Patrick Beja is in and we’ll talk about GCHQ Director Robert Hannigan’s argument that tech companies need to work more closely with the government on surveillance because privacy is not an absolute right. Also Disney Movies are easier to watch!
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Show Notes
Today’s guest:
Patrick Beja, independent podcaster, DTNS contributor and host of Le Rendez-vous Tech, The Phileas Club and Pixels podcasts
Headlines
GigaOm reports Amazon has made unlimited full-resolution photo storage available to subscribers to its Amazon Prime service. The feature was previously only available to the owner of an Amazon Fire Phone. To take advantage of the offer, Prime subscribers need to install the Amazon Cloud Drive Photos app for Android or iOS. The apps automatically upload photos taken on mobile devices. The photos can be shown back on a variety of devices including PlayStations 3 and 4 and Fire TV.
TechCrunch reports Microsoft has partnered with Dropbox to integrate the cloud storage service into Microsoft Office 365. Dropbox users will be able to edit office docs from Dropbox’s app and access Dropbox Docs from Office apps. And by the first half of 2015 Dropbox plans to support Office Online directly from its web app.
ZDNet reports from the Google Cloud Platform Live summit that Google announced several new cloud features. Google Cloud Interconnect, will serve as a “backbone” for Internet-scale apps with direct peering, carrier interconnect and VPN connectivity options. Google also introduced Container Engine, a system for running and linking app components running on individual virtual machines to launching portable Docker containers. And of course the inevitable price drops.
ZDNet reports that Intel Capital will be investing $62 million in 16 different startups, including Braigo Labs. Braigo was founded by Shubham Banerjee, who built a portable Braille printer out of a Lego Mindstorm EV3 kit when he was twelve years old. (Braille + Lego = Braigo). Traditional Braille printers cost around two thousand dollars, but Banerjee’s first model cost about $350.
Reuters reports Nigerian phone tower group IHS has raised $2 billion in equity and $600 million in debt to finance infrastructure spending and acquisitions. Tower companies like IHS reduce building and maintenance cost for carriers by hosting multiple tenants on the same towers. Security costs and electricity shortages make tower operations more expensive in Africa.
Recode’s Walt Mossberg, called up the head of MCX, Dekkers Davidson and asked him about the Consortium’s exclusivity clause that has some members turning off support for NFC-based payment systems like Google Wallet. Davidson stated that MCX needed exclusivity for now to provide “breathing room” for the development of CurrentC. This exclusivity will apparently end in “months, not years.” Davidson also denied that MCX ordered CVS to turn off Apple Pay. Mossberg is now shopping at Walgreens.
The last of the three Pirate Bay co-founders has been arrested in Thailand according to CNET. Frederik Neij was caught crossing from Laos where he had been living, into Thailand. Neij, along with fellow Pirate Bay co-founders Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde and Swedish telecom owner Carl Lundstrom, were each sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to collectively pay 30 million Swedish kronor in damages to copyright holders in 2009.
News From You:
scottierowland submitted The Verge report that the Disney Movie Anywhere App has come to Android which means you can buy a Disney movie on iTunes and watch it on your Android device. The reverse is true as well since Disney already has an app for iOS.. While the app is not yet available on Windows Phones, Disney CTO Jamie Voris said the company intends to add new partners wherever it can. The Android app is available today, and free digital copy of Wreck it Ralph is waiting for you on the other end of the signup page.
KAPT_Kipper reports that Nest is releasing an update to its smart thermostat that will improve its ability to learn your schedule from your adjustments after the initial two-week learning period. Customers had complained to much manual input had been required for the thermostat to learn properly over the first couple of weeks. The main screen will be updated as well to show the outside weather.
habichuelacondulce submitted the Wired story that researchers at Newcastle University have discovered a weakness in chip and pin credit cards also called EMV cards for Europay, MasterCard Visa. EMV cards can make contactless payments. When doing so the PIN part is left out and transaction is limited to £20 when processed in the UK. UNLESS the transaction isn’t in pounds. Then apparently there is no limit. Someone could carry malicious terminals to say Heathrow airport and conduct wireless transactions in non-UK currencies on passersby without their knowledge. The researchers plan to present their findings this week at a ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Arizona.
Discussion Section:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c89b6c58-6342-11e4-8a63-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29894104
https://www.eff.org/secure-messaging-scorecard
Pick of the Day: Asana Project Management via Elliott
Asana.com is a project management online platform meant for companies to work through projects, collaborate, and organize. The creators of Asana are Dustin Moskovitz(Co founder of Facebook) and Justin Rosenstein. Now I do not use this for work but rather all the projects I have being a home owner and car enthusiast . When doing a full restoration on my Datsun I can keep track of progress, ordering of parts, and completed tasks. The best part about Asana is its free. Just login and start a project. Love the shows. (Jill Duffy at PCMAg points out No offline capabilities. Not ideal for graphics-intensive project management. No chat. No multi-day assignments. No message boards.)
Tomorrow’s guest: Peter Wells of Reckoner, Australia