Episode 18 –Comic-Con Minions
(music one)
Welcome to another episode of Geek Bytes Podcast.
I’m Ramon Mejia…….I’m Edgar Acosta
Each week we review all the geek and tech news we found interesting then discuss the stuff we’ve been geeking out about. Of course, if there is anything you the listener geek out about and want us to talk about send us an e-mail at feedback@geekbytespodcast.com
Now This Week in Geek News we’ll talk about Chicago taxing Netflix and Spotify, The hack that took down a global spyware vendor, Citicoin, A new blood test to detect breast cancer, Mech battles, Exosuits for Japan’s elderly, the Canadian who mimicked UP, the casting of Elektra and Aunt May, the Trailers of the Week, and more
In our Discussions section we’ll talk about our review of the movie Minions and the stuff we’re excited to hear about at San Diego Comic Con.
A quick update on our contest: We’re almost at 100 likes on Facebook and once we get that we’ll randomly draw a winner from those likes and send them a box of Geek loot. So tell your friends about the podcast and like us on Facebook for a chance to win.
Now let’s Begin our show with Geek News
(music two)
CHICAGO WILL NOW TAX NETFLIX and SPOTIFY
· The City of Chicago is implementing a 9% tax on online entertainment like Netflix and Spotify, as well as on businesses who use everything from real estate resources to court databases.
· This falls under two already-existing tax laws in Chicago — the city’s amusement tax and personal property lease transaction tax — both of which already have that lovely 9% fee.
· Right now, Chicago’s amusement tax has been reserved for things like sporting events and concerts, but with the new definition, this will include things people do in the comfort of their own home as well, if they pay to have those services streamed in.
· The city expects to bring in about $12 million each year.
· Companies will have until Sept. 1 to begin paying the taxes.
· http://nerdist.com/chicago-will-now-tax-netflix-spotify/
· http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-cloud-tax-met-0702-20150701-story.html
The hack that took down a global spyware vendor
· Hacking Team is a spyware and surveillance software vender that sells its products to police and government agencies around the world.
· If your phone got stuck with a wiretapping implant, there's a good chance it came from them.
· Sunday night, attackers compromised Hacking Team’s internal system and released 400 gigabytes of data in an open torrent, containing everything from email archives to one unlucky soul's email encryption key.
· The fallout has been immediate, resulting in a full shutdown of the company's services until the damage can be contained, shutting down programs everywhere from Russian intelligence to the South Korean army.
· The dumped data includes detailed source code for Hacking Team's surveillance products, which will make them much easier to find in the future.
· Additionally, the documents released include lists of clients which include the FBI, DEA, and Australian police alongside heavily sanctioned countries like Bahrain, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
· http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/7/8907333/hacking-team-hacked-spyware-fallout
Citibank Is Working On Its Own Digital Currency, Citicoin
· According to the International Business Times, Citigroup has built its own digital currency based on bitcoin and the blockchain. This, in itself, isn’t very difficult – anyone can create a cryptocurrency in a few seconds with a bit of programming knowledge.
· But the fact that Citibank, at least in its R&D arm, is looking into the technology is promising and shows that they see a future in cryptocurrency.
· http://techcrunch.com/2015/07/07/citibank-is-working-on-its-own-digital-currency-citicoin/
New blood test can predict breast cancer five years before it develops
· Researchers in Denmark have come up with a simple blood test that can predict breast cancer up to five years before it develops. And even better - it’s got an accuracy level of 80 percent, making it more effective than our current mammography tests, which are 75 percent accurate, and only after a person has already developed the cancer.
· The researchers from University of Copenhagen found they were able to predict, with 80 percent accuracy, which patients would be affected by the disease, just by looking at the metabolic profiles they built from the participants' blood samples.
· http://www.sciencealert.com/new-blood-test-can-predict-breast-cancer-five-years-before-it-develops
Facebook lets you choose what appears in your News Feed
· Facebook wants you to choose who you'll see first when you open its apps.
o In the News Feed Preferences, you can select the profile picture of a friend, family member or your favorite page and their updates will be loaded before the rest of your timeline.
· For those friends or pages who you probably should have removed eons ago, two updated features let you better control what you see from them. You can now zip through friends and pages and choose who you want to "unfollow," allowing you to keep up appearances without having to suffer through numerous photos of cats, uninformed rants or needy status updates. Now it's a handy list, you also can re-add friends that you feel might deserve a second chance.
· Lastly, there's a new Page suggestion tool that will automatically suggest pages based on your previous Likes. This is similar to Twitter's tailored suggestions, which recommends people you might want to follow based on who you've just added.
· Facebook says that the updated News Feed controls will roll out on iOS devices today and arrive on Android and the official website "in the coming weeks."
· http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/09/facebook-better-news-feed-controls/
Japan accepts the U.S. challenge to a mech battle
· Last week Mega Bots Inc. issued a Mech battle challenge to the Japanese company Suidobashy Heavy Industies.
· This week Suidobashy accepted the challenge on the condition that the battle be in hand to hand combat in one year.
o "Come on, guys, make it cooler," Suidobashi founder and CEO Kogoro Kurata said in a YouTube video posted to the site on Sunday. "Just building something huge and sticking guns on it -- it's...Super American."
· Mega Bots Inc. built the 12,000 pound mech called MegaBot Mk. II.
· Suidobashy Heavy Industies built the 9,000-pound mech Kuratas in 2012.
· http://www.cnet.com/news/japan-responds-to-giant-robot-duel-lets-do-it/
Japan’s population is so old that elderly workers are getting robot exoskeletons so they never have to retire
· Japan is a country with one of the highest rates of people living past their 100th birthday and the country has stopped having kids almost altogether.
· Last year, the country welcomed just 1 million new infants (Japan's total population: 127.3 million). It was a record-low birth rate and led experts to project a population decline of more than 20 million people by 2040.
· An airline company in Japan has worked with a the robotics company Cyberdyne to provide mechanical assistance for its aging employees so they can continue to work in the field.
· "The main purpose of this type of robot is to prevent back pain," Cyberdyne CFO Shinji Uga told Motherboard's Emiko Jozuka.
· A person weighing roughly 110 lbs. could pick up a 45-lb. suitcase with ease, Uga adds, although the device can be ramped up even higher for added strength.
· The exoskeleton is called HAL for Labor Support, and comes with a battery that can last a few hours and a price tag of $1,109 per month. It will also work in tandem with floor robots that can cart loads upward of 400 lbs. and clean the airport terminals.
Canadian man arrested for balloon chair stunt straight out of Pixar's UP
· In a wild and potentially deadly stunt reminiscent of the flying balloon house in Pixar's UP, a Canadian man has been arrested for taking to the skies in a self-designed balloon chair.
· Daniel Boria, 26, of Calgary is being charged with one count of mischief causing danger to life after he attached 110 helium-filled balloons to a lawn chair in an effort to promote his cleaning products company.
· The cleaning products salesman spent a reported $20,000 (some of which went on banner plane advertising) and two years planning the adventure, sourcing massive 2-metre-high balloons capable of lifting his weight off the ground. And even then, he required 110 of them to hold him aloft.
· http://www.sciencealert.com/canadian-man-arrested-for-balloon-chair-stunt-straight-out-of-pixar-s-up
Paramount Wants Movies on Demand Two Weeks After They're In Theaters
· Paramount Pictures has struck a deal with two major movie theater chains that will allow them to release new films on demand after only two weeks in the theater.
· The Wall Street Journal reports that so far Paramount has struck deals with AMC Theatres and Cineplex in Canada which will participate in the experiment. That agreement concerns just two movies out in October: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Those films will become available to consumers on demand after 17 days in the theater.
· Rumor has it that Paramount would like to adopt the same schedule for its big films, including its major franchises like Star Trek and Mission Impossible. If Paramount can’t strike a deal with other North American movie chains for its largest blockbusters, that plan would seem to be jeopardy, keeping them out of those theaters entirely.
· The weird part? Paramount plans to give its partner theaters (so far just AMC and Cineplex) a cut of the profits from iTunes downloads and other services for the first three months after release.
· http://gizmodo.com/paramount-wants-movies-on-demand-two-weeks-after-theyre-1716555189
Watch Deadpool and Domino fight Joker and Harley Quinn
· YouTube video creator Batinthesun has made another Super Power Beat Down video. This time the battle is between two fan favorite teams. The Joker and Harley Quinn versus the merc with the mouth, Deadpool and Domino.
· http://www.geekbytespodcast.com/news/2015/7/6/watch-deadpool-and-domino-fight-joker-and-harley-quinn
‘G.I. Joe’s’ Elodie Yung to Play Elektra in ‘Marvel’s Daredevil’
· Variety has confirmed that Elodie Yung has been cast as Elektra in the second season of “Marvel’s Daredevil.”
· Yung, a French-born actress, is best known for roles in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” as Jinx and David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
· https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/daredevil-elektra-elodie-yung-1201535579/
Marisa Tomei Cast As Aunt May In Marvel's Spider-Man Movie
· Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei has been cast as Aunt May in Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures next Spider-Man movie, according to a report from Variety. 34
· Tomei will play opposite the new Peter Parker, Tom Holland.
· http://variety.com/2015/film/news/marisa-tomei-spider-man-1201536080/
HARRY SHEARER REJOINS THE SIMPSONS VOICE CAST IN 2-YEAR DEAL!
· Fox has announced that the entire voice cast of The Simpsons will be back this fall on Fox, and that includes Harry Shearer!
· Back in May, Shearer stunned Simpson’s fans and producers alike when he said that his departure came “because I wanted what we’ve always had: the freedom to do other work.”
· Apparently from that point on it was all a matter of negotiations to retain Harry Shearer for the next two years.
· http://nerdist.com/harry-shearer-rejoins-the-simpsons-voice-cast-in-2-year-deal/
MORTAL KOMBAT X ADDS PREDATOR STARTING TOMORROW
· July 7th, in Mortal Kombat X with the Predator Bundle. Warner Bros. has announced that those who purchased the Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack will be able to download the legendary man hunter, Predator, if you have a season pass.
· If not the bundle will be available July 14 for $8, or you can just purchase the character minus the extra skin packs for $5.
· Fans of Mortal Kombat X will also be happy to know that Warner Bros. has also announced that the Klassic Fatality Pack and the Kold War Scorpion skin will both be free to everyone starting tomorrow. The fatality pack will include four “klassic” fatalities from the original Mortal Kombat for Sub-Zero, Sonya, Scorpion and Johnny Cage.
· http://nerdist.com/mortal-kombat-x-adds-predator-starting-tomorrow/
Trailers of the Week
Batgirl: A Matter of Family DLC trailer
· In Batgirl: A Matter of Family, when The Joker kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and holds him hostage at the Seagate Amusement Park, Batgirl and Robin must fight against the odds to save him and avoid falling victim to The Joker’s sinister plan. Trained by Batman, Batgirl’s combat combines with unparalleled hacking abilities to take down enemies, control objects and solve puzzles.
Sharktopus Vs. Whalewolf
· Following the great tradition of the Universal Monster Mash up, Syfy has put two of it’s weirdest monsters in one movie. Sharktopus and Whalewolf.
· The film premieres on Sunday July 19th at 9 p.m. EST., only on Syfy.
Goosebumps sneak Peak
· The monsters from R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" books are loose, and it's up to his niece and their new teenage next-door neighbor to save the town of Greendale.
· Ramon: Reminds me of Jumangi in it’s tone and theme
Disney's The Finest Hours
· In 1952 during of the worst hurricanes the U.S. had ever seen, the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. The Coast Guard embarked on a daring rescue mission to save the trapped sailors.
· Stars: Chris Pines and Casey Affleck
· “The Finest Hours” washes ashore on January 29, 2016
· http://www.geekbytespodcast.com/news/2015/7/8/watch-the-trailer-for-disneys-the-finest-hours
One Minute Time Machine
· 5 minute short about a guy with a time machine that sends him back just one minute
· Every time the beautiful Regina rejects his advances, James pushes a red button and tries again, all the while unaware of the reality and consequences of his actions.
· http://www.geekbytespodcast.com/news/2015/7/8/this-time-travel-short-is-soooo-funny
For a review of the topics we covered and any of the links in show notes for this episode visit our site geekbytespodcast.com
If you have any comments or news suggestions for us, please e-mail us at feedback@geekbytespodcast.com
Onto our Discussion section2
(Music 3)
Discussion
Minions Review
San Diego Comic Con July 9th-12th
There’s a ton of stuff happening at Comic Con this weekend
What are you looking forward to hearing about?
http://www.comic-con.org/cci/programming-schedule
That will be it for us this week.
If enjoy this podcast and want to help us grow our audience then please subscribe to our podcast on itunes or sticher or any podcatching app. Oh, and give us a good review us on itunes if you enjoyed the show.
Thanks for listening folks. Now Go Geek out about something.
(Music 4)
Music Credits
"Happy Bee", "Movement Proposition", "Theme for Harold (var.3) ", "Take the Lead"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/