1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Get in touch with technology with tech Stuff from how 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot Com. He there, and welcome to text Stuff. 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works, and I heart radio and I love 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: all things tech. And if you've been listening to my 6 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: show for more than twelve months, you know that every year, 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: with the exception of this next coming year, I make 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: predictions about what may or may not happen in the 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: tech world over the course of the following twelve months. 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: And then at the end of those twelve months, I 11 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: go back and I look at the predictions I had 12 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: made for the year previous and see how it all 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: turned out. Generally speaking, I do really poorly. So let's 14 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: see how I did for Here's what I predicted and 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: here's what actually happened. So the first prediction I made 16 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: was that VR headsets like Oculus, Rift, HTC, Vibe and 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: others will have another lackluster year. Now the result here 18 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: is somewhat mixed. I was certainly right for the first 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: half of those numbers were not doing well. Several news 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: outlets and analysis firms would release reports throughout they cited 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: declining sales for VR headsets in general throughout the year. 22 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: The Oculus Go was an exception in the first half 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: of the year. It saw some growth early on, but 24 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: still not a crazy amount. Reports have cautioned that this 25 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: does not mean VR is going to fizzle out again 26 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: the way it did in the mid nineties, but rather 27 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: that the market is still finding its foundation. It's still 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: figuring out where it is, and there was an upturn 29 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: in the third quarter in bolstered largely by holiday sales 30 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: and particularly the PlayStation VR headset. Things were even worse, however, 31 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: if we're talking about VR head sets that don't have 32 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: a screen, so in other words, i'm talking about the 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: headsets that you use in connection with a smartphone that 34 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: that's running a particular app. So Samsung's Gear VR headset 35 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: year over year sales were down by fifty eight point 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: six per cent. That's dreadful. Some of the more recent 37 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: Samsung smartphones don't even support that particular feature, which suggests 38 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: the company may be extricating itself from the VR market entirely. 39 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: So the only headsets that we're doing well, not even well, 40 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: but weren't losing ground like that were the tethered ones. 41 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: Back to that third quarter. As I said, the improvement 42 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: was largely due to the PlayStation VR headset. The Sony 43 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: headset helped reverse the declining trend in that third quarter 44 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: of and actually pushed the market up to an eight 45 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: point two percent growth year over year, or a quarter 46 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: over a quarter. I guess the p S VR headsets 47 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: sold four sixty eight thousand units total. That's an increase 48 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: of twenty six over the previous year. Oculus would follow 49 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: in second place, and HTC held up third place by 50 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: the end of the year. So the third quarter growth 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: was a nice thing to see, but that was after 52 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: four straight quarters of decline and it remains to be 53 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: seen if this is actually sustainable growth. So I'd say 54 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: mixed results on that. The whole year wasn't a loss, 55 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: but you had two quarters of decline followed by a 56 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: third quarter of modest gains. Eight point as good, but 57 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: it's not great, So I will give myself, you know, 58 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: a thumb in the middle here, not like thumb up 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: or thumb down. Prediction Number two was that Microsoft Mixed 60 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: reality headsets, being the relative new toy on the market, 61 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: will get some initial buzz in the early part of 62 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: but will largely suffer the same fate as VR, and 63 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: this one I was absolutely right about. Out. We saw 64 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: prices get marked down a couple of times in eighteen 65 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: for mixed reality headsets, and interest failed to build into 66 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: a lot of actual action. There weren't a lot of 67 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,119 Speaker 1: sales even with the reduction in price. Now again, this 68 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: may just be a case of the technology not quite 69 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: being sophisticated enough to convince people to make the jump. 70 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: According to research firm I d C, augmented or mixed 71 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 1: reality sets only made up three percent of the market 72 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: for these types of things. The really advanced headsets, the 73 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: stuff like hollow lens or magic leaps new headset, those 74 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: cost thousands of dollars and they're primarily intended for professional 75 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: use or developer use, not for your average consumers. So 76 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: those sets aren't meant for you and me. We're not 77 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: meant to go out there to like a Best Buy 78 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: or something and pick one off the store shelves and 79 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: take it home and play games or use it for 80 00:04:55,320 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: other applications. They're meant either for industrial use things people 81 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: are using hollow lens in order to help train people 82 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: to work around equipment, make repairs that kind of stuff, 83 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: or They're meant for developers to get hold of the 84 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: hardware and start thinking about ways that they can, you know, 85 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: leverage that hardware, what kind of software can they build 86 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: for it, and then sometime down the road, presumably we'll 87 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: get a consumer version of those pieces of hardware. That's 88 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: kind of how Oculous came about as well. So, uh, 89 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: they absolutely right, big thumbs up on that one. Prediction 90 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: Number three was that we would see autonomous car service 91 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,559 Speaker 1: rolled out for real, not just as a limited test case, 92 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: and at least one market in the United States before 93 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: the end of this was a pretty aggressive prediction that 94 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: I made. As it turns out, I think this is 95 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: another thumb in the middle situation. I would not give 96 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: myself a full thumbs up, but I don't think it's 97 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: a full thumbs down either, I think, if I'm being 98 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: totally honest, I just ba early missed this one because 99 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: Weymo one, which is a driverless car service from the 100 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: Google spin off Weymo, launched in Phoenix, Arizona, so that 101 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: did happen this year. However, as of the recording of 102 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: this podcast, it is a very limited launch. It is 103 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: not it's not widely available to anyone only people who 104 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: signed up to be quote unquote early riders with the 105 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: service are actually eligible to use it, and it works 106 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: pretty much like any ride hailing app and that users 107 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 1: would select a pickup point and a drop off point. 108 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: The only thing that's different is that the vehicle that 109 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: comes to pick them up is a driver less one, 110 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: although there is a safety operator behind the wheel, because 111 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: we're not quite at the point where I think any 112 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: company would be comfortable and having a truly driverless cargo 113 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: and pick people up and then potentially get into an 114 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,799 Speaker 1: accident and then you've got an enormous lawsuit on your hands. 115 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: So we're not even at the point where it's a 116 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: real robot car when no human behind the wheel at all. 117 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: The Early writer program is limited to just four people, 118 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: and the area of service is also GEO fenced, which 119 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: means the cars will not go beyond certain designated areas. 120 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: They their services limited to specific regions. So it's a 121 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: very contained case and way Moose pitching it like it's 122 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: an actual launch, But really I would say this is 123 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: a pilot program, or maybe I should say a pilotless program. 124 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: So with all the qualifiers, I don't think it meets 125 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: the level that I had uh imagined when I made 126 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: that prediction last year, but still a lot further along 127 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: the what the more pessimistic version of me thought might happen. 128 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: The pessimist in me thought we won't even see this 129 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: much of a rollout, so to speak. Now, I think 130 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: it makes way more sense to do this deployment this 131 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: way rather than just try to jump in wholeheartedly. That 132 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: would to me seem to be irresponsible. So I think 133 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: this is the better choice. But it's really more of 134 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: a closed beta program. Okay, So that was a thumb 135 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: in the middle prediction. Number four. Congress will give the 136 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: nod to the Disney twenty first century Fox acquisition after 137 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: several months of discussion. Disney will hold a sixty percent 138 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: ownership of Hulu, but we'll still go ahead and developing 139 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: its own streaming service on top of that. Okay, the 140 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: big thumbs up for me. I mean, I would also 141 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: say this was not a particularly bold prediction, as pretty 142 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: much writing on the wall kind of stuff. I mean, 143 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: there there could have been pushed back from the US 144 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: government on the acquisition, but based upon who's in the 145 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: various branches of government, I thought that was unlikely largely 146 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: because they are pretty friendly to big business. So the 147 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: seventy one point three billion dollar acquisition was approved by 148 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: the United States government in June of and company shareholders 149 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: also approved did in July. So first the government said, 150 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: we don't have any problems with this. Then they went 151 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: to the shareholders and said, are you guys cool with this? 152 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: They said totes, and then it went on. So technically 153 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: the closing for this acquisition has not happened yet. It 154 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: will actually happen on January one, nineteen. And yes, Disney 155 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: does still plan to launch its own streaming service called 156 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: Disney Plus, and it will also oversee Hulu. It will 157 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: have controlling uh interest or controlling steak in Hulu. Meanwhile, 158 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: we watch as we sadly see various Netflix Marvel series 159 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: mysteriously get canceled, like you know, Daredevil and The Defenders, 160 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: despite critical and public acclaim which suggests that perhaps Disney 161 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: is preparing those to migrate over to a different streaming service, 162 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: perhaps for a total reboot, and may not even have 163 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: the same actors involved. We aren't quite sure what Hulu 164 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: is going to look like following this acquisition. Even now, 165 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: right now, before the acquisition is complete, Hulu technically has 166 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: three major owners. There's Disney, Fox, and Comcast. There are 167 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: also some other owners on top of that, but those 168 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: are the three big ones. So with the acquisition, Disney 169 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: will hold the majority stake, and that might mean that 170 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: Comcast and NBC will be less eager to form agreements 171 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: for the properties that they have to air on Hulu. 172 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: It may also mean we'll see the emergence of yet 173 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: another streaming service to cater to those properties. So yea, 174 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: it's getting worse than cable prediction number five. After numerous 175 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: heated discussions, Congress will overturn the fccs decision in December 176 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: to reverse the decision classifying broadband Internet as a public utility. 177 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: M hm now yet uh, FCC did overturn it in 178 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:54,839 Speaker 1: um earlyen they announced the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which 179 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: seems to be a bit of a comedic title for 180 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: what it is. It rolled back pretty much all the 181 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: changes that the previous FCC had made, and um, yeah, 182 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: I don't know that we're gonna see that get returned 183 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: super soon. There were a lot of discussions about net neutrality, 184 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: but still very much a unresolved question within the United States, 185 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: so thumbs down. On that one, I would say prediction 186 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,839 Speaker 1: number six. By the end of twenty eighteen, the number 187 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: of cord cutters in the United States will hit thirty million. 188 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: In seventeen, it was twenty two point two million, which 189 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: was up from sixteen point seven million in twenty sixteen, 190 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: and I said that trend would not only continue, but 191 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: would accelerate as more people would turn to virtual subscriptions 192 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: using smart TVs, consoles, and other solutions to get access 193 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: to live TV while abandoning satellite or cable options. Big 194 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: thumbs up. In fact, I was being apparently conservative. Um 195 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: midway through eighteen, analysts had already projected that we would 196 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: hit thirty three million cord cutters by the end of 197 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: the year total, not thirty three million alone, but total 198 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: in the United States. So I was actually three million 199 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: people shy even though I thought, well, this is an 200 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: accelerated rate, I'm gonna go with it. It turns out 201 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: I was being too conservative. The reasons cited for the 202 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,079 Speaker 1: increase we're pretty much what I have said. People are 203 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,679 Speaker 1: focusing more on internet delivery services and less on television. 204 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,599 Speaker 1: And while a lot of TV services were forming partnerships 205 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: with companies like Netflix, the takeaway seemed to be that 206 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: customers were interested in just getting those Internet entertainment services, 207 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: not television plus those services. Now, at this point, I've 208 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: seen analysts like Dan Robin Robbins predict that this trend 209 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: is only going to accelerate further in twenty nineteen, so 210 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: we may see an even a larger number of cord 211 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: cutters joined the fray in the following year. I have 212 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: more to say about the predictions I made at the 213 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: end of twenty seventeen, but first let's go take a 214 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:10,079 Speaker 1: break to thank our answer prediction number seven. There will 215 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: be at least one, probably more security breaches on the 216 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: scale of the Equifax breach in ten, because while we 217 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: pay a lot of lip service towards security, it's way 218 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: easier to talk about being secure than actually doing it. Plus, 219 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: we're human beings and we're wackyo, So this is another 220 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: big thumbs up. Unfortunately, I wish it weren't, but we 221 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: had so many data breaches that happened in or were 222 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: made public in Some of the data breaches actually happened 223 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: years ago, but we didn't find out about them until 224 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: this year. So let's go over some of the big ones, 225 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: shall we I'm just going to concentrate on the ones 226 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: that were larger than Equifax's breach. That one affected an 227 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: estimated onety three million people. So while I'm gonna look 228 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: at some big ones, just know that there were also 229 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of other ones. They just didn't hit 230 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: the hundred forty three million victim mark. So in February, 231 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: not even to the two months into the year, and 232 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: we hit one and unauthorized party and that's how they 233 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: defined it gained access to user information belonging to people 234 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: who had the My Fitness Pal app that that includes me. 235 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: And the data that the unauthorized party got access to 236 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: included encrypted passwords, email addresses, and user names. The estimated 237 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: number of people affected one hundred fifty million. A data 238 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: security expert was poking around on databases belonging to the 239 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: data broker Exactus, and they found a database that had 240 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: information on pretty much every US citizen in it. That 241 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: was actually a quote from a news article about this event. 242 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: It was publicly ex pessible. In other words, there was 243 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: an unprotected, unsecured database containing information about people. This is 244 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: beyond a breach. This is like leaving the vault door 245 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: open in the bank. The estimated number of people affected 246 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: is three hundred forty million people. Yikes. Then in September, 247 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: we learned about a data breach in the reservation database 248 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: for Marriott Starwood Hotels, which may have exposed the information 249 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: of five hundred million people half a billion people. And 250 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: that includes stuff like passport numbers, reservation dates, payment information, 251 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: and more. So there are a lot of not just 252 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: data security things, but privacy issues. Tons of problems there. 253 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: The largest was one that didn't get a whole lot 254 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: of coverage in the United States, but it was phenomenal 255 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: in its scope. It made the UH the hundred forty 256 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: three million people look like nothing in comparison. It affects 257 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: did India's government I D database, which in turn meant 258 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: that it affected the information of around one point one 259 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: billion people. That's billion with a B. It was all 260 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: made accessible. The fault lay with a state owned utility company. 261 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: They had an unsecured API which gave backdoor access to 262 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: all of this information. So if you got hold of 263 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: this API, which you should be able to do. It's 264 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: an application programming interface, you know, it's meant for developers 265 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: to get hold of. They could get this access to 266 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: all the information, including I D information, biometric information, information 267 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: on connected services like bank accounts. It's mind boggling in 268 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: scope and impact. One point one billion. So yeah, big 269 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: thumbs up on the prediction, Big thumbs down on how 270 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: bad all this is. Prediction number eight. Apple's next iPhone, 271 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: which I'm betting won't have a number associated with it, 272 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: will be an incremental upgrade to the iPhone X or 273 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: iPhone ten. Johnny Eys was once again taking has once 274 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: again taken the helm of design over at Apple, but 275 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: his influence isn't likely to be seen in products for 276 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: another generation or so because it takes more than a 277 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: year of work to produce one of these things. So, 278 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: in other words, when the iPhone ten debuted, the next 279 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: iPhone was already well in development at that stage, and 280 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: this was another one that was a gimme. I think 281 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: I got it absolutely right, So another thumbs up. But 282 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: again I don't think this wasn't necessarily a very uh 283 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: courageous or outgoing or crazy prediction. It was kind of 284 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: you could see the writing on the wall. So the 285 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: iPhone ten R and the iPhone ten S are incremental 286 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: evolutions of the previous models, or if you prefer x 287 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 1: R and excess. Apple has phased out those previous models 288 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: much earlier than it had done with older iPhone models, 289 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: which was interesting. I guess the biggest change in the 290 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: design was the notch. That's the section at the top 291 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: of the face of the phone where the camera and 292 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: sensors are. Other smartphones have since adopted that notch approach, 293 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: which can sometimes encroach a bit on the screen if 294 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: you're trying to watch something in wide screen format. But yeah, 295 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: no super revolutionary iPhones came out in Prediction number nine. 296 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: While we'll see a rise in cord cutting, which will 297 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: have a big effect on advertising, will also see a 298 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: rise in add blocking online. This will encourage more sites 299 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: to use ad blocker detectors, which will likely inspire more 300 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: people to file lawsuits against such practices. And it's going 301 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: to be a big mess, and it will bring the 302 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: question everyone is worried about closer to the foreground, which 303 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 1: is how do you make money creating content on the 304 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: Internet in a way that doesn't alienate your audience or 305 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: your customers. This one, I would say, I say my 306 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: thumb was pointing more down than up, maybe somewhere in 307 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: the middle, but kind of leaning downward. The trend has continued. Certainly. 308 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: Many sites are using what ad blocker services called ad 309 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: blocking walls, and that's lines of code that detect if 310 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: someone is using an ad blocker. That's an you know, 311 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: if they're using a browser they're trying to connect to 312 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: a web page, there's a detection that the client request, 313 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: that is, the browser is including an ad blocker, and 314 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: that means the server will send a pop up window 315 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: or something similar saying Mike, we see you're using an 316 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: ad blocker, could you you know, not do that or whatever, 317 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 1: or even going so far as to block you from 318 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: being able to see the site at all until you 319 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: disabled the ad blocker or white list the site. Now. 320 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: According to the team behind ad block Plus, which is 321 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: a fairly standard response here, they could block those messages, 322 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: but they choose not to because they feel it's important 323 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: that people understand that revenue has to come from somewhere, 324 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: you know, we have to find some way to pay 325 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: for the content we access or else everything falls apart 326 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: because if you don't have any money, like if you're 327 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: not making money from people coming to visit your content, 328 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: you have no way to pay the people who make 329 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: the content and most people are justifiably not super cool 330 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: with the idea of creating stuff for free, because, as 331 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: it turns out, you can't pay the rent that way. 332 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: You gotta make your living. I do this podcast. If 333 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: we didn't have advertising on this podcast, then this podcast 334 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: wouldn't make money, and then there'd be no no money 335 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: made to pay my salary, which means I wouldn't be 336 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: doing this. I wouldn't you know, I'd have to do 337 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: something else in order to make money so I can 338 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: make a living. So that's just the way the world works. Unfortunately, 339 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 1: there are a lot of advertisers that have created extremely 340 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: irritating and um intrusive ads, and also there have been 341 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: apples of malware posing as legitimate advertising or compromised ads 342 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: that harvest data without user knowledge or consent. So there 343 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: are legitimate uses for ad blockers in the context of 344 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 1: user privacy and security. You know, it's I can't blame 345 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: someone who says I use an ad blocker because I'm 346 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: scared that if I go to a website that has 347 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: one of these compromised ads on it, I could end 348 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: up with malware on my computer, or I could end 349 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: up with my information stolen without my knowledge, those are 350 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: legitimate concerns, and they're definitely things that have to be addressed. 351 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: I don't think any one party is totally in the 352 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: right here. I think that companies that want to make 353 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: money through advertising, I think that's legitimate. I think the 354 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: advertising companies that serve ads are for the most part legitimate. 355 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: Some of them might be a little more shady. And 356 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: I think the people who are installing ad blockers because 357 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: they want to protect themselves, I think that's a legitimate concern. 358 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: So this is a tough situation. It's there's not an 359 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: easy answer. It's more of a dilemma. Google Chrome version 360 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: seventy one, which came out just before I recorded this episode, 361 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: has an expanded ad blocker in it that's meant to 362 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: protect people from abusive AD experiences. This is significant largely 363 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: because Google makes his money through advertising, so it's a 364 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: company that both depends upon ads for revenue and recognizes 365 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: how they can be predatory nor that people can compromise them. 366 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: But there was no rash of lawsuits that popped up 367 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: around this, as I had predicted. Ad block Plus did 368 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: win a legal battle in Germany in April, but we 369 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: didn't see a ton of people take companies to court 370 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: for ad blocking walls. So I'd say this one again 371 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: is kind of a thumb in the middle, maybe leaning 372 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: downward a bit, because it wasn't It wasn't that rash 373 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: of lawsuits that I thought was going to happen. Prediction 374 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,120 Speaker 1: number ten that we were headed toward a subscription service 375 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: crash in which we would see such a saturation in 376 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: the market for subscription based entertainment service is I'm talking 377 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: about stuff like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube Premium, that kind of 378 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: stuff that there would be a general backlash, And I said, 379 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: I think we'll get through before this happens. So it's 380 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: couching my bets here, but things will be heating up 381 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: towards the end of the year with more consumers disenchanted 382 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: with how many different competing services there are and what 383 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: they're expected to do to get all the content they want. 384 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: So I'd say I've got thumbs down mostly. I mean, yes, 385 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: there is some discussion about this. There are growing concerns 386 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: that with the huge number of services that are popping 387 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: up that if you wanted to get everything that you liked, 388 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 1: you'd be subscribing to, you know, half a dozen or 389 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: more services, and if you're talking about ten dollars a month, 390 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: that starts to add up pretty quickly. But we did 391 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: get through without some sort of reckoning. But I think 392 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: one is still coming. As of December twelve, there are 393 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: numerous new streaming services that are planned to join the 394 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: ones already out there are so right now we've got 395 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: stuff like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Premium, but 396 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: now we're gonna also get Disney Plus. There's an unnamed 397 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: Apple streaming video service on the way. Warner Media under 398 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 1: a T and T, assuming the appeals court upholds the 399 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: legality of that acquisition, has one plan. There's probably more 400 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 1: that are going to launch in twenty nineteen, but the 401 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: crash hasn't happened yet. The backlash hasn't been widespread. I've 402 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: seen a few articles talking about this, but I haven't 403 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: seen a general like reaction or resistance to it. I 404 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: just I think it's still coming. So thumbs down on 405 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: that one prediction number eleven. This was a prediction about 406 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: dollars spent on e commerce versus retail stores. But I'm 407 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: not even gonna bother talking about what the specific prediction was, 408 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: because honestly, and this is just me having to come 409 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,719 Speaker 1: forward and admit something. It was based off of me 410 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,160 Speaker 1: being an idiot, at least that's my guess. I had 411 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: not looked at this prediction since I had made it, 412 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: so I don't know what frame of mind I was 413 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: in when I made it, but was clearly based off 414 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: of absolutely the wrong conclusions I was. I don't know 415 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: where I got the idea that e commerce had really 416 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: started to catch up to retail. That's not the case. 417 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: E Commerce is growing year over year, but it makes 418 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: up less than fifteen percent of all dollars spent UH 419 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: in that sense, like retail is still way way ahead. 420 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: Physical stores are in the lead, though the growth they 421 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: experience you over year is much lower than what online 422 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: online sales are experiencing. So both brick and mortar stores 423 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: and e commerce are seeing year over year growth, but 424 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: e commerce is seeing way more of it. So e 425 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: commerce is getting bigger, faster, but retail is still way ahead. 426 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,120 Speaker 1: Maybe that was my mistake. Maybe I was looking at 427 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: growth figures rather than the overall figures, and that's a 428 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: good lesson for me to learn. E Commerce sales could 429 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: increase by at and retail sales could increase by just two. 430 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: And maybe that's what I was thinking, was that, you know, 431 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,719 Speaker 1: because e commerce sales were increasing so fast by the way, 432 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: I was just making up those numbers. But let's e 433 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: commerce sales are increasing so fast, they're ahead. That's not 434 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: what that means. It just means they're growing faster. And 435 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,640 Speaker 1: I know all you know that I'm reminding myself that 436 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: it's it's a weird mistake I made. I don't know 437 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: what I was thinking. So this prediction was so incredibly wrong. 438 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: That's not just thumbs down, it's everything down. I mean, 439 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 1: I was just I don't know, but it just reminds me. 440 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: I am human. I make mistakes. It's embarrassing, but I 441 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: decided I had to at least acknowledge it. Let's move on. 442 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: Before you know, I just throw myself at the wall. 443 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 1: So prediction number twelve. Google will start to roll out 444 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: WiFi based internet services to some cities, similar to how 445 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: it rolled out Google Fiber, but with the goal of 446 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: having faster deployment. The company will encounter similar issues involving 447 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: where they can set up their transmitters, you know, their towers, 448 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:11,679 Speaker 1: but it won't be nearly as tough as it was 449 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: to get clearance for stuff like utility pole access. This 450 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 1: is another thumbs down. It did not happen. Google Fiber 451 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: is still sort of kind of a thing. In the 452 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: places where Google actually began to deploy Google Fiber, there's 453 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: still service there, although I read a report that a 454 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 1: lot of that service went out in Kansas City just 455 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: before the recording of this episode. But the company has 456 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: pretty much put a stop to doing more of that. 457 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: They they've said they're not going to deploy in any 458 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: other cities. Uh. They never did really fully deploy in 459 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: Atlanta at last I saw. They still say they're going 460 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 1: to get around to it, but I haven't heard anything 461 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: definitive about that. It hasn't Maine moves to build out 462 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: wireless services either. However, five G technology is right around 463 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: the corner. That's the next generation and of wireless data 464 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: transmission technology, so we might see many companies jump in 465 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: to provide wireless broadband connectivity and shake up the market. 466 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: They're already talks about laptops and other technologies having five 467 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: G capability baked into the systems. I'm sure i'll see 468 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 1: more of that when I go to c e S 469 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 1: in January. But don't hold your breath, because it's still 470 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: going to require building out the infrastructure to support all that. 471 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,679 Speaker 1: We probably will see some of that coming online in 472 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, but I suspect most of it won't happen 473 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: until well. I've got a little bit more to say 474 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: about the predictions I made for but before I get 475 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: into that, let's take another quick break to thank our sponsor. 476 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: Prediction number thirteen. By the end of automation will have 477 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: eliminated more jobs than it creates. This isn't necessarily the endgame. 478 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: It will create more jobs along the way, and maybe 479 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: we'll see things even out or even see automation create 480 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: more jobs that displaces than the short term as in 481 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: the next few years, it's going to be pretty bleak 482 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: for a lot of people. Uh no, thumbs down. I 483 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: must have been watching episodes of Black Mirror before I 484 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: did that prediction. Automation did not eliminate more jobs than 485 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: it created, not by a long shot. There are increasing 486 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: concerns about the impact increased automation is going to have 487 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: over the next few years, not just from eliminating jobs, 488 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: but also in how automation will incorporate into jobs, whether 489 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: it will end up being more profitable to do that. 490 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: The effect it might have on things like unionization is 491 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: also a concern, and there are other concerns as well, 492 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: But it has not eliminated more jobs than it created. 493 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: That is, Gardner still predicts that by five one out 494 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: of every three jobs will be done by robots or 495 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 1: computers or some combination of those, but it also says 496 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: that's starting a I will be creating more jobs than 497 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: it eliminates. So while we will have a robot or 498 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: AI taking over one out of every three jobs, in general, 499 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: there will be more jobs for everyone, not just robots, 500 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: but for people, and that these technologies will be used 501 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: to help companies become more efficient and profitable, but not 502 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: necessarily at the expense of human employees. Rather, the machines 503 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: will help humans do their jobs, not make humans superfluous. 504 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: So that's great. That's a very optimistic view of what 505 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: automation will do, and it's very different from the fears 506 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: that have been talked about over the last couple of years. 507 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: Here's hoping the optimistic one is right. Prediction number fourteen. 508 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 1: The trend that started in twenty seen of women stepping 509 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,360 Speaker 1: forward to reveal how they have been mistreated abused and 510 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: worse will sadly continue in twenty eighteen. I say sadly 511 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: not to suggest these women shouldn't come forward, but rather 512 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: that I suspect the problems they've experienced are deeply ingrained 513 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: in our society in general, anti tech world in particular. 514 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: I expect we'll see a dozen or more major stories 515 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: about harassment or worse in the technosphere. In My hope 516 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: is that though these stories are, through these stories, we 517 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: can shake things out to make a better environment for 518 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: everyone moving forward. It's going to be painful, but absolutely necessary. Yeah, 519 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: that definitely happened. That's another I hate to say thumbs 520 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: up because I didn't want this. This is another prediction 521 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: I didn't want to be true. I just felt pretty 522 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: certain it was true. And the Me Too movement really 523 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: took center stage in many arenas, not just the tech industry, 524 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: you know, the entertainment industry certainly had its share as well. 525 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: Uh not even the overall business industry was the only 526 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: place where this happened. We saw it everywhere, and it 527 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: absolutely should. I want to be clear about that, the 528 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: me too movement should take center stage because honestly, it 529 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: harms everybody if we don't address these problems, and that 530 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: includes just acknowledging that there are, in fact problems. If 531 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: we say no, there's no problem, we're making things worse 532 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: for everyone. By acknowledging the problems, by confronting the fact 533 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,479 Speaker 1: that they exist, and then working to resolve them and 534 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: to prevent those things from happening in the future, we 535 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: can create a better environment for everyone, not just the 536 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 1: people who are being victimized, but the people who are 537 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: being victimized. If if things are better for them, then 538 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: they get to do better things, they get to contribute 539 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: more back to society, so we all benefit when we 540 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: improve things. This isn't just a you know, not all 541 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,239 Speaker 1: men type of argument sort of thing, which is by 542 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: the way, I'm exhausted hearing about that. I think everyone 543 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 1: understands that not every person of the male gender is 544 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 1: constantly being a predator or anything like that, but rather 545 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: that we have enough of that, and enough of that 546 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: is baked in systemically and things like business, politics, general culture, 547 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: that we really need to address it. We really need 548 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: to acknowledge it and figure out how to fix things 549 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: to make the environment better for everyone, and again, we 550 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: all benefit from this. This is something we should be selfish. 551 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: We should all want this to happen so that we 552 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: get better stuff. Alright, Prediction number fifteen. No, wow, I 553 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: just read it again. Yeah, this one was dumb. Star 554 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: Sitisen will not emerge from beta, in which seems the 555 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: safest bet ever. A Star Citizen is a computer game. 556 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: It was kick started in tw It also has had 557 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: various ways of raising money. It raised more than a 558 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: hundred seventy million dollars. In fact, that number is old, 559 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 1: that's a year old number that was from when I 560 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: was making these predictions. But it's a persistent science fiction game. 561 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: Sold spaceships and the possibility of purchasing in game real 562 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: estate and also at facial capture technology so that you're 563 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: supposedly gonna be able to transmit your expressions onto your character. 564 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: That kind of stuff. This is kind of like predicting 565 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: water will continue to be wet. Star says, and is 566 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: still in development. It has not been released, so big 567 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 1: thumbs up here. However, I do want to say a 568 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: little more about it. The most recent version of Star Citizen, 569 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 1: which has parts of the game finished, has the designation 570 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: Alpha three point three, so it's not even in beta. 571 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: But while it's still in development. There are parts of 572 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 1: the game that are playable. People who supported it and 573 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: are in the alpha can actually play those parts of 574 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 1: the game. And I'm talking about stuff that's legitimately impressive. 575 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,800 Speaker 1: This isn't like wire frames that just tell you, Okay, 576 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: well here's a placeholder. It's gonna look really awesome later on. 577 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: So I don't mean to say the game is never 578 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: coming out. I don't mean that the developers aren't working hard. 579 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: They clearly are. The evidence is there. It's a hugely 580 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: ambitious project. Hope fully it's a hugely ambitious project that 581 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: one day will be a full game, even if that 582 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 1: means a game that gets continuous updates and additional content, 583 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,760 Speaker 1: Maybe the kind of game that releases and the full 584 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 1: game part continues down the road. I'm hoping for that. 585 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 1: Right now, it's still one of those things that people 586 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: are kind of worried will always be in development and 587 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 1: never be released. Prediction number sixteen. There will be a 588 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: bitcoin value crash in ten but it will recover at 589 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: least to the point where it returns to around ten 590 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: dollars per bitcoin, but at some point the value will 591 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: drop significantly. For a while, I was wrong about this, 592 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 1: I would say, um, I was wrong about the timing 593 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,839 Speaker 1: and I was wrong about the recovery, so I'm gonna 594 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:50,360 Speaker 1: give a thumbs down on this. However, the important note 595 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 1: to to really know here is that bitcoin's value did 596 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:57,879 Speaker 1: drop drastically in twenty eighteen, but it did so over 597 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: the course of the entire year. It wasn't like a crash. 598 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: It wasn't a moment where the value plunged lower and 599 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: then never recovered or recovered up to ten thousand dollars, 600 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,959 Speaker 1: because it hasn't done that yet. Instead, what we've seen 601 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: is this steady decline. The value UH started at around 602 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,839 Speaker 1: fifteen thousand dollars at the beginning of the year, and 603 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,760 Speaker 1: as I record this, the value is closer to three thousand, 604 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,840 Speaker 1: four hundred dollars per bitcoin. So fifteen thousand to three thousand, 605 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 1: four hundred that's a huge drop. It's significant, But again, 606 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: it happened over the course of twelve months. There wasn't 607 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:37,439 Speaker 1: a sudden crash. There were some pronounced dips throughout the year, 608 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 1: and by that I mean there were some pronounced drops 609 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 1: in value, not there were pronounced idiots. I'm sure there 610 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: were those two, but not necessarily connected to bitcoin. One 611 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 1: of them is talking into a microphone right now. Prediction 612 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 1: number seventeen. We're going to see a big, serious push 613 00:36:55,040 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: and podcasting. This is fuel from successes like S Town 614 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 1: in the serial series, as well as some of the 615 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 1: old standards that have stuck around for years. Cough, tech 616 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: stuff cough. Expect to see a flood of new shows, 617 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: some of which are limited series with a set number 618 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 1: of episodes, others that are open ended and will publish 619 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: until people stop listening or the hosts decide to do 620 00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: something else. But we are going to see more development 621 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,640 Speaker 1: of programming in this space as if it were more 622 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:28,080 Speaker 1: akin to radio or TV series. Big thumbs up here, 623 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 1: It's absolutely true. And remember I made this prediction before 624 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio came in and acquired our company. We 625 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:42,960 Speaker 1: saw tons of new podcasts debut in, including mini series, 626 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 1: and I feel like maybe half of them came out 627 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 1: of our office. But at the time I made this prediction, 628 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: I didn't know that was gonna happen. But yeah, we 629 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,399 Speaker 1: put out a lot of podcasts. Um nothing quite got 630 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: the buzz of S Town. I feel I don't think 631 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: anything quite captured the public. Uh, you know, like the 632 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: water cooler talk like s Town did, but people still 633 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,800 Speaker 1: were listening. There were numerous shows that debuted in twenty eighteen. 634 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: They included high profile podcasts, celebrity hosted shows. A lot 635 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 1: of true true crime shows came out in ten and 636 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:21,640 Speaker 1: more Prediction number eighteen. More bots, whether it's voice activated assistants, 637 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 1: automated customer service representatives, or some other implementation, will see 638 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:27,680 Speaker 1: a growth in the use of boats as a point 639 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,400 Speaker 1: of service. Thumbs up. We saw a ton of this, 640 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 1: and we saw a hint of the future, like Google Duplex, 641 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: which was equally impressive and unsettling. That's when Google would 642 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 1: show off this uh, this artificial intelligent assistant. During the 643 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 1: IO event Um, they had someone tell the Google Assistant 644 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: make a make a hair appointment for me at such 645 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: and such a place around noon. The assistant made a 646 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,920 Speaker 1: phone call to a real human being at a hair 647 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: salon and actual we got to listen to the recording 648 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 1: of the phone call and the assistant, this artificial intelligent 649 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: assistant made the arrangements and it sounded almost human like. 650 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: The assistant actually said things like uh um while responding 651 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: like a human would, like we don't have anything in noon? 652 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 1: Would one o'clockwork, Um, do you have anything between ten 653 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: am and noon? That was an actual thing that the 654 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:35,319 Speaker 1: assistant said. So that was impressive and a little unsettling, 655 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: but it gave us a hint at what might be 656 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: to come. There have actually been discussions since then that 657 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: such an assistant should identify itself at the beginning of 658 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: a call that it is in fact an AI assistant 659 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:53,319 Speaker 1: and not a human being, because there's a worry that 660 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: it would feel deceptive and creepy otherwise. So how do 661 00:39:57,160 --> 00:39:58,959 Speaker 1: you think I did. I think I had a better 662 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,240 Speaker 1: success rate this year than and I did most years, 663 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: apart from that ludicrous mistake I made about online sales 664 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,160 Speaker 1: versus retail. I still don't know where I got information 665 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:11,319 Speaker 1: that made me think something that was so far from 666 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 1: the truth was accurate. It blows my mind. It would 667 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 1: have been like saying we're gonna find out in twenty 668 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 1: nineteen that the Earth is flat. It just seems ridiculous. Now. Anyway, 669 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 1: those were my predictions for I will not be making 670 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,359 Speaker 1: predictions for twenty nineteen. I've decided this year to do 671 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:33,800 Speaker 1: something different. I'm going to make a wish list. So 672 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 1: in our next episode, you will hear what I'm wishing 673 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 1: for for twenty nineteen, and I'll explain more on that episode. 674 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,960 Speaker 1: But it has been a heck of a year, a 675 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,040 Speaker 1: year where for six months of the year I was 676 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:51,279 Speaker 1: doing five episodes a week and we're back down to 677 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:55,160 Speaker 1: doing three episodes a week now. It's two new ones 678 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,839 Speaker 1: in one classic, and that's going to give me a 679 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: lot more opportunity to really focus on individual shows and 680 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,000 Speaker 1: make them the best I can. So I'm very happy 681 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 1: about that. Plus I'm gonna be working on some other 682 00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 1: stuff outside of Tech Stuff, so keep an ear out 683 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 1: for that. If you guys have any suggestions for future 684 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:14,240 Speaker 1: episodes of tech Stuff, because it's gonna keep on going, 685 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 1: send me an email. The addresses tech Stuff at how 686 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Make sure you pop on over 687 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 1: to our website that's over at tech stuff podcast dot com. 688 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 1: That's where you can find ways to contact me on 689 00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:31,439 Speaker 1: Facebook or Twitter, and don't forget to visit our merchandise 690 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: stores over at t public dot com slash tech Stuff. 691 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,360 Speaker 1: I'm just watching try try and guess what I'm gonna 692 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: say next. She thinks that I do this exactly the 693 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,200 Speaker 1: same way at the end of every episode, and she's wrong, 694 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:47,480 Speaker 1: I tell you, but seriously, go to our merchandise store 695 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:49,560 Speaker 1: because if you buy stuff, it helps our show and 696 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:54,000 Speaker 1: we greatly appreciate it. I'll see you guys in twenty nineteen, 697 00:41:55,160 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 1: and I'll talk to you again really soon. For more 698 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, is it how 699 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com