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Show Notes
Today’s guests: Veronica Belmont
The Next Web reports Instagram has updated its app to let you find images by location. There’s also a tab called Explore in the US version that shows trending tags and features a curated selection of accounts, places and topics organized into collections. The update rolls out to Android and iOS today.
New Scientist reports on an experimental algorithm from Facebook that recognize people in photographs whose face is hidden. The algorithm looks at other features like hair, clothing, body shape and pose. The neural network had 83% accuracy in a test using 40,000 photos pulled from Flickr.
CNET reports Google Play Music has launched a free ad-supported version of the service. A blog post introducing the product was written by Songza CEO Elias Roman. Google bought Songza last July. Curated radio stations for mood, genre, decade or activity will be offered alongside the ability to pick a song and listen to a station of similar music. The free service launches in the US first, on the Web today and later this week to Android and iOS.
PC Mag reports that the task management app ToDoist is getting a refreshed Android version in the Material Design style. The simplified ToDoist app includes a “quick-add” option, and allows users to include start and end dates to capture recurring due dates. Dropbox also updated its Android app using Material Design, including the ability to take a photograph right from the file where it will be stored and move, rename and favorite options on the info pane. Both apps are available for download in Google Play today.
The Next Web reports that its Amazon Echo device is now available to all US customers. The voice controlled device has added support for Pandora, Audible, WeMo, IFTTT and Google Calendar since launch. It costs 179.99 and begin shipping July 14th. Alexa, add chocolate chips to shopping list.
IBM is opening up its Chef Watson web app to the world. It’s been almost a year since IBM teamed up with Bon Appetit magazine to begin working on the app, and it has spent the last eleven months testing it out. The app lets you choose at least one ingredient and then suggests recipes using that ingredient. You can also choose a particular type of dish or style of cooking. When you find a recipe you like you can save it to a folder in your account. You can take a look at ibmchefwatson.com.
The Independent reports that a German law prohibiting the sale or display of erotic materials during daylight hours is now being applied to ebooks. The change relates to a legal complaint regarding a German erotica eBook called Schlauchgelüste (Pantyhose Cravings). Adult ebooks will only be allowed to be sold between 10 PM and 6 AM and violators can be fined up to €500,000.
TechCrunch reports that Alibaba will fold its first effort at a US ecommerce company, 11 Main into social shopping service OpenSky. Alibaba will also fold in tits logistical enterprises, along with Auctiva, Vendio and SingleFeed into OpenSky and become a 37% owner of the combined company. The new combined business will have inventory from 50,000 brands and “millions” of shoppers. It’s not clear if 11 Main will continue to exist as a separate site or brand. The deal is set to be finalized at the end of July.
News From You:
metalfreak sent us this story. It seems the US Navy will pay Microsoft 9.1 million dollars to keep approximately 100,000 Windows XP machines afloat according to PC World. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command signed a contract earlier this month for continued access to security patches for Windows XP, Office 2003, Exchange 2003 and Windows Server 2003. The Navy began a transition away from XP in 2013 but needs time to finish executing the plan. XP systems are still connected to both NIPRnet, the U.S. government’s IP network for non-classified information, and SIPRnet, the network for classified information.
starfuryzeta shared a “I want one of those” stories with us. Engadget is reporting that UK-based Malloy Aeronautics in co-operating with Maryland based defense firm Survice Engineering Co. is developing a hover bike for the US Army research laboratory. The current design features two pairs of horizontal adducted rotors placed in tandem– one in front of and one behind– the pilot seat. The project aims to create “a new class of Tactical Reconnaissance Vehicle (TRV) that can replace some of work currently done by helicopters.
Discussion Section:
Pick of the Day:
Justin C writes:
I have a pick, if you’re interested:
The Stephen Baxter Manifold trilogy. Probably my favorite current-ish scifi. For fans of those who love massive space-operas and well-founded yet thoroughly creative fiction.
Messages
David Redding writes:
I was just listening to your discussion about Taylor Swift’s open letter to Apple and how it’s only right to pay artists for their work. To bad she doesn’t practice what she preaches
http://petapixel.com/2015/06/22/an-open-response-to-taylor-swifts-rant-against-apple/#more-170376
Just another talking point
Niyas is a project manager with an airline and has some comments on the LOT airline grounding:
“The design of an airline’s business IT network (business IT to distinguish from internal IT for office users) is pretty much the same as it would be for most other IT networks.
We are currently building a new data center …and these designs involve key components such as a web application filter and API manager (among others) to make sure that our systems are not vulnerable to cross site scripting, DDoS, even legitimate request overloading etc. Further, during the build, we do extensive stress testing to simulate these situations and make sure it doesn’t happen or to identify these vulnerabilities and patch them before the system goes live.
So… I take issue with the statement (from the CEO) that all airlines are vulnerable to this kind of attack. I’m sure there are many airlines that are vulnerable, just as there are many that are secure – as is the case with most industries. Just thought I’d throw in my two cents 
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Wednesday’s Guests: Scott Johnson