Buzz Out Loud Podcast

The Cutting Room Floor episode is all about your unheard messages, whether you wanted them to be on the show or not.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Breaking news right at the top of the show as Microsoft loses its appeal and the court rules they have to stop selling infringing copies of Microsoft Word by January 11, 2009. We also welcome the new White House security czar and the Google Yelp drama plays on. We're on break now, but we do have special episodes in the feed. We'll be back on January 4! Have a a great holiday!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Microsoft loses Word patent appeal
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL3FV20091222

White House appoints cybersecurity chief
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10420268-83.html

Who Walked, Google or Yelp?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/who-walked-google-or-yelp/

Apple’s TV subscription plan gains potential partners in CBS, Disney
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/21/apples_tv_subscription_plan_gains_potential_partners_in_cbs_disney.html

Ford to offer new Wi-Fi option in cars: “BYO Modem” is the model
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/12/ford-brings-wi-fi-to-the-highway/

Israeli programmer hacks Kindle, breaks DRM protection
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/12/22/israeli-programmer-hacks-kindle-breaks-drm-protection/

Backupify drops paywall; backs up your data from Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=28839

CES Preview
3D TV
Ebook readers
In TVs is thin going to be the new differentiator where size was before?
Netbooks
Wireless Charging, nee HDMI?
Motion Control
Pandora in-car

VOICE MAIL
Anonymous on Verizon

E-MAIL
Hey gang,
On episode 1130, the gang discussed justin.tv adding a pay-per-view model on livestreams and receive a negative response. I used to follow justin.tv ’s Twitter stream and they were constantly promoting live artists that were streaming concerts. Examples include: John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, and many more. I remove the list after constantly getting ping to see Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson’s livestream. I can see this as a great way for artists to receive compensation to show live concerts online but the real question is will people pay for this? We shall see.

Love the show,
Greg
New Orleans, LA

**********

Hey BOL,
Public key cryptography is a good idea but I have a feeling that the
movie studios don’t trust the theaters and thus wouldn’t want them to
be able to play the movie until it is supposed to be released. With
regular encryption the movie studios can send along the movie before
it is released and don’t have to worry about the theaters being able
to play the movie until the key is sent to them at the time the movie
is released.

Love the show,
Alex Kaiser, Mill Valley, CA

Verizon explains its early termination fee reasoning. It turns out it's just trying to help the poor. You see, when they charge these outrageous fees, it SAVES poor people money on their phones. At least as long as they don't mind being locked into a contract for years. We also rage against the Rage Against the Machine number-one non-Christmas song.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Barnes & Noble to compensate for late e-book Readers http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704786204574608100009605442.html
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/nook-1-1-update-hitting-now/

Yelp bails on Google deal? http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10419547-36.html

Other Stories

Intel launches redesigned Atom chip for Netbooks
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10419387-64.html
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/12/intel-reveals-next-generation-atom-details.ars

Android stealing consumer attention from iPhones?
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Android-Stealing-Consumer-Attention-from-iPhones-444606/

Sales of music video games plummet in 2009
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BH5DS20091218

PSP-4000 accidentally leaked in print ad over the weekend?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/21/psp-4000-accidentally-leaked-in-print-ad-over-the-weekend/

Twitter? Profitable? Really?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10419569-36.html

Justin.tv to launch pay-per-view service
http://www.beet.tv/2009/12/exclusive-justintv-to-launch-payperview-service-.html

Verizon defends doubling of early termination fee
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/19/1429252/Verizon-Defends-Doubling-of-Early-Termination-Fee
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/12/verizon-350-etfs-theyre-a-good-thing.ars

Rage Against the Machine beat X Factor winner in charts
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8423340.stm

VOICE MAIL
Michael from Texas on the Iranian Cyber Army

Anonymous on net neutrality

E-MAIL
Hey BOL,

Since net neutrality and throttling are popping back into the news recently I figured I’d share a recent experience I’ve had: My cable provider in Florida (Brighthouse) offers two different options for cable internet: Earthlink and Time Warner Road Runner. I was previously on Earthlink but switched to Time Warner due to a huge speed jump from Earthlink, and my download tests have jumped from about 8 mbps to roughly 20 mbps. Actual usage experience seems about the same as Earthlink, except for YouTube performance! Most movies pause every few seconds, and HQ/HD mode is almost impossible to use. Hulu and Netflix streaming work fine (most of the time). At first I thought maybe there was something up with the YouTube servers, but days had gone by and there was no improvement. I searched for the words “youtube time warner slow” and found countless discussions about this problem. After analyzing trace routes and comparing performance between users and different providers, the general consensus on the message boards is that Time Warner is throttling YouTube and has been for some time now. Then I stumbled across the most startling advice: Instead of going to http://www.youtube.com, one user suggested going to the *Australian* YouTube at http://au.youtube.com to avoid the Time Warner throttle. After I made that simple change, YouTube was blazing fast. Every video I loaded up started immediately and completed without any pausing, and HD mode worked fine as well! Put a tin foil hat on me- I don’t care: this experience made me a believer. We need net neutrality, NOW. Have you guys heard any other stories from Time Warner users?

Love the show! Happy holidays.

Mike the surfing chip designer in FL

**********

Hey buzz crew,

I was listening to your podcast on my ipod touch and heard you mention that Apple has made Safari the only browser on the iphone and blocked off any others. That seems to be wrong as I went to the app store and searched “browser” and saw multiple web browsers to download (some free and some up to $3.99). So there you go, you don’t have to use safari.
This may be 100% wrong because maybe the browsers on the app store use the safari engine to generate web pages, in that case I admit my mistake… but not really.

Love the show, keep up the awesome work!
Dmitry Kogosov

**********

Hey Buzz crew,
Why don’t the movie studios just use public key cryptography methods to encrypt the movies? Each theater could have it’s own public and private key pair, and the studio could encrypt the movie using the theater’s public key and only the theater’s private key would be able to decrypt it. That way if they have the movie they can play it. No need to wait for the key from the studio. Plus, this is much more secure than sending the key via email…

Kevin, Phoenix AZ

Google is in talks to buy Yelp and it may finally be pushing the line over what's too big. Sure, a lot of you thought it was too big already, but now it's just getting ridiculous--although, I didn't like that it lost its court case in France over indexing books. We also touch on the Twitter hijacking and new 3D Blu-ray standards.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Twitter hijacked by ‘Iranian Cyber Army’
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10418140-93.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10418270-36.html

Google said talking buyout with Yelp
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10418185-93.html

Google loses French copyright case
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10418319-93.html

Firefox, Adobe top buggiest software list
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10417785-245.html

3D Blu-ray standard outlined, includes PS3
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10417449-1.html

Bing! Information Design sues Microsoft
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/12/14/daily62.html

Netflix sued for privacy invasion
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/18/1344246/Netflix-Sued-For-Privacy-Invasion

Skip the newsstand: Buy Esquire on your iPhone
http://mashable.com/2009/12/18/esquire-iphone-app/

Don’t pay twice for content
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10417065-250.html

U.S. military drone security breach “fixed”: official
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091217/us_nm/us_usa_drones

$300 Sci-Fi YouTube Video Lands $30m Movie Deal
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/12/17/1711256/300-Sci-Fi-YouTube-Video-Lands-300m-Movie-Deal

VOICE MAIL
Roland on the hacked drones

E-MAIL
Hey Buzzers,

For years now I have heard you explaining that DRM only punishes the honest customers.
Well, today I was such an honest customer for the last time.

I went to see Avatar in my local Cineplex.
I saw a huge crowd standing in the lobby and knew something was up.
The theater manager explained that the premiere screening of the 3D version could not commence.
They had been waiting for the digital key to arrive that is necessary to decrypt the film.
It should have arrived by email from FOX over four hours earlier but it had not.

Apparently this was a problem for every movie theater in Germany and probably every cinema in Europe that wanted to show the film at that day.
The 2D version was not affected by the way.

I gather 50% of all the perplexed visitors had no idea what kind of key he was talking about.
But definitely 100% were pissed and had no understanding why they made all the way and effort to come to the movie theater only to be told: “Sorry, we don’t want your money!”.

16 Dec 2009 was supposed to be the day I see a masterpiece.
It turned out to be the day I swore to never set foot in a movie theater again.
Screw you FOX and happy downloading!

Angry Andy.

**********

Hi guys

In 1128 you talked about cromeOS and if it can get in trouble in the
EU because it is then the only browser because it is a OS too.

My question now: why is apple not in trouble for openly forbidding
other browsers on the iphon?

Mozilla and the others complaint to the EU because IE had a to big
marketshare! Well – Safari on the Iphone has 100% Marketshare! And
nobody cares?

Strange….

LtS

Alex

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,

In response to BOL episode 1128’s discussion of ChromeOS as a monopoly due to having the browser integrated, there are a couple points that differentiate it from MS Windows that change the situation:
1) MS Windows runs proprietary, closed-source code whereas ChromeOS can be built and customized from open source code (ChromiumOS). A competing browser vendor is free to put their own browser in the place of the Chrome browser and re-use the existing kernel and underlying code within the restrictions of the free license.
2) The MS Windows OS is, itself a platform for running applications. By contrast, the Chrome browser is the sole app that runs on ChromeOS, the Chrome browser is the platform, not the OS.

Point 2 opens ChromeOS up to the possibility of anti-competitive accusations if the Chrome browser integrates Google web apps or is compatible only with Google web apps to the exclusion of competing web apps. For example, if Google Maps runs but Windows Live Maps doesn’t, then their behavior could be considered anti-competitive. The open source nature of the browser and its support for open web standards may protect it in those cases, putting the responsibility on the web app vendor to comply with those standards.

-heulenwolf
/Hoy-len-vulf/

Rumors are that next year Google will add a Netbook brand along with its phone branding, and possibly begin a line of consumer electronics. Is that a good thing for Google? We kick around that old football. Also, Patrick from France joins us with his distinctly European perspective and we refrain from insulting each other for once. It's a brave new world!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Obama administration rolls out $2 billion for broadband
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BG1JZ20091217
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/16/2329201/FCCs-New-Broadband-Plan-Prioritizes-Competition

Get ready for the Google branded Chrome OS Netbook
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/17/get-ready-for-the-google-branded-chrome-os-netbook/

Hackers access Predator drones
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126102247889095011.html

Apple working on 3D ‘hyper-reality’ displays
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/17/apple-working-on-3d-hyper-reality-displays/

Zune HD Twitter app now live UPDATE: it censors tweets!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/16/zune-hd-twitter-app-now-live/

Nook hacked with Web browser, Facebook, Twitter apps for starters
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/nook-hacked-with-web-browser-facebook-and-twitter-for-starters/

Sony Reader will get NY Post and Dow Jones exclusive content
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=28672

RIM confirms BlackBerry e-mail outage
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10417374-94.html

Dungeons & Dragons For Microsoft Surface has come a long way
http://kotaku.com/5428356/dungeons–dragons-for-microsoft-surface-has-come-a-long-way

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener submitted. So be a part of this listener created experience: Clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. Email the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in 2-3 clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

VOICE MAIL
Dean in DC on Google Chrome and the EU

Tony on cell radiation

E-MAIL
During the conversation on Wednesday’s show about the LED traffic lights not melting snow, I knew I had heard about that years ago, but couldn’t remember where. After a quick google search, I found this http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=177298 . Evidently Click and Clack talked about that in 2006 — too bad all the guys ordering the LED stop lights didn’t listen to them.

Joe from Wilmington, OH (as seen on 60 Minutes and Rachael Ray!)

**********

Hey buzz crew. I’m emailing in reference to an email you read in episode 1127 about chrome vs firefox download speeds. I too notice this difference especially when I use the firefox addon down them all. When using down them all I can get speeds that are several times faster than chrome. I keep hoping with the beta release of chrome extensions that down them all will come to chrome but alas no such luck yet. Love the show
Sam in Seattle

So the European Union and Microsoft have finally settled their differences and will begin the browser ballot with no less than 12 browsers to choose from. Is this a good thing? Also, Intel is now under the gun from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. What did it do this time? Listen to find out. And Cherrypal is selling a $99 laptop it bills as slow and sufficient. Nice.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

FTC formally charges Intel with anti-competitive behavior
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574599791659334798.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intel.shtm

Microsoft resolves E.U. IE case
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10416402-75.html
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/12/microsoft-settles-with-eubrowser-balloting-arrives-in-march.ars
http://money.ca.msn.com/investing/news/business-news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=23035069

Steve Jobs’ dupes blogosphere with AT&T protest hoax
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/16/operation_chokehold/

AT&T: Net neutrality OK if we can cut priority access deals
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/12/att-offers-net-neutrality-compromise.ars

New report offers grim assessment of plug-in hybrids
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/12/new-report-offers-grim-assessment-of-plugin-hybrids.ars

Facebook testing tool to push updates onto Twitter
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142324/Facebook_testing_tool_to_push_updates_onto_Twitter

McDonald’s to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184807/mcdonalds_to_offer_free_wifi_internet_access.html

Fidelity fires four employees for playing fantasy football
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/16/fidelity-fires-four-employees-for-playing-fantasy-football/

Cherrypal's $99 Laptop: Small! Slow! Sufficient!
http://technologizer.com/2009/12/15/cherrypals-99-laptop-small-slow-sufficient/

LED traffic lights are great — except they’ll kill you
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/15/national/a133205S26.DTL&tsp=1

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener submitted. To be a part of this listener-created experience just clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. E-mail the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in two-to-three clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

VOICE MAIL
Dylan has a question about Paramount Clips

E-MAIL
Hey BuzzCrew-

So a fun story is making waves in Britain:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8415750.stm

Basically the internet masses are “Raging against the Machine” known as X-Factor and trying to get a 1992 single from Rage Agaunst the machine as #1 christmas song over the new release from the XFactor champion.

Here’s the kicker…it’s working!

Helping it, is that you can get the single for 29 pence! (~ 47¢).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001I4NZP4?ie=UTF8&ref_=sr_1_1&qid=1260881836&sr=1-1&linkCode=shr&camp=3194&creative=21330&tag=tomdavsblo-21

There’s even a facebook group with over 800K members:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104

Gotta love the ‘X’-mas spirit!

Cheers & Ho! Ho! Ho! from Oxford!
Tom Merritt the Doppelganger

**********

Hello Buzz Crew,

I have just listened to a recent episode in which you talked about the
proposed Internet censorship in Australia and I have to say the proposal
is far worse than what is commonly reported in the media. Wikileaks
disclosed the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s blacklist
of prohibited websites a few months ago. It turns out that the list
contains perfectly legal websites including that of a political group
http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/acma-blacklist-leaked-contains-legal-websites/

Despite this controversy I am shamed to say that my Government went
ahead with it’s planned trial of Internet filtering. However after the
trial ended Stephen Conroy refused to release the official report. We
can only speculate as to why, but he did however provide information and
consultation to just one political party, The Australian Christian Lobby
which has been lobbying very hard in support of the censorship proposal.
No doubt they have allot of agendas they would like to see filled by the
new regime. As a strong supporter of free-speech I find this deeply
worrying. Once a filter is in place every morally bankrupt organization
and individual will be able to apply pressure to have anything they
personally don’t like, blocked.
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/conroy-must-explain-why-christian-lobby-gets-net-filtering-trial-update-greens

Thanks & keep up the good work.
~Dan
Perth, Australia

**********

Jason H., Jason H., and Jason H.,

In episode 1126 you talked about Chrome versus Firefox. I have to stay that I would completely switch over to Chrome, it loads faster, is a smoother GUI, and loads pages faster, except that Firefox dowloads things faster. Out here we have a bandwidth shortage, and I end up surfing with Chrome and then copying the URL to Firefox to download things. It’s frustrating. If Chrome/Google get better download performance then I’ll be won over.
Nathaniel Miller on deployment in Afghanistan. Love the show.
V/R

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,

I don't know if any of you have been paying attention, but with all of the discussion of Verizon and AT&T's 3G coverage, it seems that T-Mobile's progress has been overlooked. T-Mobile is currently adding 3G coverage at a rate of one new city every 1.5 days, with a goal of having 3G available to two-thirds of the US population by the end of 2009. They are also deploying everywhere at 7.2 Mbps, putting them at the top in terms of 3G speed. They also plan to have broad access to HSPA+ (21 Mbps) by mid-2010.

Right now they certainly don't have the largest 3G network, but they sure are bringing their own online very quickly.

List of Cities added recently:
http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Coverage/3G-Launches/td-p/236602

Network Expansion Information:
http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Coverage/3G-Expansion-amp-HSPA/td-p/254526

-Doug the Software Developer

Among the news of new URL shorteners and Australian Internet filters comes one of the darkest moments in microblogging: Microsoft has pulled down its new Twitter-like site in China because it turns out it wasn't Twitter-like at all. It was, in fact, more like Plurk. In fact, it looked like maybe Microsoft stole Plurk's code. We also get morally outraged at good business plans. Or stupid people. Or something. Just watch. Or listen.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

URL shorteners suddenly hot commodity
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-10415148-248.html

Google, Facebook get into game, Bit.ly launches pro version
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/12/14/facebook-testing-new-url-shortener-fb-me/
http://blog.bit.ly/post/284009728/announcing-bit-ly-pro

Steven Covey moves two key e-titles from Simon & Schuster to Amazon Kindle
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/technology/companies/15amazon.html

Australia takes concrete step toward mandatory ISP filtering
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Mandatory-ISP-filter-due-mid-2011/0,130061791,339300060,00.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8413377.stm

Chrome Mac, Linux betas push browser into No. 3 spot
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142286/Chrome_Mac_Linux_betas_push_browser_into_No._3_spot

S.F. moves toward new cell phone labeling law
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/12/15/MNHJ1B49KH.DTL

Broadband stimulus unlikely to have desired effect?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/12/broadband-stimulus-unlikely-to-have-desired-effect.ars

Twitter lets multiple users tweet to the same account
http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-tests-letting-multiple-users-tweet-to-the-same-account-2009-12

Paramount to start online service to sell movie clips
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/business/media/15film.html

Will broadcast radio have the last laugh thanks to “tech fatigue”?
http://www.bridgeratings.com/press.12.07.09.CompMediaUse.html

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener-submitted. To be a part of this listener-created experience just clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. E-mail the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in two-to-three clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

Listener co-host show
Want to talk with us on this year’s listener co-host show? These interviews will be recorded Monday, December 21 from 3-4 p.m. PT. E-mail buzz@cnet.com, subject “Listener Co-host”, and include your name, contact number where you can be reached for the interview (landline preferred), and we will compile the list and select four people for the show.

VOICE MAIL
Richard has more wireless communication ideas

Colin the movie director on sales figures

E-MAIL
Hi Guys,

I'd just like to chime in on the discussion that you had about Apple buying Lala late last week on buzz. I think a great model to look at where the digital locker has succeeded is with Valve's Steam and how it manages pc video games. It's such a great service I think Apple really should take a page from their book. On Steam, I can have my entire gaming collection ready to download at anytime on any number of PCs. Content there is generally cheaper than buying in the store and a large part of the revenue can go directly back to the game designer bypassing the publisher. Many small studios have made successful content just by selling and marketing on Steam.

Thanks!

Mike from Boulder

**********

Hey Buzz Nation! Just thought y’all may like to see Microsoft’s latest hijinks. Seems what’s good for the goose is always good for the gander. I do quantify this as I am a large open source/FOSS guy, but this just really irritates me after all the litigation and ridiculous business practices Microsoft has for pirating, they go ahead and pirate an ENTIRE online resource. Seems they pretty much stole all the code for their new Asian social networking site straight from Plurk.

Would love y’all to give some wide spread audience to this fact.

http://blog.plurk.com/2009/12/14/microsoft-rips-plurk/

Thanks!

~Chris in NC

Some enterprising hackers have rooted the Barnes & Noble Nook, giving them unrestricted access to the underlying Android operating system. Black and white tablet FTW! We also get the exclusive from Jason Howell about the new Google phone known as the Nexus One. And those crazy Scandinavians get to try out LTE first. Good on ya, Nordic peeps!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Google phone looks ’supersharp’
http://www.cnet.com/8301-19736_1-10414406-251.html
https://twitter.com/raygun01/status/6592751553

Google Phone/Nexus One pictures
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/13/google-phone-makes-first-twitter-appearance/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703757404574592530591075444.html

Is it the HTC Passion?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/07/htc-passion-runs-android-on-3-5-inch-oled-and-snapdragon-in-veri/

4G network comes to Scandinavia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8412035.stm
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10414665-94.html

Hollywood aets $10 billion box office record
http://news.slashdot.org/story/09/12/13/2254218/Hollywood-Sets-10-Billion-Box-Office-Record

2009 holiday sales online: $19.9 billion and counting
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10414653-2.html

Privacy changes for Facebook boss
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8411616.stm

Microsoft invents price-gouging the least influential
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/12/1942207/Microsoft-Invents-Price-Gouging-the-Least-Influential

Nook can do “everything an Android phone can do”
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/14/barnes-and-noble-nook-torn-down-and-rooted-but-still-respected/

Man turns Christmas lights into Guitar Hero game
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10414561-71.html

Judges can’t “friend” lawyers in Florida
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/11/1846208/Judges-Cant-Friend-Lawyers-in-Florida

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener submitted. To be a part of this listener-created experience, just clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. E-mail the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in two to three clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

Listener co-host show
Want to talk with us on this year’s listener co-host show? These interviews will be recorded Monday, December 21 from 3-4p.m. PT. E-mail buzz@cnet.com, subject “Listener Co-host”, and include your name, contact number where you can be reached for the interview (landline preferred), and we will compile the list and select four people for the show.

VOICEMAIL
Richard in Santa Monica’s reaction to AT&T

EMAIL
Hey Buzz Crew,

I was listening to episode 1121 when you discussed QR code scanning apps and how useful they really are but you missed out on some of the more interesting uses. They were used on posters for Tim Burton’s last film “9″ as a link to a webpage with special content which could only be accessed via the QR codes. This would be especially interesting (and provide a lot of nerd cred) for a new movie in a big franchise like Iron Man, Batman, or Harry Potter.

Another useful feature of the bar code scanning apps is that some of them allow you to take a photo of the bar code of an item while you are in the store and it pulls up price comparisons; pretty useful!

Just thought I’d let you guys know.

Love the show,

Josh Da Silva

**********

Hey Buzz crew,
I was listening to BOL 1123, and while you were discussing
developments in brain to computer speech synthesis, Mike, my Doberman,
came up to me and started making those almost human whining noises that
dogs sometimes make. Suddenly I realized another potential application
for this technology: talking pets! Animals just don’t have the
physiology for human-style speech, but suppose this barrier were
removed, what would our dogs and cats have to say to us? Wouldn’t this
be awesome?

Chris Johnson
Arlington, Massachusetts

So, Apple bought Lala, and Ars Technica thinks it has a source who knows what Apple's going to do with it-- it's going to make a Web site that sells music and stores it in the cloud. Kind of like what Lala already is, but it's going to be all iTunes-ified. And that has Rafe worrying about cloud failure again. We also kvetch about Facebook, a Mozilla employee complains about Google, and the "New Moon" videotaper is set free.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Now, Facebook lets users hide friends from people who are not logged in
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/12/10/now-facebook-lets-users-hide-friends-from-people-who-are-not-logged-in/
http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=197943902130
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10413835-36.html

Mozilla worker touts Bing over Google, citing privacy
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10413473-56.html
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=28387

FTC: Kids can find adult content in virtual worlds
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10413742-235.html

Charges dropped in ‘New Moon’ taping
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/12/twilight-saga-new-moon-videotape.html

Apple to fold Lala into iTunes, transform into Web service
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/12/apple-to-fold-lala-into-itunes-transform-into-web-service.ars

Video game sales drop, but still strong
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10413599-52.html

More drivers using mobile phones since penalty change
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8407142.stm

USPTO asking for ideas to enhance patent quality
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/10/2031211/USPTO-Asking-For-Ideas-To-Enhance-Patent-Quality

TechCrunch files suit over JooJoo
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10413762-92.html

Data nerds hack NASA (in a good way)
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/nasa-hackathon/

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener-submitted. So be a part of this listener created experience: Clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. E-mail the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in 2-3 clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

Listener co-host show
Want to talk with us on this year’s listener co-host show? These interviews will be recorded Monday, December 21 from 3-4 p.m. PT. E-mail buzz@cnet.com, subject “Listener Co-host”, and include your name, contact number where you can be reached for the interview (landline preferred), and we will compile the list and select four people for the show.

VOICE MAIL
Dwight the key grip on Tom’s 3 DVDs

E-MAIL
Hey Buzz Crew, this is Jeremy the theater manager. I’m writing in to tell you about my chain’s monthly newsletter. One of the constant topics in the letter is recording–how to spot it, what to do about it, so on. Almost every month it’s followed with a picture of a manager and a bow-tie clad teenager holding a five hundred dollar check. I’m not sure how I could sleep at night sending someone to prison and ruining their life for five bills over some crappy camera screener. I really don’t think the punishment fits the crime. Personally I tell all my employees that if they see someone taping, they should sit next to them and ask for the camera. That way, nobody goes to jail, there’s one less unwatchable screener on the torrent sites, and, hey, free camera. Everybody wins!

Love the show.

P.S. The MPAA site given in the newsletter is fightfilmtheft.org .

************

Hi Buzz crew,

Your discussion of real-time writing on Google Wave got me thinking about a great new revenue possibility for established authors.

Imagine if someone like Stephen King were to announce he’s writing his next novel on Google Wave. How many fans and writers would pay $30 for a 1-year membership to access that wave anytime? They could access the wave and watch King write his novel in real time. It’s not only great for King’s fans, but could also be a graduate-level course in writing for serious students.

David in Missouri