Page 660 – Tom Merritt .com

Daily Tech Headlines – October 26, 2017

Daily Tech News Show / October 26th, 2017

Twitter shows user growth, ends ads from RT and Sputnik, Facebook launches desktop version of Workplace and Apple’s CarPlay arrives on a motorcycle.

MP3

Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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!

Today in Tech History – October 26, 2017

Today in Tech History/ Writing / October 26th, 2017

1936 – The first electric generator went into full operation at Hoover Dam, about a month after President Roosevelt had dedicated the dam and tried to encourage people to call it the Boulder Dam.

https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4399466/First-Hoover-Dam-electric-generator-goes-into-full-operation–October-26–1936

1992 – Software deployment issues in CAD, the new ambulance dispatch system in London, caused 30-45 deaths. Poor training, a memory leak and no load testing contributed to the failure.

http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/a.finkelstein/las/lascase0.9.pdf

2004 – Apple debuted the iPod photo, capable of displaying digital photographs and album art on a built-in color screen.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2004/10/26Apple-Introduces-iPod-Photo.html

2012 – Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system went on sale, with its tile-based start screen.

http://news.microsoft.com/2012/10/25/windows-8-arrives/

2016 – Microsoft announced the Surface Studio, an all-in-one desktop PC with a touchscreen that could fold down almost flat on a desk. It worked with the new Surface Dial input device and sold for $2,999.

http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/10/26/13380462/microsoft-surface-studio-pc-computer-announced-features-price-release-date

Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.

East Meets West 361 -Politics

East Meets West/ Shows / October 25th, 2017

Politics, from Catalonia to New Zealand and China and beyond. Also housing.

MP3

DTNS 3145 – Why Did the Texter Cross the Road?

Daily Tech News Show / October 25th, 2017

Amazon wants you to let it’s delivery people in your house while you’re gone, Apple says it has not reduced the accuracy of FaceID, and Honolulu wants you to watch where you’re going.
With Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, and Roger Chang.

MP3

Using a Screen Reader? Click here

Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.

Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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!

Daily Tech Headlines – October 25, 2017

Daily Tech News Show / October 25th, 2017

DirecTV moves away from satellite service, Microsoft drops Kinect manufacturing, Amazon announces Key to unlock customers’ doors.

MP3

Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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!

It’s Spoilerin’ Time 192

Cordkillers / October 25th, 2017

Brian and Tom are back together and we talk Mindhunter, Firefly (Trash), and Mr. Robot (302). They also revisit Blade Runner 2049 and a Winter Movie Draft update!

00:41 – Winter Movie Draft 2017
02:44 – Blade Runner 2049
05:19 – Mr. Robot (301-302)
11:31 – Mindhunter (101)
15:02 – Firefly (Trash)

Download audio

Download video

Today in Tech History – October 25, 2017

Today in Tech History/ Writing / October 25th, 2017

1955 – Tappan introduced the first microwave oven for home use. It sold for $1,295. Raytheon developed the Radarrange after engineer Percy LeBaron Spencer was working on an active radar set and accidentally melted a candy bar in his pocket.

http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4399387/1st-domestic-microwave-is-sold–October-25–1955

1977 – VAX/VMS was born. At a shareholder meeting, DEC, the Digital Equipment Corporation, released VMS v1.0 the first version of what we later would call OpenVMS, along with the VAX 11/780 architecture which increased the PDP-11 address space.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/30th/t_past_text.html

2001 – Microsoft Windows XP hit retail shelves for the first time.
http://edition.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/10/25/xp.london.launch/

Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.

DTNS 3144 – My Kid’s Toy is Smarter than Your Honor Student

Daily Tech News Show / October 24th, 2017

Are we ready for AI toys? Plus, Facebook messes with the News Feed and wipes out some site traffic and US DoJ backs down on gag orders.
With Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang and Patrick Beja.

MP3

Using a Screen Reader? Click here

Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.

Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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!

Daily Tech Headlines – October 24, 2017

Daily Tech News Show / October 24th, 2017

iPhone X in stores, Facebook News Feed Test, US DoJ changes gag order policy.

MP3

Please SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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!

Today in Tech History – October 24, 2017

Today in Tech History/ Writing / October 24th, 2017

1861 – The first Transcontinental Telegraph line across the United States was completed, ending the need for the Pony Express which had only been around for a year and a half. Pony unemployment skyrocketed.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/western-union-completes-the-first-transcontinental-telegraph-line

1998 – NASA launched Deep Space 1, it’s mission to seek out an asteroid, specifically, asteroid 9969 Braille. When that mission ended up being only partially successful, it went after Comet Borrelly where it got some choice information.

http://science.nasa.gov/missions/deep-space-1/

2003 – The Concorde made its last commercial flight, a victim of air traffic reductions and rising maintenance costs. 100 passengers, including actress Joan Collins and model Christie Brinkley, made the flight from New York to London in the aircraft’s usual three and a half hours. Flights have been slower ever since.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/10/24/concorde.final/

Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.