Gadgets & Tech – Spoken Edition

Latest Episodes:

The U.S. Space Force Is Losing a Trademark Battle With Netflix's Space Force Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

The real Space Force may be going down in flames against the fictional Space Force: According to the Hollywood Reporter, the newly founded military branch appears to be losing a trademark battle with the Netflix comedy show of the same name. Netflix “has outmaneuvered the U.S. government to secure trademark rights to ‘Space Force’ in Europe, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere,” according to the Reporter, while the Air Force—under which the Space Force is organized—simply has a pending application stateside. This mostly has ramifications for merch. Consumers won’t have trouble discerning between the military branch and Space Force when it comes to which one stars Steve Carrell, but they might not be able who is selling a line of Space Force shirts. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relies on a “first-to-use” system when assigning rights, and Netflix has been submitting trademark applications for the Space Force across the globe since the start of 2019. On the other hand, the Air Force filed a trademark application on the basis of intent to use in March 2019, per Law & Crime, and the Space Force didn’t become an actual organization until December 2019. If it comes down to a legal battle, that means Netflix may be able to easily demonstrate it was actually using the Space Force branding first. (Even if Netflix lost the case, it would have a First Amendment right to continue selling Space Force merch on the grounds of satire and parody.) According to Law & Crime, this wouldn’t be an unprecedented legal fight. Since 2007, when a Defense Department directive forming a new copyright and trademark went into effect, the U.S. Marine Corps used its trademark to order sites like Zazzle, CafePress, and Etsy to either stop selling merchandise with USMC branding or only under certain rules. Foreign Policy wrote in 2013 that the increased focus on branding had allowed service branches to start rolling in royalties or even launch clothing lines in partnership with retailers. “At this time, we are not aware of any trademark conflicts with the fictional program Space Force produced by Netflix,” an Air Force spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter. “We wish Netflix and the show’s producers the best in their creative depiction of our nation’s newest branch of the military.” The dispute may ultimately come to nothing, as Space Force has not exactly been a winner for Netflix so far. According to Rotten Tomatoes, just 40 percent of 82 critics gave its first season positive reviews (and even many of those positive reviews were not great). Blurbs include “shockingly unfunny,” “so strange and ill-conceived and ill-timed that not even Carell’s avuncular bonhomie can save it,” “decidedly dull, to the point that humor has been transported elsewhere,” and “pathetically offering up zingers on office rivalries, nepotism, and weird co-workers.”

Researchers Have Created Transparent, Breathable Face Masks Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

As mask-wearing becomes the new norm around the world, researchers from the EPFL and Empa in Switzerland have come up with a way to improve at least one of the many challenges of wearing face protection with a new transparent design that no longer completely hides and obscures the wearer’s mouth.

U.S. Falls Out of Top 10 Average Internet Speeds Globally in 2020, but That’s Just Because Other Countries Are Faster Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

The covid-19 pandemic has many of us working and learning from home, which means access to fast internet is more important than ever. Unfortunately, despite being the richest country in the world, the U.S. has fallen out of the top 10 list for the countries with the fastest broadband speeds. Based on recent data from Speedtest.net’s Global Index, first highlighted by DecisionData.org, for the past few years the U.S. has typically hovered between No. 7 and No. 10 among countries with the fastest broadband speeds. But in the last year, average broadband speeds in the U.S. haven’t improved as quickly as other developed nations. In April 2019, average broadband download speeds in the U.S. were about 118.6 Mbps, placing America at No. 7 on the list of countries with the fastest internet speeds. A year later, average download speeds had only risen to 132.6 Mbps, placing the U.S. 11th—behind Macau, Denmark, and Sweden. Meanwhile, despite the lack of any huge gains in broadband speeds, with average download speeds of 198.4 Mbps, Singapore comfortably retained its No. 1 spot ahead of Hong Kong (176.7 Mbps) and Thailand (159.9 Mbps), which rank second and third, respectively. While it might be easy to attribute the U.S.’s relatively lackluster gains in broadband speeds on covid-19, recent data published by Speedtest.net (and updated yesterday) that tracked changes in speeds between Jan. 6 and March 2 shows that’s really not the case. Both the U.S. and the global average increased by an average of 1 percent. That said, 130 Mbps or so would be more than enough for most people—if they could actually get those speeds. Unfortunately, for people living in more rural areas who don’t have access to one of the big ISPs, even getting 50 Mbps can often be a challenge. What’s most worrisome about Speedtest’s latest global index is that while the U.S. still ranks in the top 15 for broadband speeds, it ranks just 33rd at 43.7 Mbps when it comes to mobile data. That’s a pretty weak showing compared to similarly sized countries like China (84.9 Mbps), Canada (73.52 Mbps), and Australia (62.15 Mbps) which all rank in the top 10 for mobile data, with South Korea taking the top spot at 88 Mbps. A country’s size may partially account for the fact that smaller nations have faster fixed broadband speeds than the U.S., but it’s clearly not the only reason—as evidenced by the U.S.’s mediocre mobile data speeds. And with covid-19 forcing many schools and businesses to rethink the need for having large offices and campuses, the U.S. really needs to step up its efforts to make fast internet access available to more people.

Lutron's Smart Blinds Automatically Open and Close All Day Long To Stop Direct Sunlight From Baking Your Home Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

The sun is a great source of free lighting if you’re in a home with lots of windows. But in the summer months, natural lighting can also quickly turn your home into an oven. Instead of spending all your waking hours opening and closing blinds to block direct blasts of the sun’s rays, Lutron’s new automated smart blinds can make all of those adjustments for you. With companies like Ikea finally making the technology more affordable, smart blinds are joining smart lighting as an accessible home upgrade. But being able to simply remotely open or close your blinds from a mobile, app, or asking your smart assistant to do it for you, isn’t as smart as it could be. Lutron’s new window blinds feature “Natural Light Optimization” functionality which takes into account the location and orientation of your house (using GPS and a smart device’s built-in compass, presumably) as well as the location of all the blinds in your home to automatically open and close them individually throughout the day to let in natural light—but only on the sides of your house not directly exposed to the sun. The functionality helps maximize the amount of light in your home while at the same time minimizing unwanted excess heat, but there are other advantages too such as a “Fade Fighter” mode which can be activated to limit the amount of sunlight hitting furniture or other items in a home that can fade in color over time. If you’re an art collector with some expensive pieces on your walls, that feature alone could justify the upgrade which starts at $600 for a set of blinds that cover a 3 x 5-foot window, but the price goes up from there depending on size and style. As with other smart blind systems, Lutron’s new blinds can be manually scheduled through an accompanying mobile app, remotely operated through popular voice assistants, and the blinds will automatically all close at sunset to maximize privacy in your home. Installation is promised to take as little as 20 minutes because the motors are all contained in a small battery-powered box mounted at the top of a window so no wiring is required. The downside, of course, is yet another thing in your house with a hunger for fresh batteries especially since these blinds are operating and adjusting all day long.

Apple Wins Patent for Socially Distant Group Selfies Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

It can be difficult to return to business as usual during America’s first phase of reopening with federal social distancing recommendations still in effect. But a new patent from Apple gives us a glimpse into how one bit of normalcy—group selfies—might work even when we’re all at least six feet apart.

Apple Doesn’t Want the Economic Crisis to Keep You From Buying Its Products: Report Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

The economic crisis stemming from the coronavirus pandemic has hit countries all over the world, costing millions of jobs and putting a freeze on a lot of non-essential spending, like upgrading your old phone or computer. Apple knows this, and that’s presumably why it’s reportedly planning to launch an installment program for its products. Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning to roll out this monthly installment program—which will be tied to its Apple Card credit card, issued by Goldman Sachs—over the next few weeks. The service will let customers buy a product through Apple and split the cost over several months with interest-free payments. The Bloomberg report states that Apple will offer a 12-month, interest-free payment plan for iPads, Macs, Apple Pencils, iPad keyboards, and Mac XDR Display monitors. Meanwhile, AirPods, Apple TVs, and HomePods will be offered at zero interest for six months. The program aims to increase enrollment for the Apple Card and boost sales of Apple products by letting users split the cost over time, according to Bloomberg report. Installment payments will be added to a customer’s monthly Apple Card bill and will be managed through the Wallet app. Of course, Apple isn’t the only company that offers payment installment programs to pay for products. Cell phone carriers also offer this service. However, Apple’s program would allow customers to use an installment plan to pay for a wide variety of its products. Apple, like many companies, has been impacted economically by the coronavirus pandemic. In February, it announced that it did not expect to meet its own revenue guidance for the March quarter because the worldwide iPhone supply had been temporarily constrained by the health crisis. This also affected demand for its products in China, Apple said. “In this difficult environment, our users are depending on Apple products in renewed ways to stay connected, informed, creative, and productive. We feel motivated and inspired to not only keep meeting these needs in innovative ways, but to continue giving back to support the global response,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the announcement of the company’s second quarter results. Apple also hasn’t stopped releasing new products during the health crisis. The company has launched its new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, Powerbeats, and the iPhone SE. And we still haven’t seen the new iPhone 12 that’s expected this fall. If any of those gadgets sound appealing to you, rest assured, as it appears Apple is making every effort to make sure you can still buy them one way or another. [Bloomberg]

God Help Us, the Winklevoss Twins Are Co-Producing a Movie About Their Bitcoin Journey Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

The Winklevoss twins—the brothers Mark Zuckerberg allegedly stole the idea for Facebook from—are making a movie about themselves, Deadline reported this week. If that doesn’t seem masturbatory enough, rejoice: said film is about how they amassed a net wealth of more than $1 billion by getting really into Bitcoin.

This Nintendo Switch Painting App Includes a Pressure-Sensing Stylus Powered by Sound Waves Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

A popular painting app for the Nintendo DS and 3DS that relied on each handheld’s stylus is finally coming to the Switch. But instead of forcing users to paint with their fingers, Colors Live will include a stylus that cleverly uses the Switch’s headphone jack for pressure sensitivity and a better painting experience.

iPhone 12 Release Could Be Delayed, A Surprising Source Says Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

Every September, almost like clockwork, Apple releases a new iPhone. Based on recent comments from an unlikely source, the CEO of wireless component supplier Broadcom, the iPhone 12's release might get delayed until much later in the year. According to Bloomberg, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan made the prediction during a recent earnings call, though he didn’t quite spell it out.

Check This Out: Mornings Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

You step outside, finding the usually bustling streets peaceful and empty. Despite a weather forecast pushing 80 degrees, the air is refreshingly cool. And while your schedule is filled with work, errands, and work that’s basically just one big errand, in this little moment you have no responsibilities at all. What is this strange magic? Well, it’s a lesser-known time of day I’d like to turn you on to.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Gadgets & Tech – Spoken Edition

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected