Geek Smack!

Last week I decided to take a week off – sort of. I was suppose to be at an event but a series of issues kept me at home. Therefore, I reduced my regular schedule and spent the rest of the week just relaxing (as much as I could) and starting a new book on Podcasting. Back in the zone this week – iPad365 back up and running after a small hiatus and a great episode of This Week in Google Glass with Luke last night.

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 266 Tech News:

WWDC
New Mac Pro and Air, iOS7, OSX Mavericks and more
Surface for Schools
Microsoft will be offering 32 GB Surface RT to schools for $199 each
Instagram Video
In seeing Vine’s success, Instagram will get video support. Do you use Instagram anymore?
Jobs e-Book
Steve Jobs ebook will enter test phase as paperback version coming out soon.
Whistleblower
Live chat with Edward Snowden from the Guardian. Learn a little more on why he did what he did.
Texas Email Snoop
Texas becomes the first state that will allow email snooping once a warrant is obtained
No Throttle YouTube
Time Warner says they do not throttle YouTube videos. Some find if they block certain IP addresses, videos work better…
Sprint LTE Expands
22 new markets get Sprint LTE
Google Initiative
Google wants to scrub all child porn from the Internet – helping by giving authorities all information when it detects child porn on a website.

Geek Smack! Geek News

Charter Expanding?
Charter is looking for new acquisitions. Could Time Warner be one of them?
Kickstarter Crash
How one Kickstarter lost his house over a successful campaign and how people should give backers some leeway.
Facebook WiFi
Would you allow to give information for free WiFi from Facebook?
AT&T Fastest
Within major cities, AT&T wins on speed. However, Verizon is still #1 nationwide
Chromebook at Walmart
You can now purchase an Acer Chromebook at Walmart for $199.
Onion Pi
A go-between adaptor for WiFi that will protect your user information.
Stash Coins
Real looking coins that can hide your SD card
Netflix Dreamworks
Dreamworks worked out a new deal with Netflix to bring more kids shows to the streaming service.
GIF Beamed to Space
This Animated GIF will be sent out in hopes that alien life will receive and see what we’re all about…

-

Geek Smack: iO7 Gets Facelift, People Saying it Looks too much like Android

Last week at WWDC, Apple released the new version of iOS in iOS7. Tim Cook says its the biggest change since iPhone was released. Yet many people mocked Apple – saying iOS7 now looks more like an Android phone.

I put out an image (see below) that kinda mocked the statement. It really put everyone to blame – After all, Apple made a great point that the most used Android OS version was developed in 2010 (at 33%). I talked with Luke Wallace about this right before our TWIGG show and he mentioned that Google does all it can to support all models while the developers can still easily support the older OS.

This is not the first time a company was accused of stealing form and function. Ironically, back in the original desktop wars, Apple accused Microsoft of stealing the idea for GUI – Graphical User Interface. Apple took Microsoft to court because Windows GUI seemed to be heavily influenced by their Lisa OS. This was further complicated when Xerox sued Apple for the same claims to Xerox’s GUI.

Now we move 10 years ahead. Mobile devices are the new computer and we have the same problems. Are they problems where Google could sue Apple for a similar look and feel?

We definitely want to protect intellectual property, but in some accusations, it just feels like they are trolling and hope to win so others can’t use a “Slide lock” or “way the icons are displayed on the screen”.

It’s like if the city of Houston sued the City of Kansas because the sky and cloud coverage looked similar to each other.

Let’s hope we don’t see an issue like that. Lawsuits – while sometimes necessary – only hold back innovation and raise costs.

Apple Fail or Google Fail?

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2013 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

iOS7

Back on at iPad365, I walk you through the updates of last week’s WWDC keynote and the updated iOS7 for iPad. I talk all the points for iOS7 including the new iTunes Radio, control center, multitasking options, updated photos, Safari, Siri and more. How Apple made the iPhone “flat” and 3D all at the same time.

I also look at some of the features that makes iOS7 a better device. The security from Apple pickers, for example. You will also be able to block callers, swipe to go back, set up a dynamic wallpaper and more.

Apple maps is also updated, or so they say. Of course Apple has been working hard at improving the maps. We’ll see what happens with the new version.

The only problem I have is the Automatic app updates. I hope there is a feature where I can turn off auto update. After all, I don’t want to be trying to download something while I’m getting on a plane and get stopped because the apps are updating.

Geek Smack!

Thanks for all who downloaded Ep 1 of This Week in Google Glass. I got the repercussion of a popular show on the Internet with a large bill from Amazon. Wow! It’s not going to deter the show, though. Numbers have settled a little. Also completed the 10,000 steps challenge for May. Actually, I hit over 350,000 when it was all said and done. Now this month is about changing some eating habits. No more soda for now.

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 265 Tech News:

Skype Virus
It happened mostly in Latin America – within a few days, 750,000 computers were infected
Zynga Lays Off 18%
Although Farmville is still performing well, Zynga released 520 jobs to save $70 million
Intel Haswell
The newest Intel i7 processors might become the first “fan-less” processor
Graphine Camera Sensors
New camera sensor is 1,000 times more sensitive to light – could make flash obsolete.
Asus Dual Boot
Three-in-One Tablet will dual-boot Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean
Apple Radio
Apple advances to compete with Pandora, Spotify, Google Music All Access
Charger Viruses?
Hacking into a modified charger could bring malware into your iOS device

Geek Smack! Geek News

Nuance is Siri
CEO Paul Ricci confirmed that Nuance powers Apple Siri
Android Vine
Vine is finally available on Android devices.
Vine Gets Rick-Rolled
Web developer bypassed the 6-second rule to break the service with the help of Rick Astley
HALO goes Mobile
Spartan Assault moves the popular title to mobile devices, but is only available on Windows 8
Glass Porn Banned
The first X-Rated Google Glass App came out and Google has banned it.
Twitter Glitch
Twitter was down for a short time Monday as a “Routine Change” was blamed
Windows 8.1 Start
Screenshots leak with Windows Blue (8.1) having a Start button on the bottom-left.
 

Geek Smack: Android to Overtake iOS as Top App Store. Does that Make Android Better?

Google’s Play store for Android apps will begin to take over Apple’s App Store as the most popular app platform within the next few months, according to analysts. Even though Apple recently announced their 50 billionth app downloaded, Google has been closing that gap with almost 48 billion Android apps downloaded. Google Play gets 2.5 billion a month, as oppose to Apple’s 2.0 billion.

So what does this mean? Well, for a developer, it might be more worth it for them to make an Android app over an iOS app. Its cheaper to get a developer account (A one-time $25 for a developer license as oppose to $100/ year for iOS).

On the other hand, developing for an Android device can become tricky. There are many different versions of Android out there – from version 1.0 to most current Ice Cream Sandwich. Then you have models from HTC, LG, Samsung and everything in between. Tablets from Google Nexus to Kindle Fire, Nook and many other models. Just today we talked about Asus’ dual-boot tablet. Different processors, different versions of the OS so it works on the device in question can equal a nightmare for support of a complicated app.

Apps like Vine – which we talked about earlier – will get better and faster download numbers simply because more people have Android devices. In fact, Android has a 51% market share, as opposed to iOS’ 41%.

Should this concern Apple? My answer is No and here is why: Apple has always been a “Higher quality” device. Controlling their hardware and software and not giving it out for 3rd parties to duplicate, means everyone gets the same experience. Of course you pay for quality. A $800-1,000 PC laptop would cost $1,500 or more for its Apple counterpart.

Some people say the higher prices can hurt Apple, but up until last year (before Apple started competing by offering their older phones at cheaper prices) Apple rode a pretty good wave and plateaued at almost $700 a share.

What about Windows apps? The platform neutral app system Microsoft is working on could be another way to get their marketshare in the mobile space. Right now, it’s only at 8%.

Apple should look at their niche rather than what Android or Windows does. Think of it like going to the high-end grocery store vs. the discount store. The products should be fresher and the experience should be cleaner at the high-end store. The discount store – you get a great deal.

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2013 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

Geek Smack!

Geek Smack! also running Live on YouTube – if you want to see the extra content, go to YouTube.com/geekazine Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. It was cold and rainy Sunday and Monday, so local event BratFest didn’t hit any record sales. Sad day as a friend passed away over the weekend. This Week in Google Glass Episode #3 is now out – Watch myself and Luke Wallace talk about the new technology.

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 264 Tech News:

US Weapons Hacked
Chinese group accessed weapons designs including the F-35 (the controversial air drone)
XBoxOne.com
Microsoft going after XBox One domain squatters
Foxcon FireFox
Foxconn is working to make accessories since Apple production is slowing down
Internet 400x Faster
Noise-canceling technology will allow data to flow uninterrupted and pass through faster
3D Ear Bone
Could those with bone issues in the ear get a 3D printed bone replacement?
CNN Buzzfeed
New video channel on YouTube by CNN
Liberty Reserve Down
Founder Arthur Budovsky Belanchuck was arrested and the Liberty Reserve website was taken down
Nokia Lytro-Type Camera
Nokia is working on a camera that would be on the smartphone to take a picture just like the Lytro camera does
 

Geek Smack! Geek News

Samsung Event: June 20th
Samsung is expected to launch some new Android and Windows phone devices in London
Legalize Malware?
US Entertainment Industry asks Congress to legalize malware, ransomware and spyware to some that can use it for good
Pi in the Sky
Dave Akerman builds a Raspberry Pi with camera and launches it off in a balloon
Florida Texting Ban
Florida signs a Texting while driving ban into law
XBox One Install Fee
Games will be installed on accounts. If you want to put the game on a second account, you might have to pay an installation fee.
Refurb iPad Cheaper
Purchasing a refurbished iPad will save you up to 17% off

-

Geek Smack: Hulu for Sale (Again). Suiters are lining up. Who will buy Hulu?

Last year rumors came up about Hulu being for sale. After a lot of speculation, Hulu backed out. Now the rumors are back and some big names are viing for the online TV and movie website.

One of those in the hunt is Yahoo! Marissa Meyer wants to turn Yahoo! back into a portal. This may be well and good, but do we really want Yahoo! to own Hulu – given their track record?

Other companies interested are DirecTV, Time Warner, private equity firms KKR & Co. and Silver Lake Management.

Many are expecting bidding to get up to the $800 million mark. But the real question is if the company is worth $800 million?

Lots of factors can change when Hulu switches hands. Contracts by NBC, ABC and Fox (which supply the website with fresh content daily) could change their agreements – or even end their relationships. The value of Hulu could dramatically decrease simply if one of these networks dropped out.

If DirecTV purchases Hulu, could they move Hulu in-house? I really don’t want a DirecTV subscription.

I pay $8 a month so I can watch Hulu on my Roku. I think that is fair since I can watch last night’s TV shows on my schedule. If that was to change dramatically, I would most likely drop the service – just like I did with Netflix when I noticed I wasn’t watching anything from it.

Then again, Hulu could just flip-flop and say they are not for sale again…

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2012 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

YouTube

We just found out last week that if you have a YouTube account in good standing and 1,000 or more subscribers, you can get YouTube Live Events. Basically a way to stream to your Youtube account. In this video, I show you what you need to get approved for streaming, the process of setting up an event and of course streaming it.

I use Wirecast for the software host (Get Wirecast Here). You can use other software, especially if you are setting up more than one camera.

Also check out all the other tutorials on How to Record Podcasts including this video.

Geek Smack!

Last week Google announced people will be getting livestream ability to their YouTube account. I am not a big LiveStream fan on my podcast because its just another thing to go wrong. I decided to stream and record this episode. A couple glitches but overall not a bad job.

Did record episode #2 of This Week in Google Glass with new Co-Host Luk Wallace. Check out the news of Google Glass on this new show. My 10,000 step challenge has taken some new turns as Drumming and lawn mowing really help. I ran out of gas so I have a half-mown lawn. Will Finish later today.

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 263 Tech News:

XBox One
New XBox announced today. Not too impressed.
Yahoo! Tumblr
Yahoo buys Tumblr for $1.1 billion. Marissa Meyer says she won’t screw it up.
Yahoo Flickr
New overhaul of Flickr adds 1 TB of free storage.
Apple’s Taxes
Tim Cook will be testifying about skirting taxes before the Senate
Powermat + PowerKiss
Powermat and PowerKiss have merged to one and adopted the PMA standard
nVidia 150 Mbps phone
nVidia shows off 150 Mbps smartphone at CTIA
Pinterest Improved
Smarter pins and hints of monitization are the buzz at Pinterest
Jolla Smartphone
Jolla is made by Ex-Nokia employees from an abandoned MeeGo project
Google+ Updates
From the flat icons to the new features of Google+. I’ll try to look at them all
How Do I Land
Kickstarter project succeeds – Skywriting of “How Do I Land” up in the air.

Geek Smack! Geek News

Google Checked Out
Google Checkout will be shut down in November. Wallet will be the focus
AT&T Relaxes
The Wireless giant will allow Facetime and Video Chat using their LTE and 4G networks
Opera Android 
Opera is out of Beta for Android and available for download. Now with text flow option
Eminem sues Facebook
Eminem publisher says that Facebook appropriated his songs without proper permissions
Samsung Apps Challenge
Samsung is offering $800,000 for developers to make apps for Samsung products
Google Voice Hangout
You will soon be able to use Google Voice. Right now only supports inbound calls
Arduino Robot
Maker Faire Arduino crew unveiled their new Robot

-

Geek Smack: YouTube Streaming – Does it Change the Game?

As you can see (or maybe you can’t), I am trying YouTube streaming. This is a feature that people will get once they hit 1,000 subscribers, have a “Good Standing” approval and agree to the terms. I used to stream my podcasts all the time on service “uStream”. I’ve had this YouTube ability for a while (since I have 2,000 subscribers and opted into the partner program) but I normally don’t stream because its one more option that could cause failure.

However, I do see its enticement – Record once, monitize forever. If you need to make edits – YouTube has a process for that (which will most likely get better in the months to come). Therefore, this test of the Geek Smack! YouTube system has been re-initialized.

It makes me wonder how live streaming will change. Its not like we haven’t been able to do that already – uStream, Livestream and Justin.tv – the major players in livestreaming – have been around since 2007. Only problem for these three is they needed to have a solid pay model to cover costs. Ads were inserted without direction of the streamer – that is unless they paid a large monthly fee to get ads taken off or your own ads to be put up.

A lot has also changed since 2007. Codecs are better built and more stable, bandwidth is greater at home and on mobile devices and people are accepting the fact they can watch video on their computers, mobile devices and more.

With YouTube getting into this game, it can really make a uStream, Justin.tv or Livestream re-evaluate their models. After all, they don’t have the #1 video search engine behind their systems. They also don’t have the power of a $800 / share giant like Google powering them.

There can also be downfalls to YouTube livestreaming. Congestion is a big concern. If your video freezes, you can’t do much to fix. My biggest concern is I overtax my recording/streaming machine and the whole thing falls apart. If it does, I might have to record all over again – then find a way to split the duties with another computer.

We are going toward more video on demand models for entertainment. YouTube gets it. TBS/TNT gets it. HBO Go gets it. Its now a question if they can sustain it. Otherwise we might see YouTube Live getting closed down like Google Checkout is.

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2012 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

Geek Smack!

Two weeks done on the 10,000 step challenge. Today is going to hit the 80′s so I’m racing to get this episode done and enjoy the warmer weather. Thanks to all who have been watching!

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 262 Tech News:

Samsung Powers Up
Getting ready for 5G speeds with a new tower
HTC First Gone
Facebook phone on AT&T was nixed
Amazon Coin
Kindle Fire users getting new ways to purchase apps and more.
Google, Microsoft Drives
Both increase their free services for more storage
75% Android
3 out of 4 smartphones run Android. Doesn’t mean that is good…
Amazon Cloud App
Amazon launches cloud player app for PC
Amazon Liquivista
Amazon purchased the company that made the LCD screens for Samsung

Geek Smack! Geek News

Facebook App Blocked
Social Network Killer app was blocked by Facebook.
Bitcoin Supercomputer
So many people are exploring the bitcoin market, servers outperform the top 500 supercomputers combined
Netflix Still King
Netflix accounts for 32.25% of downloads during peak periods
Firefox 21
5 new features in Firefox 21. Will you download?
Gates on Jobs
Bill Gates opens up on his life along side Steve Jobs.
Windows 8 Dud
Is Windows8 a horrible OS? Does it drive people to Google?
Google Image Breakout
Type in ‘Atari Breakout’ into image search at Google

-

Geek Smack: Texting and Driving – Lead Cause of Teen Driving Deaths

Don’t text and drive. I can say that until I’m blue in the face but people will do it. I watched a driver weave back and forth yesterday – when I passed them by I watched as this person was fumbling around their cell phone. This person wasn’t even a teen!

Now a national survey shows that about 44% of teenagers admitted to texting and driving. Those teenagers reported texting and driving at least once in the previous month. Compared to teens who aren’t texting and driving, those who are were more likely to not use a seatbelt, drink and drive and take a ride from someone who’s been drinking.

The number of teens who died or were injured as a result of texting while driving has skyrocketed. Researchers at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park estimates more than 3,000 annual teen deaths nationwide from texting and 300,000 injuries.

If you are a teen, you probably heard the stories. I HAVE those stories. The ones where your parents would (as teens with drivers license) barreled down a road at 70 MPH and no seat belt. At the time, it was easy and there was no seatbelt law to be found. I also have stories where I texted and drove – it was easy at the time because I memorized the keyboard and used the raised keyboard as a guide. I didn’t even have to look at the phone.

That is not the case anymore. We are trying to be safer drivers. I have a hands-free unit that – if I cannot get my phone to do it through the unit – I don’t do anything with the phone. The hands free unit helps me make phone calls, text and even tweet out messages without touching the phone. At least, if Siri complies…

There are so many technologies now that try to stop a teen (or an adult) from doing this dangerous distraction. But the biggest way to get them to stop is to teach them not to do it. Teach them its about their lives and its about the lives of the people they put in danger. Let’s stay safe out there.

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2013 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

But I’m not telling you here. You’ll have to watch to find out what it is.

Mother’s Day Card Creator for iPad

Mother’s Day Card Creator

What I first talk about is an app that will help you make a card for your Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day Card Creator by Big Blue Clip has two versions – a Lite version and full version (.99). Just like other card creation software, you start by putting down the background. You place the stamps of different images all over the page. Choose items from your image library to give it a more personal touch. Add text and voila! You have the perfect Mother’s Day card!

Getting Mom an iPad for Mother’s Day?

I am still not a fan of the iPad mini. I know it may be a great gift but the iPad mini 2nd generation is right around the corner. If you can wait, it would make a better Christmas present than Mother’s Day.

So What is the One Thing Every Mother Wants for Mother’s Day?

Once again, you will have to watch the video to find out. The companion to this is BrainHack 2.0 by ARVIAL PTE.

Geek Smack!

Started a new healthy campaign for the month of May. 10,000 steps a day for the month. So far, so good. Today, I’ll be doing it after the podcast so we’ll see how that goes. Its getting warm here and the switch to shorts has been made.

Get fit! Learn how standing can help your back and lower blood pressure – JustStand.org

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 261 Tech News:

Adobe Creative Cloud 
Will retire the Creative Services (CS) disc license system and go Cloud subscription only – for $50 a month
3D Gun Fired
Is making a gun on a 3D printer a good idea?
Samsung Buys MOVL
Mobile company is going to incorporate more Swipe to TV technologies
iPad is “Frustrating”
Bill Gates thinks people will switch to Windows 8 tablets because they are frustrated with iOS devices.
Extract Human DNA
Machine will separate DNA easier and faster.
EA Gets Star Wars
EA has exclusive rights to make Star Wars games
USCellular Gets iPhone
Virgin, T-Mobile and now USCelluar get the Apple iPhone
Apple Sued Again
National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan is suing Apple for video compression in Facetime, Quicktime
LEGO VW
This LEGO creation is a VW bus AND an Imperial Walker

Geek Smack! Geek News

The Onion Was Hacked
Satirical news source’s Facebook and Twitter were compromised. Not sure why…
Aereo Sues CBS
Online local TV website files a complaint to curb CBS lawsuits
Beam USB LTE
USB dongle costs $20 plus two year contract
Time Warner Eyes Aereo
CEO is watching Aereo’s business model in thoughts to duplicate. Game changer?
YouTube Subscriptions
Next week YouTube will allow some content creators to put a subscription model on their shows. Will you pay?
Prenda Trolls
Judge issues 11 page document to get Prenda Law fixed
3D Cube Comes to Staples
Small form 3D printing in the cube is available for purchase starting at $1299
Best Movies of All Time?
This subway map makes a stop at all the best movies. Which ones have you seen?

-

Geek Smack: Senate Passes Sales Tax Bill. One Step Closer

The final number was 69 to 27 as Congress passed Online Sales Tax. This would be required for online stores to add Sales Tax from your state. It’s now on to the House of Representatives where its going to go through further debate.

Right now you are required to pay Sales tax on anything you buy, but do you do it? Did you even know that you were suppose to?

So this can mean if you run an online store that you have to put in some algorithm to figure out where the customer is from and then add the tax. You then will have to report that tax to each state you sold items in.

Will this mean Internet companies might locate outside the US? Will companies outside the US have to deal with Sales Tax?

This bill is in debate partly because of the Commerce Clause. It says in Section 8: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

This tax will supersede whatever the state thinks. That is one of the problems with this law. With some states that don’t charge sales tax, they are opposed to this bill.

The real question is if this will change how people shop. If Amazon still has 2 day shipping and great deals – even with Sales Tax – then I still might just purchase from there.

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2012 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

David Hodgson

Most people would think the mainframe would have moved out for better technologies. Whats interesting is the Mainframe has actually adapted to today’s technology. I got a chance to talk with David Hodgson about Chorus – CA Technologies software that modernizes the mainframe. By making the mainframe manageable by today’s IT professionals through mobile devices. It also mixes roles in new interaction models. They are covering discipline of the times.

Chorus is about integrating the old products. New interaction models to redefine management roles. They added security and storage management. Infrastructure management is in Beta, but as they add disciplines, you can mix and match items to see it work together.

John Hawley

John Hawley joined me to talk about CloudMinder. This is a single login option for employees to use one password for logging into multiple services including cloud based services. Just like a central identity service, you can set a standard model for an employee. When that person leaves the company, you can control their authentication with one account.

Add the One time passwords into SaaS into the cloud. As for security, it depends on the maturity of the company. You can do it on-site or off. Hawley believes that is a benefit for scalability. Check out www.security.com for more

Virtual Active for iPad

I took a challenge this month to walk 10,000 steps (which you can follow on twitter at #10000steps).  If it wasn’t for my treadmill I might have missed this mark. But walking on a treadmill can be annoyingly tedious.

Therefore, I downloaded Virtual Active by Active Theory Inc. This app allows me to pull up a scene to walk or run. Once I choose my location, the app starts tracking your movement via camera to pace the video with your walk or run.

Set the time, walk or run through the Grand Canyon. There are in-app purchases of other scenes to run through ($7.99 each).

You can also get Virtual Active for iPhone.

Download TV on Your iPad

abc for iPad

I also take a look at some other apps that will keep you busy while you are walking or running. You can get a Hulu Plus or Netflix account, but you can also download the shows directly:

• ABC Player – ABC Digital
• CBS – CBS Interactive
• FOX NOW – FOX Broadcasting Company
• NBC – NBC Universal, Inc.

All these apps are free.

Fitbug for iOS

Fitbug

I also show you the Fitbug by Fitbug Ltd- a device I got at CES to monitor my steps while at the show. I am using Fitbug to keep track of my steps. Bluetooth connection allows me to download to my phone and see how far I’ve stepped.

Tony Davis

I talked with Tony Davis, VP of solution strategy. I learned a little bit about a new program called CA fellow. With this, they are able to provide specialized management consulting for top clients and customers.

With this program, when a customer make a purchase with APM, they send in a CA fellow with real-world experience leading that type of implementation with the Fortune 100 company. This is an industry first and a no-charge service. After all, CEO Michael Gregoire wants these companies to fully understand the software they just purchased.

CA Technologies has been in beta with the CA fellow program and has worked out the kinks. They are currently rolling out CA fellow.

Jason English

I got to talk with Jason English, Director of product marketing at CA Technologies. He joined the team when CA acquired ITKO – an enterprise software company dealing in virtualization, SOA and cloud computing.  Their program suite called LISA deals with service virtualization. With LISA, you can test, validate and deploy a program. You can simulate mainframes, databases and whatever your system needs.

This CAWorld for Jason is about Dev Ops. The application delivery bridges the gaps in dev ops. From idea to deployment instantaneously. A lot has to happen for that – which is where LISA comes in. Accelerating the development process.

Bossjock Studio for iPad

In 2005, recording a podcast required getting a few items including a mixer, microphone and a computer that could handle audio recording. Times have changed as now you can get a high quality USB microphone and iPad to record from. Now all you need is the program that makes it easy to make the podcast.

Enter in Bossjock studio by the bossjocks. This app has it all for an audio podcaster. A sound board so you can play music and other effects, volume controls to raise mic, music or mix, a ducking option so you can talk over the music, low pass filter, low buffer (for older iPads or those iOS devices which don’t have an A6 processor in them) and much more.

This app has everything an audio podcaster would want. Just plug in a microphone (or use the Apple headphones) and get ready to do a show.

iPad Podcast Accessories in this Episode

For this episode I use the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter which is plugged into an Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB/XLR Microphone. The music in this podcast was created through GarageBand. I even recorded the sound effects.

I am really impressed with this app. Gone are the days of the Desktop podcast rig. With a little thought you can even use the iPhone (or any smartphone) to do a phone call podcast conversation (You may need an additional mic such as the Monster iSoniTalk which will allow the guest to hear you).

HP Z1 All in One Workstation for Video Production

HP showed off two high-end video production machines at NAB this year. The Z820 and the Z1 All-in-one workstation.

Dan Bennett guided us through this Z1 workstation with the all-in-one form factor. Some great highlights included the ease of opening this all-in-one system, hydraulics so you don’t close the case too quickly and the optimization for thermal and acoustic performance. The HP Z1 ranges from a Core-i3 all the way to a Xeon processor.

Other features – MXM Thermal card video processing, an internal USB so you can put the software key dongle into the computer and lock it so someone can’t steal the dongle. Pro Tools iLock license dongle would be a good example. If you don’t need that, you can put in a wireless keyboard or Bluetooth USB connector.

Pricing for the Z1 starts at $1700 (Core i3 with integrated graphics). Beefing it up with a powerful Xeon processor can bump it up to $4,000. For a fast render of video – its well worth the extra cash.

This is a two-video series. Watch the Z820 desktop for another option HP has to offer!

Dan Bennett – HP

During our interviews at NAB I kept hearing about the Z820 and Z1 workstations by HP. So I went right to the source to find out what makes these desktop computers so special. I met up with Dan Bannett, HP workstation lead engineer. We tore apart a HP Z820 desktop with dual Xeon processors to see just how powerful this machine is.

The Z820 was a RED edition – with RED mockup bay to show how to connect your RED camera and use the Rocket encoding card. We also learned about Fusion-IO partnership with the IOFX card for uncompressed 4k video work.

We also look at the HP Z1 workstation, which you can see in the next video.

Geek Smack!

I am sad and a little glad my trip to NYC fell through. Last few weeks was a tough one. Trip back from Vegas wasn’t perfect but I’m home. Video for CAWorld can be found on YouTube or coming to Geekazine. I also got to play with Google Glass for a ever slight moment – Robert Scoble is getting the most use out of his pair. Slight tweaks to the website as I fix some lingering problems.

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

Hotline – 608-205-4378 – geekazine (at) gmail.com

Download the audio version

Subscribe to the podcast via: iTunes – TechPodcasts – Stitcher
You can catch me on Twitter @geekazine – Facebook Group – About.Me
Other shows: Day in Tech History – Geekazine Special Media Feed – iPad365

Geek Smack! episode 260 Tech News:

Google Now on iOS
A Google app that rounds up your other Google apps? Now available on iOS? Ok…
MLB YouTube Expansion
MLB expands YouTube Partnership which allows streaming outside US
iOS7 “Very Flat”
The newest version of iOS7 (to debut at WWDC in June) is different, but flat – as some would say.
Also Read – OS 10.9 to be announced in June
LG 55 Inch Curved TV
This new TV from LG is the only curved OLED TV
Facebook Loses 6 Million
Facebook sees a 1.4% decline in membership as 6 million jump ship.
iPhone 1st Gen Now Obsolete
The iPhone will finally be put on the obsolete list with a slew of other products on June 13, 2013
Smart Guns Coming
These guns will only fire if your fingerprints match – Just like with James Bond
Germany Throws Good PCs Away (Translated article)
German Ministry of Education decided to buy new PCs to remove virus from system
Nintendo Jewelry
Get rings, necklaces with the old Nintendo cartridge look to them
 

Geek Smack! Geek News

Internet Taxes
It was bound to happen – you might soon have to pay Internet tax for purchases online
Don’t Smoke Near Apple
Apple seems to be rejecting repairs of Apple computers that have a smoke flavor to them.
Amazon Set Top Box
Amazon is rumored to be working on their own box to stream Amazon TV and movies
Lady Liberty’s Face Recognition
Statue of Liberty has “state of the art” face recognition to spot potential threats. Could other landmarks start seeing this software implemented?
PayPal in Stores
PayPal has been signing up merchants to accept payment from the online service. Yet WalMart is holding out for some reason.
GPS Robbery
Man puts GPS device on woman’s car to find when she leaves so he could break into her home
Apple I Up for Auction
German auction house is putting up very rare computer items including a fully working Apple I, the first Intel 4004 chip and an Altair 8800

-

Geek Smack: Are Instagram Photos Public Domain Photos?

Now when you take a picture to Instagram, you are saying it can be used by anyone. At least in the UK. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act passed through Parliament which did what Instagram wanted to do a year ago – make pictures available to use freely.

Why not? They supplied the software to Kelvinize your photos. They wrote the program to collect the pictures and post to Twitter and/or Facebook. Why shouldn’t they get all the rights to them?

This also means Facebook could follow – public photos could become public domain. So that means 3rd party companies could take that picture and use it in their ads for Facebook or Instagram. They can also wholesale it – which means someone profits off your work.

Now this act is just in the UK. It hasn’t hit the US just yet – but it could. For Instagram pictures, I just don’t care if someone takes it and uses it. I don’t use Instagram that much anyway. However, I am hoping there will be an opt-out if spread to Facebook. I don’t care if you use some of my photos, but there are certain ones I want to keep to my use.

Some people say it’s corporate capitalism. The reach of this could enter into Flickr, Picassa and many 3rd party social media sites with pictures. I do want to believe that would only stretch to those who have FREE accounts – paid accounts might mean a better level of security.

Geek Smack! is a weekly video show and podcast that comes out every Tuesday evening. Your host: Jeffrey Powers – talks tech news, IT news and geek news for the week. Geek Smack! is ©2012 under a Creative Commons no-deriv license. Never take candy from strangers. If you would like more information about what is technology, recent news, Geekazine, and Jeffrey Powers, feel free to contact him. Jeffrey Powers does interviews, just ask!

Ernie Sanchez – COO Cinnafilm

Creating video nowadays with the right camera can bring you high quality images. Older videos or smaller camera (like GoPro) bring distortions of film grain or low light pixelation.  Cinnafilm addresses these issues with a program called Dark Energy. This software helps upscale video and also clean up the imperfections.

Co-Founder and COO Ernie Sanchez of Cinnafilm discusses some of the products that their company is presenting at NAB, solving this problem. Cinnafilm’s solution – Using the GPU and CPU in their video production – which is why they use HP systems. Their software works best on this combination; the end result is getting videos done faster. Anyone that has sat waiting for a video to render and uploaded before a deadline understands the need for this type of system.

During the video, we get to see Dark Energy in action as they cleaned up some old video and even low light issues in a GoPro camera. Ernie compares taking the video and making it look like it came from the same lens. That is what Dark Energy does.

Mark Ostlund – Cache-A

If you are a broadcaster, media storage on tape is actually your friend. The newest standard – LTO-6 – can keep thousands of scenes, clips and other media. Of course, if you are a bigger production company, you will need larger appliances that can connect and maintain your LTO environment.

That is where Cache-A comes in. Calvin Zito talks to Cache-A Mark Ostlund about archiving to the network. Whether a Mac, PC or even most proprietary devices, Cache-A can keep it all in a safe, secure place. The ProCache 6 is one of their popular appliance. It has multiple connections to get content into your archive. It will also expand into robotic libraries if needed. With a staging archive option you can access the Cache-A archive system.

Lauren – Aurasma

Andy McCaskey talked with Lauren Offers from Aurasma at NAB 2013 about the newest mobile Augmented reality platform. Adding a visual search, you can point your phone at an item and get video, audio and more. You can even create your own Auras to bridge the physical world with the digital.

For example, you could point your mobile device as Carrie Underwood and you could easily download and purchase video and music. Same thing with Spiderman – pointing to the picture pulls up a game you can even play offline.

Get Aurasma on iOS - Get Aurasma on Android

Subscribe to Geekazine SMF - RSS - YouTube

Also check out my episode of iPad365 on Aurasma

Tim Napolean – alldigital

Inside a big corporation, you want to broadcast and livestream. That is where alldigital comes in. They can help you become a broadcaster. Their cloud services empower you to become just that.

alldigital has configured their technologies so you can broadcast just like a Fox affiliate. Even big corporations want to broadcast to mobile and TV. Even companies like Cox (the Cable company in Las Vegas, among other areas) use Alldigital for

By using workflows, you can get things up in the system to have it stream out. There are two types of broadcasts – private and public.

alldigital also has social media solutions, cloud services along with the broadcast options.

Tim talks with Calvin Zito about how they use HP StoreAll to speed up their process

Oscar Tenwall – Vizrt

With products like Viz Engine, Viz Virtual Studio, Viz Media Engine, Viz Dart and more, Vizrt can cover all your broadcast needs. If you see things like bottom tickers on TV channels, it most likely is Vizrt technology that is driving that.

Oscar Tenwall of Vizrt was at NAB 2013 to show off their MAM (Media Asset Management) system. This is an enterprise MAM that is scalable and accessible from many desktop or mobile device. Their API allows you to make your own media applications that you need.

David Humphrey

When I first saw this program, I was reminded of the newsroom bulletin board. Above the board was the LED sign that scrolled new news while the board had post-it notes of information breaking when people found it. Now you can have all that on one screen with a lot more option.

Broadcast Monitoring can not only give you a timeline of events but you also don’t have to do it yourself. Put in the event and you can see real-time tweets, video, demographics and more. A massive amount of information at your fingertips.

David Humphrey shows us this great software. At the time, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s death was trending so we got to see how the social media universe dealt with that.

Iron Man 3 for iPad

Gearing up for the third installment of the Iron Man movie series, Iron Man 3 – The Official Game by Gameloft was released. The game, a coin collecting, drone destroying, plane avoiding game follows Tony Stark as Iron Man going after the bad guys. He must collect Stark coins for upgrades and fend off the evil Crimson Dynamo and other super villains.

The game uses swipe movements – the bottom of the screen is for moving left and right – while the top will shoot down all bad guys. Avoid obstacles as you move through the streets. It will get faster as you go, too!

Iron Man 3 is free, with in-app purchases starting at $1.99