On this week’s show, Will goes it alone to discuss the real problem with CES, why he doesn’t like Smart TVs, why “smart” forks are dumb, the smartest products at CES, and a whole lot more. Enjoy and please, be kind.
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Will’s staring directly into my eyes/soul. When he talks about TV manufacturers at 3:28 I feel it.
On a more related note, two things impressed me from CES. The Oculus VR (which we already knew about) and this. When the ‘keys’ appeared on the screen, I had a real “holy shit future” moment.
Preach it Will! Now I totally want Smith’s Soapbox as a regular thing.
It’s great to hear real opinions about tech.
That’s all cool. But who do the dumb ideas really hurt? Sure main stream news shouldn’t report on them, but I’d imagine most people on this site can figure it out for themselves without an editorial filter. If companies want to spend lots of money to show things to ooo and ahh people why is that bad?
Lets see how much Will hates smart TV’s when Apple releases LCD’s in 24,32,42 and 55 inch models.
I just recently purchased a Samsung that had “Smart” features. I knew nothing about it and it didn’t effect my purchasing decision one iota but when I loaded it up, I was pleasantly surprised to find it had Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime built in which was really cool since I could now cut out the middle man (360/Wii U). I also like that it can wirelessly connect to my PC’s on my home network and stream all my media from them. It runs alright though it’s a bit disconcerting that they may never update the software(firmware?).
That Panasonic tablet actually makes me want something entirely different that may be possible in the near future. I want a tablet, that doesn’t crunch numbers but instead is an input/output device that is connected wirelessly to my PC. I basically want a very low latency splashtop type app for a handheld tablet that can handle all the power of my Desktop CPU/GPU and it’s capabilities in a tablet that I can carry around the house and use as if it were just an extension of my PC like a Wacom Cintiq.
I’m super psyched about the Oculus. Nice quick and condensed video. Fuck that fork.
Bravo Bravo.
I’m pretty happy with my Samsung smart tv and it was no more expensive than the other tvs I was looking at. Nice podcast though, I enjoyed it
I never understood why smart TVs were trying to be a thing. I would much rather have a smart box that can turn any TV into a smart TV than have a smart TV that doesn’t stay up to date.
Also, “_____ is dumb until Apple does it.” – Technology press.
Yeah, I went there.
(Alright, to be fair Apple usually does a good job at satisfying the consumer).
Sounds like Old Man Smith is yelling at those darn kids on his lawn again…..
Also there’s an edit podcast link that shows up on this post when you’re not logged in
The opening was indeed very Andy Rooney. Nicely played.
I cant believe that is the same guy from Max PC.
All I use my tv for is the smart apps. They work well enough and I don’t need another box or remote to get netflix or amazon video to play, all with only having to deal with one cord. I watch a lot of stuff on youtube too and pairing my phone or tablet with youtube is really awesome.
Wow, the rant is on! High intensity will is challenging, but funny.
Good stuff.
Guest writer Gordon Mah Ung?
I liked the angry-dad rant. I wish it would’ve come with a little bit of normal podcast style lightness though. It was a little… not out of the blue, given the nightly live-streams, but I would’ve liked a warm up or cool down, like emails or updates on Will’s woodworking project or something. Also that close camera made it feel extra intimidating.
Is he reading a manifesto?
Will makes the perfect Howard Beale (Network). You tell them, Will! 🙂
This was a great one.
Unless Youtube was playing with me, it looks like there were many edits. I want the uncut version!! Don’t hold back!
I’m thinking Every 1-2 years the same as a Mac OS upgrade, like 30 dollars or so. Or they could use this system to really get the Apple movie store into peoples living rooms like they did with music with iTunes. I’m not sure the numbers on movie rentals and buys on iTunes now, but I’m sure there is alot of room for improvement.
Then next year the iFridge…
I sincerely hope this becomes a recurring show on the site. 20-30 minutes of Will ranting about dumb tech is a great idea I can get behind.
Mountain man Will says:
(probably more appropriate for the first half of the ‘cast than the second)
Edit: Should have said, I think this is excellent and that solo opinion/editorial pieces like this could form a nice counterpoint to the regular podcasts and the No Jars allowed videos. Also, the beard looks awesome.
I really enjoyed this and think you should do more stuff like this Will! I agree with almost everything you said but you have to agree that these issues are really first world problems.
Also, isn’t the secret to losing weight not eating crap? In many countries (especially US, UK, etc) people seem to almost worship candy and sugar. The moment candy and products with lots of sugar in them stop being rewards and the stuff you long for, that is the moment that you can fight obesity. I see it all the time, even people who work out 4 times a week only seem to do it so that they can reward themselves with candy. On Saturdays the kids get to eat candy, a lot of people seem to drink soda all the time. I don’t see the point – it’s just artificial crap.
I liked the rantcast, but I’ll happily buy a Smart TV that lets me use services like NetFlix directly without having to turn on my PS3 or 360 or buy another box. I felt bad for Patrick Klepek when Will said he didn’t know anyone who plays AAA games on the 360 anymore. I’m currently playing Dishonored on the 360, and it still does the job while I wait to get a new PC.
That’s perfect. +1
Oh god, Will is PISSED. I’m not sure why really, but he is.
Amusing content!
GET ANGRY!
Man, who stole Will’s Depends? I was waiting for him to tell me to get off his lawn and put a couple rounds of buckshot into the air to scare me off.
I agree with everything he is saying, btw, I just feel like I need to give Will a hug and take him out for tacos…
Just sat next to Frankie Boyle in the cinema haha. He’s again beardless now, mind you.
Woot!, Ranting Will is ranty! I like it.
I miss the others, but this is FANTASTIC! A bright and slightly sarcastic bearded yeti telling it like it is. Thank you Mr. Smith. More rants, please! Good stuff. I wait for more content to feed my Tested habit. My seven year old loves you as well, specially when theres Legos about. Thanks again!!
Nice job of a solo cast. It would be nice to see some rant casts every once in a while
You should keep growing the beard and braid it like the Dwarves in The Hobbit.
A Scottish comedian named Frankie Boyle, used to be funny but has a tendency to be offensive for offensive’s sake. Grew an epic beard when the BBC parted ways with him
You’re getting there. I’m sure there’d be a few complaints to OfCom 😉
This needs to be turned into a regular feature. “Have an opinion, Will rant” is my proposed title.
I’m ready to buy whatever Will’s selling.
Look for a TV with the wire problem solved from a place you will not expect. I hope in the video version you are standing on a soap box. Workstation tablet? I like the idea as well. Although I think lightweight laptops will still dominate the computing market for big corporations. Autorip. I will never buy music online but I like idea. Personal activity sensors are gimmicky and crap. Go for a run. Totally agree “Just eat less”.
To be fair, this episode was like an “angry-logic” David Mitchell rant with a Frankie Boyle beard added. That is perfect. We need more of this :p
Will’s beard HD!
I would’ve liked this more if I didn’t feel like Will was reading the entire thing.
Totally what I was thinking. Will’s mad as hell, and he’s not going to take this anymore!
Great job, Will. I think I would welcome a periodic Will’s Rant segment in the future.
I absolutely love this solo rantcast. I wish Will would get crazy and shouty more often.
This some of the best CES coverage I’ve seen.
Will is often horrible, but that was a pretty good rant. I never thought the press gave stupid shit at CES a free pass though. I think there’s usually an underlying awareness by everyone of what products are total crap.
I kept expecting Will to say, “you know what really grinds my gears?!”
I can’t… not.. pay attention!! That was an interesting outlier podcast. If you guys ever wanted to make this a feature though, once a month seems like good spacing to keep it from getting stale fast.
Will should totally be the new Andy Rooney, but for tech!
I kind of wish would quit bagging on smart TVs. I get it, you don’t like the apps compared to Apple TV/360/PS3 versions. But how are they compared with nothing? Pretty goddamn good, I’d say. I can plant a $300 Vizio TV in my daughter’s room, plug it into the wall, connect it to wifi, link it to my Netflix account, and she’s got all the My Little Pony she can watch with no extraneous shit required. No additional remotes, no fan noise, no changing inputs, no Xbox Live subscription, no $99 for Apple TV. Now, after the kids broke my original HDTV (52″ Sharp Aquos from 2005), all of the TVs in my house are Vizio Smart TVs, and they get 95% of my Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu traffic through the apps. I don’t care that the app is a little slow and unattractive. The video looks just as good as on any platform, and the bigger Vizio TVs have a QWERTY keyboard built into the remote that makes searching for content better on my TVs than on any HDMI device.
This was awesome. Just awesome
This is cause enough to have a shave. That thing is horrible excuse for a man, a bully masquerading as a comedian
I am kinda thinking along the same lines with the 3D. I like the 3D, I think it definitely makes certain types of movies more enjoyable. If wearing glasses bothers you that much and you want 3D buy some contacts or get Lasik both are fairly cheap these days. I find it odd that Will is okay with 3D in the theaters, but god forbid someone try to bring the experience to his house. Does it work perfectly, no, but when you use optimal environment, like a theater, yes it does. You are only really watching specific movies in 3D anyway, so I don’t see why this is a problem. Also, its basically included in TV’s now, so you can just ignore it if you want to.