My new favorite movie app, two-factor scams & a robot that draws your blood (188, August 22, 2026)

Meta faces landmark teen safety trial: Twenty-nine states accuse Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to hook young users while misleading parents about safety. Former Meta executive Arturo Behar testified that growth and engagement often took priority over child safety, while Meta denies wrongdoing.

Pixel 11’s Rambler speeds up replies: Rich says the Pixel 11 Pro’s Rambler voice-to-text feature has made it much faster to respond to emails by turning spoken thoughts into clean, formatted text.

I Like Movies app tracks what to watch: Rich recommends the clean, feature-packed movie tracking app, which is available on Android now with an iPhone version expected in September.

Watching KTLA without home internet: Marshall in Reseda wants to watch KTLA+ without home internet. KTLA+ is designed for supported smart TV platforms, but KTLA.com, YouTube and an over-the-air antenna provide other ways to watch KTLA programming.

Apple Passwords vs. Bitwarden: Silvanna asks whether Apple Passwords is secure enough for an all-Apple household. Rich says it is a solid choice, while Bitwarden remains useful for people who want a free password manager that works across multiple platforms.

Password managers and 2FA are essential: Rich recommends using unique passwords through a password manager and enabling two-factor authentication. Never give an authentication code to someone who unexpectedly calls or messages asking for it.

OpenAI vs. ChatGPT explained: Neon asks whether OpenAI will eventually replace ChatGPT. Rich explains that OpenAI is the company and ChatGPT is one of its products, similar to Google making Gemini and Anthropic making Claude.

Charter and Cox complete their merger: Former Cox customers do not need to take immediate action, but Spectrum products begin rolling out in Cox markets in mid-September. Changes include a free year of Spectrum Mobile for eligible internet customers, automatic credits for outages over two hours, expanded U.S.-based support and SportsNet LA for former Cox TV customers.

Peacock raises prices again: Peacock Premium with ads is increasing to $13 a month, Premium Plus to $20 and Peacock Select to $9. Existing subscribers will begin seeing the higher prices after September 17, depending on their billing date.

Protect your hearing at concerts: Joe asks about hearing protection after being seated near extremely loud speakers. Rich recommends high-fidelity concert earplugs such as Vibes or Loop to lower the volume while preserving sound quality.

ChatGPT adds protections for teens: ChatGPT is introducing a teen experience for ages 13 to 17 with stronger safety defaults, study-focused features, parental controls and protections designed to reduce emotional dependence on AI.

How scammers defeat two-factor authentication: Matt asks how criminals can get around 2FA. A common trick is to steal a password, trigger a legitimate authentication code and then impersonate the bank or service to convince the victim to read the code aloud.

Free VPN options: Mike in Ventura wants a good free VPN. Rich recommends Proton VPN and also points to VPN options from Firefox and Opera; for a paid service, Rich likes Surfshark, a newsletter sponsor.

Sticking with Windows 10: David dislikes Windows 11 and wants to keep using Windows 10. Rich warns that unsupported operating systems eventually lose security and software compatibility, but experienced users may still find Windows 10 hardware or reinstall it while accepting those risks.

Fake IRS crypto letters: Scammers are mailing official-looking letters claiming recipients need to enroll in an IRS digital asset compliance portal. The IRS has no such portal, and QR codes in the letters can lead to sites designed to steal personal or cryptocurrency information.

AI is making scams more convincing: Steve Weisman, founder of Scamicide, says AI is helping criminals create polished phishing messages, voice clones and highly personalized scams. His core advice is to distrust unexpected communications and independently verify requests before clicking, downloading or sharing information.

Secure your home router: Weisman recommends changing default router passwords, keeping router software updated and considering newer hardware that receives automatic security updates.

Beware fake customer service numbers: Scammers can manipulate search results or buy ads that display bogus support numbers. Instead of trusting the first search result, find customer service information directly from a company’s official website, app or bill.

Incogni plans compared: Alex asks which Incogni plan to choose. Rich says the higher-tier Unlimited plan adds broader removal coverage, custom removal requests and phone support, making it more comprehensive for people who want maximum data removal.

Building a smart tiki bar: Bob in Beaumont wants thunder, rain, lightning and rumbling effects on demand in his home tiki bar. Rich suggests combining smart lighting, audio automation and <a href="https://flic.io/"