Tech News Today 81

Tech News Today Episode 81

Tech News Today 81: A WAN Smile For White Space

Blue Box is not Blockbuster, and BlockBuster is broke, White Space may save us all but is not WiFi, and Mosquito abuse

Hosts

• Tom Merritt (@acedtect)
  • TomMerritt.com
• Becky Worley (@bworley)
  • BeckyWorley.com
• Kirsten Sanford (@drkiki)
  • KirstenSanford.com
• Erik Lanigan (@eriklanigan)

Top Stories

• Facebook Said to Be Working on Phones With INQ for AT&T [1]

• facebook down 2nd day in a row [2]

• "WiFi on steroids" gets final rules, drops spectrum sensing

• Verizon CEO throws wet blanket on iPhone rumors

• Also warns that cable TV is dead

• And says Verizon will do tiered pricing [3]

Other Stories

• Netflix busted for using actors in crowd at Canadian launch event [4]

• Netflix apology on blog- good image for show

• What Netflix CEO hopes U.S. won't notice

• Blockbuster finally gives in, files for bankruptcy

• VIDEO:sound up blockbuster ad 0- :07 OUtcue "wow"

• broll of ad about late fees

• Purported HP Slate appears in video

• 3:12 shows keyboard

News Fuse

• In a move that strengthens the idea of safe harbor for websites where users upload content, a spanish court has ruled that youtube is not liable for any copyright or trademark infringing content that is uploaded to its site. Broadcaster telecinco had petitioned the courts in Madrid to insist Youtube police content on its site. but when the court ruled otherwise Youtube issued a statement calling this a "clear victory for the Internet and the rules that govern it,"

• T-Mobile says it did not block texts from EZ Texting because of medical marijuana, but because the company was allegedly using the service in ways that the carrier never approved. T-Mobile had only approved EZ Texting to use its short code for the company's bar and club alert service. Allegedly EZ Texting used its short code to "promote an unauthorized 'shadow program' in breach of the aggregator agreement, T-Mobile's guidelines, and the Mobile Marketing Associations Best Practices."

• Chip maker Marvell claims to have the world's first three-core ARM-based system-on-a-chip clocked at 1.5GHz - 50 per cent higher than today's leading phone CPUs. Only two of the Armada 628's three cores run at that speed - the third runs at 624MHz. The Armada 628 also supports 1080p 3D video, USB 3.0, and DDR3 memory, and can project images to two LCD displays at the same time. Battery life is expected to be much improved with this chip.

• Roku is not rolling over in the face of Apple TV. The new Roku lineup launched with three new models. For $59 you get WiFi, HD with HDMI and composite outputs and Netflix, Amazon and all 75 Roku Channels. The $79 Roku XD adds in 1080p streaming, and the top-of-the-line $99 XDS adds in a USB port for future local playback support, component video, optical audio out, and dual-band 802.11n WiFi.

• NBC's Jeff Zucker thinks Apple's 99 cent TV show rentals would "devalue" their content and doesn't see them jumping on board anytime soon. Meanwhile Fox, who with ABC, are on board may fall off the wagon soon. News Corp. President Chase Carey said that the company's decision to offer Fox content is a "short-term test."

• "Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has been named as the wealthiest person in the US for the 17th year in a row at $54bn (£34.5bn), with investment guru Warren Buffet second with $45bn. Software tycoon Larry Ellison was in third place, while Wal-Mart heir Christy Walton was fourth on Forbes' list of the 400 richest Americans. For those keeping score, Mark Zuckerburg passed up Steve Jobs of Apple.."

• According to the Internet Explorer 9 Beta FAQ for IT Professionals Windows 7 RTM users won't be able to install Internet Explorer 9 until they have upgraded to Service Pack 1. Microsoft did confirm, however, that IT pros will be able to add IE9 to existing Windows 7 images in order to streamline the deployment process.

• Now this last item- if you had to pick a name for your product, I'm thinking i-anything, or something POD would be a bad call. You know apple's legal department would be breathing down your neck. But poor daniel kokin of Sector labs who's been developing a projector called the videopod since 2000, a year before the iPod came out well- he's headed to court and will start testimony October 18th. This story has lots of TechTV tie ins too- It was Jessica corbin of the screen savers that sent me a tip on the story- she knows the people from sector labs and called this a real david and goliath battle and - I had forgotten that apple did not like the podshow use of the word pod, and hence they changed their name to MEVIO.

Kickers and Weird Science

• Tech Tackles Bug With Laser [5]

Calendar

• The Social Network premieres at New York Film Festival Friday 9/24

• Cancel Sprint til 9/27

• T-Mobile G2 pre-orders starting tomorrow for current customers, it seems

• Toshiba adding WiMax to several lapptops starting 9/26

• last cranky geeks

Voicemail

• Video Voicemail: No Facebook for teachers

Email

"Hey TNT Crew,

The morning after I heard you talk about the ""Not Now"" button on Facebook I got a friend request from a spammer. Instantly I saw the poor choice made by Facebook with this ""Not Now"" button. To make matters worse clicking ""Not Now"" only gives me a yellow alert box saying ""We cannot process your request at this time.""

This is probably just a small glitch with their system at the moment, but I am really missing the ability to click ""Ignore"" or ""No"" or any other negative that takes the request away for good.

Love the show, keep up the good work.

-Your Friendly Neighborhood Philip"

"Tom and Posse,

If RIM really wants to make play at the tablet market, one advantage they might have is bundling their upcoming BlackPad and Black Berry, if they get it priced right. Consider, you walk into Best Buy or other electronics outlet, you have the choice between a $500 iPad with no 3G, a $300-500 Galaxy Tab that you have to get a separate data contract for, or a $500 Black Berry and Black Pad combo, only one contract between the two devices. Of course if the BlackPad lays an egg like the Storm or the Torch as a consumer product, the point is moot, but RIM's idea of it as a companion device could make it a good bargain.

Rich in Lovely Cleveland"

Sponsors

Slingbox

• slingbox.com/TWiT
• SB #3
• ad times: 00:34-00:44 and 14:10-16:08

Production Information

• Edited by: Erik
• Notes: Mediafly publish: 5:00

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