Michael and Michael start this episode off with a discussion on how to speed up getting to the good parts of your favorite podcasts by using a tivo-esque feature to skip the introductory or closing credits, and an internet archive of 36,000 Flash games for your perusal and enjoyment.
Switching once more to the automotive world, the co-hosts discuss an intriguing hack to create fake traffic jams on Google Maps is done by walking around with 99 phones in tow, simulating the owners moving very slowly on a road.
The most intriguing topic for this episode centers on the case of a person who according to the original article in Jalopnik, purchased a used Tesla from a dealer with the Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self Driving Capability options that were removed from the vehicle by Tesla in an over the air update slightly afterwards. The co-hosts discuss how software changes the game significantly across a variety of industries, and that licensing is sometimes bound to the user, sometimes to the physical product, and in all cases will require new thinking and clarity for consumers to make their purchasing (licensing) decisions. This reminded the team about the case a few years ago when a digital download of George Orwell’s 1984 just disappeared from consumer readers.
Incidentally, according to the wikipedia article, 1984 will go into public domain 1 Jan 2021. Have an interesting story on digital rights management or over the air updates? Drop us a line, and we’ll see about fitting it into an upcoming episode!
Selected Links
Engadget article: Overcast can skip podcast intros and outros — https://www.engadget.com/2020/02/02/overcast-can-skip-podcast-intros/
Overcast — https://overcast.fm
Downcast — https://downcast.fm
Slashgear article: Flashpoint is saving 36,000 Flash games from going into the night — https://www.slashgear.com/flashpoint-is-saving-36000-flash-games-from-going-into-the-night-02608294/
Mashable article: Man says he caused fake traffic jams on Google Maps with 99 phones — https://mashable.com/article/google-maps-99-phones/
99 Luftballons
the Verge article: Tesla remotely disables Autopilot on used Model S after it was sold — https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21127243/tesla-model-s-autopilot-disabled-remotely-used-car-update
Jalopnik article: Tesla Remotely Removes Autopilot Features From Customer’s Used Tesla Without Any Notice — https://jalopnik.com/tesla-remotely-removes-autopilot-features-from-customer-1841472617?rev=1580941196331
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four book wikipedia article — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
Gizmodo article: Amazon Secretly Removes “1984” From the Kindle — https://io9.gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703
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Great show guys! Sorry I missed the recording.