Wrecked By Tech

Wrecked By Tech

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Wrecked By Tech episodes

  • Episode 128: Unlimited Canadian Data, Pixel 4, and E3

    In this week's episode we tell you about a great new Canadian data plan you can get, a bunch of leaks about the Pixel 4, some things that excited us about E3, and a new bite-sized streaming service (sigh).

    Speed round:

    • Netflix Canada partnered with three Indigenous screen organizations
    • PUBG is hilariously different in China
    • The Verge reviewed the Samsung Space Monitor and it's only alright
    • Tom Hanks made a delightful appearance at CES in 2009 and it's hilarious

      • Links:

      • Rogers to offer $75 unlimited data plans with no overage fees starting tomorrow
      • Rogers Infinite plans throttle customers to 256Kbps
      • Why Google’s surprise Pixel 4 tease raises the stakes - The Verge
      • Pixel 4 could include hands-free gestures courtesy of Google's Project Soli
      • Google Pixel 4 could include True Tone-like display feature
      • Here's Canadian launch, pricing and games info for Google Stadia
      • Microsoft’s new Xbox streaming mode is arriving in October for consoles - The Verge
      • Everything Microsoft announced at the Xbox E3 2019 conference | Windows Central
      • Steven Spielberg Writing Horror Series for Quibi But Only For Night – Variety
      • Netflix Canada launches partnership programs for Indigenous screen organizations
      • Eurogamer on Twitter: "Chinese PUBG Mobile replaced with Game for Peace, where enemies wave as they die https://t.co/360jwIffLH… "
      • Samsung 32-inch Space Monitor review: big screen for small desks - The Verge
      • GameSpot @ CES 09: Tom Hanks Sony Intro - YouTube
      1 hr 15 min
    • Episode 127: Dub dub, or WWDC 2019

      This week we'll run down everything from Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), including new software and hardware announcements. If you feel like diving deeper, links to the relevant places on Apple's website are below.

      Links:

      • Apple Events - Keynote June 2019 - Apple
      • watchOS 6 Preview - Apple
      • iOS 13 Preview - Apple
      • iPadOS Preview - Apple
      • macOS Catalina - Apple
      • Mac Pro - Apple
      • Pro Display XDR - Apple
      1 hr 42 min
    • Episode 126: Broadcast laws and your unsafe data

      In this week's episode we'll tell you about what the big companies are lobbying for in the new CRTC broadcast standards, how Facebook is pissing off Canada and the rest of the world's governments, a new iPod Touch, and a ton of unfortunate news about your personal data. Sorry.

      Speed round:

      • SD association lets Huawei back in
      • a Flipboard hack compromised email addresses, passwords, and usernames
      • expect to see Apple Maps cars in Canada soon
      • Amazon shipped some guy a phone that wasn't even announced yet
      • Microsoft Excel on iOS is getting a super useful data entry feature
      • the Samsung Galaxy Fold is delayed (again)
      • ...and BestBuy is cancelling pre-orders
      • Amazon now has an easy voice command for managing Alexa data
      • Uber is deactivating riders with low ratings
      • Twitter is almost certainly not giving us an edit button
      • the Sonic movie is delayed because they're re-doing his whole look

        • Links:

        • Bell Wants to Criminalize Illegal Online Video Streams, Block Websites and More Reveals Filing | iPhone in Canada Blog
        • Shaw argues against mandated Netflix Cancon tax, calls for broadcast competition
        • Facebook's Zuckerberg ignores subpoena from Canadian parliament, risks being held in contempt - CNN
        • 'Call their bluff': Shut down social media platforms, ex-Facebook adviser urges | CBC News
        • Apple announces a new… iPod touch | TechCrunch
        • Apple promises privacy, but iPhone apps share your data with trackers, ad companies and research firms - The Washington Post
        • Snapchat Employees Abused Data Access to Spy on Users - VICE
        • Google’s Play Store starts requiring games with loot boxes to disclose their odds - The Verge
        • SD Association re-adds Huawei to its membership list
        • Notice of Security Incident
        • Apple Maps Vehicles Begin Surveying Canada - MacRumors
        • Some Dude Ordered a Moto Z4 on Amazon, a Phone That Hasn’t Been Announced – Droid Life
        • Take your analog data digital for a faster, more efficient way to work
        • The Galaxy Fold gets delayed again, now possibly coming out in July | Android Central
        • Best Buy cancels all preorders for the Galaxy Fold - The Verge
        • It's now easier to delete your conversation history with Alexa
        • Uber will start deactivating riders with low ratings | TechCrunch
        • Twitter is getting sassy about edit buttons
        • Sonic the Hedgehog movie delayed to 2020 to change Sonic's look
        • CARTOON SONIC in Sonic 2019 Trailer - YouTube
        1 hr 32 min
      • Episode 125: This whole Huawei fiasco

        In this week's episode we'll tell you about everything that's going on with Huawei, Tesla's latest strike against the autopilot program, and Apple's latest MacBook announcement. Also our weekly bad Facebook news.

        Speed Round:

        • Health Canada approved the Apple Watch ECG app, so it's launching soon
        • Canadians pay 25% more on phone plans than Americans
        • Pixel 3a and 3aXL phones are randomly shutting down (yay)
        • there's a Juicero for soap now, apparently
        • Steam Chat is live on iOS
        • Google released Google Glass Enterprise 2, to... enterprise customers
        • There's a nifty new GameBoy-like thing coming out sometime this year and we all kinda want one

          • Links:

          • Report: Google ceases business w/ Huawei, pulls Play Store - 9to5Google
          • Huawei’s phone business would be decimated without Google’s Android - The Verge
          • ARM cuts ties with Huawei, threatening future chip designs - The Verge
          • China, Leverage, and Values – Stratechery by Ben Thompson
          • Microsoft stays silent on potential Huawei Windows ban - The Verge
          • Huawei Ban & Apple Retaliation: The Deep Dive - YouTube
          • Tesla didn’t fix an Autopilot problem for three years, and now another person is dead - The Verge
          • Apple tried to buy Tesla back in 2013 for roughly $27.4 billion
          • Apple Debuts New 8-Core MacBook Pro With Updated Keyboard - MacRumors
          • Facebook’s Work With Phone Carriers Alarms Legal Experts
          • Millions of Instagram influencers had their private contact data scraped and exposed | TechCrunch
          • Health Canada Approves Apple Watch ECG App, Hinting Launch Imminent | iPhone in Canada Blog
          • Canadians pay 25 percent more on phone plans than Americans: report
          • Pixel 3a and 3a XL Phones Are Randomly Shutting Down
          • New gadget asks: what if Juicero squeezed bags of soap instead? - The Verge
          • Steam Chat goes live on iOS and Android | VentureBeat
          • Google reveals new Glass Enterprise Edition 2 AR glasses
          • Playdate. A New Handheld Gaming System
          1 hr 14 min
        • Episode 124: OnePlus 7, an AI that can write, and Canada's stance on Internet trolling

          In this week's episode, we talk about a Canadian-made AI that can write, a Supreme Court of Canada decision that penalizes racist trolls, the OnePlus 7 announcements, Adobe legal drama, facial recognition law in San Francisco, and Google's new ad plan.

          The latest in "everyone hates Facebook:" an op-ed by someone who knows Mark Zuckerberg says they should break it up, and how Facebook's censorship algorithms can thwart law enforcement efforts.

          Speed round:

          • the GM plant in Ontario is going to be for autonomous vehicle testing now
          • WhatsApp found (and patched) spyware
          • Intel had a major security flaw too — update your stuff
          • Microsoft used AI to make whisky
          • Twitter's iOS app had a privacy bug — seriously, update your stuff
          • Google might be testing automatic car detection in Android Q... but maybe only exclusive to Pixel phones

            • Links:

            • Use this cutting-edge AI text generator to write stories, poems, news articles, and more - The Verge
            • Talk to Transformer
            • ‘Hate speech at its worst’: Paramount Fine Foods owner awarded record damages in anti-Muslim cyber libel case - The Globe and Mail
            • OnePlus 7 Pro: Everything you need to know! | Android Central
            • OnePlus won't sell the OnePlus 7 in Canada
            • OnePlus 7 does not include USB-C headphone jack adapters
            • Google reveals why the Pixel 3a features a headphone jack
            • Adobe warning of legal problems if subscribers keep using old versions of Creative Cloud apps [u]
            • San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Use by Police and the Government - VICE
            • Google to push new ads on its apps to snare shoppers - Reuters
            • Opinion | It’s Time to Break Up Facebook - The New York Times
            • Facebook Algorithms Make It Harder to Catch Extremists - The Atlantic
            • GM plant in Oshawa, Ontario to become test track for autonomous vehicles
            • WhatsApp found and patched spyware that infected phones through missed calls
            • New secret-spilling flaw affects almost every Intel chip since 2011 | TechCrunch
            • Microsoft partners with distillery on 'world's first AI-created whisky'
            • Twitter says iOS app bug collected location data of some users
            • Latest Android Q Beta Includes Car Crash Detection | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
            1 hr 14 min
          • Episode 123: Google I/O, some Microsoft Build, and 3-D printed houses

            In this week's episode we take you through one interesting happening from Microsoft Build (their developer conference), all the major news from the Google I/O keynote, and tell you about a Vancouver man who thinks he can 3-D print houses.

            Speed Round:

            • Vancouver has a salad vending machine
            • A dude swallowed an AirPod and it still worked after he pooped it out
            • a YouTuber hacked a Roomba to scream when it hits something
            • PSA: if you've got a Dell computer, get rid of SupportAssist or patch it immediately
            • Tesla artificially reduced the range of Model 3s for Canada just so people could get the federal EV credit

              • Links:

              • Microsoft just teased a slick new Minecraft AR game for your phone - The Verge
              • The Nest Hub Max misses the most important feature of its Lenovo-made predecessor | Android Central
              • Home Hub rebrands as Google Nest Hub, now starts at $129 - 9to5Google
              • Google drops Home, Home Max prices by $50 and $100 respectively
              • Vancouver scientist hopes to build affordable homes using 3D printers | CTV News
              • New ‘futuristic’ salad vending machine launches in Metro Vancouver | Vancouver Courier
              • This man swallowed an AirPod and it still worked after he pooped it out
              • YouTuber hacks Roomba to scream and swear when it bumps into objects
              • PSA: If you’ve got a Dell PC, you might want to patch this SupportAssist vulnerability now - The Verge
              • Tesla 93-mile-range Model 3 takes advantage of $5,000 Canada incentive - Autoblog
              1 hr 4 min
            • Episode 122: Canadian government: YouTube and texts aren't real ads

              In this week's episode we tell you about a law that won't bode well for the upcoming Canadian federal elections and all the latest news from Facebook F8.

              Speed round:

              • A small Ontario town just took Bitcoin for property tax payments
              • The sweet folding Samsung monitor is available in Canada now
              • you can now pre-order Valve's upcoming VR headset, the Index, for $1000 USD
              • that Energizer phone with a huge battery flopped real, real bad
              • there's gonna be a live action Sonic movie and boy does it look weird
              • Apple counts App Store tax as "services"
              • Amazon's creating a Tidal competitor
              • Ford's connected cars now work with Amazon Key, that in-car delivery thing
              • By 2070, dead Facebook users might outnumber live ones
                • 1 hr 19 min
              • Episode 121: Delete the McDonald's app

                Follow us on Twitter: [Riley](twitter.com/rileydmcdonald) | [Dan ](twitter.com/danbetcher)| [Marc](twitter.com/spacelagace)

                In this week's episode we tell you why the Samsung Galaxy Fold broke, how much Marc loves his Huawei P30 Pro, why you should probably delete the McDonald's app from your iPhone, a Supreme Court of Canada ruling about "capturing criminal electronic messages," a brain implant that could restore speech to those unable to talk, a browser that pays you to watch ads, and Tesla's new custom-made self-driving chip.

                Also another reason to be mad at Facebook. You should expect that by now.

                Speed round:

                • AT&T wants to charge you on a tiered structure based on data speeds
                • Apple now promises next-day turnaround repairs on its janky Mac keyboards
                • Vine might be coming back, albeit in a new form
                • Amazon and Google are finally cooperating (somewhat)

                  • Links:

                  • Samsung officially delays the Galaxy Fold - The Verge
                  • iFixit’s Galaxy Fold teardown reveals its biggest design flaw - The Verge
                  • I tried to buy a coffee with McDonald’s mobile app, instead I was defrauded $2,000
                  • Supreme Court rules a warrant isn't needed when capturing criminal electronic messages
                  • Is it legal to secretly record phone calls like Jody Wilson-Raybould did? What you need to know - National | Globalnews.ca
                  • 'Exhilarating' implant turns thoughts to speech - BBC News
                  • The Brave browser launches ads that reward users for viewing | TechCrunch
                  • The Brave Browser Will Pay You to Surf the Web | WIRED
                  • Tesla’s New Chip Holds the Key to ‘Full Self-Driving’ | WIRED
                  • Tesla’s new AI chip isn’t a silver bullet for self-driving cars - The Verge
                  • Facebook Harvested Email Contacts of 1.5 Million Users Without Their Consent - MacRumors
                  • AT&T CEO says 5G phone plans might be tiered and priced based on data speeds - The Verge
                  • Apple Now Prioritizing MacBook Keyboard Repairs With Quoted Next-Day Turnaround Time - MacRumors
                  • Social network Vine is about to make a return as Byte
                  • Amazon adding Chromecast support to Prime video, Google bringing YouTube to Fire TV
                  1 hr 4 min
                • Episode 120: EV incentives and why you shouldn't buy a Galaxy Fold

                  In this week's episode, Marc and Riley talk about a new government EV incentive, a new Microsoft product, YouTube's fact-checking algorithm and its latest misstep, the Galaxy Fold (and what a mess it is just two days after being released to reviewers), leaks and censorship on Twitter, and more Facebook shenanigans.

                  Speed round:

                  • Saskatchewan police to use social media monitoring to prevent people going missing
                  • BC judge rules driving with two headphones in is distracted driving and carries a fine
                  • Microsoft might be making wireless earbuds
                  • Apple's next version of MacOS rumoured to include second-screen mode using an iPad
                  • Google to announce a Pixel device on May 7
                  • Russian company wants to make ads in the constellations

                    • Links:

                    • Canadian government launches $5,000 electric vehicle incentive
                    • List of eligible vehicles under the iZEV Program - Transport Canada
                    • Microsoft’s Surface Hub 2 hands-on: a collaborative PC for the future - The Verge
                    • Algorithm “wrong call” caused YouTube to fact check Notre Dame fire with 9/11 attacks
                    • My Samsung Galaxy Fold screen broke after just a day - The Verge
                    • Here's why Galaxy Fold displays are already failing | Android Central
                    • Starz Doesn't Like News About Leaked TV-Shows, Takes Down TorrentFreak Tweet - TorrentFreak
                    • Mark Zuckerberg leveraged Facebook user data to fight rivals and help friends, leaked documents show
                    • Facebook tests merging its News Feed and Stories into a single interface - The Verge
                    • Facebook accidentally shipped VR hardware with conspiratorial messages hidden inside | TechCrunch
                    • Saskatchewan police to use social media to predict who may go missing
                    • B.C. judge says wearing two earbuds counts as distracted driving, even with dead phone
                    • Microsoft could take on Apple’s AirPods with wireless Surface earbuds - The Verge
                    • Apple rumored to add official iPad external display support in macOS 10.15 - The Verge
                    • Google Will Announce a New Pixel Something on May 7 – Droid Life
                    • Pepsi Plans to Project a Giant Ad in the Night Sky Using Cubesats
                    1 hr 5 min

                  About Wrecked By Tech

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                  A weekly Canadian tech conversation with professional nerds Riley, Marc, and Dan. If you're a tech geek in Canada, you've come to the right place.