July 7, 2019 - Episode 531

What this episode covers

Description This week, Samsung might have misled customers, Amazon might be liable for others' products, and MoviePass might be just about done. Participants Scott Ertz Host Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab. Avram Piltch Host Avram's been in love with PCs since he played original Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II+. Before joining Tom's Hardware, for 10 years, he served as Online Editorial Director for sister sites Tom's Guide and Laptop Mag, where he programmed the CMS and many of the benchmarks. When he's not editing, writing or stumbling around trade show halls, you'll find him building Arduino robots with his son and watching every single superhero show on the CW. Opening Powered by TeknoAXE Nifty Gifties Powered by Microsoft Store Australia claims Samsung misled consumers about water resistance Starting with the release of the Galaxy S7 in 2016, Samsung has produced all of its flagship phones with an IP68 water-resistance rating. This rating means that the device can survive for 30 minutes or less underwater at depths no more than 1.5 meters. As part of this addition, the company has featured the capability in its advertising, both online and on television. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claims that the advertising has misled consumers on the reality of the phone's water response. According to ACCC Chair Rod Sims, read full article Piltch Point with Avram Piltch Powered by Newegg.com Extra Life Powered by Razer Refunds to be issued after Shenmue 3 signs exclusivity deal with Epic It's not unusual for the details of a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign to change between the funding and fulfillment phases. In most cases, the changes are minor, not affecting the usability or deliverability of the product. In the case of Shenmue 3, the change is enough to require refunds to backers. read full article News From the Tubes Powered by RiffTrax Amazon can be sued for products it neither makes or directly sells Since Amazon got started its business model has changed significantly. Originally, the company sold only books, and only through its own distribution channel. As the company grew, it expanded its offerings, selling products other than books, and eventually opening the platform up to third-party sellers. That change took Amazon from being a traditional retailer and made it more like a flea market, where they provide the space and others use the space to sell their own products. read full article * DRM Not Included Powered by Amazon Prime MoviePass temporarily shuts down while Regal Cinemas ramps up The past year has not been kind to independent unlimited movie passes. The European brand Sinemia that came to the US in 2018, shut down operations, citing their inability to find profitability. This followed the nearly constant disaster that has been MoviePass, which has struggled for over a year to keep its lights on. The company has changed its offering several times, reducing the unlimited movies, changing prices, and canceling the one-year prepaid subscriptions. read full article Closing Powered by Tech Podcast Network