Called Off Duty
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| Called Off Duty | |
| Number | 3468 |
| Broadcast Date | FEBRUARY 13, 2019 |
| Episode Length | 33:22 |
| Hosts | Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Roger Chang |
| Guests | Scott Johnson |
Blizzard released its earnings results for the recent quarter, is a Sleep Pod the best way to get a good nights rest and what is Apple’s news subscription service all about?
Guest
Quick Hits
- The NPD Group reports dollar sales of smartwatches were up 51% in 2018 and unit sales rose 61 percent. The top three brands, Apple, Samsung and Fitbit made up 88% of unit sales. Fossil and Garmin however continued to expand as well. Sixteen percent of U.S. adults now own a smartwatch, up from 12 percent in 2017.
- Someone wiped out almost two decades worth of data and backups at email provider VFEmail in a matter of hours. The attacker had passwords and used multiple means to access multiple servers including mail hosts, VM hosts and a SQL server cluster and reformatted most drives. VFEmail is sending email again but subfolders and filters for most users were no longer in place. VFEmail was founded in 2001.
- DJI will roll out its Geospatial Environment Online (GEO) 2.0 system in 19 European countries starting later this month. The system creates safety zones around airports and flight paths to prevent drones from interfering with air traffic. 13 European markets that already had the GEO system get the 2.0 update.
- The California DMV released its annual report of how many times various autonomous car companies experienced disengagements where a human driver had to take over. Waymo drove 1.2 million miles and went an average of 11,017 miles between disengagements, a 50 percent improvement over 2017. GM Cruise drove 447,621 miles with disengagements every 5,205 miles. Apple raised its number of test miles from 838 in 2017 to 79,745 with important disengagements every 2,000 miles in the second half of the year. Ford, Tesla, Lyft and Bosch performed no test miles in California in 2018.
Top Stories
- Bloomberg reports that Logitech and other device makers have objected to constant requests for data from Amazon and Google smart assistants. In other words, send data every time a light is turned on or off, what channels the TV is changed to and whether the door is locked or unlocked. Amazon and Google want the data to improve response time to voice commands. Logitech has responded by purposefully providing generic information. Amazon says it does not sell the user data for advertising.
- BuzzFeed reports its sources say Apple will hold an event on its campus March 25 to introduce a subscription news service. Supposedly for $9.99 a month Apple will offer unlimited access to paywalled sites like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. It also might include magazines. The Wall Street Journal itself reports Apple wants to keep 50% of the revenue and divide the rest among participating news publications based on how often users read their articles. Apple would not share subscriber data with the publications. Sources also tell CNBC that Apple is aiming to launch its TV service in April or early May with Starz, CBS including Showtime and Viacom are expected to offer subscriptions through Apple's TV app.
- Eight Sleep announced its newest adaptive foam smart mattress called The Pod. Previous mattress covers and mattresses from Eight Sleep allowed you to adjust bed temperature with options to set different temperatures for different sides of the bed. The Pod adds a smart temperature option that adjusts the temperature throughout the night in response not just to temperature but to your body behavior. An AI algorithm uses sensors to determine the best temperature to keep you asleep. It also does sleep tracking and vital signs. The Pod is available for preorder starting at $1995 for a full and $2,195 for a Queen. It starts shipping in April.
- Sony's Wena Wrist smart watch band is now available outside of Japan, available for pre-order in the UK. The band is designed to be worn with any watch face. A tiny display in the buckle shows alerts and does basic activity tracking as well as NFC for payments.
- Johnson & Johnson is buying Auris Health which makes the Monarch, a robotic scope used in respiratory and lung cancer procedures. Auris was founded by surgical robotics scientist Frederic Moll who also co-founded Intuitive Surgical, a leader in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Moll will join Johnson & Johnson after the acquisition. Last year, Johnson & Johnson acquired Orthotaxy, a developer of software-enabled robotic technology for surgery. Johnson & Johnson also formed a robotics-focused company called Verb Surgical with Alphabet's Verily in 2015.
Discussion
- Activision full-year forecasts miss, to cut nearly 800 jobs
- Activision-Blizzard lays off 775 people after “record results in 2018”
- Activision Blizzard gives weak 2019 guidance, says it will slash 8% of workforce
Mailbag
- It may amaze some people to know that the VA is very often at the forefront of new things when it comes to healthcare. They were the first to allow anyone under their care to download their full medical record with one simple button (2006, blue button). The introduction of Apple to the mix is great news for the younger vets that are finding it to be difficult to deal with the VA. The VA has issues but this is a great step in the right direction.
I travel a lot and some hotels now have YouTube on their TV's. I have started to search and then play the DTNS show on that TV since it is a different user account then mine. Just a little something extra to get those views up. - Sent by Bradd
- It may amaze some people to know that the VA is very often at the forefront of new things when it comes to healthcare. They were the first to allow anyone under their care to download their full medical record with one simple button (2006, blue button). The introduction of Apple to the mix is great news for the younger vets that are finding it to be difficult to deal with the VA. The VA has issues but this is a great step in the right direction.
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| Preceded by: "I’m Old and Slow and Everyone Kills Me" |
Called Off Duty |
Followed by: "Amazon & NY Breaks-up on V-Day" |