Are you ready for the holiday shopping season? No? Well too bad! It is upon us! Black Friday 2018 But, the trick with sales is sometimes they’re tricky. Is it really a deal? Is it what it says it is? Oh goodness, what a pain! The holidays are a great time for research as well! https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm https://www.tomshardware.com/ https://www.newegg.com/ https://blackfriday.com/ https://www.bbb.org/
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.
Security? It has us on PINs and needles! (10/20/18 Part 2)
Personal Identification Numbers (or PINs) are a part of modern life. Using an ATM, a debit card at the store, and unlocking your phone all use PINs. So, do you need a good one? Heck yeah you do! Not just for protecting your stuff, but legally as well! Passwords! – Part 2 https://www.thebalance.com/pin-number-definition-and-explanation-315344 https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/why-biometrics-are-bad-for-your-constitutional-rights.html https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/12/16298192/apple-iphone-face-id-legal-security-fifth-amendment https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/court-rules-against-man-who-was-forced-to-fingerprint-unlock-his-phone/
LD cut the cable TV cord! (9/22/18 Part 1)
Our beloved LD Reynolds has cut his cable TV cord! Whaaaaaat? Cutting Cable TV We talk about what his bill was, what it is now, and what he’s doing instead of cable TV. Is it streaming all the time? Any broadcast TV? Is he just at the library day in and day out?
Cord cutting is great, but don’t forget your NETWORK! (9/22/18 Part 2)
So, you cut the cord, what else is there? Well, you need the internet obviously! Networks, and Updating Them You’re going to want to make sure your home network is up to snuff for streaming, gaming, downloading, uploading, and more! Going to have guests? Got kids? Trying to save data on your cellular plan? All these things matter!
Computers 101: Routers! (7/21/18 Part 1)
Its a 101 show! Where we go over computer basics for YOU, our listeners! First off? The backbone of the modern digital home is your ROUTER. Routers 101
Who is watching you? (6/30/18 Part 1)
Everyone is watching! Who’s Listening In? Well, not so much everyone so much as every company. Facebook has patented a new technique for listening to you while while you’re watching TV to figure out what ads you’re watching, how long, and more. So, naturally, we had to talk about this, plus Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and other personal assistants… What exactly are we getting (and risking) here? https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/66-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-right-now/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/06/facebook-patent-would-turn-your-mic-on-to-analyze-how-you-watch-ads/ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/03/five-ways-cybersecurity-will-suffer-if-congress-repeals-fcc-privacy-rules
ZTE & Huawei plus more on mergers! (6/16/18 Part 2)
The ZTE question We continue talking about the merger between AT&T and Time Warner, plus Comcast trying to woo Fox from Disney. A call came in asking about ZTE and Huawei – two Chinese electronic giants – having trouble with the US government so we tackled that too! *phew*
Are Cable still your best deal? (6/2/18 Part 2)
Cord cutting! Is it for you? What are the pros and cons? Cable Confusion – Part 2 Can’t live without your HBO? https://order.hbonow.com/ Will you wither without ESPN? http://www.espn.com/watch/espnplus/ Do you want BBC America? https://www.britbox.com/us/ Hulu? Hulu with Live TV? https://www.hulu.com/ Our favorite is Netflix! https://www.netflix.com/ Want documentaries, and lots of them? https://curiositystream.com/ What else is out there? Let us know!
Its so hard to say goodbye… to old PCs. (4/14/18 Part 1)
At some point, your computer will die. E-Cycling, and What You Need To Do Maybe its a power surge. Maybe a component will give up the ghost and take the rest of the machine with it. Perhaps a rugrat will think computers like apple juice. Maybe its time to replace it for any number of reasons… So, what do you do when this happens? We’ll talk about that, and changes to the eCycling program here on Maui! Links: Ecycling