The WAN Show: New Windows 9 DRM Rumours & Potato Salad - July 11th, 2014

The WAN Show episode from July 11th, 2014 opens with Linus and Slick introducing the format, promising a discussion on current tech topics and their own playful banter. The first major topic centers on Windows 9 and its rumored DRM changes, including the potential removal of CD keys and a store-account integration. They describe how activation might be tied to a Microsoft Store account distinct from the regular Windows account, with hardware details logged for validation. The hosts acknowledge concerns about privacy and piracy but argue that the implementations could resemble modern game platforms where licenses are managed online and machines can be deactivated when hardware is changed. They discuss the possibility of a streamlined licensing model similar to Steam, including family or multi-user packs, and how this could affect upgrades and pricing. The conversation weighs the potential benefits for legitimate users against the risk of reduced user control and the complications of hardware upgrades. They also touch on the timing of public previews and the Start Menu revival as a feature intended to appeal to Windows 7 users. Throughout, they reflect on the piracy landscape, licensing models, and how a well-executed DRM strategy might be accepted if it is user-friendly and transparent. The dialogue then shifts to practical considerations, including how such changes would influence installation practices and the logistics of deploying Windows 9 across multiple machines. The discussion includes scenarios about deactivating old machines and reactivating new ones, emphasizing the importance of a smooth user experience. The hosts share opinions on subscription-based or phased licensing models, comparing them to what they already experience with Office and other software in the market. They acknowledge cost barriers to upgrading Windows across a household and debate whether a three- to five-user family pack could improve affordability. A viewer poll and technical anecdotes about product licensing add color to the discussion, illustrating pros and cons from a user perspective. The conversation then pivots to a related hardware topic, Kinect for Windows V2, weighing its potential for PC adoption against the reality of developer support and SDK availability. They speculate on pricing, release timing, and whether bundled SDKs will drive broad usage in gaming or professional applications. The show examines other emerging input methods such as Leap Motion and the broader motion-control ecosystem, noting saturation and the challenge of choosing a single platform for developers. They discuss non-gaming uses like 3D scanning and printing, suggesting that higher fidelity capture could unlock new uses beyond games. The topic shifts back to Windows 9, with talk of activation mechanisms, cross-device licensing, and potential benefits for families or multiple machines under a single license. The hosts debate the relationship between DRM and piracy, with some advocating for a more consumer-friendly approach that reduces friction for legitimate users while still curbing casual copying. An extended riff on install parties and nostalgia for past Windows launch events underscores how software distribution and user communities have evolved. They conclude the Windows 9 segment by reiterating the importance of a seamless, transparent activation system that would minimize friction for users who upgrade within a household. In the potato salad segment, Linus and Slick wrap up the Windows discussion and pivot to the Potato Salad Kickstarter, noting its unusual premise and the public’s mixed reaction to crowdfunding entertainment itself. They compare the project’s $40k-odd total to the broader economics of internet memes and crowd-sourced content, debating whether such campaigns offer real value or merely online entertainment. The discussion broadens to questions of risk and reward in crowdfunding, with emphasis on whether backers receive tangible benefits or just social media notoriety. They also examine the tier structure, the obligation to deliver rewards, and the social dynamics of thanking backers at every tier, which leads to humorous but pointed commentary about feasibility, logistics, and accountability. The show then delves into ads and AdBlock Plus, exploring the legal and ethical tensions around online advertising, monetization, and the capacity for ad-supported content to fund creators. They unpack allegations that AdBlock Plus may be operating with an illegal business model by letting certain advertisers bypass filters, which would undermine the premise of ad blocking and potentially monetize the act of bypassing filters. The hosts consider the implications for content creators who rely on ads for revenue and discuss how the debate intersects with broader internet governance topics like net neutrality. The potato salad discourse returns, with a rapid-fire exchange about the campaign’s costs, stretch goals, and the social psychology of online giving, while the hosts speculate about the logistics of shipping thousands of rewards if the Kickstarter succeeds. LTT staff humor and restaurant concepts surface as a playful tangent, with the hosts riffing on the idea of a potato salad themed restaurant and odd dining experiences that emphasize humor and community storytelling. They reflect on other crowdfunding experiments and compare perceived value to entertainment expenditure in other media forms, such as video games and episodic content. The Samsung factory robbery story is introduced, detailing a large heist at a production facility and the implications for security and supply chains in the tech industry. They discuss the logistical challenges of handling, distributing, and reselling thousands of stolen devices, as well as the potential legal exposure for employees and distributors. The episode then pivots to data recovery from mobile devices, touching on the forensic capabilities of data recovery and the differences between SSDs and magnetic storage in terms of data persistence and deletion. They highlight how SSDs with TRIM and garbage collection may scrub data, complicating recovery efforts, and debate what this means for privacy and security in consumer devices. The show closes with a preview of the next topics, a quick shout-out to sponsors, and a reminder that the WAN Show is a dynamic, ongoing conversation about technology, culture, and the consumer experience. The after-party segment follows, providing extra content for engaged viewers and a more relaxed close to the stream.

Topics · technology · computing · consumer-electronics · video-podcasts · crowdfunding · digital-rights-management · software-licensing · hardware-rumors