Buzz Out Loud 785: Don't cross the Olympic streams

We tried to give NBC the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Olympic streaming, but then we tried it. And it's ridiculous. Also, we wonder if the iPhone makes you fat, even as it fattens Steve Jobs' wallet. We also discuss the technicalities of invisibility cloaks, and opt-out of Obama's aggressively hip Internet outreach campaign.

EPISODE 785

Defcon ends with researchers muzzled, viruses written
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10013156-83.html

Judge orders halt to Defcon speech on subway card hacking
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10012612-83.html

Apple hits 3 million iPhone’s sold in its debut month
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/08/technology/iphone-3m.fortune/

iPhone software sales take off: Apple’s jobs
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121842341491928977.html

Beijing Olympic 2008 opening ceremony giant firework footprints ‘faked’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2534499/Beijing-Olympic-2008-opening-ceremony-giant-firework-footprints-faked.html

NBCU-Olympics: Cablevision subs, those who don't pay to watch TV shut out of live streaming
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-nbcu-olympics-cablevision-subs-those-who-dont-pay-to-watch-tv-shut-out-/

NBC’s Olympic ratings get a Web-based boost
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121841383938428459.html

The Olympics watch: Not that much
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9627

Metamaterials hold promise for invisibility cloaks
http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/peripherals/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210001982
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7553061.stm

Psst! Barack Obama will text you his veep details
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10013126-36.html
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/firsttoknow

VOICE MAIL

Mark from Florida
Question about the durka durka noise.

Jason Marietta
Cell phone coincidence?

E-MAIL

Hi Buzz Crew,

This is about the comments on Blu-ray in episode 784. While there definitely is a noticeable difference, I agree the picture quality of Blu-ray is not the quantum leap that DVD was over VHS. What everyone seems to be missing is the fact that the audio quality is that quantum leap.

The difference between Dolby Digital 5.1 & Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master audio is amazing but it’s rarely talked about even by the studios. The new lossless audio just blows away the old lossy compressed formats & you don’t need a high end system to hear the difference.

The problem is there are probably fewer people with AV receivers with HDMI inputs (which are required to get the new lossless audio) than there are people with a HDTV & people are only able to listen to the lossy formats over the TosLink (fiber optic) connections because they don’t have the bandwidth to carry the new formats.

Personally I haven’t bought a DVD since November of 2006, I have over 120 Blu-ray Discs & won’t buy anymore DVD’s.

Currently, I’m just buying new releases at full price, I replace my favorite DVD’s when they are on sale but yes, the prices on the movies are too high still!

For me the combination of Blu-Ray + HDTV + HDMI 1.3 receiver = an amazing home theater experience!

[robot voice] Love The Show[/robot voice]
Dave, the firefighter in Oklahoma

Dear Buzz Crew

Look what the quick thinking Irish decided to do with cellphones on planes. - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0807/1218047756406.html

Love the show

From Kieran in Ireland

I was wondering if you’ve seen the Calvin and Jobs comic strips from Mad magazine’s Jacob Lambert and Gary Hallgreen. It’s pretty amusing! They’ve replaced the Hobbes stuffed tiger character with a Steve Jobs doll. You should see it. I posted it in my blog (http://theuntechieblog.wordpress.com) but found it on Gizmodo.

The art isn’t as close to the Bill Watterson work as I had hoped, but still I’m sure your listeners would find it amusing as well.

http://gizmodo.com/5033627/calvin-and-jobs-kick-steves-nuts

Untechie
aka greyweed from the Philippines

I just wanted to let you guys know that I have finished version 1 of a native podcast client for the iPhone and iPod Touch and you should be seeing it in the App Store in the next few weeks. You can check out details and a video at http://tinyurl.com/podcaster. Thanks for a great podcast. Wanting to listen to BOL prompted me to create this application.

Alex S.
New Jersey