cnn

The 404 390: Where we all hail Wilson

On today's show, CNET reporter and 404 BFF Caroline McCarthy directs us in a live read-through of the actual script for the upcoming Facebook movie and also joins us in talking about 4Chan, Comic-Con, and this weekend's insane hailstorm.

We love it when Caroline McCarthy drops into The 404 studio because she always brings the juiciest news from the Internet. Last week she revealed to us the details of "The Social Network," a movie about Facebook's seedy origins...and today we read through a scene from the screenplay live on the air! The scene involves Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, twin co-founders of former Facebook rival ConnectU, arguing with their third partner about how to end Mark Zuckerberg's life for stealing their genius idea. After reading a few pages, we quickly realize that none of us even have the slightest chance of having a career in the movie industry. Awful.

Caroline stays with us for the second half of the show for a knee-slappin' Calls From the Public, including one from our buddy Ryan that equates Wikipedia to...well...I'll just give you this hint. Thanks, Ryan!

More stories of the day include the idiots over at AT&T picking a fight with 4Chan, the most notorious group of pranksters on the Internet. Moot, the founder of the controversial forum site, reported on Sunday that AT&T had blocked broadband access to some of the more controversial message boards (including the most infamous /b/), claiming that a denial-of-service attack had "stemmed from IP addresses connected to img.4chan.org." Finally, after a fake overdose story involving AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson surfaced on CNN, AT&T deemed 4Chan "safe" for its customers to visit and cleared the block. Talk about getting close to the fire!

I'll try not to get too sniffly here, but this will be my last blog post for a week, since I'll be heading back to California for a week-long vacation. I'll be back next Wednesday, but Jeff and Wilson will have some truly awesome guests coming in to fill my very small feet! I'll never forget you guys. Goodbye!

EPISODE 390 Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

AT&T said to block 4chan; pranksters fight back

Reports began to surface Sunday charging that AT&T had blocked broadband access to parts of the notorious (and powerful) Internet forum site 4chan, which the telecom company confirmed on Monday. Late in the evening, a fake story surfaced on CNN's iReport citizen journalism site alleging that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson had been "found dead in his multimillion dollar beachfront mansion" after a cocaine overdose.

Suffice it to say that the two events are likely connected. Access to 4chan has since been restored for AT&T broadband customers.

For those who stepped in … Read more

Less is more. The tweet(ed) revolution.

Looking at the many positive responses it received, Pico Iyer’s recent NY Times blog post on "The Joy of Less" appears to have struck a chord:

"But at some point, I decided that, for me at least, happiness arose out of all I didn’t want or need, not all I did. And it seemed quite useful to take a clear, hard look at what really led to peace of mind or absorption (the closest I’ve come to understanding happiness). Not having a car gives me volumes not to think or worry about, and makes … Read more

'#CNNFail': Twitterverse slams network's Iran absence

As the Iranian election aftermath unfolded in Tehran--thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to express their anger at perceived electoral irregularities--an unexpected hashtag began to explode through the Twitterverse: "CNNFail."

Even as Twitter became the best source for rapid-fire news developments from the front lines of the riots in Tehran, a growing number of users of the microblogging service were incredulous at the near total lack of coverage of the story on CNN, a network that cut its teeth with on-the-spot reporting from the Middle East.

For most of Saturday, CNN.com had no stories about the … Read more

How to unfollow Ashton Kutcher

Updated at 11:15 AM with reports from users. See end of story.

Twitter is getting fishy. In the race between Ashton Kutcher (aplusk on Twitter) and the CNN Breaking News feed (CNNbrk) to get to 1 million followers first, Kutcher won. But was the race goosed by Twitter itself?

Last night, various reports surfaced (see TechCrunch, for example) that while people could follow Kutcher and CNNbrk, they couldn't unfollow them.

But the real issue is this: The people of the world need a way to unfollow Kutcher, or whomever else they want to. The standard way of doing … Read more

Ashton outmaneuvers CNN to 1 million on Twitter

This had to be one of the weirdest pieces of media I've ever seen: watching actor Ashton Kutcher, streaming live on the Web, and Anderson Cooper, broadcasting live on CNN, each pimping their Twitter accounts, trying to exhort the world to help them become the first to reach 1 million followers.

As Kutcher--as well as a host of guests at what I presume was his and wife Demi Moore's house, and even P. Diddy, who was on speakerphone at the house--put it, this was a battle between old-guard TV and newer-kid-on-the-block Web.

In the end, the battle to … Read more

Following the great Twitter race to 1 million

The race between Ashton Kutcher and CNN to become the first Twitter user to get 1 million followers is nearing the end, and both sides are stepping up their game. CNN went live on TV to promote their own account, trying to best Kutcher, and Kutcher has responded by going live on Ustream.tv to try to push himself over the top.

After Kutcher laid down the challenge on Qik, this race has been filled with trash talking, and it has really escalated beyond control.

Both sides are promising donations to charity, if they win, and Electronic Arts is even … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 954: Sext cells

Maggie Reardon from News.com joins Natali and me to talk about a host of cell phone news, including new iPhone patents, legislation around sexting, and of course, courier pigeons that deliver contraband cell phones to inmates. I mean, we all saw that last one coming...right?

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 954

eBay buys Gmarket http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/04/16/technology/business-us-gmarket-ebay.html

Apple iPhone patents http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10220939-37.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

PC sales are down but it is not that bad http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10220392-92.html http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dell-still-struggles-hp-and-acer-grow/… Read more

CNN acquires leading Twitter account

CNN gained nearly a million Twitter followers on Wednesday when it acquired the @cnnbrk Twitter account.

The account, the largest on Twitter with more than 947,000 followers, had been maintained and nurtured by James Cox. CNN did not disclose financial details of the acquisition, probably because rules at the microblogging site prohibit the selling of Twitter accounts.

The acquisition comes as the race to 1 million Twitter followers heats up. As of Wednesday afternoon, Ashton Kutcher was in second place with 917,000 followers, followed closely by Britney Spears, who has about 913,000 followers.

Kutcher publicly challenged CNN … Read more

Fake CNN site from phishing e-mail hides a Trojan

A new e-mail that is circulating looks like it comes from CNN and links to a fake CNN Web page offering "graphic" video related to the Israel-Hamas conflict but instead hosts a Trojan that steals sensitive data, RSA said on Thursday.

When someone clicks on the video link on the fake CNN site an error message pops up urging the visitor to download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. Clicking on the download link installs an "SSL stealer" Trojan that captures financial and other sensitive information, RSA said in a blog.

The Trojan looks for … Read more