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

A Google Android mod received a cease and desist for including Google apps in the mod. Seriously? Google may not be a walled garden with a high wall but it's a walled garden nonetheless. And it's pretty sad when your open-source project gets protested for not being open. We also discuss whether the Dell Latitude Z series is for posers. Or us. Or both. Which makes us posers. Own it, people.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Dell Latitude is like Adamo with wireless charger – fancy and expensive
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE58S0L320090929
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/29/dells-latitude-z-600-is-a-16-inch-thin-and-light-makes-overcom/

Garmin-Asus Nuvifone G60 finally ready for AT&T: $300 on October 4?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/28/garmin-asus-nuvifone-g60-finally-ready-for-atandt-300-on-october/

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ATT-and-Garmin-Announce-a-New-prnews-2551171109.html?x=0

Open Android Alliance formed http://www.h-online.com/open/Open-Android-Alliance-formed–/news/114347

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/09/android-community-aims-to-replace-googles-proprietary-bits.ars

Apple hires Newton dev, restarting tablet rumors
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353455,00.asp

Microsoft Security Essentials available free starting today
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138633/Microsoft_confirms_free_security_software_ships_Tuesday

Take that, Twitter: Google Hot Trends integrated into Google Search
http://searchengineland.com/google-hot-trends-integrated-into-google-search-26717
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/keep-up-with-latest-trends-using-google.html

Kindle DX gets bad grade at Princeton
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/28/kindle-dx-called-poor-excuse-of-an-academic-tool-in-princeton/

Google Docs for students
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/back-to-school-with-google-docs.html

“Time Telescope” could boost fiber-optic communications
http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/28/1849231/Time-Telescope-Could-Boost-Fibre-Optic-Communications

Robot can read your thoughts
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2009/09/25/20090925p2a00m0na015000c.html

VOICEMAIL
Anonymous question about RIAA legal winnings

EMAIL
Hi Buzz Folk –

Episode 1072 included some speculation as to why AM broadcast band
reception is seldom included with portable media devices. I think the
problem comes no so much from the receiver technology as from the
antenna requirements.

FM broadcast uses a wavelength on the order of three meters, so a
relatively short whip antenna can efficiently capture the signal. a
three or four foot long headphone cord typically doubles as the
antenna on these devices.

In contrast, the wavelength used by AM broadcast ranges up to 600
meters, so a very short antenna is quite ineffective. If you dig
around the bottom of your closet, find your old AM/FM transistor radio
and take it apart, you will notice something called a ferrite
loopstick antenna. This device makes use of a high permeability
ferrite core inside a relatively small coil of wire to provide
sufficient antenna capture area for these low frequency signals. As
far as I know, there is no way to provide for AM broadcast reception
that does not require a relatively bulky antenna such as the ferrite
loopstick, and this is probably why you seldom find this feature in
portable media players.

You will find a very brief discussion of this type of antenna at:

http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/antennas/antenna-basics.htm

Great show, looking forward to many more episodes.

William, Metropolis, IL (Hometown of Superman — Really!)

**********

This article talks about a new book “Three Felonies a Day” that makes the premise that the lag between the legal system and technology causes you to commit an average of three felonies per day just by using the Internet.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

btw, what is BOL’s e-mail address?

LTS

Maurice in New Orleans

Twitter trades hype for a huge cash infusion, Windows 7 attempts to create hype with a spectacularly awfsome video, and we cover all the hype falling out of the Demo conference. Speaking of falling, Honda's new Segway-style unicycle looks amazingly easy to fall off of.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Report: No Palm Pre for Verizon Wireless
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10361144-266.html

Twitter Appears Set to Raise $100 Million, Valuing It at $1 Billion
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/technology/internet/25twitter.html
http://blog.twitter.com/2009/09/new-twitter-funding.html

Microsoft plays the security card in response to Google’s Chrome Frame
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=4063
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/09/microsoft-google-chrome-frame-makes-ie-less-secure.ars

Windows 7 PCs to go on sale early
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/09/windows-7-pcs-to-go-on-sale-early.ars

New Phoenix BIOS Starts Windows 7 Boot In 1 Second
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/09/25/0247220/New-Phoenix-BIOS-Starts-Windows-7-Boot-In-1-Second

Intel’s Moblin 2.1 to compete with Windows
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10361563-1.html

Google Ordered To Shut Down Gmail Account Of User Who Received Unsolicited Banking Info
http://techdirt.com/articles/20090924/1705386309.shtml

Demo’s best launches (compare to TechCrunch?)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10361288-250.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10361284-2.html

Experiences with Fitbit?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10037258-2.html

Robot fish swims by doing the wave
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10360819-1.html

Honda’s one-wheel Segway
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1215741/Honda-unveils-Segway-style-unicycle-travels-direction-want.html#ixzz0S2lY0hSd

E-MAIL
They have a video now, thought you would want to see how bad it is.

http://gizmodo.com/5366105/this-incredible-windows-7-launch-party-video-is-either-the-best-or-worst-microsoft-ad-this-year
Jeff Price

**********

Hi Buzz Crew,

I have a small annoyance about Amazon.com to share with you and your listeners. I went to Amazon.com today in an attempt to purchase High on Arrival, the memoir by Mackenzie Phillips. I was going to order the Kindle version, but I discovered that the Kindle version was the exact same price as the hardcover, $14.29.

When I saw that the price was the same, I was extremely annoyed. “Low Book Prices” is listed as a selling point on the Kindle home page, and yet, here is an example where it makes absolutely no sense to buy the e-book. Why would I buy the e-book for the exact same cost as the hardcover? I might as well just buy the hardcover and have the ability to loan it out or sell it later.

I guess the publishers still don’t get it.

Joe AKA dOgBOi

**********

I read over the article in your show notes, and that article (and each article I’ve read in addition) has said:

3,012 Netflix DVDs, worth about $36,471

http://www.switched.com/2009/09/23/former-postal-worker-admits-stealing-over-3-000-netflix-dvds/

No idea where the 30k number came from, and how it has endured, but might be worth a mention. So what’s that, 10 DVDs a day? Much more reasonable than 100 per day.

Ted the Engineer

**********

Dear Buzzards,

In episode 1069 you were talking about Picasa’s new facial recognition feature. After installing and scanning for 24 hours, it had gone through processing my photos for faces. How good is it? Pretty dang good.

My wife is an identical twin (yes, I can tell them apart). They have a lot of pictures of eachother. I tagged a couple of each of their faces, and it was 99% accurate for twin-recognition out of a about 200 photos (even when they have the same style glasses).

Insert obligatory “love the show”,

Josh
Des Moines, Iowa

We started by reporting on the amazing technology that allows pacemakers to wirelessly transmit diagnostic info to a bedside device making the pacemaker safer and doctor visits shorter. But we found the most compelling fact the idea that this would be WiFi. Which we think should mean hotspots and a mesh network. It solves a lot of problems. Think about it. Also no Apple, Twitter or Google news today. Sorry. There is a robot story.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Facebook buys FriendFeed
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10306560-36.html

Amazon confirms Zune pricing
http://gizmodo.com/5334801/amazon-confirms-leaked-zune-hd-pricing

Xbox gets exclusive Netflix streaming?
http://gizmodo.com/5334709/xbox-360-scores-exclusive-netflix-movie-streaming

Logitech Harmony 900: Best remote ever?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10307299-1.html

Chevy Volt gets tentative EPA rating of *230* MPG
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10307239-54.html
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/08/chevy-volt-to-g-1.php

HP to sell laptops with top-ups
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=68286

Bigger flash drives coming from Intel and Micron
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10307018-64.html

Controversial Palm Pre ads judged to be effective, still creepy
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/11/controvercial-palm-pre-ads-judged-to-be-effective-still-creepy/

New York Woman Receives Wireless Pacemaker
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351371,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121
http://www.sjm.com/mediaroom/mediakit.aspx?cat=%&kit=productconnectivity

A Standardized OS For Robots
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/08/11/1242217/A-Standardized-OS-For-Robots

VOICEMAIL
Shalin has an idea for tablet users

Leon the army brat on USAA

EMAIL
Hey buzz crew,

I just tested the photo deposit system and all I can say is HOW
COOL!!! The USAA app had me take a picture of front of check, then one
of the back after telling me how to endores it. The first time I hit
submit the app told me the dollar amount was not clear enough and I
had to retake the pic. I submitted it again and was told my funds were
avaible ( might be because check was only $8.10 ) Any way, very cool
system, I hope more banks will use.

Kathryn
From Portland Oregon

**********

I assume Natali has viewed Alien over the weekend and we will be
hearing her review in today’s episode?

Iljitsch

We could have talked about yet another Apple tablet rumor but the chat room vetoed it. The chat room rulez! We do discuss Google's CEO leaving the Apple board and Microsoft shipping the normal Windows 7 to Europeans. And also robots that can run. That's not a good idea. Especially if they run towards you.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 1032

Google’s Schmidt resigns from Apple board
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10301612-37.html

Microsoft: No browserless Windows 7 after all
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10301299-56.html

FCC’s Speed Shockingly Fast Looking Into iPhone-Google Voice Fiasco
http://www.businessinsider.com/fccs-speed-shockingly-fast-looking-into-iphone-google-voice-fiasco-2009-8

AT&T Does Not Manage or Approve Apps for the App Store
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20090803/att-does-not-manage-or-approve-apps-for-the-app-store-though-we-may-bitch-about-the-ones-we-dislike/
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=22069

Apple tried to silence owner of exploding iPod with gagging order
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article6736587.ece

Analyst claims first hand knowledge of Apple gaming, home media center tablet
http://www.9to5mac.com/apple-tablet-september-barrons

Defcon air traffic control hacker: Excuse me while I change your aircraft's flight plan
http://deals.venturebeat.com/2009/08/01/defcon-hacker-excuse-me-while-i-change-your-aircrafts-flight-plan/

Verizon drops pricing on almost all existing smartphones to under $99
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/08/02/verizon-drops-pricing-on-almost-all-existing-smartphones-to-under-99/

Radio Shack rebadged “The Shack” in mobile push
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/08/02/radio.shack.rebranding/
http://www.radioshack.com/theshack/

Robot Runs For Real
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93586-Robot-Runs-For-Real

Ask Federal CTO Aneesh Chopra a question on Buzz Out Loud
http://www.cnet.com/8301-19709_1-10301736-10.html

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

On today's show, we discover that Microsoft is a fine American company that thinks nothing of shafting its highest-paying users or subjecting the entire Internet to multiple episodes of projectile vomiting. And Apple shouldn't be forced by some pissy little upstart to change its perfectly legitimate EULA. And don't even get Cooley STARTED on sending self-replicating nanobots to Mars. Good times all around. Plus: Metrologists!

EPISODE 1010

Microsoft to offer Family Pack for Windows 7 Home Premium
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1145

Some Vista users say they’re getting the Ultimate shaft
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10277506-56.html

Psystar out of chapter 11 with new Xeon-based models
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/02/psystar-bounces-back-from-chapter-11-intros-new-high-end-hardwa/

Bing expands its piece of the search market pie in June
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/07/bing-grabs-a-larger-piece-of-the-search-market-pie-in-june.ars

Microsoft chucks vomit ad
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10278063-71.html

Traffic rockets to Twitter site
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_8129000/8129340.stm

Can Twitter trademark “tweet”?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/07/will-trademarkhungry-twitter-beat-tweet-to-genericide.html

Firefox 3.5 downloaded 5 million times in first 24 hours
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/07/firefox-35-downloaded-5-million-times-in-first-24-hours.ars

And it’s the third-fastest browser in the world.
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/0,39029471,49302846,00.htm

But Chrome is getting extensions
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10277385-2.html

NASA Suggests Nano Robots To Explore Mars
http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/07/02/138237/NASA-Suggests-Nano-Robots-To-Explore-Mars

VOICEMAIL
Jason in Marietta on Natali’s tax idea.

Poor Anthony

EMAIL
Tom
Hi Buzz Crew,

I smiled as I listened to your discussion on measurements in episode
1008.

Being a metrologist [met-rol-o-gist] or measurement scientist (not
meteorologist, that is weather) it always amazes me that most people
take the measurements that support every facet of their lives for
granted.

Without all the metrologists that go about their jobs each day,
measuring and calibrating everything in the background, in mostly
unseen laboratories, you wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed in
the morning.

Who has the time standards used to set your alarm clock, metrologists.
Who calibrates the scales that were used to make and package your
food, metrologists.
Who calibrates the measurement systems used to generate and monitor
your electric power, metrologists.
Who calibrates the temperature systems for your weather reports,
metrologists.
Who calibrates the liquid flow systems used to measure the gas
(petrol), diesel etc. into your car, Cooley?, metrologists do.
Who calibrates the measurement systems used to make medicines,
metrologists.

I could go on but I think you will see what I am getting at.

While it may sound like a boring job and definitely not a high profile
glamourous job like a podcast host, it is one of those things that
goes on in the background helping to make your day go smoother.

I love my job and while metrologists are only a small group of people
in the scheme of things, I find it tremendously satisfying to know
that what my colleagues and I do, ensures that we all live better lives.

Love the show.

Mark (the metrologist)

PS: See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrology if you want to know
more about metrology.

Artists are developing robots that can consume flies and rodents. That means they'll get a taste for flesh. What could go wrong? They come for your butt, that's what. We also take NASA to task, and discuss the effect of Michael Jackson's death on the Internet and what it might mean for future emergencies. All that and some ageism.

EPISODE 1006

News sites swamped following Michael Jackson’s death
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10273325-93.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10273277-93.html

Sony encouraging nongaming apps on the PSP Go
http://kotaku.com/5302722/sony-encouraging-non+gaming-apps-on-the-pspgo

HTC: Hero UI upgrade for existing phones possible, but not on T-mobile USA versions
http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=7352

Google Voice invites on the way
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-voice-invites-on-their-way.html

Thumbing Windows 7 onto Netbooks
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10273188-56.html

Iran tries to pacify protesters with "Lord Of The Rings" marathon
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/09/06/25/1535219/Iran-Tries-to-Pacify-Protesters-With-emLord-Of-The-Ringsem-Marathon

Iran Not Blocking Online Games
http://kotaku.com/5302711/iran-not-blocking-online-games

Nielsen recommends not masking passwords
http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/06/25/1856214/Nielsen-Recommends-Not-Masking-Passwords

Buzz Aldrin’s radical plan for NASA
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4322647.html?page=1

Gallery: Domestic robots with a taste for flesh
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17372-gallery-domestic-robots-with-a-taste-for-flesh.html

VOICEMAIL
Garrick on kids wanting stuff on demand

E-MAIL
Hi buzz crew. after watching episode 1005 i was wondering since i am looking to buy a new laptop in the summer. if i get the eligibility to get the free upgrade to windows 7, is it possible to not install the upgrade on my new laptop instead install windows 7 to my desktop which is around a year old and is running windows vista ultimate? – Jonathan

**********

Hey buzz crew, Jim Gooch, buzz town Computer Forensics guy here…
Just a quick note concerning the free windows 7 upgrade program.
I’ve put off purchasing 6 computers so that I could get the upgrade today. Much to my
dismay, I was told that I was not eligible for the upgrade program because I was Downgrading
to XP and this was a Microsoft decision. so, defeated, I purchased the computers with
Vista Business and promptly called Microsoft. I was a bit miffed that Microsoft had the
gall to use all the purchases that I have made over the two last years to pad their Vista
“Sales” numbers, then turn around and tell me I had no right to the benefits of purchasing
vista if I didn’t RUN it!?! so, once I was speaking to Microsoft I was informed that Dell was
in fact wrong and that I was entitled to the free upgrade!

Armed with the website:

https://windows7upgradeoption.com/ProgramInformation.aspx

which states:

PCs that are licensed for a Program-eligible Windows Vista edition which have been down-
graded to Windows XP are also eligible for this Program. However, a clean installation of
the upgrade media will be required unless you used recovery media to install the original
Windows Vista edition pre-installed on the PC, in which case you can directly upgrade to
Windows 7.

I was able to reorder the machines with XP and got the free windows 7 upgrade.
props go to “Paul” at Microsoft Pre-Sales support for his help in this.
I thought your listeners might benefit from my plight.

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,

In episode 1004 you reported how NASA will not convert to metric units because of “the cost”. I actually worked on the Constellation program for a few months shortly after graduating college. Almost immediately, I was horrified at what I saw from within NASA’s walls. Logisitically, engineers at NASA and most of their contractors live in the 50’s. There *are* computers present, but they’re in terrible shape and locked down to a point of being almost unusable. To install Linux on a project box I had to wait 3 months for approval from Washington (I worked at the cape), and I quit before I heard anything. In order to pull up engineering specs, you can’t simply view them as a PDF from a database. You need to look up the part number, which is truncated because the system was built the year I was born (literally), make a PHONE CALL down to the document center, put in an order for a printout, and a couple hours later pick up your printout or request them to physically scan it and then send you a PDF. Not only that, but there are major buildings in horrific disrepair, such as the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Sorry for this depressing e-mail, but people need to know about the state of what was once our nation’s crown jewel. NASA needs a major reset. It has a culture that oppressively resists change and technological investment at every opportunity to a point where I believe it actually costs them more money and potentially more lives. If Obama shut NASA’s doors (I hear Brian Cooley cheering) in favor of privatized space flight, such as Space-X, I wouldn’t be surprised nor disappointed.

Love the show!

Mike the surfing chip designer in FL.