Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am a guest contributor on CHOM 97.7 FM radio broadcasting out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 5 to 10 minutes every week – about everything that is happening in the world of technology and digital media. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly to SoundCloud, if you’re interested in hearing more of me blathering away. I’m really excited about this opportunity, because this is the radio station that I grew up on listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry and Heather B. morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

• When we think of digital, we think of Facebook… or YouTube… or Twitter. You know, stuff with a screen. We are quickly moving into the connected era. They’re calling this The Internet of Things. We used to wonder why we would ever need our fridges or toasters to be connected to the Internet. Suddenly, we’re left wondering why our fridges and toasters are not connected? So, a recent study came out, and it states that the connected home appliance market is forecast to hit 700 million units within the next five years. Yes, anything that you have to plug into a wall will also be connected and controllable. And, if it does not? Well, then it’s just dumb. 
• Last week, we talked about Heather’s dating. Who are we kidding, it’s an ongoing narrative for CHOM in the morning! Well, let’s say that your really don’t want to do the Tinder thing, but just want to meet up and have a friend on demand. Possible? FriendsTonight is such an app. Their philosophy is: “my friends + your friends = a great night!” The app sets up groups of friends who don’t know each other, with the aim of getting them to hang out immediately, in real-time. You’ll never go friendless again! And, these groups disappear at the end of the night. 
• You may be more interested in using FriendsTonight, if you knew whether or not you are really teetering into a depressive mode. Well, guess what? Passive data from your iPhone can detect depression by tracking the number of minutes you use… and where you go. It’s a interesting thought, if you’re spending a lot of time on your smartphone, and spending most of your time at home, this could be a significant indicator. Interesting to think that phones can passively monitor your behavior and be an indicator of your behavior in relation to depression. So, would you be up for this kind of monitoring happening in the background of your mobile usage? 
• App of the week: Star Wars.

Listen here…