Tech Hangout 2.0 Archives - The Tech Hangout

watchOS 2.0 coming september 16th
New collection of stainless steel Apple Watches in collaboration with French luxury brand Hermes with 3 exclusive bands
Apple Watch Sport now shipping in Gold and Rose Gold aluminum as well
new colors of sport bands including (Product) RED
Space Black Stainless with Sport band also now available

iPad Pro

New third tier of iPad in iPad Pro
12.9” screen with 2732 x 2048 Resolution.
Can support full size iPad apps in fullscreen.
New generation A9X CPU
4 speaker array
screen has a pressure sensitive screen compatible with $99 Apple Pencil style
Also has a smart accessory port
$799 for base 32GB, $949 for 128G model, and $1079 for Cellular 128GB

Apple TV 4

Completely redesigned AppleTV
same footprint as existing model, but taller
New iOS9-based Operating system called tvOS
shares many APIs including Metal and MFi controller support
Has app store with developers able to create custom apps or universal apps with iOS
New controller with Siri voice support, touchpad, and CEC control. Bluetooth controlled
updated interface that uses remote
A8 CPU and 2GB of RAM
32gb for $149, 64gb for $199
Existing model stays for $69.

iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

New generation of iPhone
Same basic shape as previous iPhones
same resolutions
A9 Chip
12mp iSight camera
5mp facetime camera that uses screen as a flash.
3D Touch
LTE advanced support with up to 23 bands including US Band 12
iOS 9 ships September 16

El-Capitan Launching September 30

No Mac announcements
However, OS X El-Capitan will launch September 30th

Discover Coming to Apple Pay September 16

US Credit card issuer Discover previously announced it was coming to Apple Pay
Will come September 16th with launch of iOS 9 and Watch OS 2
Extra 10% cash bonus

Google

News About Google and Android

Android Pay Now Available

Android Pay has now launched
works on all NFC equipped Android devices running Android 4.4 KitKat and later
Compatible with all 4 major card issuers: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover
Existing Google Wallet users will gain access to Android Pay
other users will use a new App launching this week
Similar features and retail support to rival Apple Pay

September 5, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #17: Tech News on a Nap

[Hosts]

Andre Rouch

@Montisasquatch

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Intel Brings Full Skylake Lineup to Market

Intel has announced the full lineup of Skylake CPUs for desktop and mobile
will replace current Broadwell chips.
Goes all the way from 91w K-Models (Core i7) to 4.5w Core M Y-models where Broadwell launch was mostly dual core laptop chips
500 series integrated graphics with native 4k support
Alpine Ridge chip for Thunderbolt 3 support

Tech Giants Combine for Next Gen Video Codec

Amazon, Netflix, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, and other have formed the Alliance for Open Media
Aims to develop next generation video format
New Codec will be royalty-free and published under an Apache 2.0 license.
Designed to be interoperable and streamable
will have option for content encryption

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

Jailbreak Exploit Leads to 225k Stolen Apple ID’s

KeyRaider Malware has stolen over 225,000 Apple IDs
Spread through Jailbreak store Cedia repositories from Weiphone
found by Security Researchers Palo Alto Networks
company has a fix on its website
Does NOT affect mainstream non-jailbroken iDevices

Cisco and Apple Partner for Enterprise Deal

New agreement between Apple and Cisco
Cisco will optimize their networks for iOS devices
will also integrate the iPhone with Cisco enterprise environments
Cisco is a dominant player in Enterprise network hardware
will also work to integrated voice to integrate business iPhones with employee desk phones

Key Beats Executive Leaves Apple For LVMH

Best of luck Ian and thanks for all you did.
Your reasoning is your own.

Google

News About Google and Android

Manufacturers Release New Smartwatches, Google Updates Android Wear for iOS Compatibility

New round Samsung Gear S2. Still runs Tizen
2nd Gen Moto 360 in 46 & 42mm sizes. Thinner & more powerful starting at $299
New rugged Moto 360 Sport with GPS and sunlight reflecting display
Zen Watch 2. Starts at $129, 1.63” and 1.45” sizes
Hauwei watch. New premium watch in 6 variants.
Google has also announced Android Wear support for iOS 8.2 and above using an app.

Nest Debuts Third Generation Nest

New third Gen Nest
Thinner body with large Farsight display
automatically detects you and activates the display
additional temperature sensors in box
can detect issues in your HVAC system (coming to older nests via and upgrade)

Misc Tech

anything that doesn’t fit above

Canon Brings EOS M3 to US

New Mirrorless Camera from Canon
24.2mp APS-C CMOS sensor
uses EF-M lenses or EF & EF-S with adaptor
Wi-Fi and NFC
3.5mm
comes in Body only or 18-55mm kit.

TV, Web, and Comics

If something happened in hollywood or print, talk about it here.

Hulu Adds ad-Free Option, Signs Big Content Deal with Epix

Hulu has added $11.99 ad free option
still includes first run network programming
company also signed a multi-year content deal with EPIX after similar deal with Netflix expired
includes newer movies from Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate Including Bond, Star Trek, TMNT, Hunger Games, and more
deal with start October 1
content will come 90 after pay TV content begins.

Amazon Prime to Offer Offline Video

Amazon Prime video will offer offline viewing of video
works with both iOS and Android apps
feature originated on the Kindle Fire
Includes the UK, US, Austria, and Germany

Transportation Tech

Cars, Planes, Ships, Rockets, ETC

Tesla Model S Scores Better than Perfect at Consumer Reports

We pretty much all want one.

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Andrew

Taking a Nap

Mikel

Heavenstrike Rivals

Patrice

Pinterest.com

Ben

Sphero BB-9

August 22, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #16: Patrice Strikes Back

Hosts

Ben Roethig

Patrice

Mikel Potts

Andew Rouch

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Comcast Invests $200 million in Vox Media

Comcast’s NBCUniversal Division has invested another $200 million Vox Media
Vox Media’s properties include The Verge, Recode, and more
Comcast also has another stake in Vox through its Comcast Ventures Arm
Comcast/ NBC will not have editorial control over Vox.
Move follows the recent Acquisition by AOL by Verizon

Amazon Stops Accepting Flash Ads

Amazon Advertising no longer accept ads with Adobe Flash
Move is in response to moves in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari to minimize Flash
Use of Flash competitor HTML5 has become more mainstream since the widespread adoption of mobile devices, most of which do not support flash
Flash has been known for security and performance issues

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

AppleTV falls to pack in streaming device market

Apple has fallen to 3rd place in streaming devices according to Parks Data
Roku is the by far the most widespread with 34% of the market
Google chromecast is second in a tight race for 2nd at 19% followed by Apple TV at 17% and Fire TV at 14%
accounted for 86% of all streaming devices
20% of US household own at least one streaming device
8% own a stick based streamer

Google

News About Google and Android

Samsung Launches 30 Test Drive for iPhone users

30 days free test drive.
Only $1

Android 6.0 to be Marshmallow

Google has announced final details of Android M
will be called Android 6.0 with the codename of Marshmallow
Google has launched the Official SDK and final preview of the OS
Devs are asked to ready their apps for Marshmallow
suggests the OS’s launch could be soon.

Google Updates Android Wear with Interactive Watch Faces

Google has added interactive watch faces to Android Wear
can now access different functions with a single tap
options include faces for Bits, Under Armour, and Together
rolling out to Android wear watches over the next few weeks

Google Tries to Fix the Router with OnHub

Most consumer internet routers pretty much suck
Google is partnering with TP-Link on a new router
called OnHub
Designed to be functional and elegant for home use
automatically adjusts for optimal wi-fi bandwidth
controlled by smartphone app
can also work as a hub for smart devices
$199.99 and on pre-order from Walmart, Amazon, and Google
google will also partner with other manufacturers for OnHub devices.

Windows Corner

News Microsoft Products

VAIO Returns to US

VAIO used to be Sony’s computer division before being sold to Japan Industrial partners
JIP is bringing the VAIO brand back to the US
will be sold online and in Microsoft stores beginning in October
will focus on high end PCs starting at $2200
could also expand into other areas.

Misc Tech

anything that doesn’t fit above

Thunderbolt 3 Prototype Shows Power of Connector

Inventec has designed a prototype Thunderbolt 3 hub
features 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 HDMI, 2 Displayport, a USB-C out, and an external Radeon R9 M385 GPU.
can drive twin 4k displays
They also demoed a full-size desktop radeon CPU external over Thunderbolt 3
intel suggests retail thunderbolt graphics solutions are under development.

ARC Could Bring Practical Fusion Power

New magnetic fusion reactor designed by MIT
named ARC after the power source that powers Iron Man
could make small, practical fusion reactors with a decade
can generation 3 times the energy used to sustain the reaction and can boost that by 5-6 fold
design allows for reliable output
generates the same amount of power as the ITER reactor at half the diameter
uses commercially available magnets and liquid cooling.

Gaming

Computer, console, mobile, or tablet top gaming news

Nintendo Reduces 2DS Price to $99

price dropped on 2DS from $129 to $99
2D version of 3DS
member of Nintendo DS family

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Ben

Patrice

Mikel

He Got Nothin’

Andrew

Tech Hangout 2.0 #15: We Gotta Get Monti a Mic and Patrice Some Internet

[Hosts]

Ben Roethig

@BenRoethig
BenRoethig.com

Mikel Potts

@twerppoet

Andrew Rouch

@Montisaquadeis

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Rite Aid Reverses Course, Accepts Mobile Payments

Rite Aid Blocked NFC Payments last October
Part of MXC Consortium for the CurentC Payment system
Company announced that it will accept Apple & Google Wallet on August 15th as well as Android pay when it launches.
Multiple CurrentC members have announced plans to offer other NFC including Best Buy and Target

Verizon Debuts New T-Mobile like Plans, Drops 2-year Contracts & Subsidies

New simplified plan choices
Small = 1GB for $30, Medium 3GB for $45, Large 6GB for $60, an X-Large $80 for 12GB. $15 per overage GB.
shared with up to 10 devices
$20 connection fee for smartphones, $10 for tablets, $5 for connected devices
Not available with 2 year subsidized contract. Full price for device or payment plan only.

UK Makes Your Music Library Illegal

a ruling by a British High Court overturned copyright exceptions
the exceptions were implemented last year by British Government
ripping CDs or importing music into iTunes library is now again illegal.
While a crime, it is one that the UK government has never prosecuted anyone for.

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

MacKeeper Owes “Customers” Money

ZeoBIT, the developers of questionable cleaning program MacKeeper have lost a class-action lawsuit
Will create a $2 million fund, but not admit wrongdoing
customers who paid for the software before July 8th of 2015 are eligible for a refund if claimed by November 30th
ZeoBIT sold MacKeeper to Kromtech in 2013.

Google

News About Google and Android

Google Becomes Subsidiary of Alphabet… BMW Might Have Something to Say About That

Additional Coverage

Sergei Brin and Larry Page have started a new holding company called Alphabet
Page will be CEO and Brin President
New company will own Google as a wholly owned subsidiary and assume all Google shares
Google will be refocused with some business units like X-Labs spun out under the Alphabet umbrella
Google product chief Sundar Pichai will become new Google CEO
full extent of Alphabet restructuring not yet known
BMW also own a company called Alphabet and they are exploring whether the announcements infringes on their trademarks

Android to Receive Vulkan Graphics API

Google has announced support for Vulkan
Vulcan is a low level graphics API from the Kronos group
Meant as a successor to OpenGL
Similar in function to Apple’s Metal and DirectX 12
Google has not said what release this will be part of

Windows Corner

News Microsoft Products

Windows RT to Receive Final Update

Windows RT devices will not receive Windows 10 update
Instead will receive Windows 8.1RT Service Pack 3
Will launch in September
will see a Windows 10-like Start menu and updates to the Start Screen.
exact changes are still a mystery

Lenovo Announces First Thunderbolt 3 Mobile Workstations

Lenovo has announced 15” P50 and 17” P70 mobile workstations
optional 4k UHD display
Powered by Skylake Xeon E3-1500M v5 CPUs
E3s are typically unchanged from consumer Core chips except for ECC memory support
up to 64GB of ECC memory and 1TB of PCIe SSD storage
First device to feature Thunderbolt 3 using the new USB-C connector. One or two ports
will ship in Q4 starting at $1499.

TV, Web, and Comics

If something happened in hollywood or print, talk about it here.

CBS Finds Millennials Watch TV. Neglects to Offer Programming on Devices They Use

CBS found that Millennials do watch TV, but in different ways than older generations
Between 65-70% of Millennials watched their TV via traditional broadcasts compared to roughly 85% of Gen X and over 95% of Baby Boomers
Computers, Smartphones, and tablets made up approximately 1/3rd of Millennial views
Data does not say how programs views on TVs via set top devices are counted
CBS currently only network that does not offer programming via Hulu
offers CBS all access for $6mo.
service works on Roku, but not Apple TV, Fire TV, or Android TV

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Ben

Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation

Mikel:

Trial by Fire by Charles E. Gannon
Fire with Fire by Charles E. Gannon
Raising Caine

August 12, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 # 14: We kinda Mailed This One in

Host Notes Okay peeps, this wasn’t our best effort. I had just worked a ton of days in a row and we were not prepared. Same for the show notes. I will try to fix this one, but Episode 14 was more like a release to the old TH 1.0.

Hosts

Ben Roethig

Mikel Potts

Andrew Rouch

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Intel and Micron Announce New 3D Xpoint super memory

Nokia Sells HERE Maps to German Automakers

Budget Carriers Offer Much Slower Speeds

AT&T to Agree to FCC Net Neutrality Terms to Complete DirectTV Deal, Adds New Fees

Additional Coverage

Comcast Won’t Air SlingTV Adds

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

Vulnerability in 10.10.4 leads to Malware

Apple Posts Huge Third Quarter Results

Samsung’s Case Against Apple Supported by Google, Dell, HP, and More

Google

News About Google and Android

First set of devices to get Stagefright update

Motorola Announces New Moto X, G phones

OnePlus 2 Announced

Samsung Introz Tab S2

Manufacturer woes sink Yota Phone 2 US Launch

Misc Tech

anything that doesn’t fit above

UW Madison creates non-metal fuel cell

Transportation Tech

Cars, Planes, Ships, Rockets, ETC

Dutch Company creates ultra durable plastic roads

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Ben

Mikel

Andrew

Gravity Falls

July 20, 2015

Times for the Tech Hangout 2.0

Its been a rollercoaster of a year for me. It started out on a high note and kind of went downhill from there. As you know I used to be associated with a well known technology news show and a couple months ago that association went away. Working remotely the last couple years gave me a lot of freedom and I really enjoyed it at times. I tried to find another remote position, but I ultimately failed. A couple weeks back, I decided to take a more traditional day job.

This will mean I will have set hours I’m to work outside of my home. This will also mean that I can no longer promise a set schedule for our TTH 2.0 Live Show. Quite frankly, as much as I’d like to, I need to make money to live and that has to come first. It’s also a job that takes me back to my roots a little bit. This is not ideal and I would have preferred to do this a different way, but it is what it is. That said, I made the best decision I could and I hope you’ll continue to support the Tech Hangout. I’ll try to have the show’s weekly time out as far in advance as I can, but it could be later than 5pm est and it could be earlier. It could also move around a bit.

However, we’re not going anywhere. Technology is our passion. I could also use some help around here, especially with the run sheet.

July 17, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #13: In Memorandum of Satoru Iwata

Hosts

Ben Roethig

@benroethig
BenRoethig.com

Mikel Potts

@TwerkPoet

Editorial

Issues Affecting The Tech Community

Don’t Do Software Reviews Using Beta Operating Systems

Notes when making app store reviews of beta and developer preview OSes
Do not use beta operating systems if you are aren’t prepared for a bumpy ride
The Operating system is not finished and will be buggy
Third party software will likely not have access to beta features.
Its unfair to rate developers poorly for things not under their control.

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Neil Young Keeps on Rockin’ in the Old World, Pulls Music from Streaming Services

Neil Young has pulled his catalog from streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play music, etc
says move is about music quality, not the financial aspects of streaming music
Young argues that quality of streamed music devalues his music
says he is preserving his life’s work by dropping streaming
is open to return if quality improves to acceptable levels

T-Mobile Launches Free Roaming in Canada and Mexico

T-Mobile has introduced Mobile Without Borders
Part of new Simple Choice plans
Offers free voice and LTE roaming and calling to and from Canada and Mexico
free for existing Simple Choice customers

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

Apple updates iPod Touch with A8 CPU

new iPod touch
first update since 2012
Upgrades from A5 to A8 CPU
Gains 8mp pixel iSight Camera similar to iPhone 5S and updated facetime camera as well
also gains AC Wireless
Same 4” form factor, but without
No Touch ID
Space Grey, Silver, Gold, Blue, Pink, and red
$199 for 16GB, $249 for 32GB, $299 for 64GB, and $399 for 128GB
iPod Nano and Shuffle also updated in same colors
Nano and Shuffle not compatible with Apple Music.

The Challenges Apple Could Face in Streaming TV Service Negotiations

Apple is rumored to be talks with TV networks about a streaming TV service
reportedly the sticking point is the Broadcast Networks’ Regional Affiliates
Apple would have to negotiate with individual affiliates and/or their parent companies
Apple may be trying to enlist the networks to have the affiliates give the networks the right to negotiate on their behalf
Deals would also be complicated by existing cable deals and sports contracts

iBooks Author 2.3 Includes Support to Export to ePub
New iBooks author allows export to ePub 3
Allows Books to be distributed in Open ePub, but later converted to Kindle and other store formats as well
will not work with iBooks exclusive widgets and features

Google

News About Google and Android

Google Map Maker to Reopen

Google Map Maker was taken offline in April after several users misused the service
Google will reopen the service to the public in August
regions will be overseen by trusted regional community moderators who will approve changes
some changes will still be restricted to approval from Google

Google Gets into Bluetooth Beacon Game

Google is introducing its Eddystone Bluetooth Smart Beacons platform
similar to Apple’s iBeacon
provides local contextual data to mobile devices via bluetooth
Cross platform and open
supports both iOS and Android

ZTE Launches Axon Flagship phone on US market

Axon
from Chinese phonemaker ZTE
5.5” Quad HD screen
2ghz Snapdragon 810
13mp rear camera with 2mp secondary depth camera
8mp front camera
$449 street price
Unlocked for AT&T and T-Mobile

Commodore Name Returning…Via an Android phone

Commodore was a computer company in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s
Known for its Commodore 64 and Amiga Lines
Name is coming back for an Android Phone
Commodore PET
Will run a custom version of Lollipop
Coming to large european markets of Italy, France, and Germany as well as Poland with plans to expand to the US
Starts at roughly $300
Comes with Commodore and Amiga emulators

Gaming

Computer, console, mobile, or tablet top gaming news

Nintendo President Passes Away

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata died on Saturday the 11th
Age 55
Due to complications from a bile duct growth
Formerly game developer and later President of game designer HAL Laboratory
worked on the Kirby games among others
Joined Nintendo in 2000
Hand picked by longtime Nintendo President Yamauchi to become Nintendo’s President in 2002
Became CEO in 2013.

Thanks for watching the Tech Hangout 2.0. We’ll see you all again next week.

July 15, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #12: Return of the Gremlins

##Editor’s Note There were some technical difficulties in this episode. We’re Sorry about that.

Hosts

Ben Roethig

@BenRoethig
BenRoethig.com

Mikel Potts

@TwerpPoet

News

Most important news stories of the week

Spotify Wants User to Bypass Apple, Save 30%

Spotify is sending users a deal on Spotify Premium
$12.99 through the App Store, but $9.99 through Spotify directly
Offers step by step instruction on how to cancel the app store subscription and switch

Sprint Partners with CarPhone Warehouse for More Stores

Sprint is launching a pilot program with UK Retailer Dixon’s Carphone Warehouse for new stores
Carphone warehouse is a leading european mobile phone dealer.
20 stores initially
Stores will be owned and staffed by sprint, but managed by Carphone Warehouse
Joins 1400 Sprint-Radioshack stores.
If pilot proves successful could result in a substantial expansion

22 Massachusetts Start Gigabit cooperative

22 Western Massachusetts towned have started an ISP co-op called Wired West
Will bring gigabit fiber to up to 32 towns (22 have joined formally)
$79 million project
over 40% of the residents in those towns have agreed to service and paid a $49 deposit
Rural residents typically have to deal with slow DSL, Satellite service, or even dial-up
Private communications companies have been un-interested in upgrading the networks of this area.
prices will be 25 mbps for $49, 100mpbs for $79, and the full gigabit for $109.

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

The Saga of Home Sharing

Additional Coverage

One of the changes made in iOS 8.4 was the removal of Audio Home Sharing
Only changed on iOS, still active on AppleTV and iTunes
May have been a part of a the Apple Music deal
Apple wants the feature to return in iOS 9 per Eddy Cue

Apple Details New 2-factor Authentication in new iOS Beta

Apple’s new Two-Factor Authentication has launched with newest iOS 9 beta
iOS 9 Replaces 4-digit passcode with 6 digit minimum
backed into iOS 9 and OS X 10.11’s system instead of inside the find my iphone app
It will be easier to add trusted devices or receive code via SMS or a phone call
select beta testers and developers will be invited to try new two-factor system
two week opt-out period for beta testers will allow roll back to previous settings

Google

News About Google and Android

Blackberry to launch Android phone?

Additional Coverage

Blackberry will reportedly launch an Android flagship phone codenamed venice
Leaked render from EVleaks Evan Blass who has a great track record
Runs full Android with Google services, not a fork
slider design with pop out keyboard
5.4” QHD screen (2560 x 1440) & Snapdragon 808 CPU
Expected to launch fall on AT&T

Windows Corner

News Microsoft Products

Microsoft Guts Phone Division, Takes $7.6b Write-Off

Microsoft has taken a $7.6 billion financial write-off for the Nokia devices purchase
will lay off 7800 workers from the Lumia phone division on top of 18,000 jobs cut last year
will continue to make more focused first party devices as part of a Windows Ecosystem
Move due to diminished expectations of the Lumia line in Microsoft’s current strategy
Move follows the recent sacking of Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop and his top lieutenant Jo Harlow

TV, Web, and Comics

If something happened in hollywood or print, talk about it here.

Second Star Wars Anthology Film to be Han Solo

Focuses on Origin story of Han Solo
Set before Episode IV
will be directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord who are also helming DC’s The Flash movie (sadly not related to the tv show)
Script will be written by Empire Strikes Back write Lawrence Kadan and his son Jon who is also an established screenwriter
Set for Release labor day weekend (May 25th) of 2018.

Elektra Comes to Daredevil Season 2

Elektra will be officially joining Daredevil for Season 2
Will be played by French Actress Elodie Yung
Character was already teased as a college flame of Matt Murdock’s
joins the already announced Punisher for the season
Teaser image includes one of Elektra’s trademark Sai holding up a picture of Daredevil
Elektra’s comic arc includes her be hired for a contract by Wilson Fisk on Foggy Nelson
Murdock and Elektra rekindle their relationship which causes Elektra to be unable to carry out the contract
Elektra is then killed by Bullseye
Elektra and Daredevil are portrayed as having an unbreakable bond, but very different views on morality.
also a student of the Blind Sensei Stick

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Ben

Game of Thrones Risk

Andrew

ePSXe

Mikel

Dragon Quest I

July 3, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #11: Stars, Stripes, and Tech!

[Hosts]

Ben Roethig

@benroethig
BenRoethig.com

Patrice Brend’amour

@Casual_Kitchen
Brendamour.net

Andrew Rouch

@Montisaquadeis

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

Facebook to Share Ad Revenue For Videos

Facebook will be offering revenue sharing with video creators
Facebook Previously offered a place for video, but kept all the money
Will entice creators to use Facebook instead of just YouTube
Like YouTube it will be a 55/45 Split in favor of the creators
Only applies to Suggested videos
videos are chosen based on your watching habits

T-Mobile, Sprint Bring Updated Plans

Additional Content

T-Mobile has updated its Jump payment plan with Jump On Demand
No fees if you update your handset at least once every 18months
Rest of payments spread out over 18 payments
Phones are leased, but may be purchased by paying all 18 payments or remaining balance
Requires Initial Trade-in
iPhone $15mo
Users can upgrade to a new phone up to 3 times a year
Includes top phones like the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, GS6, GS6 Edge, Note 4, and LG G4
Sprint Introduced All-In Plan
$20 phone lease and $60 unlimited data plan
$10 for early upgrades
$0 down, but $36 activation
Campaign very reminiscent in tone to T-Mobile’s Uncarrier.

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

Apple Music Launches, OSes and Apps See Updates

Apple Music has launched
Built Upon Beats Music.
Requires OS X with iTunes 12.2 or iOS 8.4
OS X 10.10.4 also released
Apple’s all-access streaming service
3 months free.
$9.99 for 1 user, $14.99 for family
Access to 30 million songs and music videos
Can add files offline via iCloud music library (Apple’s files have DRM since you don’t own them)
separates your music from Apple Music
Curated playlists, radio, and live Beats 1 Radio
Radio algorithms are some of the best I’ve seen, especially with lesser known or regional artists
Also includes connect, a quazi-social network
also spurred updates to iBooks/ iBooks Author, and Garageband

Google

News About Google and Android

New, Better BlueStacks Released for the Mac

New version of Bluestacks released for OS X
replaces Alpha version released in 2012
Android emulator
compatible with 96% of Android Apps and 86% of games
Can also run Android TV apps
can pass-on your Mac’s multi-touch gestures, pointing devices, cameras, and Mics
previous versions of Bluestacks have been used on the old incarnation of this show to demo Android apps

Windows Corner

News Microsoft Products

Windows 8’s Failure is Complete

New numbers released for desktop OS market share
About a month before the release of Windows 10
Most common operating system is Windows 7 with almost 61% of the market
Windows 8/ 8.1 has 16%. 4/5ths of those made the upgrade to 8.1.
13 year old Windows XP has 12% marketshare
Vista has been mostly phased out at 1.62%
Windows 7/8/8.1 PCs make up 3/4s of all desktop PCs
They are eligible for free upgrade to Windows 10
Windows XP PCs are most likely nearing end of service lives
bodes well of Windows 10 adoption.

Linux and Open Source

News about Linux, Unix, BSD, and open source software

Misc Tech

anything that doesn’t fit above

Scientists Create Way to Make Better, Safe Lithium Batteries

Scientists have found a way to make a better Lithium batter
Lithium batteries have had issues in the past, both in consumer devices and more famously on the 787 Dreamliner
Shorts and battery fires are caused by formation of lithium growths called Dendrites
Dendrites will pierce into the cathode layer of the battery and start a chain reaction.
new formula adds a mixture of lithium polysulfide and lithium nitrate.
leads to safe flat growths on the top of the lithium anode instead of dendrites
mixture also adds longevity to the battery
test batteries retained 99% of capacity through 300 cycles
other batteries were less efficient after 150 cycles
Discovery made my team at DoE’s SLAC lab
could be combined with other improvements to lithium for longer lasting batteries

TV, Web, and Comics

If something happened in hollywood or print, talk about it here.

Tom Holland cast as MCU Peter Parker

19-year old Tom Holland has been cast as new Spider-Man
new franchise is a collaboration produced by Marvel Studios for Sony
This incarnation is set in the same Marvel Cinematic universe as the Avengers, Daredevil, and Agents of Shield and will focus on a teenage Peter Parker
stand alone film will be released on July 28 of 2017
Director Jon Watts will helm the movie
Previously directed movies Clown & Cop Car and worked at the Onion
3rd reboot of the franchise in 15 years
Follows 3 Spider-Man films with Tobey Maguire from 2002 – 2007 and w Amazing Spider Man movies with Andrew Garfield from 2012-2014.
Reboot canceled plans for 4 announced sequels included Amazing Spider Man 3&4 in 2016 and 2018, Sinister Six also in 2016, and a related superheroine film in 2017.

Cord Cutters Continue Growth

streaming services are becoming increasingly more popular
Over 8% of cable subscribers cancelled their service according to TiVO
45% reduced their level of service
44% dropped premium channels
71% of respondents though prices were too high for cable service
54% said they subscribed to a digital content service with Netflix being the most popular
Price, selection, and convenience were primary reason to use streaming services
answers ratios of these changed very little when asked the last surveys years across nearly 3 years.
Speaking of digital service, Showtime and Hulu have reached an agreement to carry Showtime programming on Hulu. Service is $8.99 above standard Hulu subscription. That’s a $2 discount over Showtime’s standalone service by itself.

Gaming

Computer, console, mobile, or tablet top gaming news

Transportation Tech

Cars, Planes, Ships, Rockets, ETC

Samsung Makes Trucks Transparent

Samsung is bringing a concept for a see-through semi from Russian firm Art Lebedev
combines a series of outdoor displays arranged on the trailer’s gate with a wireless camera in the front
camera transmits what’s in front of the semi to the screen
Samsung has solved glare issues and the technology is reliable
Next step is working on field trials with regulators
may not see the road anytime soon due to the expense of the screens.

Picks

Each brings an item, app, device, show, etc they want to talk about

Monti:

Nothing Much

Patrice

MacID

Ben

Waze

Remember not to drink and drive during the 4th of July holiday weekend!

June 19, 2015

Tech Hangout 2.0 #10: Nobody’s Happy in Tech

Hosts

BenRoethig

@BenRoethig
BenRoethig.com

Mikel Potts

@TwerpPoet

Big News

Most important news stories of the week

AT&T to Pay $100 Million for Throttling

AT&T has fined $100 million for throttling unlimited data customers.
Says they did not disclose the policy in violation of the Open Internet transparency rule
Will require AT&T to change practices to meet those rules
AT&T will challenge the complaint.

LastPass Gets Hacked.

Password Manager LastPass has been hacked
Email addresses, passwords, reminders, salts, and hashes were accessed
data is highly encrypted according to LastPass
users are being required to change their master password.
LastPass is cloud-based.

Samsung’s Keyboard has Vulnerability

Samsung also has a security breach
Found by Security Researcher Ryan Welton
resides in Samsung’s version of SwiftKey
looks for new languages unencrypted
It’s possible to create a proxy server to false validation to upload malicious code
Not only allows hackers access to data, but could install malicious apps and access phone functions as well
keyboard cannot be uninstalled
Vulnerability not part of mainstream Google Play or Apple App Store versions
owners of samsung devices are urged to either stay away from unsecured networks or stop using the device altogether

Zero Day Exploit found in Apple’s Sandboxing

Weakness found in inter-app communications system on OS X and iOS
Found by a 6-person combined team from Indiana University, Georgia Tech, and Peking University in China.
called XARA weakness
Used to steal keychain data
could also steal data from icloud, gmail, Dropbox, 1Password, Evernote, and many others.
Apple was notified back in December and asked for a six-month disclosure window

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is leaving Twitter
Will be replaced in the interim by Twitter founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey
A search for a permanent CEO will be performed by the board.
Twitter also announced it was working toward removing the 140 character limit in Direct Messages
will also institute autoplay for videos…. even on cellular
users will have options to set Twitter to autoplay only on Wi-Fi or turn it off altogether.

Apple

News about iOS, Macs, Apple TV, Apple watch, etc

Apple News Terms Unpopular for Publishers

There is controversy over the terms and conditions of Apple’s News App
Opt out of the terms is handled only by replying ‘no’ to an email. Not replying means an assumption of agreement with the terms
There’s some question of whether the terms could be held up in court without a formal agreement to the terms
terms themselves are pretty standard about content rights.
Apple has also not told publishers in Newstand about the status of their apps.

Record Companies to Get 70% of Paid Apple Music Revenue, 0% of Free Trial

Additional Coverage

Music labels to 71.5-73% of paid content in Apple Music
labels Unpaid during 3-month free trial
Independant labels in the UK are not agreeing to the terms
Their Lobby Group UK music has said this free trial will put them out of business.

Continuity to Go Cellular in iOS 9

iOS will further enhance continuity
Will no longer require Wi-Fi.
Can relay a call or message on your cellular network to your laptop on Wi-Fi
cellular must have carrier support
T-Mobile only US carrier to announce support

Windows Corner

News Microsoft Products

Stephen Elop Out at Microsoft in Major Shuffle

Shakeup at Microsoft
Includes both team shakeups and executives leaving
Stephen Elop, former Nokia will will be one of the executives out of the company
Devices group is being merged into the Windows group under Terry Myerson
Devices group included Xbox, Lumia, Surface, Holo Lens, and the Surface Hub
Kirill Tatarinov, Eric Rudder, Mark Penn, and long time Nokia employee Jo Harlow are also out

Misc Tech

anything that doesn’t fit above

Sony Launches A7R MKII Camera

Sony has announced the A7R II camera
42.4mp Full-Frame 35mm sensor
sensitivity up to ISO 102,400
sensor is backside illuminated
5-axis stabilization
30fps 4k video without pixel binding
$3200
Ships in August

TV, Web, and Comics

If something happened in hollywood or print, talk about it here.

Jurassic World Earns over $500 Million. Biggest Opening of All Time

Jurassic World made $525 million, $208 million in the US
Top grossing weekend of all time
beat the Avengers in the US and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Pt.2 Internationally

Punisher Joins Marvel’s MCU in Daredevil

Jon Bernthal has been cast at Frank Castle, aka the Punisher
Will appear in the 2nd season of Netflix and Marvel’s Daredevil
Punisher is a former Marine and NYPD Detective who becomes a violent vigilante after his family is killed
Differences in opinion often lead the Punisher into conflict with Daredevil
Jon Bernthal was previously Shane on the Walking Dead

Gaming

Computer, console, mobile, or tablet top gaming news

Microsoft Announces Backwards Compatibility for Xbox One; $150 Controller

Xbox One will gain backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games
About 100 games are compatible
through an emulation level
games bought through online store will be automatically available if compatible.
Disk games will require disk to be inserted for verification
Microsoft also announced the Xbox One Elite Controller
For Xbox and Windows 10
customizable
$150

Nvidia Buys Porting Technology from TransGaming

Nvidia has bought game porting technology from Nvidia
Previous partnership resulted in several Valve Windows games ported to Android
will report to Nvidia’s Gameworks division
Transgaming’s Cider technology has also brought a number of Windows games to the Mac.
No word on how this effect the Mac Porting business