News Analysis

Why Microsoft killed the Courier

AT&T gets its first LTE smartphones this weekend, Google Reader is integrated with Google Plus, and we learn more about the death of Microsoft's Courier tablet project.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Why Microsoft killed the Courier AT&T's first 4G LTE smartphones Next generation Nook Color New Google Reader design Buy and sell jobs on Coffee and Power Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Survey: Many parents help kids lie to get on Facebook

In 1998, Congress passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that requires Web sites to "obtain verifiable parental consent" before collecting personal information from children under 13.

This very well-intentioned law--enacted long before the advent of MySpace, Facebook, and other social networks--was designed to protect children from revealing information that could be used by companies to sell them products or by others to exploit them. Children under 13, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces COPPA, are "particularly vulnerable to overreaching by marketers."

COPPA doesn't prevent companies like Facebook from admitting kids … Read more

Cracking Captcha

Google TV uncovers an update, something is sucking the life from the iPhone 4S, and evil robots cannot be stopped by Captcha...or at least some of them.

Links from Monday's spook-tacular episode of Loaded:

Captchas can't stop evil bots Google TV... it's baaaaack GameStop gone mad? It's selling tablets now. The Microsoft Kinect SDK is alive! What's sucking the life from iPhone 4S? Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Sony going solo with phones

YouTube may start releasing its own original content, Coldplay gives a cold shoulder to music streaming, and Sony pays Ericsson to take over the handset business.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Sony pays Ericsson to take over phones The PC Era is over YouTube creating "channels" BlackBerry makers sued for outage Coldplay won't stream its new album Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

IBM names first female CEO

Nokia shows off its first Windows Phone handsets, Amazon's Kindle Fire is in hot demand, and Big Blue appoints Virginia Rometty as its new CEO.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Big Blue names first female CEO Nokia shows off new Windows Phone handsets Twitter redesigns timeline Kindle Fire in hot demand GTA V: Mo' Money, Mo' Problems? Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Netflix feeling the pain

The father of the iPod creates a cool home thermostat, the Obama campaign joins Tumblr, and Netflix reports its first drop in customers in nearly two years--and it's a doozy.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Big loss for Netflix Is this the iPhone of thermostats? Zaarly gets $14 million and Whitman Walmart selling Square Obama joins Tumblr Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Bio reveals the real Steve Jobs

MacBook Pro notebooks get a boost, Sprint ends unlimited 4G for non-smartphone devices, and we learn more about the man behind Apple with the release of the official biography of Steve Jobs.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Highlights from Steve Jobs official biography MacBook Pro line gets boost Microsoft YouTube channel hacked Sprint ends unlimited 4G for non-smartphones Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Siri accessible on a locked phone

Brand pages are coming soon to Google+, MC Hammer announces a legit search startup called Wiredoo, and iPhone 4S users may want to change a security setting for Siri.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

A Siri-ous security warning Google+ adding business accounts Robo-roach to aid in disasters Mango is ripe for downloading MC Hammer touches into search with WIREDoo Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

Unlock Android 4.0 with your face?

The PlayStation Vita won't be out for the holidays, Apple stores are closing during a memorial for Steve Jobs, and Android's Ice Cream Sandwich version comes with several new camera features.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Google shows off Ice Cream Sandwich Apple closing stores during Jobs memorial Google adds secure search option No Vita for the holidays New bird coming to Angry Birds Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD

RIM offers free apps to make up for BlackBerry outage

Phone carriers will soon warn you of impending overages in real time, the iPhone 4S doubles sales of the previous model, and BlackBerry offers apps to make up for services outage last wee

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

FCC agreement aims to stop 'bill shock' Free BlackBerry games LG releases dual-screen phone, the Doubleplay Samsung fights iPhone 4S in Australia Four million iPhone 4S units sold in first weekend Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (HD)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS HD