Rick and Morty (208), Utopia (201-202), Narcos (101-104), The Shield (706)
00:37 – Rick and Morty (208)
04:06 – Utopia (201-202)
09:18 – Narcos (101-104)
20:40 – The Shield (706)
DTNS 2585 – Periscope is a Turkish Delight
Periscope is taking Turkey by storm. Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt discuss why and also figure out why Kickstarter became a Public Benefit Company.
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Show Notes
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Cordkillers 88 – Involuntary “Dammit!”
Why the new Fire TV beats Apple TV and BBC streaming is a bad thing.
CordKillers: 88 – Involuntary “Dammit!”
Recorded: September 20, 2015
Guest: None
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Latest Amazon Fire TV Features 4k Video, Alexa Voice Assistant
– Amazon Fire TV $100 ships Oct. 5
– supports 4K HEVC (High efficiency video codec)
– Alexa integrated into voice search (discover content queue up media; it cannot set timers or alarms just yet.full feature set coming next year)
– New 64-bit quad-core processor and a dedicated GPU.
– $50 Fire TV Stick with voice search ships Oct. 22 ($40 w/o voice still available)
– A bundle called the Amazon TV Gaming edition packs a Fire TV with a game controller a 32GB microSD card and two free games for $140. Ships Oct. 5 - Amazon boasts Fire TV is better at turning you into a couch potato
– Amazon says Fire TV ranks among the top for customer loyalty for Internet-television app Sling TV. 16 hours per week on Fire TV
– Amazon says it has more channels apps and games than any other
– Roku claims 2500 channels
Signal Intelligence
- BBC to offer streaming in US
– BBC will offer a streaming service in US
– Programs that aren’t already screened on TV channels or available on existing streaming services
– No price announced
– Coming sometime in 2016
Gear Up
- This is the 2nd gen. Chromecast w/ backdrop feeds, better WiFi, ‘Fast Play,’ more
– 9to5 Google got hold of leaked product materials of New Chromecast
– Round form factor instead of stick
– Three colors, red, yellow, black
– Content feeds on home screen
– Fast Play - Chromecast Audio, codenamed ‘Hendrix,’ is a separate device & made to WiFi-enable your speakers
– Chromecast Audio (Codename Hendrix)
– WiFi enable any speaker through aux jack
– Can support multiple speakers
– Will support spotify
– Google scheduled an announcement for 9/29-
Front Lines
- French media giant Altice set to acquire Cablevision for $18 billion
– Netherlands-based communications company Altice has reached a deal to acquire Cablevision for $18 billion. Cablevision is the number 5 cable operator in the US. - Subscription movie service Epix will let subscribers download movies for offline viewing starting this month.
- BBC iPlayer offers picture-in-picture TV viewing on your iPad
– Hulu and BBC iPlayer are two apps taking advantage of iOS9’s ability to allow picture in picture. In other words on Pad mini 2 and 3, iPad Air and Air 2 you can keep your video playing in a smaller box in the corner while you work on a spreadsheet or play crossy road. - Fullscreen Announces Its Own Streaming Service Targeting The YouTube Generation
– YouTube multichannel network Fullscreen announced this week is plans to launch its own streaming service featuring content from its creators in the coming months. Fullscreen’s lineup includes Grace Helbig, the Fine Brothers, and more. Pricing and launch will be announced later. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl will be one of the launch titles. - Andy Samberg Gives Out A Functioning HBO NOW Login On Tonight’s Emmys
Under Surveillance
- Netflix teases images from upcoming Marvel series ‘Jessica Jones’
- Brian: Narcos (1-4), Utopia (1-2), The Shield
- Tom: Narcos (1-4), Utopia (1-2) Doctor Who 901, Clone Wars, Star Trek: Voyager, The Shield (706), Rugby World Cup, Rick and Morty (208)
- Bryce: House of Cards
Dispatches from the Front
On your last show you guys talked about how it would be nice to easily be able to download Netflix shows for off- line viewing. I’ve been able to download shows from all the major online sites ( Netflix, Hulum amazon, YouTube, the networks, and many more using a companion program to playon called Playlater. HD quality, easy to use and then to transfer to my Tivo using Tivo desktop or my ipad using itunes. one time cost right now for both programs of $49 and no monthly fees
– Anonymous
Do you know of a way to translate DVDs into digital format? I know DRM makes this hard, but I was hoping the production studios would get behind this as we transition from DVD to digital as a society.
Secondly, what options do you know of for renting movie content? iTunes and Amazon are great for this, but subject to delays in the studio’s distribution plans (movie is available to buy only for a few months before rental is an option).
– Tyler
I was listening to episode 87, where the listener wanted to use an antenna and split it off to multiple TVs. Let me tell you what I did. I bought four “flattenas” from Channelmaster.com. Each cost me $10. I went to Alltex computers in Austin Texas and bought some coaxial cable, some end thingies, and a crimper thingy. Oh, I also bought four switches that could switch from cable to antenna. I did not want to run the cable from my attic to the TVs. I just split the existing cable from Time Warner (that was already in the attic) and added the splitter. I then added a piece of new coax that went to each of the flattennas and connected it to the splitter (that was mounted where I cut the Time Warner coax). I mounted the antennas with a pushpin toward the bottom of my roof (as high as I could get them). I then put the switch to the antenna side and now each of my cable connections in the house go to the antenna instead of to the outside cable box. Now I can always switch it back to the cable side in case I ever want to subscribe to cable again. I learned how to create those correct cables by watching YouTube videos. It was simple. And cheap. I get about 23 English-speaking channels here in Cedar Park Texas. Works great!
Thank you for all you do,
– Steven
Cedar Park, Texas
Dear Tom and Brian,
I want to keep you updated on the new revolution in cord cutting in the Middle East and North Africa: icflix.
The Netflix clone just surfaced in the area with a huge selection of movies and TV shows and it costs just 8 US$ a month. It comes pre-installed in all new LG and Samsung smart TVs and has apps on consoles, smartphones, and tablets.
The price includes simultaneous streaming for 5 devices of libraries of movies of Hollywood, Bollywood and Jazwood (the latter two are Indian and Arabic movies.)
The Walking Dead is the first thing I searched for and surely, it was there.
And since all major Football (soccer) are already available for paid streaming on Bein Sports, and NFL Game Pass available for the middle east, everyone in the Middle East and North Africa can finally cut the cord and never go back.
Yours,
– Fares
I can already stream Cordkillers on my Apple TV, through the Podcast channel.
– Sara in Sunny Seattle
Brian and Tom,
On the most recent show, you were talking about scenarios where offline streaming would be useful outside of planning trips. I watch a ton of video on my tablet in my tractor. I’ve got an unlimited data plan, so the 70 gb or more per month of mobile data doesn’t cost anything, but there is a lot of my farm where Verizon doesn’t work well enough for streaming video. I usually fill up my tablet at night using Plex, which isn’t always as legal as I’d like, so having an offline option with Netflix would be huge. Imagine burning through a 12 episode season of TV every day for a month, and you can see just how nice it would be to have to work a little less hard at sourcing content.
– Aaron @Traffas from smoggy Sharon, Kansas
Links
Weekly Tech Views – 10
Real tech stories. Really shaky analysis.
The week in tech, without the annoying facts or common sense.
For the week of September 14 – September 18, 2015
And the First Game Will be Called Game 1
Sony has officially changed the name of their virtual reality initiative from Project Morpheus to PlayStation VR, in an attempt to ward off any dangerous excess excitement a cool name might produce.
Now I Can Really Let You Know What I Think of Your Cat
Facebook is talking about adding a Dislike button. CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to explain that the purpose would be to show empathy, not disagreement, but many Facebook users still see this as the first step toward the Holy Grail of web site commenters, the Burn In Hell, You Stupid A-Hole button.
I Remember When Bad News Was Losing in the Playoffs
Apple said they are on pace to set a new first-weekend iPhone sales record. Of course, “on pace” can be misleading. The Cleveland Browns lost their first game, so, technically, they are on pace to go 0-16, but the odds of that actually…
Okay, Apple, congratulations.
Buckle Up
Intel launched the Automotive Security Review Board to improve cybersecurity in cars and reduce the chances of vehicles being hacked, after a recent study stated: HOLY CRAP, CARS CAN BE HACKED! I can hardly wait for the fast-approaching day when some bored eighth-grader finds an exploit in all mid-sized sedans and we find ourselves in the middle of a rush hour Mario Kart game.
Technostalgia
German auto manufacturer Porsche (pronounced “gif”) introduced the Mission E, an electric concept car with 590 horsepower, a 311-mile range, and a battery that can recharge to 80% in fifteen minutes. Automotive reporters present at the Frankfurt Motor Show for the unveiling were unanimous in commenting, “I remember when I could recharge in fifteen minutes.”
That’s So Old School
Apple released iOS 9 this week, and after thoroughly examining the features and performance of their competitor’s updated operating system, Microsoft executives said, “Nine? Who names their OS with a ‘nine’”?”
Good Thing Nobody’s Heard of That Amazon Store
Sharp plans to start selling an 85-inch, 8K TV in Japan next month. “Best news ever,” shouted Bert Naughton, Senior Vice President at Monster–the company best known for selling wildly overpriced electronics cables–from a raucous, company-wide celebration. “Getting 8K video is going to require four HDMI cables! Is Marketing on the phone yet? We need new packaging; call them Mega Super Ultra HD, 8K certified by the Professional Pixel Panel, with, I don’t know, Platinomium-coated contacts or something. And anyone that sells a cable for less than $200 is fired!”
But, Mom, That’s Not…
Android devices using the current Lollipop operating system were shown to be hackable by entering abnormally long passwords, though this exploit did not work on devices protected with a short pin code. “What’s that you were saying about not using 1-2-3-4?” asked everyone’s mother, smiling smugly.
Why Couldn’t I Have Gotten Arrested?
Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old in Irving, Texas, built a homemade clock, brought it to school, and was, naturally, arrested, handcuffed, and taken to a juvenile detention center. The claim was that he had built a “hoax bomb” to scare his classmates and teachers. No charges were filed, and the aftermath resulted in invitations to visit the White House, Facebook, and Google.
This was a nice turn of events for Ahmed, but I can’t help being a little bitter. It sounds like his clock was not even part of a competition, just something he did on his own, whereas my second grade Science Fair entry Fun With Static Electricity won first place (not just balloons–balloon animals!), but I didn’t get so much as a letter from the city councilman who lived on our street.
To-may-to, To-mah-to
Microsoft sent out media invites for next months briefing about new Windows 10 devices, including the updated Surface Pro, or, as it’s referred to by NFL television announcers–after Microsoft paid the NFL $400 million to make the Surface Pro the official tablet of the NFL–“the iPad.”
Do I Not Bleed?
Facebook is working with the German government to prevent xenophobic and racist comments from being posted. OK, but what’s being done to crack down on the guy who, with no regard for the fact that I’m a real person with actual, human emotions, viciously and hatefully lashed out by referring to this blog as “meh?”
Frankly, I Don’t Trust the Coffee Maker Either
The new Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner will allegedly keep working until it has cleaned every possible spot on your floor. It is able to do this by mapping your whole house with the use of a camera. Oh, and military robotics technology.
No thanks. I’ve seen this movie. It was called Maximum Overdrive. It was based on a Stephen King story in which machines come to life and help us lead more efficient, fulfilling lives. Ha! As if! No, they want us dead, of course. And you know what the ability to map my whole house means? The ability to find me wherever the hell I hide, that’s what.
“Oh, what’s a Roomba going to do to you?” you ask. “Clean you to death?”
You don’t watch horror movies, do you?
All you have to do is trip once (guess what trips you?), and the Roomba accelerates, gets hold of your hair, and, without being too graphic, let’s just say you aren’t standing up again with your scalp and brain intact.
So I think we’ll keep pushing around our twelve-year-old, non-military grade Dirt Devil. (My wife would like me to clarify that, by “we,” I mean “she.” This is true, but only because I have an old Frisbee-related wrist injury that could flare up at any time, especially with the way that vacuum cleaner lurches to one side, being on only three wheels–it’s a real bear to manage, let me tell you–and I wouldn’t want my ability to type up this blog and deliver it to the readers (both of you) to be affected.)
Thanks again for stopping by the Weekly Tech Views Blog. If you enjoyed it, feel free to send a friend or five this way. If you weren’t so crazy about it, we’ll just pretend this never happened.
Mike Range
@MovieLeagueMike
Weekly Tech Views Blog by Mike Range is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
DTNS 2584 – To Virtually Go Where No One Has Gone Before
NASA has been working on virtual reality for 20 years. Erin Carson talks with Tom Merritt and Jennie Josephson about what she learned touring NASA’s lab and why lag was never the big issue.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting the show here or giving 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!
DTNS 2583 – To Google Glass– and Beyond!
Google Glass is apparently now part of Project Aura which is not Project Ara and also not Google X. Confused? Robb Dunewood and Tom Merritt will attempt to clear it up for you.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting the show here or giving 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!
S&L Podcast – #228 – Is Present Tense For Baby Brains?
This week, things really go nuts when Veronica realizes that she likes Tom’s book pick more than Tom does, which causes Tom to question everything he has ever known. Meanwhile, over on Goodreads, Thane questions whether present tense is the bane of genre fiction! Hmmm…
DTNS 2582 – Clock Blocked
What Apple giveth, Apple taketh away and what Tom Merritt and Scott Johnson think of the Texas high schooler’s controversial clock and what it means for tech education.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting the show here or giving 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!
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 87
Movie Draft Wrap Up, Triage (Mr. Robot), Mr. Robot Finale, Rick and Morty (207), The Shield (705)
00:47 – Movie Draft Update – Summer 2015 Wrap Up
03:47 – Triage (Mr. Robot)
09:07 – Mr. Robot 110 (season finale)
16:06 – Rick and Morty (207)
20:28 – The Shield (705)
DTNS 2581 – 99 Googballons
Could virtual assistants replace search or even our UI? Tom Merritt and Patrick Beja discuss.
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A special thanks to all our supporters–without you, none of this would be possible.
If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting the show here or giving 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!