Greetings and welcome to another edition of the Rich on Tech newsletter, this time coming to you from Alisal, where we’re celebrating my father-in-law’s milestone birthday. It’s been a busy stretch of special occasions lately!
This week was packed with new tech. Amazon unveiled new products, Apple announced an upcoming product launch, I’m writing this newsletter on a new Google device, and I attended Microsoft’s latest launch event.
Not to be outdone, Ring also introduced a new smart lock with a nifty feature.
So, let’s get right into it.
First up, Amazon, with arguably the most exciting tech announcement of the week: its new Alexa tablets.
I’m especially excited about these because, for years, I’ve pretty much exclusively recommended Apple’s iPad when someone asks me which tablet to buy. Yes, it costs more than the cheap tablets out there, but you get a lot for your money. You get the best selection of apps designed for a tablet, great accessories, excellent software, and an overall experience that’s hard to beat.
That’s why I’ve never really recommended Amazon’s Fire tablets. They were cheap, but they didn’t have access to the Google Play Store, which severely limited the apps you could use.
Well, I’m happy to report that Amazon has finally answered my wishes! The company just unveiled three new Alexa tablets, and they appear to address nearly all of my complaints.
I haven’t gotten my hands on one yet, but I’m hoping to soon for a full review. On paper, these look like they could finally be a great Android tablet recommendation, with prices starting below the iPad.
There are three sizes, and all have full access to Google Play, which means you can finally download all the apps you’ve been missing. Instead of relying on Amazon’s limited app store, these run Android with access to Google’s massive app selection. They also have Alexa+ built right in.
The tablets look thin and light, with upgraded processors and plenty of RAM. I’m especially intrigued by the optional Nanomatte display on the largest model, which reduces glare and gives the screen a more paper-like appearance. I think that could be great for reading Kindle books.
Speaking of Kindle, Amazon has added a smart reading mode. Open a book in the Kindle app, and the tablet automatically switches to a distraction-free experience. Notifications go silent, blue light is reduced, and Amazon says you can get up to 20 hours of reading on a single charge.
So yes, I’m excited about these. Prices start at $230 for the smallest model, $330 for the middle size, and $500 for the largest. The fancy Nanomatte version starts at $550.
I know that sounds expensive for an Amazon tablet, but let’s be real, who pays full price for Amazon hardware? I fully expect these to go on sale for $50 to $100 less eventually. If you plan on ordering one, just be aware there are no MicroSD card slots on these and the entry level pricing might include ads on the lock screen.
The new tablets start shipping October 14.
Speaking of Amazon, a feature in its shopping app went viral this week because it reveals what Amazon thinks it knows about you.
It’s called “About You,” and it shows the information Amazon uses to personalize your shopping experience. You can see everything from the products and brands it thinks you prefer to your hobbies, interests, and even who’s living in your house.
Some people have been pretty shocked by what they’ve found, but think about it. If you’ve been shopping on Amazon for years, the company has had plenty of opportunities to make assumptions about you based on what you’ve searched for, purchased, and reviewed.
The good news is that you can actually review this information and remove things that are incorrect or that you don’t want Amazon using to personalize your recommendations.
Here’s how to check:
Open the Amazon Shopping app.
Tap the little person icon at the bottom.
Tap
Hello (or your name) at the top left.Scroll down and look for
About YouTap it to see what Amazon thinks it knows about you.
Take a look. You might be amused, impressed, or a little creeped out by what you find.
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Apple also has a mini event coming up on Tuesday, October 13, in New York City. The company never says what it’s announcing in advance, but the invitation says “Welcome Home,” so we have a pretty good idea of what’s coming.
According to rumors, we can expect:
A new Apple TV
A new HomePod mini
An entirely new device called the Home Hub, which sounds like an iPad attached to a speaker base. The idea is to have one central place to control your smart home devices, run apps, display widgets, and even show off your photos when you’re not using it.
I’ll keep you updated on what Apple announces and hopefully get my hands on these products soon.
Personally, I think Apple has some catching up to do in the smart home market. But with so many people already using iPhones, this could be a good companion. Thanks to Matter, the smart home standard designed to make devices from different brands work together, many existing compatible accessories should work with Apple’s new products.
I especially like the idea of having one central screen to control everything in your home. And since so many people already have thousands of photos stored in iCloud, it could be a great way to actually enjoy those pictures instead of letting them sit on your phone.
This week, I also made a quick trip to San Francisco for a highly technical Microsoft launch event. It was a relatively small gathering, but they had some tech heavyweights on hand, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
There were two big takeaways for me from a consumer perspective.
First, Microsoft is making Windows safer for AI agents. These are the AI tools that can actually take control of your computer and perform tasks on your behalf. The concern is that you don’t necessarily want an agent running wild on your computer, accessing all your files or doing things without your knowledge.
Microsoft is building new safeguards into Windows that limit what these agents can access and do. Think of it a bit like installing an app on your phone. You give it certain permissions instead of handing over the keys to your entire device.
Second, Microsoft showed off its new Surface Laptop Ultra. This thing is a powerhouse and essentially Microsoft’s answer to the MacBook Pro.
What’s unique is that it runs on a new Nvidia chip called RTX Spark. Nvidia is best known for graphics processors, but this chip combines the CPU, which handles everyday computing tasks, and the GPU, which handles graphics and other intensive processing, into one powerful package.
When I got my hands on the laptop, the first thing I noticed was its heft. This is a serious machine. Microsoft calls it its most powerful Surface Laptop ever, and it has a beautiful 15-inch touchscreen and just about every port you could want, including HDMI, USB-C, standard USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.
One feature getting a lot of attention is what Microsoft calls the world’s first built-in magnetic USB-C charging port. You know how Apple’s MacBooks have MagSafe charging, where the cable pops off if someone trips over it? Microsoft has taken that idea a step further.
The charging cable attaches magnetically to a USB-C port, but here’s the neat part: it’s still a fully functional USB-C port. You can unplug the charger and use that same port for accessories. You’re not sacrificing an entire port just for charging.
The Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599 and is available for preorder now, with shipping beginning October 16.
This week, I also caught up with Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, the guy who invented the video doorbell way back in the day.
I remember testing a very early version called the Doorbot. Back then, the biggest problem was flaky Wi-Fi, which they eventually figured out. Amazon went on to buy the company for more than a billion dollars, but that’s another story.
Now, Siminoff has come up with another clever invention: the Ring Smart Lock.
I’ve had an electronic door lock on my house for years, and one of my biggest concerns has always been the battery dying while I’m outside. That’s why many smart locks still have a physical key as a backup. But what’s the point of going keyless if you still have to carry around a key?
Siminoff agrees. As he explained to me, keys are old school. My car doesn’t need a physical key anymore, so why should my front door?
His solution is pretty ingenious. The new Ring Smart Lock has a little hand crank built into the front. If the battery dies, you simply turn the dial about five to ten times, generating enough power to wake up the lock and let you inside. Once you’re in, you can recharge the main battery, which is supposed to last about a year.
And yes, there’s no physical keyhole on this lock. You can unlock it with your fingerprint, a PIN, the Ring app, or Alexa.
The Ring Smart Lock will cost $250 when it arrives in early 2027. The dial adds a little bulk to the design, but I think it’s an interesting solution to a problem that’s kept some people from buying smart locks in the first place.
By the way, talking with Jamie is always fun, and I’ll likely share our full conversation on my radio show. What impresses me is that he’s still inventing all these years later. He started Ring, sold it to Amazon, stepped away for a while, and then came back to lead the company once again.
And here’s something I didn’t realize: Jamie told me he also invented Amazon Sidewalk, a technology he’s been working on for about a decade.
Sidewalk is pretty genius. It uses compatible Ring and Amazon devices throughout your neighborhood to create a shared, low-power wireless network. It’s designed for devices that don’t need a lot of bandwidth, like smart locks, trackers, and alarm sensors.
Amazon says the network now reaches about 95% of the U.S. population. And because it relies on devices throughout the neighborhood, your smart lock could stay connected even if your own Wi-Fi goes down, provided there’s another Sidewalk connection nearby.
Ring is going all in on Sidewalk, too. Its new alarm sensors use the network, which means you no longer need a traditional alarm base station for those compatible devices.
If you’re curious, you can check the coverage in your neighborhood.
Pretty neat. And as Jamie told me at the end of our conversation, his motto is “Always be inventing.”
This week was Amazon’s big Prime Day sale, and I actually didn’t order much this time around, except for a new pair of sneakers. My wife bought a bunch of stuff, though, and I did notice some pretty decent deals.
Gadgets are getting more expensive these days, but there were still some good bargains to be found. I shared a list of more than 60 products I personally like and recommend, and it’s always fun to see which ones you gravitate toward.
Here are the top five products from my recommendations, based on your clicks:
I carry this thing everywhere I travel. It’s motion-activated, rechargeable, and I like it better than my previous recommendation because it charges via USB-C instead of the old Micro-USB cable. The one downside is that it doesn’t stand up on its own, which is kind of weird for a night light. But I just lay it flat, and it works fine.DAZZY DOT rechargeable night light:I always recommend carrying a portable charger, and this 10,000mAh model is one of my favorites. The best part is the built-in USB-C cable, so you don’t have to remember to pack a separate one.Belkin portable USB-C power bank:There’s definitely a travel theme here! This magnetic ring attaches to the back of your phone, gives you a better grip, and doubles as a little kickstand for watching videos. It’s one of those simple accessories that’s super handy.Syncwire MagSafe phone ring:I always keep a USB flash drive like this in my bag. It has both USB-C and traditional USB-A connectors, so you can easily move files between phones and computers without worrying about which port they have.Amazon Basics 128GB USB flash drive:This is my absolute favorite travel cable. It’s a durable USB-C cable with built-in adapters for USB-A and Micro-USB, so it handles just about any charging situation you might encounter on a trip. Whether I’m on a plane, in a hotel, or charging an older gadget, this is the cable I always keep front and center in my travel bag.Nomad universal travel cable:
You can check out my full list of more than 60 recommended products here. And remember, even though Prime Day is over, many of these products go on sale throughout the year.
Who would have guessed that a story about TV antennas would turn out to be one of my most popular TV segments of the year?
It all started when a viewer emailed me and suggested I interview Tyler Kleinle, better known as Antenna Man on YouTube.
I reached out, had him on my radio show, and we had a great conversation. The response was so strong that I ended up ordering two of his recommended antennas to test for myself.
Both worked great, so I decided to turn the experience into a TV segment. And wouldn’t you know it, that story has become one of my most popular of the year.
If you haven’t seen it, take a look. It’s a great reminder that a simple $15 antenna can still pull in a whole bunch of TV programming for free, including sports. No subscription required!
Another interesting story this week was about a guy I met who invented a unique way to display advertising on your car windows.
It’s called HoloGlass, and it uses a small projector and a special screen cut specifically to fit your car’s window. The projector beams images or video onto the screen, creating a pretty cool 3D-like effect that people outside the car can see.
The original idea was to help businesses advertise, but it turns out regular consumers want this technology, too. Imagine displaying your favorite sports team’s logo, a birthda…
