[INTRO]
Welcome to Fetch’d—your weekly dose of new apps and tech innovations. I’m your host, Mika Nova.
For those of you tuning in for the first time, here’s the LD on what you can expect. Every week, we’ll dive straight into a top five list of new products from the world of tech. It’s a TLDR, minus the read time.
Let’s do this podcast, shall we?
[5—POKEMON OR CRYPTOCURRENCY- Website]
Starting at five, the website Pokemon or Cryptocurrency.
With the explosion of cryptocoins and tokens out on today’s market, it can be trying to stay on top of them all. You have Potcoin funding Dennis Rodman’s gallivants in North Korea and Mooncoin which monetizes your social likes, to HoboNickels, “Cypto for a Cause” and the recently found fraudulent CabbageTech. There are literally 1000s of these coins out there. Are you keeping tracking of them all? Could you tell a Pokemon character apart from a legit cryptocurrency?
Site creator Davis Baer tests your knowledge of these two realms, asking one simple question: Which one is cryptocurrency—Squirtle or Ripple? Numel or Numus? Solosis or Gnosis? Hint for the last one: One is crypto, the other “looks like a butt inside a bubble”.
Take Baer’s quiz and see how well you fare in the land of mythical creatures vs. digital dollars.
[4—.APP BY GOOGLE - Domain Extension]
Number four, DOT-app—the latest TLD from Google.
After writing a fat $25 million check back in 2015 for DOT-app, Google is releasing it to the public. Now’s your chance to nab that domain name you’ve always wanted—to have and to hold, from this day forward... until the bill comes to renew it.
C’mon people, this is BIG! Google just pressed an epic reset button. Think of all those cool names that GoDaddy and his homies all bought up and pimped out to the highest bidder. They’re available again. That’s right, seize the DOT-app. Get your vanity plate for the world wide web for as little as $14 a year. Like, Assman.app—available.
Targeting the dev crowd, DOT-app is the first TLD to automatically make the HSTS preload list, therefore promising exceptional levels of security for both you and your users without any additional work. Plus, it’s a great way for you or your business to strengthen your brand awareness and get found online.
As of May 8, domain registrars are open to the public and standing by. So go forth and get-DOT-app your domain today!
[3—GOOGLE DUPLEX - AI]
Number three—meet your new personal assistant, Google Duplex. Yea, Google’s had a righteous week!
The AI system takes a giant leap forward in closing the communication gap between man and computer—making the whole virtual thing seem so... natural. Duplex was engineered to complete real-world tasks over the phone—from scheduling an appointment to get your hair did to making that last minute dinner rezzy. All he/she/it needs, is access to your Google Assistant account and a phone. At Google I/O, conference goers got to hear the new tech in action. Here’s a clip from the pre-recorded demo:
[AUDIO CLIP—TC 1:10-1:50]
As Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated, “The assistant can actually understand the nuances of conversation.” How? It makes use of its precision-trained Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) core, which allows it to access its own memory combined with the parameters of the conversation to create speech that is dynamic, contextualized and well-timed. Huzzah!
For now Duplex’s AI is limited to a few specific domains, but will expand its reach in the coming months. So to all you current and future PAs, your job may be on the verge of extinction. Better update that LinkedIn profile.
[2—LAUNCH CONSOLE - App]
Number four—the app Launch Console from Three21 Creative.
If you’re an über space buff like me and live an ocean away from Florida’s Space Coast, you’ll find this app’s concept totally stellar. Unfortunately, in execution—Houston, we have a few problems.
But once all the bugs are fixed, here’s what you should expect. From your launch console, you’ll find a countdown to the next rocket launch. Click on the rocket icon to get all the deets on current and future launches. Though right now, rocket icon equals sudden app crash. The satellite icon, given its name, I hoped for live satellite streams from space. However, disappointingly it plays a tiring advert for SpaceX over an artistic rendering of deep space. And as for the Launch Compass, haven’t quite figured that feature out. In short, Launch Console isn’t quite there yet in terms of product despite its really really cool UI, but I’m willing to standby till version three lands.
Download the free app in the App Store or Google Play. The latest version includes push notifications for launches and minor bug fixes. Advice: Opt out of the in-app guided tour. ‘Cause remember, rocket icon equals sudden app crash.
[1—ATARI VCS - Gaming Console]
And in the top spot this week, a true blast from the past, the highly-anticipated Atari VCS.
Atari’s mantra: “Reinventing the way you game. Again.” Here’s what reinvention looks like: A custom processor built with partners AMD, Radeon Graphics Technology, 4K resolution, 60FPS, onboard and expandable storage, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 3.0. PLUS—the Atari Vault, 100s of classic Atari games like Asteroids, Centipede and Gravitar preloaded. The console will serve as a true entertainment hub, with access to and support for a wide selection of games, media and streamed content.
And that’s just the inner beauty of hardware. As for the console’s design, it’s a throwback homage to the Atari 2600 Video Computer System. Gamers can choose from two Collector’s Edition models: A wood-paneled front finish—true retro vibes, or a sleek black Onyx version. Video game peripheral maker, Power A, has even teamed up to revamp Atari’s classic joystick and develop a modernized controller.
Go to Indiegogo and sign up by email before May 30th for all the presale deets. Current price estimates for the console are between $200-$300 USD.
[CLOSING]
I’m Mika Nova. Thanks for tuning into Fetch’d and plug in next week for a new episode.
[POSTSCRIPT]
For this episode of Fetch'D, a special thanks goes out to:
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