Episode 267 — Breathe

Michael and Michael welcome back Andy Piper to make this week’s episode an intercontinental extravaganza of insight.  Everyone had so much fun, we plan do do it again next week.

Tagging onto the ventilator stories from last week, the team begins with an MIT project plan to build emergency ventilators from readily available parts, such as an Ambu bag for $100. 

Friend of the podcast Ian Hughes shared a new report on the use of AR and VR, which is of course ultra timely as so many people have been thrust into working remotely.  Simulating the serendipitous connections people make with one another at conferences provides a tremendous opportunity to leverage VR capabilities.  Video conferencing has taken off, of course, and with the rapid growth, there have been some growing pains — with security and griefing issues noted in the referenced articles.  Zoom and other video conferencing platforms are useful to bring people together, to play games and to connect.  

Some enterprising pubs have gotten creative in the social and physical distancing world we live in.  London’s Signature Brew has crafted a “Pub in a Box” to deliver the pub experience to your home, replete with crisps, a curated Spotify playlist and even a pub quiz.  In Chapel Hill, Pittsboro and Durham, local brewers Carolina Brewery and Fullsteam are two that are also finding ways to bring their wares to their clients.  Michael M spent an hour Saturday night on a virtual wine tasting over Facebook.

Moving from crisps to Krisp, the team discusses the benefits of audio noise cancellation technology to make all those virtual conferences better (or at least a little less distracting), and then touches on several interesting pieces — Apple’s acquisition of the weather app Dark Sky, ideas for Apple Watch activities, a man who ran a virtual marathon on his balcony, and with these three, it wouldn’t be a full show without at least one LEGO mention.

Hope that you enjoy listening to the episode as much as we did making it.  Be safe and be well!

Selected Links

SciTechDaily article: MIT Will Post Free Plans Online for an Emergency Ventilator That Can Be Built for $100 — https://scitechdaily.com/mit-posts-free-plans-online-for-an-emergency-ventilator-that-can-be-built-for-100/ 

Six Colors article:  Zoom’s misleading encryption claims are just the latest problem for the popular service — https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/03/zooms-misleading-encryption-claims-are-just-the-latest-problem-for-the-popular-service/ 

NPR article:  A Must For Millions, Zoom Has A Dark Side — And An FBI Warning — https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826129520/a-must-for-millions-zoom-has-a-dark-side-and-an-fbi-warning 

Signature Brew, Pub In A Box — https://www.signaturebrew.co.uk/products/pub-in-a-box-24x-cans-2x-glasses-nuts-pretzel-pieces-music-quiz-playlists 

Carolina Brewery — https://www.carolinabrewery.com 

Fullstem Brewery — https://www.fullsteam.ag/event/curbside-beer-food/2020-04-03 

Krisp — https://krisp.ai/blog/ 

Distractify article: Zoom Calls Getting Boring?  Introduce Your Friends and Coworkers to These Games — https://www.distractify.com/p/games-to-play-on-zoom 

TechCrunch article: Consumers spent record $23.4 billion on apps in Q1 2020, thanks to being stuck indoors — https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/02/consumers-spent-record-23-4-billion-on-apps-in-q1-2020-thanks-to-being-stuck-indoors/ 

TechCrunch article:  Niantic is updating Pokemon GO and other titles to support indoor gaming — https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/30/niantic-is-updating-pokemon-go-and-other-titles-to-support-indoor-gaming/ 

MacRumors article: Apple Acquires Weather App Dark Sky — https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/31/apple-acquires-weather-app-dark-sky/ 

CNBC article: This man ran a marathon on his 23-foot balcony during COVID-19 lockdown — here are the mental tricks he used to finish — https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/01/elisha-nochomovitz-ran-marathon-on-his-balcony-amid-covid-19-pandemic.html 

IT Crowd — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0487831/ 

SlashFilm article: Cool Stuff: New ‘Fast and Furious’ LEGO Technic Set Builds Dom’s Doge Charger a Quarter-Brick at a Time — https://www.slashfilm.com/fast-and-furious-lego-set-doms-dodge-charger/ 

Episode 266 — An Apple a Day

Photo by Michael Martine, 2014

Starting off this week’s episode, Michael and Michael reflect on the innovation and ingenuity people are bringing to the global COVID-19 response.  Examples of repurposing snorkeling masks to be used as ventilators and corporations retooling their manufacturing lines to take existing parts from their supply chain and designing ways to help is reminiscent of the Apollo 11 story.  Even small design changes, such as telecommunications providers replacing the standard message with “Stay Home” when a client connects to the cellular network, and social location sharing apps like Swarm reinforcing the social and physical distancing message is precisely what the world needs right now in the all hands on deck effort to bend the curve and decrease the number of people becoming infected.

There are a number of other news stories that caught the co-hosts’ eye this week, many of them regarding a certain corporation from Cupertino, California.  Michael R spells out why the new iPad Pro’s LiDAR sensors are a really big deal.  The pair discuss the organic nature of the animations for the cursor in iPad OS and how to use a mouse or trackpad with the newest iteration of the operating system.  Have you started using a mouse with your iPad?  We’d love to know what you think.  Speaking of operating systems, OS/2 makes a reprise on today’s show, with the updates and capabilities from Arca Noae.  

Wrapping things up on a lighter note, Michael and Michael marvel at the Microlino, a Swiss bubble car with super cute Italian stylings and invite you to listen to some of the Gilbert & Sullivan most memorable songs performed by the Durham Savoyards over the years.  

We are very grateful for the efforts of all the first responders, health care practitioners and all the people around the world working to keep their fellow human beings safe and well.  

Selected Links

3D Printing Media Network article: Isinnova shares 3D printed adapter to turn snorkeling mask into a non-invasive ventilator — https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/isinnova-shares-3d-printed-adapter-to-turn-snorkeling-mask-into-a-non-invasive-ventilator/ 

MacRumors article: Mobile Networks in Multiple Countries Display ‘Stay Home’ Message When Users Connect to Cellular Instead of WiFi — https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/24/stay-home-wifi-off-messaging-iphone/ 

Swarm — https://www.swarmapp.com 

Swarm stay home message

MacRumors article: Apple Releases ARKit 3.5 for Developers With Support for iPad Pro’s LiDAR Scanner — https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/24/apple-releases-arkit-3-5-lidar-scanner-support/ 

Six Colors article: In praise of the iPadOS 13.4 cursor — https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/03/in-praise-of-the-ipados-134-cursor/ 

Macworld article: How to use a mouse with your iPad or iPhone — https://www.macworld.com/article/3405887/how-to-use-a-mouse-with-your-ipad-or-iphone.html 

9to5 Mac article: Apple officially rolls out universal purchase support for Mac an iOS apps — https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/23/apple-officially-rolls-out-universal-purchase-support-for-mac-and-ios-apps/ 

TechCrunch article: Second Life-maker calls it quits on their VR follow up — https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/24/second-life-maker-calls-it-quits-on-their-vr-follow-up-sansar/  

Sansar — https://www.sansar.com 

Arca Noae — https://www.arcanoae.com 

Business Insider article: This adorable tiny Swiss electric ‘bubble car’ fits two people and can charge with a regular power outlet — see inside the $13,000 vehicle — https://www.businessinsider.com/microlino-tiny-electric-vehicle-2020-3 

Microlino — https://microlino-car.com/en/microlino 

Episode 265 — Out of Office

Photo by kate.sade on Unsplash

While neither of the cohosts were hoping to have this week’s episode focus on COVID-19, that is what is in the news 24×7, and there are many technology angles to cover.  

With people working from their homes and practicing social distancing all over the world, there is refuge to be found in virtual spaces — for work, for safe gathering and to get at least a temporary escape via games or movies.  

Selected Links

Feeding Edge blog : WFH – The past 20+ years – Metaverse anyone? — http://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2020/03/12/wfh-the-past-20-years-metaverse-anyone/ 

The Verge article: Volunteers produce 3D-printed valves for life-saving coronavirus treatments — https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184308/coronavirus-italy-medical-3d-print-valves-treatments 

European Data Protection Board statement on processing of personal data in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak — https://edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2020/statement-edpb-chair-processing-personal-data-context-covid-19-outbreak_en 

cnet article: Coronavirus and Tinder: How nervous online daters are coping amid COVID-19 — https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-and-tinder-how-nervous-online-daters-are-coping-amid-covid-19/ 

Destruction article: The NBA suspending its season is causing NBA 2K20 to crash — https://www.destructoid.com/the-nba-suspending-its-season-is-causing-nba-2k20-to-crash-583220.phtml

NBA 2K20 — https://nba.2k.com/en-US/ 

cnet article: Coronavirus has a lot of people playing Fortnite and watching Twitch — https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-has-a-lot-of-people-playing-fortnite-and-watching-twitch/ 

Go Nintendo article: Japanese Elementary School Students Host a Virtual Graduation in Minecraft While Schools Are Closed Due to Coronavirus — https://gonintendo.com/stories/357046-japanese-elementary-school-students-host-a-virtual-graduation-in 

Ars Technica article: AT&T waives data cap during coronavirus; Comcast keeps charing overage fees — https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/03/at-comcast-keeps-charging-overage-fees/ 

Apple press release: Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2020 kicks off in June with an all-new online format — https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/03/apples-wwdc-2020-kicks-off-in-june-with-an-all-new-online-format/ 

Apple’s new iPad Pro — https://www.apple.com/ipad-pro/ 

Next Reality article: Magic Leap Looking into Sale of the Company, Report Says — https://magic-leap.reality.news/news/magic-leap-looking-into-sale-company-report-says-0275496/ 

iMore article:  Stop coronavirus in its tracks by using this Apple Watch app to time hand washing — https://www.imore.com/stop-coronavirus-its-tracks-using-apple-watch-app-time-hand-washes 

Road Show by cnet article: Make your Tesla Model 3 sound like a supercar with this incredible tech — https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-model-3-sound-supercar-milltek-app/ 

Milltek Sport Tesla 3 kit — https://www.millteksport.com/products/tesla/model-3/rwd-dual-motor-awd-inc-performance.html 

Gamerant article: The 10 Best Open-World Games Of The Past Decade (According to Metacritic) — https://gamerant.com/open-world-video-games-best-past-decade-metacritic/

Episode 264 — Cancellations

empty chairs
Photo by Jonas Kakaroto from Pexels

Seems wherever you turn for news these days, the stories about COVID-19 abound.  This week’s episode has several stories on the impacts and implications of the virus, whether on pollution, event cancellations, collaboration tools for remote engagement and mapping of the evolution of the virus genome.

Michael and Michael take some time to reminisce about SETI@home, starting with the screensaver from way back when.  SETI@home will stop distributing work and “go into hibernation” on March 31st.

Rounding out the episode includes stories on indoor solar power for IoT devices, DuckDuckGo’s identification of trackers to block, a year long smartphone sabbatical as well as the revival of The Kids in The Hall.

Selected Links

Macworld article: What happens if (and when) Apple cancels WWDC 2020 — https://www.macworld.com/article/3530298/what-happens-if-and-when-apple-cancels-wwdc-2020.html 

Random Thoughts blog post: WWDC Day 1 – Awesome Woes — http://michaelrowe01.com/index.php/2019/06/03/wwdc-day-1-awesome-woes/ 

Random Thoughts blog post: WWDC Day Two (early morning) — http://michaelrowe01.com/index.php/2019/06/04/wwdc-day-two-early-morning/ 

The Verge article: Google and Microsoft are giving away enterprise conferencing tools due to coronavirus — https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/3/21163744/google-microsoft-free-access-coronavirus-google-hangouts-meet-teams 

MIT article: Gene sleuths are tracking the coronavirus outbreak as it happens — https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615317/gene-sleuths-are-tracking-the-coronavirus-outbreak-as-it-happens/ 

Nextstrain — https://nextstrain.org 

Wired article: SETI@home Is Over.  But the Search for Alien Life Continues — https://www.wired.com/story/setihome-is-over-but-the-search-for-alien-life-continues/ 

Ars Technica article: The grandfather of distributed computing projects, SETI@home shuts down — https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/the-grandfather-of-distributed-computing-projects-setihome-shuts-down/ 

SETI@home — https://setiathome.berkeley.edu 

BOINC — https://boinc.berkeley.edu 

World Community Grid — https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/discover.action 

Science Daily article: New type of indoor solar cells for smart connected devices — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200304141441.htm 

TechCrunch article: DuckDuckGo now crawls the web regularly to create a free list of trackers to block — https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/05/duckduckgo-now-crawls-the-web-regularly-to-create-a-free-list-of-trackers-to-block/ 

Inside Edition article:  She Ditched Her Smartphone for $100,000.  But Taking a Year-Long Technology Break Gave Her So Much More — https://www.insideedition.com/she-ditched-her-smartphone-for-100000-but-taking-a-year-long-technology-break-gave-her-so-much-more 

Slashfilm article: ‘The Kids in the Hall’ Revival Headed to Amazon — https://www.slashfilm.com/kids-in-the-hall-revival/