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The Geekcast

Summary: The Geekcast is a technology podcast that is never longer than 20 minutes. The show has how-to segments, the latest tech news, hacks and all-around geek fun. For users of all skill levels, the Geekcast is a great tech resource.

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 The Geekcast #401 – Ghost Stories | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 33:15

It's Halloween time and we're changing it up this week. Join Aaron and Gozer as they recount their ghost adventures and celebrate this spooky time of the year.

 The Geekcast #400 – New York Comic Con 2014 Coverage (Day 2) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:15

Our second of two episodes covering NYCC 2014. Today we speak to * who were all panelists for the Voltron 30th Anniversary celebration panel. In addition we're delighted to also interview authors Cory Doctorow (In Real Life) and John Scalzi (Lock In).

 The Geekcast #399 – New York Comic Con 2014 Coverage (Day 1) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:02:45

We're back with our annual coverage of NYCC 2014. We have so many interviews that we had to split the podcast into two episodes! Today we speak to Brett Elston from Capcom, Zach Oat from Diamond Select Toys, and Hero Ventures founder Doug Schaer who's partnered with Marvel for their new Marvel Experience.

 The Geekcast #398 – Somebody’s Got A Surprise | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:59

News: Apple: First weekend iPhone 6 sales top 10 million, set new record   Smartphone users snapped up Apple's latest iteration of the iPhone in record numbers, the tech giant announced Monday, saying sales topped 10 million in three days. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales eclipsed the launch figures of the 5S and 5C models, which moved 9 million units in their first three days last year, the Cupertino, California-based company said. Thousands of consumers had camped out at Apple retail stores around the world in advance of the launch, some for weeks. CEO Tim Cook said despite technical glitches in the preorder process, "we couldn't be happier." Apple "could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible." http://www.cnbc.com/id/102020922# Microsoft Buys Minecraft Microsoft announced this week that it's buying hugely popular game franchise Minecraft for $2.5 billion. For that money, Microsoft gets rights to the game and ownership of its Stockholm, Sweden-based development studio, Mojang. It doesn't retain the company's founders or Minecraft's infamously outspoken creator, Markus "Notch" Persson. Does that sound like a lot, $2.5 billion? Well, it is in human dollars, but not so much when you're Microsoft and you've got $85 billion in "cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments." Regardless of the fact that this week's deal only cost Microsoft around 3 percent of that, here's the real kicker (in the form of a statement from Microsoft): "Microsoft expects the acquisition to be break-even in FY15 on a GAAP basis." Woof, that's a doozy of a sentence right there. Here's the translation: Microsoft expects the purchase of Minecraft/Mojang to make it a lot of money. And that is why Microsoft bought Minecraft. http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/19/microsoft-buying-minecraft-explanation/ Rudy Giuliani defends Call of Duty publisher in Manuel Noriega lawsuit Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is joining a video game company’s fight against disgraced Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who is suing Activision over his inclusion in the hit game “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.” Giuliani says he does not want to see the imprisoned Noriega profit from his crimes, which include convictions for murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. Activision Blizzard Inc. announced Monday that Giuliani and his firm will ask a Los Angeles judge to dismiss Noriega’s lawsuit, which claims his likeness was used without permission in the 2012 game, part of its popular “Call of Duty” video game franchise. Noriega sued Activision in July, claiming the company depicted him as a “kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state.” “What’s astonishing is that Manuel Noriega, a notorious dictator who is in prison for the heinous crimes he committed, is upset about being portrayed as a criminal and enemy of the state in the game Call of Duty,” Giuliani wrote in a statement. “Quite simply, it’s absurd.” Activision contends that if Noriega’s lawsuit goes forward, it could impact how historical figures are depicted in video games, as well as television and movies. The company’s games have featured historical figures such as President John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro, the company noted in a news release. The lawsuit contends Noriega’s inclusion in the game increased the profits Activision earned from “Black Ops II.” The game earned more than $1 billion in sales within 15 days after it was released in 2012. In addition to leading New York City’s government for two terms — including during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — Giuliani is a former U.S. attorney and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Activision said in a release announcing Giuliani’s involvement in the case that the company plans to argue the game’s depiction of Noriega is covered by free speech provisions. http://www.pbs.

 The Geekcast #397 – You are my density…uhhh Destiny | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 30:12

News: News is skipped this week ************ Geek This Week:   Aaron: Broke out the Dreamcast! Played Bass Fishing and Crazy Taxi Gozer: Destiny & GB2 Blu Ray ************* Feedback and items of Note: ************** Sponsors:   Check us out on Stitcher! Visit http://www.stitcher.com/geekcast and sign up. Not only can you catch the podcast through the app, but if you use the code ‘geekcast’ within the app and you’ll be entered to win $100! Audible: Try Audible Now and Get 1 Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles. Continue your membership and receive 1 audio book credit a month for only $14.95 per month!  Just visit AudiblePodcast.com/TheGeekcast  

 The Geekcast #396 – Apple Watch Announcement Coverage | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 48:51

News: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus. All specs & pricing: http://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/ Apple Watch - http://www.apple.com/watch/ Apple Pay - http://www.apple.com/apple-pay/ Retirement of the iPod Classic. Apple no longer sells any device with a click wheel. iOS 8 On Wednesday U2 gives away their new album to every iTunes customer ************ Geek This Week:   Aaron: Gozer: *************   Feedback and items of Note: ************** Sponsors:   Check us out on Stitcher! Visit http://www.stitcher.com/geekcast and sign up. Not only can you catch the podcast through the app, but if you use the code ‘geekcast’ within the app and you’ll be entered to win $100! Audible: Try Audible Now and Get 1 Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles. Continue your membership and receive 1 audio book credit a month for only $14.95 per month!  Just visit AudiblePodcast.com/TheGeekcast  

 The Geekcast #395 – Bad Time to be a Gamer | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:13:43

News:   iPhone 6 Rumors http://www.fascinatingthings.net/technology/iphone-6-rumours/   Apple denies iCloud breach in celebrity nude photo hack   Apple says that the mass theft of nude celebrity photos that were released over the weekend did not occur because of a breach in any Apple systems, including iCloud. Apple says, however, that certain celebrities were the subject of targeted hacking attempts that focused on compromising their usernames, passwords, and security questions — a common and well-tread technique across the web. Though Apple's statement doesn't make it entirely clear, it sounds as though iCloud may still have been involved in the thefts in some capacity: that is, Apple's customers may have had their iCloud usernames and passwords stolen, giving another party access to their account. Apple also says that Find my iPhone was not involved in the photo thefts. There had been some speculation that this service was at fault, as someone had recently discovered and published a flaw in it that allowed a malicious party to continually guess passwords without any recourse. Apple appeared to have patched the issue shortly thereafter, and its statement implies that this Find my iPhone flaw was not used here. That said, Apple's statement also does not make it perfectly clear that this flaw was not put to use. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the matter. iCloud was immediately pointed to as a potential source of the stolen photos, particularly by anonymous commenters on 4chan who claimed to have some knowledge of their theft. At the very least, it was a reasonable guess: most of the photos are reported to have been taken on iPhones, and photos are often automatically backed up into Apple's cloud. This may still be part of the reason that these photos were available to be stolen, as iPhone owners may not always realize that their pictures are being backed up. http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/2/6098107/apple-denies-icloud-breach-celebrity-nude-photo-hack Thousands of developers sign plea for tolerance in gaming community Amid weeks of heated rhetoric and misogyny-charged threats and attacks in the gaming world, many members of the gaming industry have publicly signed on to a petition asking for tolerance and acceptance in the larger community. "We believe that everyone, no matter what gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or disability has the right to play games, criticize games and make games without getting harassed or threatened," Spaces of Play's Andreas Zecher wrote in an open letter on Medium. "It is the diversity of our community that allows games to flourish. If you see threats of violence or harm in comments on Steam, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook or reddit, please take a minute to report them on the respective sites," the letter says. "If you see hateful, harassing speech, take a public stand against it and make the gaming community a more enjoyable space to be in." Zecher has asked gaming industry members to write in with their names and organizations to be counted as supporters, and as of this writing over 2,100 have done so. While the signatories so far include a large number of independent developers and students, Zecher's letter has also drawn public support from developers at major studios like BioWare, Crystal Dynamics, Double Fine, Epic Games, DICE, Electronic Arts, Harmonix, Infinity Ward, Insomniac Games, Microsoft, Riot Games, Rockstar North, Sony Computer Entertainment, Telltale, Ubisoft, OculusVR, Zenimax, and more. A few journalists have also signed on, from outlets such as Eurogamer, Destructoid, IGN, and Polygon. This shouldn't be mistaken as official corporate support for this anti-harassment message from these organizations, but the sheer number and range of signatories from within the industry is a loud, public statement against a vitriolic element of the community that has grown louder in recent weeks.

 The Geekcast #394 – Doctor Who World Tour Recap | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:11:00

News: Director Rian Johnson says upcoming 'Star Wars' films will feature more practical effects and less CGI   As if it wasn't clear already, it sounds like the next trilogy of Star Wars films is going to do its best to distance itself from the de...

 The Geekcast #393 – O Captain, My Captain | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:07:34

News:   Award winning actor, stand-up comedian, voice actor, hardcore video gamer, and all around great guy. You might know Robin Williams for his roles in top-rated films like the universally acclaimed Good Will Hunting, the $262 million grossing Jumanji, or the 90′s comedy hit Mrs. Doubtfire. What you might not know is that he identified himself as a “hardcore gamer”. Robin Williams spent decades of his life enjoying video games, casual and hardcore. He got to see first hand how far technology went, from the 80′s dominated by Mario, to today’s photo realistic titles that an 80′s gamer could only dream of. Related: R.I.P. Robin Williams (1951-2014) We’ve decided to look back at one of Robin Williams’ favorite hobbies: video games. These are just some of the games that he enjoyed playing. Call of Duty Which Call of Duty? None in particular. Robin Williams posted several times on his Twitter account over the years that he loved playing Call of Duty. First-person shooters were his favorite genre, after all. Here’s a post he made on his most recent Reddit AMA: No! I haven’t. I’m still waiting for the next Call of Duty. It’s been very unusual for me because I’ve done trips overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan, and I would see guys who had just come back from patrol playing Call of Duty, and I would say “you’re living this stuff! And yet you’re still playing this game…” The game he was referring to was Call of Duty: Ghosts, which came out a month later. His Call of Duty appetite wasn’t for the online, though. He admitted to not being particularly adept at competing against other players, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a good story. Warcraft Williams always loved his PC gaming, and shared that he played Warcraft 3 when it first came out. He particularly enjoyed the WarCraft lore and characters, leading him to complete the single-player campaign. He enjoyed the Warcraft IP enough that he would play World of Warcraft for a while. Some say that he was into raiding, but his online identity was never made public. Portal Robin Williams always had a strong taste for clever games and puzzles, so it’s no surprise thatPortal was one that made a strong impression on him. During his Reddit AMA he shared the following: We believe it’s 2014? We’re jumping now to different decades. The time portal will close soon! Another great game – PORTAL. That one is INSANE> You were right, Williams. Portal was insane. Wizardry This one might come as a shocker. Robin Williams had a particular affinity for pen-and-paper RPGs during the 80s and early 90s, with the Wizardry series being a particular favorite of his, making his Apple 2 purchase worth it. Williams was regarded as one of a few notable celebrities that played Wizardry a lot, the others being Harry Anderson and the Crown Prince of Bahrain. Battlestations: Pacific Battlestations: Pacific was the most recent game Robin Williams spoke about. Although he didn’t say much about it, he played it as recent as 10 months ago. He said the following about the game and even his excitement for the Xbox One during his Reddit AMA: I’m playing a game called Battlestation Pacific. I’m looking forward to the next Xbox. I can’t imagine the graphics being any better. It will be like these characters are living in your house. I’ll have to be doing duck and cover just to get to the bathroom! For the WiiU or the PS4, at this point I haven’t seen them yet but I might have to check into the cyber wing at Betty Ford. Williams always had an attraction to war films, even labeling Saving Private Ryan as one of his personal favorites. It’s only proper to carry that affection to his other hobbies. Half-Life Robin Williams’ favorite genre was first-person shooters. Thank goodness he had a chance to playHalf-Life and bear witness to its awesomeness. He was fascinated with the game, sharing his admiration during several interviews.

 The Geekcast #392 – I’m on a Sliders kick | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:56

News: Ghostbusters 3 With A Female Cast Isn't A Gimmick It's infuriating that in this day and age it needs to be said. But as Paul Feig felt the need to state on Twitter last night: Interesting how making a movie with men in the lead roles is normal but making a movie with women in the lead roles is a "gimmick."#its2014 His comment appears to be in response to outcry from some that Ghostbusters 3 might just be centered around female folk who ain't afraid of no ghosts instead of male ones. Now some people are opposed to Ghostbusters 3 out a sheer distaste for reboots and sequels, especially long-delayed ones that have the original cast avoiding them like the plague. That I totally understand. But others have a specific brand of rage about this latest news, and it's sinister. Cynics are suggesting that having female leads in Ghostbusters 3 is a gimmick. Perhaps this is because Feig, who is the frontrunner for the sequel's director's chair, is best-known for helming such comedy smash hits as The Heat and Bridesmaids, which starred women. Or maybe it's a snarky view at the rise of successful female-fronted films, like those and Lucy, The Hunger Games, Frozen and so on. Regardless, it's ludicrous to claim that fronting a movie with women is a gimmick. First off, this news of female ghostbusters actually predates Feig's potential involvement by years. Back in 2011, Dan Aykroyd, who has at times been Ghostbusters 3's lone cheerleader, spoke about who he'd like to see cast in the film,and said: "We're going to need... three guys and a young woman." The script was reportedly revised following the death of Harold Ramis last February. Perhaps this is when one lone lady ghostbuster became several. But this might not in any way impact the established plot, which still remains a mystery. We need to stop believing that every movie role has a hard-fixed assigned gender from conception. Recently it was rumored that Gwendoline Christie was cast in Star Wars: Episode VII for a role initially conceived for a man, potentially Benedict Cumberbatch. But you know what? Gender could have been in no way a defining element of the character. If you read the sentence, "a hulking bounty hunter entered the tavern, carrying a heavy gun pointed right at our hero!" is your first thought, "Does this bounty hunter have a penis? Or a vagina? I need to know for plot purposes!" I'm going to guess it was not. Sometimes a role is written as a man. But a few minor tweaks can make it a fine female character. And the result can be awesome. The result can be Sigourney Weaver as Ripley in Alien. And as I said of the scripting of Guardians of the Galaxy, it's not about the genitals of the artist involved, it's about the art they can create given the opportunity. Maybe Feig has an ensemble in mind that's more promising in this instance because it allows for women as well. Now let's consider the apparent bankability of female-led movies. When Bridesmaids and even The Heat opened, such movies were considered risky. But both proved to be major hits, and a slew have followed. The Sandra Bullock-led Gravity broke box office records. Frozen, which centered on two princesses, became a Disney juggernaut and the highest worldwide grossing film of 2013. Domestically, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire took the number one spot, beating out Iron Man 3. The Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent is proving a big-winner this year, already having pulled in $717 million, becoming its star's highest grossing release ever. Have we swung so far the other way that some think casting a woman as a lead is equivalent to stunt casting? That it's just a fad? That, to me, is flat-out absurd. And speaks to discomfort in rising onscreen diversity in representation. Some insist it just won't feel right to have women taking on roles that "should" go to men! The implication is that it's bad enough to imagine Jonah Hill stepping into Dan Aykroyd's shoes,

 The Geekcast #391 – The Review Episode | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:03:07

News: Google buys music service Songza to take on Apple and Beats Google announced today that it's acquiring the streaming-music service Songza for an undisclosed sum. Over the coming months it will be integrating the company's smart playlist creatio...

 The Geekcast #390 – Just Watch Firefly, Damnit! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:01:17

News: Uber: Roll out with Optimus Prime http://blog.uber.com/UberTRANSFORMERS   World’s largest video game collection sells for over $750,000   When we first stumbled upon the auction for the Guinness-certified "World's Largest Video Game Collection" a few weeks ago, bidding had only reached $50,000, short of the auction reserve price. When the GameGavel auction came to a close late Sunday night, though, the price was significantly higher: $750,250 to be exact. According to the GameGavel price history, the bulk of the bidding action took place last Wednesday, as users "catch123" and "peeps_10091970" rapidly outbid one another from a starting point of $150,000. The final bid has yet to be publicly verified, though, so it's still possible this could be another hoax bidding situation similar to the one surrounding a $100,000 Nintendo World Championship cartridge auction earlier this year. If the sale goes through at this price, though, it will be among the largest single sales of video game items in history. It won't be the largest, though; a 7,000-game set, including "complete" game collections for 22 popular systems, reportedly sold for more than $1.2 million last year. Seller Michael Thomasson has said in interviews that he set a "regimented budget" averaging about $3,000 a year for the past 20 years to build up his collection of more than 11,000 games and 100 consoles. That's a pretty good return on investment for a part-time hobby and should hopefully go a long way toward helping Thomasson with the unspecified "family obligations" that led to the sale in the first place. http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/06/worlds-largest-video-game-collection-sells-for-over-750000/   Amazon's big bet: How a smartphone intensifies war with Apple, Google The online retailer treads into new territory that will test its strategy of selling products at cost.   When the Seattle e-commerce giant introduces its smartphone -- which is widely expected to happen at a company-hosted event on Wednesday -- it will be only Amazon's fourth device in the last seven years. But where its first three products have skirted the edges of mainstream consumer electronic devices -- an e-reader, a budget-priced tablet, and a streaming Internet TV box -- Amazon is now jumping straight into the heart of an industry with the most personal and critical of tech gadgets. In doing so, Bezos is escalating Amazon's fight against Apple and Google for control of the hearts and minds of consumers by combining a branded smartphone with a set of services available through its Prime premium membership. Amazon's anticipated foray into the smartphone world comes as its fellow tech titans have steadily expanded their own reach beyond devices such as PCs and smartphones, with Apple and Google -- as well as Microsoft and Samsung -- introducing an array of services. Their common goal: to power everything from thermostats to medical equipment to automobiles. "The great ecosystem war has begun," said Ben Schacter, an analyst with Macquarie Research. "This is going to be a long, hard war with many battles." For Amazon, it comes back to the smartphone, the one device many people won't leave home without, and its potential to be the remote control for all the other devices in our lives. The company likely sees it as the ultimate hook for its $99-a-year Prime service, which offers members two-day shipping, e-books, movie, and as of last week, a streaming music service. Bezos' bet is that Prime is more effective in keeping customers coming back to Amazon than any single device.   http://www.cnet.com/news/amazons-big-bet-how-a-smartphone-intensifies-the-war-with-apple-google/   Nest Protect smoke detector returns from recall with a lower price   Nest Labs’ Protect smoke detector is returning to store shelves two months after the company halted sales due to safety concerns. New Nest Protect devices will now be sold for $99,

 The Geekcast #389 – E3 2014 Recap | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 52:30

News: E3 Microsoft: Games!! COD: Advanced Warfare, Forza Horizon 2, Evolve, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sunset Overdrive, DR3 DLC: Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha, Project Spark w/ Conquer the Squirell , Fable Legends ,Ori and the Blind Forest, Master Chief collection & Halo 5 Beta in December, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Witcher 3: WIld Hunt, Phantom Dust & Scalebound Crackdown Sony Grim Fandango, Far Cry 4, Little Big Planet 3, Destiny Beta, Rainbow 6: Siege, The Order:1886, Entwined, Let it Die, Dead Island 2, The Last of Us ( remastered ) , Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, GTA V, Batman Arkham Knight, Uncharted 4: A Thieves End   Sony TV $100 micro console Nintendo http://www.tomsguide.com/us/nintendo-e3-roundup,news-18940.html ************   Geek This Week:   Aaron: Watching Chuck. Doctor Who World Tour. Apple stock.   Gozer:Mario Kart ( Luigi death stare ) & Wolfenstein. New Alpine Bluetooth head unit   *************   Feedback and items of Note:   I know I haven't written in a while, I've been listening though. Been super busy with too many projects. I wanted to comment on the Home Automation stuff you guys were discussing. I think that you getting deeper into smart things is really exciting. Welcome! My system is actually totally hand coded. Not some overpriced ridiculous of the shelf software. I paid to be officially licensed as an insteon developer ($200 -- pretty reasonable actually), which gives me access to some of the more tricky insteon APIs. So basically my system is insteon for light switches and motion sensors, and my own raspberry pi powered circuits I've made which control doors, windows, curtains etc. My most recent endeavor has been to make the temperature in the nursery match what it is in the main 2nd floor thermostat -- not a simple task. I tried Z-Wave control vents, total fail, had to return them. I was going to add z-wave to my server, got it all working, but the vent firmware was garbage. Alternative is insteon power outlets in the attic with motorized dampers. I got the code for the wireless insteon thermostat working, so when it reports that the nursery has reached the main target temperature, the motorized damper will close -- and the nursery won't turn into a freezer. Hope to have that finished this week before the central air really needs to get going. Other tasks have been doing whole home ventilation (look into it -- it's fairly inexpensive -- a couple of hundred bucks in parts and some knowhow) and the air quality in the home is tons better. But now I gotta tie all that into my Home Automation system, I want logs when the outdoor air is being let in, when the humidifier turns on. So more custom raspberry pi circuits -- love  those things. Sorry for the long e-mail -- but home automation is sorta my thing, so when you get me started -- ask my wife.   -Yakov   PS. House talking about various events gets old quickly. I implemented that a few years ago. Had to turn it off when the baby came. Hey guys, I was looking through  flipboard and found this article. It is about the first computer to pass the Turing test. Just incredible what computers are able to do. This is the first true show of artificial intelligence. Not to mention on the 60th anniversary of Turing's death . As always, love the show,   Dawson   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10884839/Computer-passes-Turing-Test-for-the-first-time-after-convincing-users-it-is-human.html ************** Sponsors:   Check us out on Stitcher! Visit http://www.stitcher.com/geekcast and sign up. Not only can you catch the podcast through the app, but if you use the code ‘geekcast’ within the app and you’ll be entered to win $100! Audible: Try Audible Now and Get 1 Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles.

 The Geekcast #388 – WWDC 2014 Recap | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:01:29

News: iOS 8 -DND on group messages -Time-lapse photos -Better photo editing with auto-straighten, more-powerful editing tools -Cloud Drive -Continuity -Family Sharing https://www.apple.com/ios/ios8/ OS X Yosemite -Flat redesign -Call relaying -Handoff -Cloud Drive -Spotlight overhaul -Widgets moved to Notification Center -Instant hotspot https://www.apple.com/osx/preview/ New APIs HomeKit, HealthKit, TouchID, Extensibility, Third-party keyboards, Swift https://www.apple.com/ios/ios8/developer/   ************   Geek This Week:     Aaron: Beats Music, Reading Rainbow Kickstarter, Mod-T 3D Printer.   Gozer: X-Men: Days of Future Past, Watchdogs & Mario Kart 8. Game of Thrones... DDDAAAAMMMMNNN! Jon Snow Dies.   *************   Feedback and items of Note:   Aaron & Gozer (sp)   Alright I started listening to you alls podcast around the time Aaron did his first Podcast on the Nest.  Which I thought was so interesting I went out and bought one, and It is as good as you said!!   But thats not why I am sending this email.  I found myself at Micro center ready to buy a new laptop.  My Acer laptops plastic body had mostly fallen apart, But i can’t really complain it did last me almost 5 years!   I looked at various models and was mostly disaponited with the quality of my choices.  It was about that time I looked over and saw the Apple logo and decided to take a look at the choices available.   The Salesman was telling me about how the new Macbook Air had just arrived at the store and that they were selling them at a great price!  I played with the unit a bit and than asked if they had any of the older units that the new one replaced?  He told me they had 4 of the older model left after bargaining with his manager for a few minutes I left with last years Macbook 11 inch Model for $699. new in the box.   What is shocking to me is , If you had asked me I would have sworn I never would own a Mac.   I blame you guys for my fall from grace!!!!!,   Keep up the good work   David in Atlanta   ************** Sponsors:   Check us out on Stitcher! Visit http://www.stitcher.com/geekcast and sign up. Not only can you catch the podcast through the app, but if you use the code ‘geekcast’ within the app and you’ll be entered to win $100! Audible: Try Audible Now and Get 1 Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles. Continue your membership and receive 1 audio book credit a month for only $14.95 per month!  Just visit AudiblePodcast.com/TheGeekcast  

 The Geekcast #387 – Day One Game, More Like Day No | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:19

News: Xmen: Days of Future Past  91% critics 95% audience http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=xmen.htm   LG's G3 sets the new benchmark for overpowered smartphones   If it were a laptop, its Quad HD resolution would be impressive. If it were a camera, its laser autofocus would be an advantage. But the LG G3 is a smartphone, and as such, it's the most advanced one we've seen yet. If you are the sort of person who values top-end specs above all else, LG is ready for you. Like the G2 before it, the G3's front is almost all screen. Thanks to thin bezels on all sides, almost 77 percent of the device's footprint is occupied by its 5.5-inch IPS display. With a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and such an aggressively minimal design, the G3 fits a lot of pixels into not a lot of space. LG's new handset is as tall as HTC's 5-inch One and Sony's 5.2-inch Xperia Z2, while being lighter than both. The sense of extreme efficiency is pervasive with this phone. The G3 also matches its direct competitors with a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, up to 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and room for a microSD card, but LG isn't interested in promoting its technical capabilities. "The smartest innovation in a fast-evolving smartphone market is creating harmony between advanced technology and a simplified user experience," says LG Mobile CEO Jong-Seok Park. LG has redesigned its Android UI along these lines and added a new Smart Notice service that works much like Google Now. It'll remind you to call someone back, nag you to uninstall unused apps, and make timely recommendations like "you may want to take an umbrella today since it will rain this evening." It's these natural language capabilities that LG believes will set Smart Notice apart from other personal assistant software. The G3's camera pursues the same motto of using complex technology to provide simple utility. It has a 13-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization, and a new laser autofocus system (a first among smartphones). LG feels so confident in the speed and reliability of these components that it's changed the default capture mode of the camera — now when you tap the screen, the G3 focuses and shoots at the same time. The front-facing camera has also been upgraded with a wider aperture and new gesture-detection that will snap a selfie when you clench a fist in front of it. Though designed to simulate the look of brushed metal, the LG G3's construction remains plastic. Lightweight, well-rounded, and comfortable in the hand, but not as delightful as the all-aluminum HTC One. LG calls the new surface a metallic skin, combining polycarbonate with a thin layer of scratch-resistant material. It's an upgrade from the G2, but an even more significant one is that the battery is now removable. Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, and Burgundy Red varieties of the LG G3 will be available globally via more than 170 carriers. The home market of South Korea gets LG's new flagship phone right away, launching on May 28th, with the rest of the world to follow from June. http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/27/5753730/lg-g3-official-specs-features-and-release-date   Watch Dogs suffering from login issues and more on launch day Ubisoft's new open-world game, Watch Dogs, is now available, but unfortunately a number of players are experiencing issues, including a login problem that Ubisoft is aware of. "We are experiencing issues with the authentication services," a tweet sent out by the official Watch Dogs account (and spotted by Game Informer) reads. "Players may experience long delays when trying to login in-game." While that gets in the way of online play and use of the mobile app, gamers have also been complainingabout being unable to connect to Uplay, which the PC version of the game uses, preventing them from being able to play. In response, Ubisoft has issued a statement on its forums that reads, "Dear fans,

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