Buzz Out Loud Podcast

Rafe wonders what could possibly go wrong with Comcast monitoring its users to protect them from malware. In the process, Rafe makes a few comments that have us wondering whether he'll return home to any Internet service at all. Barnes and Noble is rumored to be rolling out an Android e-book reader, while Steve Ballmer claims that the PC is the best e-book reader.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

B&N e-book reader reportedly in the works
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10371468-93.html

PCs are best for e-reading, Microsoft’s Ballmer says
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5974OZ20091008

Snow Leopard bug threatens user data, according to reports
http://www.9to5mac.com/snow_leopards_eat_users
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10356505-263.html

Report: AT&T waits 17 months to break even with iPhones
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10371785-37.html

DRAM study turns assumptions about errors upside down
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/10/dram-study-turns-assumptions-about-errors-upside-down.ars
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10370026-264.html

New ways to try and buy Microsoft Office 2010
http://blogs.technet.com/office2010/archive/2009/10/07/new-ways-to-try-and-buy-microsoft-office-2010.aspx
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10371817-56.html

Comcast’s war on infected PCs (or all customers)
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/10/08/2022211/Comcasts-War-On-Infected-PCs-Or-All-Customers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10370996-245.html

Comcast set to launch ‘HomePoint’
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Set-To-Launch-HomePoint-104907

Pressure-sensitive keyboard? Let the fun begin
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10371215-1.html
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/08/2152239/Contest-Winners-Show-Potential-For-Pressure-Sensitive-Keyboard

Penny-size nuclear batteries developed
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/10/09/1243245/Penny-Sized-Nuclear-Batteries-Developed

VOICE MAIL
Tommy in Kingston: The password book

E-MAIL
Moon 1, NASA 0:
So, I get up at O-Dark-Hundred to watch the greatest space collision since Shoemaker-Levy 9.

5-4-3-2-1 Impact! … Impact?

Watching the stunned NASA commentators, one of whom says “I Don’t know what we just saw.”…

PRICELESS!

Rob from Sedona

**********

Hi Buzzfolk,

I beg to differ with the slow Windows 7 boot times story you reported on in Episode 1080. I have run a script (on the RTM 32-bit version) that measures the time, from shutdown to usable desktop, multiple times and consistently get a time of 54 seconds, which does jive with the times your lab got in their testing, but not what Lolo Technologies achieved in theirs.

I think the bigger story here is why is Lolo getting slower times?

I’m not saying it’s because they sell PC tune-up software and may have a conflict of interest, I’m just sayin`…..

Thanks! Love the show.
Satchmo
Seriously, I love you. <3

We finally get to the bottom of why Apple rejected the Google Voice app, how not to get caught for being a thief over Facebook, and we have plenty of sympathy for Palm. Also, Rafe hates libraries and culture.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Google Voice rejection came from the top at Apple
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/09/fcc-releases-confidential-details-of-google-voice-app-rejection.ars
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10356432-265.html

Facebook break leads to burglary suspect
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10356117-71.html

Swedish group calls gaming addiction a ‘pandemic’ threat
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10356098-62.html

Test-drive: Office Web Apps technical preview
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10355890-250.html

Palm losses mount despite the Pre
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10356044-266.html

Palm abandons Windows Mobile
http://www.precentral.net/palm-abandons-windows-mobile

PSP minis lack network features for fast approval time
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/17/psp-minis-lack-network-features-for-fast-approval-time/

New Digsby comes clean
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10356011-12.html

Verizon boss hangs up on landline phone business
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/verizon-boss-hangs-up-on-landline-phone-business/

iPhone case that reduces radiation
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/17/new-60-iphone-case-apparently-reduces-radiation-by-60/

Google patented reading lists
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_invented_reading_lists.php
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,590,691.PN.&OS=PN/7,590,691&RS=PN/7,590,691

Gene Roddenberry’s Mac Plus is coming up for auction
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/09/18/0056220/Gene-Roddenberrys-Mac-Plus-Is-Coming-Up-For-Auction

Voice mail
Brian from Albany on Google making toys for geeks only

Mike from Irvine on Bing Bing Bing

E-mail
Hey Buzz Crew,

If anyone out there want to upgrade to Windows 7 and is a student (valid .edu address, but theoretically has to provide proof of enrollment on demand), you can get either Home Premium or Professional (upgrade versions) for just $30!

http://www.Win741.com

At first it may seem like only Home Premium is offered, but if you click "I need to join my network's domain" at the bottom of the page, you will be presented with Professional. Which is one of very few reasons anyone would need Professional anyway, though they could make it a bit more obvious.

Thought your listeners should hear about this!

LTS,
-Nick the Biochemistry Grad Student

**********

Honestly I don’t understand why people aren’t talking about this more.
Libraries are a community resource of technology and learning and easy to take for granted.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/09/sign-of-the-times-philadelphias-public-library-to-close.html

On the one hand it’s great to see up close what the Geekthelibrary.org (supported by the Gates Foundation) does to support public libraries.
On the other, it’s hard to believe that America’s first library, set up by Ben Franklin, can close with very little fanfare.

Maybe Buzztown can start a campaign or just shout from Twitter or Facebook or their blogs, so this tragedy can get a voice?

Thanks-
Sheala, GA

**********

I was listening to episode 1065 and you talked about Google putting out a printer for their online books.

I work in academia and I think this is bass-ackwards. It seems like they’re trying to make books more like PDFs (or whatever format) when what I want is for PDFs to be more like books. Writing in the margins and stuff like that is great, but I can’t keep 1000 books in my laptop case, or easily search them all for a word, or quickly sort them by publication date, etc.

Shouldn’t we work at bringing desired features to the new technology not adding features to the old technology? Let’s make PDFs have the features we love about books. Otherwise it feels like adding a hand crank starter to the engine on a Prius.

Just my thoughts.

RTJ

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Apple lead barely shrinks in customer-satisfaction survey
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2009/08/apple_lead_barely_shrinks_in_c.html?hpid=sec-tech

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10311373-92.html

Microsoft to adopt dual-platform strategy to compete with Android and iPhone, say handset makers
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090819PD210.html

Shocker: Windows 7 to sell in UK for half the US price!
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/0,39029471,49303374,00.htm

New Dell-ARM combo poised to take on Wintel Netbooks?
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/08/new-dell-arm-combo-poised-to-take-on-wintel-netbooks.ars
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10251841-64.html

New alliance aims to unite malware fight
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10313027-83.html

Study touts Internet Explorer 8 as world's most secure browser
http://www.pcworld.com/article/170316/study_touts_internet_explorer_8_as_worlds_most_secure_browser.html
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/08/microsoft-sponsors-two-nss-reports-ie8-is-the-most-secure.ars

I4i says OpenOffice does not infringe like MS Word
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/08/18/190227/i4i-Says-OpenOffice-Does-Not-Infringe-Like-MS-Word

Microsoft asks for stay of Word injunction
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10311065-56.html

URL Shortener tr.im To Go Community-Owned, Open Source
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/08/19/120206/URL-Shortener-trim-To-Go-Community-Owned-Open-Source

How the short URL game is rigged
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10311749-250.html

Vote for Buzz Out Loud at SXSW 2010
http://www.cnet.com/8301-19709_1-10311505-10.html

E-MAIL
The Southeastern Conference has revised and cleared up its fan policy.
http://mashable.com/2009/08/18/sec-social-media-policy/

In this interview, Charles Bloom, the SEC Associate Commissioner of Media Relations clears up what the new policy means. Basically, they dont want anyone live streaming the games from their phones, but almost everything else is ok.

http://buzzmanagerblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/official-interview-sec-hears-fans.html

GEAUX TIGERS!

John in Louisiana

**********

Hey BuzzCrew-

Rare and elusive as it is for BOL to breach my field, I do love it. In Episode 1044 you discussed fake DNA for crime scenes etc. Now you were worried that this could be 1) Easily done 2) not discovered.

Well worry not, it was slightly explained in the NY Times article and a little was scene in the original paper’s abstract. The simplistic explanation is that natural DNA is methylated, a chemical process done by the cell to prevent certain genes from activated when not needed. But any DNA created by scientists isn’t methylated. There are quick and easy tests that can be done to prove whether DNA is methylated or not. As for how “simple” this process is to replicate DNA and fake it, well--in my world, relatively, I could probably do this in a few tries and be a pro by next month. As for your common murderer/thief– not likely to have the equipment or more importantly the MONEY to do so.

This would have to be a grand conspiracy and well thought-out.

Sadly we as tax payers will now have to fork over even more for our justice system/labs to add this extra experiment onto the forensics process.

And let me also say, most genetics folks always knew this was possible- just it has now been peer reviewed & published.

Cheers from Oxford
Tom Merritt the Doppelganger, PhD (Okay I never add this, but figured it works this time)

**********

Hey BOL, it’s Oliver in Portland, Oregon.

In yesterday’s episode 1044 an emailer said he was surprised you hadn’t tested the voicemail-bypass tip. I’m writing to say I’m even more baffled that you never hit up Google for a solution. Here’s a link to a Lifehacker article from a few weeks ago. By pressing one-star-pound you guarantee instant access to the beep, regardless of the carrier. Points to you though for the conclusion that Verizon only sometimes works when pressing “one” – the article confirms this!

Sorry to drag this story into a third show, but I think your listeners would appreciate a more solid conclusion. Love listening to you guy!

Cheers.

Oliver
http://lifehacker.com/5326511/bypass-cellphone-voicemail-instructions-with-one-star-pound
**********

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that in Louisiana Tyson Foods is building a bio-diesel Plant that
turns chicken fat into high quality bio-diesel and jet fuel. So Molly is right when she said “we grow a lot of chickens, maybe we should start shoving them into gas tanks”.

http://domesticfuel.com/2009/05/04/louisiana-chicken-fat-biodiesel-plant-nears-completion/

Also, on the topic of the SECs ban on the use of Twitter and other social media during games. Les Miles, the head coach of LSU, which is an SEC school, said he will
be twittering before, during and after games. I guess the rule passed by the SEC was meant to discourage coaches and players as well as fans.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-04-28-twitter-cover_N.htm

Thanks for the time.
LOVE THE SHOW

Paul from Baton Rogue, LA

So at one time before February 2008, you could get a domain name for life if you signed up for Microsoft's Office Live. Today Microsoft says it's no longer free. Even though they said it was free for life. But they did acknowledge that "It's a change." You think? Also you can now deposit your checks via iPhone. Wow.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Microsoft backtracks on free Office Live domains
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10305510-56.html

GM, eBay to team up for online car sales
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351367,00.asp

URL shortener Trim gets cut off
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10306202-36.html

Bit.ly Swoops in to Save Tr.im
http://mashable.com/2009/08/10/shorturl-savior/

USAA bank will let customers deposit checks via iPhone
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/technology/10check.html

Google Voice to be retooled as Web app for iPhone
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10305716-37.html

AT&T Makes Its Terms of Service Even Worse, To Discourage Lawsuits
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/08/09/2232233
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/08/10/get-angry-att-changes-contract-to-prevent-class-action-lawsuits/
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/10/att.bans.class.action/

Toshiba signs up for Blu-ray
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10306235-93.html

Blu-ray support coming with iTunes 9?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/08/blu-ray-support-coming-with-itunes-9/

Printable Batteries Should Arrive Next Year
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/08/09/0049214/Printable-Batteries-Should-Arrive-Next-Year

VOICEMAIL
Remy followup

EMAIL
Buzz crew,

Amongst all the haters, I just wanted to let you know that I love the
story choices you guys make. I realize that you have been getting some
haters recently, so I just wanted to chime in with the other side of
the story.
The number, amount, and kinds of stories you choose are thoughtful and
interesting. There’s a great balance between the stories everyone else
covers and stories you don’t really see anywhere else.
My only request is that others who think that the story choices are
excellent chime in as well. I’m sure we’re not the minority, and I
hate to see you all discouraged.

Meggie Gallina
Evanston, IL

**********

Now your time spent talking about whether or not you should be talking about Twitter, Apple and Google is taking up more time than you spent on those companies before. Now I propose a meta-topic where you talk about whether or not you should be talking about whether or not you should be talking about Twitter, Apple and Google. If you recurse enough times you should be able to fill the entire time that was formerly indeterminate.

Coyote Teacher

**********

Here’s the thing, (as far as covering the iPhone too much) I own a Nokia N810, and love it, but you don’t cover the apps for it, but covering a story about an iPhone app is going beyond the coverage needed (for general tech podcasts, if BOL were an iPhone podcast, that’d be different). Then… you mention in the VERY next story about having a GSM eBook reader? I have one (and will have one very soon, even better)! The Nokia N900 has been sent to the FCC for review. It will be GSM/UTMS and running Maemo, which supports FBReader (a fine open source ebook reader ) which I’m using on my Nokia N810 right now to listen to the BOL podcast, along with sending this email. I have it currently tethered to my NON-smart phone from AT&T (Yes you can) and am using an Apple bluetooth keyboard (which The iPhone cannot use) to write this fracking email!
Yes I’m biased but as far as tech goes, the iPhone sucks and the Nokia maemo platform kicks it’s butt! You’ll never see Nokia kick out an app from their “store” (APT-GET sources list), where ALL the apps are free, take that Apple fanboys! HA!
Skyler
Currently: Bakersfield,CA

Natali has some tips for secure password hints that involve her armpits. You'll just have to listen. We also give our thoughts on Office 2010 and what kids these days are doing on the Internet. That includes Brian Tong.

EPISODE 1017

First Take: Microsoft Office 2010 technical preview
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10284013-12.html

Monday's Office 2010 preview leaks to BitTorrent
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135454/Monday_s_Office_2010_preview_leaks_to_BitTorrent?taxonomyId=1

Ericsson to run Sprint's wireless network, but how?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/ericssons-rx-for-us-broadband.ars

Collapse in illegal sharing and boom in streaming brings music to executives' ears
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/12/music-industry-illegal-downloading-streaming

Note by 'teenage scribbler' causes sensation
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/035e83fe-6f18-11de-9109-00144feabdc0.html

Six in 10 companies plan to skip Windows 7: Survey
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE56C0NC20090713

Re-Rumor: Apple tablet coming in October, priced at $800
http://gizmodo.com/5313266/re+rumor-apple-tablet-coming-in-october-priced-at-800
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/13/apples-9-7-inch-netbook-to-debut-in-october-for-800/

How to use electrical outlets and cheap lasers to steal data
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070909-electrical-data-theft.html

Strong passwords not as good as you think
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/07/13/1336235/Strong-Passwords-Not-as-Good-as-You-Think

iPhone in China without Wi-Fi
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10285137-37.html

Apollo 11 moon mission to be recreated on the Web
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/13/apollo-11-moon-mission-to-be-recreated-on-the-web/

Mario Marathon
http://www.mariomarathon.com/

VOICEMAIL
Crowdsourcing player movements is a bad idea

Tech support call

E-MAIL
I was shopping at a local Wal Mart this weekend when I came across $98.00 Blu Ray players. Alot of them, shelves FULL! Everyone was just walking by I didn't see anyone buying them or even giving them a second look.

Seems to me the interest is fading. Sony may have really screwed up on this format, just like every other format they've come up with.

Regards

Robert King
Eau Claire WI

***********

Dear Buzz Crew,

I have to comment on the gaze-tracking privacy software discussed in
Wednesday's episode 1014. Tom was absolutely correct that it shows
normal text to the authorized user and gibberish to everyone else.
(At least for the high-end product Chameleon; the consumer product
PrivateEye just obscures the whole screen.) I guess not everyone has
taken a visual perception class, so I'll try to explain.

We have the intuitive impression that our eyes behave like cameras –
constantly reading in all the pixels, and smoothly panning around from
object to object. Not so at all! Half of your visual cortex is
devoted to the central two degrees of your visual field. That works
out to half an inch of good focus area at a standard reading distance
of 14 inches. Moreover, your eyes constantly jump around in
incredibly fast, involuntary movements called saccades, only pausing
for about 200 milliseconds at a time. During the saccades, visual
input is suppressed. With decent gaze-tracking equipment (such as
from you local college's cognitive psychology department), you can
flash up pictures of penguins during saccades, and the user won't
notice anything odd.

Here's a video showing someone's eye movements while reading Google
search results:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w29DrEEsqT4
And yes, your eyes still jump around even when you're reading a
structured text document. Chameleon just fills everything except the
tiny, fluctuating area you're looking at with random text.

Thanks for this and all the other cool stories!
–Amy in Pennsylvania

http://oculislabs.com/Products/ChameleonP.htm (mouse over “oculis in action”)

It's Memorial Day in the United States and to celebrate the more literal definition of memorial, we all share a personal tech-related story.

A company says it has made a virtual reality helmet that will give you sights, sounds, temperature, and even smell. Which makes us wonder if that's a good thing. Would you want to see movies with smell? We also talk about a new Internet TV box that's 50 bucks and carries major studio movies and TV shows. Is it the one?

EPISODE 923

Kumo coming? Live Search headed for overhaul, rebranding
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/03/live-search-rebranding-is-coming-will-it-be-kumo.ars

Amazon offers e-books on Apple devices
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10187752-93.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10187912-1.html

Sprint Treo Pro available March 15
http://blog.palm.com/palm/2009/03/sprint-treo-pro-available-march-15.html

Office 14 crawls toward beta
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10187360-56.html

Obama picks Net neutrality backer as FCC chief
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/04/1314224

HD battle on the eastern front? Warner to support CBHD
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/03/warner-bros-to-support-chinese-blu-ray-competitor-cbhd.ars

Netflix stands behind Microsoft Silverlight
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10187442-93.html

Start-up offers alternative to subscription TV
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10187655-93.html

The Finns who invented the graphical browser
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/03/03/1835246

Bionic eye gives blind man sigh
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7919645.stm

Meet us at SXSW
http://sxsw.com/interactive/talks/panels?action=show&id=IAP0901416

VOICEMAIL
Aaron
TiVo beats Roku player hands down

Chris Greensboro
Jimmy Fallon idea for covering video games

Jose in Jacksonville
Hack the Kindle

E-MAIL
Hey Buzz Crew:
This is Siavash, I'm a Cisco trained IT Engineer in Iran and I've been sending many mails to you that some got to the show so you may remember me.
About the Helicopter Story, generally Iranian people don't approve what the government does; please don't think of me as a terrorist listenerJ.
Kidding aside I did a little of digging in Iranian ISPs and the whole Iranian IP range and the IP that had hacked into the computer, as long as I can say, the IP belongs to a ISP, they say the IP has been dedicated to VPN connection and as their Log shows the VPN has been established somewhere in Middle East, (they don't say exactly where). So as I get it, either some one from Middle East has hacked into their servers, and used their IP address to hack the computer in USA , or there has been someone ( maybe Iranian) in middle east with access to this ISP and their servers and used their network to hack the computer.
So now all I can say is that the attack has not been inside Iran, but the identity of the hacker and it's location is still a mystery, I will do more digging on this and I will get back to you with any new and fresh info.

Love The SHOW!

Best Regards

Siavash

**********

Hi Buzzers,

You discussed in Episode 922 that the new Mac Mini has DVI instead of HDMI, and that very few HDTVs have DVI any more. That’s true, but DVI and HDMI are pretty much the same standard - it’s just that DVI only carries the video signal, and HDMI carries both video and audio together. So if you get a DVI to HDMI cable and connect it from a Mac Mini to an HDTV, it should send an HD signal just fine. You’ll just have to find some other way to handle the audio (like hooking up the audio out jack to the optical audio input on your receiver).

I agree, though - Apple should just get on the stick and add HDMI (and what’s with this “Mini DVI” port, anyway?)…

Love the show,

Eric the former home theater salesman
(”ericbtx” in the chat room when I can make it…)
Houston, TX

**********

Short note. Mono price will have a display port to hdmi cable sometime
this month. I’m stalking monoprice for one for my Macbook but should
work for the mini.

Love the show!!!!

Bobby the project manager

**********

I’m going to combine feedback around two bits from episode 922 when you referred to the unlikeliness of top notch technology from government (e.g. whitehouse.gov ) and challenges presented by open source research models (e.g. Merck’s Sage). I work for a company that provides IT support to the National Cancer Institute where Dr. Ken Buetow has led an effort to establish an open framework for cancer research to expedite discoveries. Check out the CAncer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) @ https://cabig.nci.nih.gov to see how government technology can be top notch and scientific research tools and framework open source.

-Nat-

**********

Hey guys, pretend this story is about apple products so you can give a shit:
Nokia 5800 North American (NAM) are pulling off the shelves, due to issues with 3G unable to get signals.

-ANkh, who is getting a little irritated by the snobbery involved in ignoring every symbian headline and reading out the specs of every item apple release.

**********

“A headset that harnesses all five senses will create such a convincing virtual reality that it will be indistinguishable from real life, designers promised.

The Virtual Cocoon, unveiled today, will enable users to go on safari from the comfort of their own front rooms.

The headsest will enable users to experience the smells, heat, sounds and sights of places such as Kenya’s Masai Mara….”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1159206/The-headset-mimic-senses-make-virtual-world-convincing-real-life.html

Chris the Commuter

Episode 841

Microsoft to offer Office online
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10077535-2.html
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081028-microsoft-office-will-float-to-the-cloud-with-office-web.html

MS offers peek through Windows 7
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7695933.stm
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10077484-75.html

Microsoft doubles reward for teen who ran away after his parents pilfered his 360
http://gizmodo.com/5069904/microsoft-doubles-reward-for-teen-that-ran-away-after-his-parents-pilfered-his-360

Dolly Parton enters ‘white space’ debate
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10077742-94.html

Researchers decentralize BitTorrent
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/28/1722214

Quantum key distribution meets the real world, fails
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081029-quantum-key-distribution-meets-the-real-world-fail.html

HD Netflix streaming comes to Xbox 360 first
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/10/29/hd-netflix-streaming-comes-to-xbox-360-first/

AC/DC confuse Donald with Excel spreadsheet video and CD-only distro
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ACDCs-Black-Ice-CD-Album/story.aspx?guid={0A29BF85-6030-4239-A18D-86082628C6A4}
http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/06/poll-should-acd.html
http://gizmodo.com/5068899/acdc-excel-spreadsheet-music-video-has-us-thunderstruck

Walmart relaunches MP3 store with $0.74 MP3s
http://gizmodo.com/5070019/walmart-selling-drm+free-mp3s-for-74-cents-finally-mac-and-linux-friendly-too

The VCR is dead
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/10/28/the-vcr-is-dead.html

DTV transition will ‘puke’ on environment, says recycling group
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/10/dtv-transition.html

Voice mail

JL in Minnepaolis
War of the Worlds - twitter.com/wotw2

Mark from Florida
What use is Google Earth

E-mail
…to the internet today, October 29, 2008!

39 years old. Up next: mid-life crisis.

(The first message ever to be sent over the then ARPANET (sent over
the first host-to-host connection) occurred at 10:30 PM on October 29,
1969. It was sent by UCLA student programmer Charley Kline and
supervised by UCLA Professor Leonard Kleinrock. The message was sent
from the UCLA computer to a computer at the Stanford Research
Institute. The message itself was simply the word “login.” The “l”
and the “o” transmitted without problem but then the system crashed.
Hence, the first message on the ARPANET was “lo”. They were able to do
the full login about an hour later.)

But you knew that…

Digital Dave in San Diego
http://www.cs.ucla.edu/~lk/LK/Inet/1stmesg.html

**********

Relatively new listener here. It’s been about 2 weeks. I heard about you guys when someone(I forget who) was on Twit. The reason I like the show is because it gives me something to listen to on a daily basis instead of once a week like Revision 3.

After listening to Friday’s show I wanted to comment on how this listener can return a Console game after opening it. You take it to the customer service desk and say I forgot my receipt and this game doesn’t work for my console. They will replace it with another. They will go and get a new one. MOST of the time they will forget to unwrap the plastic. They will give you a new game with the plastic back on and then you can go to another Wal-Mart a few miles down the road or that same Wal-Mart the next day with your receipt and get your money back.

Thanks,
Steve Rehnborg
Raleigh, NC by way of Ohio

**********

What’s Microsoft calling their cloud computing solution? Azure. Check out the Mac Dictionary’s definition of Azure:

bright blue in color, like a cloudless sky

Cloudless! I love it.

Richard Gunther
Washington, D.C.

EPISODE 787

Intro (Thanks Vic the Texas Rancher Pilot!!)

Best Buy to sell iPhones in September
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/iphone_best_buy_deal/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10016087-37.html

Some iPhone 3G users find painful experience thanks to poor connections
http://www.dailytech.com/Some+iPhone+3G+Users+Find+Painful+Experience+Thanks+to+Poor+Connections/article12652.htm

Fire at Apple campus
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10183827

Home office measure gives public bodies access to personal e-mails and texts (Thanks, Adam)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/13/privacy.civilliberties

Olympic gold medalist credits Wii with helping him mentally prepare
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/13/olympic-gold-medalist-credits-wii-with-helping-him-mentally-prep/

Slashdot | Miyamoto ‘banned’ from talking about hobbies
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/13/1310240

Lucasarts embargoes Clone Wars reviews...it's getting bad pub already
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/entertainment/08/08/13/1222225.shtml

Madden in the hizzouse
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10015356-1.html

Extended Digital rentals by Vudu…Love this! I hate the 24-hour viewing period and then it's done
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10016151-1.html
http://www.vudu.com/aboutus_extended_rentals.html

Air Force suspends Cyber Command Program
http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/08/13/1436224.shtml

Voice mail:
Anonymous Privacy Guy
It’s not just the cookies …

E-mail

Hey JaMoTo,

It’s funny that you brought up not seeing the Kindle in the wild last episode. I had never seen one either…until last night. I was out at a restaurant and saw a teenager at a table with his parents reading his Kindle, while his little brother watched something on his iPod. My first thought was “Hey a Kindle, I didn’t realize people really used those”. My second thought was “Man is that thing UGLY!”. Love the show guys.

Ryan from Charlotte, NC

*********

Hello BOL Crew,

I just wanted to tell you how excited I felt when I saw that Gmail was down on monday.

Why was I excited?

Because I thought they were coming out of beta! I mean, is Gmail really still in beta? Or is it just that someone forgot to change the logo?

Love the show,
Bernardo

**********

Hi BOL,

Here is a question related to Yahoo allowing people to opt out; does one opt out of receiving targeted ads or does one opt out of being tracked?

Clearly very different things and one would hope that it’s the latter.

EricC
Dublin, Ireland

PS: love the show.

**********

Hi All,

Will you be posting info or mentioning on the podcast when/where the BOL livecast will be?

Thanks!

Jason in the OC