The Waves of Tech (Video) - Technology impacts to life

This week on The Waves of Tech 226 and after a two week break, we are here to talk tech! On the show we dive into Halt & Catch Fire, the latest show from AMC. Google provides a new view of World Cup venues and GoDaddy files a $100M IPO. Also, Apple is showing signs of new ideas and people have an online shopping abandonment issue. All this in a quick 40 minutes this week. Enjoy the show and continue to ride…the waves of tech. AMC’s newest fictional drama, Halt and Catch Fire, is a great show. Set in the early 1980s, just one year after IBM released the IBM PC, an unlikely group of three set out to reverse engineer the PC with hopes of gaining traction in the personal computing world. Fans of tech/computer history, you’ll love this show. If you’re looking for a great fictional drama, you’ll love the show. Google Street View – World Cup Venues The biggest international event is set to kick off in a few days – The World Cup. You now have the chance to experience the ins-and-outs of all 12 soccer venues. Google has provided Street View of the World Cup stadiums, include visuals in and around the streets of each stadium. This provides us all a chance to experience to magnitude of the host country, Brazil, and take a trip from the comfort of our own homes. The Abandoned E-Shopping Cart Did you know that nearly $4 trillion of merchandise and goods are left in online shopping carts? Retailers and e-commerce firms are trying to find ways of capturing some of those “lost sales” by employing a variety of strategies. Some firms are sending reminder emails within a three hour window, as that strategy results in nearly a 40% click-back rate. The relationship between the buyer and the product is complex. Perhaps a change to the checkout process, a smoother and streamlined process would help these e-commerce businesses. GoDaddy files for IPO Many of us were surprised when GoDaddy announced the web hosting firm would be filing an Initial Public Offering started at $100M. The firm has showed a history of revenue but continues to show lackluster signs in terms of profitability. This year, 2014, is showing promise as revenues are increasing and profits are being realized. GoDaddy has a very strong brand and image but that will not please all the investors…it’s about dollars and cents now. Apple In recent news, Apple shows some promise in the business and personal travel industry. WiFi in hotels is pretty scarce today, despite advancements in broadband and connectivity. Apple is slated to provide that service directly from Apple devices. Steve provides some details and outlines the course of action.

This week on The Waves of Tech 225, we explore the news that FedEx is changing their pricing structure, the deal between AT&T and DirecTV, online home improvement options, New York City WiFi, and Nielsen’s Twitter TV rating system. Man, that is a lot to discuss and we enjoy every second of it. Enjoy the show.

We start off by talking crowdsourcing, a new medium in which many law enforcement agencies are using gather eyewitness information. Mozilla redesigned Firefox and that has some wondering and asking why. Amazon is up to something with their #AmazonCart feature on Twitter. Finally, we revisit some old technologies used back in 2001.

This week on The Waves of Tech 222, we talk a little about Google Glass, Skype, Twitter, and Homeland Security. At the tip-off of the show, Google Glass makes an appearance in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers franchise. Second, Skype opens the digital door to free group video calling! And to finish the show, we discuss the roll out of the latest Twitter profile page and Homeland Security’s statement regarding Internet Explore. Thanks for tuning in and continue to ride…the waves of tech.

We start by discussing a very simple technological steps smaller companies are taking to reduce wait times and improve customer service. Texting while driving is always a hot topic so find out what move Apple is making. The ISS gets a nice Easter delivery and Bill Gates talks about philanthropy. Finally, we discuss the Supreme Court case involving broadcast networks and the startup, Aereo. Furniture Delivery Tracking & Automobile Service Tracking Nobody likes to wait…especially when it comes to car maintenance and service calls to the house. Sitting, waiting for 3-4 hours is just totally ridiculous. And then we have to pay lots of money for the service!! Plenty of smaller companies are improving their customer satisfaction rates by using one simple tools – estimating arrival times and vehicle service times. Hear two success stories from Steve over the past few weeks. Apple aims to disable texting while driving Apple is working on a patent that, in essence, locks down texting features within your phone while you are driving. Apple is looking at an automated approach to making the roads a bit safer for us all. Not many details are out there as of now but stay tuned. With Apple’s CarPlay finding its way into 2014 models, this feature may be here sooner than later. Easter delivery to ISS We often forget that those in space need supplies…lots of supplies. Due to a month delay, the astronauts inhabiting the ISS received an Easter Basket in the form of 2 tons of food, care packages from NASA and family members, and a new computer to replace a faulty backup system. We love talking space news on the show and love it even more when it coincides with the Easter holiday. Bill Gates & Charity Mr. Bill Gates has made it a core value and has stayed very focused on charitable giving – to the note of roughly $38 billion in his lifetime. It is without question that his donations have made a remarkable impact on society and culture. In a recent interview with Reddit, Gates stated that a his donations are less valuable than a person donating $20, especially when that person had to sacrifice a meal, an event, or gift to donate. Supreme Court and Television Man, oh man. The Supreme Court is center stage. The battle between the broadcast networks and Aereo is in full effect. To file it down, broadcasters argue that Aereo is operating illegally under copyright law by retransmitting what is know to be free content for $8/month to subscribers in eleven different cities. Aereo states that providing this free content through a different medium, such as mobile devices, is within the boundaries of copyright law. We elaborate on the details on the case and make our case.

Google Glass and Google Ventures are the topic of interest for many and so we talk about it!! In addition, Amazon has an interesting way of weeding out the employees that don’t want to work at the tech giant. Heartbleed is causing plenty of trouble for those in the IT field and Facebook decides to mix up things a bit on their mobile application.

This week on The Waves of Tech 219, Amazon continues to improve the online shopping world by introducing Amazon Dash into the Amazon Fresh environment. Amazon FireTV makes yet another appearance in this week’s show again. In closing, we discuss Microsoft’s move to incorporate some old design features into Windows 8.1 and toss around the Mozilla CEO resignation for a bit. Thanks for checking out the podcast and we hope we continue to ride…the waves of tech. Amazon FireTV Update Leave it to someone in NetCast Studio to get the latest and greatest from Amazon. Steve purchased the FireTV only days after we discussed it in last week’s episode. On next week’s show, he will provide a breakdown of the FireTV experience – what is good, what is bad, what is exciting, and what is innovative. How you picked up FireTV yet? If so, hit us up at feedback@netcaststudio.com or 661-750-2321 and tell us your story. Amazon Dash & Fresh; The Dash Improving upon the Amazon Fresh craze, Amazon has introduced The Dash – a sturdy device that connects to your home Wi-Fi and Fresh account, allowing you to say or scan food items directly into your Fresh basket. The Dash is very simple to use, for adults and kids alike, and will help reduce the time you spend online filling up your grocery basket. The device isn’t out for everyone yet, so look for the invitation in your email in-box! Windows 8 soon to be more like 7 Microsoft made the move we have all been anticipating…bringing back of the Start Menu! For users of Windows 8.1, you will soon be seeing some older Windows features back on your desktop at home and at work. Microsoft obviously heard the voices of their customers and made the changes in order to get the operating system’s name out of the mud. This doesn’t mean Microsoft is abandoning the Windows 8 ship, just improving the desktop experience. Mozilla CEO resigns over outrage We aren’t sure if any CEO has experiences what Brendan Eich experienced in his first 10 days on the job. As many know, he has resigned the CEO position after news was leaked that he made a personal monetary donation to the hotly contested Proposition 8 measure in California in 2008. This raises a host of questions as far as the equity of his resignation. What is your opinion on the matter?

This week on The Waves of Tech 218, we provide all the details surrounding Amazon’s Fire TV. We dive into how technology is improving the lives of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases in nursing homes. We also discuss saving water by using a smart sprinkler system and how public shaming of those that text while drive may be the next step in creating more driver awareness. Hope you enjoy the show and we love that you decided to stop and ride…the waves of tech. Amazon Fire TV Amazon is now taking orders for their latest competitive product – Fire TV. In direct competition with Roku, Apple TV, and Chromecast, their $100 set-top system is designed and marketed towards those living and breathing in the Amazon ecosystem. It boasts a dual-core processor, dedicated GPU, and dual band Wi-Fi. There’s always room for another set-top box competitor in the ring…now let’s see if anyone comes out victorious. iPods Used To Treat Alzheimer’s Patients The Wisconsin Music and Memory Initiative is providing iPods to over 100 nursing homes in the state of Wisconsin in a pilot scheme to improve memory, boost social interaction, and create better moods. The use of music is paying off in where residents are taking less medication from anxiety related issues. The state Department of Human Services is looking to expand the program to another 35 facilities by this spring. Microsoft Finally Gave Away MS-DOS One business principle Microsoft has been dedicated to has been this – open source would cut into its core business. The company, a proprietary software giant, has always sang that tune up until now. Microsoft has released the code to MS-DOS and the 1990 Microsoft Office. Other companies, such as Google, have flourishes in the open source market. If anything, we believe this release is more symbolic in nature but we can hope for more to come from Microsoft. Smart Sprinkler System Rachio has developed a great new product that can save you money and save Mother Nature some of its most valuable resource – water. Rachio is now accepted pre-orders for their Iro smart system. The system accounts for regional characteristics, such as annual rainfall, humidity levels, soil composition, and seasonal factors. The system automatically adjusts to seasonal changes and learns what works best for your yard…so you don’t have to. Billboards Exposing Drivers That Text; Texting While in Traffic site Don’t be a TWIT!! That meaning “Texting while in traffic.” The latest grassroots movement is to give a visual presence to what it means to text while driving. Check out twitstopping.com for the idea behind the movement. The same guy running the site is also spending his own cash and putting up billboards featuring people TWITing. He hopes that this visual representation will change the perspective and create a safer roadway for everyone.

In a week where technology news has been sparse, we will always find a way to talk tech!! This week on The Waves of Tech 217, we tackle the topics of Indiegogo funding, Disney’s latest acquisition, Microsoft’s goodbye to Office 2003, and taxes without CPAs. Enjoy the show and make sure to head over to iTunes and give NetCast Studio a rating and comment. And we hope you continue to ride…the waves of tech! Indiegogo is an amazing platform for fundraising, promoting campaigns, and connecting communities. I (Dave) have a friend and fellow roller derby player that suffered a spiral fracture in his leg and has caused him to spend the next 6 weeks in the UK, far from his home in LA. With the help of Indiegogo, the community has raised over $4800 and made the front page of the site! Disney, with the purchase of Maker Studios for upwards of $950 million, is slated to become one of the major online video distributors. Maker Studios boasts an audience of over 380 million subscribers, totaling an amazing 5.5 billions views across 55,000 channels every month. This is a huge move for a traditional media outlet, as Disney attempts to draw in the younger audience into the Disney culture. That is a small price to pay for that many eyes…an excellent opportunity to draw in new consumers. Good move? Bad move? With April 15th only a few weeks away, it’s time to wrap up those taxes everybody! Software and online sources have become so sophisticated and intuitive, it begs the question – Are CPAs really needed in a time of technology advancements in the taxation industry? Some enjoy the piece of mind of dropping their taxes off and allowing professionals to prepare their fate. Others, such as Steve, have found no true financial benefit to utilizing CPAs for his personal or professional tax preparation. Just a friendly reminder from our friends from Microsoft that Office 2003 support ends on April 8th. For those not familiar with this, that means Microsoft will not be providing security updates and patches to Office 2003 and Windows XP in a few weeks. Be sure to protect your family members and friends that may be using this legacy platform by upgrading their systems and security settings.

We venture down a variety of tech pathways to give you the latest and greatest in the technology. On this week’s show, we discuss the SXSW incident, Starbucks digital tipping, iOS in flight, Audi in-car technology, and Amazon Prime.

We cover a wide range of technological industries – poor social media judgment, public transit improvements, state of the business cards field, and the latest LED-lit HD displays in the works. Here at The Waves of Tech, we find the tech stories that impact your life and bring you the details.

This week on The Waves of Tech 214, Google and Apple dominate the conversation. On the Google front, a man in Central California is ticketed for using Google Maps in this car, Chrome for iOS gets a compression feature, and Google Glass finds it way into surgery and the ER. On the Apple front, CarPlay is the latest feature from iOS 7 that allows drivers and passengers to bring iOS right into their car. Enjoy the show and don’t forget to continue to ride….the waves of tech!

On this week’s show, we head over to Russia and let you know how to avoid Olympics spoilers in your social media feeds. We also have a great conversation about the state of Microsoft, with a new CEO at the wheel and Gates forever in the background.

We ask cover a variety of topics including the Democratic legislation for Net Neutrality, beer-delivering drones, and student hackers. We keep it going by diving into the latest in NFC capabilities and phone scams on the international front.

We ask you a simple question – when was the last time you said “hey, what’s that?” We explore a host of tech news issues including Mac’s 30th birthday, the impact of net neutrality, texting while walking, Pinterest adds features, and Breakthrough Life Sciences.