Tapping Buskers

Tapping Buskers
Number	3292
Broadcast Date	MAY 29, 2018
Episode Length	28:37
Hosts	Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane
Guests	Iyaz Akhtar

Cashless payments is changing the way customers pay for goods and services, but how well does it work for non-traditional situations, like busking, where cash has always been king?

Guest

• Iyaz Akhtar
  • CNET
  • GFQ Network
  • Iyaz's Patreon

Quick Hits

• iOS 11.4 Launches Today With AirPlay 2 and Messages in iCloud, HomePod Gets Multi-Room Audio, Stereo Pairing

Apple's HomePod smart speaker can now play in multiple rooms simultaneously and in stereo mode via Airplay 2 in iOS 11.4. HomePods can also sync with other AirPlay 2-enabled speakers. Apple also announced that HomePod will be available in Canada, France, and Germany on June 18. iOS 11.4 also adds Messages in iCloud support.

• Uber’s new panic button is now live in the US

Uber's new panic button is now live in the US, so riders can get immediate help in the case of an emergency during their ride. It's part of a new safety center within the app that includes info on the driving screening process, insurance protections, and community guidelines. Uber previously tested the panic button in India. Uber says a similar panic button for drivers will be added soon.

Top Stories

• Papua New Guinea bans Facebook for a month to root out 'fake users'

The Papua New Guinean government is banning Facebook for a month in order to crack down on “fake users” and see how the service affects its population. Communication minister, Sam Basil, said his department will conduct research and analysis on who was using the platform, and how. Papua New Guinea has around 7 million people, but recent stats on internet use have put internet penetration at just 12%.

• Jeff Bezos details his moon colony ambitions

Jeff Bezos not only announced Amazon would save The Expanse TV show at the Space Development Conference in Los Angeles but also that his Blue Origin company wants to develop manufacturing on the moon. That may take 100 years to get going but Bezos has a proposal for a NASA partnership with Blue Origin to develop a lunar lander capable of delivering five tons of payload. Blue Origin's first orbital rocket, New Shepard is scheduled to fly sometime in the 2020s.

• China just invited the world to its space station

China's ambassador to the UN Shi Zhongjun has invited "All countries, regardless of their size and level of development," to participate in the China Space Station scheduled to become operational in 2022. The European Space Agency already has an agreement and has been sending astronauts to China for training.The International Space Station may cease operations as early as 2025 as the US wants to end NASA funding. NASA has a proposal for a smaller gateway orbital station nearer to the moon.

• Computer learns to detect skin cancer more accurately than doctors

A paper published in Annals of Oncology describes the results of an experiment using a neural network to spot skin cancers. In the study 86.6% of skin cancers were identified from images by human dermatologists. The neural network identified 95%. The neural network also misdiagnosed fewer benign moles as malignant. The tool would be used to aid dermatologists in diagnosis, not replace doctor examinations.

• A Thai trivia game app got more than a million downloads. Total ad spend: $0

Live Trivia apps are a hit worldwide. It's not just HQ Trivia anymore. India has Loco and China has Million Dollar Hero, for example. Panya Studios launched a live trivia show twice a day in Thailand in March. With no advertising, the app has had more than a million downloads and reaches around250,000 active weekly users. It's also talking about expanding to Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Co-founder Jakob Pedersen says he wants to expand to more than just trivia, with other TV-quality interactive shows.

Discussion

• London’s street performers are embracing cashless payments
• Busking goes cashless with 'a world first' for London

Mailbag

DTNS Crew,

Last week you talked about google taking the top spot in the smart speaker market. These might be inflated numbers on Google’s side. I recently bought a bunch of Nest products for a new house and was given 5 free Google Home Minis. They may be giving more away as free promos than actually selling units.

Your Patreon,

Sent by Andrew

MORE ROGER CHANG!
MORE ROGER CHANG!
MORE ROGER CHANG!

Hey DTNS Crew,
Like many people, I thought Roger Chang was *just* a producer, and his curmudgeonly demeanor seemed to indicate that he liked it that way.
This is just a note that I've been enjoying Roger's thoughts while Tom has been away, and would be happy to get hear more from him as part of the regular show.

Chang we can believe in....

Sent by Ted

Links

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

Preceded by: "GDPR Consent Debris"

Tapping Buskers

Followed by: "Patrick is Our Ear Bud"