchscreen, FaceTime, smart home controls and personalized information for family members. Rich questions the price compared with Google Nest and Amazon Echo Show devices. Susie in West Covina needs simpler phones: For her mother, Rich suggests Lively’s Jitterbug, RAZ Memory Cell Phone or an internet-based home phone using Ooma, magicJack or Pinwheel. For Susie’s outdated Moto G Stylus running Android 11, he recommends a Pixel 10a or Pixel 11 for longer software support. Cleta in Brea can’t access Facebook notifications: After a Facebook update moved the notification bell, Rich recommends enabling Touch Sensitivity in Samsung’s display settings or waiting for another Facebook app update to fix the issue. Mint Mobile celebrates 10 years with $10 unlimited service: New customers can get six months of unlimited service for $60 upfront, plus taxes and fees. After the promotion, the standard annual-plan rate is $30 monthly. Mint runs on T-Mobile’s network but doesn’t support cellular Apple Watches. David in Wisconsin asks what he’s missing by switching from Verizon to Visible: Rich explains that prepaid carriers can save customers $20 to $40 a month, but premium postpaid plans may offer faster hotspot speeds and better customer support. Rich is sticking with Verizon because he regularly uploads large video files on the road and needs maximum hotspot performance. ChatGPT can now see your Chrome tabs: Rich explains how ChatGPT can compare products and hotels across open tabs, summarize articles and answer questions about YouTube videos without copying and pasting information. Julie in Riverside asks if an antenna works with Roku: Rich explains that an antenna connects directly to the TV, not a Roku stick. For a more integrated experience, devices like Tablo and HDHomeRun can bring over-the-air channels into Roku through their apps. Phillip Shoemaker, founding director of Apple’s App Store Review team and author of Unbreakable, will share how he was SIM-swapped despite a career fighting fraud, and the simple steps consumers can take to better protect their digital lives. Ed in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania wants to email a 5 GB video: Rich recommends uploading it to a cloud service and sharing a link instead. Options include Proton Drive, Wormhole, Google Drive and pCloud. Wormhole supports transfers up to 10 GB without an account, but files expire after 24 hours. Roku audio descriptions may explain the mystery voice: Listener Greg suggests checking whether Audio Description is enabled in the TV or streaming app’s accessibility settings. Steve in Fullerton asks about Google Assistant switching to Gemini: Rich explains that Gemini understands natural language and handles complex questions better, but some basic commands may
Pixel 11 Rambler speeds up replies: Rich says Google’s voice-to-text feature is accurate enough to dictate and format quick email responses on the fly. Meta faces landmark child-safety case: States accuse Meta of designing Instagram and Facebook to keep young users engaged while failing to adequately protect kids. Drone delivery is expanding fast: Amazon plans to bring Prime Air to 500 cities and towns, while Uber Eats and Zipline are also expanding drone delivery. Flock is sending drones to 911 calls: The company’s police drones can reach scenes before officers and may help resolve some calls without dispatching police. Beware Medicare card scams: A caller received a suspicious call asking whether she received a new Medicare card, a reminder to never give personal information to unsolicited callers. Antenna Man explains free TV: A good antenna can deliver dozens of local channels for free, but choosing the right antenna and placement for your location is critical. Check reception before buying an antenna: RabbitEars.info can estimate available stations, signal strength and the type of antenna you may need. International calling requires planning: Check your carrier for an international roaming pass or consider an unlocked-phone eSIM that supports actual voice calls, not just data. Prepare for power outages: A hand-crank emergency radio is an inexpensive backup, while portable power stations from brands like Jackery and EcoFlow can keep larger devices running. YouTube Premium is adding Peacock: YouTube Premium subscribers are expected to get the ad-supported Peacock Premium plan in early 2027. California DROP removes broker data: California residents can use the state’s free DROP system to request removal of their personal information from registered data brokers. Google can remove personal info from search: Results About You alerts you when Google finds your phone number, address or other personal information and lets you request removal from search results. Scammers are getting better with AI: Scamicide founder Steve Weisman says AI is improving phishing messages, voice clones and other scams, making independent verification more important than ever. Secure your home router: Change default passwords, install firmware updates and consider replacing older routers that no longer receive automatic security patches. Don’t trust customer-service numbers from search: Scammers can buy ads or manipulate search results, so get support numbers from a company’s official website, app or bill. Instagram is adding major teen restrictions: Meta’s teen-safety changes include daily time limits, overnight restrictions, muted school-hour notifications and hidden like counts. Samsung satellite service depends on phone and plan: Satellite connectivity requires compatible hardware and carrier support, so not every Galaxy phone or T-Mobile plan will qualify. Don’t hide your Wi-Fi router: Putting a router or mesh node inside a cabinet can weaken the signal and undermine the benefits of a mesh system. WiFiman can diagnose weak Wi-Fi: Ubiquiti’s WiFiman app can help visualize signal strength around the house and identify dead zones. Spotify adds coached running workouts: Running Mode creates personalized workouts with music, cadence targets and coaching prompts for Premium subscribers on iPhone. Aviate brings Flighty-style tracking to Android: The app tracks flights, boarding information and trip progress with live updates for Android users. Ask T-Mobile for an outage credit: Customers affected by the recent outage may be able to get a bill credit by contacting customer service. Samsung Messages has an unofficial replacement: Messages by Ozark’s Made recreates the Samsung Messages experience, though users should be cautious about trusting third-party messaging apps with sensitive data. Accessibility features can help everyone: Shelly Brisbin highlighted tools including Live Listen, Dark Mode, AssistiveTouch and voice controls th
Rich explains why he’s finally sold on AI agents after using ChatGPT Dots to order pizza, check in for a flight, research trips and handle everyday tasks.
Snapdragon focuses on AI: Qualcomm’s new chips aim to run more AI directly on phones, improving speed and reducing reliance on the cloud.
AI gets more useful and more concerning: Rich says to use AI and understand it, but question its answers rather than blindly trusting it. AI can provide emotional support: Caller Bonnie used ChatGPT to help process the loss of her dog, while Bridget Todd explained why emotional connections with AI are becoming more common. Meta Muse is a personal AI assistant: Rich likes Meta’s new Muse app, which can connect to email, calendars, reminders and tasks to help get things done. iPhone 18 Pro is great, but not a must-upgrade: Better battery life, cooler operation and a variable-aperture camera stand out, but recent iPhone owners can probably wait. Siri finally gets much smarter: Siri can privately index messages, emails, photos and other personal information so you can ask questions about your own life. Spectrum Mobile could save a caller $1,500: Rich says the free-year offer could be worthwhile, but check Verizon coverage where you live and work before switching. Watch for government impersonation scams: If someone claiming to be with the government or law enforcement demands immediate payment, hang up and independently verify the claim. Restart first when an app stops working: A caller with Gmail trouble was reminded that a simple phone restart should be the first troubleshooting step. Stop Samsung Wi-Fi from turning itself back on: Disable "Turn Wi-Fi on automatically" under Intelligent Wi-Fi if you want full control over the connection. Facebook lockout workaround: If normal account recovery fails, a paid Meta support plan may provide access to a real person who can help. How the Apple Store was created: Former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson shared how he and Steve Jobs built the stores around service, hands-on experiences and the Genius Bar. You can completely turn off Siri: iOS 27 adds an option under Settings > Siri to disable Siri entirely. You can't remove data from the dark web: After a breach, focus on protecting yourself by limiting shared personal information and freezing your credit when appropriate. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are October 6 and 7: Add items you want to your cart ahead of time so it's easier to spot real price drops. Fix missing email on an iPhone: Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts and try reconnecting, or remove and re-add the affected account. Apple Watch finally shows steps on the watch face: Series 12 and Ultra 4 can display near-real-time step counts without a third-party app. Portable hotspots won't work at sea: Cellular hotspots need a cellular signal, so they won't replace cruise ship Wi-Fi when you're offshore. AirPods microphone acting up? Clean them first: Carefully clean the earbuds and microphone areas before assuming the hardware needs replacing. Chrome pop-ups may come from rogue extensions: Remove extensions you don't recognize, check notification permissions and clear browser data. Skip questionable streaming black boxes: Rich recommends legitimate streaming services over devices that can bring legal, privacy, security and reliability concerns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.