The 404 773: Where old habits die hard (podcast)

We all have habits to overcome, and we all know that Wilson's weakness is text messaging and abusing social networks, but what about me and Jeff? On today's show, you'll learn how Jeff overcame his filthy nail-biting and why I almost went bald at age 8.

Watch this: Ep. 773: Where old habits die hard

31:56

It's challenging to differentiate between a habit and an addiction, but it's safe to say that an addiction is a behavioral pattern that escalates in frequency and advertises a lack of control. Smoking is one of the most pervasive examples of addiction in our society, but according to our first story of the day, text messaging may be the key to cessation!

According to new research at the University of Oregon, it may be possible to inhibit an individual's response to cravings brought on by addiction through reminders delivered via media like text messages.

"Research participants were prompted by eight text messages per day for three weeks to document their ongoing cravings, mood, and cigarette use" during the quitting process, the university said, and these messages may have helped some people curb their desire to smoke. Now if we can only find a way to help Wilson with his Facebooking...

A new book called "Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff" by Chris Fehily serves as an instruction manual and reference book on how to get everything from cookbooks to magic lessons and knitting patterns for free off the Internet.

Using P2P file-sharing programs like BitTorrent as real-world examples, Fehily shows nontechies not only how to get what they want for free, but also how to avoid the legal risks and multiple Internet traps involved in forging through malware territory. We're all for educating people about file sharing and how to safely navigate the Internet, but we're wondering how long it'll be before this book finds its way onto BitTorrent as well.

Finally, a new kart-racing game called Crazyracing Kartrider is gaining so much popularity in South Korea that statistics show at least a third of the country's population has played the game. KartRider Rush is also coming to the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices, but we're more interested in the game's business model, which relies on microtransactions within the game to offer more tracks, items, and characters.

These games could pave the way for manufacturers to introduce their products on social-networking sites like Facebook. As a template for success they could use Warner Bros., which recently allowed Facebook users to purchase or rent movies using 30 Facebook credits earned in network applications and games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

The movie studio will start with "The Dark Knight," and as Facebook grows in ubiquity as the daily destination for millions of users, you can expect more films to become available on Facebook over the coming months.

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