Buzz Out Loud 975: Beauty is in the eye of the Boholder 1000

We discuss a computer algorithm that can determine if photos are pretty or not. I guess hot or not is going out of business. We also look at the causes of the Google error and speculate on how Wolfram Alpha will be used.

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EPISODE 975

Networking error caused Google outage
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10241126-93.html

International Energy Agency says CE is gobbling up energy faster than green measures can save it
https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE54C4K420090514?sp=true
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/05/power-hungry-gadgets-endanger-energy-efficiency-gains.ars
http://www.pge.com/mybusiness/energysavingsrebates/buyersguide/bce/index.shtml

Wolfram Alpha goes public today
http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2009/05/wolfram-alpha-set-for-launch-first-look-unveiled.ars

Nintendo DSi drives April gaming sales
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/05/nintendo-dsi-drives-april-gaming-sales.ars

eBikes come to Best Buy
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2347082,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121

MLB scores patent to black out streamed games
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10241356-93.html

N.Y. Tax on Games, DVDs, and junk food
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/14/1739258
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/14/new-york-bill-would-add-fat-tax-video-games-dvds-junk-food

Exclusive: First Look at the BlackBerry Storm 2!!
http://crackberry.com/exclusive-first-look-blackberry-storm-2

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2009/05/14/exclusive-blackberry-storm-2-shots/

Computers with opinions on visual aesthetics
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/15/0613204

1000th Episode June 18th!
Send email to buzz@cnet.com with the subject line 1000th Episode Invite, if you are serious about wanting to attend the recording at 10:30 AM Thursday June 18th. We have a limited amount of seats.

VOICEMAIL
Ben
Kids don’t use Twitter

E-MAIL
One note about Shop Safe … don’t use it when you have to show the card to pick up the item you purchased. This mostly applies to show/concert tickets, but it would be a bummer to have a lot of hassle in real life because you were being safe online.

Also, MBNA used to allow limits, almost like an allowance. I used to give myself a limit and an expiration date of a couple months for iTunes purchases. A little hassle, but it kept me on a budget.

Love the show!

Jason in Boston

**********

Hey BuzzCrew-

As usual I seem to be a day late and a dollar short (’a pound short’ doesn’t sound nearly as nice, need that alliteration) on the podcast. But it was mentioned about having a keyboard on the credit card to make it more secure. Well Europe again is ahead of the US on security. So all cards over here have a chip in them- Most stores make you insert your card to a machine and you have to type in your pin to use it as a credit card/debit card (Know as chip & pin service). And most banks over here (Barclay’s for one) have a small device (looks like a calculator) to allow you to check your account online, where you have to insert your card into the device type in your pin and it gives you a 8 digit number that has to be typed in with a few minutes of trying to log on to view ANY of your account info. Separately if you choose to purchase online from many stores, Visa for example, send you to another page to verify your info by asking for random characters from your specialized password just for online for purchases.

Moving here it was a major change to get use to all of that, but now I quite prefer it. Only frustration is if you are on the go and forget to bring your card reader you can’t access your bank account anywhere but Holes in the Wall (ATMs) or in your own bank.

Cheers from Oxford!
Tom Merritt the Doppelganger

I know you hate links but this is to info about Barclay’s PinSentry [the card reader]: http://www.barclays.co.uk/audiopinsentry/reader.html

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Hello BOL,

BOL had a call out for evidence of TimeWarner Cable leveraging the
analog TV broadcast shutdown to scare people to their service. I did
get a print version here in Southern California, but it’s on their web
site too. I’ve attached a screenshot of the image saying “Don’t Let
Your TV Go Dark”. It’s also on this link:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/SoCal/?divhome=1

if you click the “DTV Transition” right tab. I think the casual
reader could get caught in a misimpression.

Love the Show,
Dean
Huntington Beach, CA