2011 September - Geek News Central

Archive for September, 2011

GNC #706 Netflix Debacle

Posted by geeknews at 1:09 AM on September 20, 2011

No hiccups during tonight’s show, this one went off without a hitch. Plenty of tech content tonight and of course I have to talk about the big mess over at netflix. What an absolute mess they have made over these past couple of months and it is not going to get any better.

Sponsored by:
MozyPro Online Backup: Simple, Automatic & Secure Backup http://mozy.com/pro
25% off 4GH GoDaddy hosting plans (12 months+) Use Promo Code CES2
Lock in a .co domain forever for $17.99 at GoDaddy Use Promo Code “DOTCO4”
GoDaddy services saves you lot’s of money, check out my Promo Codes Today
GoToMyPC access your computer Free for 30 Days!

Subscribe Today: Audio | Video (HD) | Mobile Video | iTunes | Zune
Download the Show File

Follow me on Google+
Follow @geeknews on Twitter
Geek News Central Facebook Page
Purchase GNC gear from the Ohana Store!
Show Hotline 24/7 1-619-342-7365 or e-mail geeknews@gmail.com

Listener Links:
Angry Netflix Customers.
*** Fly over Planet Earth.

Show Links:
Amazon Tablet to give Netflix Trouble?
My Apple TV Prediction.
Laser Beam IED Hunter.
VideoBloggers making Millions?
Ravencraft on Ropes.
Mac Security Risk.
XBox TV.
Netflix says they are Sorry?
Netflix Split Opinion.
10 Things about Netflix DVD Business.
$99.00 Verizon 4G Phone.
AT&T LTE Smoking Fast but no good due to Caps!
AT&T tries to Kiss up to DOJ.
Read, Listen, Watched & Wanted.
Identified to Identify You!
Apple Stock Record Close.
TruConnect Mifi Plan.
Google Wallet.
Farming Fish.
Slapping Treatment.
Flying Man.
Get Rich?
James Webb Space Telescope Saved?
Economics of Mass Lawsuit Filings.
Pirate Bay Founder MIA.
Microsoft Promo Video (Weird One).
Sony Tablet (want one).
PowerWheel Bike?
Tascam iXZ
Apple Styling.
Trendr Tracking Big Media.
DeskTube?
Windows 8 Speed test.
PrintShare Review.
iTwin Mac PC acts Like cloud.
Chrome 14 is here?
Gamers Solve AIDS Issue.
Int Amazon App Store.
Samsung Versu Apple iPhone5 in Korea.
SSL Borken?
100 Laid off in HP Web OS Division.
What is the Pirate Party?

Credits: Jack Ellis – Executive Producer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Podcast (video): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Tags: Apple, AT&T, bloggers, DOJ, HD, netflix, Pirate Bay, Podcast, Qwikster, Security, Sony, space, Tascam, xbox

Posted in Podcast

Comments Off

IFTTT: IF This Than That

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 6:43 PM on September 19, 2011

I was on Google Plus I believe and someone mentioned a site called ifttt which had just gone into public beta. The idea behind the site is to create simple connections based on if A occurred then B should result. Another words if this then that. For example I created one that says if I post a tweet with a link in it than send that link to Pinboard. Another one I created is at 4 PM I get an SMS reminder that it is time to start dinner. These are just two examples of hundreds of if this then that connections that can be created.

tasks

Some of the sites and applications that can be used to create connections include Twitter, Facebook, Evernote, Dropbox and email just to name a few.

Channels

If you create a connection you can either keep it private or make it public and publish it as a recipe. You can also use any public recipe that has already been create.

I think the idea behind ifttt is a good and some great public recipes have been created. However when I first viewed the site I wasn’t sure what to do or how to do it. There are no directions or how to videos on the site. There is an introductory video before you join, but if I watched it I don’t remember it. There is also no way to search public recipes by keyword or title. Which means a lot of people are creating the same recipe over and over again. Have you tried ifttt if you have what task have you created. If you haven’t and are interested I have some invites available.

Tags: ifttt, task

Posted in Information, Web App

Comments Off

TMS #34 Apple to Release Apple TV?

Posted by geeknews at 1:48 PM on September 19, 2011

Andy McCaskey RVNN.tv and Jeffrey Powers Geekazine.com talk TechCrunch Disrupt, future of Apple Tv and a whole host of tech topics.

Subscribe: Audio | HD | Mobile Video | iTunes | Zune
Download the Mobile Version Video Show File

Follow @geeknews on Twitter
Google+ Circle Me!
My Facebook Profile
Podcast Facebook Page
My YouTube Channel
Visit the Ohana Store for GNC Gear!

Podcast (tms): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Podcast (tmsa): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Posted in TMS

Comments 1 Comment

iTwin – Reinventing Mac, PC USB Drive as Cloud Device

Posted by Jeffrey Powers at 11:21 AM on September 19, 2011

itwin

I have looked at this interesting product called the iTwin for a few weeks now. It’s a dongle for your computer that pairs two machines together – no matter where they are located. As long as they are on unrestricted WiFi, they can talk to each other.

Using military-grade encryption, the iTwin is pretty easy to use. Plug in one USB dongle into one computer, the other USB dongle into another computer. Connect up to an internet connection, then pair up the machines. When paired, you can pass information between the two. There is no storage limits (besides what the computers can hold).

The system comes with a “Remote Disable Code”, which you get via email. If your machine gets stolen, then initiate the code and your iTwin is disabled.

The main advantage to using the iTwin is you can have a machine with little or no data on it. Your other computer could become a cloud source only you can access. If you have PC or Mac, you can use this system.

“We are excited to be able to offer iTwin to both OS X and Windows customers,” says Lux Anantharaman, co-founder and CEO of iTwin. “We are confident that Mac users will be satisfied with the features iTwin offers, and which both consumers and small businesses have come to enjoy. Now both Macs and PCs will have full, cross-platform capabilities with this revolutionary device that is perfect for their sensitive file sharing needs.”

The iTwin is available for $99 on their store or through Amazon.

Tags: cloud, dongle, itwin, os x, pair, USB, wifi, Windows

Posted in Gadgets

Comments 1 Comment

What Would Get Me to Buy a Tablet?

Posted by Jeffrey Powers at 11:07 AM on September 19, 2011

iPad

On Saturday’s morning tech show, we talked about this for a minute. I have not been a tablet fan. I tried for the TouchPad when it was dramatically reduced, but that was because it was under $100. I personally don’t see the advantage of having a $500 tablet, and here is why:

Computer Speed of a Tablet

This is the biggest reason why. I have 4 machines in my arsenal. A MacBook Pro, an HP GX series laptop, a home build desktop with ASUS motherboard and AMD Phenom II chipset and a Dell D610.

The two computers I use the most are the desktop and the MacBook Pro. My Macbook Pro sports an i7 processor and boot camp to Windows 7 keeps me productive. The Desktop is a stable spot – I seem to get more work done on that station than I do any notebook. So when I need to “Bear down” on a project, you will see me at the desktop.

The HP used to be my main machine, but got replaced because it didn’t handle video production as well. Whereas it takes 20-30 minutes to process a 15 minute video on the MacBook Pro, the dual core HP (with Intel Graphics) would take up to 2 hours. When I’m on the road, that is just not acceptable. The Dell is used for very minimal needs – like a Twitter client or web browser.

Today’s tablet matches that between the HP and Dell. So at best, it would be my #4 computer. I could do minimal video editing, but I can also do that on my iPhone.

Let me know if the iPad3 will support a 2.0 GHz Quad-core processor and 512 MB of video RAM, then we’ll talk about a tablet

Storage of a Tablet

When will Apple finally put a standard card slot on their machines? I want to put in video to edit video, or have the tablet upload my videos to a source. It does work well when connected to the cloud, but you then need a WiFi signal (unless you have a 3G or 4G tablet). The 16 or 32 GB models would hold some of my content, but I would constantly be pulling stuff off the machine and only if I have it connected to the laptop or desktop.

Tablet Size

sony tablet s & sony tablet p

The 10 inch tablet is just not for me. I loved the idea of a 7″ tablet – it feels better in the hand and fits in the pocket. I can put it in the side pocket of my notebook bag and give me everything that I need out of that device.

I got to play with the Sony Tablet S (which I will be showing on a video later today). The “Folded magazine” feel fit better in my hand, which I was impressed with. I still would like to see a 7″ tablet with that same feel.

BTW – I didn’t get to see the flip version in Sony Tablet P, but I am very interested in trying it out.

My iPhone Does a lot and fits in my Pocket

In all reality, the order of computers goes like this – MacBook, iPhone, desktop, HP, Dell. So the tablet would most likely be the 5th device most used. The best part about the iPhone is it fits in my pocket, so it’s always in reach. The tablet would be in reach if I had my laptop close by.

I have talked to many tablet owners. It’s surprising how many people are now leaving it on the coffee table. They might pick it up for 5 minutes when watching TV to browse the web, but besides the 35 minutes of use, leave it to be a fixture in the house.

It’s not to say that some people use it as an integral tool – If you cannot live and breathe with it, then more power to you. But I can live and breathe without it right now.

An OS I can use

I know this is going to piss off some fanboys, but I live in a Windows world. In fact, I use Windows 7 on my MacBook Pro more than I use the Mac software. But this is more about using a full operating system on a tablet. Whether Windows or Mac, I need a tool that could match my computers. I want to put on software that I use on a daily basis. I don’t want a different experience on my tablet.

—

Can I see myself with a tablet in the future? Yes. But I would either need the device to be powerful enough for me to want to carry around, or more cost efficient. For $500, I can get a laptop that doubles the power of a tablet. Even if someone put out a $1000 tablet that has a powerful multi-core processor, 1 GB graphics, 4GB of memory and a hard drive of 500GB, then I can start looking at the tablet.

In the meantime, I just don’t see it a part of my daily use. That is why I have an iPhone.

Tags: Apple, dell, hp, Intel, iPhone, macbook pro, quad-core, RAM, Tablet, Windows 7

Posted in tablet

Comments Off

Robot Underpants #20 09.19.11

Posted by Langley at 12:01 AM on September 19, 2011

This week: Langley talks more about TWiT, Tommy Wiseau, airplane crashes, and a very special dogs video.

Subscribe Today: Video

Download the Show File

Follow @langley on Twitter

* TWiT

* Tommy Wi-Show

* Videos of Reno Crash

* Craigslist Best Roommate Ever

* VidRhythm

* Nudity OK on YouTube if it’s “art?” (NSFW)

Podcast (robot): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Podcast (robota): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Posted in underpants

Comments Off

Netflix = Stream – Qwikster = DVD =?????

Posted by geeknews at 11:22 PM on September 18, 2011

Netflix CEO just dropped a bomb shell, he announced that Netflix is splitting their businesses. Netflix will be for streaming and Qwikster a new company will be for renting DVD’s by mail. The two sites will be separate, and you will not get to cross queue, cross search anything.

With loosing Starz the streaming business will really suck, as their will be hardly any titles available so they have a few months to fix that. Wow is all I can say, and I bet their stock gets hammered in the morning. My wife has been telling me to cancel Netflix for a while, guess it’s time to figure out what else is available.

Whoever is their PR company they better get busy as they are going to have some very pissed of customers in the morning.

Tags: netflix, Qwikster

Posted in Information

Comments Off

News.me vs Zite vs Flipboard

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 10:18 AM on September 18, 2011

Since News.me no longer requires a subscription I decided to give it a try so I could compare it to Zite and FlipBoard . These types of news reader have become quite popular on the iPad. It similar in some ways to FlipBoard and Zite. All three of these apps present content like a magazine. All three are well made and look beautiful. You can flip easily through stories and from one story to another in each of them. However how they determine the stories that are available for you to read is one way they differ. FlipBoard provides various favorite categories from art to technology. Within each category there is a list of providers from blogs to magazines and newspapers, to add to your reading list. You can even add your own categories. You can also add Twitter, Facebook and Google Reader to your reading list. With Zite the choice when setting up is within categories and not providers. However when you read an article you can thumbs up or down a topic, provider and even an author that you like or dislike. The more you use this option the better Zite gets in learning your likes and dislikes. Finally there is News.me which takes who you follow on Twitter and if they use News.me they are added to your list, along with a list of featured users. If someone is not using News.me you can’t add them. You can remove users at anytime under the preference tab. Once you have everything set up, if you click on a person you will see all the stories they linked to on Twitter. With News.me there is no filter other than who you follow.

The second big difference between the three is their sharing and saving options. All three allow sharing to Facebook, Twitter and by email. Zite also shares with Linkedin. All three applications allow you to save articles to Instapaper. Both Zite and FlipBoard save to Read Later. Zite also saves to Evernote and Delicious.

For me News.me is the weakest of the three because of the lack of filters. Also to be honest I not big into following what other people are linking to, because I follow a lot of people who are interested in tech they tend to link to the same stories. Plus there are some people who I want to read when they link to tech stories, but I have no interest in their political links. On FlipBoard you can add people individually like I did with Robert Scoble . Zite has no option to add individuals to your feeds, but I am ok with that. As far as the UI of each application FlipBoard is the winner, it is beautifully looking, and easy to use, despite this FlipBoard is not my winner. I personally like Zite the best of the three, it has the ability to learn my likes and dislikes better than the other two. Plus I like Zite’s sharing and saving options. I am worried about it sale to CNN, I hope they don’t ruin it. What about you what is your favorite. If you are on Android what do you use.

Tags: Flipboard, IPAD, News.me, RSS, Zite

Posted in Information, IPAD, RSS

1 Comment

Today’s Free Android App – PrinterShare

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 1:42 PM on September 16, 2011

If you have never installed the Amazon App Store on your Android then let me give you one compelling reason why you should – every single day, 7 days a week, they give away a paid app for free. Usually the apps are regularly priced in the $1-3 range and often they are games, but nobody says you have to download every one. Sometimes you will find something you really want, and sometimes you didn’t know you wanted it until then because you hadn’t heard of it before.

Today’s free app is one of the better offerings I have seen from the “free app of the day”. It’s called PrinterShare and it’s regularly priced at $12.95. It allows you to print from your device to any network or PC-connected printer on your network via WiFi or Bluetooth. With the PrintShare app installed on your computer you can even print from a remote location.

If you are interested then you better hurry, because the free app will change again at midnight. You can read more about it and view screenshots over at Amazon.

Tags: amazon, Android, app, Network Printing, PrinterShare

Posted in amazon, Android, mobile

Comments 1 Comment

How to Prevent Traffic Jams

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 6:27 AM on September 16, 2011

If you’ve driven at all you’ve probably been in a traffic jam at least once in your life. If you live in the Northeast or around any major metropolitan area such as Chicago, Dallas, or Los Angeles you may feel like you are in one almost daily. Sometimes there is a visible cause such as a car accident or roadwork, but other times a traffic jam seems to appear for apparently no reason at all. Scientist and engineer have been studying this phenomenon for years. In 2007 ScienceDaily published an article explain how this can easily happen using a truck switching lane and therefore cause the traffic behind them to slow down below a critical speed. The traffic around the incident clears and moves forward however the problem rolls back like a wave creating the traffic jam. There is a good graphical representation of this at SmartMotorist

So Scientist have known what happens in a traffic jam for awhile, the question is how can they be prevented. There are three types of traffic flow. Free flow, where traffic is flowing at the maximum speed allowed. Synchronized flow where because of the traffic density the vehicles move at a slower but still constant speed. Finally there are jams where speed drops to zero when traffic density reaches a certain unknown threshold. So how do you prevent the third circumstances. One possible solution is to have vehicles to talk to each other through an automated system. If you have been in a traffic jam you will quickly recognize that most people have one of two reactions the first are the defensive drivers who leave more space between them and the vehicle in front of them then necessary. The second group are offensive driver, the kind that drive up so close behind you that you can see the spinach they had for diner. What you want is for vehicles entering the traffic jam zone to act more defensively and enter the problem zone slower and those in front to leave the jam quickly causing the traffic jam to dissolve. What is the best way to do this, one possible solution is to have cars talk to each other. They could share their speed and position to the cars around them. As cars in front of them slow down this would hopefully convince the cars coming up to the area to slow down also. Meantime the cars in front of the congested area would leave faster, keeping the flow going. This is the idea that is discussed in a Technology Review article published by MIT.

There are of course several problems that need to be resolved for this to work. First is security you want to make sure you have a system that can’t be hacked. Second at this point it is unclear how many cars need to have a system installed for it to be effective. Also systems that are manufactured by different companies need to be able talk to each other. Finally people have to actually use the information that they are provided in the way they are suppose to. As more and more cars enter our highways both in the United States and around the world developing technology like this becomes increasingly important. This type of technology is still in its infancy, but if it becomes reality, it will have far more impact on productivity and the economy, then any social network.

Tags: Technology, traffic, traffic jams

Posted in Information, Technical, Technology

Comments Off

Archive for September, 2011

GNC #706 Netflix Debacle

IFTTT: IF This Than That

TMS #34 Apple to Release Apple TV?