Supercharged

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92: Why Do Tech Companies Suck at Diversity Hiring and Orgies? Jan 29, 2016

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about Apple missteps, the Zika virus, and why tech companies suck at diversity! Questions/comments? Visit awkwardhuman.com/ask

Links for this episode:

Apple's Safari Browser Is Crashing on iPhones and OS X Due to Search Glitch
Apple’s Safari for iOS and OS X is experiencing a glitch this morning that’s causing the browser to crash for some users when they search through the address bar. The issue appears to be related to search suggestions that usually come from Apple’s servers, which appear to be down.
Apple Recalls Power Adapters That Might Zap You
Today, Apple announced a recall of AC wall plug adapters found in several countries, due to risks of electrical shock.
Facebook Takes On Periscope By Giving Live Streaming To All U.S. iPhoners
Get ready for the big Live streaming showdown. Finally we’ll see who’s approach wins: Twitter and Periscope with a separate app and replays that can only be watched for 24 hours, or Facebook Live with its feature integrated into the popular social network and allowing replays to live on permanently.
Pandora Revamps Its App To Better Compete With Spotify, Apple Music
Pandora today rolled out a series of new features that, again, are aimed at making the streaming music service more competitive with the likes of Spotify and other competitors. As you may recall, the company recently introduced “thumbprint radio” – a way for the service to create a mix of user favorites and recommendations, which seemed a shot against Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” playlist.
Uber wants to be your express delivery service for everything
The company’s next big play to move beyond ride-hailing.
The US Should Expect 'Limited' Outbreaks of the Zika Virus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says outbreaks of the Zika virus are all but inevitable in the US, but that these outbreaks will be limited in scope. At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced an emergency session to address the “explosive spread” of the disease, which has been linked to birth defects.
Google Paid Apple $1 Billion in 2014 to be Default iOS Search Engine
It's common knowledge that Apple and Google have a monetary agreement that ensures Google's position as the default search engine on Apple's iOS devices, but the details of that deal have been kept under wraps, until now. A recent court transcript from Oracle's copyright lawsuit against Google was obtained by Bloomberg and sheds some light on the agreement, suggesting Google pays out a lot of money to keep its search bar on Apple's iPhones and iPads.
iPad Pro's A9X Chip Rivals Performance of Intel's Low-End Core M Processors
AnandTech today published an in-depth iPad Pro review with detailed hardware and software analysis, including an interesting performance comparison between the tablet's dual-core A9X chip and Intel's Core M processors.
Racial and Gender Diversity at Gawker Media
After the announcement that I was being named permanent executive editor of Gawker Media, and after Buzzfeed’s publication of its diversity statistics last month, we received renewed calls internally from editorial staff members for an accounting of the racial and gender diversity of our teams. We have gathered the data, and are publishing them here.
Dropbox Is 2% Black, 5% Hispanic, According To 2015 Diversity Report
Dropbox just released its diversity report for 2015 on the company’s blog, citing some progress around having more women in leadership positions, with 25 percent of the VPs at the company being women, but an overall decline in percentage of women. Last year, Dropbox was 33.9 percent women worldwide. This year, that percentage has dropped to 32 percent worldwide.

No sponsor this week!

91: Crushing Debt Jan 22, 2016

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about music memos, personal finance, and crushing debt! Questions or comments? Visit awkwardhuman.com/ask

Guests: Rod Ebrahimi (ReadyForZero.com) and Paul Shaw (Fitness Instructor and Former Financial Counselor)

Links for this episode:

Supercharged Podcast Subreddit
It's here to stay!
Mossberg: Smartwatches need to get smarter
Apparently Mossberg doesn't think they're living up to the hype. No shit, Walt.
Facebook's 'Sports Stadium' Is a Dedicated Place to Talk About the Big Game
If you’re watching that game of football without your buddies, Facebook thinks it can help make the experience a little more social. Sport Stadium provides a place to chat about what’s happening with your friends, along with providing live stats and expert insights.
Apple Launches 'Music Memos' App, Releases Major 'GarageBand for iOS' Update
Apple today announced it has released a free iOS app called Music Memos that enables musicians and songwriters to record and analyze high-quality, uncompressed audio using the iPhone's built-in microphone, or an external microphone. The app is currently rolling out on the App Store worldwide.
Maven Is GM's New Zipcar Competitor
Want a car for an hour or two? Normally you’d turn to Zipcar, but now General Motors has announced an alternative car sharing scheme that it’s calling Maven.
Arianna Huffington On Technology Addiction And The Sleep Revolution
Sarah Lane (not Lacey, sorry for the error!) interviews Arianna Huffington about her new book, The Sleep Revolution, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland 2016. This interview is part of TechCrunch Davos Live, a live interview series that includes firesides and panels featuring interviews with world leaders and global trendsetters.
Would you rent out your home as an office workspace?
I'm writing this feature on my laptop sitting at a kitchen table in a stranger's home. It's a converted warehouse in east London, where the occupier, Jayna Cavendish, lives and teaches yoga. I booked the workspace on the Spacehop website, which launched this month.
ReadyForZero
Ready to be debt-free? We thought so. We’ll show you a lightning fast way to pay off any debt – and give you the motivation to get there.
Fellowes Office Underdesk Keyboard Tray
A keyboard tray you can add to (presumably) any desk. (For Mattheyóus.)

Special thanks to Squarespace for sponsoring this week's episode!

90: The New OS Jan 15, 2016

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about iOS 9.3, the Steve Jobs of penises, and the future of operating systems! Questions? Visit awkwardhuman.com/ask

Links for this episode:

Founders on Pinterist
Mmmm...
Skype Translator Is Now Available in the Main Skype App
Windows: Skype’s relatively new translator app that allowed users who speak different languages to video chat together. Now, it’s becoming a feature of the regular Skype app.
VLC for Apple TV Now Available on tvOS App Store
Following a lengthy beta testing period, VideoLAN has announced that its VLC app is now available for the fourth-generation Apple TV on the tvOS App Store.
All the Best, New Features Coming in iOS 9.3
Apple’s iOS 9.3 introduces several new useful, interesting features, including a F.lux-like screen temperature changer based on time of day, password locks for notes, new shortcuts, and more. Apple rarely does anything big with its incremental updates, but this time it’s different.
Developers Behind F.lux Call on Apple to Allow F.lux App for iOS Devices
With iOS 9.3, Apple introduced Night Shift, a feature that is designed to cut down on nighttime blue light exposure from iOS devices to encourage better sleep. Its similarity to the popular f.lux app for Mac did not go unnoticed, especially since Apple put a stop to an f.lux for iOS app just two months before Night Shift debuted.
New York Bill Would Force Apple and Other Manufacturers to Decrypt Smartphones
A bill that is working its way through the New York state assembly would require Apple and other smartphone manufacturers and mobile operating system providers to decrypt and unlock devices to aid law enforcement.
The Official Donald Trump Jam
Freedom Girls from Pensacola, Florida entertain Trump supporters in Pensacola, Florida on January 13, 2016.
Remix OS is Android for the desktop, and it works with nearly any PC
Last year at CES, we mocked a company called Jide for creating a blatant Microsoft Surface clone. Well, this year they've come back with something new — and they've also returned much richer. See, between CES 2015 and today, Jide created a Kickstarter campaign for the Remix Mini, a $70 device that can run Android on any screen with an HDMI input. It took in $1.6 million.
Remix OS for PC
The developer version is now available for download to boot up on any PC!

No sponsor this week! Tell your friends about the show!

89: Perhaps It's Easier to Get Snakes on a Plane Jan 08, 2016

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about Apple’s portless future, the Time Warner hack, and fun new air travel laws! Questions or comments? Go to awkwardhuman.com/ask

Links for this episode:

Supercharged Podcast Subreddit
Soon to be the Awkward Human subreddit!
Reddit's Made an Actual Book of Its AMAs, But It'll Cost You $35
Gizmodo: "This feels kind of wrong. Reddit has assembled a series of its best AMAs from the website into a real physical book, and it will gladly take $35 of your hard-earned dollars for a copy."
Remix OS is Android for the desktop, and it works with nearly any PC
The Verge: "Last year at CES, we mocked a company called Jide for creating a blatant Microsoft Surface clone. Well, this year they've come back with something new — and they've also returned much richer. See, between CES 2015 and today, Jide created a Kickstarter campaign for the Remix Mini, a $70 device that can run Android on any screen with an HDMI input. It took in $1.6 million."
Time Warner Cable Hacked, Change Your Passwords Now
Lifehacker: "Account information for over 320,000 Time Warner cable customers was stolen yesterday, mostly due to malware and phishing attacks on Time Warner partner companies. If you’re a subscriber, you know the drill: change your password now."
Supply Chain Rumors Reaffirm iPhone 7 Will Not Have Headphone Jack
MacRumors: "Six weeks ago, Japanese website Mac Otakara reported that Apple is planning to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector for both connectivity and audio output."
T-Mobile CEO Responds to 'Binge On’ Controversy, Announces 14 New Partners
MacRumors: "T-Mobile CEO John Legere today wrote a letter in response to recent criticisms of the company's new free video streaming service "Binge On," claiming that the program does not permanently slow down data and that claims of throttling are just "playing semantics." Legere also reiterated the fact that users can opt out of the service at any time, and that anyone with the ability to access Binge On has "complete control" over the experience if they want higher than 480p resolution."
How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?
NPR: "Recently, the rapper Jay Z relaunched the subscription streaming music service Tidal, which includes the option to listen to high-definition audio for $19.99 per month. Tidal's HiFi, with its uncompressed audio files, promises a better listening experience than any other streaming service on the market."
T-Mobile CEO John Legere got caught lying by the EFF, and now he’s totally losing it
The Verge: " Share on Facebook (459) Tweet Share (66) Pin The Electronic Frontier Foundation caught T-Mobile and its bombastic CEO John Legere in a huge lie, and instead of addressing the findings, Legere is quickly becoming unhinged. Here's the short version: T-Mobile has been claiming that its "BingeOn" program, which offers some free video from select partners to customers, and also downgrades the quality of all other video as part of an opt-out program, is collectively a form of video "optimization." Three days ago, the EFF published an investigation that exposed T-Mobile's marketing language for the euphemistic misdirection it is: instead of "optimizing" video streams, the company has been identifying video traffic and then throttling that traffic to 1.5Mbps."
EFF Confirms: T-Mobile’s Binge On Optimization is Just Throttling, Applies Indiscriminately to All Video
EFF: "Back in November, T-Mobile announced a new service for its mobile customers called Binge On, in which video streams from certain websites don’t count against customers’ data caps.1 The service is theoretically open to all video providers without charge, so long as T-Mobile can recognize and then “optimize” the provider’s video streams to a bitrate equivalent to 480p. At first glance, this doesn’t sound too harmful—customers can watch more video without worrying about their caps, most will consider 480p to be adequate quality (especially on a small phone screen), and the harms of treating individual video providers differently are diminished when T-Mobile offers the program to any provider for free."
Everything You Should Know About This Year's Air Travel Changes
Lifehacker: "From tighter TSA rules to crappier travel rewards, you can expect some big changes in air travel this year. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or a vacationer, you’ll want to be aware of the changes before you get to the airport."
A idea on how to 'convert' video tapes into a digital form?
Supercharged Subreddit: "So I know this question is real odd, but I realized a had a bunch of video tapes lying around that are slowly dying. I don't know where to start so any tips would help."

This week's episode is sponsored by Squarespace! Use offer code SUPERCHARGED to get 10% off your plan.

88: Darth Jar Jar (and Other Conspiracy Theories) Dec 31, 2015

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about and conspiracy theories, from the Bilderberg Group to Darth Jar Jar Binks! Questions or comments? Go to awkwardhuman.com/ask!

Links for this episode:

Bilderberg Group Criticism
Wikipedia's summary of the potential conspiracies.
John Titor: Time Traveler
The guy from 2036 who supposedly traveled through time.
Is Jar Jar a Sith!? Crazy Theory Might Be True!
A user created a theory on reddit about how Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars may actually be a Sith Master, here I am explaining the theory in-depth. All hail Sith Lord Binks.
IBM 5100
The computer John Titor needs to restore.
Lynda.com
Normally our sponsor, but today just a recommendation.
Treehouse
Another good resource for learning to code.
Lifehacker: Learn to Code Tag Page
Where Lifehacker's learn to code resources go.

No sponsor this week. Have a happy new year!

87: Creativity Dec 24, 2015

Show notes

A discussion on the creative process with Rich Vreeland (Musician, Disasterpeace), Darren Herczeg (Filmmaker/Visual Artist, Shockhammer), Thorin Klosowski (Writer, Lifehacker), and Toni Dachis (Visual Artist and Adam's Mom).

This week's episode was sponsored by the wonderful folks at Lynda.com!

86: Loserboards Dec 16, 2015

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about Uber unions, drone hell, and online identity. Questions/comments? Visit awkwardhuman.com/ask!

Links for this episode:

Supercharged Podcast Subreddit
Thanks #2 Dan and David!
Darren's Pounding Rant
Created lovingly by John.
More Darren Rant Ringtones
Courtesy of Michael M. :)
Google's Project Fi Now Works With Tablets, Even iPads, For Free
Project Fi, Google’s carrier service, is a great idea currently stymied by a limited rollout. Only owners of Nexus 5X, 6, and 6P devices can test drive what it’s like to have Google as a carrier, for good or bad. Google’s now loosening that tight gadget grip a teeny bit and letting in data-only tablets free of charge, you just have to pay for data like always.
Microsoft owns up to issues with the Surface Book and Pro 4
The company says it's aware of the problems and is working to fix them quickly.
Amazon tells customers to throw out unsafe 'hoverboards'
It's also refunding customers in full, eating the cost in the process.
Seattle Votes to Allow Uber Drivers to Form Unions
Uber Technologies Inc. was dealt a setback in Seattle, where the city council voted unanimously to give collective bargaining rights to drivers.
Facebook Won't Change Its “Real Name” Policy but Will Offer a Workaround
For nearly a decade, marginalized individuals—from transgender people to victims of abuse—have begged Facebook to change its “real name” policy. Over a year after apologizing for the controversy, Facebook definitively said it would not change the rules. But it will offer a workaround for some users.
Ontrapages
Another landing page option! (For Keith.)
How to Enable HDMI-CEC on Your TV, and Why You Should
“HDMI-CEC”, short for HDMI Consumer Electronics Control, is an HDMI feature many TVs and peripherals have. This feature makes your devices work better together, but is often disabled by default.
The Best NES Emulator for Windows
If you want the nostalgia of an old-school NES with the quality and ease of an HDTV, an emulator can take you far. If you want a perfect NES experience, you’ll want to go with the Nestopia UE core in RetroArch.
The Best SNES Emulator for Windows
It may be 25 years old, but the Super Nintendo still boasts some of the best video games of all time. If you want to SNES on your Windows machine, we think the best emulator for the job is RetroArch with a bsnes core.
How to Set Up an All-In-One Retro Game Emulator with RetroArch
If you want to play all your favorite old games on your computer, RetroArch sets up a slick, all-in-one interface on your for any retro game you can imagine. RetroArch is easily the most powerful, cross-platform option for doing so, but it’s obnoxiously difficult to set up. Here’s how to do it.

This week's episode is brought to you by both Squarespace and Lynda.com! Thanks to both great companies!

85: Accidentally Racist Technology Dec 10, 2015

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about the death of Mailbox, the new Final Fantasy 7 remake, and accidentally racist technology. Questions/Comments? Visit awkwardhuman.com/ask

Links for this episode:

BitScoop
Liam's cool new app currently in beta.
You Can Listen to the New Season of Serial Right Now
It’s been a year since the first season of Serial reached it conclusion. But now armchair detectives everywhere can immerse themselves in the new, second season because you can download the first installment right now.
Apple Launches Official $99 Battery Enhancing Case for iPhone 6s
Apple today quietly launched a new iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case that will prolong the smartphone's talk time and internet use up to a total of 25 and 18 hours respectively (via CNET). The case's outside material compares similarly to the company's previous line of silicone accessories, with an added hump sitting in the middle of the backside where the extra battery rests.
Apple to Release New Apple TV Remote App for iOS With Full Siri Functionality in First Half of 2016
Apple senior executive Eddy Cue has confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the company is developing a new Apple TV Remote app with full Siri Remote functionality on iPhone to be released in the first half of 2016.
Dropbox Is Shutting Down Mailbox and Carousel
Dropbox is shutting down their mobile email client, Mailbox, on February 26. The influential client utilized swipes and gestures to organize emails and was first acquired by Dropbox in 2013. Carousel, Dropbox’s photo organization app, will also be discontinued. Read more on the Dropbox blog.
Buy A Car On Your Phone With The New Beepi App
Thanks to the folks at Beepi, you can now buy a car using nothing more than the iPhone in your hand (well, that and the money in your bank account).
Final Fantasy VII Remake: More Story, Less Action
Square Enix last week offered some tidbits about its upcoming Final Fantasy VII remake, which likely will be episodic in nature with the emphasis on action toned down.
Study Finds Racial Discrimination by Airbnb Hosts
Renters with names that seemed African American had a harder time booking reservations on Airbnb than those who had white-sounding names.
Google Photos tags black people as 'gorillas', puts pictures in special folder
Image recognition technology has gone wrong before, labelling black people ‘apes’ and ‘animals.'
The Internet has unearthed more racist Google Maps results
If you search for the N-word on Google Maps, you get the White House. You also get Howard University, a historically black institution, and the Capitol building.
8 times technology proved to be racist
Modern tech has a history of privileging whiteness.
How Well Can You Hear Audio Quality?
Recently, the rapper Jay Z relaunched the subscription streaming music service Tidal, which includes the option to listen to high-definition audio for $19.99 per month. Tidal's HiFi, with its uncompressed audio files, promises a better listening experience than any other streaming service on the market.
SpaceX: Grasshopper 744m Test | Single Camera (Hexacopter)
On Monday, October 7th, Grasshopper completed its highest leap to date, rising to 744m altitude. The view above is taken from a single camera hexacopter, getting closer to the stage than in any previous flight.
XKCD What If: Orbital Speed
Not a comic like I incorrectly stated on the show (because I hadn't looked at it), but rather an in-depth explanation of orbital speed!
Make and Host Your Own Customized, Personal Landing Page in a Few Minutes
Personal landing pages like Flavors.me are really popular right now, but we prefer more complete control over what Google has to say about us. Here's a Lifehacker-made, easily customizable, open-source solution that you can place on any server and have running in minutes.
Lifehacker.me on GitHub
Customizable, personal landing page.

No sponsor this week, so please rate us on iTunes and share the show with your friends!

84: The Virtual World of Smart IUDs Dec 03, 2015

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about virtual reality, Android Wear for iPhone, and the one true death of Adobe Flash. Guest: Patrick Allen (Lifehacker). Ask a question or comment at awkwardhuman.com/ask!

Links for this episode:

Supercharged Podcast Subreddit
Go participate and review stuff!
Popular Design App 'Sketch' Leaves Mac App Store Due to Poor Customer Experience
Bohemian Coding has announced that its popular design app Sketch is no longer available in the Mac App Store because, after a lengthy decision making process, the developers felt that directly licensing the software outside of Apple's storefront will provide customers with a better experience.
Adobe Renaming 'Flash Professional' to ‘Animate’, Shifts Focus to HTML5
As part of its round of November Creative Cloud updates, Adobe announced plans to rebrand its Flash Professional CC software as Animate CC to acknowledge a growing shift away from Flash.
The Tech Community Still Can't Figure Out Who Wrote This Book Making Fun of It
In June a handful of tech writers received a slim sendup of startup culture by an anonymous author. Six months later, still no one knows who wrote it. Now Iterating Grace has been published by an actual book publisher, so you can buy a copy, and perhaps even help solve the mystery.
7 of Yahoo's Biggest Fuck Ups
Last night, The Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo is considering selling off its core internet business, which includes Flickr, Tumblr, and of course, Yahoo.com. It’s not surprising that the board is looking for an escape hatch: Yahoo is hurting, and the footfalls of this stumbling tech titan have been echoing for awhile now.
Google Cardboard
Google's DIY-ish pseudo-virtual reality headset.
Oculus Rift
The new original VR gaming platform.
How to Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a Private Streaming Music Service
If you're sick of dealing with carrying around a massive library of music on your smartphone and you don't want to pay for a service like Google Music, the Raspberry Pi can work as a music server. With a little work, you can make all your MP3s available to you regardless of where you are. Here's how to set it up.
A Beginner's Guide to DIYing with the Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a wonderful little computer that fits in the palm of your hand, yet packs enough power to run your home media center, a VPN, and a lot more. Before you can do anything awesome, however, you need to configure it and install an operating system. Here's how.
Ten More Awesome Projects for Your Raspberry Pi
We've shown you how to get started with the Raspberry Pi, the pocket-sized DIY dream computer. Here are ten awesome projects you can put together in a weekend with this $35 board.
Turn a Raspberry Pi Into an XBMC Media Center in Under 30 Minutes
The best home theater PCs are small, quiet, and inexpensive—so the bite-size, $35 Raspberry Pi is the perfect choice. Here’s how to turn this little DIY board into a cheap, silent media center in just a half hour.

No sponsor this week, so go rate us on iTunes (with love)!

83: Mediturkey Nov 26, 2015

Show notes

This week on Supercharged we’re talking about Thanksgiving, meditation, and outer space! Got a question or comment? Go here to awkwardhuman.com/ask!

Links for this episode:

Supercharged Podcast Subreddit
Go and write a review on it!
The Best Black Friday Deals Available Right Now
You’ve reached our hub for all the best Black Friday deals! As you’ve probably already figured out, “Black Friday” is a bit of a misnomer; many of the best deals are available up to a week in advance. Luckily for you, we’ll be adding them all here as they go live, so you can focus on stuffing your face and trying not to kill your family.
Blue Origin Makes Historic Rocket Landing
Blue Origin today announced that its New Shepard space vehicle successfully flew to space, reaching its planned test altitude of 329,839 feet (100.5 kilometers) before executing a historic landing back at the launch site in West Texas.
Lifehacker Thanksgiving Coverage
All the Thanksgiving tips we talked about should be here!
OMG I Can Meditate!
A meditation app for everyone.

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace.

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