Buzz Out Loud 789: We like the Moon, don't break it

Veronica's back with us today as we record from the New Media Expo in Las Vegas. We talk about the woes of the modern Web, and specifically Netflix's problems on the back-end. Also there's some news about Windows 7, or at least news about when more news will be coming. And thankfully the IOC backed down on the DMCA takedown notice. That and some more hilarious e-mails.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 789

Netflix may lose $1.8M to $3.6M in revenue per day over outage
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9676

10 Worst Web glitches of 2008 (so far)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10017713-2.html

Windows 7 details to come in October
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10017441-56.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7562720.stm

Sony rising: PS3 opens up lead on Xbox 360 in July
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080815-sony-rising-ps3-opens-up-lead-on-xbox-360-in-july.html

T-Mobile to offer first phone with Google software
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/technology/15google.html
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/8/an-early-gphone-review-android-is-powerful-but-no-iphone-goog-aapl-

The Industry Standard: IOC backs off DMCA take-down for Tibet protest
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/08/14/video-ioc-backs-dmca-take-down-tibet-protest

TSA to introduce less annoying laptop bag rules this Saturday
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/tsa-to-introduce-less-annoying-laptop-bag-rules-this-saturday/

Next ‘Harry Potter’ film delayed
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10017647-56.html

How NASA will bomb the moon to find water
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/15/1436217

E-MAIL

Hey Buzz Crew,

Just a quick note about those darn password hints: I used to get really frustrated when I’d forget what the right answer to a question is i.e. the “My High School” question- did I put “Greece Arcadia”, “Arcadia” or “Greece Arcadia HS?” Favorite Hobby? Did I put “Comic Books” “Comics” or “Comic Book?” Favorite Podcast? “BOL?” “Buzz Out Loud?” So I have a different system.

I have on answer for all questions that has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUESTION. It’s sort of a password for the password hints-so while I have several different actual passwords I use for all of my accounts, I just have one answer for the password hints that you couldn’t guess based on the question. It’s not the name of my pet, my mother’s maiden name or the street I was born on. I figure while having one word for all password accounts would be a bad idea, one out of context answer for the password hints makes more sense. Everyone is guessing left and right what the answer is-and it might not even be a word.

Just a thought.

Also, I know that the Buzz Out Loud Tribune is a Buzz about the scandal surrounding my Mayoral Campaign and I would like to say that, yes, the rumors are all true and I’m running anyway. My response? Hey-you would have done it too.

Heart the Podcast

Frank L

---

Dear peeps of BOL,

I heard the gas mileage research by Brandon on episode 780 and wanted to share similar results. I used to drive a lot of highway miles and did 90 mph everywhere I went.

After a $138 dollar speeding ticket, I slowed down to 70 mph. I consistently went from 300 miles on a tank of gas to 400 miles. That’s a real world 33 percent increase. I was pretty surprised too, but it made just a little bit easier to slow down.

So long and thanks for all the shows!!

Jeff R.

---

So back in February I was waiting in the London, ON airport for a flight home. I opened my computer and found a wi fi hotspot run by Telus, and thought well, maybe I would try it. They asked me to sign up with my Telus user name, now I have a Telus cellphone account, and I figured my username was dbrodbeck, as I use it most everywhere. So, I logged on and got set to authorize Telus to bill me for the use of the Wi-Fi. It said I had the wrong password, so I clicked the forgot my password link. It asked for my mother’s maiden name. This surprised me as I usually use stuff nobody would ever know, like what mark I got in the grade 8 science fair or something.
Anyway, I entered my mother’s maiden name, and, umm, there I was, and it said ‘Hello Dan’. Dan the record producer is my brother… He also likes the username dbrodbeck apparently. So I authorized Telus to bill him for my use of the Wi-Fi…

On a totally unrelated note, Jonathan Blow was interviewed early in '07 by some guy on one of his podcasts…

http://www.thunderbirdsix.org/episodes/t6_episode47.mp3

Dave (the psychologist)

---

http://torrentfreak.com/sharing-2999-songs-199-movies-becomes-safe-in-germany-080814/

Prosecutors in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia have announced they will refuse to entertain the majority of file-sharing lawsuits in future. It appears that only commercial-scale copyright infringers will be pursued, with those sharing fewer than 3,000 music tracks and 200 movies dropping under the prosecution radar.

waybacmac

---

Tom, Jason and a n other (as long as I get this read out on 789)

I have sent soo many e-mails, I really hope that this is my first well actually.

The issues with Twitter and SMS messages in the U.K., is that the charges for SMS in the UK are all to the sender. Its FREE to receive SMS messages, unlike in the US where you pay some of the cost to receive the message. Therefore, Twitter are picking up the whole cost of the SMS message, not some of it.

I did wonder if this was the case in all the discussions you guys have about SMS plans, but it was the register article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/14/twitter_goes_silent/ that confirmed my suspicion.

I have been listening since the episode numbers were below 100 (not sure exactly how many, but somebody appeared in TWiT and that's what sent me over to bol.cnet.com).

Love the show, regular hosts, and genuinely, all of the guest hosts that you have.

Martin the VMWare dude
UK