Rich On Tech

Rich talked about Samsung’s new foldables finally being a place where they are really good and polished, of course, right before Apple introduces something very similar. Carmen in Hollywood wants a cheaper alternative to her AT&T home phone line. Rich recommends Ooma, AT&T Home Phone Advanced, or checking with her cable provider for a lower-cost option. LG is cracking down on shady smart TV apps that secretly use your internet connection for other purposes. Andy Vaca, founder of GRYHAT Cybersecurity, explains OpenAI’s reported AI “hack” of Hugging Face may be better und...

OnePlus is exiting the U.S. market. Richard from New Jersey is having issues getting audio from his Roku to his soundbar. Rich says it is most certainly the audio output settings. The iOS 27 public beta is here. Just be careful. I would not install on your primary phone. The final version will be out in September. Rick emails and asks for a way to watch over-the-air Dodgers games on his Android phone. Rich recommends the Tablo, a device that lets you stream local broadcast TV to your phone and other devices. Judy...

Meta pulls controversial AI likeness feature: Meta briefly allowed its Muse Image generator to create images based on any public Instagram user’s photos without requiring permission. After criticism over consent, deepfakes, scams and unauthorized use, Meta removed the Instagram reference feature. Samsung Messages users move to Google Messages: Samsung’s discontinued messaging app may remain on phones because it was installed as a system app. Before clearing its data and cache, users should back up their texts with a tool such as SMS Backup & Restore and confirm everything appears in Google Messages. DuckDuckGo blocks most...

The Supreme Court just handed down a major privacy ruling that affects the location data tech companies collect and store from your smartphone. Sony says they will stop making physical discs for games starting in January 2028. Rich mentioned the AP Stylebook. Rich mentioned downloading the official National Park app if you are traveling to a national park. Vince wants every website to appear in dark mode. Rich recommends the Dark Reader browser extension. Gregory Wieber, creator of the Apple Vision Pro app Vibescape, will discuss how immersive technology can help peopl...

Rich says prices on tech products are going up. Apple raised prices this week on pretty much every product except the iPhone, and so did Microsoft on the Xbox. Rich talked about the new Slate electric pickup truck starting at $24,950. You customize it to make it your own. Prime Day shattered prices. Shoppers spent a record $26.4 billion online during those four days, according to Adobe Analytics. Rich has his list of recommended gadgets and the stuff you were actually buying from my links. Gary wants to bring his iPad in for a repair s...

Rich talked about his favorite apps he’s using right now. Chris in Orange County is looking for the most reliable live broadcast connection for sports coverage. Should he use cellular bonding or Starlink? Check out Rich’s Guide to Prime Day 2026! Bryan Bishop, creator of the Hooray for Baldywood newsletter, reviews Toy Story 5 and tells us whether Pixar still has the magic. Elaine wants to remove Google’s AI search summaries. Rich suggests adding -AI to searches or using the Bye Bye Google AI extension. Listener Jim recommends tapping the Web tab for trad...

Be sure to subscribe to the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Rich talked about the biggest changes coming to iOS 27 and beyond, including Apple’s long-awaited Siri overhaul and other new features announced at WWDC 2026. Kim in Big Pine was having issues with a Samsung Galaxy A36 smartphone. Rich recommended making sure the phone is completely up to date, including Android system updates, Galaxy Store updates, app updates through the Google Play Store, and Google Play system updates. He also suggested resetting the phone’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings and using the Files by Google app to clean up...

Be sure to subscribe to the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Alex in Northridge wants to know: Can you mirror your phone to a TV while sending the audio to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones? Dawn received a text about an Amazon product recall, but the link looked suspicious. Rich says Amazon has an official recalls page where you can check whether any items you’ve purchased have been recalled. Melody wonders if she can still create and open Word documents without paying for Microsoft 365. Rich says yes, recommending free alternatives like Google Docs and Libr...

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 c...

• Google’s biggest Search overhaul in 25 years: Google unveiled a major AI-powered redesign of Search and Gemini at Google I/O, turning the search box into a multimodal assistant that can understand text, photos, video, and voice. Rich explained how AI is becoming more proactive, helping users summarize emails, organize tasks, and even recommend products from a simple photo. • AI avatars and deepfakes get eerily realistic: Rich tested Google’s new AI avatar tools that can generate lifelike videos and voice clones from a face scan and a few voice samples. While the technology is impressive for creative...

Be sure to subscribe to the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Rich talked about some of the best new features coming to Android 17. Barbara asks about the app Rich mentioned for keeping track of TV shows. Rich recommends JustWatch, his personal go-to, with Reel Good as another solid option. Kara in Fallbrook called in to report that she loves the Epson WorkForce WF-110 mobile printer. Rich mentioned he likes his HP Smart Tank 5101. Michael in Los Angeles called in trying to decide between a used M1 MacBook and a new MacBook Neo. iPhone to...

Rich On Tech Episode 173 - May 9, 2026 Be sure to subscribe to the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Google unveils the Fitbit Air screenless fitness tracker. Rich helps Drew in Laguna Beach fix Chrome pop-ups by identifying them as notification spam and recommending you go to Chrome > Settings > Site settings > Notifications to remove any unrecognized sites Mindtrip Flights offers a new way to search for travel using natural language. Rich mentioned how an elderly man was scammed out of $25,000 through a phone spoofed phone call. Rich mentioned a good website...

Rich DeMuro brings you the latest tech news, helpful tips, gadget reviews, and more - plus interviews with industry experts - all in this weekly show. Rich talked about motorola’s launch event in Hollywood for new razr flip and foldable phones. Here’s the latest edition of the Rich On Tech Newsletter! Bill in Los Angeles is worried about a virus on his iPhone. Rich explains it’s most likely notification spam, not an actual virus. To clean things up: clear your browser history, delete any apps you don’t recognize or no longer...

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra first impressions: The new Ultra keeps a familiar look but improves comfort with a lighter aluminum build, faster charging, and better low-light camera performance. AI features are everywhere, but the standout is a built-in privacy display that limits side-angle viewing. • AI-powered phone features expand: Samsung leans heavily on AI for photo editing, call screening, and “agentic” tasks like booking rides or ordering food. Some features feel early, but the direction is toward phones doing more actions on your behalf. • T-Mobile’s live call translation: A new network-level feature will translate phone calls in rea...

Rich DeMuro brings you the latest tech news, helpful tips, gadget reviews, and more - plus interviews with industry experts - all in this weekly show. Booking.com breach exposes traveler data. Watch out for phishing emails related to travel. The FBI figured out a way to access signal messages on an iPhone. If you want to keep your messages super secure, turn off message preview notifications. Google now has new apps for both Windows and Mac computers. Keith in Kansas is wondering if he should invest in a dedicated AI audio re...

Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cybercrime last year, a 26% increase from the year before. Investment scams, crypto scams, and phishing remain the most common ways criminals target victims. Samsung Messages is going away this summer. You’ll need to switch to Google Messages, which should make texting more secure and improve messaging between iPhone and Android. Susan in Orange County is heading to China. Rich recommends bringing a VPN, a portable power bank, messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, and translation tools such as Google Translate, Apple Translate, or Gemini. For connectivity, he suggests using an eSIM...

Rich talked about the importance of backing up your phone, computer, photos and texts. Check out his guide here. Sophia in Westlake asks if an out-of-cloud storage email she received is legit. Helix CEO Alex Oberg on building a privacy-first digital ID layer to prove what’s real online in an era of AI fakes. Anthony in Palmdale asks how to call his wife by voice on Samsung, and Rich recommends using Bixby, Google Assistant, or Gemini. Rich in San Diego asks if Carbonite is a good backup service, and Rich says...

The FCC is moving to ban Wi-Fi routers made by foreign companies - here’s what it means for the gear in your home. Netflix is raising prices again - here’s what you’ll be paying and when the changes kick in. Samsung Galaxy phones can now AirDrop files directly to iPhones, marking a major milestone in Android and Apple interoperability. Jason from Michigan lost access to his Meta account, and Rich walks him through two recovery options including the Meta recovery page and paying for Meta Verified. Most AI apps train on y...

Rich DeMuro brings you the latest tech news, helpful tips, gadget reviews, and more - plus interviews with industry experts - all in this weekly show. Call 1-888-RICH-101 (1-888-742-4101) to join in! Email your question here. Rich said it’s important to keep your iPhone and Android updated with the latest security updates, especially in light of exploits like DarkSword. Download iVerify Basic to check iPhone (and Android) for signs of spyware. Enable Lockdown Mode on iPhone if you’re really worried about your security. Aura confirmed a d...

Meta is cracking down on scams with new AI detection systems in Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Google just gave Google Maps it’s biggest overhaul in a decade - with new AI powered ways to find places using specific questions and immersive navigation. Jim in Michigan can’t get the Notes app on his iPhone to scan documents. Rich mentioned he can also use the built-in Preview app. Check out Rich’s review of the iPhone 17e. Susan in Burbank can’t connect to her WiFi network because it’s too congested....