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The 404 1,173: Where where we play it fast and loose (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- What happened when NYU students discovered they could e-mail 40,000 people at once.

- Trotify kit puts Monty Python horse coconuts on your bike.

- Why is Slate defending your right to name your kid Hashtag?

- Why people spend so many hours stitching footage into YouTube collages.

- Access Main Computer File: Exploring graphical user interfaces in movies.

- Brave Robotics offers 3D-printed 1/12 scale mecha transformer at Maker Faire.… Read more

PC gaming does Cyber Monday: Downloadable PC games

Updated with new Steam details.

PC gamers will find deals on lots of titles today. It's a great opportunity to pick up a game or two you've been meaning to play.

Two notes: Dishonored. Every retailer has it for a discounted $29.99. Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition. Amazon and Steam both have it for $7.49. I recommend both titles, especially at those prices (just beware of Batman's always-odious Games for Windows Live integration).

Amazon Amazon's site navigation is kind of a mess. You can find the discounted, downloadable PC games here.… Read more

Trotify kit puts Monty Python horse coconuts on your bike

Every time I watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," I insult along with the French knight, sing Sir Robin's praises, and fervently wish I had a coconut to add horse-trotting sound effects to my life.

Design studio Original Content London has figured out how to bring the sounds of Monty Python-style equine movement to bicycles. Trotify is a wood kit that mounts on the front of a bike. As you pedal, the tire triggers Trotify to clomp a coconut up and down. You'll have to provide your own minstrel and squire. … Read more

PC gaming does Cyber Monday: Desktops and laptops

If you've been eyeing a high-end, hand-built gaming PC, today might be the day to pull the trigger. Here's a selection of the Cyber Monday deals available from the dedicated PC vendors.

Alienware Alienware's high-end desktops aren't as competitive as they used to be, but its laptops and budget-price desktops still have some appeal.

You'll find Alienware's best deals on its highest-end hardware. The M14x and M18x laptops, and the Aurora gaming desktop all offer discounts of above $400. The best deal of that bunch is the M14x, with a starting price of $2,… Read more

BlackBerry 10 gets launch date

CNET Update starts the countdown:

Mark the calendar on January 30. That's when Research in Motion will launch the next BlackBerry phones. Also in Monday's tech news roundup:

- Facebook is testing out new features. Some users can reply directly to someone's comment on a post, according to Mashable. And VentureBeat reports Facebook is also testing notification sounds.

- A preview of the Skype app for Windows Phone 8 is now available to download.

- YouTube will cut funding to about half of the original shows it backed last year, according to Ad Age.

- Apple and … Read more

The legend is back! Rayman's new adventure on the Android scene

The legendary hero is back! And he's tackling the mobile platforming scene with Rayman Jungle Run. Selling for a little less than tree fiddy, will Jungle Run do justice to the Rayman series? All you have to do is read the next paragraphs to find out.

Installation is relatively fast for such a gorgeous game. It's essentially a Running game retaining the look of Rayman Origin.You'll lead our hero through a gauntlet to try and collect Lums (firefly-like creatures). The goal is to collect the maximum amount on each level by employing Rayman's various skills … Read more

'House of Cards' to premier on Netflix in February

Netflix will premiere its first original TV series "House of Cards" on February 1, the company announced today. In a twist, the company will release all 13 episodes at once instead of parceling them out the way broadcast and cable channels do.

The show -- which stars Kevin Spacey ("Horrible Bosses," "American Beauty") and Robin Wright ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Forrest Gump") -- was produced exclusively for Netflix.

"House of Cards," based on a BBC miniseries of the same name, is a look at "uncompromising … Read more

Cable companies eye video game distribution, report says

Cable companies are hatching a plan to take on console makers, a new report claims.

Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and others, are planning to launch a digital-gaming service that would allow their customers to play titles directly on their televisions without the need for consoles, Bloomberg is reporting today, citing several sources. According to Bloomberg's sources, those games would include everything from simple titles, like Tetris, to the most advanced games from major publishers.

Cloud-based gaming has quickly become a popular trend in the industry, with several companies trying their hand in that space. Steam … Read more

Yahoo unveils #HashOut, a social media talk show

As a slew of Internet companies have started creating their own content, Yahoo is also getting in the game.

The Web pioneer announced today that it is working on a social media talk show called #HashOut with some big-hitter names like Arnold Schwarzenegger's ex-wife and journalist Maria Shriver, Princeton professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof, and more.

Yahoo is deeming the show as "a new way to talk about the news," and says that it is also "the first talk show conducted over social media."

Besides the people listed above, other guests … Read more

The best alternatives to the late, great 17-inch MacBook Pro

The sudden disappearance of Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro laptop after yesterday's WWDC keynote provoked split opinions on CNET. Photographers and videographers will weep, some said. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has more pixels and will be a great replacement, said others.

Whichever way you slice it, potential suitors of the 17-inch Pro suddenly find themselves looking for a new partner. Alas, here's what you'll soon discover: most 17-inch laptops on the Windows side are "gaming laptops," built clunky, bulky, and leaning toward power over battery life.

(Note: yes, commenters, I agree. Of all Windows laptops, the HP Envy 17 would probably be the closest match. HP still sells the 17-inch version, and it costs as little as $1,249 on HP's website. However, we haven't reviewed the current 17-incher: for the closest equivalent, see our review of the HP Envy 15.)

Here are the closest equivalents we've reviewed at CNET, but you'll rapidly realize that none of them perfectly match what the Pro offered.… Read more