Tech News Today 783: More Tiles Than My Bathroom

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

What Microsoft announced at BUILD, FTC chides search engines for ads, Discovery’s plan to charge you more, and more.

Guest: Stuart Miles

Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/tnt.

Submit and vote on story coverage at technewstoday.reddit.com.

Check out the full show notes for today’s episode.

We invite you to read, add to, and amend the wiki entry for this episode at wiki.twit.tv.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Running time:: 0:44:19

July Book Pick: Because you are so awesome

Wow. That was a more exciting election since Iran’s last week. We even got insinuations of voter fraud! We’ve made it!

So right down to the wire Larry Niven’s Ringworld just barely edged out John Scalzi’s Redshirts.

Neither is a perfect choice for everyone. We’ve done Mr. Scalzi’s books as a main pick recently and as an alternate book previously so he’s had lots of coverage. on the other hand there does not seem to be a legit ebook of Ringwolrd (there are print copies and audio copies) which is a deal killer for some.

So here’s what the electoral commission has decided. Ringworld got the most votes. It’s our pick for July. But for the first time since before we went to a strict monthly schedule, we will have an OFFICIAL alternate pick. The votes were just too damn close.

So get out there and read whichever one you like. I’ll be diving into both and I know Veronica already has read Redshirts.

And remember no book pick is ever going to please everyone in this club. It’s not meant to. It’s meant to expose you to books you might not pick up otherwise. And if you’re grumbling about not having an ebook, remember the people who often grumble that the book is not in the library and they don’t have ereaders. We’re all in this together.

Now go enjoy some reading!

*In absence of Veronica who is on vacation electroal commission consisted of Tom and his two dogs. 

  

Tech History Today – June 26, 2013

In 1954 – At 5:30 PM the world’s first nuclear power station was connected to the power grid Obninsk, U.S.S.R., a small town 60 miles south of Moscow.

In 1974 – At 8:01 AM, a supermarket cashier scanned a 10-pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum across a bar-code scanner at Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was the first product ever checked out by Universal Product Code.

In 1997 – The US Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Communications Decency Act as violating the first amendment protecting free speech.

Like Tech History? Purchase Tom Merritt’s Chronology of Tech History at Merritt’s Books site.

Tech News Today 782: Ruining Everything

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell

Sony unveils a new SmartWatch, Microsoft making games for iOS? Bad news for Nokia, BlackBerry in India, and more.

Guest: Christopher Null

Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/tnt.

Submit and vote on story coverage at technewstoday.reddit.com.

Check out the full show notes for today’s episode.

We invite you to read, add to, and amend the wiki entry for this episode at wiki.twit.tv.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Running time:: 0:48:55

Tech History Today – June 25, 2013

In 1967 – The very first Consumer Electronics Show opened in New York occupying the Americana and New York Hilton Hotels. It was devoted to home entertainment electronics and featured such advances as portable color TVs and video tape recorders.

In 1981 – After six years as a company, Microsoft incorporated in the state of Washington.

In 1998 – Microsoft released Windows 98 with less hype than Windows 95, but more consumer focus. Windows 98 was the last version of Windows that was based on DOS.

Like Tech History? Purchase Tom Merritt’s Chronology of Tech History at Merritt’s Books site.

Tech News Today 781: Burritos From the Sky

Hosts: Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane and Jason Howell

California govt. goes after BitCoin, Facebook working on a Flipboard knockoff? Sony and Disney test same-day as theater streaming rentals, and more.

Guest: David Spark

Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/tnt.

Submit and vote on story coverage at technewstoday.reddit.com.

Check out the full show notes for today’s episode.

We invite you to read, add to, and amend the wiki entry for this episode at wiki.twit.tv.

Thanks to Cachefly for the bandwidth for this show.

Running time:: 0:49:58

Tech History Today – June 24, 2013

In 1963 – The first demonstration of a home video recorder was made at the BBC News Studios in London. A Telcan, short for television in a can, could record up to 20 minutes of black and white television using quarter-inch tape on a reel to reel system.

In 1993 – “Severe Tire Damage,” conducted the first known Internet concert. The band set their gear up on the patios of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and sent their show out on the Internet Multicast Backbone, or Mbone.

In 2000 – President Clinton gave his weekly radio address live on the Internet for the first time.

Like Tech History? Purchase Tom Merritt’s Chronology of Tech History at Merritt’s Books site.