The Real Deal podcast archive
Here's the back-catalog of The Real Deal podcast episodes.
Here's the back-catalog of The Real Deal podcast episodes.
- The Real Deal 110: Vista Road Test
Rafe talks about the Windows Vista machine he built from scratch. Then Tom and Rafe both talk about their varying experiences with Vista.
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 04:15 PM - The Real Deal 109: Video Toolkit
Tom and Rafe share their favorite ways to shoot, edit, convert, and post videos.
Date: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 04:08 PM - The Real Deal 108: Cloud computing
What is this cloud computing buzzword-mongers are buzzing about? How does it work? Will it replace regular old software?
Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 03:49 PM - The Real Deal 107: Webware 100
We review some of the winners of the Webware 100 and talk about some of our favorite sites and apps.
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 03:50 PM - The Real Deal 106: Copyright
Colette Vogele of the Rules for the Revolution podcast joins Tom and Rafe to talk about what you can and can't do online, and how to protect your digital content.
Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 04:00 PM - The Real Deal 105: Digital TV transition
Tom and Rafe discuss the Feb. 17, 2009 end of analog TV broadcasts in the United States. Get the facts and spread the word.
Date: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 03:33 PM - The Real Deal 104 - Solid State Drives
Tom and Rafe talk about solid state drives with Lenovo's Matthew Kohut. Find out how long a solid state drive can last. It's less than a decade.
Date: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 03:39 PM - The Real Deal 103 - Botnets
Dr. Jose Nazario of Arbor Networks joins Tom and Rafe to discuss the ins and outs of botnets.
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 03:31 PM - The Real Deal 102 - Travel tech road test
Tom and Rafe discuss essential websites, gadgets, and other tech tips for traveling.
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 03:51 PM - The Real Deal 101 - Personal Carbon Offsets
Get green! Rafe Needleman talks with Andrew Beebe, president of Energy Innovations, about personal carbon credit trading.
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 02:15 PM - The Real Deal 100 - Windows on a Mac
Tom Merritt runs through the basics of running Windows on a Mac, both from Boot camp and using virtualization.
Date: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 03:42 PM - The Real Deal 99 - Road test
Tom Merritt and Rafe Needleman talk about living with the Apple TV, Pleo, Chumy, Amazon Kindle, Logitech Harmony and more.
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 03:57 PM - The Real Deal 98 - Online TV and Movies
We discuss all our favorite places to find TV shows and movies and some of your favorites too.
Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 03:46 PM - The Real Deal 97 - OpenID
Wouldn't it be great to have a single sign-on for all websites? One password to be stolen? Oh wait? would it be great or not?
Date: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 03:42 PM - The Real Deal 96 - Road Test
Tom and Rafe discuss Windows Home Server, moving from a ThinkPad to a MacBook Pro running Windows and get a listener tip about the DirecTV DVR.
Date: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 03:49 PM - The Real Deal 95 - Bandwidth
All about throughput, chanel capacity, bit rate and other misunderstood terms. Plus a small bit on migrating data to a new laptop.
Date: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 03:40 PM - The Real Deal 94 - Myth of the megapixel
Rafe shares why more megapixels isn't always better. Find out how to determine what you need in a new camera.
Date: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 03:53 PM - The Real Deal 93 - Road Test
Rafe and Tom talk about the live blogging of the Steve Jobs keynotes, how to use multiple monitors, review the Kindle, flying Virgin America, and using wirelss while traveling.
Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 03:56 PM - The Real Deal 92 - Wikia Search
So how does a Wiki search engine work, and will you use it? We tackle both topics.
Date: Monday, January 07, 2008 04:27 PM - Real Deal 91 - Zombies
From the Epic ofGilgamesh, to Haiti, to George Romero, we talk the history of Zombies and how to defend yourself against them.
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 04:08 PM - Real Deal 90 - Fantasy Real Deal
Tom and Rafe get futuristic and talk about topics they'd love to cover someday on the podcast.
Date: Thursday, December 20, 2007 04:08 PM - Real Deal 89 - Real Deal Awards
Tom and Rafe award the "FUDdies" to those who fought the best or spread the worst fear uncertainty anddoubt in 2007.
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 04:08 PM - Real Deal 88 - Reviews
How do tech product reviews happen? What are the pressures? How can you trust what reviewers write?
Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 04:38 PM - Real Deal 87 - Email
From Pop3 to IMAP to web-based, we talk about the kinds of email clients and how email is used.
Date: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 11:52 AM - Real Deal 86 - eBooks
Can eBooks replace paper books? We look at the Amazon Kindle and Sony eReader as examples, and discuss what has kept paper on top.
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 03:32 PM - Real Deal 85 - Specialty information sources
Google, or a search engine of any kind, isn't always the best way to find information. We'll introduce you to some of our favorite specialised information sources.
Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 03:58 PM - Real Deal 84 - Geek TV
What makes a TV show geeky, and what are the best geek TV shows.
Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 03:47 PM - Real Deal 83 - Online Finances
In this episode, Rafe discusses new products and services for personal money management.
Date: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 04:22 PM - Real Deal 82 - Online music
From streaming to subscribing to downloading, we cover the best ways to get your music from the Internet.
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 03:42 PM - Real Deal 81 - Game consoles vs. PCs
Let the gaming war begin. Which is right for you? A game console ora PC? Maybe both? Find out!
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 03:40 PM - Real Deal 80 - Wikis
What's a wiki and what do you use it for? We'll tell you that and how to set one up too.
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 03:36 PM - Real Deal 79 - Social bookmarking
From del.icio.us to Digg, we'll cover the new trends in online bookmarking and sharing.
Date: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 03:46 PM - Real Deal 78 - Hybrid cars
Rafe and Tom get deep into the world of hybrid cars to help you decide if you want one.
Date: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 03:40 PM - Real Deal 77 - Hack the iPhone
We discuss how to get third-party apps on your iPhone and how to unlock it. Plus a short discussion of the legal implications.
Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 03:14 PM - The Real Deal 76 - Network Storage
From RAID, to NAS, to Smoothwall we cover your network storage options and bring a few tips from the audience as well.
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 03:52 PM - Real Deal 75 - Home Automation
Whether you want to make the home of the future, or just spy on the cat, we'll introduce you to the wonders of X10, Insteon, Zwave and more.
Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 03:37 PM - Real Deal 74 - Keep Two PCs in Sync
In this episode we're going to discuss how to live with two PCs, and keep the data on them in sync.
Date: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 03:36 PM - Real Deal 73 - Social network overload
With all the Facebooks and Twitters and Last.FMs, it's hard to keep up with all your socializing options. We'll help you cut through the clutter of the Web 2.0 whirlwind.
Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 04:12 PM - Real Deal 72 - Software for a new PC
Got a new PC? We tell you all the software you need to get to make it nice and comfy to use right from the start.
Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 03:36 PM - Real Deal 71 - Wireless Headphones
Senior editor Donald Bell joins me to discuss wireless headphones. How do they work and which ones are best?
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 12:55 PM - Real Deal 70 - Digital TV Transition
The US analog TV signal will be shut down on Feb. 17, 2009. What will yo do? Will your TV still work? We'll tell you.
Date: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 11:13 AM - Real Deal 69 - Be your own IT department
If you know anything about computers you're likely to have to provide tech support for friends and family. Here's some tips and tools to help you help others.
Date: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 03:28 PM - Real Deal 68 - Twitter Alternatives
The miniblog, short message, nanoblog sensation continues, rocketed to popularity by Twitter. Other services like Pownce and Jaiku are popping up as well. So what's it all about?
Date: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 03:34 PM - Real Deal 67 - Free Games
Free games pretty much litter the Internet. You can play free games online or download them. Some our open source and some are not. Find out the ins and outs and some of our favorite places to find free games.
Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 03:33 PM - Real Deal 66 - Microsoft Office replacements
Why spend hundreds of dollars on Microsoft Office when you can get the same functionality for free? We go over web-based and software office suites and the advantages and disadvantages to replacing Microsoft.
Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 03:35 PM - Real Deal 65 - iPhone
So now that we actually got to use one, what's the real deal with the iPhone?
Date: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 11:11 AM - Real Deal 64 - Online photo and storage
Rafe and Tom discuss different places on the Web to store and to share your digital photos.
Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 03:31 PM - Real Deal 63 - GPS
Get the scoop on how to find yourself. We discuss the tech behind GPS devices and give you some advice when shopping for a GPS device.
Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 03:17 PM - Real Deal 62 - Wireless Networking: Beyond WiFi
Don't know your HSDPA from your EV-DO? Want to just get data over the air wherever you go? Tom and Rafe can help you understand it all.
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 03:46 PM - Real Deal 61 - Blogging ethics
Questions over the rights and responsibilities of bloggers are coming more and more frequently. As a blogger, what are your boundaries, and how do you learn journalistic ethics?
Date: Monday, June 04, 2007 01:39 PM - Real Deal 60 - Internet2
Think you'll be using the next Internet? Think again. Tom explains what Internet2 is and how it differs from Abilene, National Lambda Rail and the Internet you use.
Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 03:09 PM - Real Deal 59 - Lifecasting
We'll tell you how to put your whole life online, video, audio, and text. But will you want to? We'll tell you that too.
Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 03:19 PM - Real Deal 58 - Silverlight
Microsoft's got a new competitor to Flash, but it's much more than that, and much different. Find out why.
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 04:12 PM - Real Deal 57 - Twitter
Twitter has taken the Web world by storm. Why is it so hot? What is it? We'll get you up to speed on miniblogging in this episode.
Date: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 03:24 PM - Real Deal 56 - Instant Messengers
We deal with all the instant messenger protocols and review some of the best multi-protocol clients.
Date: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 03:13 PM - Real Deal 55 - SATA hard drives
Wondering what all the fuss about SATA drives is? We'll unravel the mystery.
Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 03:18 PM - Real Deal 54 - VoIP
Find out what VoIP is, how it works, and whether you should trade in your landline for Internet telephony.
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 03:37 PM - Real Deal 53 - Game emulators
You can play games from Pong, to Atari to Nintendo, all on your current PC. Tom Merritt talks game emulators.
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 03:15 PM - Real Deal 52 - Apple TV
So what's all this hooplah about the Apple TV? And did you know there are other devices that do the same thing?
Date: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 03:18 PM - Real Deal 51 - Media Centers
A media center isn't just a program from Windows. Oh no! Find out what a good media center does and what all your options are.
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 03:23 PM - Real Deal 50 - Refurbished electronics
Refurbished electronics sell for cheaper than brand new items, and usually are identical. So what's the catch? Tom Merritt tells you hot to safely negotiate the world of refurbished tech gadgets and reap the savings.
Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 03:29 PM - Real Deal 49 - Web video
Tom discusses how he gets web video on his living room TV, and reveals some of his favorite sources.
Date: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 03:21 PM - Real Deal 48 - OEM
Want cheap software? If you're willing to do without a few niceties like tech support, OEM can save you big bucks.
Date: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 03:21 PM - Real Deal 47 - CableCARD
Did you know you can get a small PC card that allows you to get digital cable in any device? It's CableCARD. And if only it was as easy as I just made it sound.
Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 03:14 PM - Real Deal 46 - Video codecs
Why are videos so frustrating? One of the reasons is codecs. There are lots and lots of codecs out there. Tom and Justin attempt to explain why that is, how codecs work, and ho to navigate the confusing world of video.
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 03:12 PM - Real Deal 45 - CSS
A little primer on CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). What it is, what it does, and how to use it.
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 02:57 PM - Real Deal 44 - Digital Cameras
Digital cameras can be hard to understand. Don't know your ISO settings from your RAW image format? Lori Grunin helps Tom understand how digital cameras work.
Date: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 03:27 PM - Real Deal 43 - Demo
Rafe Needleman reports on the latest product pitches from the Demo 2007 conference in Arizona.
Date: Friday, February 02, 2007 04:12 PM - Real Deal 42 - Windows Vista
The new version of Windows is here. Should you get Windows Vista? Tom Merritt runs through some of the new features as well as his experience with Vista and advice on whether to upgrade.
Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 09:28 AM - Real Deal 41 - Wi-Fi security
Robert Vamosi joins Tom Merritt to talk about the proper ways to secure your Wi-Fi router in your home. They also discuss safety precautions to use when surfing over Wi-Fi in public.
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 03:12 PM - Real Deal 40 - CES Gadgets
Tom Merritt reviews some of his favorite gadgets from CES. He also dishes out some of the inside scoop on how the gadget press mill works at the largest electronics show on Earth.
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 03:06 PM - Real Deal 39 - CES
Jason Oxman from the Conusmer Electronics Association talks about how they pull off the biggest trade show on the continent, and what it takes to get inside CES.
Date: Monday, January 08, 2007 04:27 PM - Real Deal 38 - Home Networking
Tom Merritt discusses the ins and outs of wiring a new house for an Internet connection.
Date: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 03:19 PM - Real Deal 37 - Top 5 topics for 2007
Tom Merritt previews the top 5 tech topics you'd like him to cover in 2007. These topics were determined based on listener feedback.
Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 04:02 PM - Real Deal 36 - Top 5 topics of 2006
Tom Merritt reviews the top 5 most popular tech topics of 2006 as determined by listeners to the Real Deal podcast.
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 04:02 PM - Real Deal 35 - Game Consoles
Tom Merritt runs down the specs on the three next generation game consoles and helps you decide which one's right for you.
Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 03:10 PM - Real Deal 34 - Antivirus
Robert Vamosi joins the podcast to talk about the best way to protect your computer from viruses. What are some of the best antivirus programs out there?
Date: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 03:27 PM - Real Deal 33 - AJAX
Tom Merritt explains the ins and outs of the programming technique called AJAX. It powers the wonderful world of Web 2.0.
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 03:26 PM - Real Deal 32 - Rebates
Tom Merritt gives the straight scoop on how rebates work and what to look for when you're shopping.
Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 03:08 PM - Real Deal 31 - Free Software
Some software is free as in beer, and some is free as in speech and some isn't free at all. Tom Merritt explains the difference and also gives a tip of the hat to a few of his favorite free pieces of software.
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 03:32 PM - Real Deal 30 - HD Radio
CNET's resident radio expert, Brian Cooley, joins Tom to explain what HD radio is and how it differs from regular radio.
Date: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 03:36 PM - Real Deal 29 - Online Storage
Why you would need to store files online, and where to find the best places to store them.
Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 04:37 PM - Real Deal 28 - Online Gaming
Veronica joins Tom to talk online gaming, inlcuding MUDs, MMORPGs, and the current craze of World of Warcraft.
Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 04:32 PM - Real Deal 27 - Portable Apps
Tom tells you how you can take your favorite software programs with you without lugging around your computer.
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 03:34 PM - Real Deal 26 - Phishing
A bonus episode this week where Tom gives some tips to avoid phishing scams.
Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 03:31 PM - Real Deal 25 - Online Apps
Rafe Needleman joins Tom to talk about online apps. They get a few minutes in before the use the term Web 2.0. Not bad.
Date: Monday, October 09, 2006 04:27 PM - Real Deal 24 - DRM
Tom Merritt talks with Cory Doctorow about digital rights management, also known as DRM.
Date: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:42 AM - Real Deal 23 - HTML
Get up to speed on the basics of HTML,some good software for making Web pages and places to learn more.
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 03:41 PM - Real Deal 22 - WiMAX
Can WiMAX bring hig speed wireless Internet into your home for cheap?
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 03:00 PM - Real Deal 21 - Bluetooth
Tom talks about what Bluetooth is, how it works , and what you can use it for.
Date: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 02:42 PM - Real Deal 20 - RSS
Tom and Rafe explain what RSS is, a little bit about how it works, and make some recommendations of their favorite RSS readers.
Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 02:48 PM - Real Deal 19 - Ubuntu
Tom gives a very general overview of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux and how it works.
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 02:49 PM - Real Deal 18 - Laptop batteries
With so many tales of exploding batteries, and real recalls, do you need to worry? Tom delves into the world of Lithium Ion batteries and explains the risks and tips for keeping your batteries safe.
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 03:55 PM - Real Deal 17 - Unlocked cell phones
What is an unlocked phone? How can you get one, and how do you activate it? Why would you want an unlocked phone? Are they good for international travel?
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 02:55 PM - Real Deal 16 - Online shopping
Dan Miller joins Tom Merritt to discuss the safety of online shopping
Date: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 03:13 PM - Real Deal 15 - Register a Website
Tom walks you through registering a domain name and touches on finding a web host.
Date: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 03:14 PM - Real Deal 14 - BitTorrent
What is BitTorrent, how does it work, and how do I use it?
Date: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 02:53 PM - Real Deal 13 - Choose an ISP
Tom discusses what to look for when choosing a new Internet Service Provider.
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 02:55 PM - Real Deal 12 - Non-DRM MP3s
Want to get MP3s without the DRM restrictions? Tom and Veronica show you how to do it without breaking the law.
Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 02:51 PM - Real Deal 11 - Net neutrality
Declan McCullagh joins the show to talk about the facts behind the net neutrality and tiered Internet debates.
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 03:02 PM - Real Deal 10 - HDTV
What HDTV is, what it means and which one you should buy.
Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 02:25 PM - Real Deal 9 - 1980s computer emulators
Tom runs through a few fun ways to emulate old computers on your PC.
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 04:06 PM - Real Deal 8 - Hybrid Cars
Brian Cooley joins Tom Merritt to discuss hybrid cars, their advantages and disadvantages, and why you might want one.
Date: Friday, June 02, 2006 03:20 PM - Real Deal 7 - Warranties
Should you pay for an extended warranty? We'll help you decide.
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 03:20 PM - Real Deal 6 - Choose a laptop
Molly Wood joins Tom to talk about how to pick the right laptop.
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 03:36 PM - Real Deal 5 - Satellite TV rights
We discuss your right to have a satellite dish installed in your home or apartment.
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 03:03 PM - Real Deal 4 - IPTV
What is IPTV? Where do I find it? And why should I care?
Date: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 02:47 PM - Real Deal 3 - How to Blog
Tom Merritt talks about how to get started blogging.
Date: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 03:12 PM - Real Deal 2 - Maker Faire
Tom Merritt and Rafe Needleman discuss the cool do-it-yourself projects from Maker Faire 2006.
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 03:41 PM - Real Deal 1 - Start a podcast in an hour
A handful of easy steps to get you started podcasting in an hour. Also, do you pay for shareware?
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 03:05 PM