6/4/2024: Make lists in Google Maps

June 4, 2024

Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, a veteran tech journalist, and this is the free edition of Advisorator, my weekly tech advice newsletter. If someone shared this newsletter with you, consider signing up to get it every Tuesday. Thanks for reading!

Tip of the moment: Make lists in Google Maps

The Newman family has a road trip vacation coming up, so I’m finally endeavoring to use the Lists feature in Google Maps, which lets you save locations for quick access. I’ve made a list for all the hotels and houses where we plan to stay, so I don’t have to go looking for the addresses in my emails and text messages.

Depending on device, you’ll find the List feature under either the “You” or “Saved” tab. Each list you create is shareable, and each saved address has a notes field, which is helpful for assigning nicknames such as “Portland hotel” or “Adam’s house.” Tapping a saved address takes you to its main Maps page, so you can quickly get directions.

One minor annoyance: Google Maps may sort your list with the most recently-edited items at the top. It’s far more useful to sort by Distance from the drop-down menu instead.

Reviving an old radio

This week’s members-only feature story is about finding a vintage radio, discovering that it still works, and creating a custom radio station to play my favorite music on it around the clock. It’s one of the most joyful tech projects I’ve ever undertaken, and you can read all about it with a free trial:

Need to know

Spotify price hike: Spotify is raising prices for the second time in a year, so it now costs $12 per month for individuals, $17 per month for couples, $20 per month for families, and $6 per month for students. The price hike dovetails with Spotify’saudiobook push, as the service added 15 hours of audiobook listening per month last fall. There’s no word yet on a cheaper plan without audiobooks, which was rumored by Bloomberg in April.

For now, the best way to save on Spotify is with annual gift cards, which you can buy for $99 apiece. (For Advisorator subscribers, my guide to spending less on streaming music has more tips.)

Grubhub+ for Prime members: It’s not all bad news on the subscription front, as Amazon has added Grubhub+ as an extra Prime benefit. The food delivery service, which normally costs $10 per month, nixes delivery fees and reduces the service fees that Grubhub normally tacks onto each order. Prime members can activate the benefit and link their Grubhub accounts through Amazon’s website.

Just note that Grubhub and its peers tend to jack up prices for the actual food. A sandwich from my nearest Jersey Mike’s, for instance, costs $13.32 on both Grubhub and Doordash, versus $10.25 at the store, so you’re paying a delivery surcharge regardless.

Microsoft Recall concerns: Security researcher Kevin Beaumont has written an alarming piece about Copilot+ Recall, a forthcoming Windows feature that automatically records all your on-screen activity and makes it searchable. That data, Beaumont claims, is stored in a plain-text database that’s visible to anyone with admin access to the PC, so a remote attacker could potentially access the records through malware.

For now, Recall will only be available on new “Copilot Plus” PCs with Snapdragon X processors, but as Tom Warren notes, it’s enabled by default on a pre-release version of those laptops, and there’s no way to turn it off during the setup process. That’s despite past promises by Microsoft to prioritize security over new features.

Now try this

Preview any webpage: Over at Computerworld, my pal JR Raphael has uncovered a brilliant browser extension called MaxFocus, which lets you long-click on links in your browser to preview them in a pop-up window.

The feature is clearly inspired by Apple’s Safari browser, which shows pop-up previews when you long-press a link on iOS or force-click a link on a Mac trackpad. (I’m really hoping “MaxFocus” is an intentional pun.) As JR points out, you can also preview pages in Chrome for Android by long-pressing a link and selecting “Preview Page.”

MaxFocus is available for Chrome, Firefox, and any browser with Chrome Web Store support. It’s free to use, with an optional paid upgrade for AI summaries and other extra features. (Thanks to JR’s Android Intelligence newsletter for bringing it to my attention!)

I’ve just added this one to my ultimate list of awesome apps for paid subscribers, including nearly every useful app, extension, and website I’ve covered in the past six years of Advisorator. Check it out with a free trial →

Spend wisely

I did not expect Apple’s second-gen HomePod to still be on sale for $175 through Verizon today after spotting it in my deal alerts yesterday, but here we are. While I’m not enamored with Siri as a voice assistant, HomePod speakers are still a great way to play music via AirPlay. You can also pair them with an Apple TV to use in place of TV speakers or a soundbar. This deal is a $125 discount off the list price, and you needn’t be a Verizon customer to take advantage.

Thanks for reading!

lso, some housekeeping notes:

I’ve commissioned a guest feature story for next week as I’ll be on the aforementioned family road trip. The rest of the newsletter will likely be a little shorter than usual.
The newsletter after that will go out on Wednesday, June 19, instead of Tuesday.

Got tech questions for me in the meantime? Just reply to this email to get in touch.

Until next week,
Jared

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