Buzz Out Loud 837: Barkeep, bring me my anticancer beer!

Comcast offers faster Internet speeds, but doesn't raise its data transfer caps; studies show that gamers aren't that nerdy (ruining future punch lines for generations of comedians); Microsoft goes outside the lines to issue a critical security patch (yikes!); and Samsung tries to entice you to Blu-Ray by offering Netflix streams. Eh?
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Episode 837

Comcast broadens reach of DOCSIS 3.0, 50Mbps connections
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a4BqkB8tlV.s
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-comcast-broadens-reach-of-docsis-3-0-50mbps-connections.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10073404-2.html

Broadband users reach their limit
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7684322.stm

Study squashes myth of gamer as antisocial Comic Book Guy
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-study-squashes-myth-of-gamer-as-antisocial-comic-book-guy.html

20% of antenna users to let TV sets go dark in 2009
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-20-of-antenna-users-to-let-tv-sets-go-dark-in-2009.html

Forecast: Legal P2P uses growing 10x faster than illegal ones
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081022-forecast-legal-p2p-uses-growing-10x-faster-than-illegal-ones.html

Tech layoff spreadsheet
http://news.cnet.com/tech-layoffs/?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.0

Microsoft issues ‘critical’ patch outside normal cycle
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10073787-83.html

Netflix, Samsung partner on video streaming
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10073519-1.html

Scientists erase specific memories in mice
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/23/0315240

Researchers developing cancer-fighting beer
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/22/2230223

Voice mail
G-Dog: Xbox Live chatter

E-mail

Think about this the next Christmas while you are wrapping your presents...

[link: http://gizmodo.com/5067362/researchers-build-x+ray-machine-with-scotch-tape ]

"Russian scientists discovered that simple Scotch tape emits x-rays when peeled off glass. New research conducted by colleagues at UCLA has determined that the power that the tape generates is much higher than anyone could have imagined. In fact, they have constructed a machine that generates x-rays by peeling up Scotch tape in a vacuum at the rate of 3 centimeters per second. As you can see in the recent demo they did for the journal Nature, their device was able to successfully generate an x-ray of a finger."

When asked to comment on the safety aspect of scotch tape, the scientist responded with, "I will continue to use Scotch tape during my daily life, and I think it’s safe to do it in your office. No guarantees.”

Haha. Awesome. Youtube video proof at gizmodo too...

-dr. karl J

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I thought I would never get a topic on BOL that I could actually write into the show with some intelligence about. Regarding Episode 830 and 835 and the “dirty” environment that the MacBook is made in.

Several issues here from Brian Cooley’s rant, first, about the paint on the machines chipped off? Big chunks of metal moving around and you expect paint to stick to the equipment? Paint is not a maintenance issue, paint is cosmetic. Even if the paint would hold up to the constant hammering of thousands of pounds of aluminum banging against it daily, it also would have to hold up to the constant coolant spray. I am surprised there was ANY paint left.

Second, to his claim of seeing cleaner plants, especially Japanese automotive plants. I have been to American automotive plants, and I have been to Japanese plants in Japan. In any country, in any industry, what they show you on a ‘tour’ is what they want you to see. A clean pretty shop assembling pristine parts on a white floor. They will never show you the compressor room, the stamping plant, or anything dirty, loud, and greasy. They know what perception means. Even silicone wafer plants have a big tank of oil somewhere with a whole bunch of greasy equipment, even if you never see it.

Thanks,
Mike the Lubricant Guy

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So the other day I was walking through my local Target, and there sitting at the end of the aisle was a display of the Sony E-readers. OK so it wasn’t one owned by somebody but they had a freaking E-Reader on display at Target. So I stood there and played with it. My mom was just staring at me from across the aisle, thinking how strange I was for thinking this device was so rare and cool. I tried to explain to her what it was but she didn’t get the point. Oh well I guess only true geeks can understand the awesomeness of an E-Reader.

Loving the show,
Josh from Indiana