Satyamania!

Satyamania!
Number	2483
Broadcast Date	APRIL 30, 2015
Episode Length	37:48
Hosts	Tom Merritt
Guests	Justin Robert Young

Justin Young joins us with a timeline of the rise and fall of the Secret app and what it tells us about the inside the bubble mentality.

Guest

• Justin Robert Young
  • Night Attack

Headlines

• Microsoft bringing Windows 10 to Arduino with open source libraries

Ars Technica reports Microsoft announced the release of two open source libraries called Windows Remote Arduino and Windows Virtual Shield for Arduino. The libraries let Arduinos connect to Windows 10 devices. The idea is to connect an Arduino controlled camera to the cloud or take advantage of the sensors in a Lumia phone. Microsoft also released a preview of Windows 10 IoT Core for the Raspberry Pi 2.

• Apple and IBM customize iPads to help the elderly in Japan

Engadget reports IBM, Apple and the Japan Post Group announced a project to deliver up to 5 million iPads to senior citizens in Japan. IBM has developed custom apps to help with medication reminders, groceries and such. Apple of course cites the benefits of default services like FaceTime and Messages.

• Uber reveals updated version of its SOS alert system for riders in India

The Next Web reports Uber has updated its SOS button in its app in India and is working with local authorities across the country to implement it. The service , which has been beta-tested in Kolkata, provides a button that connects the user to authorities by call while generating a text alert for police that contains location, rider info and driver info. The Delhi state government banned Uber after an alleged rape case last year.

• Amazon Instant Video for iOS finally lets you stream movies and TV in HD

The Verge reports that Amazon Instant Video for iOS now lets users stream video in HD. The Version 3 update also allows users to stream over their cellular data not just WiFi. However, those with data caps should be aware, streaming an hour of video at the “best” level will use 5.8 GB of data. Streaming “better” video will use 1.8 GB and “good” 1.6 GB.

• Social media helps curb Nigerian election deathtoll, paving future path

IT World has a writeup of the recent Nigerian elections during which there were 58 election-related deaths. That’s lower than the previous election period of 2011, in which a thousand Nigerians died. The difference? Online services which kept people informed and provided an outlet for communication, as well as biometric card readers which helped minimize cheating.

• Apple now says human medical research apps ‘must’ get ethics board approval

9 to 5 Mac reports Apple added a clause to its App Store guidelines that says apps doing health-related human subject research must obtain the approval from an independent ethics review board. The guidelines previously recommended obtaining the review but now Apple may request proof. The guidelines apply to developers using the open source ResearchKit framework.adapted to other systems.

• Malawi takes key step to advance digital payments

BizTech Africa reports the government of Malawi, the the United Nations Capital Development Fund’s Better Than Cash Alliance and the Mobile Money for the Poor Initiative have brought together digital payment companies to analyze and encourage the development of digital payments in the country. The program expects to raise the use of digital financial services from 3.%5 of active adults to 15% by 2019. Most people in Malawai use cash without banking services.

• IBM Researchers Can Now Spot Errors In Quantum Calculations

Jerry Chow, Manager of Experimental Quantum Computing at IBM Research told TechCrunch his team have achieved error correction for Quantum computing using two qubits that hold data and another two for checking errors. Quantum error correction is a significant hurdle since errors can be caused by common conditions in computers like heat, radiation, and material defects. Chow says the next important milestone is 13 or 17 qubits with encoded logic.

News From You

• AT&T Bills 83 Year Old $24,298 for AOL Dial Up

Broadband Reports has a post of an LA Times report that 83-year-old AOL dial-up user Ron Dorff of Los Angeles was charged $24,298 by AT&T after his dial-up started using a long distance number. AT&T gave him the runaround until the LA Times called and now they’ve fixed the issue for him and are resolving the matter of the charges. The only news here is that someone uses AOL dial-up that much.

Submitted by TheLazyOne

• How to embed playable MS-DOS games in your tweets

CNET reports that folks have discovered you can embed classic MS-DOS video games in your tweets, and play them right on twitter. Go to Archive.org’s Archive’s massive collections of classic games and software, emulated through JSMESS, copy the URL from the page of your favorite game and paste directly into your tweet. Soon you’ll be asking that age old question, Where in the World IS Carmen Sandiego? The tweet needs to be viewed from a desktop browser to play.

Submitted by KAPT_Kipper

Discussion

• Sunset
• A Founder of Secret, the Anonymous Social App, Is Shutting It Down
• Gina Trapani on Twitter: "You can tell by the way people talk about Secret the app the ones who have never lived with a legitimate, life-changing secret of their own"
• Anonymish App Secret Has Raised Another $25M, Adds Facebook Login And Collections
• Secret Wants To Be The Stream Of Consciousness For Live Events, Starting With CES
• Rap Genius Founders Smoke Weed During Job Interviews, And Other Silicon Valley ‘Secrets’
• Secret is relaunching as a faster anonymous social network with chat
• Former Square Wallet Lead, Google PM Raise $1.2M For Secret (Which Is A Secret)
• Secret Is Working On New Apps, Won’t Shut Down Original Product
• Anonymous Messaging Startup Secret Is Shutting Down
• PostSecret

Pick of the Day

• The Blackwing 602 Pencil

I wanted to suggested a relatively low-tech but beloved pick for you.

The Blackwing 602 Pencil. A pencil with a literal cult following, the Blackwing was beloved by John Steinbeck, animator Chuck Jones [of Looney Tunes fame and Stephen Sondheim. It was discontinued back in 1998, but relaunched again by the Cal Cedar Pencil Company. Originals can still be found online, sold for upwards of $50 or more – and while current 12 pack of the cal Cedar “Palomino” 602s retail at $20, they’re are an amazing analog tool with a storied past and a beautiful design. If you have some money to order a pack, or a friend to give you one or two to play around with, they’re more than worth exploring in my opinion.

Submitted by Mordechai Lightstone

Links

• This episode on dailytechnewsshow.com
• Support DTNS on Patreon
• DTNS subreddit

Preceded by: "ioSoft Windroid 1.0"

Satyamania!

Followed by: "Tesla Drives It Home"