In this week’s episode we cover the latest in nerd entertainment by discussing the upcoming Paramount+ streaming service, rumors around a Harry Potter series on HBOMax, and villagers are angry at Disney about the Kenobi set.  In tech news the big story of the week is that the Defense Intelligence Agency has been gathering US smartphone location data without warrants through third party companies.  The US Treasury threatens regulation against Bitcoin. SpaceX breaks another new record and we discuss some creepy use of artificial intelligence.

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• Villagers upset that the Kenobi set can disrupt life for years
  • https://insidethemagic.net/2021/01/obi-wan-kenobi-set-rwb1/?fbclid=IwAR3QgZp9uLDdMUQi1OpVfMG-uFf7p8n1oiz3n2eDnF3uU123Y52i2ub0nYI 
• CNBC: ViacomCBS to launch streaming service Paramount+ on March 4, to compete with Disney+, HBO Max. 
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/19/viacomcbs-paramount-streaming-service-launches-march-4.html
• Variety: ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series in Early Development at HBO Max. 
  • https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/harry-potter-series-hbo-max-1234865601/
• The Hill: Intelligence agency gathers US smartphone location data without warrants, memo says | TheHill.
  • https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/535441-intelligence-agency-gathers-us-smartphone-location-data-without
• Janet Yellen suggests ‘curtailing’ cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, saying they are mainly used for illegal financing
  • https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-price-cryptocurrency-should-be-curtailed-terrorism-concerns-yellen-2021-1-1029985692?fbclid=iwar0zuhuicidzkeeas9diyghrwm-fnqqd77juklpq6sseqdh-2xbsmdsam9u 
• CNBC: SpaceX launches a ‘rideshare’ mission carrying 143 spacecraft, a record for a single launch.
  • https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/24/spacex-launches-rideshare-mission-with-143-spacecraft.html
• Microsoft patents a chatbot to revive dead relatives
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/microsoft-chatbot-patent-dead-b1789979.html?utm_source=reddit.com 
• Tiny weed killing robot could make pesticides obsolete
  • https://onezero.medium.com/tiny-weed-killing-robots-could-make-pesticides-obsolete-99b3a6359c39