Culture

Buzz Out Loud 766: Punch me in the face, Apple

This is the show where we learn, once and for all, what we always suspected. Apple can do anything it wants to you, and you'll sit there and take it and even say thank you. Sigh.

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

July 15, 2008 2:33 p.m. PT

4 min read

This is the show where we learn, once and for all, what we always suspected. Apple can do anything it wants to you, and you'll sit there and take it and even say thank you. Sigh. In other news, Microsoft thrills Xbox Live Gold subscribers with Netflix streaming (and infuriates nonsubscribers, or at least one), Viacom backs off its threat to Hoover up all your personal information and come after you for watching pirated videos, and Apple finally gets around to suing Psystar. Oh, and Molly's back.
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Episode 766

E3 coverage
http://news.cnet.com/crave/?keyword=%22e3+2008%22

Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6578748.html?desc=topstory

Netflix goes streaming - read Stephen's e-mail
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/07/15/netflix-builds-its-field-of-dreams.aspx
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9990585-2.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Webware

Viacom decides it doesn’t need YouTube histories
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2325641,00.asp
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9985394-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7506948.stm

P2P not hurting DVD, Blu-ray sales as revenues up from 2007
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080714-p2p-not-hurting-dvd-blu-ray-sales-as-revenues-up-from-2007.html

EA Scrabble on Facebook launches
http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=cat&category1=Internet%20and%20Interactive&newsitem_no=23967

Apple sues Psystar, maker of clones
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9991572-56.html?tag=nefd.lede

Estimating the time-to-own of an unpatched Windows PC
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/15/0123245&from=rss
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/15/unpatched_pc_survival_drops/

Palm Treo 800w (Sprint) Smartphone reviews
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/palm-treo-800w-sprint/4505-6452_7-33142476.html

App developers grow impatient with lack of Android updates
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080714-app-developers-grow-impatient-with-lack-of-android-updates.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/14/android_developer_unrest/

Judge doesn’t give Tiffany a trademark silver spoon in eBay flap
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/judge-doesnt-gi.html

S.F. officials locked out of computer network
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/14/BAOS11P1M5.DTL

Fonolo lets you skip phone menu purgatory
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9990929-2.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Webware

VOICEMAIL

Julie
Apple troubles and Apple love.

E-mail

Hey, Buzz Crew,

I have a feeling the E3 announcement about Netflix being available on the Xbox 360 will be on your agenda for Tuesday. I just wanted to put in my two cents early. When I first read about that announcement along with the announcement that Final Fantasy XIII was coming to the 360, I pretty much decided I’d buy a 360. I had originally been considering the PS3 for the Blu-ray, and because the 40GB model wasn’t too far out of my price range. Then, I read about Netflix and Final Fantasy, and realized that I don’t have an HDTV anyway, so I might as well go for the 360. Oh, I had also been mulling over buying the Roku box, and figured I wouldn’t have to now.

Then I read the whole story. The Netflix service would only be available to Gold subscribers, which is a $50 annual fee? No thanks. I’ll just buy the Roku box, which doesn’t require any additional fees on top of the cost of the box. Nice going Microsoft, you just put me back in line to buy a PS3, since your killer app (for me, anyway) isn’t so killer afterall.

Stephen

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Hello, Buzzcrew!

Thought you’d be interested to know that the CBS affiliate in town, WGFL, is making the switch to digital THIS FRIDAY! During most commercial breaks in the 6-9pm time slot (during Jeopardy and Rays games) they have been running ads stating that they have been granted permission by the FCC to switch early. They also give out phone numbers and URL for more information. Some messages even say they are having public meetings where community members can ask questions and get more info on obtaining boxes. Also, during many shows, they have a scrolling message across the bottom repeating the same information. I feel the station has done a thorough job of informing the public about the switch. Seems like we’ll be (partly) taking the digital plunge before Wilmington. I’ll report back any incidences of mass hysteria, riots, emotional fits, looting, etc.

Love the show.

Justin
Gainesville, FL
http://www.getjustin.com

P.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WGFL
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I have no doubt that you guys will be well aware of Joss Whedon's latest project, Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and how it has gone live today... what you may not know though, is that to view it free, you have to be in the US, because it uses Hulu, which of course doesn't work anywhere else but in the US! If I want to get it, I have to pay to get it from iTunes, despite the fact that according to all the press releases prior, you only had to pay after a certain time...

Another case of bad decision making and a US-centric approach to the Internet that is going to backfire one day...

Cheers,
Joshua S. Hill

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