KARYNE: Hey, Im Karyne Levy
EMILY: And I'm Emily Dreyfuss.
KARYNE: Welcome to Rumor Has It! The show where we round up the
week's biggest tech rumors.
EMILY: And vote on what sounds legit, and what seems like it'll never ever
happen.
KARYNE: And remember: you can vote on all the rumors! Keep your eye
out for the poll in the interactive player, if you're watching on CNET.
EMILY: The Chinese newspaper Commercial Times is reporting that a
bigger iPhone is coming, a 4.8-inch iPhone, possibly code-named iPhone
Math.
KARYNE: And thats where the rumor breaks down.
EMILY: In fact, the entire report is so sketchy that DigiTimes retracted their
article on it. When something is too unreliable for DigiTimes you know its
bad.
KARYNE: But it was fun while it lasted. And the idea that Apple will make a
bigger iPhone to compete with the Galaxy S3, and Note, and upcoming
Galaxy S4, and all the huge phones that people have gotten used to, makes
sense.
EMILY: It really does, and it doesnt seem unreasonable that theyd do it,
considering they did come out with the iPad Mini, so Apple has proven
their willingness to adjust size to meet demand.
KARYNE: But our producer has demands of her own.
EMILY: And these are them: A fucking smaller phone that she can fit in her
fucking pocket.
KARYNE: Next up, rumors are heating up that YouTube wants a stake in
music video site, Vevo.
YouTube was supposedly courting Vevo last May and is now reportedly
ready to make an investment according to AllThingsDigital, citing "people
familiar with the deal."
If it happens, it'll be the second time in a year that Google has invested
directly in a video company that relies on YouTube for distribution.
EMILY: All I want to know about this rumor is: will it affect my ability to
watch Beyonce lip-syncing the national anthem?
KARYNE: No.
EMILY: Now lets check in on the rumors that Dell is hoping to become a
private company again. The latest report is that microsoft may invest up to
3 billion in a Dell buyout, according to CNBC reporter David Faber who
says he has sources familiar with the matter.
KARYNE: There have been reports that Steve Ballmer and Michael Dell, the
Dell CEO, have been BFFs lately.
EMILY: And it makes sense for a major software company to want to have a
stake in a manufacturing company that is integral to getting its software
out in the world.
KARYNE: If true, it seems like a desperate move by Microsoft to save Dell
in order to keep the PC alive. just. a. little. longer.
EMILY: And 3 billion dollars is kind of a drop in the bucket for Microsoft. So
keep your eye on this rumor, folks. The stock market sure is.
KARYNE: And now for my favorite kind of rumor of all: The PlayStation 4
might be announced in a few months, hints Sony's vice president of home
entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto.
In an interview with a Chilean Web site, Sakamoto said "That's still a big
secret, but our friends are preparing Sony PlayStation. I can only say that
we are focused on the E3 gaming event, scheduled for June. [An]
announcement may be [made] in that minute or even earlier in May."
EMILY: Patrick Seybold, senior director of corporate communications for
Sony Computer Entertainment, told CNET last year that Sony's products
have double the lifespan of most consoles -- about 10 years -- as long as
they remain commercially viable.
KARYNE: And the PS3 is still commercially viable -- but maybe Sony is
feeling some of the heat from recent Xbox 720 rumors? Also, its worth
noting that even if the PS4 is announced in the spring, it might not be
released until 2014. The PS3 was announced at E3 in 2005, but wasnt
released until 2006.
Hearing all this makes me think its coming out in 2014.
EMILY: I agree Ive always thought the PS4 was coming out in 2014, and
this doesnt preclude that.
EMILY: What do you guys think? Think itll come out this year, next year, or
even further in the future? Vote in our poll while we check in with the CNET
council.
EMILY: And the CNET Councils verdict is...a nearly unanimous YES, they
believe the PS4 will be announced at E3. Except for one pesky pessimist
who said, no? An anonymous editor gave us a more nuanced take,
saying "My guess is it will be announced but not detailed or priced. A 'we
have one but won't release one' kind of thing. Like Wii U a couple of years
ago. In contrast to that, my guess is the next Xbox will have firmer details
and dates."
KARYNE: Hard to argue with that. Thats our show everyone, share your
rumors at rumorhasit@cnet.com or call us at 1-800-750-CNET. And tweet
us!
