Ep. 14: Google buys Motorola, Anonymous protests, and the right-brain computer

Hey guys welcome to the best the buzz allowed her weekly diagnosis. All things on our weekly show podcast buzz -- now in this week's episode. Has been a slow summer but we've just been flipped over on our heads Google buys Motorola mobility for twelve point five. Billion dollars and we also have HP saying goodbye to -- -- we'll talk about how all those things are gonna shake out also authorities -- anonymous protests over San Francisco's. Mobile network shut down. And IBM treats cognitive semiconductors. Pretty much -- -- not a step towards right bringing computers. And terminator is come to life very very soon so these are watching it -- it all out. In case you've been under a tech news rocked. And -- Google is buying Motorola mobility. Or twelve point five and billion dollars imaginary disdain for the -- that we first on the headline this morning with but I thought it was some iPod may be it was joke. And -- I thought well maybe I'm misunderstanding. And that they're buying like infrastructure. There's sort of the two Motorola's mobility and another one but no no it appears that they're gonna make phones now. Is next -- to applicable now the announcement is that Motorola Google purchase Motorola for forty dollars a share. It's a 62% premium over -- closing price. One of the biggest pieces of this though is also Motorola's patent portfolio. -- after acquiring a large chunk of this we've seen how. On the whole patent wars in everyone's -- offense and defense about how that is all -- out. Motorola and sells their -- -- -- includes 171000 approved patents and another 7500. That are pending approval. So this is one of the strategies that's part of this acquisition as well. MA tells that little -- you were the first article I side -- -- Google has bought itself some patent protection can expand on element fourth and -- and about. Well first I I think that this is probably this was prevalent is -- and and when you look at -- it. A consortium paid for -- that Novell. And Nortel patents I mean is -- -- a lot less. And they're -- like four times as many patents. Through this Motorola acquisition twelve you know -- it's basically a bargain. Her for Google. So I think that was what was driving -- and really what this comes down to is you know. Google is is a fairly young company announced him mobility and yet they don't have a lot its intellectual property -- built up -- companies like Motorola which essentially invented itself. And they've -- Pretty attacked from Microsoft and Apple which had been out there scooping up. Patents. -- and going. Against Google and challenging Oracle's than another one which Oracle you isn't necessarily competitor but I think they saw dollar signs and name acquired Sun Microsystems. Java. Patent portfolio between -- and we -- it. Use of thinking. And I am yes so I think -- it's. They have all sort of piled on and -- taken on Google and Android and Google is pretty much defenseless they were not. Really. Making headway in acquiring some of these patents -- that came up for example the -- patents and Nortel patents so now on. You know this this really gives them a good. Base it to fight off August litigation and then you know just as some -- -- little extra and. Well that -- -- that's the very curious part you know some. People have said that this is a defensive move on Google's part like we've seen them pretty much belly aching. I think -- made yet put it about how they're under this attack and and asking for some kind of -- reform. Is it is this to mean this feels a legitimately get Google move right where they're kind of may be ignoring the long term ramifications of owning a handset maker -- I mean there -- obvious benefits we can get you an imminent but. Is this really do think a purchase -- all about. Patents and if so I got smart. Well yeah I think they they needed something you like it my colleague Jay Greene who is turned out to be He covers Microsoft and Google for us and he's turned out to be our -- who grew in following all -- these. Stories and He wrote. -- just recently that Google was vulnerable -- -- so here they are belly aching but at the same time He. He had point 89 story he'd like -- they don't. They don't have all these patents and so they were out looking for something in there had been some speculation -- would be interested in researching and ocean. Which had a decent patent portfolio. But. You know. Now rim is totally out. And know where this leads them out in you know Google would have been net -- a potential acquire it now acts likely happen. I don't think anyone had really thought about Motorola is a possible. -- acquisition target and I had heard it like we said I thought it was a joke first contents. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- I think it but it does make sense -- patent. Perspective and when you look at how much money and -- -- four point one billion dollars were paid on some of these other. So you know for the number of patents are getting through Motorola for twelve point five billion dollars they're paying cash. -- they have. It's it's a deal on and then they get you know so if the same time. I think the big question will be what are they gonna do with the handset business are they actually -- Developed the handset business. Or you know they could very well just -- likes it happens and get rid of -- sort of forget about it I think that they probably are gonna do something with a handset business. And and we -- -- a little bit about that too I think at that can be an interest in business for them but I think they're really gonna take off there. Partners now -- -- -- Samsung HTC on the axis super interesting to me because there's no question that Google could now basically become. An Apple. That -- molest again Apple app app where they control the hardware they control the platform that can really build an amazing integrated system. And Annika I think that is -- -- -- I mean it seems like that's what they're headed for I mean they've got the cloud stuff -- got the music. There you know they're getting into books and you know they've also got Google TV you know -- let's not forget that money when they also get. With the get with Motorola is -- the set top business and -- Google TV is really struggled -- now. You know you've -- You -- Motorola which is in pretty much every. Cable system out there and terms set top boxes -- they had you know some kinda in with the cable companies and you know that can also be. A potential. Business unit for -- and something that they can expansive there's a lot of possible synergies it you know when -- first -- headline act and then when you start to think about and. And an -- lot of sense that if they were gonna be in the handset market they would mean. Let's let there's a good we can do sort of a pro and con we're gonna try to be organized methods we have those still on any thoughts about it -- So there's a good read up over the -- that by our colleague -- Dayton in about six reasoned that it possibly. Is a good thing and one of them obviously is that integration. That it may actually validate. Apple's model little bit and say you know what you can control the experience better when you control the experience. DL one of the things that's challenging about that rate so we we see okay maybe it is some sort of admission. That integrating -- being the company that controls hardware and software. Is actually the way to go on the other hand at the end of the statements of the acquisition Andy Rubin now Wright said we are still glowing in. To support Android as an open platform for the open source community and work with a handset makers but with the acquisition you've gotta wonder. Samsung and others said they they're probably in some -- happy about this acquisition it. More than -- because Android in all those patent trolls and other companies are. Android now has the backing of patents to protect them so Android -- system that these manufacturers. All are in bed with with you know with a phone sensing an ACC. But then at the same time they gotta be one Green behind closed doors what's really happening because if Google. Moves forward with this -- and really does try to build an integrated system we have seen already -- -- trying to work more closely with specific hardware partners. Specifically with the whole on tablet initiative that they pushed out and many factors were complain that they're working a lot more closely with people like Motorola and Samsung than they are with us. So if you're someone now that's looking a little bit on the outside like the Samsung ace to receive because of this Motorola marriage you've gotta be -- -- Are we going to get the same attention and love and that we used to. Although the positive spin on that is that if Google starts putting out Motorola Android -- hope hope springs eternal that they are apply here -- -- -- that that could put competitive pressure on Samsung and HTC to not mess up the phone right to it. To do a better job of the software integration to be a little bit Lucchino. To conform to standards as far as the OS I mean it could maybe. If sampling and HTT don't flee the partnership and really why -- -- -- still it's still gonna be way cheaper to run Mandarin Mandarin windows on. Then consumers could win because we could get away less fragment to 900 X. Which is -- an -- I think it what's gonna happen is you. Google has been looking for these handset partners to -- embraced the vision. A pure Google little bit more than happy and -- -- -- -- -- nexus line of phones and you know so this could be that. That vehicle for getting out pure Android experience -- and you have more of the the Google experience in there with. With the cloud services the music in and everything expert -- and more tightly. And I think what this could do is for Samsung -- TC for example to differentiate their platform. Forms a little bit more I mean you know Motorola dabble a little bit with notable her I think are probably -- -- go way and I think we'll probably do I help -- An -- an honest and at the same time I think Samsung -- -- TC you know if if they try to go for the pure Google experience they're gonna be competing with Google. So it's it's more are likely that they might try to find a way to differentiate their handsets to make them you know make these. The Samsung experience Samsung handset which happens to have an Android operating -- There is actually other news happening in this world today. Outside of the whole well we would has been Clement who the Rolla -- let Gordon's a lot of my favorite. A dynamic that -- -- to -- from the elements silent cougar -- Our right now we talked about anonymous taking on Bart and if you don't know what -- is it's the bay area rapid transit systems here. In -- northern California and what's happening this has been an ongoing story since the end of last week but now the latest development and we'll give you little history later what's been going on. The -- Saddam is that authorities. Are facing anonymous protests over census -- mobile network that was shut down. On Thursday so it's a little background there was an organized protests for the shooting death. Of I believe it was a homeless -- -- gentlemen that happened at a -- station on Thursday last week. So protesters showed up. But to thwart some of those efforts of organization. Sam Cisco decided on that day to shut down their entire mobile network. That covers those areas in the tunnels in order to you like you said Saddam protesters think -- -- prevent totally united Xena. Yeah -- seen this happen in Egypt and Syria. San Francisco decided it would be a good idea to do it here. Yet it's amazing and people immediately. And not surprisingly. -- wreaked out of partly because they pulled the -- yet they sell -- and -- but also because they said look this does not state. They set limitations for three hours -- for three hours that the there was no Kevin banks and a senior staff are at electronic frontier foundation sent a there was no demonstrated risk to the public safety at all because -- said. If there -- going to be some protests and the protesters might use mobile devices to coordinate their activities and we want to ensure the safety of -- -- on the platform. And make content even if there had been a demonstrated risk to the public safety at all the action was unacceptable from a First Amendment point of view. And then other people complain that it's flat out unsafe especially if you think they're gonna be protest going on something bad might happen and you turn off -- cellphone access no one can contact emergency services. I mean it was just an unbelievable. Thing to -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- San Francisco you would really do that EP geysers about that so. Anyways that happened over at the end of last week then over the weekend anonymous decided to take control -- web site as well as leaking and -- -- A variety of pieces of user information around people that are part of my Bart dot org was hacked -- talked about again. Names addresses phone numbers and passwords they also. Defaced the website added some of the logos you know our our own -- -- -- fox made a little appearance on there. Really yeah W they use it you know these rhetoric is the -- of them. Yet and they and then they so they've published all of that and then they actually were tweeting the and the contact information Bart employees. And encouraging people to call them which you know which is always I'm not that cool it because obviously not every individual employee made that decision or even agreed with it. But it was. That was interesting so then buy Bart called in the -- Obviously to help them investigate after the hack that exposed on an information and then now people are planning to -- today. We don't actually know what's gonna happen today but people are planning a physical protest hundreds of supporters of anonymous were scheduled to gather today at one of the city's main station. The editor and there's a bunch of news tracts surrounding the city center you have station when I was coming in a work. Otherwise there were no people there organized the time but and you guys wanna find you know if authorities wanna find where anonymous is supporters and potential members -- It is to throw -- -- does throw an adult protest and do dragon in a matter of welcome clearly at the police -- But this is you know this is -- a lot of on nationwide coverage in the media and that. It's it's a little it is disturbing to see it in the US via special in a local level. Cell networks being shut down to prevent organization of rallies slash protest free speech on it follows the chip follows. The Britain prime minister David Cameron saying last week that we shouldn't they should look at turning off social networks. If people are going to use social networks to try to organized in a further looting and -- country and it seems to be. I mean we've had a kill switch is -- that there is. As far as I know a kill switch provision enabled by our own US congress if you know that lets them decide that they can turn off the Internet of things are getting out of hand. That seems to be increasingly. And disturbing the a knee jerk response to. Any kind of uprising. And the fact that it is now spread to the US in small. Doses like this and the fact that you know that the prime minister of Britain is talking about turning off the Internet to stop protesters -- like. I don't know why they don't see the connection between that and -- speeds but it is bad behavior and it's a bad trend yes. I'm kind of with anonymous on. -- is definitely a with the people I'm not gonna go to their protest that's great I don't wanna get content and -- -- on a single -- handwriting barn and when I don't get and also I'm not gonna -- -- I don't wanna get shot. Seriously seriously I did my honest they've a pretty generally place it really Bart unfortunately I'm a pretty -- is now. It's not cool. Hot on the heels of -- -- which was already pretty earth shattering news in the tech world. Yesterday there were actually the rumors were starting to bubble up during the show that something was gonna happen with XP but we had and I did I tried not to be distracted by the Twitter feed. During the show and -- about an hour after we left the studio yesterday. The word came out that -- Webos operations. That is there killing the webos division within HP either -- the touchpad no more. Three iphones are webos based -- I don't know what's gonna happen to the printers did you mean discontinued. In a fake I thought I was wondering if there it's confused the ones thank you for a -- -- in -- on here. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Anyway they're gonna kill those. And that then. Well there's even more news coming up to that let's start with that alone they're gonna take a hundred million dollar loss on all those touch -- they didn't sell. And then right. I mean this news broke my heart in a lot of ways because I don't think -- and had to go out. Well that's a loss I think it's hard to say that it was -- that -- I like I mean they went out when HP bought them rate it's. To meet palm was dead once HP acquired them we have led the sad thing about is is that. How long that someone sent us a tweet just to give us that the idea how many days the touch -- Actually at least a lasted from a support side of -- let's look at historically in Microsoft's kin which was the -- of the final baby project between the danger acquisition of Microsoft. That lasted 48 dailies -- -- on sale rate militants -- will still be on sale but when you're talking about officially supporting device the touch -- -- does they can. By one day -- before the -- -- 49 days the -- went to market. And they've decided or at least -- the official announcement that there are killing all support moving forward for the hardware. And the platform now they did say in it. And to make things even a little more cloudy they said they're not planning on. Completely. Abandoning -- webos. They might look at other options for licensing it or selling it to another company but make no mistake about it webos. From what we know that today and HP supporting a really consumer mobile devices. That idea is completely -- Yahoo! and we saw HP earlier this year. Roll out this whole array of webos here -- -- their webos -- -- tops and in different formats webos and multiple multiple of mobile devices. It's not happening. It's done. IBM. Has created. What they are calling -- benignly cognitive semiconductors. Dollars and -- Yes -- computing systems that are designed to emulate the brain's ability to absorb information and adapt to an environments so. Computer assisted systems that come complete with. Basically programmable synapse is. These social network of the chip. And learning synapse is so that they can actually learn and adapt. As they go creating if you will a rite brain. For the computer brain did which right now basically only has left -- -- has like structured data it has information retrieval it came. Kind of learn -- article artificial intelligence but it's not the same as actually like. Creatively thinking which is what they want cognitive -- to be able to -- Seattle like -- -- sands you know today's computer would be left brain fast analytical rational structured. Where the right brain. Right when you've got to figure -- the most efficient way to loaded gun to its all out. Right I did this later style and -- like were deemed to re entry -- all this and apps is in the layout of like the brains. You know myriad -- connected near hunt is as the -- and stared as the cherry and just said. Hi -- -- refuses to learn from scifi -- -- fear. Knowing what is working on dock with this I think -- honor of the the whole bad poetry -- -- -- be the best thing that happened to poetry ever try to look. We'll have computer poetry computer poets and computer art. All the creativity is gonna come out of the spring we should be thinking about that not not the M robot and -- -- and the robot overlord tool we put isn't a little cubby holes and forget about us and -- energy. That's true and because that's gonna suck but right now -- These guys really are experiencing a scientific triumph and we should probably pay some respect to that ran like they're saying yeah we're scared but we -- -- -- it's amazing stuff it's phenomenal IBM research project leader arm and remote. Said to CNET like look. What I hold in my hand as -- as I speak is our first cognitive computing court. He combines computing in the form of neurons memory in the form of -- -- and communications in the form of acts on. And in working silicon not PowerPoint. Like this is ready to be shown to the world they've been working on this for years and they've actually been able to pull it off it will also be. Lower how mean that really they are tried to emulate the brain as much as possible they're saying it'll be like. Slower rate low power computational -- ran but low power. And potentially. I guess a part of -- -- the scariest is that of the people with the first dibs on is DARPA. Ninth that she. And that's where it goes dark again in no hurry I don't read out the arrow left her entry I think they're pretty credits after you know. And centurion robot killer IBM by the -- -- cognitive computing systems can fit in -- size of -- -- box like the Turk or whatever in the new. And the terminator reboot just. In the. And size of the thing. They say that among the potential uses and our computers that can take in inputs such as sectors smell and feel to gauge whether food was outdated or look for -- the bodies of or look for online and or healthy bodies to track down the financial applications to monitored treating and recognize patterns and await today's algorithms -- maybe they -- prevent the next. Traffic monitor you. And. Now enemy is cool they can make all they can they could predict all the patents will ever need to make for the rest of -- of of humanity yet and then -- register them on and we can be over this whole pat -- thing. And -- -- is predictable system monitoring for waterways and other natural recital of how to -- like the mostly positive. People -- so it's also kittens and puppy can help build playground. Shallow the better playgrounds -- -- eat it but yes one of the biggest blunders of their research. It's DARPA is DARPA 21 million dollars each area the second phase of the project of systems of -- more effective adaptive plastic scalable electronics. Or -- Synapse. Canada and get it they -- and it shouldn't change the -- and and you know the words so that it would spell it. That's what's next to different period happy fluffy clouds but it should. -- if they really wanna spend listening to the busy any -- -- little euphemism for this thing as possible. Just let let let me just remind you that Ray -- defines the next the singularity the technological singularity. As the moment. When computers become smarter than him. India while we're almost there where. Watson Watson has already rocketing Watson smart -- that want the very smart greater than human intelligence to technological and as people. In in other news regarding space. The -- ready in a hotel. Will be ready for guests to fly up there in 2016. So. Space tourism closer than you think it -- say it'll be one million dollars. To identified this is I believe this is just to stay in the hotel because the costs of the flight. Should technically be a little more -- but permits currently 51 million dollars -- enough to take the trip. I I just hope that IBM's Hal 9000. Chip is not being installed on this announcement -- with -- as quiet as my mr. Keating is suing Motorola mobility actually why has He doesn't have quite enough money to go stay in space hotel -- So this is the orbiting hotel built by a Russian company or a little technologies. You'll get there fly any Russian rocket and the commercial space station is about 270 miles above earth. I looked at the facilities here. I'm sorry but can. -- I would get claustrophobic and that thing I mean you might be able to see space that you're supposed to stay up to five -- -- a million dollar -- -- and now all signals computers. I need some help let's look at it look at the -- look at the screen of the map of the world when you can look out your window Internet instant. -- -- I would go I would definitely go -- at -- I've noticed that. And that no alcohol will not be available. You can smuggle it in in -- water bottle he'll be traveling at 171500. Miles per hour in low earth orbit pampered with -- -- basically amenities you can imagine plenty of gourmet foods. A specially designed sealed shower your choice of a vertical or horizontal bed. And contained. Yes and I'm trusting your own far bubble and I'm saying I'm not gonna weakest link and of gourmet foods includes I don't high standards our -- -- -- Dehydrated strawberries keystroke enough an astronaut ice stream not very and I that's not gonna do nothing -- my -- justice system on up there them and. So that's it for this we show remember you guys can -- -- weekdays live at 10:30 AM Pacific time. I'm -- -- that's gonna deal for this week's best about sellout.