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You can download for FREE the Manic Online App Today:- Android - https://bit.ly/3daN3yo Apple - https://apple.co/3seEd8Q9 https://Twitch.tv/ManicOnline | Download the App https://Mixcloud.ManicFm.com | Download the App https://linktr.ee/ManicFm | Links WhatsApp.ManicFm.com | Group Txt line 07719 594859 Play “Manic Online” on Alexa Talk to "Manic Online" on Google Hub, Sonos, and Smart Speaker.

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Podcasting has revolutionized the way we consume audio, and for that reason, International Podcast Day is a day of celebration. Radio is so twentieth-century! The world moved on from it long ago with podcasting becoming mainstream in recent years to help change this perception around what was once seen as just some '90s relic or dead technology from decades past - but now you're listening on your own time anywhere at any place because who doesn't love podcasts? I don't know about y'all out there…but I'm loving my Google Hub while taking advantage today by downloading "Business Casual" where Journalist Nora Ali and comedian Scott Rogowsky ask industry leaders the questions you wish you could ask yourself. Episodes drop every Monday and Thursday. Presented by JobsOhio. This is a reality check podcast where you can really get down to business. Find a podcast that you like, and listen. Sometimes it's big names, sometimes it's new faces never seen before. #internationalpodcastday #javachatpodcast #podcastingrules RQuET6bBmGuCooyunHeH --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coffeewithmike/support

With Gareth Myles and Ted SalmonJoin us on Mewe RSS Link: https://techaddicts.libsyn.com/rss iTunes | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Tunein | Spotify  Amazon | Pocket Casts | Castbox |  PodhubUK   Hardline on the hardware: iPhone 13 leak reveals huge camera upgrade OnePlus 9 Lite, 9, and 9 Pro OnePlus 9 leak suggests support for wireless charging  Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro on 28th of December  T-Mobile is shutting down service to these phones in US  Google Hub woes Leak depicts a seemingly much cheaper Galaxy Chromebook successor Tiger Lake Powered 8-Inch GPD Win 3 To Launch From $799 With 16GB RAM 11 Port Belkin Multiport With USB Power Delivery 3.0 Now In Store   Flap your trap about an App: Google Photos doing “Cinematic Photos” Telegram to introduce paid features in 2021 YouTube Kids for Android TV passes 10 million installs Samsung's TV Plus service is now available in 12 countries worldwide   Hark Back: Hitachi SDT-300 Music Centre   Bargain Basement: Xiaomi Mi 10t Lite 64GB £179 + Headphones Poco X3 128GB + Powerbank £179 - 64GB £149 Note 9 Pro 64GB £139 | 9s £129  Sony Xperia 1 II £899 (and 5 months payments for some) Motorola Edge+ £599 down from £1,049 POCO X3 NFC- Smartphone 6+128GB - RRP: £249.00 Now: £195.00 Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 - USB flash drive - 64 GB - £5.89  Clever Dog Wireless Smart WiFi Home Security Camera 1080p Upgraded - Blue - Was:£39.99 Now:  £19.99   SanDisk Extreme Pro 1 TB microSDXC AKG K275   Main Show URL: http://www.techaddicts.uk | PodHubUK Contact:: contact@techaddicts.uk | @techaddictsuk Gareth - @garethmyles | garethmyles.com Ted - tedsalmon.com | Ted's PayPal | Ted's Amazon | tedsalmon@post.com YouTube: Tech Addicts

Get Exclusive Pop Culture Show video interviews, video content and bonus video exclusively from our Instagram. Sign up for our Pop Cult and be the first to get show announcements, free stuff and insider information only available to cult members.Speaker 1 (00:00):Welcome to The Pop Culture Show with Barnes, Leslie and Cubby.Barnes (00:04):Full steam ahead with pop culture. Welcome to The Pop Culture Show. Someone asked me this week, guys, he said, "What is ... I don't do the podcast thing." And I'm like, "You know what? It's okay if you've never listened to a podcast. Maybe you don't know what it's about. It's easy." They hear the word download and they think they have to do something. You don't really have to do anything. You can listen to it anywhere. iHeartRadio app, Apple, whatever, you just hit play. And someone over said, "Well, what is your show," and I had to think about it. What's our elevator pitch?Cubby (00:32):Yeah, we're like the one-stop shop, I think.Barnes (00:33):Completely.Cubby (00:33):We are the 7-Eleven. Yeah.Leslie (00:36):The good thing about podcasts though, is that because all three of us have done radio, Cubby's still on a very successful morning show in New York, is that you really don't have to edit yourself. It's not like you have to sit there and look at a watch. You just-Cubby (00:47):Go.Leslie (00:47):No editing.Cubby (00:48):Yeah, I love it. You just go.Barnes (00:51):This is someone who is a very successful designer, one of Heather's friends that was over for dinner, she's like, "Well, what did y'all talk about?" It's like, well, Kanye for president. That was so last week, and all these things. I said, "If you listen to our show, just under an hour, you'll be able to entertain any gathering and be able to be like you're right in it."Cubby (01:09):Can I just say, though, for the record, we do record the show at 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings, so last week, a lot happened after we recorded it.Barnes (01:17):Yes.Cubby (01:18):We thought about jumping back on, but we couldn't get connected. But just to let people know, we know when things break, even on a Monday, because sometimes things break and we just, we can't get on and talk about it.Barnes (01:28):Yeah, unfortunately we're just one show a week for now, but hopefully that'll change at some point.Leslie (01:33):Maybe we'll be live every day one day.Barnes (01:34):Yeah, when I can get you two to quit your real jobs and we'll start doing it.Leslie (01:37):Cubby's like, don't give me another gig.Cubby (01:40):No, I'd be into it. I'm actually really enjoying this. I do have one thing, though, that I want to get off my chest that happened to me this past week, and I want to dive right into it because I think it could get you guys talking. It's been bugging me and bugging me. So I'm driving around a lot more, and people are wearing their masks, which I love. Wear your mask, okay? That's going to help. But do you guys see people driving alone in a car-Barnes (02:01):Yes.Cubby (02:01):Wearing a mask?Barnes (02:03):And I wonder what the hell they're thinking.Cubby (02:04):Please tell me why. I need to get this off my chest.Barnes (02:07):You're protecting yourself from yourself.Cubby (02:10):I just don't get it.Barnes (02:11):But some people though, Cubby, you know what, still don't understand why they're wearing a mask in the first place.Cubby (02:15):True.Barnes (02:15):Some people truly believe that it is to take the inhale and filter out the corona. It's the opposite. You're protecting projecting.Cubby (02:27):And I get some people are very busy and maybe they're going store to store and they just keep it on, but it just, it makes me laugh every time I see somebody just wearing a mask in the car by themselves.Barnes (02:34):Yeah.Leslie (02:34):Have you seen the thing on Amazon you can buy, the air filter, like if you're going on a flight? And a friend of mine bought one because she's flying back from Portland this week, and she's got the air filter mask that's hooked up to her arm. And I'm like-Barnes (02:47):Well, she needs a bulletproof vest more than that, because Portland's out of control right now.Cubby (02:51):Right.Barnes (02:51):I mean, it's completely ... Hey, please rate, review, and subscribe. That's how we keep this thing going. Of course, now you can get us on the iHeartRadio app, which is fairly new in the last month, now in Teslas everywhere, just search The Pop Culture Show, and also on-Cubby (03:05):Why are you laughing, Leslie?Leslie (03:05):He's such a Tesla dude.Barnes (03:05):What? These are outlets.Leslie (03:06):He's such a Tesla dude.Barnes (03:09):I'm doing a service for Tesla people who might want to listen in the car. You can search it. It's right there. Amazon Alexa, the Google Hub, whatever.Cubby (03:20):MySpace, we're everywhere.Barnes (03:22):Yeah, we're on MySpace. We're on a delay-Cubby (03:23):Cassettes.Barnes (03:24):We're on a 10 year delay on MySpace, but we're there. And also, coming up today, Joe Gatto, good friend of Cubby's. This guy is hysterical, from Impractical Jokers. He's coming up. Last plug, we have someone very big next week, and when I say big, I don't just mean in stature, I don't just mean in popularity.Leslie (03:43):You mean big.Barnes (03:44):I mean, big in every way. Goldberg, WWE powerhouse.Cubby (03:56):Amazing.Barnes (03:57):Goldberg.Cubby (03:58):We're getting some good guests, man, for a show that's just getting legs here.Barnes (04:01):He's such a great guy. He will be on with us next week. Bill Goldberg. You know he's on The Goldbergs? Which is so funny. He's a recurring character.Leslie (04:10):Which is hysterical.Barnes (04:11):He plays the gym coach.Cubby (04:12):I should try to get Whoopi on the show, Whoopi Goldberg.Barnes (04:15):Totally. We need an Oscar winner. We haven't had one yet.Cubby (04:17):Yeah, let me work on that.Leslie (04:17):Let's get all the bergs on the show.Cubby (04:18):Right.Barnes (04:20):We need to have a winner of each award at some point. Have we had a Grammy winner yet?Cubby (04:25):Well, we might. We might.Leslie (04:26):We might, yeah.Barnes (04:27):We haven't yet, right?Cubby (04:28):I think we have some Grammy nominees.Barnes (04:29):Let's work on that.Cubby (04:30):We'll work on it.Barnes (04:30):Yeah, let's work on it. Anyway, so Bill Goldberg will be on next week, and if you have a question you want to leave for him, Fram, give them the number.Leslie (04:43):Is that the sound of crickets?Barnes (04:45):I tested you, and I thought you wrote it down one time. 404-939-3733. You can leave a message, a question for Goldberg, and be sure and tell us where you're calling from and all that good stuff, and your name. So Cubby, your question was what?Cubby (05:02):Well, no, I got the mask thing off my chest, and I'm sorry-Barnes (05:05):Good. You feel better?Cubby (05:05):I just had to get into it. Well, I do feel better, but I want to make sure that I know that ... I want to make sure you guys know I love you and I want to know what happened throughout your week, and I want to know a headline maybe, like a highlight of the Barnes week, and then we'll get to Leslie after that.Barnes (05:16):I'm going on a plane for the first time after we are done with this show since February, which is rare. Going to Houston for a shoot, literally two hours.Cubby (05:26):Is the plane packed?Barnes (05:29):There's no one next to me, and the whole middle seats, I can tell they're blocked out.Cubby (05:34):Right.Leslie (05:34):What are you going to pack?Barnes (05:35):I'm just bringing gear.Leslie (05:36):I mean, hand sanitizer, obviously your mask. What else?Barnes (05:39):Well, they have that at the airport.Cubby (05:40):And that flight is, what, hour?Barnes (05:42):Hour and a half.Cubby (05:42):Hour and a half?Barnes (05:43):Yeah.Cubby (05:43):Yeah.Barnes (05:43):Like 1 37.Cubby (05:44):Right.Barnes (05:45):I had an avail check this week for a show, so Hollywood's getting back to work.Leslie (05:49):What's an avail check?Cubby (05:50):What's an avail check, yeah?Barnes (05:51):That's when your agent calls you and the show calls them, and I auditioned for the show back in February and they called to say, "Is he available?" They'll do that so they don't say, "We want to book him," and then you say no because you're doing something else.Cubby (06:02):What's the show?Barnes (06:03):I can't say.Cubby (06:05):Come on, man.Leslie (06:06):I'm just impressed that Barnes has an agent.Barnes (06:08):I've had the same agent for 20 years, Fram.Leslie (06:10):I know, I know-Barnes (06:11):Well, People Store.Leslie (06:11):It's just impressive.Cubby (06:12):Can you give a hint? Is this show on network TV? Is it a streaming?Barnes (06:14):It's on cable.Cubby (06:14):It's on cable.Leslie (06:15):It's on cable.Barnes (06:16):It's cable. I can't tell you, because legally, I can't talk about it until it happens.Leslie (06:22):You've played a lot of bad guys. Would you be auditioning to play a bad guy?Barnes (06:26):I will tell you, it is.Leslie (06:28):See? You're typecast.Barnes (06:29):Don't do that. Well, in a sense of, it's a CEO of a company who's a dick doing some bad things. That's all, yeah. How about you, Fram? What's going on in your world?Leslie (06:39):I had a really interesting week. I'm part of this new group called the Nashville Music Equality, and I hosted this big webinar. We talked to African American country music fans, and it was really eye-opening. This one girl whose Instagram post went viral, Rachel Berry, she talked about she's a country music fan, she loves Little Big Town, she goes to a ton of shows, but she did talk about how uncomfortable it is at some shows where people yell out racial slurs or look at her like, why are you here? And-Barnes (07:09):I saw you post that. I didn't realize what it was.Leslie (07:11):Yeah. She made this one comment that just, it was really hard for me to even say out loud, but she talked about kind of walking through a tailgating scenario where there were Confederate flags and she wished that she was invisible. And I was like-Barnes (07:24):Wow.Leslie (07:24):Wow. So-Barnes (07:25):Yeah.Leslie (07:26):It was really powerful, and I'm excited about being part of this group.Cubby (07:30):Well, we all had very action-packed weeks.Barnes (07:32):And Cubby, your whole thing was you're just pissed off about people wearing masks in cars? That's it?Cubby (07:36):I just wanted to talk to somebody about it?Barnes (07:38):That's all you did?Cubby (07:38):Yeah, well, wait-Barnes (07:38):How's the baby?Cubby (07:39):Well, the baby's great. We have a five and a half month old. We've had a couple of blowouts this week. You guys remember blowouts. I'm sure you know blowouts.Leslie (07:45):Yeah.Barnes (07:46):Blowouts as in the pants, or blowouts as in situation?Cubby (07:49):Blowouts as in a situation with the pants, yeah, so-Barnes (07:52):Yeah, I'm being serious. You had a blowout like a blowout.Leslie (07:55):I'm like, a blowout.Cubby (07:56):Not like a blowout fight, but a couple of times where a little bit too much of number two, so-Barnes (08:02):That's what I'm saying.Cubby (08:02):Yeah, it's kept me busy, and-Barnes (08:05):Well, I didn't figure with your hairstyle that you went and got a blowout. I figured it was a blowout.Cubby (08:10):My wife actually went to the hair salon for the first time in months yesterday, and they don't do blowouts any more.Leslie (08:15):No, they can't.Cubby (08:16):Right. Makes sense.Leslie (08:17):Yeah, I used to get blowouts every week.Barnes (08:18):A world-Leslie (08:18):It's tough. Tough.Barnes (08:19):With no blowout?Cubby (08:21):Because yeah, it blows it around I guess, right? I guess that's the reason. I don't know. But you know what?Barnes (08:26):Shift the corona everywhere?Cubby (08:27):That's what they say, yeah. But I don't know. Do you go to a barber, or where do you get your hair done, Barnes? Because I go to a local guy-Barnes (08:34):I don't get my hair done. I just get it cut.Cubby (08:37):Do you support local business?Barnes (08:39):Yeah.Cubby (08:39):I go to a guy down the street that has the barber shop thing, the sign-Barnes (08:43):Of course you do.Cubby (08:44):Going around. Support your local businesses if you can.Leslie (08:46):I totally agree.Barnes (08:48):Yeah.Cubby (08:48):Yeah.Barnes (08:48):I go to an individual person who had branched off from a place ages ago and has her own little hut.Cubby (08:55):Right.Barnes (08:55):Yeah, so it's a one person hut. It's a business hut.Cubby (08:59):You go to a hut to get your hair done.Barnes (09:00):So I support the hut. It's funny.Leslie (09:01):It's kind of a real treat now to get your hair cut. I haven't had mine cut since February. I'm looking forward to going soon.Cubby (09:07):Yeah.Barnes (09:07):Cubby, which hair do you cut exactly?Cubby (09:10):See, that's what I was waiting for.Barnes (09:11):I just wanted to know, what hair do you cut?Cubby (09:15):It's fairly easy. I just do the old-Barnes (09:17):On the left or the right?Cubby (09:18):Yeah, I have two or three on the right. No, I get the old buzzer and I do a number one-Barnes (09:21):You get a shave.Cubby (09:22):And I just buzz it, and then we're good to go.Leslie (09:23):So it's easy.Barnes (09:24):So it's a clean up.Cubby (09:25):It's a clean up pretty much, yeah. Yeah.Barnes (09:27):That wasn't a diss. I was just curious when you say you go get-Cubby (09:29):Well-Barnes (09:29):A hair cut, you could go three years and someone wouldn't say, "Dude, you need a haircut."Cubby (09:33):Barnes, I am jealous. You've aged well, I'll tell you that.Barnes (09:35):Oh.Cubby (09:35):You've aged very well.Barnes (09:36):Thank you.Cubby (09:36):Yep.Barnes (09:37):So have you, though. You-Cubby (09:38):You have a lot of hair, you look good. You look young.Leslie (09:39):This is a great bromance situation here.Cubby (09:41):It really is. It really is.Barnes (09:42):I'm feeling warm inside, Cubby.Cubby (09:44):It just doesn't mean you don't look great, Leslie. This is just a guy thing right now.Leslie (09:46):I love it.Cubby (09:46):Okay.Leslie (09:46):I know. I'm going to sit back and enjoy.Cubby (09:48):Okay.Barnes (09:49):Cubby, I was concerned about you, you drinking a mimosa. I love that.Cubby (09:53):Yeah.Barnes (09:53):I was concerned. So this is on the same topic, this may be a problem. Earlier in the week, you texted me, and you were blowing me up with some weird drunk texting. And I thought, man, this guy is, at 11:00 AM, he's drunk texting me and he's being funny. You're going to feel the pain at 5:00 AM when that baby's awake.Cubby (10:10):Well, it was 11:00 PM. You said 11:00 AM.Barnes (10:12):Oh, 11:00 ... Oh yeah, right. Right now it's that time. No, but you were a little sauced, and I thought, man, this guy's going to feel the pain tomorrow.Cubby (10:21):Yeah, well-Barnes (10:21):You can still party like that with a five month old?Cubby (10:24):I've learned to kind of dial it back in the last week or two, actually, because I've been waking up-Barnes (10:28):The last week?Cubby (10:28):I've been waking up pretty banged up.Leslie (10:29):Well, you have the week off-Cubby (10:29):Yeah.Leslie (10:30):So you could afford a few cocktails.Cubby (10:31):Correct. I had the week off, and did I tell you my tradition? We have a Jagermeister shot machine in the kitchen?Leslie (10:37):You do not.Barnes (10:37):No.Leslie (10:37):Who has a Jagermeister shot machine in their kitchen?Cubby (10:40):And Jager-Barnes (10:41):What?Cubby (10:41):I didn't touch for years. I got really, really banged up on it like in the mid-90s. I didn't touch it for years. My wife lived in Germany, brought some Jager back, and I said, "I haven't had this in a while." It was, like, four years ago, and I kind of got back into it. So I bought a Jager shot machine. It gets down to minus 10 degrees, and every day at 5:00, we kick off happy hour with a shot.Barnes (11:02):Really?Cubby (11:02):Me and my wife. Yep, yep. And it's really good.Leslie (11:05):That is a crazy tradition. Now, I've heard of the margarita machines, but never the Jagermeister machines.Cubby (11:09):Jagermeister shot machine.Barnes (11:11):Cubby's house is ripe for a reality show. There are 34 cats, a Jager machine-Leslie (11:15):Let's shoot it.Barnes (11:16):Chickens in the back yard, they have-Cubby (11:18):Asian wife.Barnes (11:19):75 UPS packages at the front door every day.Cubby (11:21):Yep, yep.Barnes (11:21):I mean, seriously. There is some stuff going on. We need to dive into that more. How's that celebrity sleaze, Fram? You've got an entire week's worth to catch us up on.Leslie (11:32):This is insanity. First of all, it's the he said/she said trial of the century, that's the Johnny Depp libel suit, which is into its second week. If you ever want to read something funny, read the British tabloid headlines. They're better than The New York Post. They're incredible. But-Cubby (11:47):They are.Leslie (11:47):A lot happened this week. First of all, tell me how this happens, guys. Johnny Depp told the court he lost $650 million, his fortune mainly from Pirates of the Caribbean, $100 million in taxes that he owed. I mean, is that just a bad business person or what? How do you lose that much money?Cubby (12:06):It could be the people around him that just aren't managing his money properly either.Leslie (12:09):Yeah, and a couple other things came out in court. Apparently they showed a photo of him passed out covered in ice cream. His business manager does not like Amber Heard, called her a Machiavellian overlord, meaning she's a cunning person. But here's the part of the week that was truly fascinating. All of Johnny's exes came out in support, including Winona Ryder, calling him a good person. And then Vanessa Paradis, who he was with for 14 years and they have two kids together, she said, "Through all these years I've known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous, and non-violent person." So that's what happened this past week in the Johnny Depp trial. We'll see what happens next week.Cubby (12:51):I still can't get that audio out of my head you played last week.Barnes (12:54):That trial?Cubby (12:55):Yeah, yeah. That was crazy, man.Leslie (12:58):Of them trying to cut each other-Cubby (12:59):Yes.Leslie (12:59):Or of him asking Amber Heard to cut him?Barnes (13:00):So weird.Leslie (13:01):It's unbelievable. So 30 Rock had a reunion. A lot of people thought it was just a big commercial for NBC's new streaming service called Peacock, and a lot of people were really disappointed in it. Although it was a little timely. Tina Fey's character Liz Melon did yell at a man for not wearing a mask.Speaker 5 (13:19):No mask, hot shot?Speaker 6 (13:21):We're in an open air system.Speaker 5 (13:22):You scared of the virus now?Speaker 6 (13:23):I already had corona. I was on my way to donate plasma.Speaker 5 (13:26):Boom, another successful interaction with a man.Speaker 7 (13:29):30 Rock returns-Speaker 8 (13:30):Shut up.Speaker 7 (13:31):With an all new reunion special.Speaker 9 (13:33):Dreams really do come true.Speaker 5 (13:35):How did you slap me?Speaker 8 (13:37):I have the iPhone 40.Speaker 7 (13:38):30 Rock: A One-Time Special. Thursday on NBC, streaming the next day on Peacock. And every 30 Rock episode available July 15th on Peacock.Barnes (13:47):What makes you think that wasn't a commercial?Leslie (13:49):For Peacock. I wonder how much they got paid for that reunion show.Barnes (13:52):A lot.Leslie (13:53):A lot. Now every female I know, I know Barnes, I'm not sure if-Barnes (13:57):I'm not a female.Leslie (13:58):If your wife or Cubby, if your wife are into these two guys. I know that I am, but together, Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling, teaming up for a Netflix move called The Gray Man. Man, that budget's over $200 million so far. It's a spy thriller. I'm talking to the wrong audience here-Barnes (14:16):Yeah.Leslie (14:16):But I'm telling you, it's going to be huge.Barnes (14:18):Cubby? Cubby's shaking his head.Cubby (14:20):I'm lukewarm on it.Leslie (14:20):Ah, come on.Cubby (14:21):Keep going.Leslie (14:22):Speaking of huge, here's a movie to watch I watched over the weekend, [Lenny 00:14:25] and I loved, although I do love Charlize Theron, but have you seen The Old Guard on Netflix?Cubby (14:31):No.Barnes (14:31):No.Leslie (14:31):She kicks butt. Well, it's a new ... She's immortal. And by the way, the way it ended, I was like, okay, well, they're going to have a sequel. And then the next day, I read there's a sequel in the works, so don't feel bad for actors. They're making a ton of money on Netflix. Speaking of sequels, again, Sandra Bullock, Bird Box.Barnes (14:52):Again?Leslie (14:52):Again, and I'm thinking this might be timely because remember, everybody was wearing masks at the time, right?Cubby (14:58):Right.Barnes (14:59):That was a weird one. Completely.Leslie (15:00):It was weird post-apocalyptic world. AppleTV had a big hit over the weekend, Tom Hanks torpedoing everyone in Greyhound. I haven't watched it yet, but-Barnes (15:10):What's that about?Leslie (15:11):It's a World War Ii drama loosely based on a true story.Cubby (15:15):And actually, I have Tom Hanks coming up in a 1995 reminiscing pop culture segment here, which is a little tease of what's to come.Leslie (15:23):Woo. Okay, this is so bizarre. Jessica Biel had a baby and no one knew about it. How did they keep that a secret?Barnes (15:31):You mean, she didn't know and all of a sudden it just arrived?Leslie (15:32):Yeah, that too.Cubby (15:33):Or they kept it a secret?Barnes (15:34):Well, what are you saying?Leslie (15:36):Well, I'm saying that the news is that she had a baby, but coincidentally, his movie Palmer, remember where he had the indiscretion and there was a photo of him with a lead actress holding hands under the table, that movie's coming to Netflix.Barnes (15:48):Oh, you talking about Timberlake?Leslie (15:50):Yeah, Justin Timberlake.Barnes (15:52):And so they had a baby, she stayed out of the public eye, and not one pap knew she was pregnant, that kind of surprise?Leslie (15:58):Yeah, and a lot of people-Barnes (15:59):How?Leslie (15:59):Are saying, "Wait a second. She must have been pregnant when he had his little mishap."Cubby (16:05):Oh right.Leslie (16:05):So-Barnes (16:06):But he never really ... Did he really say that he cheated? He was holding hands with a co-star, right?Leslie (16:11):He was holding hands. I think he had had too much to drink. He apologized. But apparently, Jessica Biel was pregnant at the time. But that movie, Palmer, is coming to AppleTV. Now, Hulu's got a huge hit. I haven't seen this yet. It's called Palm Springs, but I bet someone on this show knows about Palm Springs.Cubby (16:29):You saw it?Barnes (16:30):Saw it, and Hulu paid 17 and half million for that thing.Leslie (16:34):Wow.Barnes (16:35):It's basically a Groundhog Day. I thought it was weak. I wouldn't waste your hour and a half. It's like a-Leslie (16:40):Well, what's it about? It's like Groundhog Day?Barnes (16:42):Yeah, it's at best a 30 minute thing, at best.Cubby (16:46):How do you watch everything? There's so much to watch. I've said it before-Barnes (16:48):Well-Cubby (16:49):I'll say it again, just so much-Barnes (16:49):I bought into the hype, Cubby. Everyone was talking about how great Palm Springs was. It wasn't even filmed in Palm Springs. It was filmed in, like, Santa Clarita or something.Leslie (16:58):Well, that's weak.Barnes (16:58):Well, that's all the time, but I just was like, okay, well, I've never been to Palm Springs and I watched the trailer and I thought, well, maybe. Samberg, I don't mind him.Cubby (17:06):Right.Barnes (17:06):J.K. Simmons is in it, Cami Mendes from Riverdale. Is that what she's ... I think, Riverdale?Leslie (17:11):See, you've saved us on Palm Springs.Barnes (17:13):Well, what's interesting about it is, Cami Mendes and J.K. Simmons when they shot this movie, they were not available on the same days.Leslie (17:21):Wow.Barnes (17:21):Now you want to talk about ... And this was pre-coronavirus. Check this out. This is a clip from Kelly and Ryan, a very quick clip, talking about how they put this together and neither of them were there are the same time.Cami Mendes (17:32):The only unfortunate thing is, I actually didn't get to work with J.K. Simmons on a personal level because I had to go shoot a movie right after Palm Springs, so I ended up ... They used a body double for whenever we were in the same scene, and the same thing with me and him when I was gone, so-Kelly Ripa (17:50):Oh, you're [inaudible 00:17:51]. Wait, so you two did not work together.Cami Mendes (17:53):No, but-Kelly Ripa (17:53):That's a big bummer.Barnes (17:57):Hollywood is one big lie.Cubby (17:59):Yeah, it really is. Smoke and mirrors.Leslie (18:01):Wow.Barnes (18:03):They're not even in the same scenes.Cubby (18:05):Well, they do it with music all the time.Barnes (18:07):Yeah.Cubby (18:07):There's been-Barnes (18:07):Oh, totally.Cubby (18:08):A lot of hit songs, different studios, different parts of the world.Barnes (18:11):I give it a two out of five.Cubby (18:13):Okay.Barnes (18:13):Two lounge chairs.Leslie (18:14):There were a ton of fans very upset over the fact that Tom Bergeron and Eric Andrews were fired as host for Dancing with the Stars. Bergeron was on that show for 15 years.Cubby (18:27):Yeah, a long run.Barnes (18:28):The show decided, and Cubby, tell me what you think about this, the show is saying they wanted to go into a more creative and different direction. I'm sorry, but that show's been number one for 10 years. So what direction would that be-Cubby (18:40):Right.Barnes (18:40):Other than you're dominating the ratings.Cubby (18:44):Are they referring to a different direction meaning how they're going to have to retool everything because of the virus? I don't know.Leslie (18:49):They hired Tyra Banks, which is fine, but people love Tom Bergeron and they're very upset.Barnes (18:56):Yeah, you're messing with the perfect system where they've crushed it. And when I'm joking about going in a different direction, the only way to go is down.Cubby (19:04):Right.Barnes (19:04):And Tyra Banks came in, got executive producer also. So I don't know what-Leslie (19:08):Really, really, really interesting.Barnes (19:09):What's happening there.Leslie (19:10):A couple other stories. Hayden Panettiere is seeking a restraining order from her ex, Brian Hickerson. Check this out, he is charged with seven felonies and one misdemeanor, and she came out with a really telling thing on Instagram just saying basically after suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional, and severe physical abuse, she is now hoping this will help other people. I feel really sorry for her. I was around her a lot when we were filming the TV show Nashville. It was filmed here for a couple of years, and she really, really wasn't visible at the time. She stayed in her dressing room a lot and didn't interact with the rest of the cast, so I wonder if she was having a hard time back then. A Rod and JLo want to buy the Mets.Cubby (19:55):Yeah, that's been floating around here in New York. It goes away and it comes back, and right now it's on the front burner again.Barnes (20:01):Is that a good thing for New York?Cubby (20:04):Yeah, a lot of people don't like the current owners of the Mets, so I think there are some fans of the idea.Leslie (20:10):A bunch of other people have gotten together with them, and the bid's already out there for $1.7 billion, and they're saying that JLo and A Rod put up $300 million of their own money.Cubby (20:19):Right.Barnes (20:20):Does New York like JLo and A Rod?Cubby (20:23):They do, and I interviewed A Rod last year, and I didn't know what kind of guy he'd be. I thought he'd be a douchebag-Barnes (20:29):Really? He seems nice.Cubby (20:30):And he was the nicest guy in the entire world. I really do love A Rod and Jennifer and-Leslie (20:37):I love them together. I love them.Cubby (20:40):Jennifer's sister, Linda Lopez, is a good friend of mine, and she adopted a cat from us last year actually.Leslie (20:45):Oh, that's good.Cubby (20:46):So we'll have to get her on the show someday.Barnes (20:46):Well, we expect you to get JLo on, man. You can't drop that you're friends with JLo's sister and not show up with JLo.Cubby (20:51):I saw 20 minutes of JLo here at the Garden last year, and that's when the blackout happened.Barnes (20:55):Whoops.Leslie (20:56):Wow.Cubby (20:57):The whole garden went dark, and-Leslie (20:59):I remember that.Cubby (20:59):Yeah, that was last July.Barnes (21:00):Go back and find A Rod's show on CNBC. It was only about five episodes. I feel like it was a test run. It was fantastic. It's where he went back to past failed athletes, and he gave them a second change. He kind of Shark Tanked them on location-ish, like Evander Holyfield was one of them. And they go and show you Evander Holyfield living in a two bedroom apartment. I mean, the guy's gone through $400, $500 million, some insane amount of money, and they help him get back on his feet. It was a fantastic show, and it's on demand. I forgot the name of it. Second Chance or something like that.Cubby (21:33):Google, baby. Google.Leslie (21:34):I like them together.Cubby (21:35):Yeah.Leslie (21:36):Remember Benifer? Anyway, I digress. The record of the week is The Chicks, Gaslighter, formerly The Dixie Chicks. I think it'll be number one this week, but how about this, their first album in 14 years. A lot of it deals with Natalie Maines' divorce, but some great songs on the record. The Chicks.Barnes (21:55):It's one of my favorite terms. Do you know the definition of gaslighting?Leslie (21:58):Yes, (singing). No.Barnes (22:01):Fram, you're in class, Fram. Do not sing in class. Gaslighting is to manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity.Cubby (22:10):Wow.Leslie (22:10):We're learning something this week on The Pop Culture Show.Barnes (22:13):Gaslighting's a great term. I'm surprised it took someone that long to get it on record.Cubby (22:19):And I have a question too. I'm sure the answer is yes, but did The Chicks ... I know no one buys albums much any more, but if you buy a CD, is the artwork already changed? I mean, because that name just changed, and I'm wondering, the new artwork. Is The Chicks everywhere? I mean, Dixie is gone, right?Leslie (22:34):Yeah, it's gone.Cubby (22:35):Completely gone, yes.Leslie (22:36):Yeah, this is definitely The Chicks.Cubby (22:36):Wow.Leslie (22:37):They've been wanting to do it for years.Barnes (22:38):Here's a clip of it.The Chicks (22:50):(singing)Barnes (22:55):And they did a video on 4:3, which means square.Leslie (22:58):Yeah.Barnes (22:58):Remember how the TV used to be 10 years ago when it was square and not a rectangle? Which I don't get the association in the old-school retro feel to Gaslighter. Am I missing something?Leslie (23:09):No, but I think if you listen to the whole record, they have a new video and song called March March, which is about everything that's happening today. So the record is a mixture of pain and loss from Natalie, but also of things that are happening today. Because as you know, they continue to fight all sorts of injustices.Barnes (23:26):Refresh my memory. What were they getting blown up for years ago?Leslie (23:30):Years ago, they made comments about the president-Barnes (23:32):But which?Leslie (23:33):George Bush, if you remember.Barnes (23:34):Okay, Bush.Leslie (23:35):Yeah.Barnes (23:35):I couldn't remember. I knew they took a beating from-Leslie (23:37):About the Iraq War and-Barnes (23:38):Some groups. Okay.Leslie (23:39):And everybody's saying they were right at the time.Cubby (23:41):What was the Earl song? I actually liked that one when it came out.Leslie (23:44):Oh, that song was fantastic. Look at the video too.Cubby (23:46):Was it called My Name is Earl?Leslie (23:48):Yes.Cubby (23:48):Or just Earl? I forgot.Leslie (23:49):My Name is Earl.Cubby (23:49):Yeah, it's a good song.Leslie (23:50):I love that, Cubby. I love that recollection.Barnes (23:51):Like from a show?Cubby (23:53):It was a song they had. I remember it was the first time I ever heard of The Dixie Chicks, then at the time Dixie Chicks, and I was like, this is a pretty good song. I like it.Leslie (24:00):Last week we did ... Cubby, you were talking about some stories that came out after our last podcast, but sadly, Naya Rivera died of a drowning. And it's sad because they think that she was actually trying to save her son, that maybe the winds and the current were so heavy that she got him back on the boat, but then she drifted away which is tragic.Cubby (24:21):So sad.Barnes (24:21):I pictured she might have gotten hit in the head by the boat because of the bobbing of the boat. They said that the-Leslie (24:28):Could've been.Barnes (24:29):Water was moving very drastically, and I thought maybe when she was helping the young child up that maybe that front of that pontoon boat hit her in the head. Who knows what happened.Cubby (24:37):Right, and then we talked about the shallow water too, that last week we talked about how shallow the water is. Maybe she dove into a rock. I mean, we don't know, but it's just such a tragic thing.Barnes (24:45):Yeah.Cubby (24:45):And the kid being there, I mean, oh-Barnes (24:46):So sad. And they had, like, I want to say 15 to 25 feet trees in the water underwater in that whole area.Cubby (24:55):Right.Leslie (24:56):She could've hit her head. Who knows what happened, but it looks like she saved her son. Sadly, Lisa Marie Presley's 27 year-old son Benjamin Keough died by suicide, and-Barnes (25:05):Dude.Leslie (25:06):She is just devastated of course. And his sister, Riley, posted really sad commentary on Instagram over the last few days.Barnes (25:13):And another 27 clubber-Leslie (25:16):I know.Barnes (25:16):And another one via shotgun to the mouth. Why?Leslie (25:19):There are so many people that I don't know if he had some sort of addiction, but this pandemic is really taking it's toll on a lot of people with mental health. It's really sad.Barnes (25:31):He had a $5 million record deal, which I was surprised to hear. I didn't know that.Leslie (25:35):I didn't know that either until I saw the story. And also, actress Kelly Preston, John Travolta's wife, lost her two year battle with breast cancer.Barnes (25:45):How'd they keep that under wraps? I was so surprised. I was shocked to hear that.Leslie (25:49):Loved her. Loved, loved, loved her.Cubby (25:50):I can't get over the bad news that she shares. Is it crazy or what?Barnes (25:53):This week.Cubby (25:53):It's like, every-Barnes (25:53):I know.Cubby (25:55):I mean, this week alone, right. But 2020, please end.Barnes (25:58):Yes, very, very bad.Leslie (26:00):Well, speaking of bad, the world lost an icon over the weekend, civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis. He was 80, died of pancreatic cancer. I'll tell you, there's a great documentary on Netflix right now called Good Trouble about his 60 plus years of activism.Barnes (26:17):Sad news.Leslie (26:18):That's kind of a wrap up for the week for celebrity sleaze. When was the last time you guys took Lyft or Uber, because-Barnes (26:24):Oh, long.Leslie (26:24):I saw this story that Lyft ... I know, I haven't taken an ... I used to take Uber everywhere.Barnes (26:29):Yep.Leslie (26:29):I haven't taken anything since February, but Lyft announced it's going to provide these easy to install partitions for all of their drivers for safety reasons. I guess it was tested in Atlanta, and now it's in Baltimore, Denver, a lot of their other markets.Barnes (26:44):I heard that. It sounds like a good idea. They're making the drivers pay for it, but it's something inexpensive supposedly. It would make me choose, if I had to, Lyft over Uber.Cubby (26:55):Well, I chose Lyft over Uber, because I drove for Lyft for three months.Leslie (26:59):You did?Barnes (27:00):I drove for Uber.Cubby (27:01):Did you really?Barnes (27:02):I was trying to create a reality show around it, and I was researching and I did it for a couple of months.Leslie (27:08):Wait, and so Cubby, why were you driving for Lyft?Cubby (27:11):Because it was a combination of fun and heck, extra money can't hurt. And I do a morning show, and as you guys know from doing a morning show, you have afternoons free. And granted, a nap is key, but you have the afternoon free for the most part. And I said, "You know what, honey? I'm just going to turn on the old Lyft app and see who wants to be picked up."Barnes (27:28):It gets old real quick.Cubby (27:30):It gets old real quick. I don't know about Uber, but on Lyft, you don't know where they're going until you pick them up, which I didn't like.Barnes (27:36):Same with Uber.Cubby (27:37):Yeah, so the first couple of rides I did, it was people within 15 minutes of my house. I'm like, this is great. And then at 5:00 one day, I took this guy to Newark Airport, which is, like, a 45 minute ride. And I'm like, oh my God. So yeah, I only did, like, four or five rides.Barnes (27:50):Yeah, it gets old fast.Cubby (27:52):Really fast. But it is cool, when you get home and your app that you have will ping you and say, "George tipped $15." And you're like, yeah. I feel good.Leslie (28:05):It's crazy too, though. A lot of people were trying to make extra money as you said, but they were coming in from all these little towns outside of Nashville. And a lot of them didn't even know where they were going, and if they didn't have their GPS on, I sort of felt like I was telling people how to get to my destination. It got a little irritating.Cubby (28:19):Yeah, it is annoying.Barnes (28:20):I gave up on the reality show idea. But someone, our next guest, would probably have a field day with that, and if I had to sift through all their episodes, maybe I could find where they actually probably did do something with Uber or Lyft. But our next guest is funny as hell. I think this guy and his crew are great TV. One of Cubby's longtime friends, that's cool that you hooked him into this.Cubby (28:42):Yeah, I'm glad he-Barnes (28:43):Did you bribe him?Cubby (28:44):Said yes.Barnes (28:45):Yeah, let's bring him in. Please welcome Joe Gatto from Impractical Jokers. Hey Joe.Joe Gatto (28:50):Hey, thank you so much for having me, guys.Barnes (28:52):Really appreciate you coming on.Joe Gatto (28:54):Hey, you know what? When I get a text from Paul Cubby Bryant, and it says, "Hey, I need you," I don't-Barnes (29:01):You jump.Joe Gatto (29:01):Ask what. I just do what the man tells me. It's done my career well for-Cubby (29:06):That's the kind of guy Joe is. Joe is just a great guy, and I think I met you, Joe, during one of the many radio interviews we've done years ago. And then I learned that we lived in Lower Manhattan around the same time.Joe Gatto (29:18):Yep.Cubby (29:18):And I actually ran into Joe when I was getting a pedicure with my wife, and-Joe Gatto (29:22):Yes, I walked in with my fiancee at the time, and you were with your wife getting pedicures, and I had never gotten a pedicure. And I walk in and you're there, and I was like, oh, okay. I guess it's a thing to do.Barnes (29:33):It is a thing. I actually love it. I'll go, which Cubby, let's do it. Next time we're together, we're going to go side bar chairs, six feet apart.Leslie (29:39):Oh stop this, please.Cubby (29:42):The best part of a pedicure, I don't care how the nails look, I'm a guy, is that calf massage near the end.Joe Gatto (29:47):That's the best.Cubby (29:48):That's the best.Barnes (29:49):You know the key though? The key is, do they ask you do you want shine at the end? Say no shine. You've got to say no buff. No buff.Cubby (29:56):Because it's longer, right?Joe Gatto (29:57):You don't want to be walking around town with buff. I got you.Barnes (29:58):No, dude, if you do the buff, people are going to look at you side eyed. That's when you have shiny toes.Cubby (30:03):That's true.Barnes (30:04):If you forget, they will buff you, and you will be stuck with it for a week.Cubby (30:07):Now Leslie, being the only lady here, are you a pedicure fan, or-Leslie (30:11):No, this is the funny thing about-Cubby (30:12):What?Leslie (30:12):All of this. I don't do pedicures or manicures.Cubby (30:15):Come on.Leslie (30:15):I just do blowouts every week. Of course, not now that I'm in quarantine, but how embarrassing is that that I've got all these metrosexuals on the show and-Barnes (30:23):Hey, hey.Leslie (30:24):Which is fine.Barnes (30:24):Hey.Leslie (30:25):Hey.Cubby (30:26):One more thing I will say about Joe. Joe, you're also just a fan of radio, man. You know a lot of people in the business. You're the kind of guy that if you hear me on the air and I say something funny, which is rare, you'll text me. I mean, you're just a ... You have a lot of friends in the radio business.Joe Gatto (30:42):I do, yeah, yeah. I've always been a fan of radio back in the day from ... I just always loved the whole radio scene. I actually thought for a while that might be a way I would go, and then it just didn't happen for me.Barnes (30:56):Two of the things about you that stand out, and we're talking about him like he's dead. I feel like we're at his funeral. We're like, oh, so let's say more nice things about Joe. One, you are funny, and two, you are are positive. And sometimes those don't always go together.Joe Gatto (31:11):Yeah.Barnes (31:11):You get a lot of comedians who are really negative, and you're quite the opposite. I mean, you stand up for bullying and stuff like that, but you also are just a very upbeat, positive guy. And that's impressive. And I think part of some of the success from Impractical Jokers is that you can see that on the screen.Joe Gatto (31:28):Yeah, yeah. It's part of my personality for sure. I am-Barnes (31:31):Totally.Joe Gatto (31:31):Yeah, so I appreciate that. Thank you. I try. I've been through a lot of stuff too, so I didn't realize the position that this show would put us in. It really is like comic medicine for a lot of people, and we get story after story about things that we've gotten people through and things like that, and helping people with mental health issues and all that. So you really just listen, and you can't help but be affected by that part of the job. I think it's the same thing with radio too. I think a lot of normalcy comes from radio. I remember after, being from New York, after 9/11. I remember when the shows went back on, and it was like, okay. It was like a sense of comfort that you just can't get and you can't explain, from strangers, because I don't really know people personally. And you're just able to help them in a way, so you can't help but bear that responsibility and take it to heart.Leslie (32:21):I have to ask you, when the camera's not rolling, just in regular life, are you doing joke stuff and practical jokes on just friends and family-Joe Gatto (32:29):Yes.Leslie (32:29):I mean, you have to, right?Joe Gatto (32:31):I'm a maniac. I'm just a maniac, yeah.Leslie (32:31):It's always on, right?Joe Gatto (32:33):This is just, a lot of the show is actually just happened to be in my personality. I always said the reason why the show I think is successful because people relate to us being friends. It's more of a show about friendship, and this is just a way I've always made my friends laugh. For a long time, Sal would never take an elevator with me because he knew once those doors close, I'm doing something stupid, and he's trapped for X amount of floors with me, and the embarrassment of that. So we've always done ... It's just how I really genuinely like to make my friends laugh. I put myself out there. I don't necessarily care what people think. I'm not mean with my comedy. I always make myself the butt of the joke for the most part, so I think that was just the way I do it.Cubby (33:10):So the show began in 2011, right?Joe Gatto (33:11):Mm-hmm (affirmative).Cubby (33:12):I mean, did you ever think a show nine years ago would still be on the air now, would lead into a movie, which by the way, came out in the nick of time before the pandemic hit. It came out in February, Impractical Jokers, and you made a lot of money, by the way. I was checking the numbers. You did very well.Joe Gatto (33:26):We did all right. We did all right.Cubby (33:27):But can you believe you're still doing jokes and pranks on TV, on a TV show, and now nine years running. I mean, it's incredibleJoe Gatto (33:34):Yeah.Barnes (33:34):But Cubby, look back the first numbers were, like, in the millions, like 30 plus million people-Leslie (33:40):Right off the bat.Barnes (33:40):Watching that on truTV. I mean, that's not a diss to truTV. That's a credit to you.Joe Gatto (33:46):Yeah. Well, I mean, and credit to them, they actually, they switched the whole network. When we started, we were the outlier. We were literally between two tow truck shows-Barnes (33:54):Was it Court TV? Was it-Joe Gatto (33:58):Two of the three. It's part of Court TV, but it was two of their three. They had three tow trucks shows and us. So it was like, yeah, it was Lizard Lick Towing was the name of the show that we followed, and after that it was South Beach Tow. So it was like, people were like, what is going on with ... Who are these people? So we were really the outlier, and people just gravitated towards it. And to their credit, a couple years in, they were like, you know what? Let's try to build a comedy network. And now if you look at it, it's a big home for comedy. A lot of comedians go there with content, so ...Barnes (34:27):Were you surprised that it stuck and that it did so well?Joe Gatto (34:29):Oh my God, yeah. I was surprised to get episode two. Forget season nine.Barnes (34:33):Exactly.Joe Gatto (34:34):Yeah.Cubby (34:34):So how is the upcoming season going to be affected with what's going on? I mean, you're out and about, you're in grocery stores. You're out places. We're all still quarantined. How does that affect it?Joe Gatto (34:42):Yeah, we actually had to shut down production. Production started of season nine. We got a couple of things under our belt, and now with New York opening slowly, we're just going to have to produce a little bit differently. I don't think there will be much of us out and about in grocery stores or that kind of stuff any time soon, but a big portion of our show is either us just busting each other's chops privately, like times when they gift wrapped my house. For one punishment, I came home, and for my birthday they had gift wrapped my whole entire first floor of my home, including the plates and dishes in the cupboards. And then there's stuff that we do like that. And then also, we do a lot of focus group stuff or one-on-one stuff. So all that stuff could really genuinely live on. So there's a lot of content we could do. We just can't get ... We can't really approach people and get close in an on lockdown location.Barnes (35:31):No, people love that, Joe. They love the COVID jokes. They love the get in my space, yell at me for my mask jokes, yeah. It'd be a tough time. Everyone's so on edge that it would be-Joe Gatto (35:43):I think it'll definitely be a challenge, but I'm optimistic. I'm positive that we will figure something out.Leslie (35:50):What were you like in high school? Were you the guy that made your friends laugh? Were you that guy?Joe Gatto (35:55):Not until junior year. I was a really, really nerdy introvert for a long time, didn't have many friends. Here's a snapshot of me. I was on the math team, the bowling team. Yeah, that's right. And I was trying to draw, and I can't draw. I was trying to draw my own video games and doing creative writing, like writing short stories. So that was me. And then junior year, we started ... They had an improv troupe at school, like a comedy improv troupe. And I had always sat at lunch with Sal, Murr, Q, a couple other friends, and they all did it. And they were like, "Joe, you're really ..." I was just really weird, and they're like, "You're really funny and you're quick on your feet. Come try it, come try it."Joe Gatto (36:32):So I didn't want to go, didn't want to go. My parents were like, "Go. Go meet people. Go. Go do things." So I was like, all right. So I went, and I had such a good time at that improv thing. I remember the first scene I did was a lot of fun, and I got a lot of big laughs, and I was like, oh, this is something I might be interested in. And making people laugh actually became my kind of defense mechanism to do ... I started reverse bullying the big football players in my school. I was, like, 105 pounds, all lanky, and there was these big guys walking around. I used to knock their books out of their hands. I'd be like, "Carry my books." I used to make one of the line backers give me piggyback rides to class.Joe Gatto (37:06):And they always ate it up, and it kind of got rid of the whole bullying thing in my class. My class was all very tight. I went to an all boy Catholic high school in Staten Island, so that really helped the dynamic I think. So in high school, I was very different, but I did find my confidence towards the end.Barnes (37:21):Let's hear one that went really badly. What is a prank that really went south fast, and you couldn't stop it. It was already in motion. And maybe it didn't even air maybe. What was one?Joe Gatto (37:36):Well, there was one bit that we did. Honestly, our hit rate is, we've been pretty fortunate to be able to turn something into nothing pretty much the whole time. We've done over 200 episodes, but if you look at the bit numbers, like the numbers of challenges and punishments we've done, it's over 530 times we've been out there making something, doing something. So there's only really two that jump to mind. One of them actually started really early on in season one. I think it was the end of season one. We were like, okay, why don't we go to ... You know in New York City they have all these mommy parks and mommy and me parks. And we're like, oh, it'd be kind of funny if we just start talking baby talk to adults. So we were like, we could start being like ... We'd start talking and be like, "Oh, look what a cute baby. Excuse me, do you know where the R train is?" Just talk to the adults and ... So we're like, all right, we'll go to a kid park so we could justify why we're talking like a baby.Joe Gatto (38:24):And then really quickly, all these moms realized that there was four 30-something year old men without children talking weird in a park, and the cops got called right quick. So the cops showed up, and we're like ... It's like, "What are you doing?" And we're like, "Oh, we're just baby talking to ..." And they're like, "Get out." So we're like, "We have a ..." They're like, "We don't care. Get out. Just get out." So we were like, okay. We realized the mistake in that one. So that was a big one for us.Cubby (38:49):Tell me how you never get recognized, because I know I've asked you this before, but if people haven't heard it, you would think by now people would know you right off the bat, but you have a great answer. You're like, hey, even though our show is very popular, not everybody has seen it believe it or not.Joe Gatto (39:01):Not everybody has seen it, yeah, yeah, so that's ... I mean, New York City's an outlier that way with eight million people. Half of the ... Manhattan has there, so that's four million people to choose from. So it's like, there's still the foot traffic and the amount of people. We can't really go too remote. Sometimes we'll get caught in a rock and a hard place, and people try to fool us, but we catch them. Like 99% of the time, we can tell when somebody's pretending. They turn into a non-human. They turn into a robot. We seem them on camera before they even come up to us. Because if Sal is working the hamburger desk at a hamburger joint, if he's working behind the counter, we'll see the people walk in and all of a sudden, they're like, oh ... They get a look on their face, like, oh. And then they'll walk up to Sal and they'll be like, "One hamburger, please." They don't even talk like a human any more.Joe Gatto (39:46):But I think it's just, we've done some tricks to fight it too. And also, we kind of look like somebody, all of us. If you put us together, if you see all four of us, forget it.Cubby (39:55):Can you filter by somebody's looks, like she's 85 years old. She watches The Hallmark Channel. I know we can get her. Can you do that?Joe Gatto (40:03):Not any more, because our show has become such a co-viewing show, Cubby. Every family's watching it together. When we do our live tours and we see and meet people after ... Like there was this one time we met four generations that watch our show. There was a grandmother, her daughter, her granddaughter, and the great-granddaughter. They all watch the show, all had a different favorite. It became this family show really quickly. And that was weird for us, because we're on truTV at 10:30 at night between two tow truck shows, like I said. So our first season was super edgy, and then all of a sudden the numbers came back and they're like, "Families are watching your show." And it's always harder for me, and I like the challenge as a comedian, to not go for the low-hanging fruit and be dirty or push the edge in that way.Joe Gatto (40:43):So we responded to it very well and was like, let's try to be funny in a way that we can be proud of. And now I have kids that are going to end up watching the show, so I'm kind of glad that happened. My legacy isn't going to be all fart jokes.Leslie (40:59):I imagine people are finding you on YouTube as well, because there's just hours of YouTube stuff for Impractical Jokers. You can go down a deep dark hole on YouTube.Joe Gatto (41:07):Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of fan stuff, too, like a lot of fan-created content. But then we also air ... A big hit for us is when we stared airing in London. We started airing overseas on Comedy Central in the UK, and we've got a big fan base over there and we were actually fortunate enough to go tour over there as well. So we did a live tour there a couple of times, which was fun. We actually even did a London episode, which was great.Leslie (41:27):I remember seeing one of the Impractical Joker episodes where you were going to kiss some lady in a mall, and your fiancee at the time, who I'm assuming is your wife now, was there-Joe Gatto (41:35):Yeah, yeah.Leslie (41:36):And remind me of the premise of that? There was a lady sitting-Joe Gatto (41:41):We had to kiss ... We basically were at the food court of a mall in New Jersey, and we planted one actor, but the guy who was going out didn't know who the actor was. And you had to go around, and you couldn't ask if they were an actor, and just basically go in for a kiss and see. The actor was told to kiss you if you go in for the kiss, so you're out and about going around. So then when it was my turn, there was just this one beautiful lady in purple sitting down, and there's nobody else in the food court. And I'm like, okay, so it's her. I was like, "What's up?" And then my wife walked by, and in my ear, because we wear the earpiece, I hear my wife go, "Oh, be careful out there." And I was like, "Oh," and they made Bessie come out and sit right next to her.Leslie (42:20):Oh.Barnes (42:20):Oh my gosh.Joe Gatto (42:23):I had to make the decision to kiss this actress.Barnes (42:23):That was so funny.Joe Gatto (42:24):Yeah.Barnes (42:25):Are there bits like that when you guys are at the table drawing stuff up where you have to go home to your wife and say, "Listen, honey, I just, we have this great bit, but let me tell you about it before you"-Cubby (42:33):It's only a bit.Barnes (42:35):Sit on the grenade, right?Joe Gatto (42:36):Yeah.Barnes (42:36):You've got to sit on the grenade before it airs. Have you had those?Joe Gatto (42:38):Yeah, I think for the most part, she's down. She gets it. At this point, it's almost a decade. They actually just, in season eight, they used my daughter against me in a great way, which was a lot of fun for a punishment, which I didn't really see coming, where she was in cahoots with them on that where they did a parenting group where you go in and they call in parents and they fill out a questionnaire and it was pre-written, and I had to answer the questions they wrote for me, but they brought in my real daughter. So they made me look like this fool father in front of my daughter, and then they're like-Barnes (43:09):Your life is stressful.Joe Gatto (43:11):Yeah, it's terrible. It's a terrible way to live.Barnes (43:12):I mean, everywhere you go you wonder is this a bit?Joe Gatto (43:15):Yeah, yeah. We've gotten people in their real life really, really well. It's hard though. It takes a lot of time. One of the biggest things we've ever done is over a year and a half we made Sal think he was getting ... He thought he had to give a deposition to the federal government.Cubby (43:30):A whole year of stress, right?Joe Gatto (43:31):A year and a half, yeah.Leslie (43:32):Wow.Joe Gatto (43:32):And it's just, you just have to look for opportunities. We did a bit in downtown Manhattan where you had to ... Sal climbed up on a statue and grabbed its nose and did this stupid joke where, "I got your nose." And it was outside a museum. And we got a letter to the office while we were in the office writing, and the showrunner came in and he was like, "Hey," he was like, "We got a letter from the government that we trespassed and we have to go to court for it." And Sal was there. And then later that day, he came in and he was like, "Oh," he was like, "Don't worry about it." He's like, "They figured out what the purpose ..." I was like, "Okay, well, don't tell Sal that. Let's make him think that he has to go for a deposition."Joe Gatto (44:03):So then we just laid a bunch of groundwork for about three months, and then we put together a deposition and filmed it without Sal knowing, and then six months later, we revealed on set, we made the federal government crash the set and basically hand Sal papers that he had to go to a jail and pay $100,000 and serve 30 days in jail.Barnes (44:25):You guys are good.Cubby (44:27):That's so good.Barnes (44:28):So good.Cubby (44:28):Do you ever fear of running out of content, jokes, pranks? Do you ever-Joe Gatto (44:35):I don't think so, and I'll tell you why. It's because we don't do your normal kind of prank show. I think that we would've totally ran the gamut already, right? Because the show is not your typical prank show. It's more of friends busting each other's chops and making each other laugh, and you never think about that, how long you were friends. You never run out of content, right? If you approach it form that angle, I think it's that way. We don't do ... Everything we do is kind of based in reality to some extent. We really push each other's buttons in a personal way.Barnes (44:59):Yeah, but at some point, your friends have got to have a meeting with themselves and say, is it time to move on from Joe?Cubby (45:04):Right.Barnes (45:05):Yeah. Is it time maybe to just cut this?Joe Gatto (45:09):I add value in other ways to offset that I think. I think I try to add value. I'm good with Christmas gifts, birthdays.Leslie (45:20):What are you doing in your off time right now? What are you doing for entertainment?Joe Gatto (45:25):I'm doing a lot of social network stuff, which is good. I'm doing a lot of Instagram lives and my household has become a TikTok household.Leslie (45:36):Oh yeah.Joe Gatto (45:36):Yeah, I do that. Basically, I write a lot. I got back into writing, which is good. I do a lot of charity work right now because we have the time. And I've also been able to jump on a lot of podcasts with friends and stuff, which I hadn't necessarily been able to do, which is a lot of fun.Barnes (45:49):Talk about your charity. Which can we highlight here? We should highlight something you're working on.Joe Gatto (45:54):I always love Daniel's Music Foundation out of New York. They're a great organization that offer ... They offer instruction to the physically and the mentally disabled in New York and they give classes. And it's a really nice community that I got pulled into a couple of years ago. They're called DMF, Daniel's Music Foundation. Beautiful story about the family and how they got involved and what they do in New York, so ... and they're music too, so it's kind of-Barnes (46:21):Excellent.Joe Gatto (46:22):Nice to highlight them.Barnes (46:23):Well, I can't wait for your shows to come back. When will we see Impractical Jokers and Misery Index, both of those coming back?Joe Gatto (46:30):Misery Index will be back at the end of the year. We just had our mid-season finale, so we'll be coming back at the end of the year, and then hopefully more next year, as well with Dinner Party as well. I think Dinner Party's going to be coming back, which is a really fun format for us too. It's basically our version of a podcast where we just have dinner together and tell stories and-Cubby (46:46):Well, actually Joe, I have a confession to make. This is a joke on you. I don't have a podcast. I don't know who these people are.Leslie (46:52):I've never seen him.Cubby (46:53):We're not even recording right now.Barnes (46:55):Yeah, we have to go, see-Joe Gatto (46:56):Check on the bomb to make sure it said recording.Barnes (46:58):That would've been classic, Cubby, if you would have teed something up to get him.Cubby (47:06):I know.Barnes (47:06):That would've been good. Well Joe, it was such a pleasure meeting you, and we'd love to have you back again some day. You're a funny dude. Thank you.Joe Gatto (47:14):Thanks, any time. I appreciate you guys saying thanks.Leslie (47:15):Thank you so much.Joe Gatto (47:15):Thanks, nice to meet you.Cubby (47:15):Thank you, Joe. I appreciate you, man.Joe Gatto (47:15):You got it. Thank you.Leslie (47:16):That was awesome.Barnes (47:18):A couple of audio dumps. Did you guys hear the new Kygo remix? Tina Turner is excited. She's 80 now, and her mailbox money is going to pick up. Kygo did a remix, he did this to one of Whitney Houston's songs last year. I want to play a bit of it for you. He put his spin on What's Love Got to Do With It. It's attached to a video.Tina Turner (47:40):(singing)Barnes (47:40):Here's where you can hear the Kygo.Tina Turner (47:41):(singing)Barnes (47:46):Too bad nightclubs aren't open now.Tina Turner (47:47):(singing)Cubby (47:48):Yeah, right?Tina Turner (47:59):(singing)Cubby (48:00):Although everybody on Facebook is a DJ now. Every time I go on Facebook at night, someone's spinning.Barnes (48:06):Totally.Cubby (48:06):I noticed that.Barnes (48:07):And three viewers.Cubby (48:10):Three viewers, right.Barnes (48:10):It'll be like the little three number in the bottom and they're having a dance party with the lights and everything.Leslie (48:13):But that song lives on. How about that? Timeless.Barnes (48:16):Her vocals are ... That was the original vocals.Leslie (48:18):Yeah. So good.Barnes (48:19):It's pretty incredible. With all the protesting going on everywhere from Portland to Atlanta to wherever, New York, everyone's going crazy, everyone's very just over amped.Leslie (48:31):Yes.Barnes (48:31):And I finally found someone, I wanted to call attention to a big problem in Minnesota, because there's problem there with nude sunbathing.Leslie (48:40):In Minnesota?Cubby (48:40):In Minnesota?Barnes (48:41):Yeah. They're saying that women cannot go without tops, and I thought, you know what? I'm going to give this person 15 seconds on our show because they're complaining in a very, very calm manner. They have a very effective argument, and I think they sound like a very nice person. So let's listen to her case.Speaker 16 (49:00):It's ridiculous when I turn around and there's a gentleman who has boobs that are as big as or bigger than mine, and he can keep his shirt off, and we're doing the exact same thing, sitting in the sun.Leslie (49:14):She has a point.Cubby (49:14):She does have a great point.Leslie (49:14):Seriously.Barnes (49:19):I just wanted to point out that all protesting doesn't have to be excitable. You can just bring a good case. And look how brief that case was, but effective.Leslie (49:28):She got right to the point.Cubby (49:30):I am a C cup by the way, for the record. She has me thinking.Leslie (49:32):See? See?Cubby (49:33):Yep.Barnes (49:35):Oh man. All right, celebrity confidential this week. This is a weekly series where we're going to go behind the curtain and tell some stories, and I think someone named Cubby's going to start us off. These are stories that have just happened in our careers being in this business or these businesses that weren't brought together because of the business. They just happened kind of on a side spin.Cubby (49:56):I want to talk about Howard Stern. We love and respect him, right?Barnes (50:01):Talent.Cubby (50:02):Talent. I'm sure you've met him, but if you have or haven't, don't tell me yet because I'll tell you what happened to me. So he talked about me on the radio back in the early 2000s a few times. See, when I worked at Z100, the top 40 station, we would do club gigs, and we w

In this weeks Talking Tech, David celebrates his 30 years at the RBS of NSW and now Vision Australia by discussing some of the tech highlights over his time working as a technology specialist.     With these notes, you get the whole list, enjoy.   Unusual or Meaningful Tech Over the Last 30 years   When I started work for the then RBS of NSW (now Vision Australia) on June 4 1990, my tech on my desk was a Keynote PC Plus based on a Toshiba 1000, a Braille & Speak note taker, and of course a telephone land line.   Tech sitting on my desk 2020 for general everyday stuff, iPhone, QBraille Braille Display, iPad, MacBook Pro, Surface Pro, Google Home, Amazon Echo, and HomePod: plus my audio studio setup for podcasting and my radio program.   In no particular order, this is a list of all the tech that I have personally used for both home and work over the last 30 years covering my time at both Royal Blind Society of NSW then  Vision Australia).   Where amazingly some of the tech still exists when it first came out and where it has evolved to current, I’ve put the updated version in the current lists as well.   Interestingly, there are over 10 products that are Assistive Tech related that have lasted the test of time and are in the old and current tech sections.   Where some of the products may not be that well known (at least according to me smile), I’ve put a very short blurb next to them.   Oddly or not, I wish some of the devices that are no longer around still were, as they did some great specific things.   For me, I think the main technology advances were: Microsoft Windows 3.1 access (keeping in mind Outspoken had been out for a while for Macs) in the 1990’s, Mobile and Smart phone access in the 2000’s (Talkback for Synbian and VoiceOver for iPhone) plus VoiceOver for the Mac in 2005, Smart speakers and Smart home tech in 2010-2020.   Things we still need to conquer: Ongoing message and change for accessibility across mobile/desktop apps, and the huge one, the web. Access to self service kiosks. Indoor navigation. Accessibility in white goods. Accessible EFTPOS terminals (Apple Pay sort of gets around this). More audio described content on free to air. Hate to pick out out Foxtel, but they sort of deserve it, an accessible Foxtel box. One final point, we should be careful about assigning accessibility based on the fact that it works with one specific type of software, particularly in the screen reader industry.   Old Tech   If you haven’t heard of some of this stuff, use good old Google, should still be some info floating around.  If it brings back hopefully good memory’s I’m glad.     Keynote PC Plus (Toshiba 100 laptop with Keynote note taking software and insult speech). Keynote for DOS. Keynote across portable devices (current today - BrailleNote Touch)).   Braille & Speak (Braille keyboard based simple note taker with speech). Braille Lite (Braille & Speak with a 40 cell Braille Display). Type & Speak (Braille and Speak with a QWERTY keyboard).   Inca QWERTY Keyboard for DOS (with two Braille display lines).   Navigater Braille display.   OutSpoken for Mac for System 6.07, 7 and 8. OutSpoken for Windows.   Enlarge for Mac.   Closeview for Mac.   Artic Business Vision MSDOS screen reader. Artic Business Vision internal PC Card. Artic Transport (you could upload the screen reader to the MSDOS PC from the external synthesiser). Artic Gizmo Pad (an external navigation keyboard for Artic). Arctic Winvision for Windows.   Double Speak (external synthesiser).   Accent SA (external synthesiser).   Keynote Gold PCMCIA, PC or Keynote Gold external synthesiser (had driver to be made available to other screen readers).   Apollo external synthesiser.   Hal MSDOS screen reader (worked with the Apollo Synthesiser). Hal for Windows (eventually became Supernova for Windows current today).   DECTalk Classic(very large external speech synthesiser. DECTalk PC internal synthesiser card. DECTalk Express external synthesizer. DECTalk Access software synthesiser.   ASAP (As Soon As Possible) MSDOS screen reader. ASAW ASAP for Windows).   JAWS For DOS MSDOS screen reader. JAWS for Windows (current today).   Eloquence software synthesiser (Made famous when first worked with JAWS For Windows V3.2).   Vocal-Eyes MSDOS screen reader (could be configured). Window-Eyes for Windows.   Master Touch MSDOS screen reader (could read direct video writes). Master Touch Touch Tablet (25 line by 80 column tablet for navigating with Master touch cursor).   Dragon for DOS. Dragon For Windows (current today).   Braille to Print for Perkins Brailler.   Jot A Dot (small Braille writer).   Kurzweil PC Reader (internal PC Card supporting the KPR OCR software).   Arkenstone Easy Reader OCR software. OpenBook for Windows OCR software (current today).   Versa Braille (20 cell Braille note taker using cassette tapes).   Pac Mate note taker with 40 cell Braille Display.   Blazy Personal Embosser   Rainbow  Reader (stand alone reading machine).   Eureka A4 (personal Braille input keyboard note taker).  Oddly had a vault metre, and thermometer..   MountBatten Brailler, Braille Writer, embosser etc  (current Today). Mimic for MountBatten, LCD display  (current Today).   Braille Mate (single Braille cell on a notetaker).   Light Probe (detects light source - current today).   ABC Courier (deaf/blind Communicator). Telebraille, deaf/blind communicator.   Talking keyboard plug in box (made any keyboard speak that was plugged in to it).   Nomad tactile and talking diagrams.   Vista plug in PC screen magnifier for MSDOS, had own mouse. ViewPoint Split PC/CCTV.   Magic for DOS. Magic for Windows (no longer being upgraded).   Zoomtext for Dos. Zoomtext for Windows (current Today).   Road Runner text reader.   Book Sense (book reader).   Plextalk Pocket (seems to be no longer available).   Parrot or later Voice Mate (record notes and appointments).   Voice Diary (record notes and appointments).   Olympus DM5 Digital Recorder (with inbuilt speech menus).   Business Memo (voice recorder).   IBM OS 2 Screen Reader for OS 2 and Windows 3.11 with dedicated external number pad keyboard which could also be programmed).   Home Page Reader (from IBM for reading the web - self voicing application for Windows).   PW WebSpeak (self voicing application for reading the web in Windows).   Narrator for Windows XP screen reader for Windows, used to be joked about that this was an example of a screen reader that wasn’t a screen reader. Narrator for Windows 10 (current Today).   Talking Microwave late 90’s LG. Talking Microwave 2020 Cobolt (current Today).   Talking Caller ID for land line.   Nokia Communicator 9210 with Talks for later Nokia phones. Nokia N82 and other Nokia’s running Talks and the Symbian operating system.   Freedom Box talking interface to Windows - self voicing application, name later changed to System Access Mobile network. System Access Screen reader for Windows (could also run off a USB stick). SAToGo (run System Access from a Webpage). System Access Remote Access Manager (remote PC support).   Guide Connect early 2000’s, later sold to Dolphin Systems. Guide Connect (Dolphin Systems, simple to use menu driven self voicing application for Windows, current Today).   Speaking menus on iPod nano/Shuffle (speech came from PC).   Talking set top  box (Hills Set Top Box).   I can’t remember the name of this, but before land lines had a hands free speaker phone so you could instruct someone over the phone, there was a gadget that you placed the receiver of the phone on and it turned the phone in to a hands free phone for microphone and loud speaker.   Current Tech   A few main stream bits and Bobs in here as well.   The first 13 or so products below, are listed in both sections and whilst they have ben updated or changed, are still around amazingly.   Keynote across portable devices (current today - BrailleNote Touch)).   JAWS for Windows. JAWS Tandom (part of JaWS but fantastic tool for remote PC support).   Window-Eyes for Windows (this has only recently been discontinued).   Non Visual Desktop (NvDA) screen reader for Windows. Can be completely run as a stand alone screen reader. Supernova screen reader for Windows. Hal for Windows (eventually became Supernova for Windows).   Dragon For Windows.   OpenBook for Windows.   MountBatten Brailler. Mimic for MountBatten.   Magic for Windows (no longer being upgraded).   Zoomtext for Windows.   Narrator for Windows 10 (happy to now call it a screen reader smile).   Guide Connect Dolphin Systems. Dolphin Pod (use your TV to access entertainment options of Dolphin Guide Connect - plug in box).   Light Probe.   Plextalk Pocket (seems to be no longer available).   Victor Reader Stream.   Victor Reader Trek GPS.   Envoy Connect (basic daisy player.   Focus 14 and 40 Braille displays.   VoiceOver for Mac from 10.4.   VoiceOver for iPad nano, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Tv. Various iPod nano (latest version had version of VoiceOver on it before device was discontinued). Various iPhones. Various iPads. Various iPod touch. Various Apple TV. Various Apple Watch . Various AirPods.   Magic Trackpads and Magic Keyboards.   Wireless chargers.   Various Fitbits.   Be My eyes and Aira using 2 way video communication  via Smart phone for assistance.   Various tablet/phone stands.   Xbox One/One S (with Narrator).   Talkback for Android. Voice Assistant on Samsung phones/Tablets, and Galaxy Watch. Symapptic software for Android.   Various Macs (all Mac since 2005 with work laptop and current Surface Pro tablet).   Kindle eBook stand alone Readers.   Samsung Tab One (originally to drive my App driven coffee machine in 2017 and iOS version of the app was not accessible).   Samsung Galaxy S10 smart phone.   Surface Pro (Windows tablet).   Smart TVS (Samsung in particular).   RIVO keyboard (custom keyboard to navigate mobile platforms for iOs/VoiceOver, Android/Talks, and Samsung/Voice Assistant).   Orbit Reader 20 (first cost effective Braille Display).   Brailliant BI14 small Braille Display.   ElBraille Windows 10 docking station with a Focus 14 or 40 Braille Display.   InsideOne Windows Braille TAblet with 32 cell Braille Display.   Tap With Us Wearable Keyboard supporting VoiceOver for iOS.   Dot Watch (smart Braille watch).   Sunu Band (wearable sonar device for O&M).   Mini guide (hand held sonar O&M device).   Buzz Clip (attach to clothing or cane sonar O&M device).   O6 (navigate iOS with VoiceOver).   Orcam OCR etc wearable device.   Accessible Radio (Sangean Accessible Radio).   Accessible Power Bank (Engergrid).   Large print USB keyboards black/white, white/black, yellow/black.   Code Jumper from APH for teaching coding. Swift Playgrounds on iPad/Mac for teaching coding. 3D printing (Ballyland 3D objects to teach coding). Dash robots for Swift Playgrounds Tello Edu Drones for Swift Playgrounds.   Bose Frames (3D Audio Reality sun glasses).   Bone Conduction Head Phones (Aftershokz).   ID Mate Bar code scanner.   QBraille braille display and BT keyboard.   ViewPlus Embraille personal embosser.   Amazon Echo Dot, Echo Plus, and Echo Show. Google  Home, Google Mini, and original Google Hub. HomePod.   Olitech EasyFlip 4G Mobile Phone with speech/physical keyboard.   Smart Vision 2 Android phone with speech/physical keyboard.   Smart Home Tech: eg AC Controller for Split AC, video doorbell, switch’s, weather sensors, vacuum cleaner etc.   Tile Tag Tracking devices.   Beyond the usual assistive tech of screen readers. Screen magnifiers, Braille displays, Braille note takers, reading machines or OCR software etc etc, the devices that have stood out for me have been (and a few add ins here): Outspoken for Mac, Braille & Speak, The ABC Courier, Artic Business Vision/Winvision. Vocal-Eys for MSDOS. Master Touch. IBM OS/2 Screen Reader, Nomad Tactile Talking Diagrams. Road Runner, Arkenstone Easy Reader, Mountbatten Brailler, Talking Microwave, Victor Reader Stream, Victor Reader Trek, ID Mate, Talkback for Synbian, Speaking menus in Nano, VoiceOver for Mac and iOS, Apple TV, Macbooks, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, AirPods Swift Playgrounds. Code Jumper, 3D printing, Olitech 4G Easy Flip Phone. Magic keyboards and Magic Trackpad, App Store’s for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. QBraille, Dot Watch, Orcam, RIVO Keyboard, Tap With Us wearable keyboard, Sunu Band and Mini Guide, Aftershotkz Bone Conduction head phones, Bose Frames. JAWS For Windows and Eloquence, Narrator for Windows 10, Smart Speakers, Smart TVS. Be My Eyes and Aira. Wireless charging. Tile Tracking Tags.   The End    

With new apps and health technology flourishing, the exponential rise of health data feels inevitable. But what can we do to ensure patients' data is ethically and securely handled in the products we create? We chat to Irene Ng, Market Design Economist and CEO of DataSwift about the power of personal data accounts and what it could mean for healthcare.TimestampsHealth, wealth and data (1:40)Personal data servers (4:38)Personalisation of healthcare and computation (8:17)Personal data accounts and interoperability (12:35)Apple and Google Hub as health hubs (13:27)Protecting users from centralised health hubs (13:57)Empowering people with health data (15:35)Creating standards for new apps to emerge (17:40)Bringing economists into the healthcare space (18:22)Health systems liberating personal data (19:39)How to become more knowledgeable with data in the health space (21:39)Key LinksDataswift’s WebsiteDataswift HAT ServerDataswift’s TwitterUniversity of WarwickHAT: Hub-of-all-ThingsEthicalTechAlliance.orgEuropean CommissionWorld Economic Forum

Paul Hickey, CEO and founder of data-driven design guest stars. Data Driven Design, a Nashville-based digital agency that builds Multimodal Voice Apps for Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Websites and Custom Software, will walk attendees through how to design, develop and deploy voice-based apps for all Alexa and Google Assistant devices, including those with screens like the Echo Show and Google Hub. Learn more: https://datadriven.design/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/voicefirstai/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/voicefirstai/support

As the world of voice apps continuously changes, one of the latest ways you'll want to consider garnering awareness for your business is to build what's called a "How To Video Action" on Google Assistant. This is a voice-activated way that users can bring up VIDEO content on their devices, like Google Hub, and phones with the Google Assistant app loaded on it. Picture your audience at home or their offices with a Google Hub (device with a screen) and them needing to know how to do something (how to build a holiday wreath, or how to fix their hot water heater). They can say "Hey Google, open home improvement tips" for example, and your businesses' How To Video can appear. This video shows you a step by step process of not only how to build these voice-based applications, called Google Actions, but also how to name them so they're most likely to be found organically via an "opening invocation." This process has recently been referred to by Google Actions marketers as "whitelabeling." Here's what you'll need to get started: 1. A Google Account. 2. YouTube video content that you've created for your brand, of the "How To (do something)" variety. 3. A desire to reach your target audience in new ways that the data is showing you should (i.e.,, voice-based multimodal apps). The step-by-step process is outlined here by Google, but my video walks you through a real life scenario that is very helpful. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/paulhickey/support

What is a Google Action? A Google Action is a way to make Google Assistant smarter. It's something you can search and add to your Google Assistant App, Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Hub and more. As a user, you can just ask Google for information, similar to the way you can ask Amazon's Alexa via Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show and any other Alexa Enabled Devices. A Google Action is a voice-based application, just like an Alexa Skill. As a developer / digital agency, we can create these voice based apps to help businesses build a presence on Alexa and "dominate" search on Google Home. The data is showing that more and more users are getting their information from voice assistants and smart speakers, meaning we're leading the charge and getting businesses there. In this Data Driven Daily Tip, I demonstrate how to take a voice-based app that has already been published as an Alexa Skill, and submit / publish it to the Google Actions Console using Voiceflow, so it can be added on Google Assistant, Google Home and Google Hub users. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/paulhickey/support

This episode is a little different than most. We started recording early just to capture the true conversation between us and our guest Ben Horgan and decided to keep it going. We discuss Prime Day and Sean admits he now owns both a Google Home and the Amazon Echo. Then Ben talks about his Google Hub. From there Sean shifts the convo to raiding Area 51. That leads to drugs and Ben sharing personal stories of his experiences and eventually his sobriety. Somewhere along the way faith becomes a topic of conversation and then Sean mildly explores the theory of annihilation vs the weeping and gnashing of teeth and burning flames in the after life. Be sure to subscribe and leave a 5 star rating and we'll give you a shoutout on an upcoming episode. Ben Horgan on Insta: @horg21 https://unchurchedpodcast.wordpress.com Insta: @unchurchedpod Hot Mike City / Voice Over Talent / https://hotmikecity.com Music: City and Colour, Waiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k1TwYg507I Big Sean, Depp ft Lil Wayne https://music.apple.com/us/album/dark-sky-paradise/1442857082

Panel – Brian Norton, Belva Smith, and Josh Anderson – Q1- Kiosk Accessibility, Q2 – Navigating Public Restrooms, Q3 – Voice-activated alerting, Q4 – Orcam and computer text, Q5 – Showdown: Google Hub or Amazon Echo, Q7 – Wildcard: What type of old equipment do you have laying around? The post ATFAQ099 – Q1- Kiosk Accessibility, Q2 – Navigating Public Restrooms, Q3 – Voice-activated alerting, Q4 – Orcam and computer text, Q5 – Showdown: Google Hub or Amazon Echo, Q7 – Wildcard: What type of old equipment do you have laying around? appeared first on Assistive Technology at Easter Seals Crossroads.

Google Director of Energy & Enterprise Partnerships Jeff Hamel joined us to talk about the work Google is doing with Xcel Energy in Denver along with other electric utilities and energy firms in its ongoing efforts to grow into a critical role it can play in the energy industry in enabling the energy future imagined by technologists, regulators, the utility industry, and especially the general public. Google devices already at play in this effort include the Nest Learning Thermostat and devices with the Google Assistant, including Android phones and the the Google Home, Google Mini, and Google Hub devices, but those devices can communicate with an ever larger cadre of smart home technologies that are helping evolve the relationship between people and energy, and utility customers and their energy providers.

Show Summary: Tech Abilities is back in the studio and Serina, Andy and Jeff talk about Smart Devices. From Smart Switches, Smart Thermostats, Smart Smoke and Gas Detectors, Door Bell Cameras and the Google Hub. But is the Apple Home Kit App good enough? Check out this entertaining and informational look at the devices watching you and putting some convenience into your life. How did we get by without it? Hmmm. You can follow Tech Abilities on twitter @AbilitiesTech Contact: Tech Abilities is part of the Blind Abilities Network and be sure to check out all of our shows and podcasts. Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities Appon the App Store.   Full Transcript: Tech Abilities: Hey Portal, You Watching Me? Smart Home Devices and the Smart Shadow Enters the Thought Bubble Serena Gilbert: It's called the Facebook Portal. Does anyone here trust Facebook? Andy Munoz: Other than the fact that we're tech nerds ... Serena Gilbert: Nope, I don't think I'm going to upgrade, and both of you did in a week. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, an accessible thought bubble. Serena Gilbert: Do you have a smart phonograph, Jeff? What the heck is that? Andy Munoz: Google's your friend, look it up. Serena Gilbert: So, you want a smart shadow. Jeff Thompson: Yeah. Andy Munoz: Having these smart devices, they are truly game changers. Serena Gilbert: Silver. Andy Munoz: Space gray. Jeff Thompson: Gold. Andy Munoz: I smell smoke. Is your Nest going off, Jeff? Serena Gilbert: See what happens when you tell me I'm getting fat? Andy Munoz: I said you could grow into that Blind Abilities t-shirt. Jeff Thompson: Boom, music comes on and six sheets of toilet paper pop out. Serena Gilbert: Exactly. Serena Gilbert: All right, you guys ready? I'm not going to count down. I'm going to make you look for when we start [inaudible]. Good luck. Andy Munoz: Three, two- Serena Gilbert: No. Andy Munoz: One. Serena Gilbert: Nope. All right, I will count down. I'll be nice. Three, two, one. Welcome back to Tech Abilities. This is Serena Gilbert and I am, of course, joined with Jeff Thompson and Andy Munoz. Jeff, how are you? Jeff Thompson: Sorry. Serena Gilbert: Apparently, Jeff is choking. Jeff Thompson: I'm doing great, Serena. Glad to be back. Serena Gilbert: We haven't been around for a while now, but we are back and we've got a great episode. Andy, how are you? Andy Munoz: I'm good. I'm good. I'm actually glad to be back. Serena Gilbert: And, Andy's not choking for the record. Andy Munoz: Nope. No choking here. Jeff Thompson: Ouch. Serena Gilbert: Ouch. You'll be okay, Jeff. You're a big boy. Have you guys heard about the latest news about Facebook? Jeff Thompson: Oh, do tell. Do tell. Serena Gilbert: Apparently, they have a new smart device coming out called the Facebook Portal. Jeff Thompson: I'm got a feeling somebody's watching me. Serena Gilbert: Right? Andy Munoz: Cue the Michael Jackson song. There we go. Serena Gilbert: Perfect timing, Jeff, as usual. Everything about it is ironic from the name of it to all the press surrounding it. It's called the Facebook Portal so theoretically I know what they were going for there. It's like you're in the same room, but does anyone here trust Facebook? Jeff Thompson: How about you, Andy? Do you trust Facebook? Andy Munoz: You know, can you trust anything, honestly? Jeff Thompson: Right. Andy Munoz: Yet, we still use it. The way I look at it is I don't put something out there that I don't want somebody to know 'cause even with locking it down and doing all that stuff, there's people, they want it ... Where there's a will, there's a way. Don't put nothing out there that I don't want nobody to see. Serena Gilbert: The weird thing about Facebook is there's already a theory that we think Facebook listens to us when we're not in it. We've tested this. Start talking about childcare and all of a sudden, you're going to have every childcare center ad in your newsfeed that you ever wanted to see. Andy Munoz: Yep, yep. Serena Gilbert: There's something to it. I really do think that there's something that they're listening to. Imagine putting that in your living room where they're not only able to listen but see what you're doing. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, we could really paint this into a corner if we want to, but when you look at other companies such as Target and Home Depot and various other ones on the internet that have had hacks exposing people's identification and personal information, it's inevitable that stuff like this is going to happen, I imagine. It seems like when something like this happens to Facebook, it seems like it really gets a lot of attention. Andy Munoz: Usually, if you have a big name and something happens ... We've all got these high expectations so then they lose credibility, but it really can happen to anybody. Serena Gilbert: Well, let's hear about the specs on this Facebook Portal and then tell me what you guys think about it too. It's funny when you think about it. There's two different versions. There's the standard one. It will be $199. The Portal Plus, as they call it, is a much larger screen and then it's an HD. That will be $349. Both of them say that the camera essentially will follow you as you're talking to somebody or video chatting with them. Serena Gilbert: They initially said that no data was going to be stored and that everything was nice and secure. They then came back and said, "But, wait. We will the information to target ads to you." Yeah. So, the camera's following you in the room and they're targeting ads at you. Still like it? I don't know. Andy Munoz: Regardless of whether you like it or not, there's just no getting away from it because you get the ads even on Facebook itself. I can go right now and I can do a search on Amazon for smart home devices and I guarantee you as soon as I click into Facebook, it's going to show me what I last searched for. For me, it's more or less going to be about what all can it do? What are all the different features? What's going to sell it to me that's going to allow me to really overlook that targeting commercial stuff to me? Serena Gilbert: You're not taking it off your Christmas list yet? Andy Munoz: I wouldn't say I would take it off. It doesn't matter what you do, you're not going to get away from that stuff. As much as you'd like to, as much as I'd like to, it's there. At this point, again, it's going to go back to, what are the features? What's going to make me want to buy this thing that I can't do with another device? Serena Gilbert: Yeah. Jeff, you have this on your shopping list? Jeff Thompson: No, I don't have it on my Christmas list yet, but I should get that started. The thing is, with all these different devices and ecosystems out there, I'm starting to wonder if someone should start with one ecosystem and stick with just one such as yourself. What benefits does the Facebook Portal have over your Amazon Show? Serena Gilbert: I don't think it offers anything different because they both do the video chatting. The screen does appear to be a little bit larger on the Facebook Portal. I think that the entry-level price on it is cheaper because the Amazon Show is, I believe, $229 and the Facebook Portal would be starting at $199. There's a $30 difference there. Serena Gilbert: It's really funny because I saw the ad on Facebook, of course, and the comments ... I just had to read the comments 'cause they were so funny and everyone's like, "So, why can't I just FaceTime?" Jeff Thompson: Yeah, right? Serena Gilbert: You're offering me a speaker that you say I can make all these calls on, I can just do that on my phone already, so what's the point? 'Cause they're not boosting that it has this awesome sound quality, they're not advertising that it's smart. I guess it will have Alexa built into it. Sorry, guys. It will have the 'A' lady built into it, but why would you spend the money on a third-party device to have the 'A' lady when you can get that straight from Amazon anyway? Andy Munoz: The other part of it too is you can actually video chat via Facebook Messenger just depending upon what device you're using. If I'm sitting at my computer, I've already got a 19" HD display so why would I want to invest in something different other than the fact that we're tech nerds and we like to know these things and we never know when we're going to run across something where we're maybe going to have to maybe troubleshoot something like that. That would be maybe its sole purpose. Jeff Thompson: Well, I think that Facebook is coming late into the game in this. The newness of the new products coming out, everyone wanted to experiment or explore these new gidgets and gadgets and now we all have probably multiple ecosystems in our house. You might have a Google or Amazon or an Apple device going right now. Is it time right now to add one more to the mix that we have in our house? That sometimes I think it's not doing exactly what I thought it would. So, I think people are being desensitized from the thrill of it all, the newness of these types of gadgets and Facebook is just a little late into the game. Serena Gilbert: Yeah, it always makes you wonder, is there really room on my shelf for one more smart device? Where would I even put it? Jeff Thompson: I wonder what we're going to have to say to invoke the Facebook Portal, "Mr. Senator," or "Yo, Zucker." Serena Gilbert: You say, and does this sound at all familiar, "Hey, Portal." Jeff Thompson: Really? Serena Gilbert: Yeah, which those of us who are super lucky enough to have HomePods ... Jeff Thompson: Super lucky. Serena Gilbert: Super lucky. Jeff Thompson: Super. Serena Gilbert: Super- Jeff Thompson: Lucky. Serena Gilbert: ... lucky. We know what the wake word is for that. Very similar. Jeff Thompson: It'd be funny if it was Mr. Senator. Yes, Senator. Yes, Senator. Andy Munoz: What kind of responses does it give if you call it the wrong name? Jeff Thompson: I have no idea. It's not out until, what, November? Mid-November? Serena Gilbert: It says November. It doesn't even have a specific data, it just says November. I predict ... I think this is going to be a big, huge flop for Facebook. I think this is going to be a lot of lost money because who knows how many they've already produced. They'll probably sell maybe 100,000 which is nothing when there's how many billion users on Facebook? Jeff Thompson: Yeah, plus the fact when I looked it up. I think ten things came up when I did my search, nine of them were about, "Is this a good idea? Should they pull the plug now? Should they save their costs? Are the stocks falling on Facebook?" and, "Do you trust Facebook to secure this information that it's gathering?" I don't know. I don't think it's going to be on my Christmas list, Serena. Serena Gilbert: I know one thing that I keep trying to get you to add to the Christmas list, but I don't know if you will. Jeff Thompson: What's that? Serena Gilbert: Remember? I told my bestie that you wanted a HomePod. Jeff Thompson: Oh! And you want to go to CSUN. Serena Gilbert: You know it. Jeff Thompson: That's coming up. That's around the corner. Serena Gilbert: Better get to planning. Jeff Thompson: The more we talk, the closer it gets. Serena Gilbert: There's a really good Christmas gift right there. Andy can go too. Andy Munoz: Hey. Jeff Thompson: There you go. Serena Gilbert: We'll get in all kinds of trouble. It's in Anaheim this time. Jeff Thompson: Someone's got to run that Colorado show out there though. Serena Gilbert: We'll be okay. Andy Munoz: We'll survive. Jeff Thompson: A new device that's out from Google is the Google Home Hub ... Yeah, the Google Home Hub. Serena Gilbert: The need a better name for that one. Jeff Thompson: I was wondering if this was the answer to anybody out there that has collected a few devices, one for their Google Home that works on their ... One works on the Amazon Device. If this is the answer that will solve some of the problems of bringing everything together. Serena Gilbert: How does the Hub work? I don't fully understand it. Jeff Thompson: Okay. A hub is also known as a bridge and what it is is a central location device that actually can control all the different smart devices that you have located throughout your house. If you have smart plugs, smart switches, smart doorbells, smart thermostat, you can actually connect them up all to one spot, which is a hub and then access that. Jeff Thompson: Typically, what people do is access it through an iPad or something so they have one control. From there, you can set up groups, you can set up different modes for things to be on that come on at certain times, go off at certain times. You can group lights together, you can have full control over all these devices in one location rather than using the TP app, the WeMo app, and the Nest app and figure out everything else. You can actually tie them all together and that's what a hub/bridge does. Jeff Thompson: The HomeKit app, that app was put out, is something that was trying to become a bridge in your wi-fi system to tie all these together. Now, you've got to remember that everything has to be able to reach the wi-fi system. You might have a plug or a switch far enough away where your wi-fi isn't that great, so you'll have to do an extender. Whereas, you can get pretty elaborate. You can go into the Z-Wave system, which actually every device that's hooked up becomes a little transmitter too so it can chainlink all these together so it can reach a further distance. Jeff Thompson: Interesting stuff once you get interesting stuff once you get into the high-end of homes, but as for affordability and everything, I think Google Home Hub is an idea. It might be something that works good for you, but I think HomeKit really has the advantage here in wi-fi in the future. If you're just talking about adding some conveniences to your house and not really going into the major planning of a full day operation of automation going on. Jeff Thompson: Shades open. Lights on. Mood setting. Thermostat adjust and someday turn on stereo system. Play phonograph. Set the mood. The possibilities could be endless. You can do some of that with HomeKit, but yeah. Basically, that's was a hub/bridge does. It ties everything together under one physical device that you can access and control everything. Serena Gilbert: I'm just so distracted because I'm pretty sure you said phonograph. Andy Munoz: He did say phonograph. Serena Gilbert: What the heck is that? Andy Munoz: It's a record player. Serena Gilbert: Do you have a smart phonograph, Jeff? Jeff Thompson: I'm just saying, yeah, there probably is one. You can get one to skip and ... Andy Munoz: Yeah, you can get it to do some scratchin'. Scratchin'. You know? You know? Jeff Thompson: Yeah. Serena Gilbert: Yes, Jeff. You are definitely the old man right now. Andy Munoz: Well, it's funny because my kid's now into buying vinyls and I'm like, "Why are they even still making those," and come to find out yeah, they're making record players again. Jeff Thompson: I have two record players and I collected albums back in the day and I still have them. They're popular again. It's kind of neat. Andy Munoz: It's kind of interesting how technology's going full circle. Serena Gilbert: Jeff, for the young ones listening to our podcast, what's an album? You going to tell them that? No, I'm just kidding. Andy Munoz: Google's your friend, look it up. Serena Gilbert: On your smart speaker. Andy Munoz: Ask the 'A' lady, she'll tell you. Serena Gilbert: I am curious, because this is all about smart devices, if we could go around, I guess the virtual table and let's hear about what smart devices you have in your home right now and what you like, what you don't like, maybe, if you're on the market for a new one. We'll start with you, Andy. Andy Munoz: Okay. So, right now, I don't have any. I'm in the market. I've got a pretty archaic thermostat. The thing is huge, but the problem is I can see the numbers, but I can't see how it programs. I certainly want something that I have a little bit more that I can do with it then having to rely on somebody else to set it up. Jeff Thompson: What you're saying is you want to be the master of your own domain. Andy Munoz: There you go. Jeff Thompson: There you go. Serena Gilbert: Seinfeld reference. Andy Munoz: Primarily, I'm just looking for a thermostat. Ceiling fans would be nice. Serena Gilbert: They make smart ceiling fans? Andy Munoz: Yeah, they make ... Serena Gilbert: I didn't know that. Andy Munoz: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Serena Gilbert: That would be really cool. Jeff Thompson: Oh, yeah. They invented the ceiling fan right after the phonograph. When I was looking up the Google Home Hub, the GHH, they claim that it can connect up to 5,000 different devices. So, that probably includes the phonographs and let's see, what came out right after phonographs? Ceiling fans, Serena. Yeah, there's probably a smart gidget or gadget out there for pert near anything. Andy Munoz: Oh, yeah. When I was working with Apple, I got a guy that called in that was setting up a smart garage door opener. Serena Gilbert: Now, why do we need that? I really don't understand that. What does it recognize your car when you drive up to it? Jeff Thompson: Well, when you have your smart Amazon Drive in your car, you can then just say, "Open, sesame." Serena Gilbert: Oh, my God. Jeff Thompson: Lower the drawbridge. Serena Gilbert: Secret passcode, right? I really don't understand what a smart garage door would do that a regular garage door ... You push a button and it opens. What else do we need it to do? Jeff Thompson: You have to actually move your arm to push the button. Serena Gilbert: I get it because ... We laugh at how lazy this is making us 'cause we don't have to leave our couch to turn the light on or off or adjust the thermostat, but it truly does open up accessibility for tons and tons of people with disabilities that have mobility impairments or maybe even a cognitive impairment where it just makes a life a lot more independent and affordable. Before, doing something like this would be thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, now they can just get it right on the market. Andy Munoz: Or, even just the simple fact that you either make some sort of adjustment cosmetically or what have you so that it could be used or you stay reliant on somebody to help you with that. Having these smart devices, they are truly game changers. For the rest of us, yeah, it makes us lazy. Jeff Thompson: As long as your wi-fi doesn't get knocked down. Andy Munoz: Yeah, that too. Yeah. Serena Gilbert: I was just thinking that. I was just about to say, "Until somebody hacks it." Then, it will drive you crazy. Jeff Thompson: One of the concerns I would be looking into is if I was going to get the Canary or the HomeSafe alarm system that hooks up to your wi-fi and is a smart device, that, just like the bridge and the hub, are these connected to just your wi-fi or if someone cuts your wi-fi cable, will it give you an alert through cellular or run off the cellular? Andy Munoz: I believe that they do because actually my brother-in-law just made some changes. He gave up his business-class wi-fi and went back to residential and they bundled it all and got the security system. Yeah, if the wi-fi goes down it then does go to cellular. Jeff Thompson: Oh, that's nice. Serena Gilbert: Yeah, 'cause we have a Honeywell Lyric. With got it for free from our home owner's insurance company and they gave us four of them. What it is is you put anywhere that there's water that could possibly leak and it's connected to wi-fi. It also puts this obnoxious, loud beeping sound A, when there is water that it detects and B, just when the battery is dying. Andy Munoz: Does it go onto the floor? Serena Gilbert: Well, you can do it two different ways. We have one on the hose of our washer and it's got this cord that you can wrap around it that if it detects the water then it will set off the alarm. Or, you can just set it on the floor and you don't need the cord then. As soon as it detects water it will start beeping and it will send a notification to your phone. Serena Gilbert: When we changed our wi-fi, we never put them back on the new wi-fi 'cause I frankly couldn't remember how to do it. When we changed our router out and had to get a new wi-fi network put up, it sent emails to me saying that they were offline. That's really cool because your hot water heater could be leaking for days and you'd never know. Ours is in the basement. We don't go down there but maybe once a month. Jeff Thompson: That's neat. That's less invasive. There's a more invasive one that actually goes right into your plumbing system. You cut the line and you put this device in there and it will notify you if the pressure drops. If you're on vacation, your lines should have no open valves so there should be a constant pressure and if that pressure drops significantly, then it will give you a signal and notify you that there's been a change, possibly a leak, that could really devastate your home. Serena Gilbert: Yeah, that could save a lot of money. Imagine if you came back from vacation and there were six feet of water in your basement. Jeff Thompson: Swimming pool, yeah. Serena Gilbert: Yeah. Andy Munoz: Well, I was talking to somebody that they were out of town, but their son was there. He didn't realize it, but there had been a leak. So, their basement flooded and, on top of it, they ended up with a $5,000 water bill. That was in the course of three weeks. Serena Gilbert: Oh, my God. I would cry. Oh, my God. Andy Munoz: Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Jeff Thompson: Oh, wow. I think a lot of these devices, like you're saying, for someone that has a speech impediment of some sort or something, that there's alternative devices now that through your wi-fi, making the home smarter. We just usually think about these devices that we're using today, but a lot of these switches and commands that we're using are pretty versatile and available to other people. Like you said, it used to be tens of thousands of dollars to make a home accessible for someone with a disability that it may help them open a door or turn on lights as you said, but now, these devices are stuff we buy off the shelf. Jeff Thompson: You can get the Hue lights and dim your lights and do other things and the switches and put everything on a timer. My driveway lights ... I have a WeMo light switch that my driveway lights come on when it gets dark, sunset, and goes off at a certain time. Then, I have some lamps in the living room that come on at the same time and go off at the same time. I have three switches working like that, plug in switches and one light switch. I like that automation because kind of get it. The lights come on. Oh, it's dark out, if you can sense that. If someone comes over, the house isn't just totally dark. Andy Munoz: Well, it's nice especially in today's society, you definitely want to have those lights on on the outside. You don't want people creeping up on your house. For me, I look at the negative side of that just because it is real. You definitely want to make sure that you have some light so your house can be seen, and I think it detracts from people wanting to do anything to it in a negative manner. Jeff Thompson: Plus, when you're away from home ... When I was in England, I could actually turn the lights off or on just from a flip on my phone, from the app. Andy Munoz: Right. Jeff Thompson: Something to remember about some of these home devices, it seems so great. Hey, just put a light switch in, but to put a light switch in with the WeMo and other ones, you do need all three wires there. You need your positive, your negative, and your neutral wire. Andy Munoz: Right. Jeff Thompson: Typically, a house that was built pre-90s, I believe, somewhere around there, switches were interrupters. So, they only ran the hot wire down to one side and to the other so when you switch is down, it breaks the connection. Lot of houses either had them drop down from the ceiling or they came up from the basement. The switches were not the place to run all the wires. They ran those to the lights above and just dropped down the ones. Jeff Thompson: That may be a problem if you want to add a light switch or a dimmer switch, but you will need to have all three there. If you don't, then you have to have an electrician come in and run a neutral wire up and facilitate it that way. So, that could get expensive. Andy Munoz: Right. It's good just to know that in general. Jeff Thompson: Oh, for sure. It also might justify spending the money for a smart light bulb where you can control that specific light bulb or a group of light bulbs with a command from an app or a voice command directed at one of your personal devices such as an Amazon, Google, Apple device, your smart speaker device. Jeff Thompson: Another device that I'm kind of interested is the Look or Nest makes a product, a couple other people make these products, they're cameras on your doorbell. When motion happens at the front door, you'll get a message on your phone that says, "Motion at front door," and that solves the problem of thinking, "Why do I need a camera at the front door?" Well, the camera does give the indication that there's motion, which then triggers the notification that you'll get, but these two need the existing wire that the previous doorbell used because they need a transformer. So, that's something you want to look into. Jeff Thompson: If you don't have a doorbell, then you'll have to install this pre-wiring beforehand. If you do have one, you have to make sure that it's 24 volts running to it because all these devices do need a power source to be running. Just beware, when you're thinking and considering and buying these products, read the small braille. Andy Munoz: Love it. Love it. Small braille. Serena Gilbert: Oh, man. Isn't all the braille small? Jeff Thompson: There is jumbo braille for people with neuropathy. Jeff Thompson: Serena, what kind of devices are you working with? Serena Gilbert: I have a WeMo plug. One thing I wanted to share with you guys is that, if you have Amazon Prime, there's been a few times just in the last few months where they sent out a deal where you can get a smart plug or a smart light bulb for only $10. We bought one when they did that and, sad to say, it's still sitting in the package because I need two and I've just been too cheap to buy the second one for my lamps downstairs. Serena Gilbert: It was summer when I bought them, so I was like, "Oh, we never need the lights on anyways." Now, it gets dark at like 6:15, 6:30 and it would be nice to just go on my phone and turn them on or use the Echo to turn them on. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, I noticed and that's how I've got ... I don't know why I'm coughing. Serena Gilbert: You're just getting too old over there. Jeff Thompson: Geez, you're sticking with this one. Serena Gilbert: See what happens when you tell me I'm getting fat? Jeff Thompson: I didn't say that. I know not to say stuff like that. Serena Gilbert: Would you like to share what you said? Jeff Thompson: I said you could grow into that Blind Abilities t-shirt. Serena Gilbert: No, you said I'm going to grow into it because of the shake that I had. Jeff Thompson: Why don't you tell the listeners what you put in your shake tonight? Serena Gilbert: Shameless plug for Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I had a shake and I added Oreo to it and Oreo cream and Double Stuff Oreo. I see nothing wrong with that. Jeff Thompson: Plus, some ice cream, right? Serena Gilbert: Milk, with sugar. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, so I'll repeat it. You'll probably grow into that t-shirt. Serena Gilbert: This is not helping you. You're going to get some hate mail from all the ladies out there. Jeff Thompson: If anybody else would like to grow into a Blind Abilities t-shirt, email us at info@blindabilities.com. Andy Munoz: Yeah. Serena Gilbert: Oh, my goodness. Not very nice, Jeff. Andy Munoz: But, it is funny. Serena Gilbert: I'm telling my bestie on you. Jeff Thompson: You do have a HomePod, right? Serena Gilbert: I do. If anyone's ever listened to me on any podcast, they know I absolutely adore that HomePod. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, I hear it is good sound. So are the Sonos. The Sonos are pretty good and with the smart device built into those too. The thing is, with API on those since it's not a true Amazon device, you only get partial use of the full functionality of what you'll get out of an Amazon device like the Dot or the Echo. Sometimes you forget that you only get that limited usage out of them. I wonder how much the Facebook Portal will have? Serena Gilbert: It's probably the same API that they have on the Sonos because the Amazon's got to give you some reason to buy theirs. Why would you ever buy the Amazon one when the Sonos clearly sounds way better sound-wise. There has to be some incentive. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, just be aware when you're buying these devices what they connect up with. Some connect up with more than one platform. It might connect up to Amazon or it might connect up to Apple, but just check that out. Jeff Thompson: With the HomeKit app in your iOS device, that application is your hub, your bridge, and that might be the thing of the future, using your wi-fi. Whereas the hub, it just may be ... Serena Gilbert: I feel like it's another way for them to get you to spend- Jeff Thompson: More money. Serena Gilbert: $100. With me, 'cause I have the HomePod, I have the Amazon device, I'm trying to be smart about the devices that I choose since we don't have a smart home yet where either I can find some that work with both or depending on where the device that I'm buying is going to be, it works with whatever is closest to it. Andy Munoz: Definitely some strategy into it. Serena Gilbert: Yeah. One weird thing that I noticed when I did get the HomePod is, for some reason, and I don't know if it's the way that Apple's system is so locked down, but the devices that say they're compatible with HomeKit, they're never the ones ... They're always more expensive it seems. The ones that are compatible with the Amazon devices, there's so many of them that the price has come down on them. When you look at the ones that say HomeKit, it's like upwards of double the price for the same functionality. Andy Munoz: I'm guessing you're right that Apple is so locked down with everything that they do and you don't have a lot of choice as you do with Amazon or Google. A lot of the coding and development and stuff that goes into all that stuff is open source. Not to dog Google in any way, shape, or form by saying this, but their standards are more open than what you get with an Apple. I would venture to say that you're right on that. Jeff Thompson: When I first started down this path of adding smart switches and smart plugins, outlets to the house, I went with WeMo and I stuck with it. It seems to be doing good and just lately, I got an update and now the WeMo switches, the smart, mini WeMo switches, are able to work with the HomeKit, which is the native app in your iOS device titled, "Home," H-O-M-E. Jeff Thompson: The new ones that you get, they'll have a little code on them and you just scan it and it will register right into your application of your HomeKit and boom, there you go. That is very similar to my Nest Protect because all I did there was scan in the product and boom, it was connected up into my app, which just makes it very nice. Jeff Thompson: In the app, it does incorporate that these devices can now be synced up together. I have them synced up with my Amazon device, my google device, my iPhone. I can make my iPad, which stays at home basically, as the hub. By me invoking the HomeKit as my hub, do I really need a Google Home Hub? Do I really need a central device? I think I'm okay. Andy Munoz: I guess if you look at it from most people's perspective, we want it with generally a handheld device. Let's face it. There's times that we're not going to be in our home, when we want to be able to have that remote access, that remote control. I think that the hubs are a nice thought, but I don't know how realistic it is. Jeff Thompson: Serena, you had mentioned that you were considering a basement remodel. Have you thought about incorporating the smart home features? Serena Gilbert: It would be nice kind of thing, but yeah, we haven't officially done that. All I really want in the house right now is a smart thermostat because I really struggle with what temperature it is in the house. The house is only two years old. I meant the builder if they could put in a smart one for me and then I just spaced it. I regret that. Serena Gilbert: I really have to rethink it 'cause I know that my husband would like a doorbell camera at some point. It's like do we go with Ring; do we go with Nest because I'd like it to just all be the same brand just to make life easy. Jeff Thompson: I have a Nest Protect and that's a smoke alarm that mounts to the ceiling. If I buy another Nest Protect, they communicate with each other and announce their location. In a case of an emergency, you will know where the smoke is coming from. Speaker 4:           Emergency. There's smoke downstairs. Jeff Thompson: If I do get a Nest thermostat, that too will connect to the family of Nest products. If there is a fire, it will shut off the furnace so you don't have the air blowing around and flaming the fire ... Flaming? Wafting the flame. Serena Gilbert: Good job. Your old brain worked. Jeff Thompson: Oh, it may not be as quick as a Millennial, but it's wiser. Jeff Thompson: So, having items from the same family, the same Nest products in my situation pays off for me. I would also like to mention that the Nest Protect, the smoke alarm that's in the ceiling, has a glowing light on it and it comes on when it senses motion. So, in the middle of the night, if you walk past it, it will glow brighter. Serena Gilbert: That's cool. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, so that's a neat little feature that will help family members as well. Serena, you mentioned the doorbell with the camera. Now, some people may say, "Why do I need a camera when I can't see who's out there?" However, the camera senses motion and then it will send you a notification that there's motion at the front door. Serena Gilbert: That's very cool. Jeff Thompson: I see the benefits in that as well. Jeff Thompson: Now, a friend of mine, just to be fair, has the Honeywell thermostat. Serena Gilbert: Is the Honeywell app accessible? Jeff Thompson: He says it is, however, he doesn't use voice over but he tested it and he says it is. I haven't put it through the rigors, but it's $100 cheaper and Honeywell is a good product. It has high ratings on it as well. However, being in the same family and interconnecting as such, I think Nest makes a good line of product that really should be considered. Plus, Nest is owned by Google, right? Serena Gilbert: Is it? Jeff Thompson: Yeah. Serena Gilbert: [inaudible] conspiracy. Andy Munoz: I have to say though, I'm with Jeff on the whole ... Usually, if I buy a brand, that's usually what I like to stick to and keep it consistent. A lot of it, I think, has to do for me about what the previous experiences have been. If I bought something like a Samsung TV and it's worked well for me, I'm going to be more inclined to go back out and buy that same brand just because I've had that good experience and I trust it. I think too, part of it too is if they can communicate with each other in some way, shape, or form, all the better. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, safety first. That brings up home security systems in your house that hooks up with wi-fi from doors to windows. I'm starting to wonder how many devices you can have connected up to your wi-fi system before it becomes over-weighted or strained. That's probably where a hub comes in because it would take that load. Until you get to that point, I think that's when you start wondering about a hub. Jeff Thompson: I just want to use the apps that each thing comes with. Set it up one time and move on. I don't want to have to pull that out all the time and say, "Honey, let's set the mood lighting for this movie," or have all my Christmas lights on my iPad so I can spell words or have special designs going across. That's not my bag. I just want these devices to work out of their own app. I just think the HomeKit, the home app, will suffice for most people that are venturing into the smart home devices. Andy Munoz: Well, because I think too we all have this thing where we generally know when we're going to be home and when we're not unless you have something where you're out of the norm, you have a function that you're going to go to or what have you. In my house, I generally know who's going to be home and when they're going to be home. To be able to say, "All right, yeah, let's have a heat come on at this time. Have it shut off at this time," that kind of stuff is super convenient. Andy Munoz: Because right now, it's one of those things where because I can't program it the way that I want and my wife isn't able to program it, she's [inaudible]. It's just an archaic thermostat. There's times she'll say 8:30 at night, "It's cold." I have to turn it up because yeah, it shut down when it really should have been on. There again, it would be nice to have something where definitely have that control and to be able to do that and know that it's going to be consistent. Jeff Thompson: Serena, do you want the Amazon Bathroom where you walk in and the lights come on, the toilet seat heats up, and boom, music comes on and six sheets of toilet paper pop out? Serena Gilbert: If you can find a way to heat my floor in my bathroom, I'd be happy. Jeff Thompson: Oh, they have that. Serena Gilbert: I don't know if I need the toilet seat heat. I'm okay. But, I was thinking about what you guys were talking about and I was just thinking of the cost savings with that. Just the heat alone to save it ... 'Cause right now, our heat's just either off or on. Then, we all know the theory behind how long it takes to raise the heat so many degrees. It's more expensive then to keep it steady. Serena Gilbert: Then, there's also the cost savings of if you own your house. Especially with the smoke detectors that you have, Jeff, I'm sure you're saving money on your home owner's insurance too. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, that's great, Serena, because if you contact your insurance company you can find out so much more about what you could be doing to your house for safety-wise that will ultimately save you money in the insurance policy premium. Serena Gilbert: It'd be totally worth it. Jeff Thompson: Oh, yeah. You want to tell them you have a smoke alarm. Don't call them and tell them you don't have any. Serena Gilbert: What do you mean you didn't have one? Hold on a minute. We need to raise your premium a little bit. Jeff Thompson: Back pay. It's just really nice that there's devices out there that we can implement into our lives. Like you said, Andy, just make it more convenient and ... Especially the doorbell. I'm really intrigued about that, the camera. I was the one that would always say, "Why do I need a camera? I can't see blah, blah, blah," but that it alerts you, you know? Serena Gilbert: Some of them have it where you can speak to them. Jeff Thompson: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Serena Gilbert: And, hear the sound. Jeff Thompson: That's a neat alert. You know someone's at the front door. Andy Munoz: Yes, I was just going to say, "And, they have no idea that you're not even home." Jeff Thompson: Right. I'm going to get one before trick-or-treaters come out. This will be fun. Serena Gilbert: Scare them. Oh, my goodness. Well, it will especially help during the holiday season when you're expecting your Amazon packages 'cause if there's sound with it too, there's pretty distinct noise when the UPS truck pulls up. Jeff Thompson: I think if you do it right ... We should appeal to all the truck drivers that deliver packages to wear little bells on their shoes so we know it's them. Serena Gilbert: It's like a code. That reminds me though. I was watching Shark Tank a few weeks ago and there was a business on there and they didn't get a deal, but it was a smart device that it was a box that the driver would scan the code on the package, it'd open up the box, they'd put the package in there, and then it would close back up again. They didn't get a deal for obvious reasons because, frankly, the UPS drivers probably aren't going to scan it. They're just going to sit the package on top of the box and keep going. Serena Gilbert: It did bring up an interesting thing though. If they could have licensed that to UPS or FedEx or USPS, made it part of their flow, that could really curb porch pirates. Jeff Thompson: I got a question for you guys. What device isn't out there yet, but you would like to have a smart device as? Serena Gilbert: Oh, you know what I'm going to say as my son always says when I ask him questions. I want my smart self-driving car. Jeff Thompson: That's coming. Serena Gilbert: But it's not accessible. There's too many laws. Jeff Thompson: They'll probably have a little screen to open the door and it will be like, "Everything's accessible except you can't get in the door." Serena Gilbert: Yeah. You have to put in this passcode that's on this touchscreen. Jeff Thompson: They'll have a Captcha. Serena Gilbert: God, I hate those things. Then, you try to listen to it. Jeff Thompson: Oh, yeah. Four seven three apple two orange W. Serena Gilbert: You're like, "Are you in a call center doing this?" I don't understand. Jeff Thompson: I know it's crazy. It's like, "Gosh, I had good hearing until I heard that." Andy Munoz: If you'd get you a tin can that would sound so perfect. Jeff Thompson: Yeah. Serena Gilbert: I hate those things. Jeff Thompson: I was on a website today. I know this is off topic. I was on a website today. It was all about accessibility. It's supposed to be an educational accessibility thing and all this stuff. It was really interesting. I was actually intrigued with the layout and stuff and they had a Captcha that was inaccessible. It's like, "Really? You did all this and now that." Andy Munoz: Somebody did not think that through. Jeff Thompson: No. Serena Gilbert: #accesibilityFail. Jeff Thompson: They have accessibility in their name. Serena Gilbert: Did you send them an email? Jeff Thompson: No. Andy Munoz: Wow. Jeff Thompson: I got off of it and I just sat there for a minute thinking, "That's so stupid." Serena Gilbert: You didn't make your trademark noise? Andy, what's the smart device that you're hoping for? Andy Munoz: Wow. That could be plenty but something that would open up my dryer and pull out my laundry and hang it up. Serena Gilbert: Oh, so you want the robot from the Jetsons. Andy Munoz: There you go. Jeff Thompson: That's be Judy wouldn't it? Serena Gilbert: Just your luck 'cause wasn't George always getting all this technology failing for him? Andy Munoz: Yeah, she malfunctioned one day and she did a bunch of different weird stuff that was all backwards. Jeff Thompson: I think for a device that I'm looking forward to and I hope they have it someday, is really a personal assistant, but not a physical one that would actually do things for me but you know how you think of to-do lists and you think of all this stuff? Something that follows your thought like that. When you wake up the next day, it's like, "Jeff, remember the garbage." Serena Gilbert: You want a chip implanted in your head. Jeff Thompson: Just call it the thought bubble or something. Serena Gilbert: Thought bubble. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, an accessible thought bubble. Just like, "Lori told me three things yesterday. What was that?" "Jeff, you weren't listening where you?" I want that companion, that thing that actually helps me move along. Serena Gilbert: Jeff, all you have to do is win the Powerball and then you can just pay someone to follow you around for the rest of your life. Jeff Thompson: But, I think this would help people. We're talking about old age, but people who have memory issues and stuff. That seems to be a prominent thing in today's world. Everyone knows someone that might be going through it or someone that is affected by it. Something that could shadow you, your shadow. If your shadow could talk, it would remember. Serena Gilbert: So, you want a smart shadow? Jeff Thompson: Yeah. Do you guys think that's far off? Andy Munoz: Time wise maybe. I don't know. Technology's so rapid that anything's possible at any given point. I think, for me, it's even pointless half the time for me to put stuff even as reminders 'cause I just ignore them. Serena Gilbert: I'm the same way. Andy Munoz: For work and stuff, obviously, I pay attention to my calendar and that sort of thing, but outside of that, I'll say, "Yeah, I put it in my calendar. I'll do this, that, or the other." It's like it's there but nine times out of 10 I'm just going to blow it off and ignore it anyway. Serena Gilbert: I have a reminder on my phone right now that's 19 days old but I still didn't do it. Like, "Oh, I'll just ignore it and it will pop back up in a couple weeks." Jeff Thompson: Avoid shakes from Five Brothers. Serena Gilbert: Five Guys, get it right. Jeff Thompson: Avoid shakes from Five Guys. Serena Gilbert: You guys don't have Five Guys up in Minnesota? Jeff Thompson: No. We only got three guys. We're working on it. Serena Gilbert: You don't know what you're missing. You don't have Dutch Brothers. You don't have Five Guys. God, how do you live? Jeff Thompson: Well, you're in the fastest growing city in the United States right now. Serena Gilbert: It's 'cause we've got all these Millennials. They love it here. Jeff Thompson: Really? Serena Gilbert: That's why we're getting all these cool home deliver things. We just got Prime Now here. We can get Whole Food delivered in two hours for free. Jeff Thompson: That's awesome. Serena Gilbert: Yeah. Jeff Thompson: How big is Cold Spring? Serena Gilbert: Old Spring? Jeff Thompson: Colorado Springs. How big is Colorado Springs? Andy Munoz: The general city is like 400,000, but then you've got the surrounding areas that make up more and we're probably closer to 650 to 700,000. Jeff Thompson: Really? Serena Gilbert: I think they said by ... Do you remember what year it was, Andy? Maybe it was like 2050, which sounds far away, but it really isn't if you think about it. We would actually be bigger than Denver technically. Andy Munoz: That's what they're saying. Serena Gilbert: Yeah. Andy Munoz: It's ridiculous to think because when you go to Denver, you go to downtown Denver and you see all the big high rise buildings and stuff and then you come to Colorado Springs and you look at our downtown. It's like no comparison. I think the highest building we have is maybe 20 stories. Serena Gilbert: I don't even know if there's a 20-story one, honestly. If there is, then it's one of the hotels. Jeff Thompson: Which leads into is Colorado Springs going to be a smart city? Serena Gilbert: I don't think we will. Just politically, our city and then the other city, there's another small city that's in between Denver and Colorado Springs called Castle Rock, our two cities had the option to be part of the light rail system that's in Denver and they refused. Every time that it comes back up, they keep resisting and keep refusing because they don't want light rail here for some reason. I don't get it. Andy Munoz: Smart city means that you have to have some intelligence and Colorado Springs operates on the motto, "If it doesn't make sense, do it." Jeff Thompson: Yeah, it's really neat here because we do have the light rail running right through Fridley and it's neat. Even our buses and our light rails now have wi-fi while you're on them. Serena Gilbert: Very nice. Jeff Thompson: Yeah, we're not a bustling city anymore, but it's a big area. I think two-thirds of the population of Minnesota is located right in the twin cities, Saint Paul-Minneapolis and the seven-county area. It's nice that you get those little amenities like that but I always thought Colorado Springs was a ... Well, it's not Denver. It's a quaint little town. But, wow, number one in the United States for growth. Serena Gilbert: Real estate too. Andy Munoz: It's really been in just the last several years. It's just really kind of just took off. Serena Gilbert: Well, a lot of it is the people from Denver have moved down here so they're still making their Denver wages. So, they move down here and we're buying Colorado Springs waged houses and then that's driving it all up, but then they're still commuting to Denver for work. That's contributing to the traffic problems too. The commute's about an hour, hour and 10 if you go early enough. Andy Munoz: Yeah, if you go early enough. Jeff Thompson: They need to get that tunnel. Serena Gilbert: I still want my hyperloop. Jeff Thompson: That's ready to open up, isn't it? Serena Gilbert: No. There's a test track in L.A. it's either two minutes or two miles. It's probably the same difference, but they're going to open that up and let people actually be able to test run it. Like, regular people. Jeff Thompson: As opposed to the irregular people? Serena Gilbert: Hey. Jeff Thompson: No, I think it's really neat that smart cities are coming about. A lot of devices are happening. A lot of transportation things like you want the car and I think everyone's been thinking about that and dreaming about that and wondering. Now, we say it's right around the corner, but that's a long ways to that corner sometimes. Serena Gilbert: You know, it will be interesting though because you just told me the NFB conference next year is in Vegas. Vegas is testing a... Lyft is testing a whole fleet of driverless vehicles on the strip there. Jeff Thompson: So, beware. Serena Gilbert: That would be interesting. Andy Munoz: Stay off the sidewalks. Jeff Thompson: Tap widely. Serena Gilbert: But they're safer than human drivers you guys. The accidents they have are only when the human does something to it to cause it to happen. Jeff Thompson: Well, I think ideally it's all going to be safer when there's more and more of them because they'll be able to communicate with each other just like my Nest will be able to communicate with things. Those cars will communicate with the other cars so it will almost be like a light rail once you get a stream of them going in a sense. Serena Gilbert: The only thing I worry about is because obviously to get where you're going it's reliant on some sort of GPS. So, you know there's a couple things that go with that. When the network's down, what happens to the cars? Or, when you're like my house where you weren't on the GPS for two entire years, where does it go? Does it stop somewhere and say you're there when you're really not? Those are things they'd have to definitely fix. Jeff Thompson: From smart devices, smart houses, it will be interesting to learn more about smart cities and smart automobiles. Probably by next show we could get a smart host. Serena Gilbert: I guess I'm coming down off my sugar high. Andy Munoz: She's thinking, "I smell smoke. Is your Nest going off, Jeff?" Jeff Thompson: Maybe the wi-fi went down and the house is burning. Andy Munoz: Uh-oh. Serena Gilbert: Oh, my goodness. I could just see a comic right now where there's a drawing and there's clearly smoke and fire, but the person's just looking at their phone and it says they are like, "Nope. Smoke detectors say that there's no fire." Serena Gilbert: Well, I have had tons of fun talking with you guys. Hopefully, we've got some ideas for our Christmas list right, Jeff? Jeff Thompson: Mm-hmm. CSUN. Serena Gilbert: Still haven't sold you on the HomePod have I? Jeff Thompson: Well, I'm going to be here to look under my tree or I'll just listen under my tree. Maybe it will tell her how to set it up too. Serena Gilbert: But, it's Apple. It just works, right? Jeff Thompson: Oh, yeah. Andy Munoz: There you go. Jeff Thompson: I have to say that I sit amongst an orchard of Apples. Serena Gilbert: You've got every color Apple there is. Jeff Thompson: Oh, by the way, what color is your iPhone X? Serena Gilbert: Silver. Andy Munoz: Space gray. Jeff Thompson: Gold. Serena Gilbert: You got a pink one, Jeff? Jeff Thompson: No, I didn't get rose gold. I got gold. Serena Gilbert: Are you sure you didn't get rose gold? Jeff Thompson: Well, I don't know. I got the case on. I'll never know. Serena Gilbert: Exactly. I just find it so funny with the last podcast we did how much you guys specifically said, "Nope, I don't think I'm going to upgrade," and both of you did in like a week of each other. Jeff Thompson: I walked into the Apple store. That's what went wrong. Andy Munoz: Yeah, I walked into the Sprint store with my son and there we go. I have to run guys. I do have an errand that I need to run. Serena Gilbert: That sounds awful suspicious considering that it's like 10:00 at night. Andy Munoz: Got to go to the pharmacy. Serena Gilbert: I don't even want to know, Andy. Serena Gilbert: Anyway, I enjoyed talked with both you guys and I can't wait to record the next episode and until next time, bye. Andy Munoz: Peace. Jeff Thompson: Bye-bye. Serena Gilbert: Get off the phone. Andy Munoz: I want to thank you for listening. Be sure to follow Tech Abilities on Twitter. That's @AbilitiesTech. A big thank you to Jeff Thompson for the beautiful music. Once again, I want to thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed. Until next time, bye-bye. [Music]  [Transition noise]  -When we share -What we see -Through each other's eyes... [Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence] ...We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities. Download our app from the App Store, Blind Abilities. That's two words. Or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.

Épisode #809 avec Denis Talbot et Jordan Chénard. Au menu: Sony va permettre de changer son nom d'utilisateur PlayStation Network; Elon Musk est dans tout un bordel; Just Cause 4; Amazon a une intelligence artificielle (IA) qui trie les CV et qui est discriminatoire! Magic Leap sera distribué dans 50 états aux États-Unis; Google+ est mort… suite à 500 000 comptes piratés que Google a essayé de cacher! James Gunn reviendra... mais chez DC et travaillera sur le prochain Suicide Squad; On parle avec Jean-Michel Vanasse le vrai et le faux! Caméra Insta360 ONE X; Facebook lance le "portal" (compétiteur à Google Hub, etc.) avec un timing douteux; Nouvelle lumière Barrel Laser Light pour la sécurité à vélo; Sony sort sa manette élite, la SCUF Vantage.

Épisode #808 avec Denis Talbot et Laurent LaSalle. Au Menu: Sony, brevets et des indices qui pointent vers une PlayStation 5? Sony poursuit quelqu'un qui aurait vendu des PS4 débridés (jailbroken); Conférence "Made by Google 2018", dévoilement de nouveaux gadgets (Google Hub, Google Pixel Stand, Google Pixel Slate, Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel Pen et plus); Les appareils intelligents, l'internet des choses, la vie privée et le cyberespionnage; Microsoft dévoile Project Xcloud (sa propre solution de streaming); Le fameux streaming vs les façons conventionnelles (games on demand, video on demand, Netflix, etc.); Resident Evil 2 Remake et le fan service; Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 HD en rétrocompatibilité sur Xbox One; Un patch de 50gb pour Call of Duty Black Ops 4!? 16 jours avant la sortie de Red Dead Redemption 2!

Épisode #809 avec Denis Talbot et Jordan Chénard. Au menu: Sony va permettre de changer son nom d'utilisateur PlayStation Network; Elon Musk est dans tout un bordel; Just Cause 4; Amazon a une intelligence artificielle (IA) qui trie les CV et qui est discriminatoire! Magic Leap sera distribué dans 50 états aux États-Unis; Google+ est mort… suite à 500 000 comptes piratés que Google a essayé de cacher! James Gunn reviendra... mais chez DC et travaillera sur le prochain Suicide Squad; On parle avec Jean-Michel Vanasse le vrai et le faux! Caméra Insta360 ONE X; Facebook lance le "portal" (compétiteur à Google Hub, etc.) avec un timing douteux; Nouvelle lumière Barrel Laser Light pour la sécurité à vélo; Sony sort sa manette élite, la SCUF Vantage.

Épisode #808 avec Denis Talbot et Laurent LaSalle. Au Menu: Sony, brevets et des indices qui pointent vers une PlayStation 5? Sony poursuit quelqu'un qui aurait vendu des PS4 débridés (jailbroken); Conférence "Made by Google 2018", dévoilement de nouveaux gadgets (Google Hub, Google Pixel Stand, Google Pixel Slate, Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel Pen et plus); Les appareils intelligents, l'internet des choses, la vie privée et le cyberespionnage; Microsoft dévoile Project Xcloud (sa propre solution de streaming); Le fameux streaming vs les façons conventionnelles (games on demand, video on demand, Netflix, etc.); Resident Evil 2 Remake et le fan service; Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 HD en rétrocompatibilité sur Xbox One; Un patch de 50gb pour Call of Duty Black Ops 4!? 16 jours avant la sortie de Red Dead Redemption 2!

Come Monday, we’ll see what full-on “digital transformation” looks like when Amazon fully owns Whole Foods. Also, Oracle is looking to move JEE to a foundation, closing out a long era of Java stewardship: how will “open source” like this work in a mature market? We also discuss the trend of private equity buying tech firms and GitHib’s write-up of building their own platform with kubernetes and series of small bash scripts. Traveling to China Coté is a terrible work-trip tourist. AA 263, DFW to PEK (https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/American_Airlines/American_Airlines_Boeing_787-8.php?flightno=263&date=), seat 19K. Exit row seat is good, but the front part of the airplane looked good too (rows 8 to 13?). Pack some breakfast tacos. This VPN situation is a mess, rather, I didn’t prepare correctly. Sometimes Cloak works, sometimes it doesn’t. LTE seems better than hotel wifi, but the speeds are high. Amazon Whole Foods update All done on Monday (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2295514), August 28th. See (https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/technology/whole-foods-amazon-lower-prices-prime.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0&referer=)NY Times (https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/technology/whole-foods-amazon-lower-prices-prime.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0&referer=) article (https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/technology/whole-foods-amazon-lower-prices-prime.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0&referer=) as well. John Mackey (http://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=527979061:528000104) interview. Cheaper private label (I think they were top three or five sold in US). Return items in Amazon lockers. Cheaper groceries is cool, but for us, the interesting/instructive things to watch will be how Whole Foods goes full on digital transformation (or, even more eyebrow raising, does not!). Will they move everything to AWS? true Omni-channel and digital madness. Alexa: ”You look fat in that t-shirt, Michael, would you like me to order you some organic kale smoothies from Whole Foods?” Also, the potential for a culture clash seems high. As a side-effect, expect grocers to be trying out new computer stuff more, and observe their experience. How will the razor thin margin set cope with Amazon who’s been consistently rewarded for loosing money? Walmart and Google Hub thing (https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/google-walmart-voice-ordering/), Andrew on the AI winter (https://twitter.com/littleidea/status/900577868383637504). The Undying J(2)EE Oracle looking to open source it (https://adtmag.com/articles/2017/08/17/java-open-source.aspx), move it to a foundation. This worked out relativly OK for Java proper. It was hella weird, though, and I’m not sure the OSS version ever gained traction: maybe for, like, whatever Google, AWS, and Azure’s JRE is. Using this as a competitive ¯_(ツ)_/¯ is dicey, most people who compete here do open core themselves…so you can’t really say it’s bad; and if Oracle’s goal is to move it away from Oracle, you can’t say that Oracle is mismanaging it, etc. John Waters’ round-up of opinions (https://adtmag.com/articles/2017/08/23/java-open-source.aspx), pretty predictable. Steve Yegge’s Kotlin Writeup (https://steve-yegge.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/why-kotlin-is-better-than-whatever-dumb.html), The RedMonk Programming Language Rankings: June 2017 (http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2017/06/08/language-rankings-6-17/). Kubernetes at GitHub Just a few bash scripts (https://githubengineering.com/kubernetes-at-github/), eh? Here, hold my beer (https://thenewstack.io/github-goes-kubernetes-tells/). Real world discussion about moving one of their most popular services to Kubernetes. Sounds like the real deal, but there are a few bumps in the road. # PE to do 25% of tech M&A At least the analysis (https://blogs.the451group.com/techdeals/investment-banking/meet-the-new-buyer-of-your-tech-company/) confirms this notion. That said, the underlying numbers are weird: “Between direct acquisitions and deals done by portfolio companies, PE firms are on pace to purchase roughly 900 tech companies in 2017.” Who exactly are these 900 tech companies? Speaking of, a PE firm bought ThoughtWorks. ICO stuff (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/initial-coin-offering-ico.asp), Coté is confused. BONUS LINKS! Not covered in show. Alibaba Dwarfs Amazon That’s a lot of revenue growth (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/alibabas-revenue-growth-dwarfing-amazon-michael-spencer). Not on the cloud computing side yet, but definitely on the retail side. Coté: what’s the deal with Alipay being so hard to setup for Yankees? They really, really want a bankcard. Also, I don’t speak Chinese. Rescuing Open Source from Failed Startups bet365 (http://lists.basho.com/pipermail/riak-users_lists.basho.com/2017-August/019500.html) buying (http://lists.basho.com/pipermail/riak-users_lists.basho.com/2017-August/019500.html) and open sourcing Basho stuff. “It is our intention to open source all of Basho's products and all of the source code that they have been working on."Hi See previously RethinkDB by the CNCF (https://thenewstack.io/cloud-native-computing-foundation-scoops-orphaned-rethinkdb-project/) Pivotal news - build pipelines Concourse is out (https://thenewstack.io/pivotal-cloud-foundry-now-can-offer-automated-patching-concourse/), see also CRN (http://www.crn.com/news/cloud/300091001/pivotal-releases-commercial-version-of-concourse-an-internal-continuous-integration-tool-capable-of-rapidly-closing-security-vulnerabilities.htm) coverage (http://www.crn.com/news/cloud/300091001/pivotal-releases-commercial-version-of-concourse-an-internal-continuous-integration-tool-capable-of-rapidly-closing-security-vulnerabilities.htm). Meta, follow-up, etc. Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/sdt) - like anyone who starts these things, I have no idea WTF it is, if it’s a good idea, or if I should be ashamed. Need some product/market fit. Check out the Software Defined Talk Members Only White-Paper Exiguous podcast over there. Join us all in the SDT Slack (http://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/slack). Mid-roll Get $50 off Casper mattresses with the code: horraymattray NEW DISCOUNT! DevOpsDays Nashville (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-nashville/), $25 off with the code 2017NashDevOpsDays - Coté will be keynoting (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-nashville/speakers/michael-cote/) - October 17th and 18th, 2017. NEW DISCOUNT! DevOpsDays Kansas City (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-kansascity/welcome/), September 21st and 22nd. Use the code SDT2017 when you register (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/devopsdays-kansas-city-2017-tickets-31754843592?aff=ado). PLUS we have one free ticket to give away. So, we need to figure out how to do that. Coté speaking at DevOps Riga (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-riga/welcome/), also will be at DevOpsDays London and Devoxx Belgium. Coté will also be at Devoxx Belgium (https://devoxx.be/), Nov 6th and 10th, in Antwerp. The train station there is nutty-balls awesome (https://www.flickr.com/photos/cote/5201413370/in/photolist-8UyvGj-8UmSEs-8VCAYS-8VzxWp-8VzxUc-8VzyVr-8VCA2Q-8VCA1o-8VCAVC-8VCATj-8VCA4q-8UmSx1-8VCAsm-8VCABs-8VzyHR-8Vzyii-8VCAbh-8VzyvT-8Vzydr-8VCARE-8UiNDe-8VCApA-8VCA7C-8VCAFo-8VCzTs-8V8gFi-yn3eBQ-yoqTCW-y7JJiS-yq594D-y7QtEk-y7Koam-yq4JLX-yn2Hdo-y7KmUf-8UmRYY), y’all. The Register’s conference, Continuous Lifecycle (https://continuouslifecycle.london/), in London (May 2018) has it’s CFP open, closed October 20th - submit something (https://continuouslifecycle.london/call-for-papers/)! SpringOne Platform registration open (https://2017.springoneplatform.io/ehome/s1p/registration), Dec 4th to 5th. Use the code S1P200_Cote for $200 off registration (https://2017.springoneplatform.io/ehome/s1p/registration). Matt’s on the Road! August 30th - AWS Australian Public Sector Summit (https://aws.amazon.com/summits/canberra-public-sector/) September 15-16 - DevOpsDays Bangalore (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-bangalore/) September 20 - Azure Sydney Meetup (https://www.meetup.com/Azure-Sydney-User-Group/events/242374004/) October 3-4 - DevOpsDays New Zealand (https://www.devopsdays.org/events/2017-auckland/) October 11th - Brisbane Azure User Group (https://www.meetup.com/Brisbane-Azure-User-Group/events/240477415/) November 6-7 - AgileNZ (http://www.agilenz.co.nz) Andrew will be at DevOpsDays Singapore (so will Matt) October 25-26, and a few other places. He doesn’t want to make platinum. Recommendations Brandon: TRUECar (https://www.truecar.com/). Matt Ray: Baby Driver. Coté: Taco Deli (http://www.tacodeli.com/). Michael Christmas (https://twitter.com/MickeyChristmas/status/900775508975263745), not too shabby (https://soundcloud.com/michaelchristmas).