This week we are giving away a Google Chromecast! Check out the episode for details on how to win!

Roku released its new Streaming Stick this week, a big competitor for both Googles Chromecast and Apple TV. Its actually very similar in appearance and the way it works to Googles dongle, but how does it stack up to the Chromecast?

Roku has a massive 12 hundred channel library, including PBS, Netflix, Amazon Instant, Showtime, Time Warner Cable, and lots of music. However, its fair to expect the Chromecast will increase their apps soon now that Google has released an Software Development Kit (SDK). Another good thing about the Chromecast is its $35 price tag; it’s kinda hard to say no to that. It also has good screen mirroring functionality, and the remote is your mobile device. Roku has an actual remote control, which you probably already have 2-3 on your coffee table. This means there is no screen mirroring functionality for the Roku.

Roku is a leader in searching. Isn’t that a little bit ironic considering the popularity of the Google search engine? It scours through Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, etc, to find where a TV show or movie is available, and how much it costs. Its also got a networking edge by supporting dual-band routers. Its up to you. They both have their perks, but according to reviews, Roku has a little bit of an edge.

Microsoft is working on its own mobile voice recognition tool for the Windows Phone. Her name is going to be named Cortana, based off an AI character from Xbox’s Halo game series.This is obviously a big rival to Apple’s Siri and Google Now, and thanks to an unofficial debut found in a leaked video, we get to see how she works.

As seen in the video, Cortana is running on a Windows Phone, there is a set up process where she asks questions on screen, but there is no actual voice in the video, so we don’t yet know what she sounds like. I would personally assume she sounds like her character from Halo. However, it is obvious that she intends to work just like Siri, and Google Now. She is supposed to use machine learning and access the Satori knowledge repository that Microsoft's Bing search engine uses. She’s expected to debut on Windows Phone 8.1, around April, and could also be integrated into the Xbox!

Wake up and smell the bacon, with your alarm clock? This app is created, by none other than, the Oscar Mayer company! Wake up and smell the bacon is the name of the add-on attachment for your iPhone, with an accompanying iOS app to “hear the sizzle”. One of the silliest gadgets I have seen in a while.

Next is the Bare-Bones umbrella system. It appears to be an ordinary umbrella frame, yet if you look closer, it’s actually constructed out of 10 mini speakers that immerse the user in a veil of sound. It’s said to be the beginning of incorporating personal sound systems into every day objects. Bare-Bones uses optical relays, an Arduino Uno microcontroller, and micro sd wav player to function. Oddly enough, the device comes as a skeleton, no waterproof covering is shipped with it. That part is up to you.

Thanks to prosthetics, Jason Barnes didn’t have to give up on his drumming dream. He refused to give up on his dream after a freak accident and losing the lower half of his right arm two years ago. So, he built a simple drumming device out of a brace and some springs that attach to his arm. Now drumming and enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media in Georgia, Barnes was introduced to a group in the schools technology department. Because his own device doesn’t allow him to play as well as he used to, they decided to build Barnes a robotic arm that would allow him to play just as good, or even better, than a human drummer!

It uses a technique called electromyography, which picks up on electrical signals in the upper arm muscles. It takes cues from the human body to control a small motor that changes how tightly the arm grips the drumstick and how quickly it moves. Good story, and fascinating video. Check it out!

P.S. Please make sure to leave comments in the Youtube comments section to be qualified in the Chromecast drawing!