Westworld is back and we’ll be following it every week! Plus, the first half of Lost In Space and Avengers comes out next week in the Summer Movie Draft.
00:38 – Summer Movie Draft update
06:00 – Westworld (201)
23:33 – Lost In Space (102-105)
36:05 – Deadwood (205-206)
Amazon wants you to give their delivery couriers access to your GM or Volvo car’s trunk. Is this typical of the company’s out of the box thinking or is this one drop off delivery method that’s that won’t take off?
Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Roger Chang and Lamarr Wilson.
Using a Screen Reader? Click here
<!–Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.–>
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Subscribe through Apple Podcasts.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 Anthony Lemos of Ritual Misery for the expanded show notes!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Spotify updates free tier app, Nintendo Switch consoles contain possibly unpatchable vulnerability, Amazon rolls out trunk service to Prime members.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 theme music.
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
A Netflix theater?! Also: AT&T streaming TV, Spiderman in London, and the final Deadpool 2 trailer. All this and more on Cordkillers!
CordKillers: Ep. 217 – Accidental Skinny Bundle
Recorded: April 23 2018
Guest: None
Intro Video
Primary Target
How to Watch
What to Watch
What We’re Watching
Front Lines
Dispatches from the Front
Brian & Tom,
Perhaps this is a loophole, but when I use my moviepass at my local AMC theater I’m able to do the following.
Once I’m close to the theater, I choose the movie I want to see in the moviepass app and check in. It tells me that the card is ready to be swiped at the theater. At the kiosk, I select ALL of the tickets and the seats that I need. When its time to pay, I swipe the moviepass card first, then the machine tells me that I had insufficient funds and I’m able to pay the balance with another credit card. This helps in a few ways: I’m able to choose seats together with others easily even with moviepass. I was at a matinee and the ticket price was $6.95 but moviepass added $12 to my card so I was able to put the rest of that money towards the other tickets. I can choose a non-3D movie from the moviepass app but once i arrive at the theater, I can purchase a 3D ticket for another movie even tho moviepass only covers most of the cost of the ticket. The balance of that ticket is paid with my credit card along with the other tickets.
Maybe this only works with the kiosks at my local AMC and wouldn’t work with other types of kiosks but it makes me love my moviepass even more.
Love the show.
– Joe
Hello Tom, Brian and everyone else
Before I begin, I would like to apologize in advance for sounding like a total know it all nerd but I feel I must say something.
The Netflicks Lost in space is the fifth incarnation in film/tv media format. When Irwin Allen developed the original pilot, their was no Robot and Dr. Smith. A comic book company by the name of Golden Keys were publishing a series called “Space Family Robinson” for a few year before the pilot. The comic was so similar to the show that Golden Key contacted CBS about the issue. Long story short Golden Key and CBS came to an agreement in which Dr. Smith and the Robot were added to the show to differentiate (is that the right word?) itself from the comic.
Second incarnation is the tv show you already know as well as the third incarnation of the movie.
The forth incarnation of the franchise is an unair TV pilot called “The Robinsons: Lost in Space” in 2004. That Pilot was directed by John Woo. Yes, the action director od Face Off, Broken Arrow and and many Hong Kong action flick. At first it sounded cool for John Woo to direct until I learn that he is not into scifi that much. As you guess there is a reason why it never aired. You can find this pilot on the net if you know where to look. Also as a side note some of the sets were later reuse on the Battle Galactica reboot.
Then lastly the Netflicks Version.
Sorry for the long note and sounding like a know it all.
Keep up the Good work!
– David
Hey guys
Brian has mentioned the ease of starting/stopping video services through Amazon. It’s certainly easy but I hit a stumbling block.
I signed up for Starz through Amazon and found (after speaking to Starz customer service) that I can only watch through the Prime Video app. Can’t watch through the Starz app on AppleTV, Roku, LG or Sony TV OS, not even through the Starz web site. Yeah I can access the content through the Prime apps but I prefer the Apple TV and the WebOS apps. I was also told that purchasing through AppleTV will give me the same limitations.
So, cancelled the subscription from Amazon and subscribed directly from Starz so I can watch “on any damn device I want.” (Seems I heard that somewhere)
Now I’m wondering if the same situation comes up if I subscribe to HBO, Acorn, Showtime etc. through a third party.
Great show!
– Jay
HI Killers..Thanks for the heads up regarding High Maintenance that Sarah mentioned! If not already brought up, please mention HBO Go also has the Web Series of High Maintenance listed separately when you search on HBO. They are 1/2 as long and at least as good if not better. Also each episode has a neat 1 minute directors comment with Katji and Ben,. Way worth a watch! Cord killers is the Best! Will become a Patron when income allows.
Thanks!
– Larry
Hi Brian and Tom,
I can’t believe I’m actually writing this but “in-defense-of-cricket”…
There is a modern form of the game, absolutely hated by the purists, called “Twenty20 Cricket”. It plays fast, loud and has streamlined rules anyone can pick up.
The link below is to a short CPL (Caribbean Premier League) sizzle reel titled: “Party, Cricket and More Party”. In short, this is not your colonialist overlord’s game *grin*
youtube.com/watch?v=dPCIQk8KyjA
Thanks,
– Graham
Links
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Brad Stone sources say Amazon has been working on a project to build a domestic robot. Is this is natural extension of their smart speaker, tablet, and set top box hardware or does a home robot bring a unique set of challenges that might test even Amazon’s considerable resources?
Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Justin Robert Young and Roger Chang.
Using a Screen Reader? Click here
Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Subscribe through Apple Podcasts.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 Anthony Lemos of Ritual Misery for the expanded show notes!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Amazon may be developing a household robot, researchers discover way to improve battery power for wearable cameras and net neutrality protections end in the US.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 theme music.
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Tesla driver and co-host of SMR Podcast Rod Simmons talks to us about his experiences using autopilot and what the limitations and benefits are.
For all DTNS shows, please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the DTNS logo and Ryan Officer for the DTNS Labs take!
This column provides tips, insights, and observations on TNCs like Uber and Lyft from a driver that’s worked with them for several years.
The consideration of whether or not to utilize a rental car on your next vacation isn’t anything new. For a few years now cost-conscious travelers have discovered that using a TNC service in lieu of renting a car can be cheaper for most visitors. Yes, that compact car from Enterprise says that it only costs $20 a day, but after insurance, taxes and fees, gasoline, and especially parking, that rental car can get significantly more expensive to deal with over the course of a trip. Business travelers have largely already realized this, and as a result Uber and Lyft have significantly eroded rental car companies’ share of the ground transportation market.
Earlier this month, my wife and I went on a week-long vacation to New Orleans. For the first time, we decided to forgo the rental car and use Uber for all of our ground transportation needs. Part of the reason was definitely cost; the rates for anything larger than a Smart Car were around 30 bucks per day, and that didn’t include gas or parking. After accounting for gas, insurance, and valet parking charges at our hotel, estimates for getting around via Uber came out to be about hundred dollars less than what the rental would have cost us.
The experience was a lot smoother than I was prepared for. Instead of hassling with paperwork at the rental car counter, we walked across the street from baggage claim at Louis Armstrong Airport where a driver welcomed us to the city and safely drove us to our hotel near the French Quarter (the Jung Hotel, which I actually recommend to anyone visiting the city). Thanks to our central location, we didn’t need to take as many Uber trips as we originally thought; walking or using the streetcar was fine for short trips. Our largest expense, other than going to or from the airport, were the three round trips to and from the Pontchartain Convention Center. Add on one more round trip to the UNO Arena and account for being hit with Surge pricing a few times, and our total Uber bill for the week (including tips) came to $276. Not as cheap as we originally calculated, but it still came out to significantly less than the total expenditure for a rental car: roughly $290 at the counter after taxes and fees, on top of about $25 to fill up the gas tank, $20 per day for hotel parking, extra parking charges at our various destinations, and the unneeded stress of navigating through an unfamiliar city. Not much of a contest for me.
Something interesting I noticed during my vacation was that ratings culture is a bit different in New Orleans. Every driver that we rode with that week had a rating of 4.9 stars or higher. In Southern California, drivers with ratings over 4.8 stars are like unicorns. The drivers out there weren’t doing business any differently than the ones back home; I’m not sure if their passengers have different expectations or if Angelenos are just jerks. Regardless, it’s something that I’d like to explore further if the opportunity presents itself.
Speaking of Angelenos, we also tried the experience of using Lyft as opposed to renting a car in Los Angeles. L.A. has some unique circumstances that can make renting a car more desirable than dealing with a TNCs, but knowing that you won’t be stressing out in traffic may make the experience worthwhile regardless.
For starters, getting picked up from LAX is a bit more of a pain in the butt than at other airports. From baggage claim, you have to haul your luggage back upstairs to the departures level, request a ride, then wait about 20-30 minutes as your driver fights through nightmarish traffic to pick you up… assuming he or she shows up at all. Drivers here will often call and ask where you’re going first, and if they decide that the destination isn’t far enough, they’ll make up some sad excuse about why they can’t pick you up so you’ll eat a five-dollar cancellation fee on their behalf. By the time you’ve gone through all of that madness, you may wish you had taken one of the rental car shuttles instead. For what it’s worth, the Uber experience is far smoother and less profile-y if you decide to use one of the other regional airports (Hollywood Burbank, John Wayne, Ontario, or Long Beach) instead.
The spread-out nature of Los Angeles also means that continued reliance on Lyft or Uber can add up quickly if you’re not familiar with how large the area is; Disneyland is a long way from Hollywood, which is itself pretty far away from the beach. We lowered our costs by using Metro Rail where it was available, but don’t expect getting from place to place to be cheap. Just a day of Lyfting around the west and central portions of the city came to over $50. That said, the extra expense may still be worth it to not deal with wearing your legs out in stop-and-go traffic or taking fifteen minutes circling the block to find a parking space on Third Street.
In fact, regardless of cost, the only times I’d recommend renting a car instead of taking an Uber or Lyft would be if you’re travelling with babies (TNC vehicles don’t have car seats, so you’d have to bring your own, which is a cumbersome affair) or if you expect to be conducting your business far away from the city center (or just visiting relatives out in the sticks). Yes, we got surged on our ride to the airport, but it was worth it not to have to worry about finding a cheap gas station to fill up the rental car before returning it.
Sekani Wright is an experienced TNC driver working in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. If you have any questions you would like answered for this column, you can contact him at djsekani at gmail dot com, or on twitter and reddit at the username djsekani. Have a safe trip!
It’s said the future workforce will be robots and the elimination of humans from the workforce. Others disagree pointing to a future where humans and robots work together side by side collaboratively in a shared environment. Plus Nate Lanxon joins us to talk about the affects of GDPR on how online terms of service will be rewritten.
Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Len Peralta, Nate Lanxon, Roger Chang and Shannon Morse.
Using a Screen Reader? Click here
Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Subscribe through Apple Podcasts.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 Anthony Lemos of Ritual Misery for the expanded show notes!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Google pauses Allo and adds RCS to Android Messenger, AT&T has a $15 a month skinny TV bundle coming and a German court declares ad blocking legal.
Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Follow us on Soundcloud.
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 theme music.
Big thanks to Mustafa A. from thepolarcat.com for the logo!
Thanks to our mods, Kylde, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!