It’s easy to fall into the notion that Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents are intended only to speak to us, HAL 9000 style—to inform, analyze and guide via conversation. But today, AI agents are being used for many behind the scenes activities. For example, cancer research via IBM’s Watson, autonomous cars and better human language translations. As a result of the enormous impact AI can have, in the many forms of human interactions, “Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and the Chinese firm Baidu — have touched off an arms race for A.I.” There’s more discussion on page 2 of Particle Debris.
Blade Runner 2049 Teaser Trailer Hits the Web
Blade Runner was an epic dystopian future movie that really shined once Ridley Scott was able to re-edit it and undo the damage the studios inflicted on us. Now we’re getting our first taste of the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, in a teaser trailer that promises even more epic dystopian awesomeness. The movie stars Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling, and if the teaser is any indication, this time the studios aren’t screwing it up. Blade Runner 2049 opens on October 6, 2017, so you have plenty of time to clear your schedule.
AirPods Alternatives, Plastic OLED - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-19
Apple’s AirPods are in the company’s retail stores, but that doesn’t mean you can buy them. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the limited availability for AirPods, and offer up some alternative wireless earbud options. They also look at Plastic OLED and explain what that means for future iPhone models.
Constrained Inventory Leaves AirPods Buyers Empty Handed
Hopeful shoppers lined up early Monday morning in a mostly fruitless effort to buy Apple’s AirPods today instead of waiting until January for online orders to ship. AirPods are backordered six weeks, but the company said the wireless earpods would be available in its retail stores on Monday, December 19th.
Here's Why a Plastic OLED Display iPhone Is a Good Thing
A new report claims Apple’s next iPhone will replace the glass LED display with curved Plastic OLED. On the surface that sounds like a bad idea because plastic, after all, scratches much easier than glass—but in this case, “Plastic OLED” doesn’t mean “plastic display.”
GorillaPower 5-Port USB & Power Dock: $59.99
We have a deal for you today on the GorillaPower 5-Port USB & Power Dock. This charging station has five ports and slots to hold your devices, too. It also has two two-way AC outlets, meaning you can plug the device into the wall, but you can also plug a computer into dock. This device is priced at $59.99 through us, 33% off retail.
The First Rule of The Darknet Is Don’t Talk About The Darknet – Mac Geek Gab 636
It’s true, John and Dave – and you, fellow listeners – have gone acronym crazy! BYOD is discussed, as is TOR browser on iOS and elsewhere. RAM performance under Sierra makes an appearance as do a TON of tips, especially one for speeding up Safari on slower Macs. VPN makes an appearance in this acronym show (as it should!), and then we have some gift guide suggestions from your fellow listeners. Press play and enjoy!
What You Get for Super Mario Run's $10 In-app Purchase
Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad is free to play, but that’s a little misleading. Without making the US$9.99 in-app purchase to unlock all of the game’s levels, there isn’t much you can do. Read on to see what your ten dollars gets you.
How to Setup a VPN on iPhone with iOS 10
You might (or might not) know about using a VPN to keep your Mac secure. But did you know you can also use a VPN on your iPhone? Here’s how to set one up.
Super Mario Run Collects $5 Million in Coins in 24 Hours
Super Mario Run has garnered as many as five million downloads and US$5 million in revenue in just the first 24 hours since the game launched. VentureBeat rounded up estimates from three third party app metric services, with two of the three offering estimates in that range. If accurate, it would represent a 20% conversion rate of people who have download the free-to-download game. Nintendo gives users access to three levels, plus a tiny taste of the boss level, in the free download. For $9.99, users can unlock the whole game. $5 million is not a lot of money to a company like Apple—and Apple’s cut would be roughly $1.5 million—but it’s likely to be significant for any gaming company. Especially in the first 24 hours. Mobile gaming is big, and Apple has been pushing Super Mario Run hard (as Jeff and I discussed in Friday’s Daily Observations). It would seem that Apple’s user base is responding well to that push. Just for fun, the game’s trailer is below.