Buzz Out Loud Podcast 1127: Microsoft and EU browser roulette begins

So the European Union and Microsoft have finally settled their differences and will begin the browser ballot with no less than 12 browsers to choose from. Is this a good thing? Also, Intel is now under the gun from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. What did it do this time? Listen to find out. And Cherrypal is selling a $99 laptop it bills as slow and sufficient. Nice.

Watch this: Ep. 1127: Microsoft and EU browser roulette begins

47:37

Podcast

FTC formally charges Intel with anti-competitive behavior
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574599791659334798.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intel.shtm

Microsoft resolves E.U. IE case
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10416402-75.html
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/12/microsoft-settles-with-eubrowser-balloting-arrives-in-march.ars
http://money.ca.msn.com/investing/news/business-news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=23035069

Steve Jobs’ dupes blogosphere with AT&T protest hoax
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/16/operation_chokehold/

AT&T: Net neutrality OK if we can cut priority access deals
http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/12/att-offers-net-neutrality-compromise.ars

New report offers grim assessment of plug-in hybrids
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/12/new-report-offers-grim-assessment-of-plugin-hybrids.ars

Facebook testing tool to push updates onto Twitter
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142324/Facebook_testing_tool_to_push_updates_onto_Twitter

McDonald’s to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184807/mcdonalds_to_offer_free_wifi_internet_access.html

Fidelity fires four employees for playing fantasy football
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/16/fidelity-fires-four-employees-for-playing-fantasy-football/

Cherrypal's $99 Laptop: Small! Slow! Sufficient!
http://technologizer.com/2009/12/15/cherrypals-99-laptop-small-slow-sufficient/

LED traffic lights are great — except they’ll kill you
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/15/national/a133205S26.DTL&tsp=1

Best of 2009 clips show
This year’s Best of 2009 episode is going to be entirely listener submitted. To be a part of this listener-created experience just clip out your favorite moments from any episode published in 2009. Export your clip as an MP3 of at least 128kbp. E-mail the clip to buzz@cnet.com. Subject: Best of 2009 – Episode ####. Deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. Please hurry! And with enough people pitching in two-to-three clips, we should end up with an awesome clips show.

VOICE MAIL
Dylan has a question about Paramount Clips

E-MAIL
Hey BuzzCrew-

So a fun story is making waves in Britain:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8415750.stm

Basically the internet masses are “Raging against the Machine” known as X-Factor and trying to get a 1992 single from Rage Agaunst the machine as #1 christmas song over the new release from the XFactor champion.

Here’s the kicker…it’s working!

Helping it, is that you can get the single for 29 pence! (~ 47¢).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001I4NZP4?ie=UTF8&ref_=sr_1_1&qid=1260881836&sr=1-1&linkCode=shr&camp=3194&creative=21330&tag=tomdavsblo-21

There’s even a facebook group with over 800K members:

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2228594104

Gotta love the ‘X’-mas spirit!

Cheers & Ho! Ho! Ho! from Oxford!
Tom Merritt the Doppelganger

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Hello Buzz Crew,

I have just listened to a recent episode in which you talked about the
proposed Internet censorship in Australia and I have to say the proposal
is far worse than what is commonly reported in the media. Wikileaks
disclosed the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s blacklist
of prohibited websites a few months ago. It turns out that the list
contains perfectly legal websites including that of a political group
http://www.somebodythinkofthechildren.com/acma-blacklist-leaked-contains-legal-websites/

Despite this controversy I am shamed to say that my Government went
ahead with it’s planned trial of Internet filtering. However after the
trial ended Stephen Conroy refused to release the official report. We
can only speculate as to why, but he did however provide information and
consultation to just one political party, The Australian Christian Lobby
which has been lobbying very hard in support of the censorship proposal.
No doubt they have allot of agendas they would like to see filled by the
new regime. As a strong supporter of free-speech I find this deeply
worrying. Once a filter is in place every morally bankrupt organization
and individual will be able to apply pressure to have anything they
personally don’t like, blocked.
http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/conroy-must-explain-why-christian-lobby-gets-net-filtering-trial-update-greens

Thanks & keep up the good work.
~Dan
Perth, Australia

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Jason H., Jason H., and Jason H.,

In episode 1126 you talked about Chrome versus Firefox. I have to stay that I would completely switch over to Chrome, it loads faster, is a smoother GUI, and loads pages faster, except that Firefox dowloads things faster. Out here we have a bandwidth shortage, and I end up surfing with Chrome and then copying the URL to Firefox to download things. It’s frustrating. If Chrome/Google get better download performance then I’ll be won over.
Nathaniel Miller on deployment in Afghanistan. Love the show.
V/R

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,

I don't know if any of you have been paying attention, but with all of the discussion of Verizon and AT&T's 3G coverage, it seems that T-Mobile's progress has been overlooked. T-Mobile is currently adding 3G coverage at a rate of one new city every 1.5 days, with a goal of having 3G available to two-thirds of the US population by the end of 2009. They are also deploying everywhere at 7.2 Mbps, putting them at the top in terms of 3G speed. They also plan to have broad access to HSPA+ (21 Mbps) by mid-2010.

Right now they certainly don't have the largest 3G network, but they sure are bringing their own online very quickly.

List of Cities added recently:
http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Coverage/3G-Launches/td-p/236602

Network Expansion Information:
http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Coverage/3G-Expansion-amp-HSPA/td-p/254526

-Doug the Software Developer