81 Comments
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Tom Worster's avatar

Whut? Just for iPhone users?

Bummer. I have a good question too.

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Lekimball's avatar

Hm, I don't like using my phone even though I have one...

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Tom Worster's avatar

Same. I hate using the damn thing. Instrument of social control.

Sorry to say, but if this is yet phone video social media app then I hope TK News's launch on it is as successful as as Useful Idiots *Interactive* on Yappa was https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/useful-idiots-live-with-singer-tinashe-1081942/

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flipshod's avatar

Yep, got my hopes up there for a second. I hope they let us know if/when lowly android users can join in.

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Koshmarov's avatar

iPhone/Android is a class thing. Look it up.

Me, I hate the damn "smart"phones. I sit here at my glorified typewriter.

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Substack Reader's avatar

Please tell me that a flip phone from TracFone is indicative of an even higher class.

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Koshmarov's avatar

I never got a mobile phone until it became cheaper than a landline. This was circa 2007.

I am not too sure about my class status (I think it's Category X under Paul Fussell's classification system), but I am extremely stingy. I do in fact use TracFone; the preferred brand of business moguls and street criminals.

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X7C00's avatar

Oh no another Apple only gig. I'm thinking of going to see the loan officer at the Apple store so I can listen.

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DC Lovell's avatar

4:00 P.M is not enough information. Time zone?

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Virg's avatar

Just like I told Glenn Greenwald (you and he are the only two journalists I support), I don't have an Apple product (suicide nets on its Chinese factories, products that break the day after warranty expires, and horrible customer service with no repairs possible - my wife had two iPads for a year and a day each, then she got a Kindle Fire for a fraction of the cost that is still going strong after over 2 years (and I agree Amazon sucks as bad as Apple). So, unclean non-Apple users are hosed for the live stuff like this that I consider a wonderful benefit of my subscription. except I can't take advantage of it.

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mcelroyj's avatar

Looks like Matt is experimenting with getting access to all kinds of various audiences while not leaving anyone behind (and so while you may be right about Apple and Amazon in my estimation), you will still have the ability to communicate here I suspect - and stay in contact that way.

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Tom Worster's avatar

Well sorta. If he wanted to maximize audience (as well he should) then he'd go where the audiences already are instead of experimentation with new apps that demand you a) have an iphone and b) install new, unknown software on it.

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Virg's avatar

No argument, I just am not a fan of being forced to use a particular brand product. Plus, I use my computer for anything like this, never my phone. And I don't use pads , either ( my wife is the pad user). No real keyboard and tiny screen is not for me. I find it crazy that a new service like Callin started with Apple devices only and is not usable on a computer (maybe it is on a Mac, but maybe not).

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mcelroyj's avatar

I am with you brother.

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Drew McGill's avatar

You should definitely create a TK YouTube station to put these Callin sessions on as well at least until it gets released for Android.

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Tom Worster's avatar

Or just do a Youtube stream where you take questions so I don't have to use my phone.

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Sleazy E's avatar

Kind of weird. You posted an article (rightly) excoriating Apple for how they treated Martinez not too long ago. Now both of you are doing labor for an Apple-exclusive app? Hopefully there's an Android version soon.

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sasinsea's avatar

I agree that it's exclusionary and dumb but Google isn't exactly a paragon of ethics itself.

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limberjosie's avatar

Kinda blows the app apparently is only on iOS

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ptb's avatar

IPhones only??????

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Ceeteer's avatar

I know. I would have jumped on if I had an iPhone :(

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Tom Worster's avatar

Y'still have to install some new social media app that nobody but Glenn and Antonio have heard of. I think Glenn got sold some story about free speech from some silicon valley tycoon wannabees (wouldn't be the first time).

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scout e.'s avatar

Boo, no android or windows app.

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Tom Worster's avatar

Boo, no web app. I mean I know as well as anyone what kind of a menace Google is but (speaking as a web app dev myself) Youtube does work very well, has great cross platform support and usability and has the huge advantage of everyone already know it.

If you want the questions to be spoken so it works as an audio-only production later then get an assistant to read participant's live stream questions to Matt.

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Virg's avatar

You know what is really ironic. there are literally no good options when it comes to who controls the Internet these days. Apple, Google, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Amazon, Microsoft, etc., they all suck. Everything leads back to these, including Callin, Rumble, and everything else. I wrote a long gone article in 1997 that capitalism would destroy the Internet. I was right, but didn't predict just how bad it has actually become. I never saw this coming.

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Koshmarov's avatar

"I wrote a long gone article in 1997 that capitalism would destroy the Internet."

IMHO that process started even earlier. Summer of '95 was when you suddenly got ads and movie trailers on your browser. I was like "WTF."

Of course, there's a strong argument to be made that the Internet was always capitalism; capitalism is just slow, despite its PR efforts. We need to go back to BBSes, which is kinda like what this comment section is.

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Virg's avatar

I can't argue with what you say, it was over before it ever really started. It is why we can't have nice things. LOL. I truly do miss the ASCII only 300 baud dial-up modem days. Bulletin Boards and then Compuserve. I would argue that there is less free content online today than decades ago. And what free content there is is covered up with ads and popups, including videos constantly starting up. There was a time when bloatware sites like that were penalized. And I remember the days of data limits. Current day satellite users in rural areas are still hosed, their entire data allowance can be used up by opening one or two "regular" sites with videos, etc., all downloading the second you open the page. I recently moved from a rural area into "town." One of the main reasons was Internet. I would watch one Youtube video and ope up ESPN Fantasy football a couple of times and my data was gone for the entire month. Gotta love it, I guess. LOL.

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Outis's avatar

Agree. The first time I ever saw an ad online, I knew it was over, and that was in the mid-90s! I miss the actual communication that took place in the BBS era.

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Jim Reynolds's avatar

It’s new. Callin’s website says an Android APP is coming.

During Greenwald’s initial podcast, which went with few minor glitches, I believe I heard that the plan is to go for wide platform access.

It would definitely be good to remember that your audience is a global one, straddling the International Dateline. Date (not “today”, “tomorrow,” or “Friday”; not “in x hours,” (we have to do subtracting because we don’t all see emails the moment they’re sent), and time zone is the way to go, please: Nov xx, xxpm Eastern Time.

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The Dandy Highwayman's avatar

Well, just like Glenn you are only going to be able to reach Crapple users.

Man... fuck that shit.

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citygal's avatar

These guys are in reactionary mode for now...they're trying to get ahead of the censorship.

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Lhfry's avatar

Don’t use twitter, never post pix of myself online. Too bad since I would like to participate. Don’t use Facebook either

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Basil Rathbone's avatar

This iphone exclusion is bullshit.

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Tom Worster's avatar

Maybe someone who's managed to make this Callin thing to work could be kind enough to relay any highlights here in the comments?

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mcelroyj's avatar

Agreed

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Graham G's avatar

I'm just glad that even some people with iPhone are having problems.😜 (not really, but I do wish I could participate).

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Tom Worster's avatar

I have to admit I hope this is a big flop so that Matt might rethink the technical options and choose something that more people have ready access to for the next one.

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Anonymous's avatar

I used a temporary phone number to sign up on iPhone, didn't need social media account, just a phone number. Hope that helps.

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Karen Schraufnagel's avatar

I'm so bummed this is just for iPhone users!! I was so freaking excited!! Now I can't participate :-(

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SolidSnakeLRRP's avatar

Thanks Matt, sounds like a hoot. But can we please have some damn TK News merch?

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