Buzz Out Loud Podcast

EPISODE 847

Hey Microsoft, Yahoo’s for sale--for real this time
http://www.crn.com/software/212000962

Obama, McCain campaigns both hacked, files compromised (thanks rpcaldiera)
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/11/05/221222

An Obama presidency: Good, bad news for technology
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10082672-38.html

Apple activates podcast downloads in 2.2 firmware
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/11/06/apple-activates-podcast-downloads-in-2-2-firmware/

Feature films coming to YouTube
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10083481-93.html

Video: Windows 7 promises faster boots and up to 15% better battery life
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/06/video-windows-7-promises-faster-boots-and-up-to-15-better-batt/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10083242-56.html
http://cnettv.cnet.com/2001-1_53-50004352.html

Warner Bros. to fight China movie piracy with 60¢ downloads
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081105-warner-bros-to-fight-china-movie-piracy-with-60-downloads.html

WPA cracked in 15 minutes or less, or your next router’s free
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/06/wpa-cracked-in-15-minutes-or-less-or-your-next-routers-free/

Intel names ‘Nehalem’ launch date
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/11/06/core_i7_launch_date_named/

Cancer genetic blueprint revealed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7706487.stm

U.S. Army to push X-files tech development, invade 'World of Warcraft'
http://gizmodo.com/5077240/us-army-to-push-x+files-tech-development-invade-world-of-warcraft

Voice mail
Anthony from Louisiana: Kindle in the Wild

E-mail

I was listening to episode 846 where you mentioned about EA’s hilarious work around for the CD key and I am sad to say that I was one of the those who received only 19 of the 20 digits. I thought about calling EA to find out how to resolved this but I figured that it would take to long and opt to simply guess the last digit. They allowed 3 tries before requiring you to re-enter all the digits again. I believe you can eliminate zero and O just because they look too similar reducing the number of possibilites to 34. I finially found the last digit on my 33th tried when I skipped Y and typed in Z. Safe to say EA has been nothing but trouble. Just wanted to get my story out on EA’s key cracking idea.

Also on another topic, I have seen two Sony E-Readers in the wild within the period of two month on the NYC train system. I thought seeing one was rare but two is really something. Funny thing is that I bought my girlfriend a Kindle for Christmas a months ago so by the time Christmas comes along there will be another Kindle in the wild.

Love the show,

– Johnnie

**********

Just be glad EA isn’t in Eastern Nigeria!

Hi BOL,
You guys were speaking of EA issueing a “workaround” for the missing CD key and noting that since they were alpha numeric keys, there were 36 options. I just thought you guys might like to know that in the Igbo language (Eastern Nigeria) there are actually 36 letters in the alphabet.

A B CH D E F G GB GH GW H I I J K KP KW L M N N NW NY O O P R S SH T U U V W Y Z

When a vowel appears twice, the second one has a dot on the bottom showing a longer sound and the second N has a not at the top for a different sound
Little International fact for you guys
Love the show,
Chuma

**********

The Soviets are killing us in the race to populate space with junk. Probably slowed downed recently though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race#Number_of_satellites_launched.2C_by_nation

Jim from Seattle

**********

Ref episode 844 and previous discussions about Google Chrome
advertising.

I just returned from a trip to Taipei; and Google is most definitely
promoting Chrome over there.

Walking along one of the main streets, I happened upon a wall-sized
billboard looking like a giant browser window, complete with embedded
“flash video” player. see picture here -> http://flickr.com/photos/monody/3008198330/

I guess Google is not a dominant player in Taiwan, or indeed much of
Asia. So it only makes sense to employ different advertising tactics.

LTS,

Vidar
from Norway

Whether it's the BlackBerry, the Internet, CNET TV, or hilarious jokes about the Large Hadron Collider, it's a good bet that someone either on or in today's show invented it. Probably Molly. Also in the news today, Nintendo is super rich, the first Android phone is getting a Steve-note (sans Steve) on September 23, and some celebrity Internet gossip.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 811

I am a comic genius! Daily Show thinks so, too!
http://themolly.com/blog/?p=86

Official: First Android phone on September 23
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/09/official-first.html
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=2899

John McCain helped to create the BlackBerry? Really?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10043126-38.html

Pew survey suggests gaming improves 'Civic and Political Life'
http://blogs.pcworld.com/gameon/archives/007755.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10043945-62.html

Nintendo’s ‘profits per employee’ are higher than Goldman Sachs
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/nintendos-profits-per-employee-are-higher-than-goldman-sachs/

Brad Pitt named as top malware lure
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/09/17/Brad_Pitt_named_as_top_malware_lure_1.html

Casting call for YouTubers: $25K for green ideas
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10038664-76.html

Asus ships cracking software on recovery DVD
http://it.slashdot.org/it/08/09/17/1320239.shtml
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/224892/asus-ships-software-cracker-on-recovery-dvd.html

Citizens demand to see secret ACTA treaty
http://news.slashdot.org/news/08/09/17/022221.shtml

BLOG COMMENT
Almerica: Creator of Podcast app responds!
http://www.cnet.com/8601-11455_1-10042959.html?communityId=2014&targetCommunityId=2014&blogId=10&tag=mncol;tback#5000769

VOICE MAIL
Chris: Metallica?

E-MAIL
So, Google patented a system of floating a datacenter out at sea. Stated in the patent were the following two benefits: (A) the sea provides power (in the form of waves), and (B) the sea provides cooling (in the form of… well, the sea is cold).

In BOL you reported that added possibility of putting the whole mess in International Waters, and skirting all federal and state laws.

At the risk of deflating your hopes for a sinister conspiracy, let me point out the sad fact that when a company owns some equipment outside the US border, it doesn’t actually relive them of their duty to respect the laws of the land. No matte where they put their computers, Google’s still a US company.

Sorry Molly. I pretty sure we can make the next one stick.

Tyler

In Episode 810, you discussed the new peer-to-patent program and some of the flaws in the current patent system. I feel compelled to write because you (especially Leo) seemed dismissive of the work that patent examiners do. I am an examiner and, while I can understand and relate the frustration with some of the bad patents that have issued, I would like to point out a couple of factors that make the job sometimes difficult.

1- In order to reject an application, an examiner needs to find publicly available documentation (known as prior art) that the invention has already been invented. An examiner can’t just say “I’ve seen that”, stamp the application with a big “X”, and go grab some coffee. It is sometimes very difficult to find the relevant prior art, even when you know that is out there somewhere, and especially in rapidly developing technologies. This is why the peer-to-patent program could be a help to examiners.

2- Examiners have a very limited amount of time in which to find this prior art. In my technology area, examiners generally have only between 15-20 hours (depending on their experience) to work on an application.
That time includes reading the application to understand what the inventor is trying to patent, finding relevant prior art, and writing multiple formal correspondences to the applicant (or his lawyer). With only so little time available, it is inevitable that things slip by.

Again, while I understand that people are frustrated with the current patent system, please remember that the people doing the day-to-day work are public servants doing the best job they can with the time and resources they have. I don’t expect a parade for doing my job, but a little respect would be much appreciated after hearing our work so constantly maligned.

Sincerely
T the Patent Examiner

Hello Buzz-cast,

I’m a new listener from Houston, Texas
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we were recently hit with Hurricane Ike leaving us not only with out water but without electricity.
On the day after the hurricane I went to work at Target, the only major store open, and sure there were people rushing to buy inverters, car chargers, and even plugging their own cell phone chargers in our outlets but most of the people there were actually buying games and systems I sold a PS3, an Xbox360 Elite, A ton of Nintendo DS’, Some PSPs with of course games for each system Not to mention we sold out of Rock Band 2 for the 360, notice I’ve worked plenty of times in the Electronics department but never had it been busy as this just for games.

Earlier I heard in the news that more than 2 million Houston residents still didn’t have electricity
And after a day of working in electronics again I sold a couple games Some Wiis and Wii fits, too.

I guess we will end up being “Video blobs”
Thanks and keep up the amazing work,
Christian.

Current TV to broadcast ‘tweets’ during debates

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7734/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=2qEylcf8

Joe AKA dOgBOi

Hello buzz crew,
Molly you were outraged at having to have a CD inside the drive in order to play a game….but don’t you own an Xbox 360! Try playing Halo without a disk. Just a thought.
Love the show!

Ronald