F5 Live: Refreshing Technology (Audio): Recent Episodes
PLUGHITZ Live
Hosted by Scott Ertz and Avram Piltch, F5 Live is a livecast covering the worlds of gadgets, gaming, Internet and media. Each weekly show airs live on Sunday nights at 9p eastern time at http://www.f5live.tv/joinus, allowing the audience to chat with the hosts live on the air and ask questions about the topics discussed on the show. After each episode goes off the air, the audio and video are then uploaded and are available for download through any number of services by Monday morning. The crew also travels the country to cover special events and conventions from the International CES to Star Wars: Celebration. Special shows air throughout the week of the events and can be found in this feed as well as the PLUGHITZ Live Special Events feed. F5 Live: Refreshing Technology is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and is part of the PLUGHITZ Live Family. For more information, inquiries or if you'd like to have F5 Live appear, cover or produce content at your event, please visit http://www.f5live.tv or reach out to contact@plughitz.com.
DescriptionThis week, Apple seemingly ignores a court order, Steam has a pointless hack, Meta is defending its acquisitions, and streaming is going all-in on AI ads.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreApple's App Store Changes and Epic Games' Continued Fortnite StruggleApple has been forced to make significant changes to its App Store policies following legal battles and regulatory pressure. These adjustments have sparked new opportunities for developers while also leading to ongoing disputes, most notably, Epic Games' unsuccessful attempt to bring Fortnite back to iOS. With Apple continuing to resist broader reforms, the future of app distribution on iOS remains uncertain.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaValve Responds to Alleged Steam User Hack: What Really Happened?In recent days, reports surfaced claiming that Valve's Steam platform had suffered a major data breach, allegedly compromising over 89 million user accounts. The accusations quickly spread across gaming communities, raising concerns about the security of Steam users' personal information. However, Valve has since denied these claims, stating that no meaningful breach of Steam systems occurred. So, what really happened? Let's break down the allegations, Valve's response, and what this means for users moving forward.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesUS Antitrust Battle: Meta Defends Its Social Media DominanceThe ongoing antitrust case against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has become one of the most significant legal battles in the tech industry. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused Meta of maintaining an unlawful monopoly in the social media market, particularly through its acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. The case, which began in April 2025, has drawn widespread attention as regulators seek to determine whether Meta's dominance stifles competition and harms consumers.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeAI Advertising Revolution: YouTube and Netflix Embrace AI-Powered AdsArtificial intelligence is transforming the digital advertising landscape, with streaming giants YouTube and Netflix embracing AI-driven ad placements to enhance engagement and optimize revenue. AI-powered advertising allows these platforms to strategically deliver highly personalized, interactive ads that blend into user experiences without feeling disruptive.
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DescriptionThis week, we delve into the Windows 11 Recall feature, gaming price trends, internet cable vulnerabilities, and the legal levy on streaming services.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreThe Return of the Recall Feature to Windows 11: What You Need to KnowAfter nearly a year of anticipation, Microsoft has reintroduced the Recall feature to Windows 11, a tool designed to enhance productivity by allowing users to retrace their digital steps. However, its journey back to the operating system has been anything but smooth. Here's a closer look at the delays, the reasons behind them, and the concerns that have surrounded this controversial feature.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaVideogame Prices Have Remained Steady But That Might Change SoonVideogames have been a cornerstone of entertainment for decades, delivering immersive experiences, stunning visuals, and memorable stories. Despite these advancements, one aspect of gaming that has remained surprisingly consistent is its pricing. Standard game prices have hovered around $60 for years - an anomaly considering inflation and rising costs across other industries. However, recent speculation suggests a pending price shift in the gaming landscape.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesHidden Vulnerabilities of Undersea Internet Cables: A Growing ConcernIn the digital age, undersea internet cables form the backbone of global connectivity, transmitting nearly 95% of international data. These cables, stretching over 870,000 miles across the ocean floor, are indispensable for Internet communication, financial transactions, and real-time diplomatic exchanges. However, recent incidents have highlighted their vulnerabilities, raising concerns about the security and resilience of this critical infrastructure.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeThe Impact of the UK's Proposed Levy on Video Streaming ServicesThe video streaming industry has revolutionized how we consume entertainment, offering unparalleled convenience and a vast array of content. However, a recent report from the United Kingdom's Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee has sparked discussions about the future of this industry. The report recommends a 5% levy on the UK subscriber revenue of streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+. This levy aims to support British television production and ensure the sustainability of culturally significant content. But what does this mean for the pricing of video streaming services?
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DescriptionThis week, DoorDash offers Buy Now Pay Later, Xbox leaks a new UI feature, Google sues scammers, and a new AI copyright ruling is shaping the tech landscape.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreDoorDash's "Buy Now, Pay Later" Option: A Convenience or a Conundrum?In a move that has sparked both curiosity and criticism, DoorDash has partnered with Klarna to offer customers the option to pay for their food orders in installments. While this "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) feature may seem like a convenient solution for cash-strapped consumers, it raises significant questions about financial responsibility, societal priorities, and the broader implications for the economy.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaMicrosoft's Accidental Xbox UI Leak Sparks Excitement Among GamersIn a surprising turn of events, Microsoft published a blog post which inadvertently revealed a new Xbox user interface (UI) update that could completely change the gaming experience across platforms. The accidental publishing of this UI mockup, which was quickly removed, showcased a filter tab for Steam games, hinting at potential integration with this and possibly other game stores like Epic Games. This development has sparked widespread speculation and excitement among gamers, as it aligns with Microsoft's ongoing efforts to create a unified gaming ecosystem.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesGoogle Sues Scammers Exploiting Maps with Fake Business ListingsGoogle has launched a lawsuit against a group of scammers who manipulated Google Maps by creating or hijacking thousands of fake business listings. This bold move underscores the tech giant's commitment to protecting users from fraud and safeguarding its platform as a reliable tool for finding businesses. The lawsuit, which identifies a Maryland man as the main orchestrator, sheds light on the alarming scale and tactics of this elaborate scam.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeAI and Copyright Law: Why Machine-Generated Content Can't Be ProtectedIn a groundbreaking decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that works generated solely by artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be copyrighted. This unanimous decision, penned by Judge Patricia Millett, has upheld the position of the Copyright Office. This position sent ripples through the creative and tech industries, redefining the boundaries of copyright law in the age of AI.
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DescriptionThis week, Sonos halts streaming box plans, AI search tools face inaccuracies, Niantic sells to Scopely, and Siri, Gemini and Alexa+ upgrades!
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAlexa+: The future of the smart assistant is coming soon for mostAmazon is set to revolutionize the world of virtual assistants with the launch of Alexa+, the next-generation AI-powered assistant. Packed with cutting-edge features and designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life, Alexa+ promises to be smarter, more conversational, and more capable than ever before. Here's everything you need to know about this exciting new platform, including its features, availability, pricing, and release timeline.
read full articleGoogle plans for Gemini to take over for Assistant across all productsIn a significant shift within the realm of digital assistance, Google is set to retire its long-standing Google Assistant by the end of 2025, making way for a more advanced AI, Gemini. This transition marks the end of an era for Google Assistant, which has been a reliable companion for millions of users worldwide. As we bid farewell to this familiar voice, we welcome Gemini, a new AI powerhouse designed to revolutionize our interactions with technology. With enhanced capabilities and personalized features, Gemini promises to deliver a more intuitive and efficient user experience, setting the stage for the future of AI assistance. But, those new features come with some significant drawbacks.
read full articleGrowing concerns over Siri's AI-powered upgrade and its delayApple's Siri has been a staple in the world of digital assistants, but recent developments have sparked growing concerns among users and industry experts alike. The much-anticipated AI-powered upgrade for Siri, initially promised for early 2025, has been delayed, leaving many wondering about the future of Apple's virtual assistant.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNiantic's sale to Scopely: A fearful new chapter for mobile gamingThe gaming world was recently shaken by the announcement of Niantic's $3.5 billion sale of its gaming division to Scopely. Known for its groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) games like Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, Niantic's decision to part with its gaming portfolio marks a significant shift in the mobile gaming landscape. While the acquisition promises exciting opportunities for the future of these beloved titles, it has also sparked concerns among players, particularly regarding the potential for expanded microtransactions. Here's a closer look at what this deal means for the future of Niantic's games, the fears it has ignited, and how the gaming community is responding.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesThe accuracy of AI-powered search engines: A double-edged swordArtificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way we interact with technology, particularly in the realm of search engines. These tools promise to deliver faster, more personalized, and contextually relevant results. However, a recent study conducted by the Columbia Journalism Review's Tow Center for Digital Journalism has cast a shadow over these promises, revealing that AI-powered search engines cite incorrect sources a staggering 60% of the time. This alarming statistic raises questions about the reliability of these tools and the potential dangers they pose to users.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeSonos Cancels Streaming Box: A Misstep in a Saturated MarketSonos, the audio company renowned for its high-quality speakers, has reportedly canceled its plans for a streaming box, codenamed "Pinewood." This decision, while surprising to some, may have been inevitable given the product's questionable utility and the company's ongoing struggles with its software ecosystem. The cancellation highlights broader challenges for Sonos as it navigates a competitive market and attempts to rebuild trust with its user base.
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DescriptionThis week, Microsoft Azure is going Three Mile Island, Nintendo is not making new Pals, SocialAI is not making new pals, and Runway is making new films.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreThree Mile Island no longer just a pejorative, now an AI power plantFor decades, the name Three Mile Island has been a pejorative slur for disaster. The expression "going Three Mile Island" has meant either something that has gone so far off the rails that it's unsalvageable or someone who has gotten so mad they need to be abandoned. No one has wanted to be associated with the name for any reason. That all changed this week with Microsoft's announcement that they are going to brave the waters and reopen the nuclear power plant to keep its AI operations more energy independent.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNintendo sues Palworld devs for patent infringement, not copyrightEver since its introduction, Palworld has been destined for a showdown with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Out of the box, the game was described as "Pokémon with guns," essentially guaranteeing that they would be targeted eventually. This week, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo finally filed the inevitable lawsuit, however making a surprising claim. While everyone expected a copyright or IP infringement violation, the lawsuit alleges a violation of a patent.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesSocialAI looks to remove the social and network from social networkingIf you have spent any time on social media in recent months, you might have noticed that a lot of the interaction appears to be nonsense. That's because the use of AI-powered bots has increased, both in positive and negative ways. This behavior has led to a theory, "Dead Internet Theory," that suggests that the internet is increasingly becoming sterile and lifeless because of the bots. Seemingly attempting to prove this theory correct is new solo social networking platform SocialAI, in which you are the only human.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeRunway to train AI video production model on all Lionsgate contentThe past 2 years has turned Hollywood against itself over the topic of AI in video production. Some people think that AI can help speed up production, from voiceovers to video and script creation. Others fear that their jobs will be in jeopardy due to the technology. While still others worry that taking the humanity out of the art form will remove the art aspect and turn the film industry into a factory. Lionsgate has made its position known with a new relationship with AI company Runway.
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DescriptionThis week, Alexa is getting smarter, Concord is losing gamers, Yelp has Google in its sights, and TikTok could be liable for Blackout Challenge death.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAmazon's Upgraded Alexa Plus: Release Date, Pricing, and New FeaturesLast year, Amazon announced that an upgrade was coming to the company's digital assistant, Alexa. The move came at a strange time for the company, as Alexa's future was up in the air. The new upgrade will focus on producing answers that the company hopes will be more relevant using generative AI. Unlike the standard Alexa service, however, this one will not be made available for free. But, if the rumors are correct, this upcharged service will be available soon.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaSony's Concord: A disastrous launch marred by lackluster contentThe entire gaming segment of the internet is talking about Sony's recently released multiplayer hero shooter Concord. Normally, this would be a good thing for a newly released videogame, but for Sony this could spell disaster. That's because the conversation is around the potential failure that is Concord.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesYelp vs. Google: The antitrust battle over local search dominanceYelp has filed suit against Google once again, this time claiming that the company has continually abused its market position to dominate the locals market. This is not the first time the companies have fought in court over local data and search results, but this one appears to be looking to harm Google's trust more than getting them to stop stealing data.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeTikTok sued over Blackout Challenge: Section 230 immunity challengedTikTok is known for a lot of things, but its bizarre trends and challenges have become its most controversial. From the more tame trends like the Cinnamon Challenge to incredibly dangerous trends like the Tide Pod Challenge, TikTok has promoted a number of odd things. One of the more dangerous trends was the Blackout Challenge in 2022, which led to several deaths. This week, a court ruled that Section 230 does not insulate the company from fault in relation to the deaths from the Blackout Challenge.
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DescriptionThis week, Anova is changing its charge, Fortnite is back on iPhone, Cox is headed to the Supreme Court, and Kim Dotcom is headed to the US.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAnova to start charging for currently free companion app for cookersIn a rising trend among tech companies, connected cooking device company Anova has announced that new user accounts created starting August 21, 2024, will be charged a $2 per month fee. This is a change from the current policy, which includes the application as part of the device's purchase price. Users who already have an account before that date will not be required to pay the fee as a "thank you" for helping the company get started.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaFortnite is finally back on iPhone, but not for most customersAfter years of battle between Epic Games and Apple, the popular battle royale title Fortnite has finally returned to the iPhone. Joining the game itself is the all-new Epic Games Store, which is now available to iPhone users, bringing access to games and services that may not be available through the native App Store. But, unfortunately, they are only available to iPhone users in the European Union, leaving out much of the overall customer base.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesCox petitions Supreme Court to prevent disconnections over piracyCox Communications, one of the largest ISPs in the United States, has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a previous ruling requiring the disconnection of users accused of piracy. The original case, brought about by Sony, found that Cox had not adequately worked to prevent its users from breaking the law on their network, particularly by terminating the accounts of those who abuse the service.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeKim Dotcom extradited to the US 12 years after Megaupload arrestsAfter more than a decade, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom may finally be extradited to the United States. The New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has officially signed an extradition order for the infamous site owner. However, the extradition is not guaranteed as Dotcom still has some options, and has vowed to continue fighting.
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DescriptionThis week, phones could unlock faster, game streaming is getting more complex, CrowdStrike took down the internet, and Netflix wants you to change plans.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreFCC wants a 60-day phone unlocking window, sparked by T-Mobile policyIf you have ever tried to sell a phone purchased directly from a carrier or tried to keep your phone while switching providers, you have likely experienced the process of unlocking that device. It can be an annoying process that can require going into a carrier store, as I recently had to do. However, the biggest challenge is that each carrier handles if and when you can unlock that device differently. That could all change, if a Federal Communication Commission proposal, which would require carriers to unlock devices at 60 days, goes through.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaGame Pass price increases while GeForce Now goes down amid partnershipIt's been a strange couple of weeks for videogame streaming. It started with Microsoft announcing a shuffling of the Xbox Game Pass system, including another price increase. Then, Nvidia announced a price decrease (at least temporarily) on GeForce Now, possibly as a tease aimed at Microsoft. But, then a strange announcement that Xbox could launch GeForce Now games from the website, thanks to a new partnership.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesCrowdStrike takes down corporate Windows computers across the worldIn a world increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, the recent global system failure attributed to CrowdStrike's software update has raised significant concerns about cybersecurity and the robustness of global IT systems. The incident, which primarily affected Windows PCs, has not only highlighted the vulnerabilities inherent in widespread technology but also the interconnected nature of modern software platforms.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeNetflix's Strategic Shift: The end of the ad-free Basic planIn a move that reflects the evolving landscape of digital streaming services, Netflix announced the discontinuation of its ad-free Basic plan, a decision that marks the end of an era for the streaming giant's most economical, commercial-free offering. This change comes as part of a broader strategy to restructure its pricing tiers, compelling customers to embrace the ad-supported Standard Plan at $6.99 or opt for higher-priced, ad-free subscriptions. Now, customers who were on the Basic plan in the United States and France are being forced to choose another plan or lose their accounts.
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DescriptionThis week, Amazon ends the Astro robot, Nintendo ends the Wii U console, hackers end your security, and Paramount+ ends its independence.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAmazon to brick all Astro robots, pivoting to a consumer focusAmazon is known for some bonkers product ideas. One of the more inexplicable products was the Astro robot - a product announced in 2021 that had a huge $2350 price tag and seemingly absolutely no point, or at the best case, no focus. Now, Amazon has informed internal staff that those who made the very large purchase will be left with a bricked robot in just a few months.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaWii U has ended its support life, with Nintendo no longer repairingThe Wii U was certainly Nintendo's most controversial console in history. It divided people from the moment it was announced at E3 2011. Would the screen make the gaming experience better, or would it simply be a distraction? In the end, the console nearly sank the company, with record losses hitting their bottom line before recovering with the Switch. Now, the company has finally put the console out to pasture, as official repairs have ended at Nintendo.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesLargest data dump of passwords ever hit the internet on July 4thIn a staggering revelation, researchers at Cybernews have uncovered what they're calling the largest password compilation ever. The file, titled rockyou2024.txt and released on the Fourth of July, emerged on a popular hacking forum, posted by a user known as ObamaCare. Within this file lies a mind-boggling 9,948,575,739 unique plaintext passwords. This means that there is no encryption and anyone can read the database directly. This collection is the largest database of passwords ever released, making this an unprecedented attack on public safety and security.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeParamount+ is available for merger again, with MAX possibly interestedOnce again, the fate of Paramount is up in the air. The company has struggled in recent years to catch on to modern television trends, perfect its streaming offerings, and produce and maintain programming. Either the company is stretching itself too thin, or they are in over their heads. As such, the company has looked at various options, including selling the company. Now, reports suggest that the goal is not so much to sell the entire company, but to find a company to merge their streaming operations with.
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DescriptionThis week, AI is coming for your data, Adult Swim is giving back games, the EU is investigating Meta, and another streaming service is coming.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAI models are coming for all of your data, personal and businessWhen AI technology first hit the mainstream a couple of years ago, the biggest concern came because of where the data came from. It appeared that the models were being trained on data that the companies behind them didn't have permission to train off of. They were scraping websites, blogs, newspapers, artist portfolios, music libraries, and more to train their data. While that was a violation of copyrights in many cases, the next generation of AI is going to find its data in new and even scarier places - your devices.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaAdult Swim Games to return discontinued store listings to developersA couple of months ago, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced that they would be shuttering 16 of the titles under the Adult Swim Games brand. The announcement meant that those titles would no longer be available to play and the games themselves would be lost to time. Now, the company has announced that they have come to an agreement with the independent developers whose games were on the chopping block to return the IP to their creators.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesMeta under investigation in the EU for DSA violations against minorsThis week, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, initiated an investigation into Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The Commission believes that the company and its social networks have not done enough to prevent harm to minors and to verify that minors are not able to access aspects of the company's offerings that they are prohibited from according to the Digital Services Act (DSA).
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeVenu Sports is yet another streaming services aimed at sports fansBad news everyone! There is yet another streaming service headed your way to steal your money and attention. This service, called Venu Sports, is a partnership between Disney (which owns ABC and ESPN), Fox (which owns Fox Sports), and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns TBS and TNT). Together, Venu Sports hopes to be your one-stop shop for all things sports without a cable subscription, but there are some notable exceptions that might make that a difficult proposition.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple Vision Pro ships less, Garry's Mod cuts Nintendo content, the FCC revives Net Neutrality, and TikTok's time is almost up.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreApple's XR ambitions may be over as shipments cut for Vision ProWhen Apple announced its ambitious Vision Pro headset, reactions were mixed, to say the least. Apple envisioned people using the product similarly to an iPhone, wearing these dystopian isolation headsets all day Potential users, on the other hand, saw them as an occasional toy. Because of that disparity, it appears that Apple had ordered too many devices for the demand, and that is being corrected.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNintendo-based content being removed from Garry's Mod Steam WorkshopGarry's Mod, the popular game design workshop available through Steam, has begun removing content containing anything Nintendo-related. This comes following a takedown notice from Nintendo, as confirmed by the Garry's Mod team. The Steam Workshop contains user-made content spanning 2 decades, making this a long and arduous process.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesNet Neutrality is back, and ISPs seem not to know how to feel about itOver the past 2 decades, the topic of Net Neutrality has come up a number of times. In the early 2000s, the US had a time-limited set of rules, known publicly as Net Neutrality. When those expired, early in the existence of PLUGHITZ Live, a long-running debate was reignited: should the internet be regulated and, if so, by whom? The FTC has claimed power, but that was short-lived. The FCC has claimed power, but that has been struck down twice. Now, the FCC has tried once again to claim authority over the Internet, and the chaos that brings has already begun.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeTikTok timer has been started - nine months to sell or shut downIn the past two weeks, the US House of Representatives and the US Senate passed a bill with a timer for TikTok, and President Biden signed it into law. This law sets a timer of 9 months for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to sell the social network to a Western company or face an outright ban in the US. If it feels like you're living in a time warp, it's because you sort of are. We've been here before, but this time it looks as if the result will be different.
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DescriptionThis week, Alexa Skills are in trouble, Pokémon Violet leads to jail, Broadband Labels are here, and Star Trek: Lower Decks is going.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAmazon's Alexa dreams are coming to an end with end of Skills programWhen Amazon first launched Alexa and the accompanying speakers, the company intended for the ecosystem to be the center of a user's digital home life - a similar goal to Steve Ballmer's pivot for the Xbox brand. However, despite the company's constant push into new hardware and new concepts, Alexa is still the system you use to turn on your lights and check the weather. As such, Amazon is scaling back its goals and dropping incentives for developers.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaPokémon Violet save data threatens Japanese man with 5 years in jailIn the world of Pokémon, one of the most popular parts of the game is collecting the full Pokedex. However, anyone who has regularly played any of the games in the series knows that it can be a challenge. There are rare creatures that are hard to find. In some games, like Pokémon GO, some creatures are location-locked, meaning you have to go to another country or continent to find them. This creates a scenario for people to obtain these creatures through illicit means, and that could land you in prison, as it might for one Japanese man.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesBroadband Labels are here to explain your internet bill detailsIf you're anything like I am, you've had the same internet service provider (ISP) for years. Sure, I've upgraded plans in that time - 100 Mbps was the maximum you could get when I signed up - but the provider has always been the same. This has been, in large part, because it's a massive challenge to wade through the details of ISP plans when everyone uses marketing terms rather than industry terms to describe their services. At least with the same provider, you know what the words mean. Now Broadband Labels are here to make that comparison between services easier with consistent naming and descriptions - just like the panel on the side of your favorite cereal.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeGolden Era of Star Trek streaming may be over with new cancelationOver the past few years, Star Trek has seen a renaissance of sorts. This has been the first time since the late 1990s that there have been so many active projects within the Star Trek Universe. But, there has been a fear that, like any bubble, it would eventually pop. The past year has seen the end of several projects, and confusion over one, leading to fears that the burst might happen soon. This week, during Paramount's CinemaCon presentation, it was revealed that fan-favorite Star Trek: Lower Decks will end after its upcoming 5th season.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple and Epic are at it again, Adult Swim is killing off some games, TikTok's clock is ticking, and NYT says it didn't hack ChatGPT.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreEpic Games and Apple continue fight on same front in the EU and USApple hates Epic Games - there is no doubt about that. The company has created policies and procedures to target the popular game studio and publisher specifically. In fact, Apple's heavy-handed approach to their platforms and to Epic Games in particular has led states, countries, and even the EU, to look into their practices and craft new laws around them. In the past few weeks, some of the original actions that spurred the whole battle between titans came back up when Apple banned Epic's developer account for a day, but quickly reversed course.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaAdult Swim Games to delist 16 titles, causing trouble for developersThe reality of the modern gaming industry is one of constant change with ups and downs. Many of those downs come about when a game, which many people poured their hearts and souls into while designing, developing, and playing, is shut down. Everyone in that chain is affected in some way - some more than others. This week, developers and players alike were left disappointed to discover that Adult Swim Games, under the leadership of Warner Bros. Discovery, was planning to delist 16 games from marketplaces in the coming weeks.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesTikTok is back on the chopping block as House passes new security lawAfter a few years of silence, the US government once again has its sights set on TikTok and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance. Following a security briefing, the US House of Representatives quickly submitted and passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This bill, if passed in the Senate and signed by the President, would start a 60-day timer for ByteDance to divest its ownership in TikTok or face an outright ban in the country.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeNYT says it didn't hack ChatGPT, only exposed copyright infringementThe lawsuit between The New York Times and ChatGPT maker OpenAI has heated up in the past few weeks. After NYT cited examples of ChatGPT spitting out exact text from NYT articles. This prompted OpenAI to claim that the publication had "hacked" the system in order to get it to do things it shouldn't do. The publication has responded by claiming that it did nothing wrong, only used publicly available capabilities, and exposed ChatGPT as a system of plagiarism.
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DescriptionThis week, Wendy's wants dynamic prices, gaming studios lay off devs, Wikipedia doesn't trust AI, and Warner Bros. doesn't want Paramount.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreWendy's plans to use AI to change prices dynamically starting in 2025This week, a piece from Food & Wine brought to the internet's attention Wendy's future pricing plans. The company stated that they are investing $20 million to install new digital menu boards across the company. These boards would give the company the ability to dynamically change prices throughout the day. The move was immediately compared to the much-maligned Surge pricing from Uber, but the company claims that it has been misrepresented.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaGaming dev layoffs continue at Sony, EA, Supermassive, and moreFollowing the massive layoffs at Microsoft and Activision, the industry has not slowed down. In fact, layoffs have sped up, rampaging the entire industry. Studios and publishers around the world have followed suit, laying off employees, closing studios, and canceling games.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesWikipedia declares CNET unreliable because of AI-generated contentGenerative AI has caused a lot of trouble over the past year. Articles have been published with completely false information, headlines that are distasteful at best, and images that blatantly violate intellectual property. And, all of this while likely infringing on the copyright of content producers whose content is being used to train these systems without their knowledge or approval. But one publication - CNET - seems to keep popping up as a perpetrator of these issues, and Wikipedia has taken notice.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeWarner Bros. and Paramount end their merger talks without actionThe past few months have been filled with rumors and speculation about the potential merger of two of the major corporate streaming and media giants: Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount. The merger, if it had come to fruition, would have created a major rival for top streaming company: Netflix. But, talks appear to have ended before any action was taken.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple is maliciously complying, Microsoft is laying off eSports, Google is clearing the cache, and UMG is silencing TikTok.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StorePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaMicrosoft layoffs wiped out Activision Blizzard eSports teamFollowing the completion of its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has laid off 1900 employees across its gaming division. This was mostly said to be a downsizing of duplicated positions following several acquisitions. However, one of the divisions that seems to have been completely wiped out is the former Activision Blizzard eSports team, which has caused various problems for the company's brands over the years.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesGoogle is killing its website cache, ending another web backupFor years, Google Search results have offered more than just a title, description, and link to the page. In addition, there has been a link under the result for the cached page. This link allowed you to view a website even if its server wasn't working correctly. Now, however, that option has been removed from Google Search results and the cache itself will soon be deprecated entirely.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeTikTok and UMG end relationship, muting videos on the platformWhen creating content, there are a couple of ways you can handle music. You can use no music, which many users do. You can create the music yourself, which is less common. You can license the music you use, which can be costly. Or, you can use the music licensed through the platform you're using. When it comes to the last, you give up all control and leave yourself open to future copyright violations if those terms change. That is what TikTok users discovered this week after Universal Music Group (UMG) ended its relationship with the video-sharing service.
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DescriptionThis week, Android is opening up, E3 is closing down, CMG Local wants your privacy, and Mickey Mouse wants to be yours.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreGoogle Play violates anti-monopoly laws, according to federal juryComing three years after Epic Games sued both Apple and Google over antitrust issues with their App Stores, a federal jury has found that Epic was right in regards to Google. The jury found that Google had illegally tied its services together and used its market position to bully mobile app developers and publishers into using those services at inflated prices.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaE3 is permanently gone, alongside an era when the industry needed itFor many years, we have said that E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, was on its last leg. The ESA, the organization that managed the event, has had issues understanding what the event is, who it is for, and why it had been a success. The pandemic hit the event hard, showing the industry that, without E3, there was nothing lost. Since the world began spinning again, the ESA has not figured out how to run another show. Now, they have announced that E3 is dead once and for all.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesAre your devices listening to you? Marketer says absolutely.We've all had the experience of talking about a strange product or service with a friend or family member, and the next thing we know, we're getting bombarded with ads for that same product or service. This experience has led many to claim that their devices are listening to them and using private conversations to create targeted marketing campaigns. While most companies claim that this is science fiction nonsense, CMG Local Solutions, a part of the Cox Media Group, claims that it is doing exactly this. But, are they?
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeThe original version of Mickey Mouse becomes public domain in 2024The original version of Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney. In the decades since then, the character has changed a lot, from adding color to significant modernizations. However, the copyright on the original version of the character expires in 2024, moving Mickey Mouse into the public domain. But, that doesn't mean that all of Mickey Mouse will be public domain, and it doesn't mean that we'll see the character being used to market new and unrelated brands.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple Card's future's in question, Netflix Games is adding Grand Theft Auto, Meta's in a privacy mess, and WB's proud of courageous cancelations.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreApple Card's future in question as Goldman Sachs relationship endsSince Apple's 2000s renaissance, the company has seemingly tried to get into every industry it can. In addition to computers, the company's initial intention, Apple had gotten into music, cars, and even financial services. Some of the endeavors, such as music, have been huge successes. The iPod and iTunes introduced a new group of consumers to a long-existing product category of portable digital music. But others, like financial services, have been a disaster for the company and its partners. The Apple Card and its issues have caused a breakup between Apple and Goldman Sachs and left the future of the service in question.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNetflix Games lands major franchise: Grand Theft Auto trilogySince Netflix first launched Netflix Games, the company has relied heavily on small games and in-house IP. This has included games with the backing of the Stranger Things and Love is Blind brands. Now, Netflix is leveling up its game offerings by bringing in one of the biggest gaming franchises in history: Grand Theft Auto.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesAmid child privacy concerns, Meta sues FTC to allow abuse to continueIt is no secret that children use Meta properties, despite Terms of Service rules and Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rules against it. The company has long stated that it responds quickly to reports of underaged users, but new data shows that is not true. And, to add insult to injury, the company has sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to allow them to monetize those underaged users.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeWB and DC leadership says canceling completed films was "courageous"Over the past year, studios and publishers have been canceling projects that are far along in their production. One of the most high-profile cancelations, however, was Batgirl because the movie was at the end of its filming and editing phase, with only VFX left. While there were suggestions that the movie was canceled for tax reasons, like many others this year, new details suggest that the film was never going to work and needed to be shelved.
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DescriptionThis week, Fire OS might be dropping Android, Modern Warfare 3 is losing maps, Omegle is leaving the net, and SAG-AFTRA is getting back to work.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAmazon Fire OS looks to be replaced by Linux flavor over AndroidSince Amazon first launched its line of Fire hardware, they have used an altered version of Android, based on the Android Open Source Project, as their Fire OS. This decision allowed the company to get to market quickly and power a wide variety of devices. It also allowed for a robust ecosystem of apps, though not distributed through Google Play. Now, the company wants to move away from Android and into its own home-grown platform, which is codenamed Vega.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaCall of Duty Modern Warfare 3 maps getting pulled over massive bugsCall of Duty Modern Warfare 3 just launched this week and Activision is already under fire for the game's performance. In particular, the company has had to pull several of the multiplayer maps because the functionality makes them completely useless.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesOmegle is gone after years of inappropriate usage and lawsuitsThis week, the controversial online chat service Omegle was shut down. The service has long been a location for inappropriate behavior, including exposing kids to adult content and grooming kids. The site's owners claim that the service is just not feasible, but the real reason may be an agreement as part of a lawsuit settlement.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeThe SAG-AFTRA strike is over, restarting film and TV productionsAfter months of shutdown, Hollywood is about to get back to work. Following the settlement of the Writers' Strike several weeks ago, the SAG-AFTRA strike has also been resolved. This means that productions that have been halted by both Hollywood strikes are able to resume filming this week.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple's sales drop, Blizzard's future is revealed, Sam Bankman-Fried's fate is sealed, and YouTube's Terms of Service is enforced.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreMac sales collapse 34%, but Apple hopes new hardware will helpThis week, two things happened in the Apple universe: the company announced a refresh for its Mac lineup, and sales numbers for its current Mac lineup were released. The latter certainly indicates that Apple needs the former to increase sales for the company's computers because the latter showed a collapse in sales equaling a roughly 34% decrease year-over-year from 2022 to 2023.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaBlizzCon 2023: Highlights and lowlights from this year's eventThis year's BlizzCon, Blizzard's annual announcement fiesta, comes at an interesting time for the company. It is the first BlizzCon since the approved merger of Activision Blizzard with Microsoft Gaming, and likely the last where Microsoft has no influence on the direction of the company. The company announced what they see as the direction of their products over the short and long term, seeing a plan for Microsoft to benefit from.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesSam Bankman-Fried, FTX crypto-fraudster, guilty on all countsA year ago, the crypto-exchange FTX collapsed. It took with it a lot of money, value, cryptocurrency, and trust in the industry. Since then, governments around the world have been investigating and prosecuting the executive leadership of the company over various versions of fraud. This week, former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted on all 7 counts in the US and now faces over a century behind bars.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeYouTube's crackdown on ad blockers is getting aggressive with usersSince nearly the day Google purchased YouTube, the company has been fighting against users who have ad blockers installed. They have tried various tactics over the years, such as messages and delays. But now, Google is taking its battle against ad blockers to a new level, blocking users from watching any content on YouTube entirely.
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DescriptionThis week, Panos Panay leaves Microsoft for Amazon, SAG-AFTRA strikes against games, Amazon is sued by the FTC, and the WGA strike is over.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StorePanos Panay, Microsoft's former head of devices, headed to AmazonA couple of weeks ago, shortly before Microsoft's announcement event for the next generation of Surface devices, Panos Panay announced his departure from the company. The timing was curious, as Panay created the Surface line and has overseen its growth. But, his future was not clear - until this year. Now we know that he is headed to Amazon to oversee devices and services at the company.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaSAG-AFTRA adds videogame industry to its list of active strikesStarting on July 14, 2023, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) voted to strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The strike has been ongoing and, along with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, has brought Hollywood to a complete standstill. Now, the WGA strike has ended, but SAG-AFTRA has decided to add the videogame industry to its list of industries with which they have complaints.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesAmazon sued by FTC and 17 states over antitrust and monopoly behaviorsFor years, Amazon has been accused of anti-competitive behavior. From price fixing to product duplication, nearly every aspect of the company's business practices has been investigated and scrutinized. Now, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Attornies General from 17 states have filed suit against Amazon claiming that the company uses "anticompetitive and unfair strategies" to drive up prices for both buyers and sellers on the platform and off of it.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeThe writers' strike is over, but without actors it may not matterOn May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America began a strike against the big Hollywood studios. The strike essentially meant that most productions were shut down because, without writers, not much could be done. Some productions already had scripts written, which meant filming could continue until SAG-AFTRA also went on strike. This week, the WGA Strike came to an end, meaning that writers can get back to work. But, with the actors still on strike, does it matter at all?
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DescriptionThis week, hackers disabled most of Las Vegas, Unity destroyed its value, Microsoft had an AI nightmare, and the EU fined TikTok.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreLas Vegas hackers using basic tactics to bring city to a standstillOver the past few weeks, a seemingly powerful hacking scheme has been going on in the city of Las Vegas. Casinos from both Caesar's Entertainment and MGM have been brought to a standstill. And, while it would appear to be a sophisticated attack by a group of professionals, the reality is far less impressive. The team behind the attacks is surprisingly young and uses standard social engineering to achieve their goals.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaUnity changes fee structure & entire industry revolts against platformIt has been an interesting few weeks for the video game industry. Starfield released with ironic issues rendering a field of stars. The head of Fortnite has left Epic Games. But the one action that happened that has captivated the entirety of the industry is a very weird announcement from Unity Technologies that completely changes the way developers may use the gaming engine and how they will pay for its usage.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesMicrosoft allows another insulting AI-generated article on StartWe know that AI-generated content is often garbage. The content is often garbled and incorrect, with boilerplate text and details of unrelated events. But an interesting new trend has emerged in recent weeks - purely insulting articles. These articles are beginning to find their way onto mainstream websites - particularly Microsoft Start (MSN News). This includes this week's article calling a former NBA player "useless" for having the audacity to die.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeEU fines TikTok $368 million for violating child privacy regulationsTikTok has often found itself in hot water - sometimes with consumers and sometimes with governments. It seems that nearly every major government in the world has taken an interest in the Chinese-owned company and its practices. Some are interested in the way the algorithm surfaces content, while others are interested in how they store data. The latter is what has led the EU, through Ireland's Data Protection Commission, to fine TikTok $368 million over the handling of children's privacy and data handling.
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DescriptionThis week, Microsoft is defending Copilot users, ReedPop is abandoning E3, X wants to keep its secrets, and Sony sues a TV Museum for copyright violation.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreMicrosoft will assume responsibility for Copilot plagiarized contentIn recent months, AI technologies, especially Generative AI, have become a hot topic. It seems every company wants to provide the service, but consumers are worried about the ethical and legal position of the output. In particular, people are worried about prosecutable plagiarism coming from these systems. In order to help alleviate some of those fears, Microsoft has created the Copilot Copyright Commitment, a promise to take responsibility for any issues from its AI Copilot technologies.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaE3 is almost certainly done for good as ReedPop abandons sinking shipThe past decade or so has been rough for the former gaming behemoth: the Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3. The managing organization, the ESA, has been a powder keg of chaos and general incompetence. The COVID-19 pandemic, or more specifically the lockdowns, created massive problems for the already struggling event. ReedPop jumped in to help try to right the ship, but this week, the company said it was ending its relationship with E3 and the ESA was on its own going forward.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesX Corp. sues California to keep its secret sauce from the usersSince Elon Musk took over Twitter, things have been chaotic, to say the least. Between name changes, policy changes, and a nearly complete employee change, keeping up with what's going on can be a challenge. One thing that was promised upon takeover was that the new Twitter, which is now called X, would be open, transparent, and less regulated. That hasn't exactly been the reality, and California's content moderation law AB 587 looks to force open the doors revealing the way social networks, including X, work inside.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimePreservation vs Copyright: Sony issues strikes against TV MuseumThere is a fine line between what does and doesn't fall under fair use. That line came into clear view this week as the Museum of Classic Chicago TV received a series of copyright strikes from Sony Pictures Entertainment. The strikes revolve around episodes of Bewitched from the 1960s that had been posted to YouTube under the concept of preservation. The strikes would have terminated the channel had SPE followed through on the threat, but backed down when Chief Curator Rick Klein removed the content.
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DescriptionThis week, Scientology fights Right to Repair, Lenovo is gaming on the Go, the FCC upholds broadband labels, and Spectrum customers are mad at Disney.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreRight to Repair under attack by a bizarre new enemy: ScientologyLast week, something strange happened in the realm of Right to Repair - Apple changed its position. It was a shock to most people in the industry who have followed Apple's public attacks on users' ability to work on their own devices. This week, however, we've got an even bigger shock, but this time coming out against Right to Repair bill amendments. This new adversary is the always controversial Church of Scientology, or specifically one of its subsidiaries.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaLenovo Legion Go: A Windows hybrid of a Switch and a Steam DeckOver the past few years, portable gaming has become a big business. Nintendo got it started, but now everyone in the gaming industry wants to participate. From Valve to Sony, many gaming companies are creating their own portable gaming devices. The most recent company to announce is Lenovo, showing off the Legion Go.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesFCC is not interested in ISP complaints about listing all feesLast year, the FCC announced upcoming labeling rules for internet service providers (ISPs). These rules require, among other things, that all fees added to the base service fee for internet service, be individually listed on the bill. ISPs didn't like the idea of these rules and said so. This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) responded to complaints by simply telling the companies, too bad, sad story.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeCancel Disney Plus trends after Disney and Spectrum deal failsIf you're a Spectrum cable customer, you might have noticed a series of missing channels. This is because a contract negotiation between Disney and Charter broke down at the last moment. This left Charter without the rights to these channels. Both companies have blamed the other for the issue, and customers are left without access to those networks. Customers have responded negatively in favor of Charter, calling for a boycott of Disney+ in response.
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This week, Cortana is dead, Netflix is bringing games to the TV, ChatGPT is crawling the web, and Disney is raising prices... again.
This week, iOS 17 Public Beta is coming to your phone, Larry Hryb is leaving Xbox, Threads is out of the EU, and Miranda Sings into controversy.
This week, Apple's wall is coming down, Robot Cache is growing up, Threads is confusing everyone, and Reddit is protecting users. Again.
This week, Logitech G is taking over, Twitch is backing down, Instagram is planning a Thread, and Netflix is gaining new users.
DescriptionThis week, Gigabyte is at your back door, Street Fighter is breaking records, Amazon is paying for privacy, and Hollywood is not breaking the strike.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreGigabyte created dangerous backdoor on millions of PC motherboardsBack doors are a common, yet controversial part of the tech industry. Sometimes, they are innocuous ways for the software to transfer data in the background, like doing updates without bothering the user. Other times, they are intended to allow outsiders to access data on your computer or bypass security settings. What is not common is leaving a back door open on hardware, especially something as core to the operation of the world as computer motherboards. However, that is exactly what happened with Gigabyte motherboards.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaStreet Fighter VI sets impressive record in first day on the marketIf you're a fan of the fighting game genre, this week was a big deal for you. The highly anticipated release of the newest edition of the long-running Street Fighter franchise was released and, before the first 24 hours had elapsed, the game had broken a major record on Steam. In fact, it didn't just break it - the game shattered to a point that it will be a challenge to be surpassed.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesPrivacy violations on Alexa and Ring cost Amazon $30 millionReversing a trend leading up to 2018, internet users have begun to really care about their privacy online. As such, the FTC has been investigating potential privacy violations at a higher rate. We've seen them go after Tiktok and YouTube for child privacy violations, the latter changing the way YouTube does business. This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have taken aim at Amazon, costing the company over $30 million.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeWriters' strike will not be as simple to resolve as it was in 2008For the second time in 15 years, we find ourselves in the midst of a serious writer's strike in Hollywood. During the 2007/2008 strike, the entertainment landscape was turned on its head. A combination of that and sabotage from another union brought the strike to an end without the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) getting anything it wanted and being set up for failure in modern times. The latest strike, however, is set to end differently, according to the WGA itself.
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DescriptionThis week, Asus brings down the internet, Nvidia is bringing in Microsoft Game Studios, domains will cause problems, and YouTube videos are safe, for now.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreAsus routers go offline unexpectedly, caused by bugged updateIt's always a rough day for users when an internet-connected device unexpectedly goes offline. We remember just a few months ago when Insteon devices went dark without any warning or communication. Customers had no idea what was going on or if there was a way to recover any of the devices they had built their smart homes upon. What rises above this in terms of internet issues is having your router go offline with seemingly no issue or recognition of the problem. This is exactly what Asus router owners experienced this week.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaMicrosoft games to be available on GeForce Now in new partnershipMicrosoft has announced another new partnership for its Microsoft Studios games, both current and future: Nvidia. This new partnership will bring Xbox Studios games to another Microsoft competitor, GeForce Now. The partnership will bolster the cloud gaming platform whose business model was forced to change after launch, while also giving Microsoft another outlet for sales of games. Plus, it will look good across the globe - especially in the UK.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesNew Top Level Domains will definitely make it easier for scammersA group petitions the ICANN every few years to introduce new Top Level Domains (TLD). These are the last part of a website we're familiar with and use daily. The most common, and the longest-lasting, are .com, .net, and .org. Recently, a new petition to add 8 new TLDs was submitted by Google. 6 of these TLDs are mostly innocuous, but 2 of them will make it easier for scammers to ruin your day (or more likely your parents).
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeYouTube videos appear to be safe in Google's planned account purgesThis week, Google announced a new policy surrounding inactive Google accounts. The plan, according to a blog post is to purge accounts that have not been active for at least 2 years. The company has its reasons for the purge, but one concern remained: what would happen to YouTube videos for inactive accounts? Google has clarified and it did not go the way we expected.
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DescriptionThis week, Siri's future is in trouble, Microsoft's Activision acquisition is blocked, AI regulation is coming together, and Black Mirror is coming back.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreSiri is in trouble as Apple's AI ambitions are full of "dysfunction"Over the past few months, the topic of artificial intelligence, and particularly generative AI, have become a significant topic. We've even talked about the past few episodes of Piltch Pointt because of how important it has become. We've seen companies like Microsoft and Google begin integrating the technology into their search tools and in Microsoft's case all of their tools. But, for Apple, there has been essentially zero discussion about the technology, despite the company's existing position with Siri, and it might be because the company has no direction for Siri at all.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaMicrosoft deal for Activision might be dead thanks to UK's CMAIt has been just over a year since Microsoft announced its intention to purchase gaming company, Activision Blizzard. The merged company would have brought a ton of games from Activision and Blizzard's catalog to the Game Pass subscription service, making it an even better deal for gamers. The companies even committed to keeping high-profile franchises on competitors' hardware. Despite all of this, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided to block the acquisition, but that doesn't mean this is the end.
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DescriptionThis week, the Metaverse is starting to unify, Netflix adds a Halo to its gaming plans, social media had to moderate hard, and Middle Earth is under attack.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreThe Metaverse Standards Forum becomes official, unifying the virtualBefore the topic du jour changed to generative AI, the popular topic in the tech world was the Metaverse. Just like with the AI world, when something becomes incredibly popular, every company wants to get involved because they think it's going to be the next big game changer. Unfortunately, a lot of time and effort are wasted in these pursuits, partially because everyone is trying to duplicate processes. The Metaverse Standards Forum is here to help companies prevent duplicated efforts, and to create a way for different systems to interact and cooperate with one another.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNetflix Games gets more serious with Halo writer as Creative DirectorSince Netflix Games launched in 2021, the company has tried to put more focus on the offering. They have acquired the distribution rights to new games and expanded their offering. But it's been clear from the beginning that the brand wanted to have its own games, as well. This week, the company announced a move that will help them on that journey: the hiring of Joseph Staten as Creative Director.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesDiscord and Twitter had a rough week with content moderation policiesWe've talked many times about the issues with social media sites and moderation. Some platforms moderate content fiercely. Some allow nearly anything to go. And some try to find a place in the middle, where they don't focus on it, but do it when needed. And two of those platforms found themselves in the spotlight this week: Discord and Twitter.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeLord of the Rings fanfiction book causes lawsuit against Tolkin estateFan fiction can be a challenging space to work within. Technically, you could be violating the copyright of another creator, depending upon the licensing of the original work. Some rights holders don't care - in fact, they encourage fan fiction and extensions of their universe. The estate of JRR Tolkien has long allowed fan fiction in the Lord of the Rings universe, but its recent interactions with author Demetrious Polychron have led to a $250 million lawsuit.
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DescriptionThis week, SwiftKey can search and chat, Xbox can use Ubisoft Plus, FTX found a lot of money, and HBO Max is losing the HBO.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreSwiftKey: From iPhone darling to dead product and back againIf you've never used SwiftKey, you should definitely give it a try. SwiftKey is a keyboard for iOS and Android that replaces the native keyboard. But, more importantly, it gives easy access to a number of features - some unique to the product. Microsoft, who acquired the product in 2016, disappointed many users (including myself) when they announced that October 5, 2022, would be the end of support on iOS. But, after reversing course, it has become yet another target of Microsoft's newest focus feature: Bing.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaUbisoft Plus subscription service now available on Xbox consolesThe past few years have been defined by a couple of trends, with one of the most prominent being subscriptions. It seems like every company wants to offer a subscription service, from media streaming services to regular shipments of razers, you can subscribe to anything. The gaming industry has begun to embrace the concept in earnest, with game subscription services becoming a norm. Ubisoft Plus has brought hundreds of games to PC, and now it is bringing those games to Xbox as well.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesNew FTX owners have recovered billions of dollars in lost assetsIt's been nearly 6 months since the complete collapse of FTX, formerly one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The company failed because the owner, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), had been essentially stealing money from the exchange in order to prop up his other project - Alameda. Since filing bankruptcy, the company's assets have been sold and the new owners have been looking for and sometimes finding some of the missing assets, which has created a positive environment within the company.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeHBO Max and Discovery+ to be Max with lots of new content comingSince the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., the future of HBO Max and Discovery+ seemed obvious. There was no way that the new Warner Bros. Discovery would maintain two competing platforms - they were always destined to become one. Now we know the name of the future service, its launch date, and some of the new content to expect.
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DescriptionThis week, GM is traveling to the past, E3 is headed to the grave, the internet is becoming less safe, and Star Trek might be too available.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreGM to discontinue Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in future modelsOver the past few years, a standard feature has been added to move vehicles - support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These platforms allow you to connect your phone to the car and use a collection of apps on the vehicle's infotainment system. Both experiences are powered by the phone, meaning that the car manufacturers don't have control over the experience. Toyota fought the trend for years, and now GM seems to be going back in time, dropping support for both CarPlay and Android Auto in upcoming vehicles.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaE3 2023 is dead, and likely the future of the event is going with itFor years, we've predicted the eventual end of E3. The event was once the industry's biggest show, with live coverage from the show floor and major announcements made by every studio and console brand in the world. However, over the years mismanagement and changes in priorities have changed the value of participating in the event, for both media and exhibitors. As such, this week's announcement about the cancelation of E3 2023 was not a surprise to anyone paying attention. But, there could be more going on than just a single event cancelation.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesRESTRICT Act side effects are a feature of the bill, not a bugUnder the last 3 administrations, discussions about the safety of allowing Chinese-designed technology to be part of our daily lives have been fairly constant. Each administration has looked at and worked to prevent the use of different technologies within the government, but the trend has been the same - public and national security concerns. However, the latest attempt to deal with the potential harm of Chinese technology, known as the RESTRICT Act, has other issues that should stop it in its tracks.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeMore Star Trek is coming - for better or worse for the franchiseThis week, just ahead of First Contact Day, Paramount announced some of the future for the Star Trek universe. For many, the announcements came as welcomed news of new shows and renewals. For others, it felt a little like Paramount was milking the franchise in a way reminiscent of Disney and Star Wars/cite>. But, either way, there is a lot more Star Trek on the way.
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DescriptionThis week, Chinese tech is in trouble again, GeForce Now is growing, online security is becoming important, and Reddit is defending users.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreChinese tech firms are seeing challenges from governments globallyIt's no secret that governments around the world have been weary of companies from China, especially technology companies. Fears over ties between Chinese companies and the Chinese Communist Party (the ruling party in the country) have led to investigations and sometimes outright bans on certain brands. Since the administration change in the US, it looked as if a new, softer approach towards China was on the horizon, but that stance has changed quickly as more companies in the US and abroad are being challenged.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaNvidia GeForce Now is returning to its original glory from launchWhen Nvidia GeForce Now first launched, the service essentially supported every game imaginable. However, the company failed to anticipate the response from the game publishers, who had contracts in place with other streaming services. And so, games began to disappear quickly, much to the disappointment of fans. Now, the brand has been working to return its catalog of games to something closer to how it launched.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesUS government investigating holding providers liable for data breachesOne thing that we seem to be unable to avoid in the modern world is data security. Every time we turn around, another major company has been hit with a data breach, a malware attack, or even a DDoS attack. And every time, no one is held responsible, except for the consumer, who has to then do a lot of personal work to mitigate the results of the problem. Now, the US government is looking to hold the providers accountable instead of passing the responsibility on to you.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeReddit defends users against bizarre film studio data inquiryWhen it comes to intellectual property protection, companies can get incredibly protective. This seems to be even more so the case when it comes to media companies. It could be because their products can so easily be duplicated and shared online through services like BitTorrent, that they feel the need to go further than other industries. This week, we have a case of a film studio requesting user data from Reddit about an unrelated case involving an ISP.
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DescriptionThis week, Apple's getting a little nervous, gamers are losing games, Bing wants to chat, and Paramount+ is getting a new name. Again.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreBiden admin wants Apple and Google to end gatekeeping their platformsOver the past few years, we've seen a growing resentment against Apple and Google and the way they run their mobile platform businesses. People want more control over the way they use their phones and tablets, and these companies do a lot to eliminate some of that capability. As a result, companies and governments around the world have begun to act against Apple and Google in an effort to give more freedom to consumers. This week, a Biden administration report takes the most direct action to protect consumers yet.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaGaming danger: A lot of online games are being shut down permanentlyOne of the big dangers of online gaming is that a game can be killed off on a whim, leaving gamers without any access to the games that they purchased and put time into. In the old days, you could purchase a game and play it potentially forever. In our office, we've got an Atari 2600 and dozens of games, all of which are fully functional and playable. However, today you can make a $60 purchase and within a year, the game's back-end is disabled and the game becomes worthless. As developers and publishers become bored with a game, they decide to abandon it entirely. This week, a surprisingly large number of games announced their end dates.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesBing is coming for Google with GPT-4 integration, improving resultsLast week on The Piltch Point, Avram Piltch discussed ChatGPT and the dangers of generative AI. While using AI to produce written content can be a questionable move, using AI to improve the way we understand the information on the internet is the logical place for the technology to exist. Microsoft has agreed with this sentiment, having invested several times in OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT. Now, we expect to see the fruits of those investments when Microsoft changes Bing search in the coming weeks.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeParamount+ to get another name amid a corporate restructuringStreaming media is a big business these days. Everyone has a streaming service, and some companies have more than one. As competition heats up in the space, we're beginning to see consolidation for companies that have more than one streaming platform. HBO Max and Discovery+ are about to become one service and Disney has said that Hulu and Disney+ will likely become a single offering. Now, Paramount has seemingly decided that it can no longer support more than one service and will merge them into a single offering.
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DescriptionThis week, peripheral sales are on the decline, Xbox is back on the rise, Prenda Law is on the prowl, and Justin Roiland is on his way out.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreThe pandemic boom is ending for PC and component manufacturersIn the early days of the pandemic in 2020, a number of industries got hit really hard, but in a good way. Their products and services were so in demand that their inventory completely dried up and the supply chain collapsed. Companies like Logitech saw their webcams in such high demand because of lockdowns that no one could get them. In fact, Avram had to do a roundup of the best alternatives to the Logitech c920, including building your own with a Raspberry Pi. Now, the companies that saw the big sales bumps are seeing a hangover of epic proportions.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaXbox Developer_Direct shows why Game Pass is the best deal in gamingIn 2022, the Xbox platform definitely suffered. The platform had a lack of exciting first-party titles as well as third-party exclusives. While the hardware started to be easier to get, including massive promotions at stores like Target, PlayStation 5 hardware can still be a challenge to get. This is likely because the excitement around the games coming to PS5 was a lot higher than for Xbox. However, this week Microsoft and Bethesda had a short developer presentation showing off five titles that show the company has refocused its energy on games.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesOG copyright troll Prenda Law is back and somehow crazier than everThe internet is filled with all sorts of trolls. From the people who comment on Twitter threads specifically to get you riled up to the patent trolls that buy up patents just to sue people, it seems like everyone is looking to annoy someone. However, there is one group that might have the title of King of Trolls, and that is Prenda Law. This company is infamous for its activities and, it would appear, they are back and looking to get themselves into the same trouble as before.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeRick and Morty to continue following exit of co-creator Justin RoilandThis week, a variety of organizations cut ties with Justin Roiland following the revelation that he was being charged with domestic abuse. The news potentially changes the direction of several projects, including the future of his most high-profile project Rick and Morty. However, studios have responded to the departure, but it is just the beginning of the story.
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DescriptionThis week, Meta's team is shrinking, Valve's lineup could be growing, Elon Musk might be leaving, and AI art is here.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreOculus is in trouble because of Meta, according to John CarmackOver the past few years, the plan for Oculus has been confusing. Since the company was purchased by Facebook in 2014, nothing has seemed to go well for the brand. When Facebook became Meta last year, it was believed by some that the company now had a focus, but that does not appear to be so. John Carmack, the company's former CTO, has announced his resignation from Meta with some harsh words for the company.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaFollowing Steam Deck success, Valve wants to expand its hardware lineOne of the most surprising announcements of 2021 was that Valve wanted to get into the console business. Valve has explored the hardware and platform business in the past with incredibly disappointing results. The company's Steam Machines project failed. The company also launched the Steam Controller, which was loved by no one. However, the success of the Steam Deck has been so great that Valve is looking to expand its hardware offerings.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesAnother weird week for Twitter - Will Elon Musk remain as CEO?It's been a weird week for Twitter. Just days after Elon Musk appointed himself as the company's new CEO (following his purchase of the company, Twitter has made some pretty controversial decisions - and it doesn't look like things are going to calm down anytime soon. This week, Twitter announced that it would be banning all external social media links from its platform. This decision was quickly met with backlash, with many people arguing that it would make it harder for users to share content on Twitter. In a tweet posted earlier this week, Musk asked if he should step down as CEO. The results of the poll were overwhelmingly in favor of Musk stepping down. So, what's really going on at Twitter?
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeAI-generated imagery is here, but is it art and should we care?It seems like every day there is a new headline about AI-generated imagery. The technology is becoming more and more advanced, with some people believing that it could take over traditional art forms in the near future. However, as the technology grows, so does the controversy around it. Copyright and intellectual property violations are among the biggest concerns for professionals in the art world, who argue that AI-generated imagery isn't real art. So, what do we do? Should we be paying attention to this new form of art or should we let the professionals decide?
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DescriptionThis week, Apple's in the crosshairs, Smash is canceling its tour, LastPass is sharing your secrets, and DC is keeping its own.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchHostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TeknoAXENifty GiftiesPowered by Microsoft StoreTwitter thread leads to solidarity from tech companies against AppleObviously, this week has been absolutely brimming with news from the new Twitter and Chief Twit Elon Musk. From employment problems to the release of the first batch of Twitter Files, it seems like Twitter is always in the news (though the Twitter Files topic seems to be missing from most tech sites as of this writing). However, the story that seems to keep on giving is Elon Musk's comments about Apple. Even though he and Tim Cook have settled their dispute, other tech companies are still coming out to agree with Musk's position.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by PureVPNExtra LifePowered by EksaSmash World Tour canceled, Nintendo explains, SWT questions the motiveThis week has seen the Super Smash Bros. competitive eSports community fall into disarray. It was announced that the Smash World Tour 2022 championship and the entire 2023 event would be canceled effective immediately. This left players who were attending the 2022 event with expenses already paid out the money and without the ability to complete their season. However, the situation is a lot more complex than it seems from the outside.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by MalwarebytesLastPass hacked again, this time exposing customer informationLastPass hacked again, this time exposing customer information
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Amazon PrimeDC's movies are getting a makeover - here's what we know so farDC is in the midst of a makeover. DC Studios has new leadership in James Gunn and Peter Safran, and they're planning on shaking things up for the brand. This is good news for DC fans - Gunn is known for his creativity and willingness to take risks, both of which are sorely needed in the DCU. While Gunn gets to work on his vision for the future of DC, it looks like everyone else wants a say in what that future should be.
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This week, GeForce is getting hot, Blizzard is getting out of China, the internet is understandable, and Ticketmaster is falling apart.
This week, Amazon is losing its robotics, Stadia is returning purchases, FTX is running away with customer assets, and Netflix is getting ready to go live.
This week, smartphone sales are dropping, Silent Hills Games are coming, and Netflix charges are looming.
- The global smartphone market fell
- Silent Hill series
- Starlink Internet on jets
- Netflix to charge for shared accounts
This week, Elon Musk is selling perfume, Netflix is setting up shop in NJ, and Apple is reportedly withholding benefits from union workers.
- Surface Studio 2
- Surface Laptop 5
- Surface Pro X
- The Final Fantasy series shuts down
- Amazon's prototype internet satellites
- Netflix with ads
This week, Elon does an about-face, Tim Cook Facetimes with the Pope, and Kim Kardashian is faced with a fine. We're teaming up with GNC Week in Review to bring you the latest tech news of the week.
- CES could attract 100,000 people
- Amazon Prime Early Access
- Randy Orton wins a case
- Ransomware Attack
- YouTube is some users to purchase Premium to watch 4K
This week, EVGA is removing Nvidia, Nintendo is adding more 64, Uber is giving up security, and Amazon survived the NFL.
This week, EVGA is removing Nvidia, Nintendo is adding more 64, Uber is giving up security, and Amazon survived the NFL.
This week, T-Mobile is headed to SpaceX, Sony is headed for higher prices, DuckDuckGo is protecting your email, and DC might be ready to take on Marvel.
This week, TikTok's tracking your keyboard, Sega's giving you all new games, Google Search is limiting clickbait, and Cinemark is filing bankruptcy.
This week, Elon Musk wants to have a debate about bots, Amazon buys Roomba for billions, and a mom is suing Facebook. We're teaming up with GNC Week in Review to bring you the latest tech news of the week.
- Elon Musk challenges Twitter CEO to a debate
- Amazon to acquire iRobot
- A mom is suing Facebook
- AT&T's $14 million settlement
- Apple's next iPhone might be expensive
- The Right Stuff
- Walmart may bundle with a streaming service
- You can get paid $1,000 to taste and rate Trader Joe's foods
This week, Amazon's exploring your home, GameStop is selling your stuff, DuckDuckGo is protecting your privacy, and DC is canceling Batgirl.
This week, new chips are coming from Arizona, TikTok is coming for casual games, and Instagram is going back to normal.
This week, PlayStation Stars are "definitely not" NFTs, Celsius is almost certainly a Ponzi scheme, and Microsoft might just try to buy Netflix.
This week, gaming is getting better in Microsoft Edge, results are getting better in Brave Search, and ads are closer to reality on Netflix.
This week, Insteon rises from the dead, Microsoft reveals the future, and Meta is investigating an executive.
This week, New York protects the Right to Repair, Sony shows off upcoming PlayStation games, and Netflix struggles with password sharing rules.
This week, Insteon vanishes, ads could appear on Xbox and PlayStation games, and Netflix loses subscribers.
This week, Samsung is eliminating waste, PlayStation is adding more to Plus, and Twitch is featuring inappropriate content.
This week, Apple wants to rent you a phone, Netflix wants to give you more games, and YouTube is giving you free movies.
This week, cars can lose their steering wheels, Blizzard will test their PvP, and gamers can listen to Square Enix music.
This week, chips are getting harder to find, Steam Deck is getting easier to control, and Disney+ is getting cheaper to watch.
This week, Apple is charging for nothing, Nintendo is looking for 5 years, and RIAA is looking for a HitPiece.
This week, Activision is getting a new home at Microsoft, the IRS is getting biometric data, and YouTube is getting a little more original.
This week, Android is killing 2G, Sony is maintaining the PlayStation 4, and The CW is looking for a buyer.
This week, quantum pendants are trying to kill, NFTs are heading to gaming, and Disney is leaving YouTube.
This week, Apple is trying to ignore your privacy, Tor is trying to protect its network, and YouTube is staying on Roku.
This week, PlayStation's getting a Game Pass, Twitch is getting a ban flag, and dating is getting more dangerous.
This week, DuckDuckGo is protecting your mobile privacy, Rockstar is apologizing for GTA, and Halo is finally coming to TV.
This week, Apple's losing control of the App Store, Netflix is getting into Games, and Disney is expanding its lineup.
This week, Apple's locking your phone down, Blizzard's holding your games back, and Facebook's letting your face go.
This week, Facebook is entering the Metaverse, the MLB is ignoring extortion, and TVs are more expensive.
This week, chips are still in flux, Google Stadia is getting into AT&T, and Google Search is out at Brave Browser.
This week, HTC is going with the Flow, FIFA is looking for options, and DC Comics is bringing new entertainment.
This week, Nintendo snaps our hopes for a foolproof Joy-Con, Tinder lets you buy your match a Lyft, and Twitch Twitch suffers a major data breach.
This week, the EU is supporting USB-C, Nintendo is revealing gaming details, and Facebook apologizes for not being great.
This week, GM and Subaru are going on break, Pokemon Go is listening to trainers, and Locast is shutting down.
This week, Skyrim has another version, T-Mobile has another data breach, and OnlyFans has a new plan for the future.
This week, matter will not be in time, Epic will not be part of Google, and Messenger will not be stopped from encryption.
This week, Valve fires back at Wolfire Games, Amazon is paying a massive fine, and Scarlett Johansson wants what she's owed.
This week, Samsung is blanking out, Valve is going out of the house, and Amazon is headed out of this world.
This week, the FBI is in the honeypot, the Switch is getting more colorful, and Universal Pictures is going Prime.
This week, Wickr is headed to the Amazon, the Microsoft Store wants to gain Steam, and the House wants to break up Big Tech.
This week, Area-51 is under attack, Nintendo is recovering from piracy, and the DoJ is getting serious about ransomware.
This week, Google's adding some Fuchsia to its home, Valve is bringing Linux to your palm, and a lion roars at Amazon HQ.
This week, Zigbee makes the IoT Matter, Discord is playing fewer videogames, and Apple is trying to bring back the Beats.
This week, Apple's giving up billions, Microsoft is giving up commissions, and Roku is giving up YouTube TV.
This week, chips are in short supply, Twitch is reducing the bots, and Google is pushing away the rest of the web.
This week, LG might leave the smartphone market, Xbox Live is now the Xbox network, and Twitch is scoring your stream.
This week, NFTs are all the rage, EVO Championship Series is joining Sony, and the NFL has found some funding.
This week, Big Tech is in the crosshairs, Fall Guys is entering the Metaverse, and Sony is out of video sales.
This week, Epic and Apple are ramping up tensions, Comcast is extending its data cap deadline, and Facebook is proving it is serious in Australia.
This week, North Dakota wants to ruin the iPhone, Maryland is taxing advertisements, and Australia still wants a piece of Google.
This week, Apple's driving mobile privacy, Nvidia's expanding GeForce Now, and what in the world happened with GameStop?
This week, Malwarebytes is hit by malware, Valve is hit with a giant fine, and AT&T TV Now's hits finally knocked it out.
This week, the Tech Podcasts Network team discusses what's coming up and what we're all most excited about for CES 2021.
This week, App Fairness is expanding its ranks, Russia is expanding its outlook, and HBO Max is expanding its reach. Plus, ways to prepare for 2021.
This week, Cydia wants a piece of Apple's pie, the whole government wants Facebook in pieces, and Disney has a whole lot of new content on the horizon.
This week, Libra's seizing the Day (Diem), Fortnite is tripping up gamers, and WarnerMedia is almost skipping theaters.
This week, Samsung's in the uncanny valley, Sony's canning PlayStation users, and Google TV can no longer show Netflix content.
This week, new processors are showing up everywhere, internet usage is going up, and Twitch is admitting it screwed up.
This week, Yahoo is coming for your phone, Facebook is leaving Internet Explorer, and videos don't belong to you.
This week, videogame streaming is under review, Google is officially under suit, and Quibi is underwater.
This week, Oracle's eyeing a Supreme Court win, Epic is keeping iOS Unreal, and DirecTV is on (fire) sale.
This week, the EU is reducing the bloat, Google is expanding the games, and Nikola is trying to hide their fraud.
This week, Amazon's flying in your home, Microsoft's expanding its catalog, and Spotify's adding video to its audio.
This week, Android's firing the nannies, Google's enhancing their fiber, and comics are coming to DC Universe.
This week, time is ticking for TikTok, Apple is trying to support game streaming, and Amazon is literally under fire.
This week, Android is closing up the camera, Epic is closing in on Apple, and DC is showing off for its fans.
This week, there's an Uber problem in California, an Epic problem for Apple and Google, and a confusing problem for Netflix and Hulu.
This week, we're feeling the presidential ban hammer, upset by the Apple walled garden, and jealous of the Quibi free tier.
This week, TikTok is starting to sink, Xbox Live is going free, and Patreon is paying for its policies.
This week, AT&T's asking for more sales, Xbox is giving more value, and TikTok really wants more trust.
This week, The FCC's got your back, Twitter's giving away access, and Peacock's got some confusing problems.
This week, TikTok wants your mobile clipboard, Nintendo doesn't want your mobile gaming, and Microsoft wants you to use Facebook.
This week, Zoom's plans are out of focus, Epic Games is shining a light on mobile stores, and Google users are in the dark.
This week, cops can't see your screen, Facebook can sell your products, and Netflix cancels inactive subscriptions.
This week, Microsoft is seeing double, Epic Games' licensing is getting Unreal, and Google is in the crosshairs.
This week, Steam is leaving the orchard, Bezos is headed to Congress, and Universal is not invited to the AMC party.
This week, Nintendo's giving up the details, Messenger is giving new ways to connect, and AT&T is giving away customers.
This week, Big Tech wants to know who you see, Libra is trying to stay alive, and Bad Robot is coming back to television.
This week, Sprint is gone for good, Humvees are here to stay, and the Apple Tax has been temporarily suspended.
This week, there's an Epic new publisher, a prankless online April Fools' Day, and some ad-friendly Google movies.
This week, Instagram is trying to disappear, GameStop is trying to stay around, and entertainment companies are trying to help.
This week, Microsoft is without its Gates, Pokemon is without its GO, and TVs are without Fire.
This week, some Philips Hue Bridges are going dark, online stores are banning products, and 5G is limiting television.
This week, Clearview's customer list is exposed, DropMix's gaming style is upgraded, and Firefox's browsing is more protected.
This week, Apple's changing its defaults, GeForce Now's losing its content, and Google's following kids again.
This week, Ring's sharing more information, ICANN's raising your website registration, and YouTube TV is canceling some subscriptions.
This week, AMD's coming to a PC near you, Clearview AI is spying on your face, and ViacomCBS wants to compete with itself.
This week, Apple's playing fast and loose with privacy, Fortnite is invading schools, and Google's hiding the favorites.
This week, we discuss our predictions for CES 2020, changes to the TPN live show, and memories of past CES broadcasts.
This week, Sony's changing the controller, Cox is paying for your piracy, and Sling is charging more for TV.
This week, Google's up for a Chat, Microsoft's making a tower, and Hulu's not bingeing on ads.
This week, the world's becoming more augmented, Steam is getting more modern, and Quibi is looking towards the law.
This week, Huawei is leaving networks, Half-Life is coming to VR, and Apple is temporarily skipping theaters.
This week, Google gives away Cardboard, China takes away some gaming, and Netflix retires older device support.
This week, wireless carriers are working together, Fallout players are working in private, and Google is working to improve results.
This week, Google has given up its Daydream, Blizzard is giving up their loyalty, and tech companies may no longer give up your data.
This week, Apple's phones can be broken, Microsoft's streaming can be tested, and Google's news results can't be previewed.
This week, Uber's fighting off pressure, EA's testing under stress, and Vudu's hiding from bad words.
This week, Apple's trying to dodge bugs, Nintendo's embracing their past, and Facebook's giving out your number.
This week, Android is a little less sweet, Apple is a little less expensive, and Libra is a little less confident.
This week, Apple is fighting the EU, Ninja is fighting for his brand, and CBS and Viacom are trying to fight Disney.
This week, Android is better friends with Windows, loot boxes are lesser friends with the industry, and YouTube is "special friends" with top creators.
This week, Google has a new Play Pass, Microsoft has a new Ninja, and broadcast TV has a new enemy.
This week, Russia wants your face, Google has canceled censorship, and Netflix is leaning into Originals.
This week, Samsung might have misled customers, Amazon might be liable for others' products, and MoviePass might be just about done.
This week, Apple's got a new design direction, Switch Online might have an expanded game collection, and privacy has a new antagonist in the government.
This week, Apple announces a cheese grater, India tries to ban cryptocurrencies, and DirecTV might be on the chopping block.
This week, facial recognition goes to school, Xbox goes to the competition, and iTunes goes out to pasture.
This week, Samsung's postponing its launch, PC gamers are switching platforms, and Sinemia is leaving the country.
This week, Google's changing its delivery, PlayStation is changing your ID, and Yahoo is changing its settlement offer.
This week, Apple's lowering their price, Microsoft's raising their benefits, and Google's shrinking their offerings.
This week, Asus customers are under attack, Google customers are under surveillance, and Apple customers are under pressure to subscribe.
This week, Philadelphia is staying in the present, EA is skipping their presentation, and Disney is releasing their past.
This week, Thunderbolt endangers computers, Sony eliminates free games on the PS3, and the internet enhances a hoax.
This week, Nest is listening to your input, Epic Games is talking to a convention, and YouTube is changing what they show you.
This week, Sprint wants AT&T to tell the truth, Microsoft wants everyone to use Xbox Live, and Disney wants to shows you other content.
This week, Apple is not driving their own cars, Nintendo is driving their own growth, and Facebook is driving down their own value.
This week, your privacy is guaranteed again, your security is at risk again, and NBCUniversal wants your money again.
This week, Apple's quality control is folding, the Xbox One is closer to a PC, and T-Mobile isn't ready to hijack your TV just yet.
This week, China's phones are looking for a home, Valve has found a new competitor, and the internet is having a change of heart.
This week, Apple is looking to the past, the FTC is looking to the future, and Google is looking at a revolt.
This week, Samsung wants all your cash, Sony wants a way out, and China wants a virtual anchorman.
This week, Apple is expressing multiple personalities, Nintendo is expressing their love for the 3DS, and Netflix is showing some love for movie theaters.
This week, karaoke is coming to Twitch, no information is coming from Apple, and some big names are not coming to the big screen.
This week, Apple says they haven't been hacked, Google says it's fixed a privacy violation, and Netflix says the EU is trying to limit content.
This week, Facebook wants to watch you cook, Microsoft wants to help you game, and WarnerMedia wants to stream its own content.
This week, Apple wasn't completely honest in their presentation, Nintendo isn't completely in sync with their customers and Netflix wants to recommend a complete solution for producers.
This week, Sprint and T-Mobile are finally coming together, Sony is keeping PlayStation apart, and the Federal Trade Commission might be going down a familiar road.
This week, Apple reveals their private thoughts, Valve reveals they're cloning again and Amazon reveals it wants to expand its media reach.
This week, TCL is bringing back Palm, Discord is selling indie games and Spotify makes a big partnership with Samsung.
This week, Apple is tightening its grip on the App Store, Google is losing their grip on Google Play and YouTube plans a better Music experience.
This week, Google removes crypto from Android, EA adds extra games to Origin Access and MoviePass cuts its service for a while.
This week, Google is paying their dues, Facebook is suspending kids and everyone is looking for $8 per month.
This week, PC shipments are on the rise, Nintendo is patching its exploits and the internet is obsessed with censorship.
This week, Apple and Samsung finally settle their differences, regulations could be strangling the internet and Fox is ghosting Comcast.
This week, Samsung might have lost their edge, Microsoft is trying new things and YouTube rebrands their services.
This week, mobile messaging gets more confusing, Capcom shows why free-to-play is annoying and AT&T announces a new streaming service under oath.
This week, Apple wants employees to stop talking, Google wants to stop forgetting and the FTC wants YouTube to stop tracking.
This week, Siri might finally get smarter, Valve finally gives up on Steam Machines and Verizon gives up a recently acquired brand.
This week, Google brings life to wearables, EA removes microstransactions from Star Wars: Battlefront II and streaming music has its ups and downs.
This week, Android is following Apple's bad lead, the ESRB wants to warn you about in-app purchases and NBC plans to show you less advertising in primetime.
This week, AT&T announces its next generation cities, your phone will allow you to catch ghosts and Redbox might be the reason you lose digital downloads.
This week, Apple has reduced a longtime iPhone flaw, Google might try its hand at videogames and Charter wants to improve your internet speed.
This week, Apple is concealing its moves, Microsoft is enhancing its Game Pass and YouTube is serving up a little crypto mining.
This week, we're in Las Vegas. Ahead of the official start of CES 2018, we discuss our past CES experiences, our expectations for this year and introduce the team members to the event.
This week, Apple is slowing you down, Nintendo is powering you up and Eric Schmidt is letting the Alphabet go.
This week, Apple invests in lasers, Mozilla alarms its users and Disney owns your TV dial.
This week, Intel faces new competition, EA begins responding to backlash and NiceHash deals with a digital heist.
This week, BLU goes dark, Coinbase gives to the IRS and Redbox kind of sells digital movies.
This week, Uber has a bad week, Minecraft has a good addition and YouTube has some new rules.
This week, EA actually listens to gamers, DJI doesn't respect bug bounty reports and Amazon brings more to the Lord of the Rings universe.
This week, Microsoft is looking to the future, World of Warcraft is going back to the past and podcasts are finally safe.
This week, Microsoft is moving on from Kinect, Twitter is revealing political spending and Viacom is accepting the internet.
This week, Apple's preventing their own sales, Microsoft is preventing cheating and you need to protect your Wi-Fi.
This week, Microsoft downsizes its offerings, Ziff Davis increases its gaming footprint and Disney enhances your movie library.
This week, Google tries again with hardware, Xbox tries to make streaming easier and FOX tries to appeal to a new generation of media consumers.
This week, your assistants are working together, your childhood is becoming relevant again and your personal data could be for sale again.
This week, HTC is shopping around, Sony is talking to Microsoft and VidAngel cannot steal from anyone.
This week, Apple gives us something not to worry about, Blizzard gives us something not to remember and Facebook gives us something not to hate.
This week, Microsoft gets a bum rap, Nintendo gets a new lawsuit and Netflix gets a new competitor.
This week, Fruitfly was found in an Apple, profit has returned to Nintendo and users aren't interested in Twitter.
This week, Cortana enters the home, Pokémon GO reenters Milwaukee parks and YouTube exits online editing.
This week, Apple's software is in trouble, Amazon's sales set a record and SoundCloud's time is just about up.
This week, iPhone turns 10, governments go overboard and an internet petition finally works.
This week, we look back on the last 10 years of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, PLuGHiTz Live Radio (as it was previously known) and the times we have had together.
This week, Geek Squad might be stealing more than your money, Facebook might be struggling with what an album is and YouTube might have a temporary solution to their advertising issues.
This week, the US Supreme Court makes patents better, Microsoft makes streaming together easier and Twitter considers making itself more expensive.
This week, Facebook's developed a little Twitch, WhatsApp has cost another $100 million and SiriusXM might want to open Pandora's box.
This week, another pre-order doesn't deliver a product, Facebook F8 doesn't deliver excitement and iHeartMedia might not deliver content next year.
This week, Casio might start making the Band, Call of Duty is headed to your pocket and Jay Z has left the main stream.
This week, online advertising is getting trickier, patent cases might get more diverse and the internet is not collapsing around you.
This week, Disney invades your agenda, ads might retreat from your browser and Warner Bros. wants to explore a damaged universe.
This week, Motorola is poised to make a comeback, Amazon needs to get their reputation back and Spotify is about to get some customers back.
This week, Sprint once again wants T-Mobile, Valve isn't quite sure about VR and Google is going all-in on wireless internet.
This week, Google begins to take privacy seriously, Steam begins to take indie game development seriously and Prince's estate begins to take streaming music seriously.
This week, online bargains lead to bricked phones, hackers might have exposed themselves to the FBI and TIDAL finally finds a way to attract real new customers.
This week, California wants special behavior by Uber, gamers want additional gameplay from Nintendo and Facebook begrudgingly creates special processing for websites.
This week, Microsoft revives Windows on ARM, a man stole from his employer to play a mobile game and Netflix is getting into reality shows.
This week, Symantec comes for your wallet, Xbox comes for your eyes and Reddit comes crashing down.
Also, watch or listen to find the secret phrase to enter to win a new Vinci headphone before they are available to the public.
This week, we discuss some of the products we have reviewed this year, which ones would make great gifts and which ones to avoid completely.
Also, watch or listen to find the secret phrase to enter to win a new Vinci headphone before they are available to the public.
This week, Nintendo is updating their lineup, Twitter is losing an executive and AT&T doesn't quite know how to treat video.
This week, Microsoft and Apple present their visions for the future, Twitter presents the results of their past and Hello Games didn't present the sins of their past.
This week, Bill Belichick confuses the internet, hackers take down part of the internet and AT&T wants to own television and the internet.
This week, we are at Pinellas Comic and Maker Con in Seminole, Florida. The event is organized by Chad Mairn and his planning committee and is hosted at the library at Saint Petersburg College. While only a few years old, this free event has become very well attended by the public and vendors. During our broadcast, we interviewed makers, cosplayers, writers, crafters and more.
This week, Verizon tests a feature you don't need, Valve shows off a controller you can't have and Netflix pays a lot of money to a comedian you might not remember.
This week, BlackBerry gives up devices, Microsoft announces protections and Twitch changes up advertising.
This week, Verizon doesn't think you need unlimited data, Twitter's popularity grows and Netflix wants to make a lot of what you watch.
This week, Google might have to pay for content, Apple is unlikely to purchase Tidal and Niantic breathes new life into Pokémon GO.
This week, we team up with The 3000 Brigade to talk to the cast about their latest show: Smash-a-Thon.
This week, Google scales back again, Nintendo might be returning to its roots and YouTube claims it's not censoring content.
This week, WhatsApp shares data, PlayStation shares games and artists share space on Spotify.
This week, HP moves away from Android, Microsoft moves towards Beam and Hulu moves their free service to Yahoo.
This week, Pokemon GO causes legal heartache, Facebook begins removing misleading stories and Hulu begins to prepare for live video.
This week, messaging makes money again, Yahoo approaches the end and Microsoft loves HD.
This week, Pokemon GO takes over the world, HummingBad takes over your phone and Amazon takes a chance with Warner Bros.
This week, Dell discontinues a commodity, Facebook downplays news and Apple buys obscurity.
This week, Lenovo makes it easy to steal your data, Google makes a big push out of Fiber and Netflix considers playing offline.
This week, Windows says Hello to wearables, Twitter says no thanks to Yahoo and the world says meh to Google Magenta's music.
This week, Apple loses a lawsuit, TBS gains some gaming and Amazon is looking for new shows.
This week, Microsoft goes a little crazy, Capcom goes to little screens and Kanye West goes a little more crazy.
This week, Amazon flips its decision on encryption, Yahoo flip-flops on selling its assets and E3 is just flopping.
This week, mobile is at the forefront at MWC, GameStop attempts to corner the VR market and Kanye doesn't understand the Internet.
This week, Facebook might launch a video service, Circuit City comes back from the dead and EA decides to Play, but not with E3.
This week, the big ISPs hate smaller competition, Valve adds new support to its SteamOS and Netflix doubles down on content, but might block you from watching it.
This week, CES is in the books, malware continues to plague Android and we find out what to look for in a laptop in 2016.
This week, Microsoft has last-minute gift ideas, Avram has ideas to improve your new PC and we have a year to review.
This week, Disney hates when people take pictures of their products, backers hate when their investments get delayed by three years and the US Department of Transportation hates the nation's current infrastructure so much, that it launched a challenge to fix it.
This week, Firefox removes a source of income, a Prenda Law lawyer is forced to remove himself from his home and Dave Chappelle removes technology from his shows.
This week, Cortana rises to new platforms, the PlayStation 4 continues to imitate and Black Friday causes a blackout for two popular online retailers.
This week, the mobile world is a little more difficult than it seems, Yahoo blocks people who block them and we've got Avram Piltch for the entire show!
This week, the FCC doesn't care about your privacy, Activision has taken the King and new Android malware threatens to take over your mobile device.
This week, we're at IBM Insight 2015 talking about analytics and what we expect from the company over the next year.
This week, we're at Pinellas Comic and Maker Con 2015. We are joined by artists, cosplayers, makers and more, to talk about who they are, what they do and why they do it.
This week, we're at Pinellas Comic and Maker Con 2015. We are joined by artists, cosplayers, makers and more, to talk about who they are, what they do and why they do it.
This week, we're at Pinellas Comic and Maker Con 2015. We are joined by artists, cosplayers, makers and more, to talk about who they are, what they do and why they do it.
This week, we're at ROBOTICON Tampa Bay 2015. ROBOTICON is a FIRST Robotics showcase competition involving teams from Junior FIRST Lego League (Jr. FLL), FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Scott and Daniele talk with members of teams, program partners, sponsors and organizers.
This week, we're at ROBOTICON Tampa Bay 2015. ROBOTICON is a FIRST Robotics showcase competition involving teams from Junior FIRST Lego League (Jr. FLL), FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Scott and Daniele talk with members of teams, program partners, sponsors and organizers.
This week, we're at ROBOTICON Tampa Bay 2015. ROBOTICON is a FIRST Robotics showcase competition involving teams from Junior FIRST Lego League (Jr. FLL), FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Scott and Daniele talk with members of teams, program partners, sponsors and organizers.
This week, we are at Mizucon 2015 with the 3000 Brigade, talking about their upcoming show with 3000 Brigade Podcast host Trey Davis and much of the rest of the cast.
This week, Call of Duty decides to be half the game it used to be, Australlia plays a real version of Second Life when it comes to Facebook friends and Pandora pays artists pennies because of the government.
This week, Xbox stays true to the 360, Star Wars might be up for a re-release and AVG makes users think twice about their products.
This week, Verizon gets social with its media, Amazon drops it low on its tablets and Google adds more fiber to 3 cities' diets.
This week, Apple might be crossing over to new platforms, Hulu goes commercial free and Machinima pays the price for Xbox ads.
This week, Samsung pushes ads to the phone, Google forgets about forgotten articles and it's Popcorn Time!!
This week, Google knows its Alphabet, the NFL uses the power of the Surface and Crackdown 3 uses the power of the cloud.
This week, Verizon loses its contracts, BitTorrent keeps its cool with RIAA and Microsoft kills it at Gamescom.
This week, the Super Bowl commercializes the Internet, Razer buys Ouya for the name and Uber tries to hook up with old people.
This week, Google purges the Plus, AT&T and DirecTV finally join forces and China lets gamers game.
This week, Prime Day was sub-prime, Netflix' price raise may be past its prime and the Xbox One game streaming finally hits prime time!
This week, Microsoft yet again sends the tech world into a frenzy, Pluto is in the news for two reasons and the gaming world sadly lost a pioneer.
This week, Minecraft goes into Story Mode, YouTube lets companies claim America's songs and Microsoft shoots off 4 updates for Windows 10.
This week, Apple issues a confusing policy about Civil War games, the NFL meets VR and Google goes into Chromium and pulls right back out.
This week, the head of Twitter is out, the MLB really is America's past-time and YouTube goes for a headshot on Twitch.
This week, Showtime shows off with Apple, Marissa Mayer keeps shrinking Yahoo's portfolio and T-Mobile tries again, but this time it's with Dish.
This week, Charter tries again with Time Warner, Microsoft slims up the cloud and the FBI accidentally promotes sex and drugs.
Hosted by Scott Ertz and Nicholas DiMeo, F5 Live is a livecast covering the worlds of gadgets, gaming, Internet and media.
This week, TiVo tries to make Aereo legal, Nintendo goes Universal and Verizon says you've still got mail.
This week, we collide with all of the announcements, news and interviews from Collision Conference 2015.
This week, we're building to a conference, Windows 10 could be just around the corner and can the Intel Compute Stick really compute?
This week, BitTorrent launches a browser, Bitcoin loses money and YouTube goes ad-free.
This week, Sony rights the ship, the FTC distrusts Google but then doesn't and Nintendo teams up to make mobile games.
This week, we head to Orlando for the FIRST FRC Orlando Regional. We speak to team members and alumni about their experiences with the organization.
This week, Maxis shuts its doors and its cities, HBO peaks out of its cable paywall and mobile payment systems run rampant in Barcelona.
This week, Twitter takes on the trolls, GameStop sets up Shack and Fable restores meaning in free to play.
This week, Google stops being childish, Sling lets you take back TV and Evolve's DLC practices aren't very evolved from former DLC practices.
This week, Windows goes to 10, YouTube goes on at halftime and Verizon goes to the finish line with FiOS.
This week, Sony's not leaving, Facebook goes to work and Google can't play nice with others.
This week, we're back in Vegas and ready to talk tech! Eric Palonen from Denon Professional and Marantz Professional premieres two products: a business body camera and a multi-platform screen streaming platform.
This week, Microsoft's Windows 10 event could get exciting, the Connect America program gets a bandwidth upgrade and YouTube gets desperate so it whips out its wallet.
This week, Lizards take down Xbox, North Korea might be involved in the Sony breach and Verizon starts to shut down 3G.
This week, Sony loses money AND data, Nielsen skips over mobile viewing and cheap tablets are more problems than their worth.
This week, Google settles with the Rockstars, G4's time ends with an auction and GameStop plays the pot-kettle game by claiming Microsoft and Sony are ruining the gaming industry.
This week, Taylor Swift hates the Internet, the Internet's dark tubes get taken down by the feds and Blizzard introduces a new FPS.
This week, Hungary ditches a money-hungry Internet tax, Alienware replaces SteamOS with better software and Microsoft bounces back with the Band.
This week, Ello puts an ad blocker on its company, Stitcher gets sewn in with Deezer and one bad Apple turns into two bad weeks.
This week, HBO goes solo, Sony rests its laurels on the success of the PS4 and one town says Comcast isn't welcome in those there parts.
This week, we are broadcasting live from Roboticon Tampa Bay 2014 at the University of Tampa!
This week, Clippy might invade Minecraft, hackers invade the Bitcoin founder's email address and Apple evades the iGeneration of devices.
This week, we say goodbye to Windows Live Messenger, we say hello to a new owner of Twitch and Netflix says "thank you" to one of Hulu's owners for a hit show.
This week, Sony gets hit with hackers again, Ballmer focuses on basketball and the House of Representatives messes with the Internet.
This week, Gamescom brings out the true colors of the big two, Xbox original programming might find a new home at Warner Bros. and the FCC might care about your feelings on net neutrality.
This week, Samsung won't pay the royalties, Twitch attracts some heat after its changes and Facebook surprisingly supports your privacy.
This week, the FDA embraces tech that scares the FTC, ESPN might expand beyond The International and ICANN says "You can't" to countries wanting to own their own top-level domains.
This week, Amazon is trying to do too much at once, Google is trying to buyout the competition and the FTC is trying to explain why health and Internet things are scary.
This week, nVIDIA tries again with Android, Russia tries again to cover things up and our government tries to look like it's being productive.
This week, Aereo tries to fit in with the cable companies, China says the most popular device the country manufactures is a national security threat and Curse throws a curveball to the PC gaming industry.
This week, the feds protect Facebook from a scammer, Cliff Bleszinski launches an epic new studio and Samsung forgets about media to work on hardware.
This week, the Supreme Court takes a stance on both your privacy and your entertainment, Mario Kart takes the Wii U to another level and Alibaba takes on the other exchange.
This week, T-Mobile's CEO goes on another profane-ridden attack, Spotify might be streaming video and Nintendo doesn't win in World 1-UK.
This week, we talk about tech from Taipei, and we get really excited and really let down from the same event about video games.
This week, EA shuts down another studio, Samsung hates the Droids they found and whoa...Beats.
This week, Amazon gets mad at a book publisher over pricing, Windows brings Bing with 8.1 and the lawless Internet town ain't big enough for cable companies and content providers.
This week, more lost visions from the Xbox 361, more unlawful seizures because of Twitter and more lawsuits with all things Apple and text messaging.
This week, Zynga's beginning to look a lot like Xbox, police stations are beginning to look a lot like Starbucks with the help of Facebook and Microkia is beginning the takeover.
This week, GameSpy gets replaced with a Ranger, Xbox goes all in with original content and Prenda Law is just a pretender in court.
Live from Gulf Coast MakerCon 2014, Scott Ertz and Nicholas DiMeo talk with members of the Tampa maker community about their projects and inspirations. #gcmakers
This week, we have Makers, movers and shakers! This is part 3 of 3 of the show.
Live from Gulf Coast MakerCon 2014, Scott Ertz and Nicholas DiMeo talk with members of the Tampa maker community about their projects and inspirations. #gcmakers
This week, we have Makers, movers and shakers! This is part 2 of 3 of the show.
Live from Gulf Coast MakerCon 2014, Scott Ertz and Nicholas DiMeo talk with members of the Tampa maker community about their projects and inspirations. #gcmakers
This week, we have Makers, movers and shakers! This is part 1 of 3 of the show.
This week, Facebook panics in the virtual world, Mozilla employees want to Fire the head Fox and my Tube has a first name and it's Y-A-H-O-O.
This week, an affordable game engine is Unreal, Microsoft shuts down an internal leak of its code and as magically as it disappeared, 200,000 Bitcoin has reappeared.
This week, the team ventures to Orlando to cover the FIRST Robotics Competition Orlando Regional. They talk with members of:
FRC Team 79 - Krunch
FRC Team 2425 - Hydra
FRC Team 5276 - Edgar Allan Ohms
FRC Team 2383 - Ninjineers
FRC Team 21 - ComBBAT
FRC Team 4024 - Jokers
FRC Team 1902 - Exploding Bacon
FTC Team 7477 - Super 7
They also talk with:
Greg Hale - Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
Terri Willingham - FIRST in Central Florida
Joel Croteau - AmeriCorps VISTA
Michael Holman - EA Sports
This week, GameFly gets a beta, Newsweek forces mass Internet hysteria and Marvel brings audio to comics.
This week, Netflix tries to fix its lag, Facebook overpays to stay competitive and game devs place bounties on hackers.
This week, Microsoft's valentine might not be the PC, the wireless kill switch could be engaged by Congress and Comcast could become the king of all video things.
This week, Amazon is seeing double with gaming, Twitter sees red but pretends it's gold and Scott sees that the dark side isn't so great after all.
This week, King rules over candy, Gmail has a secret, empty love for Hotmail and Verizon makes FiOS pretty with videos.
This week, hackers scratch up your Chrome, gaming has officially gone digital and... the movie industry has, too.
This week, the team's heading back home as we recap the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show.
This week, it's the International Consumer Electronics Show 2014! Is there anything else to say?
This week, LG attempts to resurrect webOS once again, BitTorrent attempts to hide your conversations from the world and Aereo attempts to end their battle once and for all.
This week, Microsoft brings original content to Xbox, Apple tries to track you with real nanobots and YouTube erroneously brings down videos.
This week, Apple tries to track you with real nanobots, Beats looks to load up on beats and sales for the PS4 still await greatness.
This week, Twitch pulls impromptu PlayStation porn, Germany pulls contested content and Xbox pulls its quality on the web.
This week, the Xbox One pretends to be a chainsaw, Nokia workers in China pretend to have rights and Sony is pretending the media division isn't in much trouble.
This week, the government hates the cloud, email templates outsmart the new guy and Homer has a new home.
This week, Nintendo turns off being turned on by your 3DS, Sony's movies aren't busting any blocks and Qualcomm might compete with itself by going with BlackBerry.
Scott and Nick host a one-hour broadcast live from ROBOCON Tampa Bay, an off-season FIRST Robotics competition at the University of Tampa.
DescriptionThis week, Watch Dogs gets a pushback, Apple's iPhone gets a reduction and Facebook gets more public posts.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Nicholas DiMeoHostWith over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!
Avram PiltchSegment HostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by TPN Livestream at CES 2014Nifty GiftiesPowered by SMS AudioApple Cuts Orders of iPhone 5c as Fans Only Want Premium ModelIn the past, we've talked about the flurry of problems Apple has had with iPhone launches but nobody else seems to talk about. Fortunately, we're here to break the conformity barrier, and with the iPhone 5s and 5c launches, we covered the sensor issues of the 5s and sales failure of the 5c. This week it continues, as it's been reported that Apple has requested a cut in production on the iPhone 5c.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by TPN Livestream at CES 2014Extra LifePowered by Microsoft StoreWatch Dogs Misses Holiday Deadline, Delayed Until Spring 2014 One of the most anticipated titles announced at E3 was Watch Dogs. Every two weeks or so, the developers at Ubisoft have leaked a bit more information to the masses, including a website, real-time gameplay clips, trailers and more. It felt like the holiday season could have been saved from the unimpressive new consoles with a great title like this. Unfortunately, Watch Dogs will now be pushed back to the first quarter of 2014.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by RiffTraxFacebook to Allow Teens to Post PubliclyFacebook has made what might seem like a trivial change to their sharing policy, but one that has drawn a lot of fire from various advocacy groups. The change, described by Facebook,
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Sirius|XMNetflix to Appear on Samsung Cable BoxesIn an attempt to partially merge with the classic television industry they have been helping to redefine, Netflix has announced a partnership with Samsung to make its streaming service available on Samsung Smart Cable Boxes. With the combined interface, users will be able to search for movies and television on Netflix the same way they do in their standard guide.
read full articleClosingPowered by Tech Podcast Network
DescriptionThis week, Google looks to Android for TV, Foxconn turns a blind eye to student labor laws and the FBI sees a lot of trolling for just a Bit of Coin.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Nicholas DiMeoHostWith over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!
Avram PiltchSegment HostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkNifty GiftiesPowered by SMS AudioGoogle to Finally Retire Google TV Brand, Rename Android TVGoogle has struggled to get adoption on their Google TV brand of television-based operating system. They have had trouble getting content owners to produce platform-specific applications, with some producers specifically blocking the devices. On top of that, Google hasn't had a lot of success convincing manufacturers to produce devices based on the platform, even canceling some of their own announced, and one time paid for, hardware.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkExtra LifePowered by Microsoft StoreSony's PS4 Production Causes Foxconn Plant to Treat Interns as Poorly as EmployeesFoxconn is back in the news for yet another unfortunate story. The Chinese production facility just wrapped up a labor investigation and it seems that "fair labor" is not in Foxconn's vocabulary. This time, it has to do with college interns. It is being reported that student interns have been voluntarily forced into working overtime to meet the increasing demands of the Sony PlayStation 4.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by RiffTraxFBI Trolled Through Bitcoin Over Silk Road SeizureBy now we probably all know about Silk Road, but for those who do not, let me give you a quick overview. The site, founded by Ross Ulbricht, was a notorious hotbed of illegal drug activity. Aided by Bitcoin, the semi-legitimate online currency of underground activities, Ulbricht was able to keep his sales and clientele anonymous, amassing over 600,000 Bitcoins, valued at over $80 million.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Sirius|XMHulu's New CEO Coming From Fox [Rumor]Writing about Hulu is an emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes you get to write about great new comedies available before premiere, and sometimes you have to write about selling the company (twice) and then abandoning that sale (twice).
read full articleClosingPowered by Tech Podcast Network
DescriptionThis week, Pandora gets more competition, Apple products get a price reduction and Valve gets official with its spec for the Steam Machine.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Nicholas DiMeoHostWith over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!
Avram PiltchSegment HostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkNifty GiftiesPowered by SMS AudioApple's Woes on New iPhone ModelsThe recent launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c have not been without the infamous Apple disasters. From the iPhone 4 antenna issues, Apple Maps overall inaccuracy and the myriad of iPhone 5 issues, including camera and in-box scratching, Apple has not had a good phone launch in a while. For once, Apple has launched 2 new handsets together, and both are having their own individual problems.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkExtra LifePowered by Microsoft StoreValve Announces Official Specs for the 300 Steam Machine PrototypesLast week, Valve officially announced more information on both the Steam Machine and SteamOS. Eligible Steam users can sign up to be one of the 300 randomly selected members to receive a Steam Machine prototype, which will ship later this year. And now Valve has released details and specs of the prototypes.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by RiffTraxFrance to Illegalize Free ShippingFrance has a difficult relationship with reality. They have, in the past done crazy things like prevent Yahoo from purchasing Dailymotion because the government didn't want it sold to an American company, and then they go and do rational things, like challenging Google over its universal privacy policy. Defending them or being mad at them is definitely a moving target.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Sirius|XMRdio Prepares Pandora Competition with Free Radio ServiceThe battle for mobile streaming just got another major player in Rdio. The streaming service has announced that their stations service, similar to Pandora or Last.fm, will now be available to all users of the iOS or Android apps, whether paid or free subscriptions.
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DescriptionThis week, Netflix shows its Super HD to everyone, Valve opens up to the living room with full Steam and Americans can't figure out teh Interwebz.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Nicholas DiMeoHostWith over ten years of audio engineering experience, Nick's addition to PLuGHiTz Corporation is best served when he is behind the mixing board every Sunday night to produce the audio side of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Piltch Point and PLuGHiTz Live Night Cap. While mixing live every week, his previous radio show hosting experience gives him the ability to co-host as well, giving each show a unique flare with his slightly off-center, yet still realistic take on all things tech. An integral part of the show, you can find Nick always enveloped in coming up with new (and sometimes crazy) ideas and content for the show and you can always expect the most direct opinion on the stories that he feels need to be shared with the world. During the few hours where Nick isn't sleeping or working on ways to improve the company, he spends his free time going to hockey and football games and playing the latest titles on Xbox 360. Email him for his gamertag and add him today for a fun escape from the normal monotony and annoyance that the Xbox LIVE gaming community can sometimes be!
Avram PiltchSegment HostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
OpeningPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkNifty GiftiesPowered by SMS AudioJabil Circuit to 'Wind Down Relationship' With BlackBerryBlackBerry's world is not exactly what they thought it would be. Sales are down, profits are down massively, layoffs are imminent and they just sold themselves to Fairfax Financial Holdings. In a letter of intent from BlackBerry, Fairfax Financial Holdings will purchase the struggling smartphone brand for $4.7 billion.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkExtra LifePowered by Microsoft StoreValve Announces SteamOS and Steam Machines, to Launch Early 2014Ever since the introduction of Big Picture Mode and the Steam Box rumors, Valve has found a way to stay in the news, despite Gabe's ever-increasing insanity. This week, Valve announced more details on the Steam Box, and we now know that it isn't just one machine - even though we've known that unofficially for a while - and the company also announced the release of SteamOS.
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by RiffTrax15 Percent of Americans Afraid of or Confused by InternetA report released by the Pew Research Center reveals that 15 percent of American adults, 18 or older, do not use the Internet at all. The main reasons cited for avoiding the net are its difficulty to use and a lack of relevance.
read full article* DRM Not IncludedPowered by Sirius|XMNetflix Makes Super HD Available to AllDespite a fairly constant battle with ISPs, Netflix has unleashed its Super HD video quality to all streaming customers, regardless of the service provider. Previously, Super HD was only available to customers whose ISP had implemented Open Connect delivery system, but member requests have encouraged them to roll it out to all members.
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DescriptionThis week, Microsoft rebrands Bing, Rockstar rings up the sales and BlackBerry reverts to its past.
ParticipantsScott ErtzHostScott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.
Avram PiltchSegment HostAvram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW.
Mark LauterGuestOpeningPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkNifty GiftiesPowered by SMS AudioBlackBerry Founder to Purchase Company [Rumor]One of the stranger topics in our world has been the concept of Co-CEOs. The most famous example of this odd concept is Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie of Research in Motion (now BlackBerry). These two were replaced by Thorston Heins in 2012, but that transition has not panned out well. BlackBerry took forever to launch its BlackBerry 10 OS, which was plagued by marketing disasters, and that was the best aspect of the company's performance over the past year.
read full articlePiltch Point with Avram PiltchPowered by Tech Podcast NetworkExtra LifePowered by Microsoft Store3 Days in, $1 Billion Up for Rockstar GamesIf you have been paying attention to your social media feeds over the past 2 weeks, you already knew that Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto V was going to have a huge opening. If you read any of the reviews online, you could probably have guessed that it was going to have a record-setting release. But, how did it do in reality?
read full articleNews From the TubesPowered by RiffTraxMicrosoft Brings Bing Inline With the One Microsoft PhilosophyOver the past year, we have watched as Microsoft has redefined itself. From a completely redesigned Windows, to an entry into hardware and a corporate reorganization, topped by CEO Steve Ballmer's retirement, it is a completely new Microsoft. The one thing that has been the staple of the new One Microsoft philosophy is a central branding.
read full article DRM Not IncludedPowered by Sirius|XMHouse of Cards Headed to... Redbox?Sometimes I wonder if companies make announcements just to see if we will believe them or not. That is what we have here. Netflix has announced that their original series House of Cards* will soon be available at Redbox, one of their biggest competitors.
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