Buzz Out Loud 808: Apple, give us our Podcaster!

In today's show, Rafe joins us for a discussion of useless video blobs, the implications of, uh, Internet "shopping," the NPD numbers that read Tom's mind, and the U.S. Senate's "enormous gift" to Big Content (per Ars Technica). Also, we rouse the Buzz Militia from their stupor to launch an attack on Apple's arbitrary and annoying App Store approval process. Save Podcaster!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 808

Committee amends, approves 'enormous gift' to Big Content
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080911-committee-amends-approves-enormous-gift-to-big-content.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10039745-38.html

Apple rolls back problem driver in new iTunes 8 update
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=543
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10040273-37.html

MySpace Music adds user playlists, Amazon links
http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/myspace-music-a.html

NPD numbers for game consoles
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080912-madden-09-owns-360-moves-back-in-front-of-ps3-in-sales.html

Video game industry shows signs of slowing
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10040111-52.html

Et Tu, Mozilla? Firefox 3 to get privacy mode
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/12/065230

iPhone Takes screenshots of everything you do
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/hacker-says-sec.html

100Mbps. 2010. Over the air. Don't be surprised.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=10010

Japan tops world broadband study
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7610534.stm

Seinfeld and Gates hit the road for Vista
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10039646-56.html

VOICE MAIL

Gabriel
My guess on iTunes.

Bill Portland
A couple of iTunes announcements we missed.

Rob from Philly
I had to install Real Player.

E-MAIL

On yesterday’s show (807), you mentioned that TiVo should buy Sling. However, Sling is owned by Echostar (Dish Network), who has a dispute with TiVo over their DVR technology. A great idea would be for Dish to license TiVo’s DVR technology and TiVo to license Dish’s Sling technology.

Bennie Jr.

Hey Buzz people,

That’s right, Apple has rejected my application because it duplicates the functionality of the desktop iTunes application. What!

Here is the e-mail they sent

“Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.”

That just sucks. It really sucks. Maybe they should reject all calculator applications because they already have a calculator.

Anyway, just thought you would want to know as this is juicy news.

Keep up the good work.

Alex S.
from New Jersey

Hey there all powerful buzz crew.
Just wanted to let ya’ll know that the analog signal is being used to display a message with the hot line.
I know this because I took a day trip to the beach and in the morning my portable TV worked but after lunch every station had that notice.
By the way I thought it was cool that the FCC paid fire departments $15 per converter they helped install, I think I read it in the WSJ, but do a live.com search to be certain .
Love the show.
Stephen
Charlotte, N.C.

typing from my phone so forgive the lack of proper CAPS. Episode 807 10 mins 16 seconds in, Tracfone will not deduct credits for text messages received if they are not opened. However, you can look in the in-box and read the first 50 characters as they scroll by in the preview. Love the show.

Michael

On 806 you were talking text msg fees and on 807, no calls or e-mails about US Cellular having free incoming text messages and calls. They did follow the crowd up to the $0.20 for outgoing messages, so they are not all goody goody. I didn’t e-mail or call because you I was sure someone would. Oh, and I love my BlackBerry and haven’t thought once about switching to that other phone, what was it called…
http://www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/x_page.html?p=f_calltextpix

Thanks,

John, the bad speller (wish I was something cooler)
Peoria, Ill.