The 404 Podcast

Brian Tong, host of CNET TV's The Apple Byte, finally makes the trip out to New York for the sole purpose of helping us host the show. Alright, we wish--in reality Brian is out here for a much nobler cause. Today's show is filled with everything you'd expect from Apple fanboys and video game nerds!

(Credit: Brian Tong)

It's always an insane show whenever Brian Tong of CNET TV's The Apple Byte rolls through the studio, and today is absolutely no different. Although we'd like to think that Brian is here just because he loves us so much, it turns out that his trip is for a much greater cause: The big Moon personally invited him out to speak on a panel in front of CBS interns about what it's like being a minority in the media, something that Wilson and I definitely could have spoken about, but clearly CBS wanted a positive influence on the kids. Unfortunately, Brian finally drops some bad news when he tells us that these 13-year-olds are already vying for all of our jobs.

In today's episode, Brian gives us a rundown of his sojourn to E3 and all the recent video game news coming out of the pipe, including Project Natal, Xbox 360 rumors, next-gen console forecasting, and everyone's favorite Nintendo Wii vitality sensor! I wish I could remember what else they were talking about, but I blacked out (on purpose) just as they started talking about E3. Much thanks to B-Teezy for getting up early to do the show!

We made it onto Engadget! Well, sort of. It was kind of an accident, but Engadget is Engadget right? On today's show, we discuss some video game news with our buddy Russ Frushtick, the games editor for UGO.com. We also talk about our accidental plug on Engadget.com, explore some of the unhealthiest foods on the planet, and we briefly consider raising our kids on our favorite movies from the sci-fi universe. The second half gets absurdly dirrrty, with red light talks on fleshlights, 3d porn, massage therapy, and a very disturbing reading from Wilson Tang.

(Credit: Engadget)

Today's guest Russ Frushtick is an editor for UGO so naturally we talk about games, which gives me some time to catch up on my soaps and knit a beautiful new scarf. Actually, I do engage in the conversation a bit with an update to the PSYu foundation (don't worry, we explain it all in the show), and Jeff and Russ even give us a preview of the new Resident Evil game coming out soon. But oh man, what happened to the second half of the show?! I don't know who puts these stories in the rundown (Wilson), but phew are they nasty. We get into a rather nasty argument about the need for 3D pornography (who needs that slung so closely to their face?) and we explain the glory hole that is the Fleshlight to Mr. Frushtick. Be sure to listen to the entire show to get to the center of the nutty goodness.

If there's such a thing as too much fun, we don't want to hear about it. Richard Blakeley grabs the guest mic and washes his hands of the CES 2008 prank once and for all. He also gets meta on the state of Internet video, helps us make fun of Twitter just a little more, and dishes tips on how to pick the perfect couture halter-top ensemble.

Unless you've been inhaling chloroform for the past year, chances are you've heard the name Richard Blakeley. Yeah, he's the senior video editor for Gawker Media, but that's not why he's (in)famous. He's the guy behind Gawker's TV-Turnoff stunt at last year's Consumer Electronics Show. We thought it was hilarious, but apparently the CEA didn't think so and subsequently banned him from future shows--worst news ever, huh? Immediately following the incident, the uptight mainstream media called the stunt a step backward for bloggers, and you know what? We're kind of pissed at Richard Blakeley too...for thinking of it first. Next year, we're going to sneak Richard into CES inside an oversize trench coat,just like in The Little Rascals and get our collabo-prank on: GawkerX404! I can see the headlines now:

"Hooligans unleash swarm of bedbugs on CES 2010"

"Fiery bag of dark matter pervades showroom floor"

"Blakeley, Bakalar, Yu, and Tang get jail time for horseplay turned homicide"

Big thanks and confusion goes out to listener PacGamer for today's show title. The answer is somewhere in today's show, but it's hidden between a gulch and a burrito. Listen in for a story about Jeff's brother's upchuck reflex to The 404, a magical iPhone application, our best Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker impressions, and more!

(Credit: Gizmodo)

I'll start this post by joining the masses in demanding people to stop hating on Chipotle! They're not supposed to taste like an "authentic" taqueria burrito--in fact, I usually skip the burrito altogether and order the burrito bowl, and now I can do it on their new iPhone application. I'm a little scared to use it, though, especially with that "extra filling" button staring my stomach in the face. Sure, you'll probably curse the company in the privacy of your bathroom after the meal, but the app also includes a special "Pepto Bismol delivery" button free of charge!

Now that we've survived the frigid beast that is Las Vegas, we can finally get back into our everyday groove. Today's show is all about recovery and recollection, as we desperately try to piece together the last week of our lives. Listen in for a full CES 2009 recap with tons of juicy details and a few Internet stories on the side.

What. Just. Happened?! The past five days are completely a blur, and we collectively remember about four hours total. Did we really see a blind guy at a club where vision is a necessity? Did we really stay in a hotel room with double HDTVs and a third TV in the bathroom? Did we really eat more than 300 crab legs between the three of us? And most importantly, did we really lose that much money on the blackjack tables?

We ponder these questions and more on today's CES wrap-up show. If you didn't have a chance to watch the live shows, I've posted them below for your enjoyment. It's definitely good to be back after such a long vacation. Now let's try to forget what just happened again.

Live video from CES Day 1: Where no one cares about MacWorld

Live video from CES Day 2: Where we all wish we were at the OTHER conference

Live video from CES Day 3: Where we've jumped the virgin shark

Live video from CES Day 4: Where we celebrate good juju bad juju

If you were wondering why our past two shows have been so squeaky clean, rest assured that our third day broadcasting live from the CNET stage at CES 2009 is definitely when we get back into the nasty groove. Today's show is filled with more goofy and perverted gadgets from the showroom floor, Watchmen movie news, idiots bandits, and another appearance from Ms. Heavenly Tech! Spicyyyyy

Be sure to catch us live again tomorrow from the CNET stage at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

EPISODE 256

(Credit: Erica Ogg)

As day two of CES 2009 came to a close, The 404 wrapped up the day with a solid audience of tired, dreary-eyed show goers desperate for some much needed entertainment.

Today Brian Tong joins the show to talk about the worst of CES, primarily the men's bathrooms, crying babies, and recycled floor tape. Best of all, we add a new segment to the show called "Sexy Press Release."

Be sure to catch us live again tomorrow from the CNET stage at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

EPISODE 255

Today marks the first official day of the CES show here in Las Vegas, and the entire showroom floor is buzzing about the 404! Okay, not exactly, but we're here anyway to give you our unique perspective on the goings-on. Today, we ask Crave Editor Erica Ogg to join us for the first half and speak on the Palm Pre announcement.

One thing we've noticed this year is the popularity of electronic devices targeted toward the geriatric-age bracket. We're all for helping out Grandma, but does she really need a Bluetooth diabetes monitor? She's got enough on her plate with the upcoming cable box transition; let's not burden her with wireless medication, too. After chatting about the products on the show, we get into a subject close to Wilson's heart: the booth babes. Although not quite as scandalous they appear in the show adjacent to CES, the eye candy definitely made an appearance, and believe me when I say that I struggled to bite my tongue during the show. More on that when we get back, so stay tuned!

We also have a bunch of super hot guests coming on in the next few days and maybe even a prize giveaway, so keep listening, and don't forget to give us a call and leave a voicemail--we might even play it on the air!

(Credit: Phil Ryan)

Greetings from sunny Las Vegas! It's sunny, but not hot at all, which is awesome. Today's CES show was a nice dry run, but tomorrow is when the real fun starts. So make sure to stop by the CNET stage at 5 p.m. pacific time to catch us live! Did we mention there will be giveaways?

On today's show Ariel Nunez joins us to talk about why Macworld was absolutely terrible and why you'll need an HDTV to listen to Ludacris' new record. Then we'll discuss Ludacris' comments about our own Natali Del Conte.

We've got a bunch of great guests lined up for the rest of CES so make sure you listen everyday!

EPISODE 253