Hotel Wi-Fi warning, delete your data for free & Ask YouTube’s hidden AI search (186, August 8, 2026)
Rich On TechShow Notes
03:04 — Hotel Wi-Fi attacks target travelers: Hackers linked to Russia are targeting hotel and conference Wi-Fi login systems and redirecting users to convincing fake update or security pages. Rich says public Wi-Fi is still usable, but never install software or enter authentication codes because a captive portal tells you to. Use cellular or a hotspot for sensitive activity. 10:04 — Wendy in Yorba Linda gets unwanted Chrome pop-ups: Her OnePlus 11 keeps opening game websites even after clearing Chrome data. Rich recommends removing unfamiliar or unused apps, checking Chrome notification permissions for rogue websites, updating Android, and installing the latest Google Play system update before considering a factory reset. 15:12 — NFL Sunday Ticket discounts can cut the cost: Verizon customers, students, military members, veterans, first responders, teachers and healthcare workers may qualify for substantial discounts. Rich recommends checking eligibility before paying the roughly $500 full-season price. 17:31 — Cyberattacks expose weaknesses in U.S. water systems: Scott Edwards, CEO of Summit 7, says many small water utilities have internet-connected industrial controllers with weak security, including default passwords and exposed ports. Recent attacks have affected systems in multiple states, highlighting how limited cybersecurity resources can leave critical infrastructure vulnerable. 26:56 — Google Assistant is being replaced by Gemini: Google plans to begin removing the classic Assistant from Android phones September 4, with Gemini becoming the default and no option to switch back. Gemini handles conversations and complex requests better, but some traditional Assistant and smart-home functions may not work the same way. 29:09 — Rick in Torrance asks Chrome or Safari on a Mac: Rich prefers Chrome for its extensions, compatibility and Enhanced Safe Browsing protection, while Safari offers stronger privacy protections by default and is optimized for Apple hardware. The best choice ultimately depends on which features matter most. 35:08 — Google Maps and YouTube get smarter AI search: Ask Maps can handle highly specific searches for restaurants, hotels, transit and other recommendations, while Ask YouTube can surface information buried inside videos. Rich says these AI-powered searches make it much easier to find specific recommendations without manually sorting through countless results. 38:21 — Sarah in Northridge is overwhelmed by spam email: Rich recommends reporting junk as spam, avoiding unsubscribe links in suspicious messages, disabling automatic image loading and using email aliases such as alias.email or Apple’s Hide My Email. Gmail users can also use Manage Subscriptions to quickly find and remove unwanted legitimate mailing lists. 45:17 — Roger refuses to give up his OBiTALK adapter: Roger has used the discontinued OBiTALK device for years to turn Google Voice into a free home phone line. Despite no longer receiving support or firmware updates, his adapter continues to provide incoming and outgoing calls without a monthly phone bill. 48:13 — Benny shops for his first 3D printer: While shopping at Micro Center, Benny considers an Elegoo printer instead of a Bambu Lab model. Rich says modern 3D printers have become much easier to use, with Bambu helping push the category toward a more consumer-friendly experience. 51:55 — California's DROP privacy system begins deleting personal data: Tom Kemp of the California Privacy Protection Agency says more than 650 data brokers must periodically check DROP requests and delete matching information. The free service is for California residents, uses security measures including hashing, and can help reduce the amount of personal information circulating among data brokers. 55:37 — DROP goes beyond basic contact information: Californians can optionally provide identifiers tied to their phones, vehicles and connected TVs to reach brokers that track location, driving and
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.
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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.