April 3, 2009 12:39 PM PDT

The 404 313: Where Dennis Crowley snowboards and bikes his way into our hearts

by Wilson Tang
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Dennis Crowley, inventor of many things good, including Dodgeball (the social Web tool, not the terrible movie or the gym game Justin and Wilson can't play because of their thick glasses), joins The 404 today to talk about some interesting stories from the Web and his latest social Web tool, Four Square.

(Credit: Dennis Crowley)

Today, we go a bit back in Web 2.0 history with the first Twitter/Loopt social-networking tool, invented by Mr. Crowley, Dodgeball--from its inception, to its purchase by Google, to its eventual shutdown.

Not to be deterred, Dennis is back at it again with Four Square, another social-networking tool, where users can compete with one another and earn badges and points when they hang at certain places. It's available for both iPhone/iPod Touch, BlackBerry, and SMS. We encourage you to check it out and report back to us, whether it improves your social life or earns you a "Douchebag Badge."

Also on today's show, we get to some voice mails about Buzz Out Loud infringing a little too much on 404-territory. It's no surprise, given our general awesomeness. In actual stories, we've got Justin Yu's review of the new "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie that his "friend" let him watch through a telescope in another room.

We learn through the new Digg Bar that young, white males binge drink. You can thank the U.S. federal budget deficit for that wonderful, no-duh study.

Per usual, send us a voice mail, especially about your social life experiments with Four Square, at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). Or via e-mail, if you're international, at the404 [at] cnet [dot] com. More guests coming up, including an appearance by Dan the Mantern and Alison Rosen.


EPISODE 313



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Recent posts from The 404 Podcast
The 404 Podcast 489: Where our drones got hacked
The 404 Podcast 488: Where we now offer free Wi-Fi--with the purchase of a Happy Meal
The 404 Podcast 487: Where even we can win a Golden Globe this year
The 404 Podcast 486: Where Bonnie is not Nicole
The 404 Podcast 485: Where Justin is leaving on a jet plane
The 404 Podcast 484: Where we text message Tiger Woods
The 404 Podcast 483: Where we play a never-ending game of devil's advocate
The 404 Podcast 482: Where we put on our poker face
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by caroline.mccarthy April 3, 2009 12:46 PM PDT
Bromance FTW!
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by vonderFaust April 3, 2009 1:39 PM PDT
Whoops! The "Download Today's Show" link is for yesterdays show.
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by wbandoy April 3, 2009 1:59 PM PDT
Below is today's link.

http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/1pcast.the404/http://podcast-files.cnet.com/podcast/cnet_the404_040309.mp3
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About The 404 Podcast

A pop-cult fix for a generation that grew up playing Nintendo and watching Saturday morning cartoons, the 404 podcast, with hosts Jeff Bakalar, Wilson Tang, and Justin Yu, gives you the latest news in gadgets, social media, video games, and movies with snarky commentary and the occasional tasteless joke.

Get in on the show by e-mailing us at the404@cnet.com, or leave us a message at 1-866-404-CNET (2638). Or join up with our Facebook group and get in on the action.

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The hosts of the 404
Wilson G. Tang Wilson Tang is an associate producer for CNET TV. He's a part-time artist and filmmaker and has written and directed several films. He likes long walks on the beach and girls.
Jeff Bakalar Jeff Bakalar is an editor for CNET Reviews, getting all the dirt on the gaming industry. After spending a few years in the world of film production, he has settled down and currently lives in New Jersey. He's an avid writer, gamer, and full-time pessimist.
Justin Yu Justin Yu can be found tinkering with printers and other peripherals for CNET, when he's not adjusting his headphones, riding his bike, or eating hot dogs for breakfast.
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