Words from Nerds – Same3Guys

Summary: A recap of the highlights from the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last week. Why nerds make better parents. Minecraft as a educational tool in schools? And the White House with a response that would make George Lucas proud. Hosts: John Kresic, Tom Kresic, Mike Kresic Running Time: 39:27   Mobile App of the Week: App Gratis. One free app offer per day that would normally be a paid app. Kinda like Groupon for apps. Offer is good only for the day. (thanks to Violet for sharing this app suggestion on our Facebook page!)   Nerd News: What was the hot tech on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas? We’ll react to the Best of CES at this year’s show that wrapped up last week. From the silly, but surprisingly useful category, come these nailtips that can be used as a stylus for your favorite tablet/smartphone. And true to the Big Bang Theory belief that everything is better with bluetooth come these Bluetooth stickers that can help you locate just about anything. Sheldon would love this. If you have a Linksys router, and millions do, be aware of a zero-day exploit that affects every existing firmware version for Linksys routers. The manufacturer says it will issue a bug fix soon. If you don’t know how to patch your router, time to dig up that manual or go to Linksys.com to locate your manual online. How cool is it to have Minecraft for homework? Do nerds make for better parents? The White House says it is not the right time for a Death Star. Is this just a Jedi Mind Trick? The International Space Station walk-through done in MTV Cribs-style (video).   This Week in Nerd History: January 13, 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the opera Cavalleria rusticana is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, New York. January 13, 1942 – World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter. January 12, 1957 - PIXAR’s John Lasseter is born January 15, 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles, California. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.  

Summary: What happens when you combine LEGO with an iPhone? As you might imagine, the possibilities are endless! We've got a mobile app that is ultra nerdy, but handy, and will show you everything on your home network. Our Nerd History this week includes the 1st State of the Union. Hosts: Tom Kresic, Mike Kresic and John Kresic Running Time: 34:54   Mobile App of the Week: Fing (Overlook Software) is a free network scanning tool for the super nerd that wants to see who else is on the same network subnet as your iOS device.   Nerd News: Holiday sales were not kind to GameStop. Is this the end for brick and mortar video game delivery? What happens when you mix iPhones with LEGO? Well, really nerdy iPhone cases, that’s what! Microsoft says someone stole their iPads. No Microsoft products were stolen. Ivee brings you home automation that is a nice version of HAL9000. Microsoft wants to make sure that you know it's time to dump Messenger and move to Skype soon. For that beer lover in your life, you need to check out Colors and Beer. Amaze your friends with fun facts and CMYK knowledge about that frosty draught!   This Week in Nerd History: Jan 8, 1790 – George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address in New York, New York. Jan 8, 1835 – The United States national debt is zero for the only time. Jan 12, 1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning. Jan 9, 2007 – Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone.    

Summary: We're focusing on Star Wars this week. We've got a mobile app and history with a Star Wars theme. But the main focus is on a new perspective to the six movies that will make you think differently about characters that you THOUGHT you knew really well. May the Force Be With You! Hosts: Tom Kresic, Mike Kresic and John Kresic Running Time: 36:35   Mobile App of the Week: Angry Birds Star Wars ($0.99 US) keeps with our theme this week. Luke, I am your Father!   Nerd News: Do you remember the first time you heard this? For the adults, the backstory is that Chewie, R2 and Yoda are holding the rebellion together. The correct viewing sequence for a new person is Machete Order. What life is like as an every day stormtrooper. Would you like a 2min recap of everything that has happened in Star Wars up to now? Here’s a Lego version. Even Darth Vader likes VW’s. Star Wars joke page.   This Week in Nerd History: Jan 1, 45 BC – The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time. Jan 6, 1838 - Morse Code demonstrated in New Jersey Jan 4, 1923 - Chic Stone was born. Inked some very cool Star Wars comics like issue 45.    

We'll tell you how you can access all of your tweets, review the top trends on Twitter in 2012 and talk about some of the year's best apps. There's even one that can make your iPhone 5 do magic! Well, it feels like magic. We've got this, plus a way to run Android apps on your Mac and the week in Nerd History on the first post-apocalypse show AND the last one for 2012!   Mobile App of the Week: Fireproof Games delivered the iOS iPad game of the year, The Room. For $1.99 USD, this game is sure to captivate you for hours as you try to solve the complex puzzles that will ultimately unlock the safe.   Nerd News: You can now download an archive of all of your tweets from Twitter. What was trending on Twitter in 2012? The list is out. Lots of iDevices were unwrapped this Christmas. And it looks like a lot of those delighted recipients downloaded Temple Run to play on it. Do you want to run Android apps on your Mac? Well, BlueStacks finally advanced the Mac version to Beta status. Better late than never? Microsoft getting into retail a la Apple. Panorama? How about hands free. Try Cycloramic for $0.99.   This Week in Nerd History: December 27, 537 – The Hagia Sophia is completed December 27, 1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution. December 28, 1912 – The first municipally owned streetcars take to the streets in San Francisco, California    

Holiday sales for mobile apps, plus an easy way to gift them. Google Maps makes a triumphant return to iOS. And Microsoft thinks you are starting to get used to Windows 8. We've got these stories, plus some great nerd history items this week.   Mobile App of the Week: Halfbrick Studios is making all of their iOS games available for free for 24 hours, including Fruit Ninja HD. Get it fast! Nerd News: Google will drop Exchange support in Gmail, Calendar and Contacts on January 30th. Why this is a big deal. Better Google news as Maps returns to iOS. Just in time for the holidays, Apple returns AppStore gifting option to iOS. Oh, and that F# major chord is now patented by Apple. So, you’re liking Windows 8? This Week in Nerd History: December 17, 1903 - The Wright Flyer travels over the sand at Kitty Hawk, NC. December 17, 1969 – Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs. December 16, 2003 – President George W. Bush signs the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 into law. The law establishes the United States' first national standards for the sending of commercial e-mail and requires the Federal Trade Commission to enforce its provisions. December 17, 2003 - private SpaceShipOne goes supersonic December 21, 2012 - the end of the 13th baktun (13.0.0.0.0) of the Mayan calendar.   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                      

What would Seinfeld be like in a Twitter/FaceBook world? How do you get to Mordor from the Shire on Google Maps? And some news about the new Star Trek: Into Darkness Movie. We'll dish on all of the latest nerd news and make our mobile app of the week one for Christmas.   Mobile App of the Week: A Charlie Brown Christmas (iTunes link, $3.99 USD) is an interactive storybook with original dialogue, animation and music optimized for your iOS device. Check out the intricacies of the Mayan calendar with Maya 3D Lite (iTunes link, free)   Nerd News: If you are hoping for iOS versions of Microsoft Office, you may not have to wait much longer. Or maybe you will. What would Seinfeld have been like in a Twitter/Facebook world? Thanks to a new twitter account, you can read for yourself. Get ready for a new design for your Twitter page. Do you need a last minute tech gift for someone on your list? Amazon and Barnes & Noble have dropped prices on their eReaders. In honor of The Hobbit opening in theaters this week, Google Maps will give you walking directions from “The Shire” to “Mordor”. Well, more like advice. And here are a bunch of other Easter Eggs from the fun pranksters at Google this year. Have you seen the new Star Trek: Into Darkness announcement trailer? The villain is being kept a big secret. But one other rumor has been confirmed. Alice Eve will play Carol Marcus. Look here to see the scale of the universe This Week in Nerd History: December 14, 1972 – Apollo program: Eugene Cernan is the last person to walk on the moon, after he and Harrison Schmitt complete the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) of the Apollo 17 mission. To date this is the last manned mission to the moon. December 13, 2000 – Al Gore concedes the U.S. presidential election to George W. Bush.   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                    

How about some chocolate engineered not to melt? Or new bulbs that will soon replace fluorescent bulbs and the humming that accompanied them. And while you're at it, get your 3D prints when you go to Staples. We've got the news on all of these nerdy items as well as the usual complement of mobile apps and nerd history as December rolls in.   Mobile App of the Week: Beamr - upload high res photos to your social media without them getting downgraded. Butterball Cookbook plus - Your goose is cooked!   Nerd News: Voyager 1 finds new space in space. 3D printing, now at Staples 1 line of BASIC to generate mazes The death of fluorescent light bulbs is upon us. Cadbury is feeling the heat. Just not their chocolate Wanna go to the moon? Maybe this week...   This Week in Nerd History: December 6, 1877 – Thomas Edison, using his new phonograph, makes one of the earliest recordings of a human voice, reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb". December 7, 1972 – Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, is launched. The crew takes the photograph known as The Blue Marble as they leave the Earth.   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                  

Microsoft and Google have patches for some annoying problems that may affect your mobile device. A 33 foot LEGO Christmas tree and a zombie game that John loves on his new iPhone! This plus some musical nerd history and lots of other nerd news as we recover from eating too much over the Thanksgiving holiday. Mobile App of the Week: Zombie Gunship by Limbic Software. Shoot zombies from the air in your C-130. Protect the civilians!  $0.99 Nerd News: Say do you remember, the entire month of December? Well, we’re paraphrasing a popular Earth, Wind & Fire song here. But thanks to Android 4.2.1, Google is fixing a problem introduced in Jelly Bean that eliminated the entire last month of the year from the People app. It’s that time of year again, as Microsoft reveals the top things we searched for on Bing in 2012. Twelve ways to nerd up your Christmas tree this year. Got a Windows 8 phone? Microsoft knows what’s causing those random reboots on Windows phones and will have a patch for you in December. Rumors suggest new features galore in the upcoming Xbox 720 due out in 2013. This Week in Nerd History: An odd musical coincidence on November 28th in history as this day marked the debut of two famous classical pieces of music. November 28, 1811 – Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, premieres at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. November 28, 1909 – Sergei Rachmaninoff makes the debut performance of his Piano Concerto No. 3, considered to be one of the most technically challenging piano concertos in the standard classical repertoire. And something completely unrelated, though still musical. November 28, 1943 - music composer Randy Newman is born   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                    

Google and Microsoft have patches for your mobile devices to fix some annoying problems. Some nerdy Christmas trees. And the top search terms for 2012. Hosts: John, Tom and Mike Kresic Running Time: 24:31 Web: wordsfromnerds.com FaceBook: facebook.com/wordsfromnerds Twitter: twitter.com/wordsfromnerds

If you are managing a website, especially Wordpress, we'll share some tips we found that will help you optimize your site for better performance. In cool credit card news - wait, has that phrase EVER been uttered before?? - we'll tell you what Mastercard is doing to help protect your information with some high tech plastic for your wallet! All this, plus a great podcast app for iOS. And a fun way for your favorite musicians to learn their parts.   Mobile App of the Week: Downcast podcast app - Forget Apple’s Podcast app. This is the one you really want. ($1.99 USD in the Apple App Store) Nerd News: Here’s a great tip for you webmasters out there. These steps will help you speed up the performance of your Wordpress web site. Manual download of Android 4.2 may be available for you. Or wait. New MasterCards are smarter, and already in Singapore. Do you want to pickup your Amazon deliveries at a Locker? Calling Commander Data, or maybe CyberDyne: artificial skin is here A USB Stratocaster available that’s Apple-friendly. An ancient Greek d20 at MOMA. This Week in Nerd History: November 15, 1971 – Intel releases world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, the 4004. November 12, 1990 – Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web.   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                    

Tips to speed up your Wordpress site. Cool iOS solutions for your rock band. A better podcasts app is our Mobile App of the Week. And much more in one of our nerdier episodes in awhile. Hosts: John, Tom and Mike Kresic Running Time: 39:37 Web: wordsfromnerds.com FaceBook: facebook.com/wordsfromnerds Twitter: twitter.com/wordsfromnerds

Microsoft is eliminating Messenger in favor of Skype. If you got a new Surface tablet, you may be surprised at how little space you really have. And Amazon raises the Prime rate. No, not that one.   Mobile App of the Week: Microsoft’s iOS App for Xbox has a new name and new features. SmartGlass. Nerd News: Skype is replacing Windows Live Messenger. Yay! Amazon wants to make more money off of you Prime customers. Now the new plan is $7.99/month...competing with Hulu and Netflix. Google’s new US search page results have some streamlined improvements. What are they specifically? A cloud based laptop. Wait, what? Want a 32GB Surface tablet? No problem. Here’s 16GB of storage. If you are outside the US and want to watch Netflix, Pandora, Hulu what do you do? Use Media Hint from Garage 48. This Week in Nerd History: Nov 7, 1874 – A cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly, is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the United States Republican Party. Nov 4, 1962 – In a test of the Nike-Herculesair defense missile, Shot Dominic-Tightrope is successfully detonated 69,000 feet above Johnston Island. It would also be the last atmospheric nuclear test conducted by the United States. (Don’t forget to check out video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9lquok4Pdk)   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                    

Microsoft eliminating Messenger in favor of Skype. Read the fine print on storage on that new Surface tablet. And Amazon Prime prices go up. Hosts: John, Tom and Mike Kresic Running Time: 35:02 Web: wordsfromnerds.com FaceBook: facebook.com/wordsfromnerds Twitter: twitter.com/wordsfromnerds

The Force is with Disney as they make a major purchase. Google wants to help you with Windows 8. And we talk in-depth about the pros and cons of putting all of your data in the cloud. All this, plus a mobile app that's  out of this world and our week in Nerd History. Mobile App of the Week: Solar Walk - Saturn - iTunes store - this is so cool and its free! 125MB so its big but you can explore all of these except IO... Nerd News: Breaking news: George Lucas has sold his LucasFilm empire to the Disney company. Star Wars 7 will be out in theaters in 2015. Here’s how to Get your Google Back if you are using Windows 8. Backing Up Your Data To The Cloud Is it a good idea to store everything in the cloud? How much is too much? Is keeping your SSNs and all of your confidential data in the cloud (Google Drive in this case) wise? Is using 2 factor with a strong password enough? Encrypted her smart phone. Can Google get hacked? Chance that Google goes away? This Week in Nerd History: October 28, 1636 – A vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony establishes the first college in what would become the United States, today known as Harvard University. October 29, 1787 – Mozart's opera Don Giovanni receives its first performance in Prague. October 28, 1886 – In New York Harbor, President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty.   Subscribe to the WFN podcast. It's 100% free and 200% fun!                    

Disney makes a major purchase. Google wants to help you with Windows 8. And we explore the considerations for storing all of your data in the cloud. Hosts: John, Tom and Mike Kresic Running Time: 44:08 Web: wordsfromnerds.com FaceBook: facebook.com/wordsfromnerds Twitter: twitter.com/wordsfromnerds