Episode 596: The good ship "Jollycast"
$100 HD-DVD players for everyone, entertainment goes online, and the iPhone as ... invention? Really? Of the year?
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.
4 min read
It's official: you are now allowed to buy yourself an HD-DVD player. It's true. They're cheap enough now ($99 at Best Buy!) that as long as you don't invest in a big, silly, soon-to-be-obsolete video library ... we'll allow this purchase. In other news, Sprint's still doing WiMax (w00t!) and Take-Two Interactive is still hiding dirty stuff inside their supposedly "edited" games. When will they learn?
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 | EPISODE 596 |
TODAY'S LINKS:
TODAY'S VOICE MAIL:
James the maintenance man at Target
It's all about the Cabbage Patch fiasco.
It's all about the Cabbage Patch fiasco.
Anonymous Darwinist
The government shouldn't have to protect you.
The government shouldn't have to protect you.
TODAY'S E-MAIL:
No HD DVD deals in Oklahoma
After listening to episode 595, I told my boss about the $98 HD DVD player at Wal-Mart. He tried to go buy one and was told that the price here in Oklahoma is $185, because it is against Oklahoma state law for Wal-Mart to sell any product for less than what they paid for it. So, no cheap HD DVD players here yet, but that gives you an idea of what Wal- Mart paid for them. There is a disclaimer on the Wal-Mart site that states "Prices may vary in WI, OK, UT, HI and Puerto Rico," so I assume these other states might have similar issues.
Daniel Schoonover
After listening to episode 595, I told my boss about the $98 HD DVD player at Wal-Mart. He tried to go buy one and was told that the price here in Oklahoma is $185, because it is against Oklahoma state law for Wal-Mart to sell any product for less than what they paid for it. So, no cheap HD DVD players here yet, but that gives you an idea of what Wal- Mart paid for them. There is a disclaimer on the Wal-Mart site that states "Prices may vary in WI, OK, UT, HI and Puerto Rico," so I assume these other states might have similar issues.
Daniel Schoonover
Kmart drops Blu-ray players
Looks like this is going both ways. It is to be expected of course, due to the upcoming crazy holiday shopping season.
Enmanuel
Looks like this is going both ways. It is to be expected of course, due to the upcoming crazy holiday shopping season.
Enmanuel
Well actually, my name is....(re: e-mail about Microsoft's Photosynth)
Hey gang,
Thanks for reading my letter yesterday. And Tom, I know my name is hard to pronounce, but "Rerun"? Many have mispronounced my name but you are the first to bring back memories of red suspenders. :)
Love the show,
(Roeurn) call me Tourn, the electrical engineering student
Hey gang,
Thanks for reading my letter yesterday. And Tom, I know my name is hard to pronounce, but "Rerun"? Many have mispronounced my name but you are the first to bring back memories of red suspenders. :)
Love the show,
(Roeurn) call me Tourn, the electrical engineering student
Zune not just in Wal-Mart
Hey Buzz crew,
Just thought I'd throw out a well actually. Well actually, The Zune is not just for sale in Wal-Mart, I was in Target the same day and saw it for sale there, too. What is going on? Is it all a conspiracy designed to sabatoge Microsoft?!? Just thought I'd let ya know, love the show!
P.S. I don't really believe it's a conspiracy.
Jordan the bass blayer from Massachusetts
Hey Buzz crew,
Just thought I'd throw out a well actually. Well actually, The Zune is not just for sale in Wal-Mart, I was in Target the same day and saw it for sale there, too. What is going on? Is it all a conspiracy designed to sabatoge Microsoft?!? Just thought I'd let ya know, love the show!
P.S. I don't really believe it's a conspiracy.
Jordan the bass blayer from Massachusetts
Google--spoiled brat
Hey Tom, Molly, and Jason,
I was listening to episode 594 and the mini rant on about Google, and it helped me solidify something I've felt about them for a long time. They remind me of my friend from high school who had a trust fund. Really great kid, liked him a lot, but he never stuck with anything. One week he would get himself a guitar and be really into it, buying all the accessories and tableture books. Then two weeks later you would see that in a corner, and he would be outside on a brand new top of the line skateboard. After that, he started cooking and bought a bunch of cookbooks and bought all the best ingredients. Most of this was out of boredom. He needed to be entertained, but he never really wanted to challenge himself. Google is much the same way. I think they are bored with search and are putting out all these new things to keep things interesting, but they don't want to challenge themselves. They are much happier to just do something new for a little while, then drop it and move on to something else without ever really completing something and making it fully functional. Just thought I would share my analogy with you guys.
Keep on keepin' on,
KC
Hey Tom, Molly, and Jason,
I was listening to episode 594 and the mini rant on about Google, and it helped me solidify something I've felt about them for a long time. They remind me of my friend from high school who had a trust fund. Really great kid, liked him a lot, but he never stuck with anything. One week he would get himself a guitar and be really into it, buying all the accessories and tableture books. Then two weeks later you would see that in a corner, and he would be outside on a brand new top of the line skateboard. After that, he started cooking and bought a bunch of cookbooks and bought all the best ingredients. Most of this was out of boredom. He needed to be entertained, but he never really wanted to challenge himself. Google is much the same way. I think they are bored with search and are putting out all these new things to keep things interesting, but they don't want to challenge themselves. They are much happier to just do something new for a little while, then drop it and move on to something else without ever really completing something and making it fully functional. Just thought I would share my analogy with you guys.
Keep on keepin' on,
KC
Apple's cut of iTunes tracks
I thought I heard Molly say in episode 594 that Apple gets 70 percent of the iTunes track revenue. I'm sure you have that exactly backward; it's the labels that get (at least) 70 percent. For evidence, I cite the following article on TUAW.
Sorry it's not a CNET article; the TUAW article came at the top of my Google search, so I went with it.
Kim Helliwell
I thought I heard Molly say in episode 594 that Apple gets 70 percent of the iTunes track revenue. I'm sure you have that exactly backward; it's the labels that get (at least) 70 percent. For evidence, I cite the following article on TUAW.
Sorry it's not a CNET article; the TUAW article came at the top of my Google search, so I went with it.
Kim Helliwell
iPhone costumes with actual displays!
Hilarious iPhone costumes with actual displays!
Too bad they can't really dance. Now, where's the breakdancer dressed up like a Sony Rolly?
Best,
Shalin
Hilarious iPhone costumes with actual displays!
Too bad they can't really dance. Now, where's the breakdancer dressed up like a Sony Rolly?
Best,
Shalin