Buzz Out Loud Podcast

New technology allows organic brain cells to control robots, leading us to conclude that eventually we'll all be brains in a data center. Also Apple announces a bunch of updates to its computer line as well as a new magic mouse. And the PS3 is now the King of the console hill. Who saw that coming?

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Apple redesigns iMac and 13-inch MacBook, revamps Mac Mini
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10378884-1.html
http://www.apple.com/macbook/
http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/
http://www.apple.com/imac/
http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ e-reader with color touch screen out Thursday for $259
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/19/barnes-and-noble-nook-color-e-reader-out-tuesday-for-259-says/
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/20/barnes-and-noble-officially-launches-nook-e-reader-259-pre-orde/

Google actually getting into the phone business?
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10614007/1/exclusive-google-plans-its-own-android-phone.html

PS3 finally wins a month
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10378392-52.html

Xbox 360 update will lock out unauthorized storage
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/19/1959249/Xbox-360-Update-Will-Lock-Out-Unauthorized-Storage

CIA branch invests in tech firm that monitors blogs, Twitter, social media
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/19/cia-branch-invests-i.html

Car glass rules could impair cell, GPS, and radio signals in Calif.
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/10/19/1844258/Car-Glass-Rules-Could-Impair-Cell-GPS-and-Radio-Signals-In-CA

Internet Archive’s BookServer could ‘dominate’ Amazon
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10378573-52.html

Quick test’ for airport liquids
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8314419.stm

Robot controlled by human brain cells
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/20/1236208/Robot-Controlled-By-Human-Brain-Cells

VOICEMAIL
Daniel about Verizon

Paul FROM Verizon

E-MAIL
Hey buzz crew,
Before this app came out (wolfram) there was a mobile iPhone formatted
wolfram alpha site that was amazing! I saved it to my home screen but
when I clicked on it today, it led me to a add for the app. **sigh**

Yours truly,
Cameron Tora

**********

Love the show, but you should clarify the Google Voicemail story. Users choose to 'share' those messages – users shared them. Google is now protecting people from their own stupidity which is cool, but please blame stupid people not Google!

thanks,
Natron from Madison, WI

Have a Google Voicemail account? Have some voicemails in there? I may have listened to them today! Thanks to some leaks in the Google cloud (rain?) it seems some folks voicemails are searchable on Google. Glad that eye appointment went well! Also Verizon and Motorola are bringing it to the iPhone. But will Verizon have to make a switch next year if the rumors are true?

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Verizon’s anti-iPhone gets its first commercial: ‘Droid Does’
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/17/verizons-anti-iphone-gets-its-first-commercial-droid-does/
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/18/verizon-droid-is-the-real-deal/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10377603-1.html
http://fonefrenzy.com/2009/10/18/bigger-news-for-verizon-than-motorolas-droid/

Google Voice voicemails appearing in public search results
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/19/google-voice-voicemails-appearing-in-public-search-results/

Facebook and Twitter Founders Join Net-Neutrality Wars
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/10/18/facebook-and-twitter-founders-join-net-neutrality-wars/

Telcos and Hollywood ask Canadian govt for right to secretly install spyware, listen in on your network
connection http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/16/telcos-and-hollywood.html

Wolfram Alpha iPhone app is cool but overpriced
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10377493-250.html
http://mashable.com/2009/10/18/wolfram-alpha-iphone-app/

Plastic Logic Shows Off a (Quick) Look at its Kindle Killer: Meet the Que
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091018/plastic-logic-shows-off-a-quick-look-at-its-kindle-killer-meet-the-que/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10376178-56.html

Barnes & Noble gets FCC nod for e-reader
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10377573-56.html
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/19/spring-design-alex-dual-screen-android-based-e-reader/

New camera promises to capture your whole life
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17992-new-camera-promises-to-capture-your-whole-life.html

MIT Researchers Develop Autonomous Indoor Robocopter
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/18/1320259/MIT-Researchers-Develop-Autonomous-Indoor-Robocopter

VASIMR Ion Engine Could Cut Mars Trip To 39 Days
http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/10/19/1324222/VASIMR-Ion-Engine-Could-Cut-Mars-Trip-To-39-Days

EMAIL
Hey Guys,

I thought you might want to know that Best Buy is getting into the highly profitable used games market here in Canada. I went yesterday (Oct 17) and they had a whole shelf including several major releases from the last 6 months or so. Discounts were not deep, somewhere in the neighborhood of $5-10 less compared to a brand new disc. Looks like Best Buy is trying to eat EB Games’ lunch.

Love the Show,

Kevin the Psychiatrist
Kingston, ON, Canada

***********

I first found a Vook in the iPhone app store from my iPhone … having
just heard Tom’s desire for some innovative new approach to books …
I forwarded the link to that so ya’ll could check it out … here is
another link in this regard http://www.vook.com/

***********

I really don’t think the type of phone matters to people who use prepaid
plans. We all don’t live in a big city with the greatest 3G access and
wonderful plans. I love new technology but can’t afford it currently with
kids and other expenses. Also people have no idea what 3G access is
because we can’t get it. I currently have one ATT phone for my family that
is 46 dollars a month (that locks me into a two year contract) and use
magic jack for cheap landline. The ATT plan gives me no Text message, no
Data, and 450 minutes only. I think this Wal-Mart plan sounds great for us
“dumb people” that don’t have the luxury of the big fancy city. What
matters to us is how good the phone service is and I am not sure how good
Wal-Marts(I know Wal-Mart doesn’t do the service) phones service will be?

Thanks,
Jeff from OHIO

Calculator hackers have figured out how to run independent OSes on TI calculators. Unfortunately TI wants to stop them. Why? We have no idea. Also we play fast and loose with physics when discussing black holes and Higgs Bosons. We also totally redefined the word mint. In a bad way, unfortunately.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Sidekick data restored?
http://twitter.com/wcpreston/status/4848175078
http://twitter.com/ruv/status/4845969713

Wi-Fi is about to get a whole lot easier
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2009/tc20091013_683659.htm
http://www.wi-fi.org/news_articles.php?f=media_news&news_id=909

Apple shipping iPhone 3GS' resistant to jailbreaking?
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/13/apple-shipping-iphone-3gs-resistant-to-jailbreaking/

EFF warns Texas Instruments to stop harassing calculator hobbyists
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/10/13
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/bloggers-fight-tis-dmca-takedown-over-calculator-hack.ars
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10374284-264.html

Family Guy to shill for Windows 7
http://www.pcworld.com/article/173646/family_guy_to_shill_for_windows_7.html

B&N e-reader pics leaked; event confirmed for October 20
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/10/barnes-and-nobl.php

Finland becomes first country to make broadband access a legal right
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/14/applause-for-finland-first-country-to-make-broadband-access-a-legal-right/

Twitter cracks down on spam
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-twitter-cracks-down-on-spam/

Artificial black hole created in Chinese lab
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/24234/

The collider, the particle and a theory about fate
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/science/space/13lhc.html

VOICE MAIL
Stefan on gas masks

Rafe on the pressure-sensitive keyboard

E-MAIL
On BOL1083 when discussing the Berners-Lee comment, my head nearly exploded
as my pet peeve was repeatedly forced into my ears.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FORWARD SLASH!

There is slash; there is backslash… no forward slash, no backward slash.

I know this isn’t show-worthy, but I feel better now.

Thank you,

J.R. the GWAIN (guy without an interesting nickname)

**********

While listening to episode 1078, where you were discussing the purchasing of specific genes, I was reminded of a story about some grad students reported by NPR’s RadioLab from more than a year and a half ago. The students were doing some experiments with E. Coli. Not liking the poop smell associated with the bacteria, they got a gene for mintyness from some other researchers and inserted it. I remembered that the students also inserted a gene to make it smell like banana once the E. Coli was ready for them to do their experiment. That was not included in this short article, but is in the audio show if I remembered correctly. Here is a link to an article about it, but the audio podcast is much better (RadioLab is awesome).

http://www.npr.org/templates/text/s.php?sId=90014997&m=1

By the way, if you are mailing a link from the browser on your iPhone and get a call just before you hit send, you get the opportunity to write your entire e-mail again! Sigh. I’ve got to send this quick before another call comes in. Please insert the “love the show” recording here.

Darren Lacey
Telecommunucations infrastructure electronics technician from South Bend, IN

**********

Hey buzz crew,
I don't know if you guys know but Sprint is selling data only plans on their smart phones for $29. No voice (incoming calls blocked, outgoing $0.40 per min) but you can use data and tether (other than Pre and BB 8350i). Here is detail: http://sprintrelaystore.com/data_only_plan.htm

Love the show.

Sam in Houston, TX

CNET's Donald Bell previewed the Zune HD and it brought him tears of joy. But the rest of us think it's about three years too late. We also debate the need for Google to get into the video codec game and whether you need a Pico projector in your camera.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Google acquires On2 video compression company
http://gigaom.com/2009/08/05/google-on2-deal/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10303488-93.html

…and sells off radio automation
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10303498-92.html

Upcoming Xbox 360 Netflix update is still gimped, Microsoft thinks you want it that way
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/05/upcoming-netflix-update-on-xbox-360-is-still-gimped-microsoft/

Windows 7 XP Mode enters RC
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10303288-12.html

Zune HD hands-on look, impressions, tears of joy
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10303243-49.html

Nikon camera has a Pico Projector
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/04/nikon-coolpix-s1000pj-projector-cam-beams-into-reality-with-frie

New Sony E-Readers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10303031-1.html

Vonage turns first profit ever
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351215,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

Some tweets now of out bounds at ESPN
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10303457-93.html

But dead presidents are allowed to Twitter
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10303030-36.html

Psychopaths have abnormal brain structure
http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/08/04/2226218/Psychopaths-Have-Brain-Structure-Abnormality
http://www.examiner.com/x-1242-Science-News-Examiner~y2009m8d4-Psychopaths-have-brain-structure-abnormality

VOICE MAIL
Mike in Dayton on Cell phone laws

James in Pennsylvania fighting the Shack movement

Dwight about tablet on Verizon

E-MAIL
Hey buzz crew,
Just wanted to comment on the high game prices. We have friends over from the UK and they saw the $89 price for Wii Fit and were going crazy. Apparently overseas Wii Fit costs 139 pounds. Maybe it has to do with High demand, or maybe something else entirely.

Ryan Floyd
The only listener from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

PS. Bell just announced that Saint John will get the first Fibre rollout in the country. Finally living in Atlantic Canada has payed off!

***********

Hey gang,

Thinking about your $100 video game concept, my initial thought was “ugh! No way!” I barely buy new games at $60 each, there is no way I’d pay $100 for one would I?

And then I realized…I bought Fallout 3 used for about $50, loved it (which is a testament to that game, because I’m really not a gamer anymore)…and then bought the next three expansion packs at about $10 each. I’m seriously considering the fourth one too which would bring my total to just under $100. I’m still pretty sure that I wouldn’t put $100 down up front for a game anytime soon, but under a model where these “expensive to make” games come out in installments, it looks like I would part with that much money over all.

Note to game industry- take a note from the crack industry and get me hooked first, then nickle and dime me into spending the money. It seems I will reward a good product.

Your BFF,

Frank L

***********

It seems kind of obvious why at&t doesn’t want huge exposure to google voice : true number portability. If you have a phone number that isn’t linked to the carrier, it becomes ever easier to not only switch carriers, but in fact even switch how you use voice services, including Skype and whatever else comes out down the road, minimizing the carrier’s power to lock people in.

Wayne the Programmer from Michigan

We're very happy to welcome you to our 1,024th episode, which as we know means we will no longer to count the shows in binary on two hands. But that's OK. We will still be doing shows. Because we have more hands. And our 11 finger listeners can still count on two hands. We also have a date for Windows 7. He's nice. They'll like him.

EPISODE 1024

When will you get Windows 7 RTM?

Microsoft confirms Family Pack for Windows 7

iPhone, Mac sales continue to propel Apple forward

Apple can't seriously be "very happy" with ATandT relationship

ATandT to Power Upcoming PlasticLogic E-Reader

Google Wave public beta rolling out in September

"Vanish" makes sensitive data self-destruct

Artists find backers as labels wane

Disney to offer films on microSD cards, consumers to pass on by

Synaptics' ClearPad 3000 touch screen does 10-finger capacitive multitouch, other forms of dark magicks

Robo-Ethicists Want to Revamp Asimov's 3 Laws

Sam Raimi to direct Warcraft: The Movie

Today's title is an example from Natali's mind of some tags you might put on a video with Yahoo's new video tagging game. I would like to see that video. We also touch on the myth of Cyber Monday and keep you up to date on Linux on the iPhone.

EPISODE 862

Cyber Monday supposed to be big this year
http://www.pcworld.com/article/154458/a_cyber_monday_tech_shopping_primer.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10110111-58.html

Joost for iPhone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10109753-2.html

Yahoo Video Tag game
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/yahoos_new_videotaggame_lets_you_tag_within_videos.php

Facebook Connect appears set for expansion
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10110039-93.html

Baidu vows search overhaul
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AR3HI20081128

Hackers boot Linux on iPhone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10110018-37.html

uTorrent for Mac
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/27/finally-utorrent-releases-a-mac-version/

Morroco biometric ID cards
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10110050-42.html

European Cyber Crime unit
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10110133-83.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7758127.stm

Criterion Collection dips its toes into online film rentals
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081130-criterion-collection-dips-its-toes-into-online-film-rentals.html

VOICE MAIL

Dwight in Hollywood
Request for Amazon about Kindle

E-MAIL

Whoa snap!

It looks like “Transit Mode” may be closer than we think. I don’t think that anyone has mentioned it yet (since you guys discussed it a week before the G1 was publicly available), so I give to you: Locale .

Locale is an app for Android which — well, the site is much more informative than I could be about it.

Suffice it to say that there are GPS-enabled, location-aware phone profile changes going on here. I’m thinking v2.0 could add hooks into changing voicemail settings; id est:

If curVelocity > 25mph Then
numRings = 1
vmGreeting = greet2
Else If curVelocity > 50mph Then
numRings = 0
vmGreeting = greet3
End If

Yeah, it’d *probably* wind up being slightly more complicated than the preceding block of code, but it’s a start. Heck, they can even use that as a springboard, no charge!

Link: [http://code.google.com/android/adc_gallery/app.html?id=25]

~ J-2 in MD, who Luvs.the.freakin’.show!

P.S. After sending the following email, I took another look at the screenshots on the Android page. It looks like you can already set up specific call forwarding features based on current location! (see last pic) Now all we need is that voicemail greeting change thingy, and T.M. is here. For realz!

I listen to the buzz out loud podcast a lot and I really enjoy the banter. Sometimes I learn more about the tech world from listening to you guys than I do from reading most of the articles on technology and I recommend the podcast to my friends.

Now, here’s something I’d like to hear about. Today, on the front page of c|net, I was treated to a large, annoying, autorunning video ad of the iPhone. This is the second time it’s appeared this month that I know of. There is a close button at the top of the ad, but the button does not work and the ad plays ad whether I want it to or not. This has to be my number one pet peave on the internet these days since these ads only serve to clog up my tubes locally with content I don’t want to see. Ad blocking does not appear to work, so I notified CBS through the “ad feedback” link that for this weekend I will be blacklisting c|net on this network.

What do you guys think? Am I over reacting in a world where my ISP is planning to start limiting my monthly bandwidth and where annoying ads such as these are using up my bandwidth sans my permission? Or am I justified in wishing to control what goes across my network and what uses up my bandwidth and what doesn’t? I do not have anything against ads because I know everyone needs to get paid for the work they do, but come on, do they think we’ll keep coming back to a site that continually uses up more bandwidth than it’s worth? Afterall, CnetTV stops streaming after 3 videos for precisely the reason of not wanting to use up bandwidth, why limit the bandwidth there but not in this case?

Just my pet peave and rant of the weekend.

Matt in Palm Bay

With as nice as the Holiday Help Desk is to watch on cnettv.com, why
isn’t cnet cranking out content on a DTV subcarrier for any CBS owned
and operated station? Here in Las Vegas our local CBS affiliate (not an
O&O) carries programming from LATV on its .2 signal. My local NBC
affiliate carries not only Universal Sports but also NBC WeatherPlus.
For all the great stuff CNET does in audio as well as video online,
couldn’t it reach even more people via DTV?

An OTA version of cnet couldn’t be too difficult via DTV and would
likely have less download limit worries than pulling podcasts on an
iPhone. The morning wake-up show already exists with the404. B-O-L
could be the mid-morning show. After that other things that are on
watchbol.com now could be aired.

I am merely curious. I enjoy both the404 and B-O-L as morning shows.
Both are better than some of the things local radio provides.

Stephen Michael Kellat
Henderson, NV

Hello Molly, Tom, Jason +1,

I am a long time listener from India.

Please make mention about the role of social media (Twitter, Flickr) in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks if you can.

Wired article
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/first-hand-acco.html

WSJ article
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122772417126260231.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us

I must confess that I have some concerns about it in this context, the biggest being the safety of the hostages, e.g. there were requests from the authorities to stop the twitter feed #mumbai, since the holed-up attackers might be following them, thus giving away details of the operations of the security forces.

However 36 hours on, #mumbai still lives.

In any case, it sign of the times and definitely of relevance beyond India.

Love the show.

Cheers,
murari

Murari Venkataraman

Wii Speak Channel

I’m surprised you guys didn’t talk about this today. Gosh, you guys are getting more and more influential. Someone should make a list of all the things you guys changed in order to make these troubled times less… troubled. In fact, I bet Molly could run for president and win at this point. Or better yet, you could make a podcast oriented government. Every week a new episode would come out with new laws for people. And it would be fair, because you would let other people come on to the show and submit their own laws.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6201714.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;3

Love the show,
Anonymouse

The evil power of Dr. M is even greater than we thought...strong enough, in fact, to tarnish the shining reputation of the long-awaited Spore. Also in the news today, DVD ripping goes legit, a little too late, thanks to RealDVD, but we determine it's probably not worth getting sued over. And we put gurus against geniuses in a battle to the tech support death.
Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 804

Happy Birthday Google - 10
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9930
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-09-06-google-ten-years_N.htm

DVD ripping goes legit with RealDVD
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10034540-1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/technology/08dvd.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Gamers fight back against lackluster Spore gameplay, bad DRM
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080908-gamers-fight-back-against-lackluster-spore-gameplay-bad-drm.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/07/amazon-reviewers-clo.html

4,000 Anti-Scientology Videos Yanked From YouTube
http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/09/08/0256208.shtml

Apple admits iPod is from 1970s U.K.
http://slashdot.org/articles/08/09/08/1343248.shtml
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/09/08/ipodlike-gadget-from.html

Microsoft “Gurus” coming to a store near you
http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Gurus+Coming+to+a+Store+Near+You/article12887.htm

McAfee brings nearly instant malicious software updates
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10034741-83.html

New e-newspaper reader echoes look of the paper
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/technology/08ink.html
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-the-dream-lives-on-plasticlogics-e-newspaper-reader-esquires-e-ink-cove/
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/09/08/new-epaper-tech-to-b.html

Creating a ‘Facebook for spies’
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10034509-93.html

VOICE MAIL

Joel Chandler
Demolition Man is here.

Remy
On the guest hosts.

Sgt. Wagner
ON Chrome's password storage.

E-MAIL

Hello, Buzz Crew!

I’ve been listening to the speculation about how hard it might be for Comcast to provide users with a bandwidth usage number and though I’d comment on a few realities. The idea that “they already have this data in a database with your account number because they assign your IP address” is just plain silly. Your IP address is irrelevant to the process. Carrier-class routers are amazingly powerful computers, but… the Comcast device that’s in a position to meter your usage is a fast but cheap and none-too-smart Layer 2 aggregating neighborhood switch modem that has a port physically connected to the cable that goes to your house. It knows your port number and not much else--even your IP address is assigned at a higher level by another device. The neighborhood switch isn’t primarily built for accounting--fast and cheap, remember?--and asking it to report very much info in real-time will blow its tiny mind.

Those port-level traffic counts have to be passed up to an accounting computer in batches--and not too often or for too many ports at once. Otherwise Comcast starts using up too much network bandwidth and router processing power for accounting, reducing what’s available to users.

And then the accounting computer has to correlate the neighborhood and port ID and traffic count data with the billing records to account for network changes, port reassignment and customer movement in the middle of the accounting period, and all that other boring real-world stuff. I’d guess that the only way it’s practical to do this for millions of users is an overnight mainframe batch run--and maybe not every night.

How many years did it take cell phone companies to get geared up to do a similar job and tell you *approximate usage as of a day or two ago? They don’t ever seem to tell you EXACTLY when the cutoff for the online > total is, and they never guarantee it will correlate 100 percent with your bill, do they?.

Certainly Comcast has an obligation to provide me with a usage meter if they’re going to cap my usage. No doubt they will--once they get their IT and Billing departments to catch up with the Grand Concept their executives decided was appropriate for the FCC. But give them a little time and recognize that it just might not be QUIE as simple as it looks.

Carl
Spokane, Wash.

Hey buzz-crew, long time listener Bob (from Michigan) here. I had an interesting experience today with Micro$oft and thought it deserved a rant. I sold my Xbox 360 via Craigslist, but forgot to delete my credit card information off of the console. I get billed $25 the next day from Microsoft. I rush to Microsoft’s Xbox Web site to cancel my account, but I can’t. I can’t even remove my credit card information! After wrestling my way through the tangled Webs of their customer service site, I ended up getting their 800 number. I immediately gave it a call and was put on hold. I talk to a girl after a few minutes and she transfers me to her supervisor. Ten minutes into this hold, I get charged again for $12.50 from Microsoft. That sunuvagun is still using my card! I finally get the supervisor, and after another long hold, she tells me she cannot refund any of the funds. Not even the funds that were charged during the ridiculous 45 minutes of waiting I did! To add insult to injury, she said she could only put a “hold” on the account and that my card could not be removed from the system for a billing cycle! GRRR, Molly, please back me up on this one.

ps. I’m happy I switched to Sony for my gaming needs.

Hello Jamoto,

I’ve been a long time listener and have heard you refer to the listeners of BOL as the “buzz army”. Well….we already have an army…the twit army.

Therefore I move that we adopt “The Buzz Force” or “The Buzz Air Force” moniker. I’m an Air Force Communications Officer and believe that the sophistication of the BOL audience lends itself to an elite Air Force rather than the a ground pounding Army (just kidding Leo).

Just a thought, keep up the great work and LOVE THE SHOW..

Brian, in O’Fallon IL.