Wrecked By Tech

News was slow on the heels of the Google and Microsoft announcements, but we soldiered on nevertheless. This week we dive into Google's Home Mini mistake that recorded everything by accident; Saskatchewan's attempt to curb distracted driving; Uber's Apple-sanctioned ability to screen record you at all times; a Quebec court ruling on Uber's presence in the province; and the Pixel 2's lack of DAC.

Speed round:

Links:

• Google’s Home Mini needed a software patch to stop some of them from recording everything | The Verge
• Saskatchewan police are cracking down on distracted drivers in October | Mobilesyrup
• Researchers: Uber’s iOS App Had Secret Permissions That Allowed It to Copy Your Phone Screen | Gizmodo
• Quebec Superior Court sides with Uber, rejects demands to revoke permit | Mobilesyrup
• Forget a missing headphone jack, the Pixel 2 doesn't even have a DAC | Mobilesyrup
• Federal government invests $4 million to bring high-speed internet to six Northwestern Ontario communities | Mobilesyrup
• Jeff Koons’ augmented reality Snapchat artwork gets ‘vandalized’ | TechCrunch
• SanDisk releases high-speed SD cards that can survive extreme temperatures | The Verge
• Porsche launches on-demand subscription for its sports cars and SUVs | TechCrunch
• Charlottetown company to offer playable VR board games | Mobilesyrup
• Dow Jones reported a fake story about Google buying Apple | Engadget
• This digital camera makes you wind it and insert fake film | The Verge
• Snap Spectacles now available in Canada for $169.99 | Mobilesyrup

On this episode, we discuss all the things Google announced on its Oct. 4 event, including two new Pixel phones, aptly named Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL; two new Google Home devices; a new camera device; wireless headphones; a fancy new Chromebook; and a whole bunch of AI stuff.

On this week's episode we discuss the announcements Microsoft made at its Mixed Reality Event on October 3, 2017. That includes availability, specs, and prices of the headsets; a VR-related business acquisition; a Halo VR experience, and several other things.

Speed round:

Links:

• Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets available for preorder | Road to VR
• Acer Mixed Reality Headset | Microsoft Store Canada
• Dell Visor Mixed Reality Headset | Microsoft Store Canada
• HP Mixed Reality Headset | Microsoft Store Canada
• Lenovo Explorer Mixed Reality Headset | Microsoft Store Canada
• Samsung Odyssey Mixed Reality Headset | Microsoft Store Canada
• Microsoft’s Halo VR experience launches on October 17th | The Verge
• Microsoft buys AltspaceVR, the leading VR social platform | Windows Central
• Microsoft’s Mixed Reality platform is now open to SteamVR developers | TechCrunch
• Microsoft retires Groove Music service, partners with Spotify | The Verge
• Microsoft is releasing Office 2019 next year | The Verge
• Intel is building a Windows VR experience for the Winter Olympics | The Verge

All our glorious recommendations

Book:

TV Series / Movie:

Outdoor Tech:

Beer/Liquor:

Boardgame:

Bonus (because we do love you)

In this week's episode, we cover the disaster the "frank." phone turned out to be, and whether or not it was a con; Facebook's ad targeting permitting access to Nazis and other anti-Semites; augmented reality and what it'll mean when it gets to your iPhone, and later your computer. Honourable mentions to Apple's File System, Microsoft's Mixed Reality event on Oct. 3, and the most exciting innovation in computing in years.

Speed round:

Links:

• [Update: Frank team responds] "Frank." isn’t just a phone, it’s a phony | Android Police
• Facebook Enabled Advertisers to Reach ‘Jew Haters’ | ProPublica
• Facebook is temporarily removing the ad targeting option ‘Jew haters’ | Recode
• Microsoft to hold Mixed Reality event on October 3rd in San Francisco | The Verge
• New Apple File System Coming in macOS High Sierra Won't Work With Fusion Drives | Mac Rumors
• Samsung’s Bixby button is structural bloatware | The Verge
• Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, And Ellen DeGeneres Drop In On Netflix Drama | Fastcompany
• The Oregon Trail is coming back to schools through Minecraft | The Verge
• Canadian team wins Hyperloop contest for proposing 39 minute Toronto-Montreal route | Mobilesyrup
• Waze and Spotify one-tap integration now rolling out on iOS | 9to5Mac
• BREAKING: Light has been stored as sound for the first time | ScienceAlert

This week we recorded on Tuesday, Sept 12 — the day of the big Apple event. We discuss news on Apple TV, the new Apple Watch Series 3, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and iPhone X (all in Canadian prices, naturally).

Links:

• Designing for iPhone X - Fall 2017 | Apple Developer
• Fact-checking Apple's iPhone X event | Android Central
• Bringing BACK The iPhone Headphone Jack | YouTube
• The way the Iphone X front camera notch cuts into the screen, blocking parts of videos | Imgur

On this week's episode, we talk about the 17-year-old Canadian who's crowdfunding a mid-range Android phone; Andy Rubin's rookie mistake with the Essential phone; Canada's government body for handling telecom/television complaints; open-sourcing government projects in Canada; and the death of Juicero.

Speed round:

Links:

• Ottawa teen's low-cost smartphone to take on Apple, Samsung | CBC News
• Why the CRTC's new television code matters for telecom customers | Mobilesyrup
• Essential may have accidentally shared customers’ driver’s licenses | The Verge
• Andy Rubin apologizes for Essential’s ‘humiliating’ customer data leak | The Verge
• Canada's Experiment in Open Government Taps into Big Data, Digital Youth | WhatsYourTech
• Juicero shuts down businesses, offers refunds for its $400 machines | Toronto Star
• NYPD needs to replace 36K useless smartphones | New York Post
• The RCMP is developing its own email system, following years of delays | Mobilesyrup
• The Ontario government will install a smart thermostat in your home to fight climate change | Mobilesyrup
• Google expands its digital assistant into more devices — including fridges | Toronto Star
• City of Boston | GitHub

The boys are back! It's the first episode with all three of us in nearly as many weeks — in it, we talk about: Cineplex's limited-time offer of half-priced movies for a week; Sony's permanent price cut of its VR platform in Canada; Microsoft's Mixed Reality controllers, and how they work without a camera; Apple's rumoured fall event; the Fitbit Ionic, and what it represents for the wearable company; a PSA about Game of Thrones; and how, as one author put it, "data is clearly the new oil."

Speed round:

Recommendations

Links:

• Cineplex offers one week of Tuesday-priced tickets across Canada | Mobilesyrup
• Sony permanently cuts the price of the PlayStation VR Worlds bundle to $579 in Canada | Mobilesyrup
• Microsoft’s Mixed Reality controllers work like Oculus Touch — without the cameras | The Verge
• Apple reportedly holding iPhone event on September 12th | The Verge
• Fitbit launches $300 ‘Ionic’ Apple Watch competitor w/ 4+ day battery, sleep tracking, more | 9to5Mac
• Fitbit Flyer™ Wireless Fitness Headphones | Fitbit
• Hackers are using the promise of Game of Thrones spoilers to spread malware | The Verge
• 'Data is the new oil': Your personal information is now the world's most valuable commodity | CBC News
• It's day one, and Amazon is already selling Echo speakers at Whole Foods | The Verge
• Apple and Amazon are collecting donations for Harvey storm relief | The Verge
• An art project forces people to consider online recommendations in the real world | The Verge
• Spotify’s Latest Music Deal Secures Position in Market Ahead of Going Public | Techvibes

Marc had a chest cold, so while he was away, Riley and Dan talked about: Riley's mechanical keyboard project; a comment/prompt from a listener on our Facebook page; NFC payments in Canada; tech companies getting into television; Elon Musk's new crusade against AI; iOS 11's new bonus privacy feature (and what it means for crossing borders.

Speed round:

Recommendations

Links:

• Game Boy Accessories by Angry Video Game Nerd | YouTube
• How popular are mobile payments in Canada, anyway? | IT World Canada News
• Apple, Google and Facebook making major push into TV | Toronto Star
• Elon Musk leads 116 experts calling for outright ban of killer robots | The Guardian
• iOS 11's SOS Feature Allows You to Temporarily Disable Touch ID and Require Passcode | Mac Rumors
• Tablet, Laptop, Smartphone Inspections at U.S. Canada Border | WhatsYourTech
• This is How Shooting the Sun Can Melt Your Camera | PetaPixel
• Preorders Open for Xbox One X, Including Limited Edition Scorpio Design | Techvibes
• Android 8.0 Oreo review: Vive la évolution | Android Central
• Essential Phone review | The Verge
• Machines Learn a Biased View of Women | WIRED

Dan's away again, but on this week's episode Marc and Riley cover a drone film festival in Toronto; a smart lock company that made it dumb with a software update; solar eclipse glasses that Amazon warns will hurt your eyes; a new Tile product (and maybe a new future based on their plans).

Speed round:

Recommendations

Links:

• Big Drone Show and film festival landing in Toronto | CanoeTech Blog
• Smart lock vendor accidentally bricks its own locks through firmware update | The Verge
• Amazon warns about counterfeit eclipse glasses | CBC News
• $499 cardboard eclipse glasses | Amazon
• Tile aims to become the Apple of tracking devices with new Pro versions | Mobilesyrup
• Victoria-Made Stenomask Used in US Senate Hearing | Techvibes
• Facebook launches new M digital assistant for Messenger | Mobilesyrup
• Instagram Will Now Organize Comments Into Threads | Techvibes
• The Pixel 2 will do things when you squeeze it, FCC filing confirms | The Verge
• The UE Boom 2 and UE Megaboom Bluetooth speakers now have Alexa built in | The Verge
• Angry Birds set to lay golden egg in possible $2-billion IPO | The Globe and Mail