We're a year into the metamorphosis of Facebook into Meta, and by all indications it seems the transition is putting significant pressure on the company. Meta's share price has dropped by around 70% since the rebrand and user adoption is slow. So how long can Meta continue spending on the Metaverse before investors force it to refocus on its core business? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thedefragnews Read The Wall Street Journal's investigation into the Metaverse: htt...
Nov 29, 2022•24 min•Ep. 67
The Defrag will be returning on Tuesday 29th of November, but things will be a little different. We've also launched a new YouTube channel - you can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@thedefragnews Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube ....
Nov 25, 2022•3 min•Ep. 66
Game-to-film adaptations have a reputation for not living up to the expectations of fans. But despite this, they keep getting made, and it seems the frequency of these productions is increasing. So why does Hollywood keep returning to video game properties and can the newest generation of adaptations finally overcome that awful reputation? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join ou...
Jun 14, 2022•18 min•Ep. 65
Space is becoming more and more commercial. NASA is focused on outsourcing key parts of the Artemis missions to external companies, and there's big money on the line for those lucky enough to secure contracts. But what are the risks in outsourcing so much of the mission to external providers? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 F...
Jun 09, 2022•18 min•Ep. 64
Apple's Annual Worldwide Developer Conference is on this week. So today on the show, a quick wrap of what was announced during the opening keynote.
Jun 07, 2022•4 min•Ep. 63
Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down from Meta... and other important headlines. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube ....
Jun 02, 2022•5 min•Ep. 62
Autonomous vehicles could revolutionise the automotive and transport sectors. They promise a future where you can hail a driverless taxi, or sit back and relax while your own car drives itself to a destination. While level five autonomous vehicles are still years away, one of the questions facing regulators is who holds responsibility if one of these vehicles has a crash? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free...
May 31, 2022•16 min•Ep. 61
Facial recognition is now in use across many apps and devices. For example, many of us use Face ID to unlock an iPhone or to gain access to other apps. But there are more concerning uses of the tech, particularly in public settings. One of the latest applications comes from Mastercard, that is trialling a program allowing retailers to accept biometric data to confirm a payment from a customer. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid mem...
May 27, 2022•15 min•Ep. 60
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May 24, 2022•4 min•Ep. 59
It’s long been said that vitamins like Vitamin C, D, or Zinc, can help speed up your recovery from illness. But is that really the case? And if you’re unlucky enough to be wiped out with covid, will popping a few vitamins, help you recover sooner? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitt...
May 19, 2022•17 min•Ep. 58
Do you ever feel like the amount of spam you're getting seems higher than normal? Well it turns out you weren't just thinking that, malicious attacks are actually on the rise. However it's not just your emails that are vulnerable, our mobile phones are too. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , T...
May 17, 2022•12 min•Ep. 57
Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference is happening right now. It's a chance for the search giant to show off its latest innovations to the community. From advancements in translation tech, to new hardware, this year's event had plenty to offer. In this episode we dive into some of the latest developments. Google I/O Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP-nMZpLM1A Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and ge...
May 12, 2022•15 min•Ep. 56
Australia is in a housing affordability crisis. Not only is it becoming harder to buy or build a new home, but in many locations around the country, getting a rental property is both difficult and expensive. This is a crisis that was exacerbated by the global pandemic. But could we reduce the price of rental housing by building tiny homes? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join ou...
May 10, 2022•17 min•Ep. 55
Twitter is working on an edit button. It's a much requested feature from users, but what impact could the ability to edit tweets have on its ecosystem? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube . Advertisers: Command Line Heroes: https://link.chtbl.c...
May 05, 2022•15 min•Ep. 54
Until recently, the Wii was Nintendo's best-selling home console. Part of its success came from attracting more casual players with motion-controlled games that involved moving your body rather than using the buttons on a traditional controller. The wii has since been surpassed by the Nintendo Switch, with over 103 million units sold worldwide. Now Nintendo looks set to recapture some of that casual audience with the successor to one of the Wii's most popular games. Sign up to our free new...
May 03, 2022•16 min•Ep. 53
A quick update on The Defrag. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube ....
Apr 27, 2022•2 min•Ep. 52
During the pandemic, many companies embraced virtual events. Apple, for example, is still making highly produced, cinematic, keynotes and doesn't seem keen to return to a physical offering. And in the games industry, pre-packaged videos have become an effective marketing tool. But one major event in gaming, E3 hasn't been held since 2019, which has seen ripple effects throughout the industry. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid memb...
Apr 14, 2022•19 min•Ep. 52
Whether it's on the field, in training, or during sleep, professional athletes are constantly being tracked. The data collected is used to improve technique and performance, in the hope of gaining an edge. So much data is collected that it's not always clear why this information gathered or if it's ever going to be used. Now experts are raising ethical and privacy concerns, and calling for a review of the way data collection in professional sport is handled. Getting ahead of the game: athlete da...
Apr 13, 2022•17 min•Ep. 51
With issues around global fuel supplies, and the impact of climate change, many people are now starting to consider a switch to an EV. But just how green are electric vehicles? According to a new study, where you live can play a big role in how climate-friendly your electric car actually is. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Fo...
Apr 12, 2022•13 min•Ep. 50
For a lot of people, Easter means chocolate. It's the chocolate industry's busiest time of the year. But not all chocolate is created equal. Child exploitation, environmental issues, and poverty are all major problems in the harvesting of cocoa. So how do you figure out if what you're buying this Easter is actually ethical? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: ...
Apr 11, 2022•13 min•Ep. 49
If you dread the sound of your alarm going off each morning, you don't need to change your life to become a morning person. New research shows that it may be as simple as choosing the right kind of alarm sound. Dawn Birds Deliberate Alarm Tone: https://stuartmcfarlane.bandcamp.com/track/dawn-birds-deliberate-v1 The Conversation - Is there such a thing as the perfect alarm tone?: https://theconversation.com/is-there-such-a-thing-as-the-perfect-alarm-tone-we-think-so-and-this-is-what-it-might-soun...
Apr 08, 2022•13 min•Ep. 48
New podcast research examining the social aspects of podcasting has discovered that there are similarities between the types of people who listen to podcasts. So can you predict whether someone listens to a podcast based on their personality? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , ...
Apr 07, 2022•13 min•Ep. 47
Fatalities and injuries caused by drink-driving have been on the decline in recent decades, but the problem hasn't been eliminated. Random police stops, and public awareness campaigns, have helped mitigate the issue but they can be expensive and unreliable. However new technology could be the answer to stamping out the problem for good. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our D...
Apr 06, 2022•13 min•Ep. 46
Breaking your femur can often involve a lengthy and painful recovery. However a new type of implant has been developed that could help stabilise these breaks and give patients some mobility while the bone recovers. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube...
Apr 05, 2022•14 min•Ep. 45
NFTs or non-fungible tokens - they're all the rage in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. However apps like Twitter are now integrating NFTs into their platform, and Samsung is now integrating an NFT marketplace into its television range. So has the technology hit a turning point that could see widespread adoption? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: htt...
Apr 01, 2022•15 min•Ep. 44
The way people access and play console games is changing. Xbox Game Pass offers a subscription service akin to Netflix. You pay a monthly fee and get access to a bunch of top games. Now Sony has revamped their subscription gaming offering - updating Playstation Plus to deliver a more competitive subscription gaming experience. But can it stand up against Xbox Game Pass? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free f...
Mar 31, 2022•14 min•Ep. 43
How can we learn to deal with fires that are becoming even more extreme, and unpredictable? The answer could be through the use of AI. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube . Advertisers: Command Line Heroes: https://link.chtbl.com/commandlineher...
Mar 30, 2022•13 min•Ep. 42
Contracts to broadcast major sports in the United States are regularly in the billions of dollars. But recently streaming sites have started moving into the live sports market. Amazon already has a deal to broadcast NFL, and now Apple is betting that live sports could be a popular addition to its Apple TV+ offering. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https:/...
Mar 29, 2022•18 min•Ep. 41
Tropical fish are packing up and moving south into new ecosystems that they've never lived in before. So why are they moving? And what impact is this move having on their behaviour? Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , or YouTube . Advertisers: Command Line Hero...
Mar 28, 2022•14 min•Ep. 40
Sending a rover to another planet like Mars is vital if we ever want to send humans. But developing a Mars rover takes years, and is a huge financial risk. That's why being able to simulate the martian environment on Earth is important. Sign up to our free newsletter at https://thedefrag.com/ - or become a paid member and get an ad-free feed and bonus episodes. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/rHb7JVHz42 Follow us on Facebook , Twitter , Instag...
Mar 25, 2022•18 min•Ep. 39
