Leaked from today's 404 show:
- 'People' defend Chic-fil-A on Facebook.
- Chick-fil-A cashier fired for racist receipts.
- Old records outsell new ones for the first time.
- Circuit City's in-home TV calibration is a total scam.… Read more
Erica Ogg from CNET's Circuit Breaker column is in town from San Francisco and joins us in the studio to chat about the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt, a YouTube prank gone wrong, YouTube's new Copyright School, and a mail carrier in Oregon who drops off more than the daily newspaper.
The 404 Digest for Episode 801
Comedian gets 2 months in prison for no good reason. YouTube sends copyright pirates back to school. Mail carrier drops off more than a package. Check out Erica's column, Circuit Breaker. Add Erica on Twitter.
Episode 801 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more
Sometimes, late at night, those who run companies lie awake, slapping their foreheads.
"Why did we do that?" they mutter, as they dribble. "Why?"
I wonder whether those who run Comcast might be wondering the same after asking staff to vote in the "Worst Company in America" competition run by the Consumerist.
It seems that someone at Comcast wasn't happy that last year the company won (or lost) the Consumerist's competition. So this year, discovering that the Consumerist's readers had nominated it again, they sent a memo out to staff, asking … Read more
In a sneak-attack move that left everyone (including CNET's own Bonnie Cha) surprised, HP, not HTC, announced that it will buy Palm for $1.2 billion. Many industry pundits consider the partnership out of left field; few remember HP's early foray in the world of PDAs starting with the Jornada handhelds that even found their way into the capable hands of Denise Richards in the James Bond film "The World is Not Enough."
We're anxious to see what HP does with branding and WebOS, which some argue is the only thing from Palm worth saving. And although Wilson and I are optimistic to see how HP handles the buyout, Jeff is ready to jump ship and land on the HTC Evo 4G coming this summer.
Congratulations to Comcast for winning the Golden Poo in The Consumerist's Worst Company in America Awards for 2010. We're also not surprised to see that Ticketmaster follows closely in the runner-up position, although we're not sure what's worse--standing in line to give back a Comcast cable box or paying Ticketmaster's "service fees" that sometimes cost more than the tickets!
Before we finish today's episode, we have to spend time with our favorite movie series "Back to the Future" and a list of six innovations from the movie that we're still waiting for two decades later.
Although we hesitate at the dangers of flying cars like the DeLorean, we still have use for clever inventions like the Black & Decker Hydrator and self-drying clothing. And what Christmas would be complete without your own 404 Podcast-sponsored hoverboard? Don't forget that they don't work on water...UNLESS YOU HAVE POWER.
P.S. Jeff and I have a gentleman's bet on whether Griff's lackey says "Bozo" or "Bojo" in this famous quote. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!
EPISODE 570 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read moreGawker Media has apparently had a change of heart regarding the sale of its Defamer gossip site and decided to fold it into the larger company.
Nick Denton, founder and president of Gawker Media, announced the move Sunday in a company blog:
It's Oscars day, a good a time as any to do this: Hollywood gossip site Defamer is being merged into Gawker, the company's flagship gossip title. The four-year-old title will continue as Gawker's entertainment column; the movie-industry stories will remain showcased on Defamer.com but … Read more
Gawker Media announced Tuesday that it has sold its Consumerist blog to Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.
The blog, which is often an outlet for consumer complaints, will become a new division within the publisher. The current editorial staff is expected to remain, and there are no plans to change coverage, according to a report in The New York Times.
"We don't want to acquire the Consumerist and then squelch it in some way," Kevin McKean, vice president and editorial director of Consumers Union, told the newspaper.
Terms of the deal, which is expected to … Read more
Whatever you want to call them (opportunists, price gougers, geniuses), the slew of sellers auctioning those PS3 consoles they waited in line for could soon be laughing maniacally all the way to the bank.
We reported earlier that bids for Sony PS3s had reached $9,000 this morning. By Friday afternoon bidding on eBay had jumped over $10,000 for a new, unopened 60GB unit. (Thanks to Evan J. for the tip.)
One entrepreneurial young man, asking $16,000, pleads on his seller's page, "FREE OVERNIGHT!!!! Help fund my college education!" The accompanying grainy photo of him … Read more
If you thought the PS3 frenzy ended at midnight, you were terribly mistaken. It was just warming up.
After finding very few fans planning to keep their purchased PS3 for themselves at yesterday's launch, it was to be expected that more drama would ensue today. This morning the world awoke to next-gen consoles auctioning for obscenely high prices and very few places to buy or even place an order for one.
Costco's Web site was down this morning, though now shows just an empty crate and a "sold out" banner. CircuitCity.com reports it is "… Read more
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