Episode 17 Overview

We hear you, we hear you. You're busy, we get that. The fact that you screamed it at us out of the window of a bus flying past us on the highway that looked to have been driven by Keanu Reeves was a nice touch. Clearly you've got things going on, and we don't want to mess with... whatever that was.

So you don't have time to sit down and listen to an hour of in-depth tech advice and news? It's all good. How about ten minutes to read over an out-depth (sure it's a word, why do you ask) summary of that same tech advice and news? Well, here you go. For the week ending February 20th, 2017, this is the Calling All Platforms Tech podcast summary.

Caleb

The Apple rumor mill (producing quality fine-ground rumors since 1997!)
We'll start with me, because I was hosting this week, and also I'm a little selfish. In Apple news this week we're looking at a rash of new OS beta updates, introducing improved scrolling to the Apple TV that'll help you navigate long lists. The Apple rumor mill (producing quality fine-ground rumors since 1997!) also churned out a (blessed) non-iPhone rumor that a 5th generation Apple TV is in testing to be released later this year. That's news that, of course, couldn't help but send us down a rabbit's hole of discussion, but a long and highly entertaining story short, there aren't likely to be any major changes, and the Apple TV probably won't become a streaming stick like the Chromecast anytime soon. Because that isn't how far the... Apple falls from... look, this metaphor got away from me. Let's just move on. Digital movies are also pretty cool if you want convenient movie-watching experiences. We're done here.

Ahem. Next we took last week's highest stock price ever in Apple's history as an excuse to talk about time travel, and how if our parents had really loved us, they would have invested a few thousand dollars in Apple stocks in 1997 in our names. There's a pretty logical leap from there to discussions of time travel, I'm sure you realize, and from there to Deloreans. Which, if you don't get that reference, I'm uh... I'm afraid I can't help you. Now, looking forward to the future, it's literally not possible for Apple to "fail" as a company this year. They have enough cash money sitting in the bank to keep operating for decades if they stopped selling products tomorrow. So they have a few years left, that's for sure. But in terms of that fictional stock our parents didn't buy? Let's just say that by the end of 2017 we may know whether we should sell that hypothetical stock or hold onto it for a few more years.

Blackberry, for the first time that I can recall, ended the last quarter of 2016 with a smartphone market share of 0.0%.
Now I'll be the first to admit shame at grabbing the low-hanging fruit of mocking Blackberry's market share (pun absolutely intended), but guys, it's kinda hilarious. Blackberry, for the first time that I can recall, ended the last quarter of 2016 with a smartphone market share of 0.0%. Rounding to the tenth of a percent, straight up zero. So if you want to be the ultimate hipster and you don't care whether your smartphone is supported by, like, any app developers, a BlackBerry seems like the way to go. If you'd rather be able to use apps on your phone, well, there are BlackBerry branded phones that run Android. Great options if you want to stick out from the crowd. Oh, and speaking of sticking out of the crowd, Snapchat's weird kiosk glasses can now be bought online for $130. So if you're just married to Snapchat... well, that's for you.

Landen

Landen was able to try it out using the Wish storefront! Which, uh... sorry for introducing you to Wish.
Moving right along to Android news, Landen gave us details on a little more in-depth personal experience with Instant Apps, a feature that's rolling out to Android 7 devices now (but should be rolling backwards onto older versions of the OS as time goes on) that allows you to shop in an app without having to download the app. Yes. Yes, I know. Sorcery about sums it up. What happens is if you are in your browser looking at products on a store's mobile page, instead of having to complete the transaction through the browser (which can be irritating even on the best pages), the Play Store will download just that little portion of that retailer's app to your phone, so you can use the much better experience of the app to finish off your business. Then that little piece goes away without taking up any space on your phone. It sounds like a great solution for budget smartphones that don't have a lot of storage, and Landen was able to try it out using the Wish storefront! Which, uh... sorry for introducing you to Wish. That's just, not really something we can take back.

In mobile gaming news, we geeked out for several minutes over the just announced sequel to endless runner Alto's Adventure, Alto's Odyssey. The first game (which is available on Windows devices, Wes want's to make extra special sure you know) was an excellent, atmospheric, and highly entertaining game, and a full review of it will be coming soon so you can understand just how excited you should be for the sequel! Spoilers: very excited. That's how excited you should be. Then Landen shared with us a mini-review of a VR game available for the Pixel and Daydream View headset, Bandit 6. Bandit 6 is a WWII fighter plane game in which, GET THIS, you AIM WITH YOUR FACE! It is excellent fun, and is also available for Google Cardboard, though if you try it with a cardboard headset let us know how well it translates there. We're curious.

Verizon probably wins because as close as T-Mobile's prices and features are, Verizon's network is hard to argue with.
Next Landen took a moment to follow up on last week's installment of This Actually Doesn't Suck by walking through the 4 major US wireless carrier's unlimited data plans. The differences are nuanced, let me explain. No, is too much. Let me sum up. AT&T is expensive and lacks features, probably not worth your money. Sprint is cheap, but only streams low quality video and when you get throttled you may end up stuck with wireless speeds a decade old. T-Mobile and Verizon are comparably priced and their feature lists read like a blatantly copied middle-school essay handed in by the two kids in the back that sit next to each other. In the end, Verizon probably wins because as close as T-Mobile's prices and features are, Verizon's network is hard to argue with. But we'll check back in a year, because T-Mobile is determined to close that gap.

Wes

Last but probably not objectively least, Wes keyed us in on a few Windows updates. In the Windows 10 Insider Program folks have been playing around with a new feature that uses bluetooth devices such as the Microsoft Band to lock a Windows 10 PC when you get up and walk away from it. So far it looks like you could possibly walk out quite some distance before the computer locks if the bluetooth signal is pretty good. We suggested using NFC as a solution, in which case the computer might lock if you reach up to scratch your nose. So there's the distance solution. You can have that one for free, Microsoft. But there's a reason this is still in the insider program. At least it's not an app that got deployed publicly and screwed up a bunch of people's bluetooth in an office environment or anything. Right? RIGHT?

Any competition for someone so entrenched as Twitch is what we in the biz call "a good thing."
Moving into gaming news, Wes walked us through some of the advantages of the upcoming Beam streaming integration in Windows 10 and Xbox One. Coming probably as part of the creator's update, the new integration is rolling out to select members of the Xbox insider program, and you know what? Any competition for someone so entrenched as Twitch is what we in the biz call "a good thing." Besides that, the streams can be setup for interactivity, because evidently Wes wants to play through Tomb Raider with people randomly restricting his access to specific weapons. As if it wasn't easy enough to die in that game already. Believe me, I know it is. I really know.

Final thoughts

Finally we took a look at some of the deals available for gamers right now:

  • All 7.2 billion Final Fantasy games are on sale on the PlayStation store right now, so go ahead and wrap up your collection there. 
  • Xbox player can also pick up Lego Jurassic World, Lego Batman 3, and Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Xbox 360, and if you're not a fan of the Lego games... it's probably because you've never played a Lego game? Let me know if that's not true, because I haven't met a soul who didn't like them. 
  • For Xbox One you can grab Grand Theft Auto V in its, shoot, fourth year? Four years on and it's still full price? Anyway, it's half off, and there's sales on a bunch of its DLC as well. 
  • Overwatch is also on sale for Xbox One, and holy cow guys, do it. 
  • Rocket League for Xbox One is also on sale, and critics agree (read: we agree), playing soccer with rocket-powered battle-cars is just a super great thing.
  • GOG.com is having a sale on a bunch of Japan/eastern culture inspired games, if that's a cultural experience you're looking for, take a look at what's on there.
  • Humble Store is having a 505 Games sale, including Superfight and Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death, with is every bit as ridiculously awesome as it sounds.
  • Steam has Plants vs. Zombies for 75% off, which brings it down to, like 86¢.

For a company like Facebook, that means not randomly locking people's accounts...
In security news this week, we want to remind you that you can pretty much always trust a major corporation to act according to what's best for their bottom line. For a company like Facebook, that means not randomly locking people's accounts and forcing them to jump through hoops to get them back! So if you get an email from "Facebook" that says they've locked your account for no reason and asks you to click on a link? DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK. It's a scam. They're phishing. Another good indication is when the To: field of the email says something like "Undisclosed Recipients." That was a mass email to a bunch of addresses on the BCC line. That is not how automated account emails work, which means the email is not official. Something to watch for.

The next Xbox will be called the Xbox 10.
And, finally, we mock Wes for forgetting to mention the announcement of the Microsoft E3 keynote, at which we are expecting to finally get some details related to Project Scorpio! Like maybe a name? We're calling it right now, everybody. The next Xbox will be called the Xbox 10.

You saw it on the internet, so it must be true, right?

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