We wrap up our October book pick, The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Some people find the hero less than heroic. Some people find the genre less than fantasy. So why did Tom like it so much? Is HE a traitor? Also a short story vending machine and why we’re so jealous of Ann Leckie’s good taste.
http://swordandlaser.com/home/2015/10/27/sl-podcast-232-is-this-book-a-traitor-to-its-genre
Do you value performance over looks? Eric Franklin and Tom Merritt discuss 343 Industries’ decision to prioritize 60fps over everything else in Halo 5: Guardians.
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Show Notes
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Is YouTube Red genius or idiocy? Why Canada wins at Star Wars and how the old Apple TV scooped the new one.
CordKillers: 93 – Other Tubes Named Red
Recorded: October 27 2015
Guest: Jaime Ruiz-Avila
Intro Video
Primary Target
Signal Intelligence
Gear Up
Front Lines
Under Surveillance
Dispatches from the Front
Tom mentioned his new chipped card’s number didn’t change, but the CVV code should have. When I activated my new card a few months ago, I couldn’t figure out for the next week why the card was working some of the time and other times it wasn’t. It didn’t click that the only time it wasn’t working was when I was paying online through saved information. Without updating that new CVV code from the back of the card, the Netflix plans wouldn’t renew even if the card number was unchanged.
– hornakapopolis
“Hey Brian and Tom,
Last week’s show you all were talking about how close we are to the NFL running their own distribution and putting their games online.
I’d love if this were true, but the economics might not pan out in the NFL’s favor. Currently the NFL is making roughly $6 BILLION a year from CBS, FOX, NBC ($3.1B), ESPN ($1.9B), DirecTV Sunday Ticket ($1B) for rights to games.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/15/business/la-fi-ct-nfl-deals-20111215
Also they’ve signed these deals to last till 2022.
If the networks decided not to renew deals when they’re up because the NFL wants to stream games online they’re gonna have a hard time making the same kind of money.
20M subscribers paying $25/mo. = $6 Billion/yr
or
50M subscribers paying $10/mo. = $6 Billion/yr
This doesn’t include infrastructure of network or cost to have others host. Not to mention marketing, customer service etc.
The only way I see it could being possible sometime in the future is if they managed to get a deal similar to what the MLB has with the networks…still show games on TV (probably at a lower rate than the $3.1B now) while offering a “”premium”” service that’s over the top everywhere. This would of course take the rug from under the DirecTV so that would be more revenue to make up. Unfortunately I don’t think they can reach beyond the most diehard fans if the price is anything over $15/mo.
I think the NFL will eventually start chipping away, it’s inevitable. Maybe starting with an exclusive deal with Apple or Amazon to have a toe in the streaming box game without totally offending their currently partners. Whatever the case sports fan, particularly NFL fans will have to get by with over the air, Sling or Sunday Ticket.
You guys keep being awesome!
Cheers,
– James
(I’m the guy who stopped you at Ralph’s Tom ☺)”
“Hey Guys,
I wanted to point to you this weekend’s report on Box Office Mojo. The author notes how the latest Paranormal Activity movie had a weak opening, but is using a new strategy with Video on Demand. He notes that once the movie is playing on less than 300 theaters, it be available for VOD. In exchange, participating theaters will receive a portion of the VOD profits. This approach shortens the theatrical window significantly, and I’m curious how it will be accepted by studios, theaters, and viewers.
Thanks for a great show every week.
Your boss,
– Mike
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4116&p=.htm”
1) horse racing and fantasy sports as I understand it are examples of parimutuel betting. The idea is the betting or house can’t influence the odds. (https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/24n5vb/eli5_why_is_it_legal_to_bet_on_horse_races_but/)
technically Hearthstone, Poker, and Sports are not gambling in a way that can influence the game (as long as the teams aren’t involved in/make money on the bets) so it seems a bit arbitrary
2) NBA commissioner is pro betting (http://time.com/3584866/nba-adam-silver-legalize-pro-sports-betting/)
– Chris
Hey Tom and Brian,
Love the show been a fan since Framerate. I suggest Longmire to replace The Shield. It has 4 seasons with a fifth yet to be confirmed but most likely coming all on Netflix. The show is a modern day western and has deep and realistic characters with actions that are understandable and relevant. It is a loose police procedural about a Wyoming county sheriff solving a murder of the week, but there is a deeper, more consistent overall story that stretches season to season. The dichotomy between the characters, cultures (local Native Americans vs. white population, rich vs. poor), landscapes, and what’s ethically right vs what’s the law is so enriching but not so politically driven as other shows. Walt Longmire is just a great character as Walter White.
Also, can I make a suggestion on maybe letting us viewers and “bosses” know what you guys will spoil a week in advance (or few days via Twitter, etc). I get you guys are busy and can only watch a limited shows. But I like to follow along with Spoilern’ Time and sometimes you’ll start new shows or movies, like Beasts of No Nation, and some of weren’t aware and it’s hard to go back and listen. Anyway just my suggestion.
Thanks and keep up the phenomenal job.
Regards,
– Judson M.
Links
Do social networks provide meaningful info about current events? They want to, to you and to journalists. Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt talk about Twitter and Facebook’s rocky relationship with news.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you are willing to support the show or give as little as 5 cents a day on Patreon. Thank you!
Big thanks to Dan Lueders for the headlines music and Martin Bell for the opening theme!
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Real tech stories. Really shaky analysis.
Welcome to WTVB, where accuracy is a lucky accident.
C’mon, How Hard Can It B–Oof… Ow!
The Chinese company Ninebot announced a new scooter, the Ninebot mini. Upon hearing its description–a scooter with no handle that can be controlled by an app–executives at ABC immediately renewed America’s Funniest Home Videos for three more years.
Study Shows Majority Of Drivers Require Short Nap to Replenish Energy After Issuing Grueling Voice Command
Recent studies have shown that it takes up to 27 seconds to regain full concentration on driving after issuing a voice command to the car’s “info-tainment” system. 27 seconds!? Unless there’s a voice command that instructs your seat to do something that sure as hell didn’t come standard in my Corolla, I don’t get it. Okay, if your name is Marty McFly and a minute ago you were listening to Huey Lewis on a two-pound Walkman in 1985 but now you can tell your car to play Back in Time and it does it, you can have half a minute to absorb that.* Everyone else: we would all really appreciate it if you would please remove your head from your ass.
Back That App Up
Instagram announced a new app called Boomerang that takes a series of five photos and turns them into a video that plays forward and backward in a loop. The killer feature, says the second-grader portion of my brain (approximately 78%), is the playing in reverse aspect. If Boomerang can engender the pure joy an elementary school classroom received watching a mind-numbing account of how corn was harvested become the height of hilarity by convincing the teacher to run the film backwards–the downed stalks popping back up when the tractor backed over them, how crazy is that!?–then Instagram is on to something.
Gullible Public Shakes Head, Says “You Got Me”
The European Court of Justice ruled that bitcoin is exempt from consumption tax. In other words, value added tax, or VAT, is not to be added to…
Okay, okay. We’ve all had a good laugh, but it’s time to come clean. As many of you have no doubt realized, there is no such thing as “bitcoin.” Don’t feel bad if you fell for it. I bought in for a while. But come on. Think about it. Somebody suddenly says, “Guess what? These bits of information on my computer? They’re now worth money!” Really, how much money are they worth? “That’s an interesting question. In July of 2010, a bitcoin was worth eight cents. A year later, it was worth a dollar. Another year later, two dollars. Then, get this, in 2013 it went up to $266! Then down to $100. The up to $1,250! Then down to $600. Today, about $280, give or take. ”
Suurrrrrre… that makes sense. But say you still haven’t caught on to the gag. You ask:
So it’s really currency? I could buy stuff with it?
Yep.
I could just walk into McDonald’s and buy a Big Mac with bitcoin?
No, not McDonald’s.
Burger King?
No, Burger King doesn’t sell Big Macs.
Okay, a Whopper then, smartass?
Nope.
Grocery store?
Probably not.
So it’s more of an online thing?
Ahhh…
I can use it at Amazon, then?
No. Well, not directly. You could go to a bitcoin-accepting site that sells gift cards and buy an Amazon gift card with bitcoin, then buy something at Amazon with the gift card.
Uh, okay. But if I spend a bitcoin today to get a $200 gift card, I might find out that if I had waited until tomorrow I could have gotten a $300 card? Because the value fluctuates?
Entirely possible.
So how do I know when to spend my bitcoin?
You don’t.
Well then, are people actually spending them, or are they investing in them, hoping the price goes up like a stock?
Yes.
Finally, the light bulb comes on, you elbow the person pranking you and say You had me going.
We expect this will be the topic of the series-ending episode of Mythbusters next year, right after they reveal to Cubs fans that there has never been such a thing as a “World Series,” but only a hoax–like the moon landing–performed each year to frustrate them.
Operating System Update Brings Us To The Cutting Edge Of Hieroglyphics
Apple has released iOS 9.1 which includes some boring stuff about Live Photos and Messages, but also has a host of NEW EMOJIS! These include, as listed on DTNS, middle finger, unicorn head, hot dog, taco, and cheese wedge! Right there, with five emojis, the geniuses at Apple have encapsulated the work day for 98% of us. Commute to work-fantasize (about quitting work)-eat. It’s even my exact nightly menu from when I was single. If you keep a digital journal, your entries just got ridiculously easy: Dear Diary, click-click-click-click-click. Talk to you tomorrow! On weekends, you don’t even need the middle finger. Unless you’re a Browns fan.
Okay, But I Better Get My BAD2THEDRONE License Plate
The Department of Transportation and the FAA are looking to require registration of some consumer drones. The stated reasons include increasing safety through education and accountability for incidents such as the recent interfering with firefighting efforts, but there is suspicion that the true catalyst for this move is a highly-placed government official giggling at the thought of side-by-side Departments of Motor Vehicles and Rotor Vehicles.
I Think I’d Miss Squeezing The Melons
Amazon is charging $299 a year for Amazon Fresh, their grocery delivery service. Sure, $299 sounds like a lot, but wait until Black Friday, when non-members can only wistfully look on as early adopters stock up on 90%-off cranberry sauce. Then who’s crazy? Huh?
Mission Accomplished
Asked about Apple’s plans in the automobile industry, CEO Tim Cook said they want people to have an iPhone experience in their car. “That’s a good one,” said every pedestrian trying to cross an intersection while three straight cars blow through a red light as their drivers stare at a text message.
Any Resemblance To Actual Phones, Living Or Dead, Is Purely Coincidental
Speaking of an iPhone experience, HTC announced their new phone, the One A9, that many claim is blatantly copying the look of the iPhone. “Absolutely not,” said PR spokeswoman Carrie Pilkington. “We are, and always have been, proud of the unique qualities we bring to phone design, and will continue to be innovators in the field. Furthermore, do you really think it looks like an iPhone? You’re not just saying that?”
* Thought you were done hearing about Back to the Future this week, didn’t you?
Thanks for stopping by. Don’t take any wooden bitcoins.
Mike Range
@MovieLeagueMike
Weekly Tech Views Blog by Mike Range is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Should your phone replace your password? Shannon Morse and Tom Merritt discuss whether that’s a good idea or not.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you are willing to support the show or give as little as 5 cents a day on Patreon. Thank you!
Big thanks to Dan Lueders for the headlines music and Martin Bell for the opening theme!
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
10 years ago we started this show, then we talked about food. Today we start by talking about food, using apps to order food, Moon Pies, Back to the Future, fiction affecting reality, the computer market of the 1980s, the music player of the 2000s, The Player with Tim Robbins, and back to Back to the Future. Our memories of 2005.
Why sports teams are embracing Big data and analytics to win. Turns out that stuff data nerds are into is even more helpful than the spreadsheet you read about in Moneyball. Justin Young and Tom Merritt discuss and consider supporting Arsenal.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you are willing to support the show or give as little as 5 cents a day on Patreon. Thank you!
Big thanks to Dan Lueders for the headlines music and Martin Bell for the opening theme!
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
In 1938 – Chester Carlson, tired of the exhaustive process of hand-copying or photographing patent paperwork, decided to make an easier way. On this date he produced the first electrophotographic image. Xerox would later make it automatic, popular, and make Carlson rich.
In 1968 – The US bounced back from tragedy with the first manned mission to space, Apollo 7, safely splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean after orbiting the Earth 163 times.
In 1975 – The Soviet unmanned space mission Venera 9 landed on Venus. Pics or it didn’t happen you say? Well Venera 9 was the first spacecraft to return an image from the surface of another planet.
In 2009 – Microsoft released Windows 7. People liked it.
In 2013 – Apple announced the new iPad Air and iPad Mini with retina display. They also released OS X Mavericks for free.
Like Tech History? Get the illustrated Year in Tech History at Merritt’s Books site.
YouTube Red has music, Amazon Prime shipping has mucis Apple Music has 6 million paying members but Spotify is the top grossing iOS app. So how the heck should we listen to music these days? Nate Lanxon talks with Scott Johnson and Tom Merritt about just such matters.
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Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you are willing to support the show or give as little as 5 cents a day on Patreon. Thank you!
Big thanks to Dan Lueders for the headlines music and Martin Bell for the opening theme!
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!