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November 9, 2009 10:28 AM PST

The 404 Podcast 463: Where we're not that funny, but at least we try

by Justin Yu
  • 3 comments

Just before it got out of control

(Credit: Wilson Tang, Justin Yu/CNET)

Now that we've had ample time to recover, Wilson and Justin take a few moments out of today's episode of The 404 Podcast to attempt to retrace the events of Wilson's Friday night birthday bash. The night started with a stomach full of Korean Fried Chicken, which you should definitely check out if you live in New York--it's addicting, for real. After that, Wilson surprised us all (not really) with a night of karaoke, which started off innocently enough with Aqua's Barbie Girl and Enrique Iglesias' "Escape," but quickly turned into a rockstar-wannabe free-for-all as Justin and Wilson laid waste to their dignity and belted out that awfully addicting Black Eyed Peas song "I Gotta Feeling." MAZEL TOV! Check out the show to hear all the details and follow the photo slideshow to witness our humiliation.

(Credit: Facebook)

If you've ever wanted to show a Facebook friend how much you despise their mundane status updates and links, a "dislike" button might be your dream feature come true. French developer Thomas Moquet created a Firefox Extension that adds a dislike button to Facebook pages, but other Facebook users must have the extension installed as well to see the note. If you're not a fan of the open-source browser, there's also a Facebook Group that you can join to petition for the absent feature. The question is, should we really bring that element of negativity to our beloved social network? Listen the entire episode to hear our point of view.

In atypical Monday fashion, we actually dig deep into Internet censorship and the age that kids should be allowed to play games rated "Mature." The conversation is sparked by a very informed 13-year-old who left us a voicemail bringing up a great point about the different maturity levels that exist within a specific age bracket, and we're happy to discuss a topic that raises so many questions about maturity level, parental responsibilities, censoring Web content, etc...it all goes down in the second half of the show, so listen up and leave us a voicemail (1866-404-CNET) or e-mail the404[at]cnet[dot]com to voice your opinion!


EPISODE 463

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Originally posted at The 404 Podcast
October 16, 2009 10:31 AM PDT

The 404 447: Where the cheese stands alone

by Justin Yu
  • 14 comments

Oops, I did it again.

(Credit: Justin Yu/CNET)
(Credit: Justin Yu/CNET)

Even though I definitely messed up the title format and everything else for that matter, today's show is still "Where the cheese stands alone," because you get to witness the pain as I try to record a solo podcast. That's right, Jeff is out and Wilson called in sick, so I'm left to fend for myself with the generous help of a few friends along the way.

Disclaimer: Today's show is atypical. If this is your first time listening to The 404, note that this is definitely not the norm. The show is usually very random and tangential, but today's episode is a ONE MAN SHOW. That man is me, and for that I beg your forgiveness in advance. If you're able to get through the entire show, well then I tip my hat to you.

It's the first time I've operated the engineering board and camera switching by myself, so the production value ain't up to par with Jeff's expert skills...just keep that in mind as you struggle through this episode of random musings, behind the scenes scoops, upcoming guests, meet-up ideas, Halloween costumes, and the future of The 404!

As hard as it is to listen to me wing my way through 45 minutes of streaming video, it would have been far worse if not for my dear friends Dan Ackerman, Scott Stein, and Julie Rivera who all came in to put me out of my lonely misery. They're all part of CNET's own Digital City Podcast, so be sure to check them out.

Here's some exciting news to look forward to: our guest on Monday will be the band Family of the Year. After hearing that we chose them for our Beck's Beer Draft Pick, they agreed to come in for a live in-studio acoustic performance!

Jeff will certainly be back for that, but no guarantees for Wilson G. Tang, who may or may not have contracted the Avian Swine Flu, a rare form of H1N1 that only occurs when pigs fly.

Have a great weekend everyone!


Episode 447

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Originally posted at The 404 Podcast
July 3, 2009 7:00 AM PDT

Friday Poll: We the ppl--imagining a digital 1776

by Matt Hickey
  • 3 comments

CNET News Poll

Digital in 1776
Which use of a modern-day tool would have most influenced the course of American history?

Jefferson using all@KingGeorgeSucks.com to keep in touch
Google Docs to keep changes to the Constitution in order
Benjamin Franklin inventing the Internet
George Washington chopping down a cell tower
Adams tweeting "Jefferson still survives" on his deathbed



View results


American flag

Happy (almost) Fourth of July!

Two hundred thirty-three years ago, our nation's founders declared independence from Great Britain. But nailing down a final version of the Declaration of Independence took time, with the writers (or more likely their couriers) flitting about on horses with drafts, as the authors debated phrasing and passed edits around.

That got us thinking: which tool of the Digital Age would have had the greatest influence on the course of American history? Vote in our poll, and as always, chime in with your own ideas in the TalkBack section below.

June 30, 2009 1:20 PM PDT

Rumor: PS3 Slim to be manufactured in July?

by David Carnoy
  • 77 comments

Alleged spy photo of PS3 Slim's packaging.

We had a feeling we'd soon be hearing more on the rumored PS3 Slim, and sure enough, some enticing tidbits have hit the blogosphere. On Tuesday, several sites picked up on a report by Chinese-language site Economic Daily News (UDN.com) that Sony has signed manufacturing agreements with two Taiwanese-based companies, Foxconn and Pegatron, to build the new, slimmed-down version of the PS3 in July.

We've looked at a rather poorly translated version of the story and it's very hard to tell from what we read what the exact details are, but both Joystiq Japan and Engadget China have apparently provided their sister sites in the U.S. with a better translation (they do note that the information is based on anonymous sources, so take this all as rumor, not fact).

Aside from the possibility that the the PS3 Slim might actually be a real product--and coming soon--the key detail in the report is the timing of the PS3 Slim's shipping date. According to the article, the lighter, smaller PS3 units are expected to start shipping in early July "to cope with expected summer vacation demands."

Translation: Sony wants to get a new unit out while kids have nothing to do but play video games (and apparently, in Japan, a lot of game consoles are sold during the summer holidays). Still, July seems a bit early to us, and industry watchers think a fall launch for the revised PS3--if indeed it's coming--is a more likely scenario for the North American market. That would give retail more time to clear the channel of existing inventory of the 80GB PS3 ($399) without having to blow it out at a discount.

All that said, we have no idea what a new PS3 will cost or what its configuration will be. However, chances are good that Sony will have some system, new or old, priced at $299 for the holidays.

As always, feel free to comment.

(Source: Joystiq via UDN.com)

Additional reading: Latest XBox 360 and PS3 price cut rumors

The following products mentioned are available.

On Sale Now: $349.99
View the latest prices for Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB)

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View the latest prices for Sony PlayStation 3 (160GB)

June 8, 2009 7:34 AM PDT

Digital City Ep. 35: Post-E3 impressions, Palm Pre vs. iPhone, and the upcoming WWDC

by Julie Rivera
  • 2 comments

Oh the irony...

(Credit: Dan Ackerman/CNET)

Although we have to wait until next week's show to hear of Dan's possible escapades with McLovin' and company, along with his (enviable) hands-on experiences, at this year's E3 event in Los Angeles, that doesn't stop us from giving our take on what went down.

Note to Dan: We expect some video footage of actual gameplay, NOT a 15-page slide show...we kid, but, no, really.

Oddly enough, we were all physically suffering from one thing or another before the taping of the show--Joe with his sinuses, Julie with the constant eye twitch, and Scott with...whatever--but we mustered enough strength to push forward 'cause that's how we roll. Based on what we saw of E3, we discuss who won the motion sensor/controller wars, the PSP Go, and which games we were excited to get our hands on in the future.

We also talk about what could, or should, be expected at this week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Obviously, the iPhone OS 3.0 should be shown off, but what about the new iPhone? We predict what the rumored new iPhone--or what Joe calls the "iDevice"--will have, and what it needs to take back the hype from the Palm Pre.

In the midst of all the serious and informative discussion though, we find ourselves victim to double entendres and innuendos. Also, Julie strikes several poses in front of the404 banner in the podcast room, but you'll (obviously) only catch it on the video version of the show. It's all in fun.


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Originally posted at Digital City Podcast
April 27, 2009 10:12 AM PDT

Digital City Ep. 29: When Dan's away, the children will play

by Julie Rivera
  • 1 comment

While Dan is out on vacation, Joseph and I enlist Senior Editor Joshua Goldman to fill his spot. We discuss gadgets in the home, social media and the loss of the tangible, writing a novel on a smartphone, and CNET Labs' power consumption testing.

WARNING: This was my first attempt at working the sound board, using the software, and editing the podcast, so be forgiving. We tried...

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Episode 29

Today's links:
News





Today's e-mail

Hello. I have a few recommendations and questions for you three...

>>> I think that you do a great job in the 1st place. <<<

I want to know, do you broadcast live on cnet.com, and if so when?

My buddies and I would love to tune in and listen!

It's either that, or read George Will's column in the Washington Post. (LOL! What a Nut!)

So I would really love to know that.

The other thing is that I think that you should get an AIM account or a digitalcity.cnet.com chatbox.

This way viewers can talk to each other in a c-box, or viewers can have suggestions via. I.M. or ask the opinion of one of you three. Or, they can make recommendations or ask questions like I am without the wait for the reply. Please consider my opinion. I am a long time listener of your podcast and enjoy it among all of my other podcasts. Please keep the new episodes coming!!!

Sincerely,

Nathan T.


Originally posted at Digital City Podcast
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