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This week kicks off with Merlin’s Bon Jovi snobbery and John’s concerns about Bono. The excellent Vietnam War series is discussed and mutually endorsed.

With the overdue return of Ordinary Time, your hosts cover some exciting Nest IQ Cam follow-up and debate face recognition in the macOS Photos app.

There’s some worrisome follow-up on those iOS password pop-ups and how they could potentially be exploited by ne’er-do-wells.

Merlin gives Jeremy five stars, which (eventually) segues into this week’s main topic, Automated Systems. Specifically, the ones that Merlin thinks create way more work than they save. John says it’s just shotgun spray and probably not a big deal. Merlin’s not having it and still feels scared to check into a hotel. What algorithm makes the system freak out? Your hosts crave an interaction model even CGP Grey could love.

This week’s B story is Merlin’s New TV. After initially telling John the wrong model (oops), your hosts dive into this new world of 4K and Ultra HD. Cables are rerouted, adapters are installed, and gyroscopes are slowly mastered. John is still holding out, and, oy vey, all these wires and bars!

The whites are so white!

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 10, 2017.)