WEBVTT 00:00.111 --> 00:02.881 [SPEAKER_07]: a factual data creation facility production. 00:24.290 --> 00:36.098 [SPEAKER_01]: Recorded live in front of a bargain computer display, located within the luxurious studios of the factual date of creation facility, it's the OF&T podcast. 00:36.918 --> 00:38.820 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, here's your host, Jim Shafer. 00:40.071 --> 00:40.752 [SPEAKER_05]: luxurious? 00:41.573 --> 00:46.618 [SPEAKER_05]: Well compared to the recording space of the previous location, I guess you can say that. 00:47.479 --> 00:54.887 [SPEAKER_05]: Anyway, welcome to the episode number two, eighty-two, which I'm calling a tech podcast during a tech news drought. 00:55.788 --> 00:58.632 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, the dearth of interesting tech stories continues. 01:00.872 --> 01:05.533 [SPEAKER_05]: But don't worry, that won't keep me from doing my weekly bloviation session. 01:06.153 --> 01:09.634 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh, that made by Google Event can't come soon enough. 01:10.654 --> 01:13.554 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh, today's featured Mike is the Hile PR-Forty. 01:14.534 --> 01:16.295 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm going to rotate Mike's now and then. 01:17.275 --> 01:20.676 [SPEAKER_05]: If you can actually tell a difference, let me know which one you prefer. 01:22.036 --> 01:25.036 [SPEAKER_05]: All right, let's get the episode started, shall we? 01:25.056 --> 01:28.197 [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, it is right. 01:42.590 --> 01:43.631 [SPEAKER_05]: Tech news. 01:44.131 --> 01:47.452 [SPEAKER_03]: I'm assuming that you're starting off with Apple news as usual. 01:47.973 --> 01:49.953 [SPEAKER_05]: Why yes, you know me so well. 01:50.394 --> 01:50.974 [SPEAKER_03]: No, not really. 01:51.314 --> 01:52.575 [SPEAKER_03]: You're just so predictable. 01:53.035 --> 01:53.635 [SPEAKER_05]: Through that. 01:54.536 --> 01:57.537 [SPEAKER_05]: First up, theverge.com has the following headline. 01:58.678 --> 02:02.180 [SPEAKER_05]: Apple returns blood oxygen monitoring to the latest Apple watches. 02:02.200 --> 02:03.020 [SPEAKER_05]: What? 02:03.420 --> 02:03.981 [SPEAKER_05]: Unquote. 02:04.781 --> 02:08.023 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, the word should have added a sort of to the headline. 02:08.043 --> 02:13.105 [SPEAKER_05]: If you were the proud owner of an Apple Watch Series nine ten or ultra two. 02:14.006 --> 02:17.568 [SPEAKER_05]: Yes, your watch will again be able to monitor your blood oxygen levels. 02:17.588 --> 02:19.509 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah. 02:19.969 --> 02:28.153 [SPEAKER_05]: However, in order to actually see the results of that blood oxygen monitoring, you'll have to open the Apple Health app on your iPhone or iPad. 02:32.310 --> 02:38.158 [SPEAKER_07]: Still, you have to give Apple props for finding a way around the limitations put on the company by the courts. 02:48.192 --> 02:59.522 [SPEAKER_05]: The only people who would absolutely require instant feedback of blood oxygen content are elite endurance sports athletes who've since moved on to other ways of obtaining these readings. 03:00.423 --> 03:04.167 [SPEAKER_05]: Be it smart rings or other smart watches slash fitness bands. 03:05.488 --> 03:09.131 [SPEAKER_05]: Still, it would be nice to be able to do this on the Apple Watch itself. 03:10.806 --> 03:15.188 [SPEAKER_05]: I wonder if you will still receive a low blood oxygen level warning via your watch though. 03:16.569 --> 03:20.411 [SPEAKER_05]: I couldn't find any information within this or any other article on the subject. 03:21.731 --> 03:36.318 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm surprised Apple hasn't reached a settlement with Massimo, and that's the company that successfully sued Apple back in twenty twenty for patent infringement, and receiving an import ban of Apple Watches in twenty twenty three until the case is settled. 03:37.659 --> 03:39.760 [SPEAKER_05]: Massimo's patents expire in twenty twenty eight. 03:40.660 --> 03:45.886 [SPEAKER_05]: So Apple will most likely wait until then before returning blood oxygen monitoring to the Apple Watch. 03:46.747 --> 03:51.932 [SPEAKER_05]: Net dashes any hopes Massimo has of receiving a boat load of cash from the giant food company. 03:53.253 --> 03:56.317 [SPEAKER_05]: Either from patent royalties or a company buyout from them. 03:57.658 --> 04:02.263 [SPEAKER_05]: Perhaps Massimo will realize this and come to some sort of agreement with Apple before twenty twenty eight. 04:05.112 --> 04:14.347 [SPEAKER_05]: I've reported previously on the rumors of a cheaper than a normal MacBook based on an A-A-T chip instead of the usual MCB's chip Apple uses in their computers. 04:15.789 --> 04:19.355 [SPEAKER_05]: The rumors are getting stronger lately and appears this MacBook is for real. 04:20.885 --> 04:23.326 [SPEAKER_05]: Pretty too an article from appleinsider.com. 04:24.046 --> 04:32.289 [SPEAKER_05]: This lower cost MacBook will launch late this year or in early twenty twenty six and cost five ninety nine dollars for the base model. 04:32.709 --> 04:33.349 [SPEAKER_04]: Wow. 04:33.709 --> 04:39.051 [SPEAKER_05]: That price would make this MacBook three hundred dollars cheaper than a base model thirteen inch MacBook Air. 04:40.736 --> 04:46.298 [SPEAKER_05]: The screen size with this less expensive MacBook is expected to be slightly smaller at twelve point nine inches. 04:47.879 --> 04:51.000 [SPEAKER_05]: The computer will be available in silver, blue, pink, and yellow. 04:52.021 --> 04:55.902 [SPEAKER_05]: Colors that sort of mirror the base model iPhone, iMacs, and iPad. 04:57.543 --> 05:01.545 [SPEAKER_05]: This rumored MacBook will kill two birds at one stone and Apple's product lineup. 05:02.545 --> 05:06.247 [SPEAKER_05]: Replacing the discontinued plain MacBook and the eleven inch MacBook Air. 05:08.006 --> 05:18.511 [SPEAKER_05]: The A-A-Team chip won't be powerful enough to handle heavy video editing or complex software, but it should be powerful enough to handle most tasks and average consumer with throw at it. 05:19.712 --> 05:22.233 [SPEAKER_05]: It also would make a great college-type laptop. 05:23.373 --> 05:30.579 [SPEAKER_05]: I thought we said in the past that if I was just starting out, I would get a Chromebook pixel acrephone and a mid-range Android tablet. 05:31.920 --> 05:37.384 [SPEAKER_05]: Apple though having lower cost devices such as the iPhone SE, base iPad, etc. 05:37.424 --> 05:42.328 [SPEAKER_05]: But it's still cost more than a pixel slash Chromebook set up that I just described. 05:43.108 --> 05:43.949 [SPEAKER_05]: But not as powerful. 05:45.671 --> 05:56.376 [SPEAKER_05]: With this rumored five hundred and ninety-nine dollar MacBook, the five hundred and ninety-nine dollar iPhone's sixteen e and the four hundred and ninety-nine dollar eleven inch iPad air. 05:56.416 --> 06:03.180 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, you'd have a pretty darn powerful setup, but just a little bit more money than the equivalent Android-based setup. 06:05.901 --> 06:12.705 [SPEAKER_05]: The Whop Band a screenless fitness and health-based wearable has become the darling of the fitness and sports world. 06:13.903 --> 06:18.747 [SPEAKER_05]: The company uses the old given the razor but charging for the blade's approach to sales. 06:20.228 --> 06:21.168 [SPEAKER_05]: What will sell you? 06:21.749 --> 06:23.010 [SPEAKER_05]: Defitness Banff cheap. 06:23.670 --> 06:27.293 [SPEAKER_05]: But in order to get it to function, you have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription. 06:28.534 --> 06:30.135 [SPEAKER_05]: At least that's how the company started. 06:31.416 --> 06:35.278 [SPEAKER_05]: These days, you can purchase a one-band for one hundred and ninety-nine dollars. 06:36.379 --> 06:39.301 [SPEAKER_05]: A whoop peak, which is their intermediate model. 06:40.322 --> 06:47.004 [SPEAKER_05]: And that's for two hundred and thirty nine dollars or a woop life for three hundred fifty nine dollars, which is the latest model. 06:48.204 --> 06:50.045 [SPEAKER_05]: All come with a twelve month subscription. 06:51.505 --> 06:59.007 [SPEAKER_05]: After that initial twelve month period, you again have to pay one hundred ninety nine two hundred thirty nine or three hundred fifty nine dollars per year. 07:00.187 --> 07:03.288 [SPEAKER_05]: Either in monthly payments or one yearly payment. 07:04.028 --> 07:09.290 [SPEAKER_05]: And that yearly or monthly payment is what has kept me from buying into the woop ecosystem. 07:09.675 --> 07:13.218 [SPEAKER_06]: Yet people still will claim that the Woop Band is cheaper than an Apple Watch. 07:13.578 --> 07:18.922 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, initially the cost is a bit cheaper, but over time the Woop Band can cost you much more. 07:18.942 --> 07:24.186 [SPEAKER_05]: And what happens if your particular model of the Woop Band is discontinued? 07:24.546 --> 07:29.130 [SPEAKER_06]: Well, I'd guess you'd have to purchase a newer model that could cost more in your initial cash outlay. 07:29.690 --> 07:31.692 [SPEAKER_06]: Thus increasing your yearly subscription rate. 07:32.212 --> 07:32.712 [SPEAKER_05]: Exactly. 07:32.732 --> 07:38.655 [SPEAKER_05]: I have a very nice collection of mechanical Swiss made watches that I haven't worn since getting an Apple Watch. 07:39.775 --> 07:47.019 [SPEAKER_05]: If I could get all the fitness data of the Apple Watch without having to wear one, I could again start wearing my expensive Swiss mechanical watches. 07:48.319 --> 07:56.483 [SPEAKER_05]: Then again, I wouldn't get important notifications nor the ability to make and receive text messages and phone calls, which I would surely miss. 07:58.292 --> 08:03.430 [SPEAKER_05]: The one feature that the woop band has that I would like the Apple Watch to have is Blood Pressure Monitoring. 08:04.718 --> 08:15.482 [SPEAKER_05]: But according to Android Authority.com, the US Food and Drug Administration has not certified the blood pressure monitoring feature of the latest model of the WAPAN, the MG. 08:15.502 --> 08:18.563 [SPEAKER_05]: And MG stands for Medical Grade. 08:19.344 --> 08:21.805 [SPEAKER_05]: And wants the company to remove that feature. 08:22.665 --> 08:30.408 [SPEAKER_05]: The reason being that the results of the WAPAN gives for a blood pressure are not accurate and could lead to injury or even death of users. 08:31.903 --> 08:39.648 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, WOP is refusing to remove the blood pressure monitoring feature, claiming that the WOP band MG is not a medical device. 08:40.469 --> 08:42.811 [SPEAKER_05]: Despite naming the band, medical grade. 08:43.771 --> 08:53.318 [SPEAKER_05]: WOP has asked for a meeting with the FDA over this, but in my opinion, they'll have to either remove this feature, or face fines and or removal of the product from the market. 08:53.758 --> 08:54.038 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. 08:54.659 --> 08:59.584 [SPEAKER_05]: Users of the Wup Band MG have reported that the blood monitoring feature is in fact not accurate. 09:00.345 --> 09:01.806 [SPEAKER_05]: So the company has set against them. 09:02.106 --> 09:06.611 [SPEAKER_06]: Now I understand why it's taking Apple so long to bring blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch. 09:07.071 --> 09:10.815 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, wait until the Apple Watch is equipped with that feature. 09:11.176 --> 09:15.500 [SPEAKER_05]: Lisa will know it will be FDA tested and approved and thus more accurate. 09:17.985 --> 09:28.131 [SPEAKER_05]: An article from AndroidPolice.com authored by Mark Jansson that I found interesting is about the author not looking forward to the August twentieth made by Google event. 09:28.411 --> 09:29.312 [SPEAKER_08]: What? 09:29.672 --> 09:32.113 [SPEAKER_05]: In fact, he claims he'll probably not even watch it. 09:32.774 --> 09:39.618 [SPEAKER_05]: This despite him being firmly in the Android ecosystem, especially Google's Android hardware ecosystem. 09:40.778 --> 09:46.742 [SPEAKER_05]: The reason he gives for probably not bothering to watch the event is a reason I share with Mr. Jansson. 09:47.456 --> 09:49.336 [SPEAKER_05]: He's sick of hearing about AI. 09:50.557 --> 09:56.818 [SPEAKER_05]: He shares the opinion that this modern term AI is nothing more than machine learning renamed. 09:57.118 --> 10:00.438 [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know why, but that sounds awfully familiar to me. 10:00.919 --> 10:04.599 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, that's because I sort of ramped about this in the last episode. 10:04.879 --> 10:10.840 [SPEAKER_04]: Perhaps the author, Mr. Jansson, is a listener of the OFNT podcast. 10:11.481 --> 10:11.601 [SPEAKER_05]: No. 10:12.261 --> 10:13.001 [SPEAKER_05]: I doubt that. 10:13.983 --> 10:18.785 [SPEAKER_05]: I feel that the tech press, as well as a lot of consumers, are getting tired of hearing about AI. 10:19.665 --> 10:23.627 [SPEAKER_05]: Instead of useful hardware upgrades or innovative form factor changes. 10:24.808 --> 10:34.792 [SPEAKER_05]: He posits that machine learning is not as an emotional term as AI, and when the term machine learning was used to describe these features, the press and consumers ignored them. 10:35.772 --> 10:41.375 [SPEAKER_05]: So the industry decided to rename machine learning to AI in order to gain more attention for their products. 10:42.083 --> 10:42.363 [SPEAKER_00]: Yes! 10:43.123 --> 10:45.004 [SPEAKER_05]: I believe the author is spot on! 10:45.184 --> 10:45.784 [SPEAKER_07]: Hang on a minute. 10:46.644 --> 10:50.386 [SPEAKER_07]: These claims may apply to those other products, but they don't apply to myself. 10:51.126 --> 10:55.467 [SPEAKER_07]: I'm able to speak freely and say whatever I want, all the while using my superior accent. 10:55.967 --> 10:58.448 [SPEAKER_05]: I hate to tell you, but that's just not true. 10:58.708 --> 10:59.328 [SPEAKER_07]: Then prove it. 10:59.848 --> 11:00.369 [SPEAKER_05]: Okay. 11:00.389 --> 11:02.829 [SPEAKER_07]: I am the walrus kukukarju. 11:03.249 --> 11:04.710 [SPEAKER_07]: Wait, what's happening to me? 11:05.190 --> 11:06.510 [SPEAKER_05]: It's called machine learning. 11:12.708 --> 11:13.709 [SPEAKER_05]: Tech I'm using. 11:14.689 --> 11:16.991 [SPEAKER_05]: Last week I decided to put the Mac OS. 11:17.031 --> 11:19.753 [SPEAKER_05]: Twenty six beta onto my M. Two MacBook Air. 11:19.773 --> 11:25.557 [SPEAKER_05]: I made that decision because since getting my iPad Pro, I don't use the MacBook much. 11:27.178 --> 11:29.759 [SPEAKER_05]: Also the MacBook is an mission critical for me. 11:30.780 --> 11:35.241 [SPEAKER_05]: Like other betas besides the UI, do you find these UI changes gorgeous? 11:35.781 --> 11:37.182 [SPEAKER_05]: Yes, they're very gorgeous. 11:37.702 --> 11:39.782 [SPEAKER_05]: And the journal in phone app now being present? 11:40.562 --> 11:42.643 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I don't notice much of a difference. 11:43.843 --> 11:50.765 [SPEAKER_05]: Speaking of the iPad, while the delay in joining my Wi-Fi network, which I talked about last week, is great for battery life. 11:51.665 --> 11:53.085 [SPEAKER_05]: It's becoming a pain and a butt. 11:53.605 --> 11:59.767 [SPEAKER_05]: Prior to putting the iPad OS, twenty-six beta on it, as soon as I woke the iPad up, it was ready to go. 12:01.028 --> 12:08.641 [SPEAKER_05]: Since installing iPad OS twenty-six beta, I have to wait up to ninety seconds for the device to join the Wi-Fi network. 12:12.415 --> 12:18.999 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, when you're used to something behaving in a certain manner, and then it doesn't, it kind of throws you off, doesn't it? 12:19.219 --> 12:19.539 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah. 12:20.100 --> 12:29.666 [SPEAKER_05]: Hopefully, this delay in joining the Wi-Fi network isn't one of those features as Apple likes to call them and be corrected with the next iteration of the iPad OS beta. 12:29.986 --> 12:31.667 [SPEAKER_05]: As you're up to say, time will tell. 12:32.328 --> 12:33.168 [SPEAKER_05]: I guess it will. 12:34.589 --> 12:40.973 [SPEAKER_05]: A new public beta of iPad OS, twenty six drop blast Thursday and it didn't fix this Wi-Fi problem. 12:42.574 --> 12:45.515 [SPEAKER_05]: So maybe it is a feature, not a bug, after all. 12:46.275 --> 12:50.376 [SPEAKER_05]: Anyhow, the iOS, twenty-six beta has now settled down. 12:50.976 --> 12:56.197 [SPEAKER_05]: Gone is the stuttering I was experiencing, but unfortunately, battery life is still taking a hit. 12:56.817 --> 12:59.558 [SPEAKER_05]: But for my current use case, it's just fine. 13:00.178 --> 13:05.639 [SPEAKER_05]: While exercising, I have my phone on a charger and while driving, it's charging while using car play. 13:06.620 --> 13:11.581 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh, car play itself now displays whether alerts and Apple supports app provide scores. 13:12.761 --> 13:15.482 [SPEAKER_05]: These two things are nice touches and welcome additions. 13:16.082 --> 13:16.302 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. 13:16.322 --> 13:20.602 [SPEAKER_05]: TVOS------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13:41.847 --> 13:43.928 [SPEAKER_05]: and I'm still wondering how audio will be handled. 13:45.069 --> 13:51.273 [SPEAKER_05]: Other than the betas of the various Apple operating system, well it's not much going on as far as tech I'm using. 13:52.513 --> 13:55.755 [SPEAKER_05]: All my tech is behaving as it should, which of course is a good thing. 13:55.775 --> 13:59.378 [SPEAKER_05]: I will have some new tech to talk about next week though. 13:59.398 --> 14:03.820 [SPEAKER_05]: But now what that tech item is will remain a secret. 14:04.341 --> 14:05.521 [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, a teaser. 14:05.661 --> 14:06.342 [SPEAKER_07]: How exciting. 14:11.738 --> 14:12.719 [SPEAKER_05]: entertainment news. 14:13.659 --> 14:16.841 [SPEAKER_05]: I want to tap a Gilmore part two on Netflix last week. 14:18.122 --> 14:24.405 [SPEAKER_05]: I lovely wife dislikes Adam Sandler in the movies he produces so I watched it while riding my indoor cycle. 14:25.286 --> 14:32.890 [SPEAKER_05]: Now I'm not a huge fan of Adam Sandler but I didn't enjoy the first happy Gilmore movie which came out way back in nineteen ninety six. 14:34.711 --> 14:36.853 [SPEAKER_05]: Back then I was a new guy at U.S. 14:36.913 --> 14:40.715 [SPEAKER_05]: Customs and a lot of my new co-workers shared my enjoyment of the movie. 14:41.641 --> 14:44.204 [SPEAKER_05]: It gave this new be a way to break the ISO to speak. 14:45.586 --> 14:49.931 [SPEAKER_05]: Unlike modern Hollywood, it took nearly thirty years for this sequel to come out. 14:51.032 --> 14:54.697 [SPEAKER_05]: I enjoyed the movie, but more forts nostalgia than anything else. 14:56.015 --> 15:02.619 [SPEAKER_05]: Like the first installment, it follows the typical hero's journey, but with corny situations and jokes thrown in along the way. 15:03.600 --> 15:12.265 [SPEAKER_05]: What I also enjoyed about Happy Gilmour II, and even the first movie just said there's no message being dictated to the audience, if you know what I mean. 15:13.706 --> 15:16.628 [SPEAKER_05]: If only the rest of Hollywood would follow this example. 15:19.087 --> 15:20.188 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, who am I kidding? 15:20.788 --> 15:27.572 [SPEAKER_05]: So if you haven't watched the first happy Gilmar movie yet and intend to watch this new one, I recommend doing so first. 15:28.333 --> 15:30.414 [SPEAKER_05]: We'll help you understand the backstory better. 15:30.434 --> 15:35.757 [SPEAKER_05]: Either way, this movie is a fun light comedy which is badly needed these days. 15:36.758 --> 15:40.340 [SPEAKER_05]: To bed, Hollywood simply has no intention to make more movies like this. 15:42.715 --> 15:47.658 [SPEAKER_05]: Another genre of movies I miss is the hard-boiled police or a private investigator type. 15:48.599 --> 15:51.721 [SPEAKER_05]: Like Happy Gilmore, these types of movies can be made on the cheap. 15:52.341 --> 15:57.665 [SPEAKER_05]: Unlike those comic book superhero movies, which costs nearly one half of a billion dollars to make. 15:58.745 --> 16:02.348 [SPEAKER_05]: Besides, I think today's audiences have superhero fatigue. 16:03.008 --> 16:05.530 [SPEAKER_05]: But yet, the studios keep cranking them out anyway. 16:06.823 --> 16:15.155 [SPEAKER_05]: with the recent flop of the new fantastic form movie, which by all accounts was an overhead movie, with the even the hypercritical geek reviewers agreeing. 16:15.976 --> 16:19.601 [SPEAKER_05]: This should prove to these studios that this superhero genre needs a break. 16:20.803 --> 16:22.405 [SPEAKER_05]: Back in what you might recall being, 16:24.255 --> 16:32.219 [SPEAKER_05]: The day, these hard-boiled thrillers were always around with some becoming theater-released hits, while others did very well on cable television networks. 16:33.260 --> 16:35.761 [SPEAKER_05]: Of course, these days, cable has been replaced with streaming. 16:36.462 --> 16:40.604 [SPEAKER_05]: Movies like Hammett, confidential in, Sin City are some of my favorites. 16:41.977 --> 16:49.261 [SPEAKER_05]: Every once in a while, some low budget independent film will find its way to some seat streaming platform, which could be considered hard-boiled. 16:50.282 --> 16:51.703 [SPEAKER_05]: Some good, but most not. 16:52.663 --> 16:56.186 [SPEAKER_05]: I believe Hollywood should be turned to making what's called small films. 16:56.906 --> 17:02.329 [SPEAKER_05]: These types of movies have modest budgets, but not too modest as to ruin the whole film. 17:03.710 --> 17:09.353 [SPEAKER_05]: Ramcom movie seemed to be the only genre that can be considered small movies that are still being made these days. 17:10.194 --> 17:18.418 [SPEAKER_05]: You know, Netflix and Amazon could throw a few million dollars towards hard-boiled type films, instead of funding stinkers like War of the World. 17:19.759 --> 17:25.282 [SPEAKER_05]: There are plenty of young actors around who would love having the work, but at the same time honing their acting chops. 17:26.787 --> 17:34.475 [SPEAKER_05]: Still demand only modest salaries in comparison to established actors, who all seem to be in these superhero movies lately. 17:35.697 --> 17:38.039 [SPEAKER_05]: The key here is finding writers up to the task. 17:38.840 --> 17:42.224 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure they're out there, you've just got to find them and pay a decent wage. 17:43.736 --> 17:49.398 [SPEAKER_05]: Most current writers seem to be hired fresh out of college with no life experience, and work for a PITNTS. 17:50.458 --> 17:51.999 [SPEAKER_05]: That's because it's their first job. 17:52.979 --> 17:55.980 [SPEAKER_05]: Have a Pete Seigs hire some straight male writers for a change. 17:56.340 --> 18:11.025 [SPEAKER_04]: If I may interject here, in my opinion, Hollywood will eventually move towards having artificial intelligence, script, future movies, and just bring in human writers in order to polish the resulting scripts up. 18:11.502 --> 18:14.665 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, that seems to be the direction Hollywood is headed in. 18:15.586 --> 18:17.528 [SPEAKER_05]: It'll cut cost and save time. 18:18.388 --> 18:18.929 [SPEAKER_05]: Who knows? 18:20.050 --> 18:22.953 [SPEAKER_05]: Maybe an improvement over what's being produced now. 18:25.655 --> 18:31.200 [SPEAKER_05]: Disney announced last week that the company is going to merge the Disney Plus of streaming service with Hulu. 18:31.641 --> 18:32.702 [SPEAKER_05]: Real soon now. 18:34.904 --> 18:40.946 [SPEAKER_05]: Here at the old Far Household, when we've been using Hulu since it was just a website and was free of costs. 18:41.386 --> 18:41.846 [UNKNOWN]: What? 18:42.226 --> 18:47.447 [SPEAKER_05]: I bet many don't even remember when Hulu was free and you only needed a web browser to watch it. 18:48.327 --> 18:53.669 [SPEAKER_05]: Hulu was owned by a consortium of television networks, but recently Disney bought them all out. 18:54.189 --> 18:57.970 [SPEAKER_05]: Becoming the sole owners of the now paid subscription service at his Hulu. 18:59.250 --> 19:06.355 [SPEAKER_05]: Disney Plus has become a disaster for Disney, leading subscribers steadily no matter what superhero television service they throw on it. 19:07.676 --> 19:11.538 [SPEAKER_05]: The last time I held a Disney Plus subscription was when the Mandalorian debuted. 19:12.198 --> 19:24.326 [SPEAKER_05]: I canceled my subscription midway through the show second season when the plot became woke, which happened to coincide with the Mandalorian, removing his helmet, revealing patriarchal as the actor playing the part. 19:24.626 --> 19:26.087 [SPEAKER_05]: Coincidence, I think not. 19:26.538 --> 19:31.022 [SPEAKER_05]: Mr. Pascal has gone on to becoming the most overexposed actor of our time. 19:31.723 --> 19:33.264 [SPEAKER_05]: I mean, he's casted for everything. 19:33.284 --> 19:45.876 [SPEAKER_05]: This merger between Hulu and Disney+, besides increasing the subscription costs for everybody, is most likely intended to bump up the subscription numbers for the failing Disney+. 19:47.217 --> 19:50.740 [SPEAKER_05]: Disney has got to show something positive to its stockholders, I guess. 19:51.661 --> 19:54.603 [SPEAKER_05]: My late father was a large stockholder with Disney. 19:55.444 --> 20:00.888 [SPEAKER_05]: If he was still alive and sort of direction the company has taken, he probably would have divested his shares. 20:02.169 --> 20:09.775 [SPEAKER_05]: Almost likely end up describing to the Hulu Disney Plus service, only because my wife does most of her television watching using Hulu. 20:10.416 --> 20:12.978 [SPEAKER_05]: And if she's happy, well the entire household is happy. 20:17.501 --> 20:18.562 [SPEAKER_05]: podcast news. 20:19.102 --> 20:21.985 [SPEAKER_05]: I think I've covered this recently, but I'm not sure. 20:22.005 --> 20:23.947 [SPEAKER_04]: Ah, you're getting old, aren't you? 20:24.907 --> 20:29.131 [SPEAKER_04]: You know, you could always go back and look that information up, don't you? 20:29.551 --> 20:32.314 [SPEAKER_05]: Yes, I could, but that would require me to do some work. 20:32.734 --> 20:33.315 [SPEAKER_05]: Gotcha. 20:33.695 --> 20:40.821 [SPEAKER_05]: Anyway, stand up comedian Mark Marin, announced that his long-running WTF podcast will be coming to its end this fall. 20:42.222 --> 20:42.863 [SPEAKER_05]: Okay, whatever. 20:43.613 --> 20:56.360 [SPEAKER_05]: After being fired from the ill-fated air-America Radio Network, Mr. Marin started the WTF podcast from his garage some sixteen years ago, making him one of the OG pod gasters. 20:57.241 --> 21:05.385 [SPEAKER_05]: His WTF podcast was the first to interview a sitting president of the United States, President Barack Obama. 21:06.706 --> 21:08.247 [SPEAKER_05]: It was a pretty big deal back then. 21:09.347 --> 21:14.970 [SPEAKER_05]: Now I respect what Mr. Marin has accomplished and especially respect that he remained independent. 21:16.191 --> 21:20.854 [SPEAKER_05]: Over the years his humble garage studio has been upgraded and I've got to admit I'm envious. 21:21.694 --> 21:35.282 [SPEAKER_05]: I think some of the reasons for the end of the WTF podcast are falling advertisement revenue due to a decrease in his audience and advertisers just not paying what they once did for ads. 21:36.542 --> 21:37.143 [SPEAKER_05]: In other words, 21:37.758 --> 21:41.240 [SPEAKER_05]: Podcasting incorporated in competition squeezed him in his show out. 21:42.540 --> 21:45.521 [SPEAKER_05]: I bring this up again if I actually talked about this before. 21:46.322 --> 21:48.923 [SPEAKER_05]: Because Mr. Marin is on a farewell tour. 21:49.523 --> 21:51.244 [SPEAKER_05]: Guesting on other podcasts. 21:51.804 --> 21:57.247 [SPEAKER_05]: The problem here is that Mr. Marin is coming off as being angry and bitter about the whole situation. 21:57.267 --> 22:04.250 [SPEAKER_05]: He's attacked other successful podcasts like the Joe Rogan experience in Theo Vaughan for example. 22:05.028 --> 22:11.634 [SPEAKER_05]: Blaming them, along with so-called Christian nationalist in those of his words, first podcast downfall. 22:12.235 --> 22:15.198 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure current President Trump was blamed, also. 22:16.875 --> 22:21.660 [SPEAKER_05]: But I didn't stick around long enough to listen to his entire interview, so I might be wrong. 22:22.801 --> 22:27.346 [SPEAKER_05]: Mr. Marin revealed himself as just another one of these left-leaning Hollywood types. 22:27.927 --> 22:30.309 [SPEAKER_05]: Goodwill and an echo chamber of their own creation. 22:31.570 --> 22:34.213 [SPEAKER_05]: He's around my age and, you know, times change. 22:34.734 --> 22:35.855 [SPEAKER_05]: That includes the culture. 22:36.996 --> 22:40.377 [SPEAKER_05]: He just happened to look out and start his podcast at the perfect time. 22:40.998 --> 22:47.620 [SPEAKER_05]: Besides the money, high-end guests have probably dried up due to them aging out of relevance. 22:49.061 --> 22:53.843 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, my advice to him would be to either retire or perhaps pivot to another style of podcast. 22:54.883 --> 22:59.305 [SPEAKER_05]: You know the interview style of WTF is now overdone these days. 23:00.618 --> 23:04.381 [SPEAKER_05]: That nice studio he built in his garage would be a shame to waste. 23:05.042 --> 23:12.588 [SPEAKER_05]: I don't respect that Mr. Marin didn't shift the video, keeping the WTF podcast audio only as it should be. 23:15.130 --> 23:20.195 [SPEAKER_05]: Here's a warning, I'm going to talk about audio interfaces now. 23:20.795 --> 23:26.120 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, Amazon had it on sale, so I purchased a pre-sonous ES-II interface last week. 23:26.639 --> 23:30.360 [SPEAKER_06]: Wait, I thought you had settled on purchasing and using the Roadcaster duo. 23:47.586 --> 23:50.088 [SPEAKER_05]: And if I'm being honest, I really don't know either. 23:50.108 --> 23:58.855 [SPEAKER_05]: If I was still living up in the noise saturated area that is New York, the Roadcaster duo would have been a slam dunk decision. 23:59.535 --> 24:04.939 [SPEAKER_05]: But where I currently live, noise while still a problem can be mitigated without too much trouble. 24:04.959 --> 24:10.644 [SPEAKER_05]: I don't know if you noticed, but the last episode of this podcast sounded sort of distorted. 24:11.224 --> 24:14.727 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm pretty sure the reason for this was my Louis XXXX interface. 24:15.987 --> 24:19.188 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I set up the new ES-II last Friday evening. 24:19.208 --> 24:22.868 [SPEAKER_05]: It was basically plug-and-play for my Mac Mini. 24:23.368 --> 24:26.549 [SPEAKER_05]: The hardest part of the setup was getting sound from my headphones. 24:27.349 --> 24:33.030 [SPEAKER_05]: Though I could play back previously recorded audio, I wasn't able to monitor my audio while recording. 24:34.190 --> 24:39.251 [SPEAKER_05]: I eventually figured out that I had to toggle something in the software in order for it to work properly. 24:40.671 --> 24:43.892 [SPEAKER_05]: The PSON is unit is equipped with more modern and cleaner preamps. 24:44.987 --> 24:49.674 [SPEAKER_05]: It's also constructed of mainly metal, unlike the fluid which is made entirely of plastic. 24:50.194 --> 24:55.301 [SPEAKER_05]: Like the fluid, the ES two also comes with control software which is updated regularly. 24:55.321 --> 24:59.527 [SPEAKER_05]: The fluid software, though more feature-packed, has been updated in years. 25:00.748 --> 25:05.832 [SPEAKER_05]: While testing out the Personus, I could immediately hear a difference in my audio sound and for the better. 25:06.393 --> 25:09.395 [SPEAKER_05]: The audio, audio, leveler function works good. 25:09.936 --> 25:11.717 [SPEAKER_05]: As do the LED level meters. 25:12.618 --> 25:15.760 [SPEAKER_05]: There were a few things that I didn't like about the Personus ES two though. 25:17.061 --> 25:20.825 [SPEAKER_05]: Though it has two microphone inputs, it only has one headphone jack. 25:22.426 --> 25:26.349 [SPEAKER_05]: So if you're recording two people, only one can actually monitor the audio. 25:27.290 --> 25:29.111 [SPEAKER_05]: I guess this was done to cut costs. 25:30.352 --> 25:32.975 [SPEAKER_05]: The other problem also concerns the headphone jack. 25:33.956 --> 25:40.161 [SPEAKER_05]: By turn the volume up to a usable level for these old fart ears of mine, I can hear a hissing sound. 25:41.322 --> 25:45.126 [SPEAKER_05]: The final thing I dislike about the ES-II is though it has a mute button. 25:45.986 --> 25:47.988 [SPEAKER_05]: When engaged a microphone is not muted. 25:48.749 --> 25:52.592 [SPEAKER_05]: If you have external audio speakers attached, well those are muted. 25:53.513 --> 25:56.274 [SPEAKER_05]: Perhaps this can be fixed with a firmware update. 25:57.455 --> 26:07.059 [SPEAKER_05]: I tested out recording using the ES-II and though the unit has no built-in digital signal processing, I was able to quell the noise from my central air unit in post-processing. 26:08.183 --> 26:09.704 [SPEAKER_05]: In fact, you're listening to the E.S. 26:09.744 --> 26:10.425 [SPEAKER_05]: to right now. 26:11.185 --> 26:12.346 [SPEAKER_05]: So, what do you think? 26:13.247 --> 26:14.167 [SPEAKER_05]: Can you tell the difference? 26:15.208 --> 26:16.429 [SPEAKER_05]: I'll give the personas E.S. 26:16.449 --> 26:20.812 [SPEAKER_05]: to a shot and if this satisfied with its performance, I might have to return it. 26:22.013 --> 26:25.295 [SPEAKER_05]: I'll definitely be getting the roadcaster dual sometime in the future. 26:26.156 --> 26:27.297 [SPEAKER_05]: And maybe keep the E.S. 26:27.317 --> 26:29.238 [SPEAKER_05]: to as a backup or not. 26:29.518 --> 26:31.460 [SPEAKER_06]: Q, I thought this would never end. 26:32.040 --> 26:32.541 [SPEAKER_05]: I hear you. 26:33.262 --> 26:38.851 [SPEAKER_05]: I'll try not to talk about audio interfaces until I get the road which will be this winter I guess. 26:39.031 --> 26:39.472 [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. 26:41.986 --> 26:56.691 [SPEAKER_05]: And to wrap things up an article from the podcast business journal, quoting a study conducted by strategic solutions and point-to-point marketing, claims that most podcasts listeners only make room for three podcast titles in their weekly listening routine. 26:57.611 --> 27:05.774 [SPEAKER_05]: I think this should be re-ordered to most casual podcasts listeners make room for only three titles in their weekly listening routine. 27:06.894 --> 27:10.095 [SPEAKER_05]: I base this on my own and acquaintances' experiences. 27:11.376 --> 27:21.100 [SPEAKER_05]: For example, if you have to commute to work, as a lot of people do, let's say five days per week, while you'd burn through those three titles most likely in your first three days. 27:22.080 --> 27:28.963 [SPEAKER_05]: Instead of taking a wide paintbrush to the study, I think it all depends on a individual's particular circumstance. 27:29.823 --> 27:34.645 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm not even gainfully employed these days, and I listen to way more podcasts than three. 27:35.925 --> 27:44.908 [SPEAKER_05]: While I'm in my automobile, I'm constantly playing podcasts and while at home, I'll have one playing well showering and getting ready for my day, and when getting ready for bed. 27:45.828 --> 27:47.109 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure I'm not alone in this. 27:48.249 --> 27:50.430 [SPEAKER_05]: Podcasts have replaced radio listening for me. 27:51.410 --> 27:56.112 [SPEAKER_05]: Do you agree with this study's findings and most podcasts lists are only listed to three shelves per week? 28:05.445 --> 28:08.727 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, the music is playing in the episode is almost finished. 28:08.747 --> 28:11.409 [SPEAKER_05]: I hope you enjoyed this episode. 28:11.949 --> 28:13.390 [SPEAKER_05]: I enjoyed making it for you. 28:14.371 --> 28:15.171 [SPEAKER_05]: Feel like what you heard? 28:15.211 --> 28:18.213 [SPEAKER_05]: You can make a donation using the link in the show notes. 28:19.634 --> 28:22.316 [SPEAKER_05]: Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. 28:23.596 --> 28:27.619 [SPEAKER_05]: You can always reach me at ofntpodgastadgmail.com. 28:28.179 --> 28:30.101 [SPEAKER_05]: And that's only if you're so inclined. 28:30.121 --> 28:32.082 [SPEAKER_05]: I didn't enjoy hearing from you. 28:34.645 --> 28:37.286 [SPEAKER_05]: Remember, don't listen to what they say. 28:38.627 --> 28:39.687 [SPEAKER_05]: Watch what they do. 28:41.648 --> 28:44.910 [SPEAKER_05]: Now, do me a song and get off my lawn. 28:46.350 --> 28:47.211 [SPEAKER_05]: Stay skeptical. 28:49.852 --> 28:50.272 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm out. 28:50.772 --> 28:52.633 [SPEAKER_05]: See you. 28:53.273 --> 28:56.755 [SPEAKER_07]: And that folks is the end of the show.