SJ093: Apple/Samsung over, Maps redux, "unlimited" plans, the Fire Cube, and our second anniversary

Sunday was our second anniversary in the good ship Space Javelin, you guys, and while Mike and Charles didn't make a big deal about this in light of all the big news this week, our small but loyal crew of MacNN refugees are grateful for the ship and all our cadets. Still, duty calls -- so it's right into the thick of it with the miracle of the Apple/Samsung settlement, the latest moves against Qualcomm, the bombshell of a Maps refurbishment, the gray areas of US "unlimited" cell plans, the shadiness of AT&T's sneaky price hikes (and its new WatchTV plan), and yet another streaming service to subscribe to, this time from DC Comics.

Also discussed is the tech confab about privacy, the government's silence on that same subject, the leaky Firebase back-end for apps, a major 9-1-1 failure, and voice control of Alexa devices comes to iOS. Charles and Mike also take a look at the fuzziness of that Foxconn factory deal in Wisconsin, the return of Ming-Chi Kuo (he didn't even give us a chance to miss him) and his ultra-safe predictions, and we put the latest rumours through the sink-or-swim test in the ship's holo-pool. We also access Amazon's Fire Cube 4K, reveal the oldest of the Avengers, and much more cadets, so be glad Charles worked through his Canada Day weekend (and Mike through his beloved Red Sox playing) to bring you our 93rd episode in two years. Tune in, strap in, and light the fuse, cadets -- it's time this party got lit!