Wrecked By Tech

While Riley is away, Marc and Dan go over the new recreational drone regulations in Canada, including weight, height restrictions, and proximity to people/buildings/animals; Uber's self-driving cars aren't as autonomous as we assumed, they said goodbye to their president, and they might be coming to Manitoba; Super Mario Run is coming to Android on March 23; Google Home isn't as good as we'd hoped it would be. Speed round: -Netflix is changing the star rating to a thumbs-up/down; -Netflix is launching a button for skipping opening credits; -Spotify may restrict major album releases to paying customers only; -A guy built a home automation system based on the Ocarina from Zelda. Recommendations Marc— TypeShift (http://playtypeshift.com/) Dan— NOT Egg, Inc

Marc got a new microphone (check it out here (http://www.neatmic.com/bee/Bumblebee-Microphone)) and we're officially back on Google Play Music and Stitcher! On to the real stuff: we talk about video game developing in Canada; Facebook Messenger Day, and some alternatives to Messenger if you decide to jump ship; Pandora Premium and streaming radio in general; Plex; renewable energy. Speed round: -Google killed Captcha -Captcha might be an acronym -Intel is buying an automated driving company -LinkedIn can't get unblocked in Russia -The "tech news" section of Canadian Business is updated once a month -#Trypod -Apple's list of HomeKit devices on its website is now sorted by category Recommendations: Dan — Handbrake (https://handbrake.fr/) Riley — Inside a camera at 10,000 fps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjeCchGRQo) Marc — Internet Comment Etiquette (https://www.youtube.com/user/commentiquette)

In this week's episode: the Nintendo Switch is having some issues—but still succeeding; WikiLeaks released a massive bombshell about the CIA's surveillance abilities (and we argue about it, of course); Uber adds yet another item to their list of 2017 PR disasters (and as of now we officially don't support them). Speed round: -Uber is coming to BC; -Scotiabank has an iMessage extension for Interac e-transfers; -RBC will let you do an e-transfer with Siri; -Snap Inc's company was valued at ~$30 billion after its IPO — and stock has dropped 22% already; -Tinder has a secret invite-only layer for the rich and beautiful. Recommendations Dan — Egg, Inc. by Auxbrain Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.auxbrain.egginc&hl=en_GB) | iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/egg-inc/id993492744?mt=8) Riley — The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/74440/thin-man#9780679722632) Marc — Island Delta Marc's review (http://www.androidcentral.com/island-delta-review-grab-your-g

Marc is away sick this week, but while he's gone we talk about: Uber's many struggles (in addition to the accusations of systemic misogyny and discrimination, they're also getting sued); some exciting news from Mobile World Congress, including a new Nokia 3310 and a Sony Xperia with an insane camera; Amazon is selling games on Twitch (and giving streamers a cut of the sales); Google Assistant is coming to Nougat and Marshmallow; MasterCard is bringing Qkr to Canada. Speed round: - third-party screen replacements won't void your iPhone warranty anymore; - Samsung now includes a controller with the Gear VR; - Text adventures are back from the dead (thanks to voice assistants); - Mozilla bought Pocket. Recommendations Riley — Xbox app for iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/xbox/id736179781?mt=8) | for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.xboxone.smartglass&hl=en) Dan — The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (http://amzn.to/2m5a8L9)

On this week's episode: sexism and harassment at Uber, and the renewed #DeleteUber movement as a result; the Caavo streaming box might actually fix television — if it ever comes to Canada; Samsung's chief got arrested, which is another spot on their already speckled record; Facebook is taking yet another swing at Snapchat. Speed round: -the trailer for Alto's Odyssey is out -you can buy Snap Spectacles online now (US only) -there's an honest-to-god rideable hoverbike -BlackBerry is suing Nokia for patent royalties -Dubai wants to launch autonomous flying taxi drones by July Recommendations Dan — Yesterday Was Only — John Carey (http://yesterdaywasonly.net/) Marc — Out There: Omega Edition (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miclos.google.games.outthere&hl=en) - (AppStore (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/out-there-o-edition/id799471892?mt=8)) Riley — Arrival (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/)

Dan's back! On this week's episode: IBM's Watson got a job — with the University of New Brunswick; PayPal and their censorship of a small Manitoba newspaper; driverless cars in the US and Canada; coding as the next blue collar job. Speed round: -Google Maps Lists -Frenchman sues Uber -Google paid Waymo engineers too much -Sony develops insane smartphone camera sensor -Google's new AI is terrifying Recommendations Dan — Generals.io (http://generals.io/) and even more interesting Generals Bot Server (http://dev.generals.io/) Riley — Camel Up, or Camel Cup, depending who you ask (https://www.amazon.ca/Pegasus-Spiele-PEG54541G-Camel-Up/dp/B00ICF0OZQ) Marc — Edifier R1700BT speakers (http://www.edifier.com/ca/en/speakers/r1700bt-bluetooth-bookshelf)

Dan's in Mexico, but while he's gone we talk about: the Super Bowl light show behind Lady Gaga (and the tech behind it); Alexa's new integration with Plex; Marc's Canadian Tire smart bulb; an Ottawa hospital's foray into 3D printing and all the medical perks it brings; Canadian banks taking a page out of Silicon Valley's book; laser engraving cheese (it'll make sense when you listen, we promise). Recommendations Marc — Only One Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rebelbinary.onlyone&hl=en) | App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/only-one/id681646403?mt=8) Riley — Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel (http://www.amadorwhiskeycompany.com/bourbons.html#double-barrel)

On this week's (admittedly rather bleak) show: HMV Canada is closing all stores; Facebook is bringing fake news filters to Canada; Trump is making the tech world angry; Fitbit is laying off 6% of its workforce; Twitter is combating harassment (finally). Recommendations Dan —Fuck Yeah Movie Posters (http://fuckyeahmovieposters.tumblr.com/) Marc — Tomb of the Mask (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.happymagenta.fromcore) Riley — Feature article: Speak, Memory (http://www.theverge.com/a/luka-artificial-intelligence-memorial-roman-mazurenko-bot)

This week we start with a PSA: iOS 10.2 had some serious security vulnerabilities, so go update your iPhone to 10.2.1 immediately. Other stuff this week: LG G6 rumours; Google has re-launched Voice and—guess what—it does messaging now; a review of Apple AirPods by friend-of-the-show and computer engineer Jonathon Goguen; Sprint bought a third of Tidal; Google's "Instant Apps" and what they might mean for the future of mobile browsing. ** Recommendations** Dan — Workflow - Powerful Automation for iOS (https://workflow.is/) Riley — US Department of the Interior’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/usinterior/) Marc — Dream Corp LLC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfK2xp7wnJc) Special Guest: Jonathon Goguen.

We're down a Dan this week (boo), but we filled the hour anyway. On this episode: the latest dope on the Nintendo Switch; the new Nvidia Shield TV; Microsoft's new Xbox update; why Samsung's Note 7 kept blowing up (it's officially out); an Apple AirPods competitor; Tesla is stealing employees from Apple; and Essential, a new smartphone contender brought to us by Andy Rubin. Recommendations Marc — NVIDIA Shield (https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/) Riley — Canopy (https://canopy.co/app)

This week we talk about Marc's regrettable Xbox One experience; Riley's Philips Hue advice; and a whole bunch of CES stuff, including Alexa in everything, fancy new haptic feedback, crazy thin televisions, an out-of-the-box racing drone, and rumours about the new BlackBerry. Recommendations Riley —Threes (http://asherv.com/threes/) Marc — Arrow.io on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmcm.arrowio&hl=en)Arrow.io on the App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/arrow.io/id1183708679?mt=8) Dan — Backblaze (https://secure.backblaze.com/r/00h342) (You get one free month with this link.)

Happy holidays! We hope your time off work—whatever that entailed—was magical. Here's a list of (almost) everything we recommended this year, updated where appropriate. We may have forgotten to mention a couple, because it's been a really long year. Sue us. Anyway, we love you and thanks for listening. Happy new year! 1: Marc — Vainglory (http://www.vainglorygame.com/) Dan — Dave Pell's NextDraft (http://nextdraft.com/) Riley — Guardian article: "Rain is sizzling bacon, cars are lions roaring: the art of sound in movies" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/22/rain-is-sizzling-bacon-cars-lions-roaring-art-of-sound-in-movies) 2: Marc — Riptide GP: Renegade (http://www.vectorunit.com/riptide-gp-renegade/) Dan — trackthisforme (https://www.trackthisfor.me/) Riley — Soon (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/soon-everyday-bucket-list/id939751975?mt=8) 3: Riley — Fidget Cube: A Vinyl Desk Toy (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antsylabs/fidget-cube-a-vinyl-desk-toy) Marc — Google Now Launcher (https://play.go

In this week's episode: Microsoft's first smart speaker; our scathing Super Mario Run review; Uber's self-driving cars (and all their associated woes), a Facebook Messenger update; Apple AirPods; AT&T's chatbot; and Blade Runner 2049. Recommendations Dan - Best Drones for Kids (http://www.androidcentral.com/best-drones-kids) Riley - RecordBird (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/recordbird-never-miss-music/id1116690598?mt=8) Marc - Star Wars: Force Arena (still in pre-release beta, but LOOKS REAL GOOD)

In this week's show: Super Mario Run for your phone needs an Internet connection; Samsung is remotely killing its phones in the US (and disconnecting from towers in Canada); the Samsung Galaxy S8 might not have a headphone jack; iPhone has a VR headset companion—and it might rival the big guys. Recommendations Riley — Red Harvest (https://www.amazon.ca/Red-Harvest-Dashiell-Hammett/dp/0679722610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481596060&sr=8-1&keywords=red+harvest) (A very old book by the guy who brought us the Maltese Falcon) Marc — Modern Strike Online (http://www.androidcentral.com/review-modern-strike-online-blows-competition-away) Dan — Fallout Shelter (http://www.falloutshelter.com)

In this week's show: a Google Home update from Riley; an abridged version of the fake news conversation you missed last week; Netflix and offline viewing; Fitbit's purchase of Pebble and what it means; Android phones compromised by non-Google Play apps; Oculus Touch controllers. Our apologies again for Marc's mic mishap. Recommendations Riley — Chernobyl 30 years later: one man’s journey into ‘apocalyptic’ city (in photos) (http://globalnews.ca/news/2651522/chernobyl-30-years-later-one-mans-journey-into-apocalyptic-city-in-photos/?sf25086979=1) Dan — Ben Thompson’s Stratechery (https://stratechery.com) Marc — Quartz news app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qz.android)

With the return of Riley, we talk what the Google and Apple headquarters are like, why Uber is way better than a taxi, and where he bought a Google Home. Marc wonders about the Echo vs. Home debate. Also in this episode: Blips camera lenses for iPhone, a Kickstarter for automating making your bed, a curved screen on the next iPhone, and Microsoft's solitaire games on iOS. The boys are back in town! Recommendations: Marc — Gadget Man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkKt715hyAA) Dan — Bill Amend’s Alt Instagram Account - Bored Napkins (https://www.instagram.com/borednapkins/) Riley — James Fridman's Twitter (https://twitter.com/fjamie013)

On this week's show: Riley is away in California; Marc re-reviews his Pixel after a month; Moto Z got an Android update and now supports Daydream; Google released a photo scanning app; Apple bailed on wireless routers; Marc got a Snap from a fan. Recommendations Dan — National Geographic Found (http://natgeofound.tumblr.com/) Marc — AI Experiments with Google (https://aiexperiments.withgoogle.com/)

Marc's back! In this week's show: cheap US Android phones that sent data to China; Nintendo's NES Classic is impossible to find (and it's driving everyone nuts); GoPro's Karma drone failed so many times it's been recalled; Super Mario Run is coming soon, but looks underwhelming. Recommendations Riley — Logitech UE Mini Boom (https://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Wireless-Bluetooth-Speaker-Speakerphone/dp/B00E9YIFQ4) Dan — Unsplash (https://unsplash.com) Marc — PinOut - Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mediocre.pinout&hl=en) | App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pinout!/id1108417718?mt=8)

On this week's episode (sadly devoid of Marc): Riley corrects the rant from the last episode; other people are kinda pissed about this computer; Apple's response to the outrage; Samsung's official apology, and why it probably wasn't enough; Google Home reviews; and a law for policing porn (http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/7/13552110/california-prop-60-porn-safe-sex-condom-adult-film-performer). Recommendations Dan — Doxie Scanners (http://www.getdoxie.com) Riley — Gunnar Glasses (http://gunnar.com)

This week's episode: tons of announcements from Microsoft, like Windows 10 Creators Update, pimped-out Paint, new Surface Book, and their all-new Surface Studio; Apple stuff, like the new TV app, the death of the MacBook Air, and the new MacBook Pro; and a speed round that includes Tesla, Transport Canada, Twitter, and a questionable Google product. Recommendations: Dan - Mini Metro (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/mini-metro/id837860959?mt=8) (iOS game, $6.99) Marc - Plex (https://www.plex.tv/)(Personal media server software) Riley — Victorinox Swiss Card (https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/SwissCards/SwissCard-Lite/p/0.7300.T) (Like a Swiss Army knife, but a card)