Haddie and Dan are joined by Myke Hurley for the first episode of 2014. The discuss an impending Velveeta shortage, Ryan Seacrest getting sued by BlackBerry, Delta's cheap flight glitch, Twitter's stock falling to $60, Zappos' lack of corporate hierarchy, Alicia Keys leaving her position at BlackBerry, how difficult curling is, Snapchat's hack, the decrease of digital music sales in 2013, how to open a can of food with your bare hands, and more!
Links for this episode:
Apple CEO Tim Cook Made $4.25 Million This Year - John Paczkowski - News - AllThingsD
Another nugget of data from Apple’s latest shareholder proxy: CEO Tim Cook took home a compensation package valued at $4.25 million this year, little changed from the year prior.
Target Says PIN Numbers Among Data Stolen in Breach - Arik Hesseldahl - News - AllThingsD
Retail giant Target, still reeling from the disclosure that some 40 million credit and debit card numbers of its customers were stolen in a massive data breach, just announced that the among the information stolen were the personal identification numbers related to those cards.
Delta says glitch caused steep ticket price discounts - Dec. 26, 2013
Delta (DAL, Fortune 500) acknowledged that a glitch caused steeply-discounted tickets to be offered online Thursday -- some for as low as $12.83, according to customers. They celebrated their finds on social media, including cross-country flights for $40 and Boston to Honolulu lifts for $68.
U.S. Christmas Day Shoppers Bought More on iOS Than Android - John Paczkowski - News - AllThingsD
If you purchased something from a mobile device on Christmas Day, chances are that device was an iPhone or an iPad.
A Second Christmas Morning: The Console Living Room | Internet Archive Blogs
In an expansion of the Historical Software Collection, the Internet Archive has opened the Console Living Room, a collection of console video games from the 1970s and 1980s.
UX Critique
Apple hires lead 'New York Times Magazine' designer for marketing | The Verge
The designer behind The New York Times Magazine's distinctive style and covers is heading to Apple. In an interview with Mediabistro, Arem Duplessis — the design director for all Times magazines — says that after 10 years with The New York Times Magazine, he'll begin working as a creative director at Apple in February.
Google, Apple Forge Auto Ties - WSJ.com
Steve Grove: Google+ could do for live video, what YouTube did for recorded video - Livemint
73% Of U.S. Adults Use Social Networks, Pinterest Passes Twitter In Popularity, Facebook Stays On Top | TechCrunch
Twitter’s Slide Continues: Stock Falls to $60 - Digits - WSJ
Since Twitter shares hit new record highs on Thursday, its shares have been falling – rapidly.
Snapchat CEO Won't Say Sorry for Hack
The $3 billion boy, Evan Spiegel, had a very good New Year's Eve. He allegedly partied at a lavish L.A. company fete with Taylor Swift and coworkers, looking back on a meteoric 2013. His millions of users, however, had their phone numbers stolen—and so far, he doesn't think he owes anyone an apology.
Snapchat Downplays Phone Number Matching Hack, Says It’s Added New Counter-Measures | TechCrunch
Following security researchers publishing a way to match Snapchat usernames to phone numbers, Snapchat has published a skimpy statement making the hack sound impractical and noting “We recently added additional counter-measures and continue to make improvements to combat spam and abuse.”
Snapchat Says It’s Improving Its App, Service To Prevent Future User Data Leaks | TechCrunch
Snapchat has released an official post about the recent leak of 4.6M usernames and phone numbers from its servers. The post blames what it says was ‘abuse’ of its API on the leak, but acknowledges that the way that it stores the information made it possible for a database of numbers to be used to sniff out usernames and match them up.
At the Moment, Netflix Is Just $6.99, but Only if You're New | Adweek
The question on the minds of those existing users, of course, is likely, "Hey, can I pay less, too?" Our tipster said that, in conversation with at Netflix customer service rep (who couldn't issue the new rate to an existing user), the rep said by way of apology, "This is just because we want to test it out among a group." So if you want one-stream standard def for a dollar less, you may be able to get it eventually—"[we] will definitely offer it on a wider basis," the rep said.
APP OF THE WEEK: Jelly
Humanity is connected like never before. In fact, recent white papers have concluded that the proverbial “six degrees of separation” is now down to four because of social networking and mobile phones.
Zappos is going holacratic: no job titles, no managers, no hierarchy - Quartz
Zappos is known for its zany corporate culture. The company’s Q4 “All Hands” meeting in November was aptly-themed “Gone Wild”: one female employee voluntarily climbed into a case filled with tarantulas to win a $250 gift card. The event opened with a Lion King performance put on by employees at the Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas and closed with an after party at the museum next door. Focusing on company culture and customer service is how CEO Tony Hsieh built Zappos into a billion-dollar online retailer. While he’s not getting rid of those priorities, Hsieh is laying the groundwork for a major reorganization.
Mac Pro Late 2013 Teardown - iFixit
Apple Says It Has Never Worked With NSA To Create iPhone Backdoors, Is Unaware Of Alleged DROPOUTJEEP Snooping Program | TechCrunch
Apple says that it has never worked with the NSA to create any ‘backdoors’ that would allow that kind of monitoring, and that it was unaware of any programs to do so.
BBC News - Cash machines raided with infected USB sticks
Researchers have revealed how cyber-thieves sliced into cash machines in order to infect them with malware earlier this year.The criminals cut the holes in order to plug in USB drives that installed their code onto the ATMs.
Eric Schmidt makes 2014 predictions, says mobile has won | The Verge
While he’s not busy writing instructions on how to lead a tech company or guides for switching from iPhone to Android, Google chairman Eric Schmidt has taken some time out to provide Bloomberg TV with his predictions for 2014. Schmidt has a history of bold public statements, but his predictions for the year ahead are rather tame in comparison. "Everyone is going to have a smartphone," predicts Schmidt. "The trend has been mobile was winning
Alicia Keys Leaves Job With BlackBerry - NYTimes.com
While grappling with a $4.4 billion loss in its last quarter, the smartphone maker BlackBerry has fired several senior executives, including its chief executive, and is in the midst of laying off about 40 percent on its employees. On Thursday, the musician Alicia Keys also left the company, where she had been global creative director.
Court Upholds Willy-Nilly Gadget Searches Along U.S. Border | Threat Level | Wired.com
A federal judge today upheld a President Barack Obama administration policy allowing authorities along the U.S. border to seize and search laptops, smartphones and other electronic devices for any reason
Introducing WSJD - WSJ.com
This new section is the latest example of our expansion of technology coverage around the world, with a growing team of dedicated journalists spread from Silicon Valley to Israel, China, Korea and beyond. We're doing this because technology is transforming everything, from our economy to our workplaces, and to the gadgets, apps and software that have become central to our lives.
Re/code
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Fred Armisen's Impression of Ira Glass : This American Life
Fred Armisen imitates Ira Glass on an un-aired Saturday Night Live segment.
blog.reddit -- what's new on reddit: Top Posts of 2013, Stats, and Snoo Year's Resolutions
2013 has come to a close and it's been another amazing year for the vast network of communities that is reddit.
Two Women From The U.S. Curling Team Taught Us How To Curl And It Is Super Hard
Science: Men Who Use Smiley Faces Online Get Hit On Less | Betabeat
It’s smart to show proof that you don’t have cankles. Users with full-body shots as their main photos receive 203 percent more messages and are 33 percent more likely to get a response to their outgoing messages. • Posing with a cute dog does not negate your shitty personality. People who pose with animals get 53 percent fewer incoming messages and 12 percent fewer responses to their outgoing messages.
Acer unveils two new sub-$200 Android tablets, a $1099 desktop, and an updated C720 Chromebook - The Next Web
In particular, the company announced the debut of two new tablets. The Iconia A1-830 is a 7.9-inch tablet available for $179.99 in the US and $199.99 in Canada, while the Iconia B1-720 model is a 7-inch tablet available for $129.99 in both the US and Canada. Both come with Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean.
Country Music 2013 -- Viral: Trucks, Girls in Trucks [VIDEO]
I was inspired to make this supercut after posting my 10 Best Country Albums of 2013 list for EW. A few commenters told me that my choices weren’t mainstream enough, and I thought, ‘Well, yeah, because so much of what’s on the radio these days sounds exactly the same!’ So I decided to make a video to prove my point. I hope country fans will stop settling for this derivative junk. I love a dumb party song every once in a while (including some of these!), but when they’re the only flavor available, they get old very, very fast. Here’s to better music in 2014.
Apple - Press Info - App Store Sales Top $10 Billion in 2013
CUPERTINO, California?January 7, 2014?Apple® today announced that customers spent over $10 billion on the App Store? in 2013, including over $1 billion in December alone. App Store customers downloaded almost three billion apps in December making it the most successful month in App Store history. Apple’s incredible developers have now earned $15 billion on the App Store.
BlackBerry Sues Ryan Seacrest’s Smartphone Keyboard Startup | Variety
BlackBerry, the struggling mobile device maker, filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Typo Products, the startup co-founded by Ryan Seacrest that has developed a smartphone keyboard attachment.
Dan Rodney's List of Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts & Keystrokes
I like to figure out the fastest way to do things. I hope these keystrokes help you to become the power user that lies within. These keystrokes have been tested in Mac OS X Mavericks (Mac OS 10.9) but most should work on other versions of Mac OS (10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.7 Lion, etc.).
Vine Co-Founder Steps Down From Lead Role at Company | Re/code
Dom Hofmann, co-founder of the social video-sharing service Vine, has stepped down from his lead general manager role at the company, according to three sources close to the situation.Hofmann, who has led the company since its inception in early 2012, will take a far smaller role in developing the product, and will no longer working on Vine on a day-to-day basis, these sources said. Instead, Hofmann has been working on another yet-to-be-revealed startup, the details of which are unclear at this point.
iMore Editors' Choice Best of 2013 Awards | iMore
They're what change the way we get things done and how we have fun. They're what compel us to replace what was in our pocket, on our lap or our desk, on our Home screens, in our workflows, and in our hearts with what's new and what’s next. They're what challenge our preconceptions, force us to forget what came before, and make it impossible for us to imagine how we ever lived without them. They're the devices, the apps, the games, and the accessories that affected us the most this year. They're our 2013 iMore Editors Choice Award winners!
Winnipeg deep freeze as cold as uninhabited planet - Manitoba - CBC News
According to the Curiosity Rover, Mars reached a maximum temperature of -29 C on Tuesday, a temperature Winnipeg only reached shortly before 3 p.m.
Fiat to buy full control of Chrysler - Jan. 1, 2014
U.S. automaker Chrysler will become fully owned by Italy's Fiat under terms of an agreement announced Wednesday that also involves the United Auto Workers union.
Digital Music Sales Decrease For First Time in 2013 | Billboard
For the first time since the iTunes store opened its doors, the U.S. music industry finished the year with a decrease in digital music sales.
Google Puts Rap Genius Back Atop Searches, Favoring Smart Results Over Holding A Grudge | TechCrunch
Possible Velveeta shortage is bad news for football fans - Jan. 7, 2014
Some consumers may be unable to find Velveeta products in the next couple of weeks, Kraft Foods Group (KRFT, Fortune 500) spokeswoman Jody Moore said by e-mail Tuesday. She did not provide any specific reasons for the shortage.
TiVo Moves Storage Of TV Shows Into The Cloud With New Network DVR Service | TechCrunch
DVR manufacturer TiVo has spent most of the last 15 years building hardware that would allow consumers to record their favorite TV shows and watch them later. Now the company is working toward building products that would let consumers save their favorite shows not on a hard drive in a box, but up in the cloud.
30 years later, here are the top 10 movies of 1984 | Tampa Bay Times
‘Downton Abbey’ Returns to PBS - NYTimes.com
NEWBURY, England — We have raged against fate and come through our stages of grief. We have accepted that no matter how much we miss him — his limpid blue eyes, his good sense in marrying Lady Mary after his tiresome fiancée finally succumbed to the flu — Matthew Crawley is never coming back. He is dead, having been hit by a truck while driving inattentively in the waning moments of last season on “Downton Abbey.”
How to Open a Can of Food with Your Bare Hands [VIDEO]
A Russian man demonstrates how to open a can of food using only your bare hands in this 2013 video. Even though he’s explaining the process in Russian, his demonstration clearly communicates the proper method.
10 predictions that Isaac Asimov got right 50 years ago (and 5 that he botched) | Digital Trends
Back in 1964, amid all the hustle and bustle of the World’s Fair in New York, renowned science-fiction author and futurist Isaac Asimov took a moment to ponder what the world would look like 50 years from then, in 2014.
BBC - Future - Science & Environment - Timeline of the far future
Brain Games | National Geographic Channel
Brain Games turns your mind's eye inwards for a fascinating journey into the three and a half pounds of tissue that makes you... you.
It's So Hot In Rio De Janeiro Right Now That Zoo Animals Are Being Fed Popsicles
With temperatures over 95 the animals at the Rio de Janeiro zoo are being kept cool with popsicles and frozen food.
5by5 | The Prompt #30: The Internet in Your Pocket
Snapchat says sorry for getting hacked, updates app with phone number opt-out — Tech News and Analysis
4.6 million usernames and phone numbers were exposed when Snapchat got hacked last month, but the company is just getting around to issuing an apology of sorts now. According to the company’s Thursday blog post:Our team continues to make improvements to the Snapchat service to prevent future attempts to abuse our API. We are sorry for any problems this issue [the security breach] may have caused you and we really appreciate your patience and support.
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