Episode 620: Not safe for trademark
Fark.com wants to patent NSFW, which we think isn't safe for society. Also Western Digital makes one of their own products somewhat useless.
Not safe for work is a combination of words found very useful when sharing links across the Web. One of my favorite websites, FARK.com, wants to trademark that phrase. Why? We have no clue. But it's not the stupidest thing a tech company has done today. Western Digital is selling a network attached storage device designed to make it easy to access your files form anywhere, but they're blocking access to audio and video files. This intellectual property fear is getting out of hand.
--Tom
Listen now: Download today's podcast
--Tom
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 | EPISODE 620 |
TODAY'S LINKS:
TODAY'S VOICE MAIL:
Brandon from Corona
Weird cuts.
Weird cuts.
Anonymous
Universal is doing a great thing.
Universal is doing a great thing.
Anonymous Monk fan
NBC has angered me.
NBC has angered me.
TODAY'S E-MAIL:
Sony to bring Robot back from the dead?
While Toyota is creating its violin playing robot, Sony may bring its robotic pet back from the dead. The Sony AIBO (robotic dog) was killed back at the end of 2005 along with a bunch of job cuts (around 10,000 people) [http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/26/sony-killed-aibo-and-qrio/].
Sony now sees a place for this robotic K-9 in everyone's life. The new model is said to wirelessly connect with the PSP and PS3. Here is where the scary robotic takeover comes in. The new robot will also have a Webcam with motion sensors and facial recognition that can stream via Wi- Fi to your system. If that's not enough, it also comes with a feature to 'guard' your house (but something tells me this isn't going to stop intruders) [via, http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/09/is-aibo-returning- from-the-dead/]
The robots are coming to take over!!! Run for your lives and keep up the great work,
Andrew Grin
P.S. Maybe now Sony and Facebook can work together traveling through your home, finding what you buy, and posting the items online...just a thought. :)
While Toyota is creating its violin playing robot, Sony may bring its robotic pet back from the dead. The Sony AIBO (robotic dog) was killed back at the end of 2005 along with a bunch of job cuts (around 10,000 people) [http://www.engadget.com/2006/01/26/sony-killed-aibo-and-qrio/].
Sony now sees a place for this robotic K-9 in everyone's life. The new model is said to wirelessly connect with the PSP and PS3. Here is where the scary robotic takeover comes in. The new robot will also have a Webcam with motion sensors and facial recognition that can stream via Wi- Fi to your system. If that's not enough, it also comes with a feature to 'guard' your house (but something tells me this isn't going to stop intruders) [via, http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/09/is-aibo-returning- from-the-dead/]
The robots are coming to take over!!! Run for your lives and keep up the great work,
Andrew Grin
P.S. Maybe now Sony and Facebook can work together traveling through your home, finding what you buy, and posting the items online...just a thought. :)
Pure definition of 'Christmas Grinch'
http://torrentfreak.com/charity-forced-to-pay-copyright-police-so-kids-can-sing-071209/
Mark Z
http://torrentfreak.com/charity-forced-to-pay-copyright-police-so-kids-can-sing-071209/
Mark Z
Eve patch
Hey Buzz Crew, just FYI: I have been running a Web site since 2002 that has a fix for the windows boot problem mentioned in BOL 619.
The good news is, if you have another computer in your house, just write down the error message, Google it--my page is the first result, and then you can download either a boot floppy, CD-R, or USB solution. You will boot to what looks like a DOS box prompting you to try 10 different boot scenarios; once you find the right one, Windows XP will come right up, and you can just copy the boot.ini file I give you onto your computer.
Simple solution, and it's free.
Miles
Hey Buzz Crew, just FYI: I have been running a Web site since 2002 that has a fix for the windows boot problem mentioned in BOL 619.
The good news is, if you have another computer in your house, just write down the error message, Google it--my page is the first result, and then you can download either a boot floppy, CD-R, or USB solution. You will boot to what looks like a DOS box prompting you to try 10 different boot scenarios; once you find the right one, Windows XP will come right up, and you can just copy the boot.ini file I give you onto your computer.
Simple solution, and it's free.
Miles
All nVidia drivers available online (for laptops and desktops)--even for
XP
Hey Buzz crew,
I've been listening to what everyone's been saying about these "Vista only" laptops that don't have drivers for XP listed online. Well, I just thought you should know about laptopvideo2go.com, which has almost every nVidia driver ever made available for download. They've hacked the INF files so that the drivers can be installed on any nVidia card ever made that supports the Unified Driver Architecture that nVidia came out with a few years ago. Anybody who's having trouble finding drivers for an nVidia laptop card for XP should definitely check out laptopvideo2go.com.
Thanks for being awesome!
Pat from Champaign, Illinois
(Yes, I'm studying Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois)
Hey Buzz crew,
I've been listening to what everyone's been saying about these "Vista only" laptops that don't have drivers for XP listed online. Well, I just thought you should know about laptopvideo2go.com, which has almost every nVidia driver ever made available for download. They've hacked the INF files so that the drivers can be installed on any nVidia card ever made that supports the Unified Driver Architecture that nVidia came out with a few years ago. Anybody who's having trouble finding drivers for an nVidia laptop card for XP should definitely check out laptopvideo2go.com.
Thanks for being awesome!
Pat from Champaign, Illinois
(Yes, I'm studying Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois)
Rorschach comment...from an actual psychologist
Guys,
I have not listened yet to Friday's episode, so you may have dealt with this already.
You were worried about MS getting info about your personality by getting your Roschach results. Those 'tests' are about as reliable as an ex- Soviet submarine and about as valid as using hair colour to measure intelligence.
I have a colleague in another city (indeed, another country) that uses Rorschach inkblots because clients expect them. She takes no notes on the responses. She has a couch for the same reason.
Dave (the psychologist)
Guys,
I have not listened yet to Friday's episode, so you may have dealt with this already.
You were worried about MS getting info about your personality by getting your Roschach results. Those 'tests' are about as reliable as an ex- Soviet submarine and about as valid as using hair colour to measure intelligence.
I have a colleague in another city (indeed, another country) that uses Rorschach inkblots because clients expect them. She takes no notes on the responses. She has a couch for the same reason.
Dave (the psychologist)
Internet on planes
Everyone calls you guys "TMJ". Does that mean you have pain your jaws?
OK, so Molly mentions that the Internet might be connected to rear-seat panels in the planes. So, does that mean that everyone on the plane with an iPhone can check the weather at the same time, then IM the pilots that it's actually OK to land? One guy on the plane with his iPhone is a jerk, but doesn't having a crowd make it a democracy?
Charles in San Francisco
Everyone calls you guys "TMJ". Does that mean you have pain your jaws?
OK, so Molly mentions that the Internet might be connected to rear-seat panels in the planes. So, does that mean that everyone on the plane with an iPhone can check the weather at the same time, then IM the pilots that it's actually OK to land? One guy on the plane with his iPhone is a jerk, but doesn't having a crowd make it a democracy?
Charles in San Francisco