Episode 594: Phantom of the audio board
Who is the man behind the mask? And what's up with his horribly disfigured face? Also, Google and Leopard.
Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
6 min read
Halloween questions abound today: is Jason in fact horribly disfigured and that's why his face cannot be seen on the pages of CNET? Is Australia foretelling the downfall of the U.S. from 16 hours in the future? Will Google's phone ... er. Be cool? Ok, not every analogy can go on forever, people. That's just scary.
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 | EPISODE 594 |
TODAY'S LINKS:
TODAY'S VOICE MAIL:
Kevin
I felt the pain ray.
I felt the pain ray.
Mark from Denver
Is it so weird to want a cut of the iPod sales?
Is it so weird to want a cut of the iPod sales?
Greg from Raleigh
Flaw in your analogy about iPod and NBC.
Flaw in your analogy about iPod and NBC.
TODAY'S E-MAIL:
Brett Ratner, clueless about the movie industry rules?
Hey Tom, Molly, Jason,
Been listening to the podcast ever since I broke down and bought my first iPod shortly after you first started.
Just couldn't let this one pass, as I know Molly will love this one. Apparently Brett Ratner, the man who gave us the horribly bad X-Men 3 sequel, is also quite the technogeek. However, while he can afford to buy the nice toys, he doesn't have a clue about intellectual property theft. In an article from July 2007, he stated quite clearly that he owns a Kaleidescape media server and has copied all of his 10,000 DVDs to it. That's not the problem, as it's well within what I believe to be fair use, so good for him.
But he also states pretty clearly in the article that now that he has them copied he intends to "donate" them to charity. Now maybe I'm not as savvy as a "billion dollar director," but last I checked, the company that made this device was sued by the MPAA because the DVD did not need to be present. So is it me, or is this guy talking about copying his movies and then giving them away to someone or some other entity, basically in theory "stealing 10,000 movies".
OMG, how much money is he going to have to pay the MPAA?? It's gonna make the Jammie Thomas case look like pocket change. Sadly, the money she was told to pay is probably pocket change for Mr. Ratner.
Please, please let Ratner have donated these 10,000 movies to charity. If he has actually done this, I would love very much to send a note to the MPAA as the ensuing Legal battle would be both hysterical and oh so ironic.
*crosses fingers and prays to the gods of irony*
Here's the link to the Variety article.
Love the show.
Tim Tringle (rhymes with Kringle)
Hey Tom, Molly, Jason,
Been listening to the podcast ever since I broke down and bought my first iPod shortly after you first started.
Just couldn't let this one pass, as I know Molly will love this one. Apparently Brett Ratner, the man who gave us the horribly bad X-Men 3 sequel, is also quite the technogeek. However, while he can afford to buy the nice toys, he doesn't have a clue about intellectual property theft. In an article from July 2007, he stated quite clearly that he owns a Kaleidescape media server and has copied all of his 10,000 DVDs to it. That's not the problem, as it's well within what I believe to be fair use, so good for him.
But he also states pretty clearly in the article that now that he has them copied he intends to "donate" them to charity. Now maybe I'm not as savvy as a "billion dollar director," but last I checked, the company that made this device was sued by the MPAA because the DVD did not need to be present. So is it me, or is this guy talking about copying his movies and then giving them away to someone or some other entity, basically in theory "stealing 10,000 movies".
OMG, how much money is he going to have to pay the MPAA?? It's gonna make the Jammie Thomas case look like pocket change. Sadly, the money she was told to pay is probably pocket change for Mr. Ratner.
Please, please let Ratner have donated these 10,000 movies to charity. If he has actually done this, I would love very much to send a note to the MPAA as the ensuing Legal battle would be both hysterical and oh so ironic.
*crosses fingers and prays to the gods of irony*
Here's the link to the Variety article.
Love the show.
Tim Tringle (rhymes with Kringle)
If a MacBook Pro screams with Vista and Steve Jobs doesn't tell anyone...does it matter? ;)
MacBook Pro is the fastest Windows Vista notebook
And Steve Jobs will probably never brag about this...
Best,
Shalin
MacBook Pro is the fastest Windows Vista notebook
And Steve Jobs will probably never brag about this...
Best,
Shalin
Wii the people
Good day Tom, Molly, and Jason,
I know that Tom has been in search of a Wii. I, being a father of twin 6-year-olds, had decided that the family was in desperate need of an upgrade from our GameCube. My wife finally relented and agreed to a Wii. I went online and found out that going to a store was the best bet.
I went to shopping center with a Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target during lunch one day. Best Buy and Wal-Mart came and went. I got to Target and I thought all was lost that day when I came up empty again. This nice sales person asked if he could help me. I asked if he could check other Targets in the area for this item number. He punched it into the system and I saw on the screen that the other Target near my office had 27 Wii in stock! I thanked the man and rushed to the other side of town to pick up my Wii. Here is where it gets interesting:
Got to the store in 15 minutes. Went straight to the electronics section where they had the "we are out of stock" sign at the bottom of the case. I hit the friendly help button and a sales person came right over. I said that "I was in another target and they said you had 27 Wii consoles in stock. Can you please get me one from back stock?" He paused for a minute and said (and I quote): "I can't sell you one. We are having a sale in a few weeks and they are saving them for the sale."
Target is hoarding the darn Wii!! I immediately asked for the manager...I wasn't giving up that easily. I waited about 10 minutes for the manager (being in retail management in a previous life, I knew the tactics). When he showed up, I explained what I knew and how many he had in back stock. He pulled out his handy scanner thingy and made several attempts to look puzzled. He asked that I wait there, and he would be back.
Another 10 minutes went by, and another sales person came over and asked that I go to the electronics register and meet the manager. When I got over there, he had a Wii on the floor "triple" bagged, so no one could see what I was buying. He rung me up and I got my Wii. I asked the guy about all of the cloak-and-dagger stuff. He told me that:
Either Target was holding the Wii for a future promotion (which he could not confirm) and the other store's sales person should have never told me; or his salesperson made a mistake and did not know they were in back stock.
Came back the next day and of course..."we are out of stock" sign was still in the case. You do the math.
I hope this story helps another find their Wii in time for the holidays. Oh, and don't give me any crap for having a GameCube. It was fine for kids. I game on a PC...at least a little while longer.
Michael the systems architect
Good day Tom, Molly, and Jason,
I know that Tom has been in search of a Wii. I, being a father of twin 6-year-olds, had decided that the family was in desperate need of an upgrade from our GameCube. My wife finally relented and agreed to a Wii. I went online and found out that going to a store was the best bet.
I went to shopping center with a Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target during lunch one day. Best Buy and Wal-Mart came and went. I got to Target and I thought all was lost that day when I came up empty again. This nice sales person asked if he could help me. I asked if he could check other Targets in the area for this item number. He punched it into the system and I saw on the screen that the other Target near my office had 27 Wii in stock! I thanked the man and rushed to the other side of town to pick up my Wii. Here is where it gets interesting:
Got to the store in 15 minutes. Went straight to the electronics section where they had the "we are out of stock" sign at the bottom of the case. I hit the friendly help button and a sales person came right over. I said that "I was in another target and they said you had 27 Wii consoles in stock. Can you please get me one from back stock?" He paused for a minute and said (and I quote): "I can't sell you one. We are having a sale in a few weeks and they are saving them for the sale."
Target is hoarding the darn Wii!! I immediately asked for the manager...I wasn't giving up that easily. I waited about 10 minutes for the manager (being in retail management in a previous life, I knew the tactics). When he showed up, I explained what I knew and how many he had in back stock. He pulled out his handy scanner thingy and made several attempts to look puzzled. He asked that I wait there, and he would be back.
Another 10 minutes went by, and another sales person came over and asked that I go to the electronics register and meet the manager. When I got over there, he had a Wii on the floor "triple" bagged, so no one could see what I was buying. He rung me up and I got my Wii. I asked the guy about all of the cloak-and-dagger stuff. He told me that:
Either Target was holding the Wii for a future promotion (which he could not confirm) and the other store's sales person should have never told me; or his salesperson made a mistake and did not know they were in back stock.
Came back the next day and of course..."we are out of stock" sign was still in the case. You do the math.
I hope this story helps another find their Wii in time for the holidays. Oh, and don't give me any crap for having a GameCube. It was fine for kids. I game on a PC...at least a little while longer.
Michael the systems architect
Why Australia rocks
Hi Jason, Molly, & Tom,
Just listening to Monday's show, and I realised just how cool it is to live in Australia compared to the U.S. Let me explain:
While we have contracts and free phones, all of our phones are sold unlocked, and all of our carriers support GSM -> so you can take your handset anywhere whether you bought it outright or got it for free.
Our Internet is advertised properly: for example I pay $AUD39 for 24,000K down and 1,000K up. I get 10GB, after which I'm 'shaped' down to 128k for the rest of the month. No additional costs...and shock horror, this is all documented in each one of the plans (there are cheaper and more expensive ones as well).
Finally, we're roughly 16 hours ahead of you guys, so I, too, live in the future.
Rusty the Australian code monkey
P.S. I'm hoping one day I get a mention on your podcast...but maybe I need to call in to increase my chances...that, or just bag Molly. Ummm..."Molly quit your Apple bashing, you Apple bashing basher you..."
Hi Jason, Molly, & Tom,
Just listening to Monday's show, and I realised just how cool it is to live in Australia compared to the U.S. Let me explain:
While we have contracts and free phones, all of our phones are sold unlocked, and all of our carriers support GSM -> so you can take your handset anywhere whether you bought it outright or got it for free.
Our Internet is advertised properly: for example I pay $AUD39 for 24,000K down and 1,000K up. I get 10GB, after which I'm 'shaped' down to 128k for the rest of the month. No additional costs...and shock horror, this is all documented in each one of the plans (there are cheaper and more expensive ones as well).
Finally, we're roughly 16 hours ahead of you guys, so I, too, live in the future.
Rusty the Australian code monkey
P.S. I'm hoping one day I get a mention on your podcast...but maybe I need to call in to increase my chances...that, or just bag Molly. Ummm..."Molly quit your Apple bashing, you Apple bashing basher you..."
Jason's disfiguration
Tom, Molly,
While the CNET site and the Buzz Out Loud page is plastered with smiling images of you guys, I have searched and can find no pictures of Jason! I can only assume, then, that he has had some kind of freak accident where he fell into a vat of boiling acid that caused massive disfiguration and has forever branded him with a face that is only good for radio (and podcasts). Please let Jason know that we, the viewers, will not be ashamed of him, no matter how hideous and revolting he certainly looks! This is the new century and we can take it. Add his picture to your Buzz page and we promise not to laugh, mock, or ridicule his freakish, acid-burned features!
Like the podcast mostly.
Dan
Tom, Molly,
While the CNET site and the Buzz Out Loud page is plastered with smiling images of you guys, I have searched and can find no pictures of Jason! I can only assume, then, that he has had some kind of freak accident where he fell into a vat of boiling acid that caused massive disfiguration and has forever branded him with a face that is only good for radio (and podcasts). Please let Jason know that we, the viewers, will not be ashamed of him, no matter how hideous and revolting he certainly looks! This is the new century and we can take it. Add his picture to your Buzz page and we promise not to laugh, mock, or ridicule his freakish, acid-burned features!
Like the podcast mostly.
Dan