POP | TECH | JAM

The are only two type of people on this big blue marble we call Earth: those who love Star Wars and those who don’t. I think you all know which camp J.D. and El Kaiser spend their time in. This week J.D. fills us in on the goodies you’ll get in the various and sundry versions of the digital and DVD/Blu-Ray releases of the latest chapter in the space opera, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. In tech headlines, the FBI doesn’t need Apple’s help hacking into an iPhone, Instagram gives users more time, and now you can build your own Amazon Echo with help from another fruit-themed toymaker.

Ebooks are hot and romance-novel ebooks are even hotter, as the genre pulling in huge sales every year.  On this week’s episode, journalist Laura M. Holson discusses how the ebook industry has created the need for more male models to grace the digital covers of these romantic reads. Meanwhile, El Kaiser and J.D. ponder the headlines, including Apple’s week of new products and pitfalls, Amazon’s urgent warning to Kindle owners, the rolling robot that delivers pizza and the hazards of letting Internet users suggest names for large important government research ships.

It seems the FBI and the Department of Justice have set their sights on Facebook’s hugely popular WhatsApp communication platform in their ongoing battle with tech giants.

Also on the episode, J.D. fills us in on phone applications that handle the job of communicating life-saving medical information when you can’t while El Kaiser breaks down the tech term “cryptography”.

Don’t fret! We have tons more tech news, shenanigans and general silliness…exactly what you’ve expect from us here at POP | TECH | JAM.

Is social media totally hacking the 2016 elections? Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump is well known for his rather pointed Twitter feed, but does he show another side of himself on Instagram and Facebook? Journalist Laura M. Holson stops by Pop Tech Jam HQ to discuss how Mr. Trump and other candidates are making the most out of the Internet this election season. And as always, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss the technology news of the week — including the Federal Communication Commission’s proposed update to its Lifeline plan and Apple’s continuing ups and downs with the United States court system.

You know them, you hate them: political robocalls, telemarketers and phone scams.

This week J.D. introduces us to services that help stop that flood of annoying calls and fills us in on what steps the FTC and the FCC are taking to help end the scourge.

In the news, Apple wins a big one in court;  Microsoft finally puts a price on its Hololens augmented headset (and it ain’t cheap); Google’s self-driving car gets into an accident; and a long trip into space comes to an end.

Of course there’s more news and lots of shenanigans, so click play and enjoy the ride!

Questions, we have questions this week. Will Apple be able to stand up to the Justice Department over creating back doors into its software?  Will Old Media and New Media ever figure each other out? Will we soon be able to pay for purchases with our faces? These are just some of the talking points on this week’s episode of Pop Tech Jam as journalist Laura M. Holson rejoins El Kaiser and J.D. at the podcast table, fresh off her trip to last week’s Code/Media Conference in California.

Making a video can take a lot of time and effort, especially if one is not trained in the art. Magisto, a popular consumer app that uses algorithms to analyze raw footage and create a video narrative for home users, has just rolled out a business version designed to help small and mid-sized companies easily craft clips to promote their products. Dr. Oren Boiman, the chief executive officer and a co-founder of Magisto, explains how it all works and what makes for a good business video.

And, as with each and every episode of Pop Tech Jam, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss the latest developments in technology and pop culture, including news from New York Toy Fair 2016 and NASA’S Help Wanted pages.

A big week of tech news as FCC chairman Tom Wheeler announces a proposal that would do away with cable set-top boxes; President Obama looks to increase spending for national cybersecurity; Rumored changes to Twitter gets the Twitterati fired up; and Mikko Hypponen of F-Secure curates a museum of Malware.

Of course there’s lots more tech news to discuss but J.D. also finds time to fill us in on how some tech giants brag about their research and development, while others don’t.

Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, is now the most valuable company in the world but all Pedro has on his mind is virtual reality. J.D. puts together a set of the Big G’s Cardboard VR goggles for the hapless Kaiser then fills us in on some very useful apps and sites to help U.S. voters make an informed decision on Election Day in November.

 

While still wrapping our brains around the fact that X-Files is back on TV, we found time to pack this episode with snark and shenanigans that will (hopefully) keep you informed and entertained during your commute, at the gym, at home or anywhere you listen to the best darned tech-themed around. This week, J.D. highlights some apps that mix in a dose of fun with the weather details and in the news, Twitter shakes up its executive ranks; Sony does some corporate housekeeping; Amazon gets duped by hackers; and those sites tracking Abe Vigoda’s status make one final update.

Of course there’s more. Just take a listen!