404

'Woot' is officially a thing, according to Oxford English Dictionary

August marks the 100th anniversary of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), the smaller but most widely recognized derivative of the official Oxford English Dictionary, or OED. To celebrate, the lexicon published its 12th edition today that adds more than 400 new entries--many of which reflect the technological pervasiveness of modern society, like "woot," "mankini," and "jeggings."

COED Editor Angus Stevenson heads up a small team at the Oxford University Press's academic cabinet tasked with choosing the next words for inclusion, and the process involves keying popular words into a database that shows frequency of use in print and online.

Since publishing its first edition back in 1911, the COED's evolution shows the tremendous effects of social media and instant-access technology on language, creating new words but also modifying existing definitions of words like "follower."

What once meant "a person who imitates or copies" now earns a second and more widely used meaning: "someone who is tracking a particular person, group, etc., on a social networking site." Another example that's a little unsettling is the general term "friend" that loses gravity in its new form: "a contact on a social networking Web site."… Read more

The 404 884: Where there are no words (podcast)

If you've ever wondered what Playboy looks like in Braille, you'll want to check out this 404 podcast. Today, the Internet Archives is showing us how it's endeavoring to scan all books and magazines (including Playboy) for posterity.

Before we get to that story, however, we begin with Jalopnik's hunt for the hottest TV traffic reporter. It includes one of Jeff's childhood friends from summer camp who somehow ties into Justin's morning routine.

After that, we have a couple of tips on how to avoid in-person conversations with the help of your phone. Then we move onto a strange study that profiles the drinking, eating, and social habits of Android vs. iPhone users, a mysterious prototype MacBook Pro with 3G spotted on eBay, and a handful of Calls from the Public!

The 404 Digest for Episode 884

Android users versus iPhone users. What it's like to read Playboy in Braille. OMG, it's happening again: Prototype MacBook Pro with 3G spotted on eBay. Ever faked a cell phone call? You're not alone. Who's the hottest TV traffic reporter? Video voicemail from Marshall's dancing girlfriend.

Episode 884 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 883: Where the PATH to success is paved with delays (podcast)

Why are schools no longer teaching typing? Typing class used to be a sanctuary for nerds, but now that everyone has a smartphone and a Facebook profile, some school districts are making a case against teaching standardized touch-typing lessons.

But before we dive into the technology lessons we think should be taught in all grade schools, we start today's episode of The 404 Podcast with a recap of the past week's metaprotesting in San Francisco and the flames that ignited Anonymous to shut down public transit.

The 404 Digest for Episode 883

SF subway closes stations during Anonymous protest. Why are schools no longer teaching typing? A video voice mail from Andrew in Ontario!

Episode 883 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 882: Where everyone did it in the '90s (podcast)

If you willingly choose to pay to see a movie like "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," you give up your right to complain about your fellow theater-goers. This is the lesson Wilson and I impart to our third co-host, who got suckered by the trolls on Rotten Tomatoes into seeing the pre-prequel to "Planet of the Apes."

The big news, of course, is Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, so we'll discuss what that means for existing patent trolls, Android handset competitors, and the Android platform in general.

Stick around until the end of the show, when we'll announce which two lucky listeners won our V-Moda Faders earplugs giveaway contest!

The 404 Digest for Episode 882

Google to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5B. Air Swimmers let you fly your own fish. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: An animal-rights manifesto disguised as a prison-break movie. Weekend breaches: BART page by Anonymous.

Episode 882 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 881: Where we sweat it out (podcast)

CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg (not that one) is back on the show and telling us why iPod docks, Beats Audio, and Spotify are ruining the music industry. Steve also has a few ideas on how to make one last buck off said music industry, and advises us on the rules of listening to music in public.

He still also has a pair of V-Moda earplugs to give away to a few lucky 404 listeners, so be sure to add him on Twitter and mention both of us in a Tweet for a chance to win!

The 404 Digest for Episode 881

Spotify and the search for meaning in music. Steve says: " They should stop making CDs." Do people really care how their gadgets sound? Planet Money podcast: Manufacturing the song of the summer.

Episode 881 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 880: Where we separate the hacks from the cracks (podcast)

If you leave your Facebook logged in on a friend's computer and that person posts an embarrassing photo for all your friends to see, would you say you got hacked?

Today's episode of the podcast takes issue with the misuse of the word "hacked." With news stories about Stuxnet, PlayStation 3, and News of the World throwing around the term with no specific definition, we hope to define exactly what it means to hack...at least according to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

First, we'll explore the origins of hacking by breaking the definition down into subcategories like phreaking, cracking, and spoofing. Then we'll tell you why the courts decided that sending out too many e-mails to someone can be considered computer hacking, and we'll introduce the 23-year-old Assistant Commissioner hired by the NYPD to spearhead its new social media unit.

Finally, we close today's show with an exploration into the changing landscape of "Sesame Street," and why some of the LGBT community is pushing Bert and Ernie to finally tie the knot on the air.

The 404 Digest for Episode 880

Stock art meant for news stories about cybercrime. NYPD forms new social media unit to mine Facebook and Twitter for mayhem. Court deems e- mail spam is considered a form of computer hacking. iPad cases made out of Bernie Madoff's auctioned clothing. Slice Harvester shows every pizza spot in NYC on a Google map. Petition asks Bert and Ernie to get married already. Working in an office is bad for your brain.

Episode 880 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 879: Where we remember, remember (podcast)

Today we're exploring the trend of digital vigilantes (aka digilantes) taking to the Internet for crowdsourced criminal identification and cyberjustice. The most recent example is the hacker collective known as Anonymous' YouTube video threatening to take down Facebook on November 5, otherwise known as Guy Fawkes Day.

We'll also fill you in on the London police toying with facial recognition technology on Facebook to identify looters caught on camera, yesterday's 5,000 percent spike in blunt weapons sales on Amazon.co.uk, and a woman who used an airplane to wag a giant finger at Wall Street.

The 404 Digest for Episode 879

Anonymous: Facebook's going down November 5. Will London's police officials turn to Facebook's facial recognition technology to fight crime? Sales of aluminum bats are up more than 5,000 percent on Amazon.co.uk. The USB toothbrush: Philips' device is the "iPod of toothbrushes." Angry Birds makes it onto the cover of Mad Magazine. Airplane banner circles Wall Street: "Thanks For The Downgrade. You Should All Be Fired"

Episode 879 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 878: Where we don't give a truck about freeze (podcast)

Jay-Z and Kanye West unleashed their collaborative album "Watch The Throne" yesterday, but how did they keep it from leaking before the release? We'll tell you on today's episode of The 404 Podcast.

We'll also tell you where the new Star Trek amusement park is being built, why parents should download the first iOS app built by the FBI, and who's to blame for the four-car pileup that included Google's first driverless vehicle.

The 404 Digest for Episode 878

Duh: Facebook use and narcissism correlate in teens. How Jay-Z and Kanye West kept their new album from leaking. There's going to be a Star Trek amusement park--guess where? FBI releases child ID iPhone app. Finally, the first Google autonomous-car crash. Has Starbucks had enough of laptop loungers?

Episode 878 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 877: Where you learn a lot about people at the beach (podcast)

Jeff's back in the studio after his vacation week, and any positive vibes floating around in the air are obliterated when he tells us about the things you can learn about people just from spending time at the beach.

Unsurprisingly, none of us plan to see "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," despite its 80-percent "fresh" rating on RottenTomatoes.com. We're also ripping a page from the Obvious News section and talking about TV porn sales going down in recent years, and playing a handful of voicemails carefully chosen by Mr. Bakalar.

The 404 Digest for Episode 877

Big surprise: TV porn doesn't sell like it used to. FBI releases child ID iPhone app.

Episode 877 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 876: Where 92 percent of our hosts are fake (podcast)

Which would you rather give up for a week, your toothbrush or your iPhone? We welcome CNETer Kenley Bradstreet back on the show today to help us answer this hypothetical question and more.

Of course, Joey Kaminski is here, too, and we have a minefield of a story rundown to test his self-control, such as a nail polish inspired by bruises and bodily fluids, a world-record-breaking attempt going down tomorrow on the corner of Seaman and Dyckman Streets, and a report that 92-percent of Newt Gengrich's 1.3 million Twitter followers are actually robots.

The 404 Digest for Episode 876

Nail polish names inspired by bruises and blood. Report: 92 percent of Newt Gingrich's Twitter Followers Aren't Real. iPhone users would trade shoes, sex for phone. N.Y. lingerie shop to break world record for simultaneous breastfeeding. No lasers were harmed in the scanning of these cats.

Episode 876 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more