Be wary of CHATGPT app SCAMS!

None of the apps in the App Stores are worth downloading.

“Drawing of a Chatbot holding a pile of money and laughing”, generated by Open AI’s Dall-E

You’ve heard the hype about ChatGPT, the robot powered chat search engine that can also create poems, employment letters and even books for you. And if you haven’t tried it, you want to.

Some shifty app developers are trying to profit from your interest with really shady apps. Type “ChatGPT” into the Google or Apple app stores, and dozens will pop up.

Our advice: steer clear! They are scams, worthless. These app makers are trying to make $$$ based on your ignorance.

And they are charging big bucks based on conning you, with apps that cost anywhere from $40 to a potential $520 yearly just to use them.

Which is ironic, as the program that you want, ChatGPT, is free.

ChatGPT, which you can use for free at the openai.com website, doesn’t have a smartphone app. Which is why these app developers are now pouncing. If you see apps in the stores with names like AIChatBot, Genie, AI Chat+, Chat AI, Chat AI C and the worst offender, ChatAI - ChatBot, please don’t even think about downloading them. The latter is the one that could potentially charge you an outrageous $520 a year to use.

ChatGPT has also been baked into a new version of Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which the tech world has been breathlessly talking about for weeks. The new Bing with ChatGPT is so good, some analysts have said, Google has a lot to be worried about, and could see its dominance threatened by, of all things, a search engine that’s been around since 2009, yet little used.

Ready to be confused? Just a few days ago, Microsoft said a new Bing app was released for Apple and Android phones with ChatGPT built into it.

But….

While the new Bing app is open to the general public, access to ChatGPT isn’t. That requires being on a waiting list and waiting for your invitation to join the party, which could take weeks.*

So if you want to use ChatGPT on your smartphone now, there’s a really easy way to do it. Go to openai.com, register, sign in, and start asking questions. That simple.

Meanwhile, as for the bogus apps, if you want to see cons on display, just check out the screen shot.

The ChatAI-Chatbot app claims to be the official ChatGPT app. That’s not true.

And look at the “reviews” for the Chat AI app (this one only charges a potential $364 yearly to use) and I dare you to find me a review in there that was written by a real customer. Apple, what were you thinking?

I asked Apple to tell me I’m wrong about these fake reviews and am awaiting a comment.

The Chat AI app charges $7.99 weekly, while ChatAI-Chatbot is $10 weekly. Have you ever forgotten about a subscription? Well, if you signed up for a week that never ended with these apps, you could be on the hook for $364 or $520 yearly.

Please don’t do it!

Mylio Photos: a word from our sponsor

Thank you Mylio Photos for supporting the newsletter, video show and podcast! Mylio makes software that collects all your photos and videos into one place, while also providing digital access to them on your phones, tablets and computers. I like not being beholden to Big Tech to get access to my images. And you’ll have a copy of your stuff stored locally, plus online access as well, which all of us should do, whether or not we subscribe to Mylio, which costs $99 yearly. Check out Mylio with its free 30-day trial:

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Thursday: what’s wrong with iCloud?

Last week’s inaugural edition of Photowalk Talks Live on YouTube was a roaring success, so we’re going to continue, Thursdays at 2 p.m. PT. My pal the photographer Steve Brazill, who hosts the Behind the Shot podcast, is guesting with me, as we discuss what’s wrong with Apple’s iCloud, and offer consumers some way better alternatives for their photo backup.

Get your questions ready and please join us. We even have a great giveaway—a free one-year membership to the fantastic KelbyOne photo instruction website. Thursday at 2 p.m. PT everyone.

Los Angeles on a Snow Day

You may have heard we had a recent storm. Los Angeles doesn’t usually look like this. But we sure love it when it does!

Thanks as always for taking the time to read the newsletter. If you haven’t caught it yet, please check out the latest PhotowalksTV episode, from Solvang, California and let YouTube know you care with a comment. Next stop: we’re hitting the backroads Saturday to the charming small town of Safety Harbor, Florida.

Jeff