Random Laughing Isn’t Funny
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| Random Laughing Isn’t Funny | |
| Number | 3234 |
| Broadcast Date | MARCH 7, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 28:24 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
| Guests | Scott Johnson |
Can unplugging yourself from 24 hour online news feeds and social media make you a less stressed and better informed person? Plus, the Dig Once bill is shaping up to become law, making it cheaper and faster to roll out fiber optics, and Amazon has admitted its voice assistant randomly laughs.
Guest
Quick Hits
- Microsoft is changing Cortana! Slightly. You can now activate the digital assistant with the command “Cortana” along with “Hey Cortana” command. The change is currently live in the Invoke speaker but has yet to update on iOS, Android, or Windows 10.
- The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a government panel that reviews mergers that could result in a foreign company controlling an American business, has called for an investigation of Broadcom's proposed acquisition of Qualcomm, saying the hostile takeover bid could threaten US national security and weaken Qualcomm's technological leadership. Broadcom announced an unsolicited bid of $130 billion for Qualcomm back in November.
- Anonymous sources tell Cheddar that Snap will announce its biggest round of layoffs to date within a week, focusing mainly on Snap's engineering department and affecting around 100 jobs. This will exclusively affect less than 10% of Snap’s engineering department and number around 100 people, one of the people said. Snap declined to comment on the story. The company reported having 3,069 employees at the end of 2017.
Top Stories
- Amazon announced it'll offer a low-cost version of its Prime membership program to qualifying recipients of Medicaid for $5.99 per month. Amazon first started offering discounted Prime service for customers on government assistance in June 2017, including U.S. customers with a valid EBT card.
- "Dig Once," the name of a policy that could speed up fiber Internet deployment throughout the US, is shaping up to become US law after passing the House of Representatives and expected to pass the Senate as well. "Dig Once" requires fiber conduit installation during many federally-funded road projects and "mandates the inclusion of broadband conduit—plastic pipes which house fiber-optic communications cable—during the construction of any road receiving federal funding." The result is reduced costs and increased access for communities when broadband providers enter new markets, because some of the groundwork will have been already laid... literally.
- Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore tweeted the company will move Windows 10 S from a dedicated operating system to a special “S Mode” for versions of Windows 10 next year. S Mode will lock down any copy of Windows 10 so it can only run apps from the Microsoft Store. Rumors suggest Microsoft plans to roll out “S Mode” for Windows 10 Home, Enterprise, and Pro versions of the operating system. Windows 10 Pro customers with S Mode enabled on their device will have to pay $49 to get access to a full version of Windows 10 Pro.
- Google has released an early preview of Android P the next version of the mobile OS. Highlights include an all new notification panel, new status bar with notch support, multi-camera API, Indoor Wi-Fi positioning, enhanced privacy by blocking apps idling in background from accessing the microphone, camera and sensors, and improved backup encryption. Android P is available now for Google Pixel 1, 1 XL, 2, and 2 XL. Google recommends users avoid installing this build on personal devices.
- After several reports from users of Amazon's voice assistant enabled devices that she was randomly "laughing" at them without being prompted to wake, Amazon has responded to a statement to The Verge, saying, “We’re aware of this and working to fix it.” Multiple posts on Twitter and Reddit reported that they thought it was an actual person laughing near them, and why wouldn't they, since smart speakers are not supposed to just randomly laugh.
Discussion
Mailbag
- Quantum supremacy will soon be ours!', says Google as it reveals 72-qubit quantum chip
You guys need a staff Forester. :-) - Sent by Charles
- Quantum supremacy will soon be ours!', says Google as it reveals 72-qubit quantum chip
YouTube
Links
| Preceded by: "Watch Movies, We’ll watch YOU" |
Random Laughing Isn’t Funny |
Followed by: "Real Facts About Fake News" |