roast

The 404 907: Where we 'stiL be making bank' (podcast)

The existence of the @Qwikster Twitter account proves that even the biggest dummy with Internet access can accidentally stumble into a squatting payout. Jeff dons his reading glasses today to give a dramatic reading of some of our favorite tweets from Mr. Jason Castillo.

We're also looking forward to Facebook's F8 developers conference on Thursday, during which the company is rumored to announce its hyped-up media streaming platform as part of a "major" profile redesign.

Like it or not, Facebook is pushing more for e-commerce and TechCrunch's Leena Rao thinks we'll see more buttons popping up to give users more specific sentiments like "Listened," "Watched," "Read," and maybe even "Want."

Along with a story about girls not using BitTorrent, we'll also report on a story update from three years ago about Heinz's new "Dip and Squeeze" ketchup packet.

Since everyone consumes ketchup differently, Heinz developed a packet that lets the consumer decide whether to squeeze out all the ketchup, or peel back the lid for dipping. And with three times more ketchup per packet than the old design, it might be a sign that Heinz could care less about this country's fight with obesity.

But at least this country earns the top spot in something. We finish the show with a group groan about our country's dismal Internet speeds. According to an article in "The New York Times" last week, the U.S. dropped to 25th in the global ranking of Internet speeds, just behind Romania and the Czech Republic. It could be worse for New Yorkers, however--the report also blasts Idaho for its 318 Kbps "speeds."

Enjoy today's show, and leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET--we're running low!

The 404 Digest for Episode 907

Twitter's Qwikster wants money from Netflix. Talk of 'major' redesign of Facebook profiles as F8 nears. Facebook to launch Read, Listened, Watched, and Want buttons. Button fatigue settling in at Facebook. Welcome to your Hungarian Internet. For Idaho and the Internet, life in the slow lane. Old Ketchup packet heads for trash. Girls are not into The Pirate Bay, or BitTorrent. Bathroom break video of the day: Flying lawnmower.

Episode 907 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 853: Where our bellies were sluggish with goat meat (podcast)

Happy belated Fourth! We're back from celebrating on Independence by blowing up a piece of it, and we spend the first half of today's episode recounting all the bbq we ate yesterday. We're also bringing you results of the annual Nathan's hog dog eating contest and breaking news about one of our favorite shows on Comedy Central--and of course we wouldn't let a Monday go by without Tanging that Tune!

The 404 Digest for Episode 853

Joey Chestnut wins 5th straight Nathan's hot dog eating competition. Jellyfish fireworks over the Hudson river in NYC.

Episode 853 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Want to pitch your video game? Host a post-apocalyptic pig roast!

We trekked out to the far reaches of deepest Brooklyn last night to check out an under-development video game called Borderlands. Buzzed about since at least 2007, it's a first-person sci-fi RPG set in a desolate wasteland that looks like the American Southwest, but is, in fact, another planet (go figure).

While hands-on demos of upcoming games are usually enough to get us to show up, publisher 2K went a little further, turning a Williamsburg warehouse into a B-movie set, complete with props straight out of Mad Max, costumed bartenders, and an entire roasted pig, gleefully hacked up for the attendees.

We thought the proceedings were amusing enough to snap a few photos of the event--just be careful not to let it offend your delicate vegetarian sensibilities. … Read more

A reusable way to tie up your turkey

A few days ago, I decided to roast a chicken for dinner. I looked up a recipe I hadn't tried yet, took my time to make a delicious-smelling herb rub that I stuffed underneath the skin and inside the cavity of the bird, and when the time came to lace up the chicken and put it in the oven, I realized that I had no string. Anywhere.

Thankfully, when I asked my roommate for a backup length of string, he came through. But the string he found came out of a desk drawer and was wrapped around a pencil. … Read more

Cuisinart Electric Rotisserie is nothing to spit at

In a perfect world, every house would have a fire perpetually burning with a huge spit of roasted meat gently turning. The aroma alone would be enough to convince me that I had found paradise. Assuming, of course, that I would actually be able to eat said meal, and this wasn't some ironic "Twilight Zone"-inspired alternate universe. Eternally rotating fire-roasted slabs of meat will have to wait for most of us, but there is another option to bring home an appliance that at least captures the spirit of warmth, comfort, and the fire pit.

The Cuisinart Electric Rotisserie … Read more

Move over bacon, here comes beer-can chicken

I'm going to make a bold prediction: bacon may well have been the favorite food obsession of the Internet during 2008, but beer can chicken is going to wrestle the mantle away this year. Of course, we won't know the results of this delicious statement well until mid-summer, but all the signs are there. We have seen a recent explosion of interest in the cooking method, and now we are seeing more products designed to deliver the classic meal. From ceramic cookers looking to mimic the process to simple devices resembling colanders or mesh steamers, the fact is … Read more

Roast your own coffee on the barbecue

Coffee is an essential ingredient to life as we know it. Maybe not chemically speaking (at least until our next stage of evolution, that is), but it is definitely essential for our social interactions. If you are not a coffee drinker and you guffaw at that remark, just imagine if for one day all the coffee in the world disappeared. You might not feel any ill effects, but most of those around you certainly would. And they would let you know it.

In case you are not sure what I am talking about, I should let you know I ran … Read more

Turkey baster pulls double duty

With Thanksgiving only a week away, holiday cooking gadgets are out in full force. Those who are comfortable in the kitchen get to take advantage of more family time by using gadgets that save it, and those who have never set foot in the kitchen can find comfort in accessories that take the guesswork out of cooking the perfect holiday meal.

A difficult dishes to master is the Thanksgiving bird. Making a perfect roast turkey can be one of the more intimidating experiences of the holiday season; with so many bad memories of chewy turkey, the pressure to make a … Read more

The 404 170: Where we brush our teeth with roast beef

Wilson can't make it to the show again because of his ongoing illness, so everyone send us a voice mail wishing our buddy well wishes and a speedy return back to The 404! Dan the Mantern takes time out of his busy schedule of doughnut runs and paper stapling to fill in and give us some laughs on this overcast Monday. We recap our weekend adventures, talk about the dangers of kidnapping a virtual lion, send our condolences to the hungry worker bees at Google, protect ourselves from exploding iPods, and perform reveal the first ever sushi DNA test!… Read more