We are optimistic for Dune, excited for The Expanse, and hopeful for Stranger in a Strange Land. But we’re certain of what we want Emilia Clarke to be in the Han Solo movie.
DTNS 2909 – Signal 95, Penetration 47
Almost half the world is online now. What does that mean for the way the world lives and what does it mean for the other half? Plus Wal-mart uses the Blockchain for unsafe food and Facebook crashes a drone. Patrick Beja and Tom Merritt discuss.
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Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.
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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 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, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Daily Tech Headlines – November 22, 2016
Facebook Internet drone crashes, Google can now tell you how long the line for brunch is, ATMs hacked to spit out cash.
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, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Today in Tech History – November 22, 2016
1963 – One of the most famous 8mm home movies ever recorded was filmed on a Model 414 PD Bell and Howell in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. The Zapruder film showed President John F. Kennedy and Governor John Connally being shot.
1995 – The first feature-length film created entirely using computer-generated imagery was released to theaters. Toy Story grossed more than $350 million worldwide, making executive producer Steve Jobs, very happy.
2005 – Microsoft’s Xbox 360 went on sale in North America. The follow-up to the Xbox would become a smash hit.
Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.
Cordkillers 146 – D-U-M Dumb!
Apple makes a play to be your default set-top box, Amazon Prime Video expands (sort of), and Hulu tries to get better at recommendations.
CordKillers: Ep. 146 – D-U-M Dumb!
Recorded: November 22 2016
Guest: None
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Sony’s PlayStation Vue service now works on Apple TV
– Sony’s PlayStation Vue TV service came to Apple TV Thursday though it does not let subscribers purchase plans through the Apple app nor does it integrate with Apple’s TV app. - AT&T will reveal everything about DirecTV Now on November 28th
– AT&T will announce details about its upcoming service November 28 in New York.
– Sign up for 3 months get a free Apple TV, sign up for one month get an Amazon Fire TV stick.
– So far reports say DirecTV Now has ABC-Disney, NBCU, Viacom, Scripps, Discovery HBO Starz and A&E on board. Just signed on Fox. No word on CBS. - Apple to Cut Fees Video Services Will Pay for App Store, Say Sources
-Bloomberg’s sources say Apple plans to cut the amount it charges companies to sell video services through the App Store from 30 to 15 percent. The apps must integrate with Apple’s new TV app.
How to Watch
- Amazon Prime Video is going global next month to take on Netflix
– In a video promoting Amazon’s upcoming car show The Grand Tour, host Jermey Clarkson announced the show will be available in more than 200 countries in December. The show is exclusive to Amazon which seems to mean Amazon Prime Video will be expanding outside its four markets soon. The Grand Tour comes to Amazon Prime Video Friday in the UK, Germany and Japan and went live Thursday in the US. - The Grand Tour: The Official Trailer
– The Grand Tour. Following a rather public spat, former hosts of BBC’s Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May have essentially re-launched the show on Amazon Prime Video as The Grand Tour. From the little I’ve seen of Top Gear, The Grand Tour is a pretty faithful recreation of the format: commentary, car ranking, and comedy bits breaking up longer segments on unique and high performance vehicles. The show is bold, each episode being filmed in a travelling tent/studio in a different part of the world with incredible production value, but it’s still bouyed by the hosts’ chemisty. And when I say “production value,” I mean it. There are some very expensive, very short moments in the first episode, but their wow-factor might be worth the price. I’ll leave the surprises for you to enjoy, but it’s a gorgeous, charming show.
What to Watch
- Emilia Clarke cast in upcoming Han Solo movie
- Neil Gaiman Is Producing a TV Show About a Multiverse Skyscraper
– Neil Gaiman co-producing and writing a Fox TV series called The Building about people who live in a building that continually moves through alternate dimensions. It’s an adaptation of the movie Parallels. - Marvel’s ‘The Inhumans’ will premiere in IMAX before its TV debut
– ABC’s The Inhumans will bring its first two episodes to IMAX for two weeks in early September before the show starts airing on TV. The TV version will have exclusive scenes not shown in theaters. - Netflix to air three Dave Chappelle stand-up specials
– Netflix will have three comedy specials from Dave Chapelle. One is a standup special directed by Stan Latham. The other two are never-before-seen specials. No premiere date was announced.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Justified 406, Westworld 108, Ash vs. Evil Dead 101-107
- Tom: The Crown (102-110), Justified (406), Star Wars Rebels, Westworld (108)
- On the Lookout: (Mini-reviews of The Tick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, pilots)
Front Lines
- Hulu acquires The Video Genome Project to improve recommendations ahead of live TV service’s launch
– Hulu acquired the Video Genome Project , which aims to aggregate metadata around video content in order to make better recommendations based on viewing history. Hulu plans to implement the tech when it launches it’s live streaming service early next year. One of its plans involves detecting current events form news feeds and making recommendations for movies and TV shows. - Xbox One gets over-the-air DVR through a set-top box
– Users of the Tablo device for over the air reception and DVR functions can now access it through a new Xbox One app. Tablo costs $220 plus $5 a month for the guide. It has apps for most other streaming boxes like Roku, Fore TV and Apple TV. - Netflix can finally stream 4K from a PC (but probably not yours)
– Netflix has opened up 4K streaming for Windows PCs through the Microsoft edge browser. You also need a 4K-capable screen and your PC needs a 7th Generation Kaby Lake Intel processor. - Warner Bros. Acquires Full Control of Machinima
– Warner Brothers has purchased full control of Machinima and will put it to work in partnership with its DC Entertainment properties including video games, moves and TV shows. - Twitter launched an app for Android TV that lets users watch live video like Thursday Night Football.
- Xiaomi’s Mi Box supports 4K and HDR streams and Google Cast for $69. It runs on Android TV.
Dispatches from the Front
Hello Brian & Tom,
I know back in the day the show was at over 2k but now below 1,800. I’m assuming that the money you have coming in from a lesser number is still enough to keep the lights. However, is there a number below which you guys can’t continue? Hopefully we are well above that number. And I doubled my pledge to a whole 2 bucks an episode to help out.
Thanks,
– Norm from Visalia, CA
Hi Tom and Brian
I’m just wondering what I can expect from Amazon Prime’s video content when Amazon begins full operations in Australia next September? I remember when Netflix started here they had most of their exclusives except for a couple like Star Trek and Breaking Bad that were licensed exclusives. Is the Amazon Prime library full of exclusives that Amazon owns and therefore will in all likely hood appear on day one or are shows like Man in the High Castle and The Tick owned by third parties and could complicate the launch?
– Thanks from Nik.
Brian,
While you’re forgetting to cancel your Starz subscription this month, be sure to catch the Starz original, Ash vs Evil Dead.
All of season one is available and most of season two is now in there for your viewing enjoyment. If you love Three Stooges slapstick and way over-the-top blood and guts horror, Ash is the man!
Keep up the fight to rid us of cable
And tune into my podcast, Too Much Scrolling, every Tuesday on the same podcast app you’re using now or on our website toomuchscrolling.com
I’ll see you in the future.
–Steve
Hey guys,
Just one of your free listening, faceless masses here. Just thought you guys should know that some thing’s happened to the Can I Stream It website you say you use on your show. Apparently both the app and website no longer give out current information on streaming options. No clue about when and why, only that I (and many reviewers on the Android app store) have noticed the fallout. Any suggestions for a backup option? thanks.
– Isaac from Portland
I’m not a fan of brian’s coined “convenience trumps fidelity” as I’m an advocate for hdr, low compression, and high quality monitors and speakers … but brian’s right.
I have a question for you guys, and maybe the cordkiller community .. I would like to take my box of DVD’s and Bluerays downstairs and port them over to digital licenses. Is there a service out there that does this?
I think Walmart did it for a while, but charged for it, which I think is ridiculous to have to upgrade my license considering they’re going to get user data and behavioral data out of this deal. Ideally I’d love to convert my physical media to itunes or google play at no charge. Is this possible?
– Joe
Links
DTNS 2908 – I’m Sorry Dave, I Can’t Grill That.
Do we need this? How silicon valley innovates for themselves not us. Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt discuss that plus Instagram Live and Apple getting out of the router business.
Using a Screen Reader? Click here
Multiple versions (ogg, video etc.) from Archive.org.
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 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, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Daily Tech Headlines – November 21, 2016
Symantec to buy Lifelock, Oracle to buy Dyn and Facebook to hire 500 Brits.
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, TomGehrke, sebgonz and scottierowland on the subreddit
Show Notes
To read the show notes in a separate page click here!
Today in Tech History – November 21, 2016
1877 – Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph, a machine that could record and play sound.
1905 – The Annalen Der Physik published Albert Einstein’s paper, entitled “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?” The paper revealed the relationship between energy and mass. You know the relationship as E = mc².
1969 The first permanent ARPANET link was established between the Interface Message Processor or IMP at UCLA and the IMP at the Stanford Research Institute.
Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.
What Do We Do Now?
In the United States a common question on a lot of people’s mind is, “What do we do now that Donald Trump has been elected president?”
That comes from supporters as well as detractors.
So you may be asking:
“Someone who I believe is dangerous to the country has been elected. What do we now to stop him from damaging our country?”
OR you may be asking
“Thankfully Donald Trump has been elected president but he is only one man. What do we do to stop the political elites from stopping him from doing what needs to be done to fix this country?”
Unfortunately, many folks have decided the answer to either question is to start a fight on Facebook or Twitter. The next time you’re about to do that, do the following instead.
Write your Senators and Representatives. Yes I know that sounds like a trite answer that has been bandied about for literally centuries.
BUT many of you find the time to write a lot on social media. And while I’m not saying you shouldn’t— after all a free discussion is lifeblood of a republic— it is significantly less effective than taking that time you spent writing a Facebook post to write to your representatives. And writing to them is easier than ever before.
OBJECTIONS
BUT I’m not from here, I’m, not registered to vote, etc.
It doesn’t matter, as long as you live in the United States.
All you need is an address. US Senators and representatives are sworn to serve the people in their states or districts. Voting is a privilege reserved for adult citizens, yes, but representation is for anybody who lives in the area. If you can be taxed, you get representation.
I will argue that filling out a form on a Congressperson’s website makes this easier than it’s ever been. But I would be remiss if I didn’t note that:
Writing a letter is often more effective than calling–
Calling is often more effective than emailing–
BUT Emailing or filling out the Website’s form is always more effective than posting on social media.
You can read more on what actually works with Congressional staffers here.
FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
To find your representative go to http://ziplook.house.gov/ Sometimes all you need is a zip code. For some districts you may need to specify a street address.
For Senators it’s even easier. Just go to http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ and look for your state.
Now you have the contact info. All you need to do is know what to say. And this is where it differs from Facebook. You need to be polite.
HOW TO PHRASE YOUR OPINION
First of all, only send messages to *your* representative. You’ll need to give them your address and they are only bound to represent people in their district. So don’t be anonymous and don’t write to representatives in other districts. Start with your name and address.
Then:
Be factual, not emotional. State what the issue is “You will be voting on the confirmation of a nominee for Attorney General”
Or if it’s a bill state the bill number. “You will be voting on the “Foreign Registration Act SB-1234”
State how it affects you, again without stridency or emotion. “I am greatly concerned with crime/rights in my community.” It is good to include examples or evidence to support your position but keep it short. This should be less than one page in length.
Finish with your request for action. “I urge you sincerely to vote yes/no for the confirmation/bill.”
DON’T
Don’t swear. Don’t threaten. Don’t joke. Don’t write anonymously and don’t demand a response.
You can find more, including proper forms of address for Representatives and Senators in this article: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm
With so many members of congress including Web forms on their official pages, it is just as easy to post to them as it is to your Facebook friends. And you will not get into a flame war. Instead you will have registered your opinion with someone who can actually vote based on it. Who is bound to consider it.
Your opinion alone will certainly not determine their vote, but most people do not write their representatives so if you do, you will have made your voice count a lot more than the others who do not. And you had much more of an effect than your argument on Facebook.
So here’s my suggestion. The next time you’re about to post on social media about something because you think something needs to be done and folks are getting things wrong. Take a moment and write that same thing, respectfully, to your Senator or Representative, instead.
Then you can finish your social media post with “and I’ve been in communication with Congress about this.”
PS: Yes if you do not live in the US then none of this applies. I would suggest possibly writing to the local US embassy or possibly to the President directly.
Today in Tech History – November 20, 2016
1984 – The SETI Institute, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence was founded by Thomas Pierson (CEO), and Dr. Jill Tarter. No luck so far, but they keep looking.
1985 – Microsoft finally released Version 1.0 of Windows. It was considered slightly inferior to competitors like DESQview and the Macintosh.
1998 – The first module of the International Space Station launched. Zarya, also called the Functional Cargo Block, provided electrical power, storage and propulsion. It’s now consigned to being used for storage.
Read Tom’s science fiction and other fiction books at Merritt’s Books site.