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Buzz Out Loud 1328: Molly predicts new PowerBooks! (podcast)

It's a special episode of Buzzed Out Loud, where Darren Kitchen is high on pain meds and refusing to get a car and we're high on good news--from Chilean mine rescues to Google do-gooding. Also, Digg is hoping that the Coke Classic approach will help stop the bleeding. --Molly

Molly Wood Former Executive Editor

Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.

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Molly Wood

Oct. 13, 2010 11:58 a.m. PT

4 min read

Watch this: Ep. 1328: Molly predicts new PowerBooks!

33:19

Podcast

BOL listener Alessandro Zuniga has a car for Darren:
You guys requested a Volvo for Darren since he got in that accident and he can have mine! 1986 Volvo 240DL. It’s a tank!!!! Love the show guys!

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Hi Buzz Crew,

After listening to episode 1327 about the semantics of the Chevy Volt powertrain I decided to write in a give my perspective on the Volt. I’m an engineer in the auto industry and have been very interested in the development of the Volt. However as more information surfaces I fail to see how GM will sell many of these. With a price point of $41,000 (not counting incentives) there are multiple vehicles that achieve better results. Based on Popular Mechanics drive testing of the Volt, it achieved an average 33 miles on electric only and 34MPG on the gas engine. Additionally the Volt will require premium fuel. Alternatives include the Leaf, the Ford Fiesta ($14,000 staring, 34 MPG combined), the Prius ($23,000 staring, 50 MPG combined). In my opinion why would you purchase a Volt with more economical choices that are better for the environment. The only selling point is to function as both a commuter and distance vehicle. However I doubt that when the plug in Prius from Toyota is released it will cost $41,000 (and additionally the Prius should get better overall mileage).

Keep up the good work and love the show!!

-Brian D.

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I wanted to respond to your comments regarding the legal fees awarded in school district spying case. I’m not sure you understand the costs of pursuing a case in court. On top of paying an attorney for her expertise in drafting a claim that won’t get thrown out on day one, she has to employ a secretary, paralegal, at least one expert witness (who set their own price), take and defend depositions, review rooms of school district documents, emails, invoices (all of which could take months of manpower). I would guess $300k was for overhead alone. All of which is done to connect the dots showing not only that her client was aggrieved but that they are entitled to compensation.
As a lawyer, I was impressed that they got so much for those kids considering there was no financial loss attributable to the district misconduct. I mean really, how much is a teenagers embarrassment worth? It would not shock me to know it took $400k of manpower (over 8 months) to get $100 for those kids.

Thanks gang,

Jason from Pittsburgh

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This is an answer to Rafe’s question “why does Google make robotic cars” from ep#1326?

If you had all the money in the world, like Google does, what would you do with it? What would be a project worth you attention/money?

These are guys that are young enough to understand that money is not meant to just make money. I mean, hopefully they haven’t been corrupted to that degree.
So, cars that drive themselves “to save us from ourselves” as Molly said it, I approve of. They are Andrei-approved.

Next? World hunger, please. Space travel? That might solve overcrowding. Yes, that kind of use for money? No argument here.

Andrei the so called physicist
Houston

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Buzz Out Loud 1328: Molly predicts new PowerBooks! (podcast)

Podcast

EPISODE 1328