Houston hurricanes, Do we need aliens to bring us together? Why we localize tragedies.
DTNS 3105 – Google Flexes Its ARCore
Google’s ARCore and the state of augmented reality, plus Apple’s fight for 4K and Enterprise success.
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Show Notes
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Daily Tech Headlines – August 29, 2017
NYPD ditches 36,000 Windows Phones, Apple teams up with Accenture for custom business app design and movie studios want Apple to charge more for 4K movies.
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Show Notes
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Cordkillers 185 – Both of Them and Charles Dickens are Wrong
Why Roku is still number one, Hulu Live TV gets better, and Ozark is the best.
CordKillers: Ep. 185 – Both of Them and Charles Dickens are Wrong
Recorded: August 28 2017
Guest: None
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Roku is the top streaming device in the US and growing
– Parks Associates market share by number of installed devices.
-37% of streaming devices in US are ROKU, up from 30% from last year
– Only Fire TV increased to 24% up 16%
– Chromecast fell to third at 18% Apple TV fourth at 15%
– Previously mentioned emarketer stats based connected TV use - Apple Is Planning a 4K Upgrade for Its TV Box
– Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple plans to unveil an updated Apple TV with 4K streaming support and a focus on live television at their September 12th announcement. The updated Apple TV will reportedly support HDR video.
How to Watch
- Hulu’s live TV service now supports web browsers on PC and Mac
- Hulu Live TV comes to Xbox 360
– Hulu Live TV can now be streamed to the browser on Windows and macOS. Hulu warns that it’s a beta that will add more functions as the months go by. - Hulu’s Live TV service to have all five major broadcast networks with addition of The CW
– Hulu announced a deal to carry the CW on its live TV service. Hulu Live now has all five major english-language US broadcasters. It will arrive in select markets first with other affiliates joining over time.
What to Watch
- The Tick’s Creators Split Up the New Season to Curb Binge Watching
– The Tick arrived on Amazon Friday but only half the season. Creator Ben Edlund told CinemaBlend that they broke up the season in two on purpose. Edlund said The Binge Watching [sic] issue is… I see it as it’s a perfect dive from a high board, and there’s no splash. We’re all sort of veterans of the opposite of that. Fan energy wants to have a culture to express itself in. So if you split a season, and give a gap in-between, you get anticipation, you get people are able [to] talk about what happened.” - Adam Scott Suspects His Stepson Is Satan’s Son in the Trailer for Little Evil
– Eli Craig who made Tucker and Dale vs. Evil parodying the cabin the woods horror genre has a movie called Little Evil that parodies the possessed child genre. Little Evil stars Adam Scott and Evangeline Lilly and premieres September 1. - Stranger Things Will Be Back For Season 3, But Probably End After Season 4
– Ross Duffer told Vulture that he and his brother are thinking Stranger Things will wrap up in four seasons. Netflix has renewed the series for a third season. The second season arrives October 27th. - Netflix snags ‘Def Comedy Jam’ 25th anniversary special
– Netflix will stream Russel Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam 25th anniversary special this autumn. The lineup will include Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams. A reboot of the series is also coming to HBO in November called All Def Comedy. - Get Your First Look at Black Mirror’s Freaky Fourth Season Right Now
– A teaser for the next season of Black Mirror is out with episode titles and short clips. No date was revealed either.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, Firefly
- Tom: Preacher (210) Secrets of the Citadel, Ozark (101-102) The Tick (102-102) Game of Thrones, Twin Peaks, Rick and Morty
- On the Lookout: The Trollhunters
Front Lines
- CBS is expanding to Australia with buyout of troubled broadcaster Network Ten
– CBS announced a deal to acquire major Australian national broadcaster, Ten. This may be followed by a launch of CBS All Access in Australia. - Walmart’s streaming service Vudu hits Apple TV
– An app for Vudu has arrived for Apple TV. You can’t make purchases from it but you can access your library and any ad-supported free streaming videos. - ESPN will stream big-name boxing matches under a new deal
– ESPN has reached a multi-year agreement to air and stream Top Rank boxing matches in the US and Canada. That would include ESPN’s forthcoming streaming-only service. - Netflix Is Now Selling its Own Weed Strains
– Variety reports that Netflix has put its name on some boutique strains of legal marijuana for sale this past weekend at a pop-up shop inside the Alternative Herbal Health Services dispensary in West Hollywood. The move is in promotion of Disjointed which premiered on Netflix Friday. - HBO NOW’s app has pulled in $19 million since the “Game of Thrones” premiere
– App Annie estimates that the iOS and Android version of the HBO Now app have generated $19 million of revenue in the US since the premiere of Game of Thrones. For the week of August 20th it was the top grossing app on any mobile platform passing Pandora and Netflix. - Facebook and Twitter Will Stream College Football This Season
– Facebook and Twitter have reached an agreement with Stadium to stream college football games. Facebook will have 15 games from Conference USA and Mountain West. Twitter has not announced it’s slate but will show Alabama A&M against Alabama-Birmingham.
Dispatches from the Front
Brian,
So I used Movie Pass back when it was $45-$50 a month for those in the LA area and I enjoyed it for the time I had it, got lots of bonus reward points from theaters however it has changed since then for the better. Back then there was no online ordering with it, you had to be at the theater to activate the account to make a purchase so it was a gas cost. It also included a 6 month cool down period if you cancelled. (So you can’ just use it for winter blockbuster season and then start up at the next summer blockbuster season) At the $10 a month I don’t see a reason to let it lapse though. Data signal can be an issue, so finding out what theaters have dead zones by the box office and activating the card in the parking lot is important however with online ordering I see this going to be a lesser issue. If you have a theater nearby with a rewards program it is a MUST HAVE. If you go to 1 movie a month it is a huge discount. If you go to two movies every 3 months (based on my local market( it’s still a deal.
Let me know if you have any specific questions, I’d be happy to answer
– Jeff
I signed up for the service the day after the price change. I was very excited about the service seeing how I typically see at least one movie a month. The first few days of the service the app was not working very well due to the influx of new users. I was told to buy a ticket and send them the receipt and they will refund the price, which I was fine with.
Now a week later I have found that the app is working pretty well and it is very convenient to just open the app, select my theater, reserve the seat, and have my ticket ready at the box office (this does only work if MP has a deal with that specific theater to do e-tickets). I also found that my movie going experience was much more enjoyable. You feel like such a bad ass just opening your phone and a few minutes later having reserved a seat and just walking in the theater. On top of that I have went to see movies that I would have never seen in theaters and if I did I would have been upset knowing that I spend $10-$12, but instead I can just relax and enjoy a movie I more than likely wouldn’t have every paid to see, and I don’t feel bad throwing the theater a couple bucks for a snack or drink.
Even if the current pricing only lasts 12-18 months I think it will be worth it in the long run and even give movie chains time to consider their own subscription service down the road.
Best Regards,
– Kyle
Hey, I ran across a cool website for sports fans who are looking to cut the cord. Just type “wherecaniwatchmy.team” into your browser and you’ll be able to quickly find out which package is best for watching your favorite sportball team.
He’s only got NFL and NCAA football on there for now, but hopefully he’ll add more sports later.
Thought I’d pass along a cool new service that helps people navigate the proliferation of streaming services.
– Seth
Links
DTNS 3104 – Uber Uses Expedia to Find CEO
Uber gets a new CEO, Microsoft shows off VR products, Amazon’s brave new grocery world.
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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, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
- News You Should Know
- More Top Stories
- (04:20) Uber expected to name Expedia CEO as new boss
- Uber’s New CEO May Get at Least $200 Million… – Bloomberg
- (07:35) Microsoft makes many mixed reality announcements at IFA
- (11:55) Fitbit announces new smartwatch
- Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Flyer… – Pocket-lint
- (16:25) Amazon cuts Whole Foods stores by up to 43 percent
- (21:10) Sarahah scrutinized for collecting user data
- (04:20) Uber expected to name Expedia CEO as new boss
- Thing of the Day
- (25:45) Tech In Travel Minute
- Discussion
- Mailbag Monday
- (27:35) Ward Oatway – Bitcoin mine construction
- (29:05) Joe – Just in Time Training
- (30:45) Anon – Tesla Semi
- (32:55) anotherJmartin – self-driving car maintenance
- (34:20) Ethen – Quadcopters
- (34:45) Jeff Steinhauer – Games to learn programming
- Mailbag Monday
Daily Tech Headlines – August 28, 2017
Uber may have a new CEO, Microsoft shows off Windows Mixed Reality devices, Fitbit has a new smart watch.
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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
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DFP #46 – Twin Peaks: The Return Part 16
They don’t call it TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN for nothin’, and oh what a return it was. Numerous questions get answers and in classic David Lynch and Mark Frost style, we’re left with more questions. Garrett Weinzierl joins us to congratulate Tom on his prediction and continue to marvel at the amazing television that is Twin Peaks.
Support us on Patreon patreon.com/damnfinepodcast.
DTNS 3103 – Pepper Don’t Preach
Pepper the robot becomes a Buddhist priest, self-driving trucks hit the roads and whether Just in Time Learning from YouTube is good bad or otherwise.
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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, Jack_Shid, KAPT_Kipper, and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
- News You Should Know
- More Top Stories
- (03:50) Head of Samsung guilty of embezzlement and bribery
- (06:15) Amazon opened up influencer program to YouTubers
- (09:15) Johns Hopkins proposes using quadcopters to explore Titan
- (11:20) Robot demonstrates funeral rites at funerary industry expo
- (16:20) UK approves semi-automated truck envoy trials in 2018
- Discussion
- (19:00) Bruce – Just In Time Learning
- Thing of the Day
- Message of the Day
- (30:05) Derrick – Amazon ads
Get Len Peralta‘s “Just In Time” at his store or by supporting his Patreon
Watch Shannon Morse‘s TekThing on Hak5 and support it on Patreon
Daily Tech Headlines – August 25, 2017
Samsung’s heir sentenced to jail, HTC considers selling Vive VR, and Amazon officially swallows Whole Foods.
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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 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
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Your Private Driver: Surging the System
This is a weekly column that offers news, insights, analysis, and user tips for transportation network company (TNC) platforms like Uber and Lyft. Well, usually weekly, but the author has been somewhat preoccupied with a new job, new intensive schedule, and an upcoming move. He apologizes for the lack of content updates.
A new study has been making headlines this month claiming the Uber drivers have been finding ways to game the system to force riders to pay inflated Surge fares. Completed jointly by Warwick Business School and New York University, it claims to have found evidence that drivers are using tactics like logging off en-masse to artificially reduce the supply of available vehicles relative to demand, triggering Uber’s Surge algorithm to go into effect.
Fortunately, avoiding this problem is pretty easy: do nothing. Seriously, the results of this study are complete bull crap, and it’s filled with misinformation and other data that appears to be just completely made up. Sure, drivers have long talked about gaming the Surge system in this way, but none of their efforts have ever gained enough traction to become more than just talk. UberPeople.net, one of the largest and most well-known driver communities, is probably the most popular place for discussions of this type. Their userbase, however, barely accounts for a fraction of the number of registered Uber, Lyft, and other TNC drivers. Uber alone has over 1.5 million active drivers globally, with about 200,000 of them in the United States. I’ve yet to see any indication that a “log off and let it surge” collective action has ever actually happened, and even if it did, I’m not completely sure it would be successful.
In the conceptual stage, such strike attempts fail to take into account the vastly diverse needs and expectations of the many, many TNC drivers out there. A full-time driver, for example, would have little to lose from turning off their app for some time while waiting for more profitable conditions. A part-time driver, on the other hand, likely has only a few hours a day or week that they can drive, so sitting around with the app off would be a waste of valuable time for them. More than half of all Uber drivers (and I assume a similar percentage for Lyft) drive less than 15 hours per week. They want to spend that time giving rides, not wasting time on games.
It should be no surprise then that strike attempts also suffer from a lack of participation. At most, I’ve seen about a few dozen drivers willing to commit to any one single “app off” action. In Los Angeles, where there are literally thousands of TNC drivers available at any given time, a few dozen cars vanishing from the available pool isn’t likely to make a significant enough dent in supply or demand to trigger a Surge.
But what if they could? Let’s assume that a coordinated strike in a small area, like a popular nightlife district, was effective enough to dry up the supply and cause a Surge. The first thing I could see happening would be that other drivers unaffiliated with the strike would swoop in and snatch up waiting customers before the Surge rates got too high, making the strike a waste of time. Secondly, the riders could just wait the Surge out. Unless there’s a special event happening, Surges rarely last for more than a few minutes at a time. Patience wins the day.
Thirdly, and in my opinion the most likely scenario, would be that the drivers would wait until Surge multipliers had risen to a high-enough level (around 2x) then they’d all go online to snatch up some of those high-value fares. Unfortunately for them, the Surge pricing has killed some of the demand, so there aren’t as many rides to go around, and the sudden jump in supply from all the striking drivers going online would eliminate the Surge entirely. They’ve attempted to game the system but instead just wasted their time.
The Warwick study appears to have collected its data by interviewing some drivers and browsing the blogs and websites of others. Unfortunately they don’t seem to have any idea of how Uber actually works from the driver-partner perspective, they just read and listened to a bunch of people complaining about it. For example, this line was in reference to drivers trying to cheat their way to more money out of UberPOOL:
Professor Henfridsson added: “Drivers also either accept the first passenger on UberPOOL then log off, or just ignore requests, so they don’t have to make a detour to pick anybody else up. They then still pocket the 30 per cent commission for UberPOOL, rather than the usual 10 per cent.”
This shows a very basic lack of understanding of the driver-partner commission structure (drivers keep 75 percent of the fare, not 10 or 30), and creates the false assumption that skipping additional passengers during a Pool trip somehow makes drivers more money. If you’re gonna do a study about a product or service, shouldn’t you at least attempt to properly educate yourself about how that product or service works?
In my opinion, the real takeaway is not that Uber drivers are trying to find ways to cheat the system, but that the system is unintentionally designed in such a way that drivers have more of a short-term financial obligation to compete with their co-workers instead of cooperate with them. Any time a driver says that a fare is not worth the money, ten more are willing to swoop in to take it from him. A strike would be merely a golden opportunity for scabs to make a profit. There’s too much incentive to not take any kind of collective action for such organization to ever truly be successful on a large scale. The true monster of the gig economy is the realization that so few that are a part of it can afford to take a short-term loss in order to ally with their co-workers to achieve a long-term gain.
How Uber, Lyft, and the tech industry in general treat the growing engine of the ever-expanding gig economy will tell me a lot about Silicon Valley values; namely if they’re real, or just social media fluff.
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!