Buzz Out Loud Podcast

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October 14, 2009 12:03 PM PDT

BOL 1084: TI don't be a 8008

by Tom Merritt
  • 7 comments

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.

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EPISODE 1084

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

October 21, 2008 12:01 PM PDT

Buzz Out Loud 835: EFF the DMCA

by Tom Merritt
  • 1 comment

Several organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (aka EFF), sent public letters asking the broadcast networks and YouTube to ease up on the copyright takedown notices. Maybe this campaign season will help shed some light on the issues with the way the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is implemented... as long as it's fixed for all of us and not just politicians. We also get into Sony's new, harsh terms of service, as well as LaLa's move to put your music in the clouds.
Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 835

Groups asks YouTube, networks to cool it with political takedown notices
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10070635-38.html
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081020-fixing-dmca-takedown-problems-through-shaming-legal-reform.html

Sirius/XM: 15 *years* before they can merge their technologies? (Meanwhile, two satellite systems continue with wasteful overlap.)
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081020/FREE/810209989/1530/FREE

Big Brother is listening (and grabbing): Sony’s new PS3 ToS
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081020-big-brother-is-watching-and-listening-sonys-new-ps3-tos.html

Never mind the radiation: fear the cell phone’s nickel
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081021-never-mind-the-radiation-fear-the-cell-phones-nickel.html

Keyboard sniffers to steal data
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7681534.stm

Lala's spectacular new music service
http://technologizer.com/2008/10/20/lalas-spectacular-new-music-service/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10071094-93.html

Canadian pol: broadband not a luxury, but basic human right
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081020-canadian-pol-broadband-not-a-luxury-but-basic-human-right.html

Hardcore computer bringing oil submersion cooling to the masses
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/21/hardcore-computer-bringing-oil-submersion-cooling-to-the-masses/
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/20/1825211

Sony “looking into” PSP-3000 screen-interlacing problems
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/21/sony-looking-into-psp-3000-interlacing-problems/

Researchers discover the most creative time of day
http://idle.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/20/1652246

VOICEMAIL

Anonymous
What is all this fascination with what you’re doing?

E-MAIL
Hey Buzz Crew (and guest)
In regards to yesterdays episode, 834, about Little Big Planet, I’m not sure it was a mistake on the developers part to put the particular song, Tapha Niang, into the game. It’s a beautiful song and they may have just seen it as such. The musician is Toumani Diabate, who is Muslim. His music is widely available and I found the controversial song on iTunes. Will it be pulled from iTunes?

This is not the fist time that sacred Koran text has been injected into video games. In 1998 Zelda: Ocarina of Time; contained a musical track with Islamic phrases, but was pulled from later shipments by Nintendo. Zack & Wiki back in 2007 had Koran phrases removed. I think Call of Duty 4 had some stuff that was objectionable by Muslims, but it was removed as well.
Things might get lost in translation if developers use real-world ideologies and political/religious struggles and real-world places as part of their content. Zombies, aliens, and super-sonic hedgehogs tend not to be easily offended ;-).
Luv da sho!

Vic the Video Game Artist

**********

Talk about in-the-wild, I saw a non Steve Woz segway rider in the wild this past weekend in NYC. I also saw him run over someone’s foot in a crosswalk and the victim shaking his fist and cussin’ in the wild, although sadly, the cussin’ and fist shakin’ is far from rare in NYC.

Love the show…

Charles from Conn.

**********

Hey there JaMoTo & Guest,
There’s no shortage of comments on BoL about Ohio’s uh, irregular voting system. And several months ago Molly put out a request for tech savvy Ohioans to volunteer their services. Well, last week I got the call from the board of elections accepting my request to help. So I’ll be a tech rover for a local (read: uber-rural) precinct troubleshooting voting machines and making sure that things go as smoothly as possible. Thank you for pointing that issue out (although strange to have my civic duty nudged by a West Coast tech podcast). Just wanted you to know that the BoL community is doing our part. Love the show.

Luke in Ohio

**********

Refereing to #830 and the MacBook video:
I'm several episodes back, AND I stopped in the middle of the episode to write this, so I apologize if it's already been established. Machine shops are dirty and greasy!
I visit many machine shops and even the cleanest ones (which are usually a Japanese run plant) are still greasy and dirty. I just watched the Mac video and nothing stood out as being filthy at all.

Cooley mentioned Intel or Asus factories being completely clean. Manufacturing of ICs is completely different then metal manufacturing factories. You HAVE to have grease and coolant in those types of environments. Otherwise all the equipment would rust and seize up. If Cooley's never seen a factory that looked like that, tell him to watch How It's Made on the science channel and look for a product that is manufactured from metal.

P.S. I've ONLY been in factories that look like the one in that video

Greg
NOVA

**********

I’m getting a little worn out by the MacBook Air hate, recalling a
recent nasty comment about the MBA being for “Starbucks posers,” or
something to that effect!…Me? Don’t love Starbucks, do love my
MBA. I’m a bike commuter and gave up a new MacBook for the MBA because
of the significant weight savings and a form factor that is very
comfortable on my back (it’s really smooth and rounded–that’s nice!).
So, it isn’t the very fastest computer, nor the one with the longest
battery life … does every new car have to be the fastest? Does every
new car have to have the best gas mileage (well, maybe these days)?

For a full size, beautiful-screened, full-function work computer with
a great OS that I *will* carry with me everywhere (vs. *have to
carry*) there doesn’t seem to be any competition. Not Netbooks, or
Windows laptops with vista on ‘em.

Granted, my MBA was not bought for full-price (Tom’s suspicion borne
out), but could have been: My company paid 1K for it; I paid the
balance, which worked out to 300 more bones. I might have paid the
balance on the full price, if necessary!

Hate the hatin’, love the show,

Dave in Palo Alto, Calif.

July 25, 2008 1:49 PM PDT

Buzz Out Loud 774: The feel-good episode of the year

by Molly Wood
  • 1 comment
That's sarcasm, I'm afraid. Lots of bad news today, including the tragic end to the Spam King escape story, the cell-phones-and-cancer debate makes a resurgence with some serious recommendations for careful use, and AOL starts up a fire sale. In good news, though, a new iPhone firmware upgrade is on deck, and it may bring turn-by-turn GPS AND copy and paste. But you know, don't get your hopes up. Have a great weekend!
Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 774

Escaped ’spam king’ allegedly kills self, family
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9999451-83.html

Cancer doc urges cell phone precaution
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9999188-1.html

Reports: AOL cuts XDrive, Pictures, some blogs
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999471-93.html

Report: MySpace could work with Amazon on music service
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999472-93.html

IPhone 2.1 Update to Bring Turn-by-Turn GPS?
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/07/iphone-21-updat.html

EFF: Yahoo Music should compensate customers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999244-93.html

The Death of Nearly All Software Patents?
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/24/1458215

Hasbro Finally Sues Makers Of Scrabulous; Invokes DMCA To Get It Removed
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-hasbro-finally-sues-makers-of-scrabulous-invokes-dmca-to-get-it-removed/

Users can automatically encrypt Gmail traffic
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999473-93.html

Internet Firm Says It Targeted Ads To Customers’ Web-Surfing Habits
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/24/AR2008072403603.html

Vint Cerf Preps Interplanetary Internet Protocol
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/24/1728214

VOICEMAIL

Steve Tampa
What about the accessories.

EMAIL

Sorry to burst your bubble Tomolly, but Richard Vobes has been doing daily podcasts from his beach hut in Worthing UK since January 2005 and is currently up to show 1009 as of July 25th.

I don’t know if Vobes is THE MOST prolific, but the bar is substantially higher to pass than Curry’s measly 777.

Your long term fan (Since 2005),

Scotto

**********

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/1152083.html

Finally! For once, the internet is being considered a utility. Wilson,
North Carolina did what the telecoms wouldn’t and installed fiber
optic all of the city. However, by opening that network up to
different carriers and being a carrier themselves, they have solved
several problems that plague the telecommunications industry. I hope
other cities and towns (and possibly telecoms) will see what Wilson
has done and follow their example. I salute Wilson for finding a
better, cheaper, and faster way to connect its citizens to the Internet.

Si
Durham, NC

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,
In episode 722, in responce to the whole “3D Standard” and 3D movies at home, Molly (almost rant-ally) says “What will it take to make the 3D glasses go away?”. Well, guess what, the technology already exists. I was in Seattle at the Boeing Visitors Center about to get a tour of the biggest building in the world by volume, and in the lower level of the building they have displays and exhibits to look at current and future technology. There was an exhibit from engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney talking about their engine for the new 787 Dreamliner. Around the exhibit were 3 plasma TV’s with the imagies POPPING out at me with no glasses involved. You could walk to the right and left and see around the image… it was amazing!!! I had never seen anything like it, without glasses of course :-) I went home and looked it up based on the information I could get off the plasma TV’s and it seems to be Phillips WOWvx 3D Technology.
http://www.presentationtek.com/2007/11/11/philips-wowvx-3d-display-technology/
Anyway, lets bring these into the homes, no glasses necessary!!!
Love the show,
Jordan from Cincinnati

**********

Hey buzz crew, jamoto (did i spell that right?) here’s some story for you.
http://equiliberate.org/?q=node/3

I’m a windows, mac and linux user, flexible to which any OS i use and i bought a laptop a couple of months ago and if i only had read the license terms of windows vista, i could have got my $699 Dell Inspiron laptop to be $499 if i got that refund. I didn’t even used the original windows vista in there. Oh well, but still happy because Mac OS X runs smoothly in this machine, made it to dual boot with Windows XP for the sake that my clients use it so i have to (work thing). If only Apple legalizes or distribute their OS on pc’s, businesses would embrace it in no time. Definitely. (hmm.. What would PC guy say about this… i wonder… =p)

ciao!
Polo

November 29, 2007 11:23 PM PST

Episode 613: Don't believe the lies

by Molly Wood
  • Post a comment
The EFF says Comcast is lying about BitTorrent blocking, users say they're lying about the digital cable switchover, and we're just all fired up about GPS-enabled cameras. In other news today, AT&T's CEO says, um, the exact same thing that Steve Jobs says about how there's going to be a new 3G iPhone next year, and Congress is getting a little scary.

--Molly


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About Buzz Out Loud Podcast

Buzz Out Loud features Tom Merritt, producer Jason Howell, and a rotating roundtable of CNET's top tech experts reviewing the day's tech news. Each episode, five times a week, the crew analyzes, interprets, and argues about what all this technology means and what it's doing to us. Fans can join in the show by calling 1-800-616-2638, e-mailing at buzz@cnet.com, or commenting on the blog.


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Tom Merritt Tom Merritt appears on CNET TV, specializing in help and how-to and the ever popular Top 5 lists. He also co-hosts CNET's The Real Deal podcast. See profile
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