Buzz Out Loud 1543: The DOJ puts AT&T in time-out (Podcast)

Wow, look at the big consumer-friendly brain on the DOJ! The Justice Department files an unexpected suit to block the AT&T and T-Mobile acquisition, and we discuss whether we think that will mean the end of it, or whether AT&T will just start buying members of Congress left and right. You decide. Plus, the TouchPad rises once again, we have a winner in the "what does HP now stand for" contest, and it's not Hypothetical Pandas, although it should be.

Watch this: Ep. 1543: The DOJ puts AT&T in time-out

37:56

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NEWS

Justice Dept. to block AT&T’s T-Mobile deal
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/us-justice-dept-moves-to-block-at-t-t-mobile-merger/56881?tag=content;feature-roto
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20099776-17/justice-dept-to-block-at-ts-t-mobile-deal/

Text of DOJ statement regarding AT&T/T-Mobile http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-20099805-92/text-of-doj-statement-regarding-at-t-t-mobile/

AT&T promises 5,000 new jobs after T-Mobile merger
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20099735-17/at-t-promises-5000-new-jobs-after-t-mobile-merger/

HP to bring back TouchPad for last production run
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20099398-64/hp-to-bring-back-touchpad-for-last-production-run/
http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/The-Next-Bench-Blog/More-TouchPads-on-the-Way/ba-p/68749

CNBC: Facebook to launch music service on September 22
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/cnbc-facebook-to-launch-music-service-on-september-22/

Facebook patents messaging and viewing private profiles
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-patents-messaging-and-viewing-private-profiles/3138

Amazon 10-inch tablet PC to start mass production in 1Q12
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110831PD211.html

Amazon is testing a slick new site design, built with tablets in mind
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2011/08/30/amazon-is-testing-a-slick-new-site-design-built-with-tablets-in-mind/

New Kindle '@author' feature lets readers ask writers questions from inside their books
http://www.geekwire.com/2011/kindle-author-feature-lets-readers-writers-questions-books

Yelp Scales Back Deal Service in Crowded Field
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/yelp-scales-back-deal-service-in-crowded-field-08302011.html

Quick Hits

CyanogenMod team gets CyanogenMod 7 to run on the HP Touchpad
http://www.droidmatters.com/news/cyanogenmod-team-gets-cyanogenmod-7-to-run-on-the-hp-touchpad/

Firefox for Tablets
http://ianbarlow.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/firefox-for-tablets/

Percentage of US Consumers Planning to Buy Televisions Hits Record Low
http://www.isuppli.com/Display-Materials-and-Systems/News/Pages/Percentage-of-US-Consumers-Planning-to-Buy-Televisions-Hits-Record-Low.aspx

Apple Has Finally Pulled Financial Times From iOS
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-apple-has-finally-pulled-financial-times-from-ios/

Science

Panda Poo Yields Key To Cheaper Biofuels
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/08/31/1348241/Panda-Poo-Yields-Key-To-Cheaper-Biofuels

VOICEMAIL

Paul from New Hampshire calls about the Redbox

Hi Buzz crew. In regards to Netflix – I’m leaving. Three reasons:

1. I sort of feel like they are kicking the dog. Rather than fighting it out with the content owners they decided “”our customers love us, let’s just raise the price.”"

2. Really poorly handled PR. Telling us they are “”giving us more options and their lowest prices ever.”" BS

3. I put my account on hold about three weeks ago because I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Haven’t missed it. I have a Red Box on the way home and 1.50 to rent a new relase Blue Ray is a great deal.

Thanks guys,

Mark

Video Voice Mail from Brian about HP

EMAILS

Just letting you guys know my choice. I might use Amazon streaming but certainly going to Netflix DVD because none of the streaming services has that great of a selection and most of what I want to watch are movies. I can get all of the movies on DVD but can only watch a few on streaming.

And what is up with the selection? I can watch the 2nd of just about any series but not the first movie. Like I can watch Basic Instinct 2 but not Basic Instinct. Or Crank 2 (which is crap) but not Crank (which is still crap but fun)???

Don

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It’s the last day of combined streaming and mailed DVDs! We’re not completely ditching NetFlix, just switching to the streaming-only plan. We watch about 4 new(ish) release DVDs a month, so RedBox is the more cost effective way to go.

Love the show

—–

Derrick Bowen

HP = Hates Press
HP = Hugely Perplexing
HP = Hardly Persuasive
HP = Hurd Please
HP = Horribly Puzzling

Hope you guys like these. Love the show.

Thanks,

Robert J.
Had Potential
Had Principles
Higher Poop
Okay, that was bad, strike that
Hardly Prosperous

~Gadzooks

—–

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

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