Buzz Out Loud Podcast

EPISODE 721

House overwhelmingly passes controversial Pro-IP Act
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080508-house-overwhelmingly-passes-controversial-pro-ip-act.html

Infringement ‘detrimental to the public health, safety’
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/09/0029224

Windows XP SP3 sows havoc, users complain
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/ operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207600950

New bill ties net neutrality to antitrust law
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080508-new-bill-ties-net-neutrality-to-antitrust-law.html

Apple to provide refunds for power adapters
http://www.latimes.com/technology/ la-fi-apple9-2008may09,1,7640101.story

Nokia aiming to reinvent itself as an “Internet company”
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080509-nokia-aiming-to-reinvent-itself-as-an-internet-company.html

Interactive Liberty City map help guide
http://grandtheftauto.ign.com/articles/features/373/ Interactive-Liberty-City-Map-Help-Guide

R2D2 DVD projector
http://www.nikkor2d2.com/

Get out and play
http://www.get-out-and-play.com/index.php

Using a record-cutter to turn old CDs into 45rpm singles
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/09/using-a-recordcutter.html

This Week in Buzz Tech Out Loud Geek Brief - EP1
http://www.archive.org/details/ ThisWeekInBuzzTechOutLoudGeekBrief-Ep1

VOICE MAIL

Javier Puerto Rico
Some research into gaming data usage.

E-MAIL

The new SecuROM

My group of friends and I have an annual vacation / LAN party where we don’t have Internet access for the week. This trend of games developers assuming we all have Internet access at all times makes it even more unlikely we will be able play their games at our get together. First it was Steam and not being able to install new games when we got there from a boxed copy. Then it was not having matching versions and giving us no way to patch without connecting to some far off server (I’m looking at you, Team Fortress 2). Now with this new SecuROM idea, we will might be able to play for the first few days but then the game disables itself because it can’t call home? Madness! Can we please just go back to the days were we could install and play an offline game while being offline.

Great show,
--Jack
Toledo, Ohio

Well actually (ISP backups)

Tom, Molly and Jason,
I’m just listening to episode 720 here while selling drugs to people I don’t know and I could swear I just heard Tom say the “ISPs have better backup systems than you do….” (32:43) What??? Do I have to remind you that my current provider, Charter, accidentally deleted e-mail accounts of thousands of subscribers earlier this year and basically said, “Whoops, we don’t have a backup. Our subscribers should take responsibility for this.” This is just one reason they are on the way out the door as my provider.
Keep up the great work, you bring sunshine to my nights.
Love the show,

--Kyle, the night pharmacist in Minnesota

Best Buy employees are liars (or just uninformed!)

I recently sold my Wii and went to Best Buy to get grab a Xbox 360. I know all about the Red Ring of Death and how Microsoft extended their warranty to 3 years because of this problem. Not to mention since they got the new Falcon chipsets those problems have been reduced. So the Bust Buy employee tried to sell me the service plan, no problem. I said no thanks and he came back at me and said Microsoft only has a 1 year warranty and it does not cover the red ring of death. WTF???? Not the mention he told me that rock band has no warranty at all!!!!!! I have no problem with employees selling service plans but don’t lie. If it was some mom buying a 360 for their 12-year-old son I’m sure see would have bought it hook line and sinker.

http://www.xbox.com/en-us/support/systemsetup/xbox360/ resources/warrantyupdate.htm

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20273

--Andrew

A detail of the Eee PC story

In episode 720 you missed one detail about the Eee PC with Linux costing more than the Eee PC with Windows. The Linux version comes with 20GB of flash storage, while the Windows version only comes with 12GB. I looked into how this would effect the price difference between the Linux and Windows versions based on the price of USB flash drives. The conclusion that the Linux version costs too much is still true, however, it is worth noting that some of the price difference (around $50) can be accounted for by this difference.

I wrote out my conclusion and my explanation for how I got to that conclusion here if you are interested:

http://www.linuxloop.com/news/2008/05/08/ analyzing-the-eee-pc-windows-linux-price-issue/

Keep up the great work!
Thanks!
--Anonymous

Comcast 250GB limit

Say you try and replace Comcast TV with watching videos on XBox 360 or Apple TV. The average American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes a day (2006). Assuming HD, at 6Mbps this uses 346GB in a 28 day month, more than the cap.

--GW

EPISODE 716

Microsoft leans toward a hostile bid
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120966628366460063.html

Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/02/ xbox-360-blu-ray-console-by-september/

Researchers design “malicious circuits,” warn of potential risk
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/01/ researchers-design-malicious-circuits-warn-of-potential-risk/

Popcorn Hour’s A-100 HD media streamer publicly available for pre-order
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/02/ popcorn-hours-a-100-hd-media-streamer-publicly-available-for-pr/

Key House reps ask FCC for “openness” in XM/Sirius merger
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080502-key-house-reps-ask-fcc-for-openness-in-xmsirius-merger.html

New study debunks myth that most tech entrepreneurs are college kids (Thanks, alfrench!)
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2958/ new-study-debunks-myth-that-most-tech-entrepreneurs-are-college-kids

Pro IP act passed (Thanks, Mark!)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080430-pro-ip-act-passes-in-the-house.html

The ‘Hard Disk Crusher’ doesn’t mess around
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9934113-1.html

Study: Keyboards make excellent homes for nasty bacteria
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080501-study-keyboards-make-excellent-homes-for-nasty-bacteria.html

Retro sabotage!
http://www.retrosabotage.com/

VOICE MAIL

Chris the podcaster
A draft movement has started.

Adam from Salt Lake City Utah
Remember that Microsoft spy program for free software?

Anonymous
About the ad.

Anonymous welcome
But some people had this response

E-MAIL

I can get expelled for what?!

Molly, Tom, and Jason,

In my English class we have to write a research report on WWII. Well, part of my report is in a Word file on the computers at school. Normally, if I wanted to take this file home, I’d use a USB flash drive, but I left mine at home. Also, my school blocked all web-based e-mail. So I thought I’d upload the file to my server via a totally safe, online FTP client. When I went into the library and sat down at a computer, the librarian, who has a reputation for not being very nice, asked me what I was doing: as if it were any of her business. I told her I was sending myself a file, and she completely flipped out. She started yelling at me as if I didn’t know what I was doing and she even told me this:

“If you do that, you can be expelled.”

This made me very mad, and made me realize something: the sad school staff know nothing about computers.

I’m acquiring my school’s IT director’s e-mail address as I type this.

Best regards,
Dylan from Missouri

***********************

Oscar Mayer? Crap?

I no sooner get an e-mail referenced on Wednesday’s BOL (yeah, me!) when Tom lays into the company that has employed me for 18-plus years.
Oscar Mayer crap!?! Our hot dog products contain nothing but quality meats--mostly turkey for wieners and all beef for beef franks. If I was in Marketing I would be greatly offended.

Sure, other brands--Nathan’s, Hebrew National, and Sabrett to name a few--make a good beef dog, but I’d stack ours up against any of them in a blind taste test.

The crap category would include Bar S (never more than $0.99) and all store brands. As with most other products, you get what you pay for.

I know! You’re all getting wiener whistles and whatever other trinkets I can scrounge. I probably don’t have enough clout for a wienermobile ride, so don’t ask.

Hot dog preferences aside, still love the show.

Patrick Schommer
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

**********************

Memristors

Hey my favorite monarchical triumvirate,

OK, so there was the big stink about getting passwords and such off a PC by stealing it off the RAM, before it dissipated…within such a short period, using a USB drive, etc.

Now, with memristors, just rip the whole pc outta the wall and run. Can turn it on later and boot right where you left off? All accounts still logged in, etc…. Hmmm. There should at least be an option to boot down and wipe the memory so it will clean-boot, just in case, and would likely be a company requirement in a lot of places. I think that would cause security issues out the wazoo.

Erick from Colorado Springs

**********************

BOL mayor job voting question

I guess I am a little confused about this whole BOL mayor thing.

We have a diplomat who likes to restate things in a more polite fashion, and interjects new topics into the conversation (Tom). We have a sheriff, (Molly) who talks tough, calls it like she see it, and is rumored to carry a shotgun.
And then we have Jason, who acts more like a city administrator, pushing buttons, playing recordings, and publishing the podcast, all without much credit.

We even have a cranky old guy next door who loves cats and hates Europeans, (Rafe) as well as a house full of kids across the street who talk funny, play loud music all the time, and hold parties on the lawn (the 404 podcast).

But this mayor thing confuses me: who chooses, who votes, and how? Is this like Chicago, can I vote more than once?

Keep up the good work,

David
Living in the 4th ward of Buzztown, down by the bacon plant.

P.S. Who do I talk to about getting a key to the city?

*****************************
BOL Meetup screenshots

Hey guys,

As you requested, I sent the screenshots of the meetup last night.
In case the attachment is too big, here is the Flickr URL:
http://flickr.com/photos/22103105@N03/sets/72157604833054156/

I also cropped some of the better shots, you can place them in the show notes if you want.

Thanks,
Jacob from Brooklyn
AKA jacobshm (twitter and other stuff)