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!

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!

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!

Geek Smack!

I’m on the road for the last day of CAWorld. I talk about coming to Vegas twice in one month and the tolls it takes on you. Lots of great tech news and geek news too.

Since I’m on the road, I decided to try out this Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB/XLR Microphone. It did a pretty decent job in capture – although I had to go in and do some post production for volume. What do you think about it?

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 259 Tech News:

5mm Thick SSD
Western Digital UltraSlim shipping at $89
Focus Twist App
Does this app turn the iPhone into a Lytro?
First YouTube Video
Me at the Zoo was the first YouTube video uploaded April 23, 2005.
Don’t Siri and Drive
Survey says even if you use phone voice commands you still are distracted from driving
XBox 360 Pizza
New app allows you to order your favorite Pizza Hut pizza on your XBox
Netflix Grows – Kinda
3 million people subscribed to watch House of Cards. We’ll see if they stick around after.

Geek Smack! Geek News:

Google Glass Next Year
Eric Schmidt assesses the newest geek device in Google Glass wont be out in time for Christmas
Firefox Dev Phone
The first developer phones are available with the Firefox mobile OS
AP Twitter Hacked
The rumors of the White House getting attacked are false. AP has fixed the problem.
Storage Tricks
Think outside the box and get organized at the same time.
$15 for AntenneaGate
If you were part of the Apple Antennagate lawsuit, you will be getting a check for $15.
Old Computers in Use
OS/2 and punchcard computers are still around and in use on a daily basis

-

Geek Smack:

The stock is falling – from almost $700 a share to $400. The hand-picked Jobs protege in Tim Cook might be to blame. Still, stockholders (which are also Apple employees) are dropping parts of their stock before its too late. So is Tim Cook in a spot where he will get fired from Apple?

I have to give Cook props – Him replacing Steve Jobs is like me singing after Aretha Franklin.

I thought it was a good move – go from the pirate in Jobs to the suit in Cook. Strengthen the company until the next Steve Jobs shows up.

If they are lucky.

Its not all of Cooks fault. They are suppose to have a team that is unsurpassed and visionary. Yet this team made a smaller iPhone that even Steve Wozniak criticized. They believe that putting out sub-standard product in cheaper iPhones and the iPad mini would help. All it did was make people think if Apple didn’t have any new ideas.

Meanwhile, Samsung is starting to sting into the smartphone business – big name tech influencers like Robert Scoble made the switch and are vocal about it.

Google Play has also jumped in to start taking music and TV away from iTunes. Spotify even jumped in there – so the competition has gotten a little more fierce.

Some financial analysts are suggesting that letting Cook go might bring someone in with insight and innovation. But who would that be? Can one of these high paid executives at Apple take over the job?

Further, what can you do with the iOS system that will set it apart again? Will an iWatch be the answer or start a similar buzz to a Apple Glass?

I still have an iPhone and iPad. I tried a Windows phone and Android – which were nice but were no iPhone. Maybe I just don’t see the rats jumping ship yet…

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!

Thoughts and prayers go out to those affected in the Boston Marathon attack. Back from NAB – Lots of announcements dealing with streams and a new show (Kind of). Watch for the Special Media videos on NAB. Of course I am going back to Vegas next week for CAWorld.

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 258 Tech News:

Dish Tries Merger with Sprint
The $25.5 billion dollar deal would merge mobile, TV and broadband and compete with AT&T
First Google Glass
The first Glass devices have come off the production lines. I will have Google Glass soon!
Windows 8.1 Boot to Desktop
Next version of Windows will have a Metro bypass option
YouTube Multi-Account
Now you can allow others to work on YouTube videos without having to give passwords out
Blink Trademark?
Microsoft applies for blink trademark after Google Blink announced
Sony Bests Google
Sony sets up 2 Gbps service in Japan. Pwns Google Fiber
5 Million Rokus
5 million sold in the US, 8 billion videos streamed from Roku
Netflix Dumps Silverlight?
Netflix is looking to change their interface format to HTML5 over the Microsoft program
Fake iPhones Swapped
Chinese trolls are using Apple’s return policy to send fake Apple parts in for real replacements
Ultrasonic Beer Head
If you like the foam on the top of your beer, then check out this device that will froth your beer
 

Geek Smack! Geek News

Apple TV Recall
Certain Apple TV devices have Wifi issues. Apple is replacing the faulty units
Major WordPress Attack
Tens of thousands of computers were hacked with a dictionary bomb. I’ll show you what to do to prevent your website from getting hacked.
Twitter TV?
Twitter looking to deal with Viacom or NBC for Feature TV
Apple Stock Fraud
Former securities trader killed a financial service with an unauthorized $1 billion in Apple stock
Bufferbox
First Google package pickup lockers set up in San Francisco
Top Paid CEOs
4 Apple execs make more than Tim Cook
ASUS Qube
New Google TV set top box may be out soon
EA Closes Sim City
Many Facebook EA games are getting shut down to split from Facebook
Google Glass API 
Documentation for the Project Glass API is now available
YouTube VHS Mode
To celebrate the 57th anniversary of the VCR, YouTube mocks the former video format
-

Geek Smack: Basic Cable to become encrypted

A couple months ago, the FCC allowed cable companies to encrypt their basic channels. That means if you have a TV directly connected to your cable, you might have to get a cable box to continue to watch TV.

Comcast announced they will be encrypting channels over the upcoming months. It helps them with piracy – someone who actually climbs up on the pole to steal cable. However, for those who actually pay for cable, that means an extra $2-$5 per TV. Since the average household has 4 TVs, that means $6-15 a month to keep a TV in the bedroom, family room and basement.

Cable has also taken over the DVR to bring you added charges if you want to record your favorite shows. You don’t have to use the cable companies choices – companies like Hauppauge and Boxee have cable boxes that can connect to your TV or computer. You still need to get a card that will decrypt your cable signal (Charter rents them for $2).

Is this the catalyst to cut your cable, or will you suck it in to keep shows like Mad Men, Mythbusters, ESPN Sportscenter and more?

Geek Smack! is the official weekly video show and official podcast that distributes every Tuesday. 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 Jeffrey. Jeffrey Powers officially interviews people, just ask!

Geek Smack!

The website has finally calmed down as Geekazine and other websites have been moved to a new server. As of 3 AM the errors stopped. Thanks to all who sent messages letting me know of the downtime. Next week I head to NAB and MMS – Two conferences in the same week! Crazy!

Geek Smack Sponsor board!

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 257 Tech News:

Were You Fooled?
Some of April Fools Jokes around the web.
Amazon Cloud Drive Upgrades
Amazon competes with Dropbox with their new File Sync update
Facebook Android
HTC launching a Facebook phone, but Samsung also may have one.
HD Voice is Coming
AT&T announced an HD voice option using LTE network
Psy Breaks Another Record
100,000 Horse Dance in Seul City Hall
Aereo Wins
Alternate Internet TV station does not infringe on broadcasters copyrights
iHeartRadio Lollapalooza Channel
The Lollapalooza channel features the Cure, Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers and more
MP3 Cannot Be Resold
Courts rules that digital music cannot be resold and website ReDigi is in violation  

Geek Smack! Geek News

Amazon Saving Post Office
Where your snail mail is shrinking, the package industry is growing. 2 day Prime helps, too.
Game of Thrones Wins
Game of Thrones Season 3 ep 1. tops Season 2 ep 1 as the most Torrented show.
Linux Powered Rifle?
$17,000 rifle with ARM CPU, Lasers and WiFi to connect your Tablet or Smartphone
AT&T Gets Fire
Kindle Fire with 2 year contract coming April 5th
Apple Missed it
No Product releases in March. Is that bad business for Apple?
3D Printer Face Prosthetic
How a man got his life back by a simple printed cover for his face -

Geek Smack: MP3′s Cannot Be Resold

I see a MP3 as a copy of an original – similar to a photocopy or a reproduction. I also see it like the “Not for Resale” item you might get at the store. You know the label that tells you if you bought this then you should call and report the establishment that sold it to you.

You can buy a reprint of a Van Gough or other artwork legally, you are still buying a tangible and possibly licensed item. MP3′s are not that.

ReDigi is a company that started reselling digital copies of music for .49 cents a song. They structured their business on the “First Sale Doctrine”. This basically said once you buy an item you can resell it without the creator’s permission or any royalties to the creator.

So the question is: Even if a MP3 contains a DRM tag to it, is the MP3 resellable?

We have seen this in computer software. Courts ruled toward the resell of software and their adjoining license – which was the caveat around the First Sale Doctrine (that is you could sell the software but couldn’t sell the license).

With MP3′s we can still crack and remove any DRM attached to it. Can we add it, too? Well, just like with any software, there can be holes that allow people to do that.

While not to many people are putting DRM on their MP3′s, if they knew they could sell 100 copies of that same song and make $4.90 for it, they will try.

If you sold your iPod for the price of the iPod loaded with MP3 files on eBay, your listing will get taken down. If you sell your iPod (only promoting the iPod) and it happens to come with your music library – that is considered a Quality control issue. Besides, once the new user pairs it with their iTunes the iPod gets wiped. So it only goes to say the user doesn’t pair it and they might have just bought a music player with hundreds of songs they didn’t buy.

How can we get to a level where we can sell digital music? First, the artist or “Label” would have a legal statement saying you are allowed to resell without consequence. Second, a music selling site that has in its policy that resale of music is possible. Finally, any music that has no licensing or copyright to it – because even royalty free music has a copyright with a “no resale” caveat.

Even the MP3 files of Geekazine come with a Creative Commons license where you cannot resell my podcasts.

Bottom line – Buy your music legally. Give the artist their fair due if you like their music.

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!

This week I address the PyCon issue and my friend Adria’s stance. Also an update on the GoDaddy issues I had in the last 4 weeks. All SXSW video will be out by end of week.

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 256 Tech News:

Amazon-CIA
CIA works deal with Amazon to build Cloud Infrastructure – Tax free.
Saudi Skye Ban
Saudi Arabia contemplating a ban on Skype, Viber and WhatsApp because these programs offer encrypted access
Don’t Laser Planes
Man given 30 months for pointing a laser at pilots in-air
NASA Commercial Crowdfund
Group raising money to add NASA commercial right before “Star Trek – Into Darkness”
UnGoogleable is Not a Word
Google had Sweeden take off the word Ungoogleable and also looking to remove ogooglebar, too
ICANN Clearinghouse
If you have a Trademark you get first dibs on new top level domains
Facebook Conversation Thread
Facebook adds individual threads for comments made on profiles with 10,000 fans or more.
 

Geek Smack! Geek News

Yelp Revenue Estimator
Yelp adds help for businesses to understand the Impact of Yelp.
Duo 3D Sensor
Kickstarter: A 3D Sensor that you build and create apps for
Get That Song Out
Scientist Find a way to get that song out of your head
Facebook Games = $2.8 Billion
Games totalled $2.8 billion on Facebook which is why Zynga needed exclusivity
NBC Universal DMCA
You might get an email from NBC Universal, but will it count toward your six-strike rule?
T-Mobile Removes Contracts
You can get a good mobile plan without a 2-year contract from T-Mobile
Yahoo! Buys Summly
Teen app developer Summly is snapped up by Yahoo! This makes Nick D’Aloisio a wealthy teen.

-

Geek Smack: Spotify Planning Streaming Service – HBO Go Might Become Available to non-cable subscribers – Are We Seeing Internet TV Start to Form?

Spotify is planning to increase their media presence by adding streaming video to their service. Their plan is to not only have movies but also original content – similar to what Netflix and Amazon are working on.

In the meantime, HBO is working on an Ala-Carte plan to let you subscribe to their channel without needing to order over cable. If this comes to fruition, HBO will be able to compete with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon on an Internet level.

This is the real start of Internet TV.

I always said this – the first company to take a TV channel off cable and place it on the internet without extra cost will win. Commercial for commercial, show for show. No on demand, just the TV as we know it on the internet.

The problem with that is the process of streaming. With conventional cable, it’s always being pushed. Anyone who watches a show will basically share the stream with millions. Watching on the internet is different.

Lets say an episode of “Game of Thrones” is 1.5 GB to stream. If 10 people decide to watch the same episode at the same time, the service cannot put the downloads together (like with cable). That 1.5 GB video will consume 15 GB of bandwidth for those 10 people to watch.

Streaming has made some changes. Local hubs, for example. If you watch Hulu of an NBC, ABC or Fox show, you will most likely see the watermark of your local TV station. The files get replicated so they have shorter distances to travel and less bottlenecks to endure.

This becomes the “10 million dollar question” for companies like Netflix, Amazon and soon Spotify. How do you keep cost low in sending a video over the internet? For some – giving them a low-resolution version is acceptable. There are others that won’t accept it. A good example: I just watched a TV show on a 120 Hz LCD TV. The picture was so crisp I now want a 120 Hz TV.

Getting into the video streaming game comes with costs. Video take a lot more bandwidth than audio – 3 MB files become 1.3GB or greater. But people love to watch those videos online. And we haven’t even touched mobile video formats.

If Spotify follows the current pattern and offers streaming at $8-10 a month, they will have to get about 2 million customers to see ROI and get contracts with big TV and movie companies to keep current titles. Hulu has about 3 million (as of Dec 2012) and Netflix is around 25 million.

As for HBO-Go, their competition would be more with cable than anything. There are contracts in place that could cause problems if they went to a non-cable method. However, I know it can be done because Starz did it for years first through RealPlayer, then Netflix.

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!

Back from SXSW and I have a lot of video to put together. Getting ready for the next trip to Vegas and NAB in a couple weeks.I talk about the problems at GoDaddy and my website for the last couple weeks. Felt like forever with Geek Smack. Geekazine also got a redesign before the trip – what do you think of it?

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 255 Tech News:

Google Pays Pinkie Pie
-Hacker participated in Google contest and submitted a flaw that netted them $40,000
Samsung Wristwatch?
Samsung is on a roll as its competing hard with Apple – this time to get a watch out to market faster
Robert Scoble’s Last Post on iPhone
How the Android movement might be ready to overtake the iPhone
Calvin and Hobbes Video
Better watch it before the short gets taken down for copyright
Rapidshare Deletes
Company goes from Unlimited model to 5 GB cap. States they will delete over 5 GB to users that don’t upgrade
Patent on New Commercials
Interactive commercials to let you buy food, speed up commercials
Reddit’s Video
Explain it like you are five joins the AT&T commercials and “Kids React to…” series to use children in video.
LEGO Band
Itallian music producer makes fully functional LEGO band
Google Babble
Google is planning to merge all chat services under one umbrella

Geek Smack! Geek News

41 months in Prison for iPad Email
The man who hacked into a database and stole AT&T’s iPad customer list will be going to jail
ARM CEO Retires
After 12 years, Warren East will step down as CEO of ARM
FCC vs. Robocallers
Getting a robocall is illegal (unless its a political call). The FCC is cracking down on robocallers
Biofuels by a 17 Year Old
17 year old Sara Volz wins $100,000 for her research in Biofuel via Alge
Twitter Instant Replay
Twitter is launching the replay option during NCAA tournament.
Nano 3D Printer
Imagine a 3D printer that can print on the Nano scale.
Funny or Die Jobs Movie
A parody of the upcoming Steve Jobs movie starring Justin Long – you know – Hi, I’m a Mac.

-

Geek Smack: GoDaddy is letting me down.

It was about 3 1/2 weeks ago that I first noticed the problem. I was writing a post and hit “Save draft” when the page came up “Error 101 (Page Reset)”. The problem happened for about 10 minutes then went back to normal. I thought it was a small downtime issue so I didn’t think about it.

However, it continued to happen. I called GoDaddy Support where a really nice “Megan” told me there was a bad node on the shared server I was on. She said it would get fixed and moved on.

2 days later, I called back. The problem was getting worse. This time I didn’t have someone like Megan to talk to. I actually had a support agent who told me this is because I am on a shared hosting service and this happens with those.

So someone’s website going down for 10 minutes at a time – multiple times a day – is GoDaddy’s version of shared hosting?

It really wasn’t until I was at SXSW that I had to make a big deal of it. Usually while I’m at an event my traffic will spike up 20-30%. Didn’t happen this last week. Partly because the site was continually going down and the other half was because Google noticed it. No doubt they throttled my search information simply because they couldn’t index the site.

At this point in time the problem is still happening. I was told it was a server issue and I finally got a support ticket (from a supervisor that I had to plead to get).

I don’t mind downtime but when I get blown off by customer service, I have a big problem with that. Especially since I give them hundreds of dollars each year for service. For this instance I give GoDaddy 2 stars in support.

I might be a glutton for punishment but I am giving them one more chance. We’ll see what they do with it. I hope I don’t have to spend a couple hundred dollars migrating everything to another service…

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!

This last weekend was full of birthdays and car work. Catching up this week and having a hard time doing so. Next week is SXSW so I have to get the final plans put together. Also got another GoinSXSW and HP TechCast episodes up.

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! Part I:

Goodbye Cookies
How Firefox wants to reject 3rd party cookies
Windows 7 Gets IE10
Microsoft lets Windows 7 users get the latest version of Internet Explorer
Real Tingline Spidey Suit
Outfit that uses ultrasonic reflections to make a suit ‘tingle’
$132 Twitter Client
Falcon Pro Android app price was raised to keep people from downloading.
A Good Password Tip
If you are asked Security questions, simply lie
CableVision Sues Viacom
Viacom forced CableVision to purchase an additional 14 channels and they don’t like it.
Dreamworks Layoffs
After a poor Rise of the Guardians, Katzenberg talks about how Dreamworks will have to lay off people for the first time.
Yahoo’s Ultimatum
Marissa Mayer tells employees to work at Yahoo or quit.

Geek Smack! Part II: 

Angry Birds Animated
Animated Series of Angry Birds to debut on March 16
Invention Scares Lions
How this boy talked on TED about his invention that includes lights
Firefox Flash Patch
If you use Firefox then you want to update your Flash player
LEGO Challenge
Building a better mousetrap with LEGO in the MacGyver challenge
Apple Rejects Cookie Tracking
Certain iOS apps will get rejected if they have cookie tracking to it.
Tagtool
Urbanize the side
Google Social Log-In
Certain websites get a Google social option like Facebook and Twitter does. Why is it so exclusive?
LG WebOS
LG TVs with the WebOS software will come out in 2014-

Geek Smack: The Evolution of computers – From PCs to Tablets and Google Glass

I remember looking at my first personal computer – a 386 with EGA CRT monitor. Since then I had a corner in my house for the latest computer. Eventually it evolved into a art studio, recording studio and podcast station. The desktop has been a part of my life – even though I also have 2 laptops, iPhone and iPad.

Now we’re in an age where the PC can finally be replaced with tablets and other devices. My desktop might be the last one I own. Heck, even these laptops might be the last ones I own too.

HP’s Meg Whitman is adapting the 7 inch tablet over a PC – this being a year and a half after the WebOS debacle. HP will be focusing on tablets over computers. Why? Because we don’t need that big bulky box anymore.

In the meantime, Google Glass gains momentum. Turning your eyes into an information kiosk takes the smartphone out of your hand and puts it next to your eye.

So it might be that we don’t need the PC anymore. Actually, I do. I also need a tablet and laptop and maybe a Google Glass when it comes out.

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!

This week I’ll be tearing down the studio so a friend can stay over. Also thinking about re-arranging the studio a bit. The websites are getting some changes too as Multisite is running. Dorkazine switched over the weekend. Lots of learning curve involved.

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 253 Tech News:

4K TVs to Ship
Half million 4K TVs are expected to be purchased this year
Windows Blue Coming
A yearly update for your OS. Would you do it?
LEGO X-Wing Fighter
1,500 pieces to build this Star Wars model
Gates Lashes Self
Did Microsoft drop the ball when it came to Windows phones early on?
Posterous to Tumblr
As Posterous announces they are closing, Tumblr announces they will take the content
Cyber Sex Extortion
Video sex chats can be recorded for blackmail purposes.
Burger King Twitter Hacked
Burger King spent an hour online as the hackers said they were bought by McDonalds
China Tops Smart Device Market
China will have 246 million smart devices over US 230 million
Best Buy to Price Match
To keep people from “Showrooming” Best Buy will match prices if presented
Mariah Carey Oz Track
Almost Here is a song Mariah Carey sang for the upcoming movie “Oz – the Great and Powerful”

Geek Smack! Geek News

Google to Cut Illegal Sites
Google works with Visa, Mastercard to stop illegal download sites from getting paid.
Harrison Ford Returns
Han Solo will make at least a cameo in Star Wars Episode VII according to news sources
Office for Mac Price Raised
Microsoft raises the software by 17 percent.
Bans on Bags
Is San Franciscos Bag Ban Getting People Sick?
Red Sues Sony
Sony is accused of 3 not properly licensed patents
Sprint LTE Additions
Sprint fires up LTE in San Francisco, New York and DC
Bionic Hand can Feel
The hand will be attached to nerves so the subject can feel what they touch
Senior Center Harlem Shuffle
How one senior center in Colorado got into the meme craze and did the Harlem Shuffle

-

Geek Smack: How One Person Profits on Revenge Porn

We’ve seen the paparazzi photos that celebrities don’t want you to see. We know about Brett Favre, Anthony Weiner, Scarlett Johansson, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West and even Prince Harry with compromising photos and video out there. Now a website owner is taking this camera nudity into a new genre – Revenge Porn.

His name is Craig Brittain. He has a website that I will not repeat to you. The concept – you send pictures and he will post them along with the person’s Facebook profile and phone number. If you want those pictures taken down, simply pay the “Takedown Hammer” $250 and those pictures will be removed.

But there is question in his methods. An Ars Technica article of a CBS-4 interview said they caught him in a lie. According to the victim, he contacted her through Craigslist where she sent him pictures. He not only posted those pictures but also her phone number and other contact info.

There are allegations that Brittain acquired pictures through questionable methods. Brittain says he is protected through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. If he lied to get photos – his site should be taken down.

The site should be taken down anyway. There is no reason why we need to see the girl next door in front of a mirror with no clothes on. It’s also a great reason for you women not to post these pictures on any phone or website – Someone will find them.

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!