robocop

The 404 1,208: Where we're a heartbeat away (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn Google internship trailer debuts

- N.Y. restaurant offers fake "homemade" meal to go for amateur chefs, pre-dirtied cookwear included.

- In high-tech Japan, the fax machines roll on.

- Most definitely the scariest Valentines Day app around.

- Guns in movies: Find your favorites in the Internet Movie Firearms Database.

Bathroom break video: Jackie Chan - "Love Me"… Read more

We drive Sensics' self-contained virtual-reality helmet

LAS VEGAS--Sensics, which makes augmented-reality goggles that I'm told are used for educating Air Force mechanics on how to maintain aircraft, is showing at CES a new technology platform that puts the whole experience in one untethered, head-mounted, bug-eyed contraption. I had to try it.

SmartGoggles is a tech demonstrator, not a product you or I can buy, but it's an interesting look at a potential future of entertainment devices. In the demo I saw on its stereo goggles, you have the first-person perspective of a giant, towering over skyscrapers. With a game controller, you can punch them and they collapse. As you turn around, your view moves with your head. It worked well enough for me, and unlike some virtual reality-products I've tried before, I didn't notice any nauseating lag between my movements and the view of what I saw. … Read more

The 404 764: Where evil has its winning ways (podcast)

Every Thursday is a treat for 404 Podcast listeners because Natali Morris is on the show, but today is extra special because it's Steve Jobs's birthday! To celebrate, Apple announced a flock of brand new Macbook Pro laptops with big changes under the hood.

The new 13, 15, and 17 inch sizes all have a high def web cam and Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors, but they're also the first to include Intel's new hardware connector called Thunderbolt, the official name for Intel's Light Peak I/O data transfer technology.

Thunderbolt is a big step for Apple and computers in general as it's a new cable system that unifies the way that devices like smartphones, hard drives, and other accesories interface with computers.

The technology boosts the speed and responsiveness of media files along a single wire, and Intel claims it can transfer a full HD movie in less than 30 seconds. It also uses the exact same shape as Apple's current Mini DisplayPort for backward compatibility with existing Apple displays.

How much would you pay for a lock of Justin Bieber's hair? The teen hearthrob recently got a haircut (to the soundtrack of a thousand crying tweens) and donated a lock of it for an eBay auction sponsored by Ellen DeGeneres. It's currently priced at almost $7000 with six days left to bid, so act soon if you want to add the final touches to your JB doll.

Read on...… Read more

The 404 763: Where we tagger easy (podcast)

Doug from Pennsylvania inadvertently started another 404 Podcast meme in yesterday's video voice mail with his sign-off salute, "Tagger easy!" We dedicate today's show title to him and WhiteWhine, a Tumblr for First World problems.

More than 200 protesters in Libya have been killed with Qaddafi's machine guns and large-caliber weapons, but some nerds in America are more concerned with the future of .ly domains like Bitly. How will we shorten our links to a Tweet-appropriate size if Libya shuts down the Internet again?!

Don't freak out yet, because Internet restrictions by the Libyan government will not affect those domains, since most of the servers that give access to .ly links are located outside of Libya, and most administrators like Bitly CEO John Borthwick are already using precautionary measures to ensure their stability.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1410: IBM's Watson is our new computer Overlord (podcast)

The result from Jeopardy proves that we are no match for the machine. Sony officially announces their music streaming service Qriocity, while we try to figure out how to spell it. And Sony will be getting in on the tablet game. It's about time. Plus, Donald Bell joins us in studio and takes over the show.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

The 404 760: Where we haven't seen your pretty face in so long (podcast)

It's been so long since Natali has been on The 404 Podcast that we almost forget to call her NM instead of NDC! Fresh from her honeymoon vacation, she stays with us for the entire episode and denounces all those anti-lactivists out there! If we can eat ourselves into a studio infestation, babies should certainly have the right to do so as well.

Moving on, the city of Detroit is finally getting the RoboCop statue it deserves! The idea was spawned after residents felt they needed better representation than rapper Eminem and his ridiculous Chrysler 200 commercial.

So the city started a crowdsourced Kickstarter funding project and reached the $50,000 goal with 37 days left in the contribution window! Everyone that contributes to the fund will receive a personalized digital badge and a name placard on detroitneedsrobocop.com. "I'd fund that for a dollar!" It's the best idea we've heard in a while.

The iTunes Music Store dominates digital music sales, but Sony is taking aim at Apple with its new distribution service called Music Unlimited by Qriocity. Qriocity will feature music from all four major labels, with over 6 million tracks available to stream off Sony's music servers.… Read more

USB prosthetic finger gives new meaning to thumbdrives

This is a story about Jerry Jalava, a Finnish software developer who lost part of his finger in a motorcycle accident last July. According to his friend, Henri Bergius, when the surgeon assigned to work on Jalava's prosthetic finger discovered his hacking history, he made a clever suggestion: incorporate a USB key into the new digit.

The prosthetic finger contains a 2GB USB key, and Jalava also loaded it with Billix distribution, CouchDBX, and Ajatus to run off the drive, throwing even more geek cred into the mix.

When Jalava needs the drive, he simply pulls it off his … Read more

The 404 215: Where Debbie does The 404

You've seen her in the chat room, you've heard her voicemails, now get a chance to catch long time 404 listener Debbie from Toronto's guest appearance on the show. Besides being living proof that at least one attractive women listens to us, Debbie brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the regular morning banter. She gives us the skinny on the Great White North, talks about action movies and does some killer impressions.

Dan the Mantern here. Debbie certainly does The 404 today. Check out our Flickr set for Deb's visit. We think you'll appreciate how she keeps up with the guys and offers her own little Canadian charm to the mix. We nominate Debbie for the official president of "Women for the 404." Considering we're only aware of about five female listeners, she's got her work cut out for her. Thanks, Deb, for the ketchup flavored potato chips, the laughs and enabling us to make "eating poutin" jokes for a long time to come! And to all you 404 listeners, make our day, come to NYC and be a guest on the show!

EPISODE 215 Download today's podcast … Read more

The 404 148: Where MTI is livid and covered in toilet paper

Mark is finally back from his 10 year sabbatical, so we have him on as a guest on today's show to talk about the much deserved practical joke we pulled on him (see post below). He also gives a shout out to Papa Licea and tells us a few stories about his trip. The rest of us get into a rather heated discussion about RoboCop and Batman, give a public service announcement on child abuse, reminisce about a time not so long ago when we worked for pennies, and daydream out loud about all the sinister things we could … Read more