So, your friend plays a game. And in that game there are these boxes that show up. And they’re just a dollar (or so) to open. You could win some cool stuff if you’re lucky! No big deal, right? Loot! Well, it turns out they’re big money. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/05/senator-hawley-announces-bill-banning-loot-boxes-pay-to-win-mechanics/ https://massivelyop.com/2018/09/17/international-regulators-co-sign-declaration-to-investigate-lockboxes-and-skin-gambling/ https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/7/18534431/fortnite-rare-default-skins-bullying-harassment
Danno is back! Privacy, Net Neutrality, and more! (2/9/19 Part 1)
Our Privacy and Security Expert Dan is back! And so we’re catching up on all the craziness that’s been going on as of late! Dan, and Privacy and Neutrality and Culture and… – Part 1 Wow, we go all sorts of places. Maybe we need Dan on more often, but catching up was a load of fun!
Danno Strikes Back! (2/9/19 Part 2)
More privacy! More generational differences! More speculating, theorizing, and actively wondering! Dan, and Privacy and Neutrality and Culture and… – Part 2 Man, its great having Dan over!
Net Neutrality & the CRA Update (12/8/18 Part 2)
Net Neutrality update! Net Neutrality Update Its a marathon, its not a one-and-done, and we’re helping you to keep up with it. We firmly believe that low competition creates complacent, non-customer focused companies, and we’re not alone! http://stopthecap.com/2018/11/08/net-neutrality-violated-nearly-every-u-s-wireless-operator-is-throttling-you/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/fcc-still-hiding-possible-evidence-of-russia-meddling-in-net-neutrality-comments/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/attverizon-lobby-misunderstands-arrow-of-time-makes-impossible-claim/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/ajit-pai-buries-2-year-old-speed-test-data-in-appendix-of-762-page-report/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/03/senate-votes-to-let-isps-sell-your-web-browsing-history-to-advertisers/
You got to fight! For your right! To fiiiiiiiiix thangs! (10/27/18 Part 2)
You buy something, its yours, right? Common sense? Well, not quite. “Says who” you ask? Well, Apple and John Deer come to mind. Right to Repair gets a boost! First off, you’ll want to visit https://hawaii.repair.org/ So, there’s a movement fighting for your Right to Repair. There was a big win via the Library of Congress approving an exemption the the Digital Millennium Copyright Act allowing you to circumvent (“break”) the digital rights management of certain types of devices. https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/10/26/us-copyright-office-says-circumventing-drm-repair-certain-electronics-including-phones-smart-speakers-now-legal/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/feds-say-its-ok-to-jailbreak-alexa/ https://gizmodo.com/its-now-legal-to-hack-drm-to-repair-your-own-devices-1830002757 On a side note: there’s even an exemption that’s been made for online games that have shut down. Its really interesting, and quite relevant when you consider how many games are online only now! US Library of Congress grants DMCA exception for preserving online games You might remember Sam was a fan of City of Heroes, so this is pretty cool for him.
Apple versus Right To Repair? (10/6/18 Part 2)
If you buy something, its yours, right? And you’re free to do whatever you (legally) want to do with it, right? Including fixing it? Common sense, right? Well, maybe not. Apple, and Right to Repair Apple has been opposed to Right To Repair initiatives in the past, and has shown itself to be less than enthused with small repair shops. So, what’s next for the legacy of Steve Jobs? Do they want you to think different or should they make sure everyone says iConform?
Grab-bag news show! (8/11/18 Part 1)
Many Subjects – Part 1 Given all the stuff that happens, sometimes we just need to catch up. And one way for us to do that? News show!
News and a poor caller who can’t catch a break… (8/11/18 Part 2)
Many Subjects – Part 2 We continue our news show, and one poor guy didn’t seem like he could get decent cell phone reception when he called.
Privacy? What’s that? (6/30/18 Part 2)
Californ-aye-ay! California Privacy There are times that when California passes a law it affects the rest of the country. Why? Well, its got a LOT of people, and its economy dwarfs that of many countries. So, when they decide to pass a law it can be pretty significant. Such as privacy laws. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, many cellular providers and more don’t seem thrilled by this. But why? https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/06/california-approves-privacy-rules-opposed-by-isps-and-tech-companies/ https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/telecoms-players-blast-california-privacy-rules/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-privacy/california-lawmakers-approve-data-privacy-bill-opposed-by-silicon-valley-idUSKBN1JO35Y?il=0
Space Force: Our Thoughts and minimal joking (6/23/18 Part 1)
This week an old idea came up again: Space Force. Space Wha-? A sixth branch of the military dealing exclusively with space has been tossed about before in decades past. So, naturally, we had to jump on to its return. What do we think? Any upsides? And downsides? And what should it actually do? We discuss that and more in this first hour!