1. Amazon Launch Creepy Cylinder!
(Image Source: Amazon)
The now increasingly seen as a creepy tube that is listening to you in the middle of your coffee table has come under fire, Despite Amazon stating it is not listening to you, it will clearly respond to questions – you do the math! The voice is Samantha straight out of the Film ‘Her’.
Creepy Alexa wants to become the ‘Tube in Every House’ or the perfect listening device. Some have said phones also listen and people are rethinking this more deeply. In 10 years will there be a similar Alexa Hacking Scandal with Celebrities?
Here is a spoof of the same ad that has been made already! Here is one but there are more 🙂
2. Taylor Swift still not rich enough!
$6 million (£4,million) is apparently not enough it seems for Taylor Swift who withdrew her catalogue from Spotify this week! For those queuing at food banks or in the rain as hopefuls in the X-Factor desperate for anyone to listen to them sing, I suspect the sympathy is in short supply. And they may well shake the for heads in despair. I think it is all just for a headline generating episode, and if that is the case is has worked. She has recently been doing the TV circuit in the UK. Even I have found myself writing about her here! [The tech link of course is Spotify not her as such] I can honesty say this is the first time I have ever written about her and hopefully the last on a tech blog! 🙂 Lol. This just reminds me of the Metalica and Elton John fiasco when they were whinging about Napster in the late 90s and as a result people downloaded them even more out of spite! Get over it, millionaires, who as they joked in the sitcom ‘Friends’ “at least I a rich a d thin” and youngish. What is she complaining about in a world where many musicians struggle to be heard and giver their music away on sites like https://www.jamendo.com/ under Creative Commons. As mentioned this behaviour caused a backlash in the past with a public who watched rich people by swimming pools saying people are not paying them enough with Napster nowit is happening again! Have people changed? I doubt it! She is either a moral genius or making a career ending mistake – I am off to find some artists who will appreciate me downloading their music .
3. Android Lollipop Able to Screen Record without ‘Rooting’.
(Image Source: Google)
Until now screen recording with android devices required the rather risky business of ‘Rooting/ the device and potentially invalidating your warranty or ‘bricking’ your phone! It is possible to screen shot with an app and volume/power off combination etc. However in the new release due out anytime now, Lollipop (that follows the current Kit Kat will allow oweners to record their screens. This is ideal for developers and maybe even podcasters? Many need videos of their apps for the Play Stores. However, it may also heighten the risk of some apps being recorded in use. Snap Chat and other apps obviously can be photographed by a second phone so the idea the images delete themselves is nonsense! This may now add a video element to the issue. There are many revenge videos of late, just be careful if you are intimate on Skype I guess? Apps able to use this new service are Koush’s Mirror App Beta Check out the link for more info!
4. Microsoft .NET becomes Open Source!
(Image Source: Microsoft)
The top Nerd Story is Microsoft open source their .NET framework. This is probably a bit nerdy for most, but important for developers. People reading this are using ‘apps’ right now, but few give any thought to what or how things are made until they crash. In the same way few give any thought to how an engine runs until it breaks down or does not start! Microsoft have until now jealously guarded their software, but I suspect have seen the profit and business model of Android and the ease of development when the core is open source, and thought that this might be some ocean they too want to sail on! If you want to know more click this link!
5. Legal News!
Legal News Part 1 – Eiffel Tower may sue you!
Wacky story of the week is that the French have said that anyone taking a photo of the Eiffel Tower at night is violating copyright law, as although the tower itself is an old structure, and its design is in the ‘public domain’ the nigh-time light show is not. So people who photograph the tower at night and share the images on social networks could be sued! Good luck with your good-will tourism France on that one how idiotic can you be in a struggling economy, by putting off people sharing your greatest attraction on Social Networks! It is unlikley it will put people off enjoying it? Still there it is! Told you it was wacky eh? BTW the image above is a licensed Getty images and legal, well according according to them LOL Maybe they will need to read the small print too these days as will many of the picture agencies?!
Legal News Part 2 – Dark Web Raided!