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:
Did you catch the big boxing match? Did you shell out the $100 pay-per-view fee? Did you try to get a seat in a local sports bar? Why didn’t you just watch it stream live on Periscope or Meerkat? Both apps use Twitter to announce live streaming. And, while the folks at Showtime were working overtime to ensure that broadcasting rights were kept tight, we live in a very different world now. Anyone can now whip out their smartphone and start live streaming whatever it is that is in front of them. And yes, people were showing the fight on their Meerkat or Periscope channel. But, here’s what’s new: Rumour has it, that some people were live streaming and adding in their own color-commentary… and that it was very good. Will this become the norm? Maybe an entirely new form of entertainment?
It’s not how you look… it’s how you feel. Remember that classic SNL line? Well, Microsoft launched this age-guessing site called, How Old Do I Look? You simply upload a photo, and it guesses how old you are. Seems simple enough, right? Well, it’s gone viral. Now, people are left wondering what might Microsoft do with all of this data? Oh, by the way, mine said that I am 37. I’m suddenly falling back in love with Microsoft.
Tesla isn’t just about cars. They now have an energy division, called Tesla Energy, and they’re going to be doing everything that they can to get all of our homes powered by renewable energy. The first step is PowerWall, which they just announced. For about $3000, you get this nifty looking piece that sits on your wall and stores excess solar energy, and will take power from the grid when it’s cheapest, plus add backup power in case of emergencies. Thought the system isn’t perfect yet, the PowerWall Home Battery, is already part of a pilot project with 300 customers, and will be available to the mass public in the next 3-4 months. This is an important step for Elon Musk, his team and the environment.