Target Stores has an Internet of Things concept in San Francisco? We discuss that and a bit about Apple Homekit, Google’s Project Brillo and Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Azure as IoT platforms. With Target in the game as a mass market retailer, does this mean IoT has hit the mainstream? Find out on this week’s show.
Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Phil Wilson (Graeme Thickins is off).
Music: Walking the Streets by DJ Ecklectic Mick under a Creative Commons License.
The Podcast
Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:21 — 33.3MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Story Links
Past Week’s Biggest MN Stories
- Target opens a ministore for the Internet of Things
- Medtronic made ‘smartest companies’ list
- Minneapolis ranks fourth nationwide for digital health VC funding
- CoCo to open co-working space in northeast Minneapolis
Other Top Tech Stories
- Is Android the New Windows?
- Analysis: Microsoft is Scaling Back on Windows Phone Dramatically
- Microsoft to devs: We want your iOS and Android apps
- Apple’s HomeKit Is Promising, But It Needs More Work
- Apple Music Review: Behind a Messy Interface Is Music’s Next Big Leap
- Steve Jobs trailer: watch an unrecognizable Michael Fassbender in the first extended look
- Tampa, St. Louis, and Orlando Remain the Top Cities for Malware in the First Half of 2015
Steve’s Security Tip of the Week (SSTotW)
TIP: Critical Adobe Flash Security Updates. Uninstall Adobe Flash (or at least update) NOW.
What happened: Controversial company Hacking Team was hacked & security researchers around the world dig through the hacker’s release of gigabytes of data. In that data, researcher Brian Krebs discovers Hacking Team was exploiting a previously unknown hole in Flash: Adobe to Patch Hacking Team’s Flash Zero-Day
- Brian Krebs Update just before this podcast’s recording: Adobe To Fix Another Hacking Team Zero-Day (two days later)
- Brian Krebs Update just before this podcast’s recording: Adobe To Fix Another Hacking Team Zero-Day (two days later)
- Complete overview: How spyware peddler Hacking Team was publicly dismantled
- How to Uninstall Flash
- Brian Krebs knows how to stay safe online…but even he has uninstalled Flash
- Use these uninstallers:
- Windows
- Mac
- Google Chrome uses its own Flash player. Here is how to disable it.
- Or use this Chrome extension: Flash Control
- How to Uninstall Flash Player in Linux
Cool Thing of the Week (CTotW)
- Phil: Visual The 3D social media app for virtual reality. Coming soon to Samsung Gear VR and Oculus DK2.
- Tim: CTotW update! BBC Micro Bit computer’s final design revealed
- Graeme: (not on this week)
- Steve: iClever® 6-Port 50W 10A Fast USB Desktop Charger – $26
Upcoming Events
- Conversations About The Future Of Advertising, July 15th, Fine Line Music Café
- JoomlaDayMN, July 18th, Mall of America
- MinneDemo 20, July 23rd at The Depot, 6pm
- Prestige Conference, August 1-2, U of St. Thomas Mpls
- MinneAnalytics conference on “Financial and Retail Analytics,” Carlson School, August 12th
- Twin Cities Startup Week, Sept. 8-13
- Converted2015 (LeadPages conference), October 20-21
- “LeanIn2”: MinneAnalytics Healthcare & Life Sciences Conference, Oct 23rd
It seems like there has been lots of lip service paid to getting girls in to technology, while uncertainty seems to keep growing on exactly how to make that happen. The National Center for Women & Information Technology has this page with facts on “
Shawn is currently Senior Director of Product Development at 
We covered several important stories this week but were pleased that Marty Wetherall, Director of Innovation at Fallon & leader of StarterKit, could join us as our guest. Marty is a guy who is involved in lots of entrepreneurial, community and mentoring activities, two of which we talk about on this show.
We always tease Graeme about podcasting from his cabin up north, wearing his up at the lake warm jammie pants (though in his defense, they likely fall more into the lounge wear category). Please note that none of us know if Graeme actually owns a onesie jammie set, with little ducks and bunnies on them, like you see in the photo.
Once again, Steve’s selection of music finds Phil and Tim a bit bemused and it reminds Phil of the claymation shorts and films starring Wallace & Gromit (
Amazon.com is 
Turns out this past week there was a 
The Minnov8 Gang is off during the Memorial Day holiday and week. We’ll be back next week for another episode of the podcast.
We play a lot of blues music on this podcast, primarily since I (Steve) love the blues. As such, I asked the guys if it was cool that we dedicate this show to blues legend BB King (
Yep…we now have not one, not two, but three liquor delivery startups in the Twin Cities. Looks like anyone who wants to can get their thirst quenched easily, quickly, while still in their jammies.
While Phil and Steve await their Apple Watches, Graeme already has his and loves his Mickey Mouse face. Um wait…did Disney get a new Mickey?