Meerkat is on Life Number 2

Meerkat is on Life #2
Number	2532
Broadcast Date	JULY 8, 2015
Episode Length	43:10
Hosts	Tom Merritt
Guests	Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson and Tom Merritt talk about the good news and bad news from Microsoft. The good news, is Microsoft is focusing its business. The bad news is the town of Salo, Finland will be gutted by layoffs.

Guest

• Scott Johnson
  • Frogpants

Headlines

• Microsoft announces restructuring of phone hardware business

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent an email to employees announcing plans to restructure the company’s phone hardware business. Up to 7,800 positions primarily in the phone business will be eliminated. The company will record an impairment charge in Q4f 2015 of approximately $7.6 billion related to the acquisition of the Nokia Devices and Services (NDS) business in addition to a restructuring charge of approximately $750 million to $850 million. Microsoft will continue to make Lumia phones narrowly focused ont he business, low-end and flagship lines.

• Apple is going to make a record-breaking number of new iPhones this year

The Wall Street Journal's sources say Apple is preparing its suppliers to produce a record breaking 85 and 90 million of two new models of the iPhone before the year is over according to the Business Insider India. Last year Apple ordered 70 and 80 million units in the first run of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The next iPhone is expected to come with a Force Touch screen, similar to the one on the Apple Watch.

• Google is facing a fight over Americans’ ‘right to be forgotten’

We've been reporting on Google's struggle to comply with Europe's right to be forgotten rules. Now The Next Web reports that Consumer Watchdogin the United States wants to make sure the US FTC doesn't forget US people's right to be forgotten. I forget what we were talking about. Oh right! Consumer Watchdog wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate why Google has not extended the right to be forgotten to US users. Last year FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez told Time Magazine that "An expansive ‘right to be forgotten’ is not something that’s likely to pass Constitutional muster here in the United States."

• Meerkat Makes Friends With Facebook’s API, Adds Viewer Cameos And Streaming Storage

Remember back in March when live-streaming app Meerkat was awesome and everybody wanted to sit with it at lunch, and then Periscope came along, and Meerkat was like, where did everyone go? Today Meerkat rolled out major updates including the ability to sign up through Facebook, a new feature called Cameo that lets you hand over your stream to a viewer for 60 seconds at a time, and a way to save streams in the Meerkat library (aka the cloud) instead of on your phone.

• Adobe is patching a major Flash flaw uncovered in Hacking Team leak

In response to leaked internal documents from the Hacking Team, Adobe has issued a critical vulnerability alert regarding Flash according to the Next Web. The security hole, which could allow attackers to take control of the system, exists in Windows, Mac and Linux. Adobe expects to release an update to fix the problem later today. Until then, The Next Web recommends disabling Flash in web browsers or enabling Flash to run only when clicked.

• Logitech announces new Logi brand that 'goes well beyond tech'

The Verge reports that Logitech is dropping the tech. Sort of. The company is introducing a new brand called "Logi". The new brand will be used for "future-facing stuff," especially in the "Internet of Things" categories. The full "Logitech" branding will continue to stick around for more established legacy products, like keyboards and mice. One commenter on Ars Technica's story really nailed the most important question though: Hard G or Soft G?

• Trading stopped on New York Stock Exchange due to 'technical issue'

United Airlines grounded flights in the US for two hours this morning after a network outage. The Wall Street Journal reported a router malfunctioned in the reservations systems preventing verified passenger lists from being created as well as preventing some passengers from checking in. Later in Wednesday as Engadget reports the New York Stock Exchange halted trading for more than 3 hours due to a technical issue. The NYSE twitter account said it was not the “result of a cyber breach.”

• Swiss Post to start testing delivery drones this month

Engadget reports the Swiss Post will begin testing the commercial use of logistics drones to deliver packages this month. Test of Matternet drones will focus on special cases like lab samples and emergency supplies. It’s estimated to be five years before it becomes a common business practice.

• Indian court revokes ban on Uber in New Delhi

Reuters reports the Delhi High Court in India has lifted the ban on Uber in New Delhi. The city had rejected Uber’s license application last month. The Court said the state government can impose strict conditions but did not favor a complete ban.

• Amazon is now 3D printing customizable video game characters

What Figureprints has done for Warcraft and Minecraft, Amazon is now doing for Smite, Primal Carnage and Infinity Blade. The Next Web reports Amazon now uses Sandboxr to let you customize one of 35 characters from the games, have it printed and delivered to you for $30-$90 depending on size.

News From You

• Boeing just patented a jet engine powered by lasers and nuclear explosions

Business Insider has an article on a Boeing patent for a laser and nuclear driven airplane engine. Boeing engineers Robert Budica, James Herzberg, and Frank Chandler filed the patent which shows an engine firing lasers at radioactive material like deuterium and tritium. The resulting fusion reaction creates Hydrogen or helium as exhaust exits the back of the engine to create thrust. Neutrons from the reaction also heat the uranium-238 coated walls which power a turbine that provides electricity to the lasers.

Submitted by starfuryzeta

• Time Warner Cable must pay $229,500 to Texas woman it robocalled 153 times

The Guardian reports that a Manhattan judge has ordered Time Warner Cable to pay Araceli King $229,500 for placing 153 robocalls to her cellphone in less than a year. The messages were meant for Luis Perez who had once held the same phone number. King called Time Warner to make clear she was not Perez to no avail. Time Warner even made 74 calls AFTER King filed her lawsuit in March.

Submitted by habichuelacondulce

Discussion

• Microsoft writes off $7.6 billion from Nokia deal, announces 7,800 job cuts
• Talk less about Microsoft’s strategy and more about the city it just threw on the scrap heap
• Can we agree that the Nokia buy was a total disaster for Microsoft?
• Smartphones aren't selling like they used to (it's an Android thing)

Pick of the Day

• Killjoys Is The Space Opera We've Been Waiting For Since Firefly

I feel like this community MIGHT just have an affinity for Firefly/Serenity, as I do. I recently read a piece on io9 reviewing SyFy's new ... Sci-Fi show, Killjoys, calling it the space opera we've been waiting for since Firefly.

After watching the first two episodes (airing Fridays and available on the SyFy Now app), I can't disagree with the review's premise. The irreverent humor and the ability of the leads to play off each other, as well as off of one-off characters, is Mal-Zoë-esque. Hope it is killed after one season only to have a killer movie and cult following for years ... or that it gets renewed. Either way.

Thanks,

Submitted by Daniel

Links

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

Preceded by: "Best Bad Case Scenario"

Meerkat is on Life Number 2

Followed by: "Honey I Shrunk the Chips"