Are you looking for a new computer? Where are all the PCs? Oh dear, its sort of a tough time for that. Since the start of the pandemic and the advent of everyone doing everything from home? Computers are in short supply! So, what are you options? What’s the hold-up? We talk about that and more! Jonathan’s tips: Check out the big companies like Dell, HP, etc. Sign up for an account before you’re ready to buy! Be willing to go up. Better to over buy a little than to under buy. Check the websites, newsletters, etc. Companies do have refurbished machines! Check around from them. Ask about return policies ahead of time.
Tik Tok and you don’t stop… (8/8/20 Part 1)
President Trump signed an executive order concerning TikTok and its owner ByteDance, plus Wechat and parent company Tencent. But on top of that? Their subsidiaries and companies they have a business interest in might be affected too! TikTok and slippery slopes Join Jonathan, LD, Sam and special guest Danno! https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-tiktok/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-wechat/ For more reading: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/08/trump-plans-tiktok-wechat-ban-declares-apps-national-emergency/ https://www.pcgamer.com/every-game-company-that-tencent-has-invested-in/ https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/7/21358252/tencent-wechat-ban-trump-executive-order-consequences https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/08/beware-of-find-my-phone-wi-fi-and-bluetooth-nsa-tells-mobile-users/ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/centre-bans-59-mobile-apps-including-tik-tok-uc-browser-others/articleshow/76694828.cms#:~:text=India%20Business%20News%3A%20The%20government%20of%20India%20on,apps%20terming%20them%20to%20be%20prejudicial%20to%20the https://www.zdnet.com/article/pentagon-bans-military-from-using-devices-with-gps/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/07/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-mostly-and-love-my-threat-model/
Sigh…. CONGRESS. (8/1/20 Part 2)
So, Congress has been having tech hearings as of late. Are Tech Giants Monopolies? The trick with hearings is sometimes they’re nothing but pro-wrestling and “look how tough I am” chest beating for an election year. But sometimes there’s real substance to what’s going on. So, what’s going on? https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/07/big-techs-big-day-congress-grills-ceos-over-competition-bias/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/07/telegram-files-eu-antitrust-complaint-against-apples-app-store/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-spotify-tech-eu-idUSKBN1QU18G https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-to-make-google-and-facebook-pay-for-news-content-2020-7
iOS and iPadOS 14 is coming! We take a look at it this hour! (6/27/20 Part 1)
Got an iPhone or an iPad? This is for you! iOS 14! Jonathan and Sam will be discussing the new stuff coming plus the upcoming changes to Macs while LD chimes in with his opinions. Ready? https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/apple-takes-the-wraps-off-ios-14-at-wwdc-2020/ https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ios-14/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/apple-reimagines-the-iphone-experience-with-ios-14/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/ipados-14-introduces-new-features-designed-specifically-for-ipad/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/apple-announces-mac-transition-to-apple-silicon/
Our predictions for 2020! (1/4/20 Part 1)
Last week we graded ourselves on our 2019 predictions. We nearly broke 60% right as a group, but not quite. Predictions 2020 – Part 1 How will we do this year?
Its the intro to our SHOPPING SHOW! (12/14/19 Part 1)
Its the holidays! There are sales! So, whether you celebrate or just need to upgrade, this is a great time to buy! We talk about how we decided which computers to talk about plus take your calls! What Do I Need to Look For? *Sorry but the last few minutes of this program were lost due to technical difficulties
Can you hear me? Can you hear me now? (8/17/19 Part 1)
Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Hey Google are all great voice assistants. This is a good thing, and a very useful feature of modern computers, smartphone, and more! However, your voice doesn’t stop with you. It goes from your device to the internet and onto a cloud server somewhere “out there,” only to return back with instructions the device understands and executes. Listening Up! Oh, and sometimes people listen. Computers can’t figure us humans out entirely. How to stop Alexa, Siri, and Google: https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/how-to-stop-alexa-google-siri-recording-human-review.html (thanks Alert Internet Surfer Perry!) How to stop Cortana: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-configure-windows-10-to-protect-your-privacy-1716204024
And now for something completely different… (8/17/19 Part 2)
Its a news show! What’s News? There’s been a lot going around, and we don’t want things to fall through the cracks. So, its time for our patent pending news show! https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/wind-power-prices-now-lower-than-the-cost-of-natural-gas/ https://www.neowin.net/news/google-runs-with-microsoft-made-fix-for-chromes-battery-drain https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-lunar-lander-update-august-2019.html https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/08/huawei-announces-its-first-operating-system-harmonyos/ https://www.cnet.com/news/trump-administration-reportedly-wants-to-extend-nsa-phone-surveillance-program/ https://www.pcmag.com/news/370202/which-countries-are-best-prepared-for-cybercrime-response https://www.anandtech.com/show/14694/amd-rome-epyc-2nd-gen https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/facebook-transcribing-users-conversations-reason-204037706.html
Back To School! Are you ready! (8/3/19 Part 1)
Are you ready for school? Are your kids? Do you need a new computer or laptop for the new school year? Well, this is the show for you! Back to School! – Part 1 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we talk about this and more!
But do you own it? DRM and you 101 (7/13/19 Part 1)
When you buy something digitally, do you actually own it? Are you sure about that? Do You Own It? Wouldn’t it be a shame if it went up in a puff of smoke? Many digital things you buy can get Digital Rights Management (DRM), be it eBooks, music, software/apps, movies and more. While its understandable for renting or borrowing, what about something you’re buying? We talk about this and offer our thoughts on the matter! https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/ultraviolet-is-shutting-down/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3k3wkk/microsoft-ebooks-will-stop-working-because-its-shutting-down-a-drm-server https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/cant-stream-that-christmas-movie-you-bought-on-amazon-blame-disney/ https://io9.gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703