Our last podcast for 2014 - back in the New Year! This week we've got news on digital driver's licenses, turmoil in Russia, Apple and Paypal, the iPod/iTunes trial, The Pirate Bay, Facebook photos, Gmail security, OnePlus, last minute Christmas presents, Amazon in the firing line from its' sellers, and a great kid-friendly app recommendation.

Also, a HUGE thank you to those that have listened and supported the podcast during our first few months in 2014. We'll be back on 7th January with our next show. In the meantime, happy holidays from Steve, Ken, Anu, Guillermo and Emily!

​Show notes:

- The digital driver's license

- Google shuts down Russian office

- Apple stops taking orders in Russia

- Pay for Apple goods with Paypal

- Court case ruled in favour of Apple in iPod trial

- Pirate News! PB shutdown = no real effect on global piracy

- Pirate News! ISO hunt resurrects PB clone (sorta)

- Pirate News! Sunde is 'glad' PB is gone

- Facebook will now auto-enhance your (iOS) pictures

- GMail ups it's desktop security

- OnePlus One banned in India

- Still need an xmas present? Google Play gift cards now available in Finland

- Wakie for iOS is here at last...

- Amazon seller issues

- App recommendation - Speak A legend - 2.99, not 3.99 as mentioned in the podcast.

This week we're joined by another fellow expat, Emily Bailey. No Anu, but all the usual nonsense from the rest of us. This week we've got news on Apple lawsuits, Google and CAPTCHA, Uber, more Sony hacks, Facebook, password management, the Blackphone, GTA5, The Pirate Bay, iOS updates, OnePlus One, Cortana, Spotify, HERE maps, and some great Christmas recommendations!

​Show notes:

- iPod lawsuit

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/ipod-lawsuit-down-to-one-plaintiff/?_r=1

http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/5/7339875/steve-jobs-drm-testimony-points-to-the-labels

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/12/03/apple-deleted-rivals-songs-from-users-ipods/

- Google eliminating CAPTCHA

- Uber's above the law

- Uber now banned in Dehli (and in Spain)

- Another Sony hack

- Searching for old posts on Facebook

- Changing passwords with Dashlane

- And LastPass (kinda)

- The Blackphone app store

- Grand Theft Auto 5 vs Target Australia vs The Bible

- Swedish Torrent Site Server Raids

- iOS 8.1.2 is out

- OnePlus One available without an invite until they run out

- Microsoft's Cortana is now available in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain

- Good Deal: Spotify's premium service is 99 cents a month for three months

- HERE maps coming to iOS soon

TechXpats Christmas recommendations

- Steve: Space Age, Dbrand, Iconic Apple book

- Ken: Go Paperless - Devonthink Pro and Fujitsu Scansnap

- Guillermo: Eye TV W

- Emily: Steam gift cards/credit and the Supreme 3Doodler

No Anu this week, but Steve, Ken and Guillermo are here to chat about Twitter, Flickr, Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Uber, the FCC, Microsoft and Acompli, SwiftKey, Sony, YouTube, Wire, Gmail, Google, Bluetooth, and Ken's review of the Evernote Jot stylus.

​Show Notes:

- Another reason to avoid the official Twitter app

- Twitter releases new tools to report abuse/harassment

- Flickr licensing changes

- Any 'black friday' or 'cyber monday' purchases?

- Cancelled my Uber account. Uber's response.

- No more FCC logos on devices

- Microsoft aquires Acompli

- SwiftKey helping Stephen Hawking communicate faster

- Amazing Sony Pictures passwords

http://mashable.com/2014/12/02/sony-hack-passwords/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-tech-link

http://gizmodo.com/the-sony-pictures-hack-was-even-worse-than-everyone-tho-1666122168

- Gangnam Style breaks the internet

- New messaging app - Wire

- Gmail lets you import/edit Office docs from your inbox

- European Parliament passes vote asking for Google to be broken up

- New Bluetooth 4.2 spec brings IPv6, better privacy, and increased speed

- Evernote Jot Script Stylus

This week on the TechXpats Podcast, Guillermo coughs a lot, Steve swears a lot (we apologise), and Ken and Anu ... do their usual - chatting all things tech, including; Google, Airbnb, Spotify, Google Play Music, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Beats, Bing, iCloud, typing, password manager apps on Android, Sony Pictures, Black Friday sales, and our recommendation of the week! PHEWF!

​Show Notes:

- Ad-free Google coming...?

- Airbnb always listening in

- Spotify losses

- Facebook hosted messages relating to killing

- Twitter exec DM mistake and possible purchase

- New Twitter search API not open to 3rd parties

- Beats to come preinstalled on iOS devices next year?

- No more FREE apps in the App Store

- Bing search to be default on iOS as Google deal nears end?

- Why iCloud is Apple's worst product

- Finland: Typing takes over as handwriting lessons end

- Using a password manager on Android? It may be wide open to sniffing attacks

- Microsoft rolls out Bing Maps traffic guesstimation worldwide

- Sony Pictures' computers are still locked as hackers demand equality http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/25/us-sony-cybersecurity-idUSKCN0J920720141125

http://www.dailytech.com/Hack+of+Sony+Pictures+Indicates+Employees+Were+Pirating+BluRays/article36928.htm

- Dropbox carousel

- Upcoming Black Friday Sale

- App recommendation: #Homescreen

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/homescreen/id935726715?ls=1&mt=8

http://9to5mac.com/2014/11/26/these-are-the-most-popular-non-apple-apps-people-keep-on-their-homescreens/

Steve's #Homescreen:

We're joined this week by another great guest, Yumi Matsumoto, to talk all things Slush, as well as this week's news, including; Apple (iOS, OS X, and Apple Watch), WhatsApp, SnapChat, Android Lollipop, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Uber and the up-coming Polar Bear Pitching event in Oulu!

​Show Notes:

- iOS 8.1.1, OS X 10.10.1 and Apple TV updates

http://www.imore.com/apple-issues-small-update-apple-tv

http://www.imore.com/ios-811-will-give-your-ipad-back-about-500-mb-storage-space

http://www.imore.com/apple-releases-os-x-10101

- iOS 8.2 beta and Apple Watch kit released to devs

- Updates to WhatsApp

http://www.imore.com/whatsapp-messenger-gets-support-iphone-6-and-6-plus

http://www.imore.com/whatsapp-messages-may-soon-get-even-more-secure-ios

- SnapChat payments

- Lollipop rollout

- Access Inbox for GMail in Safari

- Facebook Groups apps

- Facebook for work

- Twitter's powerful new search engine includes every tweet ever sent

- Skype for Web brings voice and video calls to your browser

- Uber double-whammy

- Slush discussion / round-up

- New Nokia tablet and hands on impressions

- New Jolla tablet

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/11/jolla-tablet-linux-based-os-crowdfunding

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jolla-tablet-world-s-first-crowdsourced-tablet

- Slush Companies BETA: Cozify (Home automation)

- Slush Companies BETA: Simple Mail (email taks lists)

- Slush Companies BETA: Eyejewelry (custom jewelry app)

- Slush Companies: TWID (B2B Service for knowledge based businesses)

- Slush Companies: Plotagon

- Polar Bear Pitching - 25.2.2015 in Oulu

Show number 11 of the TechXpats Podcast, featuring the latest news from and about Microsoft, Office, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Amazon Echo, LG Aka, Silk Road 2.0 and the dark web, YouTube, and our app recommendation of the week.

​Show Notes:

- Office free on iOS and Android

- Microsoft bundles all of its best subscription services into a $199 deal

- Microsoft fixes '19-year-old' bug with emergency patch

- Facebook Messenger

- Apple releases web tool to deregister phone numbers from iMessage

- Amazon announces the Echo

- LG's new phones have strange digital characters living inside of them

- DarkHotel: A Sophisticated New Hacking Attack Targets High-Profile Hotel Guests

- Silk Road 2.0 seized by FBI

- Tor Project mulls how Feds took down hidden websites

- Darknet Already Re-aligning

- YouTube subscription service

- App recommendation: Living Earth

We're joined this week by Petra Söderling to talk about the latest tech news and happenings around the world, as well as the recent DigiExpo and upcoming Slush event in Helsinki.

- EE turns on 4G+ in London

- Samsung profits fall

- Microsoft's new wearable is official

- Jawbone's New Wearable, the Up3, Is Ambitious in All the Right Places

- UK government may allow mobile owners to use other networks in blackspots

- Skype translator

- Android 5.0 Lollipop is here (for some)

- Bonus - Google Now voice commands

- Google has an all-new Calendar app for Android, and it's coming to the iPhone too

- Apple Watch Launching in 'Spring' According to Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts

- iPhone Ban in Russia

- Amazon Prime: Unlimited photo storage now open to all subscribers

- Microsoft's Dropbox Deal Shows It's Finally Starting to Get Mobile

- DigiExpo Wrap-up (Games, Cameras, Audio, and 3-D Printing)

- Slush, (Finnish) startup scene

- App recommendation: Snowball

Show number 9 of the TechXpats Podcast - four random expats talking nonsense ... sorry, "tech"!

Show Notes:

- Twitter Acquires Twitpic's Archive, Saga Finally Ends

- Twitter doesn't have explosive growth, and investors aren't happy

- Over 1m ApplePay activations

- Why the iPod Classic was discontinued

- Storage wars

- New Facebook app - Rooms

- Nexus 6 pre-orders go live today

- Research links massive cyber spying ring to Russia

- Twitch to streamers: no shirt, no service

- Taking back privacy in the post-Snowden cloud

- Big security flaw lets hackers remotely wipe Samsung phones

- App recommendation: Inbox from Google

The TechXpats are here again in show 8, talking all things tech news, including the recent Apple announcements and other releases.

​Show Notes:

- Apple earnings http://www.maclife.com/article/news/apple_reports_85b_profit_q4_2014_fueled_strong_iphone_and_mac_sales

http://www.imore.com/85-billion-apps-have-been-downloaded-app-store

http://www.imore.com/apple-q4-2014-iphones-ipads-mac-profit

- Yahoo! make profit from Alibaba sale

- Android 5.0 Lollipop images

- Spotify Family Plan (Beats for $5)

- One+ One opening up pre-orders for limited time

- Microsoft Lumia will replace the Nokia brand

- DigiExpo in Helsinki - Come say hi!

- Google Services Temporary Outage

- Samsung B&N Nook

- Microsoft to release it's own wearable fitness band

- App recommendation: Earth View from Google Maps

Show number 007 (no terrible James Bond puns included) of the TechXpats Podcast. This week featuring a special guest - Steve Jackson from Quru, talking about his journey, business, and the startup scene in Helsinki, Finland.

​Show notes:

- Another week, another leak: Dropbox

- SnapChat / 3rd party image leaks

http://www.imore.com/your-snapchat-photos-may-have-been-exposed-massive-compromise

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/29604638

- Poodle security vulnerability

- New Mac and iPhone Skype updates

http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/09/skype-launches-redesigned-mac-app-ahead-of-os-x-yosemite/

http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/15/skype-iphone-app-updated-with-optimized-ui-for-iphone-6-6-plus/?pushup=1

- Ridiculous new HTC camera

- Samsung Galaxy S5 Active

- Samsung achieves DL speed of 7.5Gbps on 5G

- Google testing video service to doctors

- Nexus 6 and 9 price leaks

- Apple removing Bose and Beats paying fines

- Apple Pay goes live at Apple, Cupertino

- Thursday's Apple event

http://www.cultofmac.com/299627/oct-16-event-rumor-roundup/

http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/10/apple-will-stream-its-october-16-event-featuring-new-ipads-and-macs/

http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/11/leaked-a8x-chip-teases-more-powerful-ipad-air-2-as-touch-id-button-appears/

http://www.cultofmac.com/299114/way-too-long-apple-products/

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/apples-october-16-ipads/?mbid=social_twitter

- Site recommendation: Dbrand - 3M vinyl skins for mobiles, tablets and games consoles