Tech News Today 661: Apple Waze Its Options

Hosts: Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Apple acquiring Waze? Microsoft and Youtube app scuffle, Ubuntu phone coming soon-ish, and more.

Guest: Patrick Norton

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Running time:: 0:50:15

Last day in San Rafael

It frosted this morning in my neighborhood.  Something I’m unlikely to experience again at home after today. Isn’t frost front page news or something in Los Angeles?

Eileen flew back to LA last night and almost everything is in boxes now. Having people pack for you is nice, but I’m such a completionist, the loose ends are bugging me. There’s stuff they won’t take that I’m trying to fit in my car full of stuff I need to drive down.  Plus I have to leave room for the dogs. And so all these little things lying around drive me crazy.  Will they pack the soap dispenser empty or willt hey be all TSA like?

They’ll probably pack it.  The guy last night was pretty good about being understanding that I don’t have infinite room in the car. But I don’t want to get them in trouble with their bosses or anything else.  Yes, I’m stressing over a soap dispenser.  Welcome to my head. I’d much rather be stressing over whether R2 is really valuable as an acquisition for Microsoft or just a rebrander for existing home automation tech as one of our listeners suggested. But instead, for today, I’m stressing about soap dispensers. And candles.  And the electrical plug for the small lamp that was inexplicably not packed in a box.  Is it considered a battery?  Is it considered a soap dispenser?!?!?

I bought 8 donuts for the crew coming to load up the truck this morning. Do they hate donuts?  Do they hate soap dispensers? Will Apple buy Waze?  When should I disconnect the router?  Probably now.

Odd note. I have Comcast Business Class at home, and they handily make you drive their stupid unmodifiable router that I never wanted anyway, to one of their offices to turn it in before they resolve your contract.  I suppose I could have mailed it, but the office is on the way out of town.  So my car full of soap dispensers and dogs will drop by on the way down to LA later today to give them back their precious router/manacle.

Tonight I will dine in Santa Monica. Then (hopefully) the truck arrives in LA tomorrow or Saturday. Verizon arrives Friday for Internets.  DirecTV on Saturday for our HGTV machine. (also good for authorizing my HBO Go account). Possibly, just possibly, by Sunday I’ll be in our new house, in our new hood, with only boxes to unpack. And soap dispensers.

Tech History Today – Jan. 3

In 1957 – Hamilton Electric held a press conference to announce the World’s First Electronic Watch, the Hamilton Electric 500, a watch that never needed winding. Just batteries.

In 1977 – Apple Computer Co. was incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Ron Wayne famously backed out selling his shares back for $800. Ouch.

In 1999 – The U.S. Mars Polar Lander was launched. It would spend most of the year wending its way towards Mars before it lost communication with Earth in December, presumably after crashing.

Like Tech History? Purchase Tom Merritt’s Chronology of Tech History at Merritt’s Books site.

Tech News Today 660: Sitting in the Tweet Seats

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Intel wants to win at TV, Avis tries harder to buy Zipcar, circumvent Apple DRM without a jailbreak, and more.

Guest: David Spark

Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/tnt.

Submit and vote on story coverage at technewstoday.reddit.com.

Check out the full show notes for today’s episode.

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Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Running time:: 0:44:02