Summary: This week's podcast brings you a host of topics that we all can definitely talk on for about 2 hours, but we do it in a brief 35 minutes. To begin, let's talk about some Tech TidBits - cockpit automation implications, a brief review of the iPad Air, Applebee's 100,000 tablet movement, and Black Friday shopping. In our main topic, holiday shopping is in full swing and that means holiday scamming is as well. We present some helpful hints and tips on protecting yourself this holiday season. Enjoy the podcast and continue to ride...the waves of tech. Pilots Advancements in technology reaches every corner and function of nearly every industry. In the airline industry, pilots are trying to adjust to a growing trend of automation in the cockpit, where their skills are being substituted for control systems. With a majority of the plane's functions controlled through automated systems, pilots may be getting just as comfortable in their chair as passengers are in theirs. The use of automation is having some significant impacts in passenger safety, pilot and co-pilot adjustments, and training regulations. iPad Review (Feel free to add details about your review) Target offered a deal just before the holidays where a customer could trade in their first generation iPad in exchange for a $200 electronics gift card. We had a first-gen iPad and decided to take advantage of the deal. Aside from some issues dealing with electronic-based employees in the store, the resulting experience with our new iPad Air has been spectacular. Applebee's Applebee's is changing the look and vibe of their restaurants nationwide, and not through remodeling, or rebranding. They have decided to roll out nearly 100,000 tableside tablets to their nearly 1,900 locations. In a pilot project in 30 locations, the popular hometown eatery found that profits increased, wait times decreased, tips to servers improved, and rewards programs sign-ups jumped. With a complete rollout by 2014, look for a tableside tablet in a location near you very soon. Black Friday We here at NetCast Studio truly hope that you enjoyed the holiday with friends and family. So now, holiday shopping is in full swing. If you had similar experiences as we did, you no doubt received a tremendous amount of emails, tweets, and advertisements come your way. If you had any crazy Black Friday experiences, please get in touch with us and tell us your story! Holiday Scams Holiday shopping is both exciting and stressful at the same time. The pleasure of buying for friends and family puts a smile on our faces. But when holiday shopping scams take over, the pleasure can quickly become a point of stress and anxiety. We provide a series of simple tips for avoiding holiday scams. Utilizing just one, and we hope you use more, may keep the holiday shopping experience a pleasurable one rather than one spent dealing with retailers and banks battling over lost funds and fraudulent charges. If you have further tips, let us know and we would love to share them with the rest of the audience.
