Fox

NBC, CBS, and ABC had already said no to Google TV, and today Fox Broadcasting made it unanimous.

News Corp.-owned Fox became the last of the broadcast networks to block full episodes of its shows from appearing on the software platform that enables users to view Web content and video on their home TVs, according to multiple sources with knowledge of Fox's move.

A Fox spokeswoman declined to comment.

Fox executives didn't reject the offering as soon as the other networks because it was evaluating the platform, the sources said. Now that the evaluation is over, the … Read more

Facebook served up the greatest number of online display ads among all online publishers tracked by ComScore over the third quarter.

With a total of 297 billion online display ads, the popular social network accounted for 23 percent of all ad impressions (the number of times an ad is displayed), ComScore announced yesterday. Facebook's market share for ad impressions jumped 13.9 percentage points from 9.2 percent in last year's third quarter.

Yahoo came in second for the quarter with 140 billion display ad impressions, followed by Microsoft with 64 billion, and Fox Interactive Media with 48 … Read more

"Transformers" fans, I've just run into something at Chevy Mall that probably won't get you Megan Fox but will likely make your nerdy friends envious, nonetheless. It's a personal computer that's a replica of the hot Chevy Camaro.

The computer starts at around $1,240 and comes in a variety of colors, including the same color as the car used in the movie: bright yellow. The machine is relatively loaded, with two USB ports on the grille of the car, a slot-load DVD drive at the front bumper, and two more USB ports on … Read more

Yahoo has hired former Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn, Yahoo company announced yesterday.

Starting in November, Levinsohn will become Yahoo's executive vice president of the Americas. In his new role, Levinsohn will be in charge of the Web giant's "media group, advertising sales, and partnerships," the company said in a statement. He will report directly to Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz.

Levinsohn will leave his current position as co-founder and managing director of equity management firm Fuse Capital.

Although Levinsohn of late has been on the investment side of the digital media business, he has lots … Read more

On Jeff's last day on The 404 before he gets married, Justin unfortunately is out sick, but we've got something better! Ms. Natali Del Conte fills in, and we talk about life after getting married. Jeff admits he'll miss his days as a single guy. Don't worry, though, we'll be around to make sure he gets into enough trouble with his soon-to-be wife.

We do get into some tech stories today, and if you can't tell from the giant picture above, it's about the PSP Phone... or PlayStation Phone. Whatever it's called, we can't really figure out whether the photo, which was leaked on Engadget last night, is legit. It looks like it could be a Photoshop job, as there is nothing about the user interface that says PlayStation. But Jeff wonders out loud whether the oval-shapped indentions in the middle are really analog joysticks? And Natali wonders what's a analog joystick again?

After that, we get into some more Cablevision versus Fox outrage, which has stirred up a lot of questions from non-geeks these days because of the World Series. Scores of people in the Tri-State area are desperately trying to find ways to catch the games, which are still blocked from Cablevision customers. Jeff and Natali literally go on a tirade, while Wilson wants to know how this affects the debate about Net neutrality. (Wilson doesn't subscribe to cable video.)

Finally, we get to some voice mails about how Wilson dresses the best... strange. Maybe it's because he has a larger wardrobe that has more variety than black or flannel shirts? And we also get to a video voice mail from the self-proclaimed 404 Grandpa. Keep those video voice mails or video mails or video mails voices coming!

The New Nook Color makes its debut: is it half a loaf or a half-bottle of wine? It's a tortured set of analogies, but we hope you'll get the point. Plus, big news about the show's host lineup (welcome Brian Tong!), Spotify is in the news but still not in the U.S., and the white iPhone 4 officially reaches "annoying tech unicorn" status. Oh, and "Avatar" will never die. Ever. --Molly

It's been six days since News Corp. pulled Fox from the 3.1 million subscribers to New York-area TV provider Cablevision, and the dispute shows no signs of ending soon.

So if you're one of the afflicted, and want to watch any of Fox's programming--including the national League Championship Series' pivotal Game 5 tonight--here's a reminder that cable TV isn't your only option. Other avenues exist, and might not cost you any extra money.

Hook up an antenna: Chances are good you have an HDTV, and chances are even better that that HDTV has an antenna input on the back. Dust it off and put it to use. Connecting an antenna--whether it's an old one on your roof, a pair of rabbit ears you find in your closet, or a new one you buy today (indoor versions are pretty cheap)--could get you Fox for free right now.

After hookup you'll need to scan for channels on your TV to find the station, and you might have to play around with the antenna location, but for many subscribers in the Cablevision area, an antenna will work. Bonus: You'll get Fox in HD, complete with surround sound, and the picture will probably look better than cable.

If you have an old antenna we recommend trying it. If you need to buy a new one, antennaweb.org is a good place to start. In New York City we've also had good luck with "silver sensor"-based units like the Philips SDV2708 ($18 at Amazon). If you're having trouble getting reception, the FCC's DTV.gov has some tips on antenna placement and a coverage map.

… Read more

On today's show, it's a total Monday, so we devolve into nonsense words a little bit. It's mostly to stave off our justified rage over Cablevision and News Corp.'s money-motivated, consumer-unfriendly standoff. In other news, Google offers personalized Doodles on your birthday, and Borders offers yet another manifesto outlet. --Molly

Hulu, the video portal that is one of the most successful Web properties created by so-called old media, is planning to raise as much as $300 million from a public offering according to a story published today by Reuters.

The "clown company" has made good. That's how YouTube employees referred to the service before it launched in 2007. But there's nothing silly about a company with a $2 billion valuation. Hulu has emerged as legitimate competitor to the Web video leader, Google's YouTube.

But the race in online video has increasingly turned away from user-generated … Read more