Tom, Molly, and Veronica,
Holy synchronicity, Batman!
Without even realizing it, the caller who used the ?Paul? settings in AT&T?s TrueVoice to leave you the impressive-sounding voicemail landed smack in the middle of a subject very near and dear to my literal survival. What I mean, of course, is that voice synthesis has journeyed light-years in the two decades since Wargames was released. Yes, I too could leave you spectacular-sounding voicemail. The only bad side of voicemail is that it?s not very well suited for passing along URLs. You?ll just have to muddle along with this email.
I am an unemployed application developer who hasn?t even been invited to a job interview in the four years since being laid off. This is despite my 14 years with Shell Oil. The reason for that is really beyond the scope of this email (and the podcast). Instead, I wanted to make you and your audience aware of my website, www.conchbbs.com, and blog, http://spaces.msn.com/adayinthelifeofaperson/. Both deal with voice synthesis in part. You see, I just happen to be severely disabled, and am unable to speak. Since my job at Shell clearly stood to benefit from being able to verbally converse with anyone I needed to, I was permitted to develop my own text-to-speech application after my managers rejected everything already on the market due to low quality. I?ve spent the last three years trying to market my solution, called Xpress It, in order to survive. The most frustrating part of the whole situation is that even the medical professionals who decide what should be purchased to help rehabilitate disabled people don?t realize that this isn?t still 1990. The voice engine that powers Xpress It is Eloquence, an elder competitor to TrueVoice that still out-performs it. Yet, I feel like the invisible man because nobody notices I?m here and something truly different.
Scott
1GB Nano rollout
http://news.com.com/Apple+rolls+out+1GB+Nano/2100-1041_3-6035974.html
Apple closes in on 1 billion songs (with email) http://digg.com/apple/Apple_Counts_Down_to_1_Billion_Songs
EMAIL:
FROM Jason
Hey tom molly and veronica
want a 20 inch imac, 10 60GB ipod videos, a $10,000 iTunes giftcard, and a full ride scholarship to a world renowned music school? All you have to do is download the billionth song on itunes!
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apple-launches-countdown-to-a-billion-songs/
Sony settles lawsuit?
The Sony BMG Settlement for XCP and MediaMax The settlement also requires the Defendants to stop manufacturing SONY BMG CDs with XCP or MediaMax 3.0 and 5.0 software and The settlement provides relief for persons who bought, received or used SONY BMG CDs with either XCP or MediaMax software. Under the settlement, any person in possession of an XCP CD can exchange it for a replacement CD, an MP3 download of the same album, and either (a) cash payment of $7.50 and one (1) free album download from a list of 200 albums, or (b) three (3) free album downloads from that list. Purchasers of CDs containing MediaMax 5.0 software will receive a free MP3 download of the same album and one (1) additional free album download. Purchasers of CDs containing MediaMax 3.0 software will receive a free MP3 download of the same album.
http://sonysuit.com/020606.asp
Google merges Gmail with chat
http://news.com.com/Google+merges+Gmail+with+chat/2100-1032_3-6035898.html
Gmail Chat lets people send instant messages from e-mail account, see when contacts are online and save chat history.
Email charging -- did we get it wrong??
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15603&hed=AOL%2C+Yahoo+to+Charge+for+Email
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113923605253266030.html?mod=e-commerce_primary_hs
EMAIL:
Chuck:
1) ISPs charging for inbound mail
There are certain aspects to this that sound potentially promising, but I think you glossed over the potential problem of smaller domain names not getting through. And often this is going to happen after an attempt to send has already failed. I am frequently amazed at how many people still do business with an AOL address and I can't help but think that this will get in the way. And as for spammers, when was the last time you got spam that was really from the domain name it portrayed itself to be from? So it may indeed block them, but depending on the technique they employ, couldn't this really run up costs to the poor folks whose address is spoofed in the From: field?
------ basically, is this just tiered service by a different name? And it's not like the money goes to the recipients, ahem.
Google is in serious negotiations to get its software installed on millions of Dell PCs before they are shipped to users, according to people familiar with the matter. Under the deal being discussed, Google, of Mountain View, Calif., could pay Dell fees approaching $1 billion over three years, these people estimate. The terms might change and the discussions could fail. Any agreement would be the latest in a series of similar deals with computer manufacturers the giant Internet search company has signed.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113928066242466882.html?mod=technology_main_whats_news
Lawsuit forces Microsoft Office users to update Users of Microsoft?s Office and Access packages have been told they will have to install updates as a result of a patent infringement dispute between Microsoft and a Guatemalan inventor that has cost the software firm almost $9 million in damages.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/07/microsoft_office_access_infringement/
Cyberextortion update
http://www.networkingpipeline.com/blog/archives/2006/02/google_to_telco.html
But there's some evidence that Google may be planning to bypass the Telcos altogether, and roll out its own national broadband service.
Murdoch says DirecTV will roll out satellite broadband In an interview with Newsweek News Corp honcho Rupert Murdoch said he'll announce a $1 billion plan later this month for adding broadband satellite Internet access to his DirecTV service.
http://news.com.com/2061-10802_3-6035848.html?part=rss&tag=6035848&subj=news
Firefox 2.0 alpha due Friday
http://digg.com/software/Firefox_2.0_Alpha_1_Comes_Out_Friday_
VOICE
Jim from Minnesota
AOL's horrible software installations. Real Networks is bad too. Good frined of mine had a laptop and in spite of my constant warnings... He got free AOL account, did it anyway and wound up having horrible problems..they kept telling him to upgrade more.. After a total of 6 hours over a period of days the last answer he got was "he now had a virus in his battery, and they can't help him. I forgot the funny part
Voice to text call
EMAIL:
SuperBowl audio
Todd in Boston
Quick note about the audio on ABC HD for the superbowl... You're not crazy, Molly, which means I'm not crazy, either. Whew!!. The audio for the music was definitely messed up, we almost couldn't hear the Mick Jagger at all and the music wasn't much better. About all we could hear was the crowd in the rear surround speakers. When we changed to the normal "low-def" TV station so that my receiver was doing the surround processing from a 2 channel source, it sounded a lot better. It was definitely a screw-up on the part of the audio engineers. Maybe Veronica could moonlight for the NFL...
Thanks, love the podcast, though being on the east coast sucks, I'm a day behind all the time....
GAMING:
~Daniel
Hey Tom, Molly, And *** Kickin' Veronica? xxx I was listening to yesterday?s podcast in which you guys were speaking about the problem the gaming industry is having with regards to its slowly narrowing market to hardcore gamers. I personally myself am a pretty hardcore gamer, and well? I just feel that games are just becomes so regurgitated that there?s no more interest in them, and the only people how still feel a wanting for video games are the hardcore gamers.
xxx
However, a while back while I was reading through my Nintendo Power magazine, they had a specific article regarding this situation. ( http://www.nintendo.com/newsarticle?articleid=TfyOgnUc7zB-ZlzdQvMhKJOgS5LsR2nK&page=other ) Sadly even hardcore gamers are become fed up with the same hack and slash games, and slowly starting to move away from video games. Same thing with the movie industry in 2005, there weren?t that many great movies out that year, and overall.. it was pretty dry compared to previous years. (Just my own personal opinion)
George from Palestine
But the major problem I have with IE7 is that it does not allow you to install Microsoft Money 2005!!! Can you imagine that?!
Microsoft 2006 works fine, then again money versions are not compatible, which sucks as well ? When you enter the Microsoft Money 2005 CD it checks your computer, asks to disable the anti virus (don?t know why!) then installs IE6, but since I have IE7, it says you have a newer version of IE, but still refuses to install MS Money.
FRAPPR SHOUTOUT
Doc
Location: Scott Air Force Base (IL)
okay,now I'm addicted.
New Gawker sitee plugged us. Thanks ValleyWag!
http://www.valleywag.com/tech/podcasts/tech-podcasts-that-arent-boring-153105.php
COMIN' UP TOMORROW - SHELBY BONNIE!!! ASK us questions in the forum.

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