Ask for the paperwork on a new HVAC install
Oct 24 Daikin's SkyportCare, a cloud tool techs use to set up and service Daikin, Amana and Goodman systems, won a 2026 award from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. It walks the installer through a quality-install checklist, including checking the refrigerant charge and running a system test, and then produces a commissioning report the homeowner can keep. If the homeowner says yes, a tech can also check on the system remotely.
Whatever brand you buy, ask for the startup or commissioning numbers in writing when a new system goes in, and keep them with the warranty paperwork. That gives the next tech a baseline to compare against. Remote monitoring is your call, so ask what it can see and who can see it before you turn it on.
Source: ACHR News
Refrigerants keep changing, even on big rooftop units
Oct 24 Clivet, an Italian manufacturer, launched a new line of commercial rooftop units that run on R-454C, a lower-global-warming refrigerant from the same family as the R-454B that's now going into new U.S. home systems. It's European commercial equipment, but it shows the change in refrigerants is spreading across the industry.
If your system is older, you don't need to replace it just because refrigerants are changing. When it comes time to replace it, ask which refrigerant the new unit uses and how easy it will be to get serviced down the road. Refrigerant work requires EPA certification and special equipment, so never top it off yourself. If you think you're low, call (470) 999-7395 or book online.
Source: Cooling Post
Apple quietly blocked some bad security certificates
Oct 25 A researcher found weak security keys behind eight certificates from an Indian company called eMudhra, which in theory could have let attackers impersonate real websites. There's no evidence anyone did. Apple says Safari, Mail and apps that use its built-in networking have blocked those certificates automatically since Oct 19, so most people don't need to do anything. The only exception is Mac command-line tools, which will get a fix in a future macOS update.
This is why automatic updates are worth leaving on for phones, computers, Wi-Fi routers and smart thermostats. Most security fixes show up without you doing a thing.
Source: MacRumors
A voice AI that sounds human: time for a family scam rule
Oct 23-24 Block, the company behind Square, showed off Dessa, a voice model that listens and talks at the same time, so it handles interruptions, laughs and pauses like a real person. It isn't available to the public yet. Block is letting safety researchers test it first, probably because a voice this real could be used for scams.
Pick a family code word for urgent calls asking for money. If anyone calls claiming to be your bank, a utility or a contractor and wants payment right away, hang up and call back on a number you already know is real.
Source: TechCrunch
Apple's first foldable phone has a hinge problem
Oct 25 Some owners of Apple's iPhone Duo report a crunch when they fold it, followed by bright lines across the inner screen. iFixit took one apart and found the breaks cluster near where a cable crosses the hinge support. They have theories but can't prove the cause yet. Dust also got into the hinge. It scored a provisional 5 out of 10 for repairability, the best iFixit has given a foldable so far, but the inner screen and hinge are still hard to fix.
If you carry a foldable, a pocket with no sand, crumbs or sawdust in it goes a long way. If it starts crunching, stop and get it looked at before the screen goes.
Source: The Verge
Touchscreen MacBook Pro reportedly on the way
Oct 25 Bloomberg reports that Apple will announce 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with touch-enabled OLED screens on Wednesday, Oct 28. Touch is meant as an extra option next to the keyboard and trackpad. This is a report, not an Apple announcement yet.
Source: MacRumors
If you got a DJI drone, check your settings after updates
Oct 25 DJI's FPV drones, starting with the Avata 360, can now fly saved waypoint routes. DroneDJ warns the update can reset Return-to-Home altitude and maximum distance to their defaults.
The same goes for any gadget. After a firmware update on a drone, camera, router or smart thermostat, take a minute to check that your settings and schedules are still where you left them.
Source: DroneDJ
Quick fall checklist
- Clear leaves and sticks away from the outdoor unit and keep a couple of feet of open space around it.
- Check your furnace filter before the first cold snap, and swap it when it looks gray or dusty.
- Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace the batteries if they need it.
- If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company from outside. Don't work on gas lines, the furnace's gas valve, or a live electrical panel yourself.
