X

Buzz Out Loud 1437: They say it's our Birthday! (Podcast)

Amazon is getting some flack after launching their new cloud player from guess who... The Record Labels! -- and Dell said that the tablet will tank in the business world while Google installs an ultra fast internet connection in Kansas City of all places! Great news for Kansas City home property values. Will somebody tell AT&T to flip the switch on there 4G network.... Oh wait. There is no switch!

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.
Molly Wood
6 min read

Amazon is getting some flack after launching their new cloud player from guess who... The Record Labels! -- and Dell said that the tablet will tank in the business world while Google installs an ultra fast internet connection in Kansas City of all places! Great news for Kansas City home property values. Will somebody tell AT&T to flip the switch on there 4G network.... Oh wait. There is no switch!

Watch this: Ep. 1437: They say it's our Birthday!

Podcast



Subscribe: 
iTunes (MP3)iTunes (320x180)iTunes (640x360)RSS (MP3)RSS (320x180)RSS (640x360)

EPISODE 1437

NEWS

Amazon faces backlash over music locker service
https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/29/us-amazon-idUSTRE72S13H20110329
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20110329/amazons-cloud-service-is-a-legal-b-illegal-c-probably-here-to-stay/

Dell says iPad will tank in the business world
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/30/6374858-dell-exec-says-ipad-will-tank-in-business-world

Microsoft strategy officer casts doubt on tablets
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/03/30/microsoft-strategy-officer-casts-doubts-on-tablets/
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2038709/microsoft-predicts-demise-tablets

Microsoft Is Said to Plan Mobile Payments in New Phone Software
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20048718-76.html?tag=cnetRiver

Google Reaches Agreement On FTC's Accusations Of "Deceptive Privacy Practices" In Buzz Rollout
http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/30/google-reaches-agreement-on-ftcs-accusations-of-deceptive-privacy-practices-in-buzz-rollout/

And the winner of the Google ultra-fast Internet is …
http://mashable.com/2011/03/30/google-fiber-kansas-city/

Nintendo teases next gaming console, says it probably won’t be 3D
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/nintendo-teases-next-gaming-console-says-it-probably-wont-be-3/

India to oppose .XXX domain for porn sites
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-03-24/news/29181495_1_new-domain-internet-corporation-websites

Crackle Brings Ad-Supported Movies to Sony TVs, Roku Set-tops
http://gigaom.com/video/crackle-ad-supported-movies/
… Roku now for sale at Best Buy, btw

Crippled Phones Reveal AT&T Isn't Ready for 4G
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/03/att-crippled-4g/#

Verizon's spring portfolio leaked: DROID Charge, Incredible 2, Galaxy S 2 in tow
http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/30/verizons-spring-portfolio-leaked-droid-charge-incredible-2-galaxy-s-2-in-tow/

Quick Hits

iPad 2 gets wireless 1080p mirroring, fattens up in the process (video)
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/ipad-2-gets-wireless-1080p-mirroring-fattens-up-in-the-process/

Verizon to install 100 gigabit network in U.S.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20048718-76.html

Windows Phone 7 Predicted To Beat Apple iPhone
http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229400529

Let There Be Monetization: Android’s In App Billing Is Out to Consumers
http://www.insidemobileapps.com/2011/03/29/android-in-app-billing/

Science News

California Healthcare Provider Wants Illness-Predicting Algorithm
http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/03/30/0340216/California-Healthcare-Provider-Wants-Illness-Predicting-Algorithm

NASA snaps first image from Mercury orbit
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20048490-76.html

Journey planned to the center of the Earth
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20048489-76.html#ixzz1I6I0XNXe

Happy Ending

Star Wars Blu-ray release date set for September 16, 2011
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/30/star-wars-blu-ray-release-date-set-for-september-16-2011/#

How fast is the Internet at Google? Mind blowing.
http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/03/29/how-fast-is-the-internet-at-google-mind-blowing/

A Snake Escapes the Bronx Zoo and Appears on Twitter

VOICEMAIL

Do I need a license to listen to BOL through my headphones?

EMAILS

Hey Buzz Crew,

As someone who sells phones from multiple carriers, none of which are the iPhone, may I just say this to Molly: THANK YOU! You have no idea how frustrating it is to have people laugh or completely ignore you when you say “”No, but I do have plenty of Android phones, which are just as good if not better than iPhones”". While this has gotten better over the last few years, there are still people who have had so much Kool Aid that the mention of anything else is unthinkable. Even when I showcase all the benefits, get the people to agree with what I’m saying, and then ask “”So, do you think Android might be for you?”", I get the robo-sheep answer “”I don’t care. I want iPhone 4″”. Ok, so that may be a little hyperbolic, but lets just say that that video struck a cord with every single person who sells phones.

Love the showmance!

Travis in Orlando

PS. Don’t sell yourselves short. I know I love it when you guys go off the rails, and I guarantee I’m not alone. It might not make great tech reporting, but it’s a lot of fun to listen to!

—–

BOL crew,

I know you have a lot of overseas listeners like myself so I thought you might want to pass along this experience to your listeners. This is a copy of the email I just sent to Amazon.com's customer service:

Yesterday I was overjoyed about your cloud drive. I’m a Naval Officer stationed with NATO in Naples, Italy. I then saw your offer to get storage increased to 20 GB with the purchase of an Mp3 album for your store so I bought two albums and listened at my desk in my office through your cloud player all afternoon…great!

Then I went home and uploaded about 1 GB of music from my home computer so I can listen at work through the cloud player.

This morning, I opened up the cloud player to listen to music at my desk and it said, “”Sorry, this product is intended for US Customers only.”"

Please refund my money for the two MP3 albums I downloaded to the cloud drive yesterday. They have not been downloaded off the cloud drive.

I wonder if Apple and Google will have the same restrictions.

Keep up the great work!

Tim Smith
Commander, US Navy

—–

Hey BOLers,

Following up on the last email… CNN posted an article about the below patent reform: http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/30/technology/patent_reform/index.htm?iid=RNM Two quotes:

The bills would help to alleviate much of the pressure on the USPTO by allowing the organization to set and keep its own fees. If reform passes, the patent office has suggested that it would raise fees for more complex patents and lower fees for simpler patents. Right now, Congress allocates the office’s annual budget, and also determines what fees it can charge.

Kappos estimates that change would bring in an additional $300 million, which the USPTO could use to staff up and invest in much-needed IT resources.

With that boost, Kappos thinks the USPTO could halve its backlog to 350,000 applications. That’s the ideal inventory level, he said, since it would give each patent examiner enough work to stay busy, but also ensure that most patents get approved within a year of submission.

A more controversial part of both bills would transition U.S. patent law from a “”first to invent”" to a “”first to file”" system. That would give the patent to the first applicant, rather than the first inventor. It’s the standard most of the rest of the world uses, since it prevents inventors from coming out of the woodwork and and laying claim to a patent.

Those in opposition to the bill claim that a first to file system would harm independent inventors. They say it would force inventors to race to the patent office to beat mega corporations — with significantly more legal and R&D muscle — to the punch. Currently, inventors are shielded by the first to invent rule, which lets them disclose their inventions to potential investors without the fear that one of them will spill the beans.

But an analysis by the USPTO concluded that of the last 3 million patent filings, only one was from an independent inventor who would have been harmed in that manner if a first to file rule were in place at the time.

By contrast, in that same batch of filings the office found 10 independent investors who filed first but were attacked afterward by large entities claiming to be the first to invent — and all 10 of the big companies won.

Just keeping y’all in the loop. Seems like a very interesting thing to affect the world of tech.

Keep on buzzing!

Mo & Vij
(The Boys From Boston)” Obv don’t have to read all of this. :) Just wanted to point people to the article.

—–

http://bol.cnet.com, 800-616-2638 (CNET), buzz@cnet.com

Follow us on Twitter: @mollywood @brian_tong @stephenbeacham