Requiem for the Kin
Hi, I'm Molly Wood, and welcome to the Buzz Report, the show about the tech news
that everyone's talking about. This week, it's the iPhone for Verizon, Hulu unveils a
subscription service, and Google may or may not be doing something that may or
may not be a Facebook-killer.
But first, it's the Gadget of the Week.
The Gadget of the Week is the Cisco Cius tablet, just announced this week. Cisco announced it this week,
but said it's really meant for like, real-time video collaboration among students and professionals.
Really? I mean. Yeah, it's built on Android and works with Cisco's business software suite, but it also has
an accelerometer, a 720p HD camera, and offers HD video streaming.
For real-time video conferencing. Honest.
Cisco. Drop the Brett Favre act and get in the game. The iPad isn't THAT scary.
And now for the news. Bloomberg News is reporting that--okay, you might wanna sit down for this--
Verizon may be selling the iPhone in January, thus ending the exclusivity contract with that provider of
solid networks everywhere [disclaimer at bottom of screen: * Excluding San Francisco, New York City,
other metropolitan areas] AT&T. Now of course, neither AT&T nor Verizon is saying anything about this,
so we can't tell for sure if this is a done deal or just geek bait.
But given how many people have a hate-on for AT&T, [picture of Earth from space] a Verizon iPhone
would probably sell faster than Megan Fox's underpants at Comic-Con. Aaand rinse and repeat this rumor
three more times until the Verizon iPhone is real.
Speaking of phone news, remember the Microsoft Kin? It was the Gadget of the Week just, I don't know, a
few weeks back. We were skeptical, but willing to give it a chance. Microsoft and the entire market of
phone buyers? Not so much. After literally THREE MONTHS on the market and untold millions in
advertising dollars -- seriously, they even put a wraparound ad on the WAFFLE TRUCK outside CNET!
Anyway, Microsoft is pulling the plug on the Kin. It's canceled. Dead. I guess it's not that surprising, since
it got a like, 50 percent price cut last week, and no one could figure out who it was for, since it talked like a
Boost Mobile Toyota Scion but required Verizon's Lexus IS 350 data plan. Seriously, what is going ON at
Microsoft these days? Can we start the Ballmer deathwatch countdown now? There we go.
Moving on in the news, Hulu this week announced a new premium service called Hulu Plus. For 10 bucks a
month, Hulu Plus will offer subscribers full seasons of shows instead of the 5 most recent episodes, not
necessarily in order, like you get now. In some cases, you might even get MULTIPLE seasons of shows.
According to Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, you can watch all nine seasons of "The X-Files," seven seasons of
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and all 50 seasons of "Law and Order: SVU."
Because it's SUCH a bitch trying to find reruns of that show.
(doink)
Hulu Plus will be viewable on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, and it'll also be baked into some new
Internet-connected TVs, certain Samsung Blu-Ray players, AND the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Yeah.
That sound you just heard was Comcast and DirecTV looking death in the face. Speaking of death watches.
Not pretty.
In other news this week, Google may be getting into social media again! Hot on the heels of the rousing
success that was Google Buzz, rumors say The Goog is planning to take on Facebook with a social media
project called Google Me. And Google, if this is real? Here's a nickel's worth of free advice. You need
*two* things if you want to have a chance: A better name and something more addictive than Farmville.
Have you considered actual crack?
And finally, let's have a look at what's Clogging the Tubes. This week, it's the iPhone 4 versus the HTC
Evo. In cartoon kittycat form.
Oh, stop. I'm not saying YOU'RE like that. Just ... some other people. Look around. They're all standing
next to you in line.
And that's the Buzz Report for this week, everyone. I'm Molly Wood, and thanks for watching.
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